BMW or Honda? Let me start by saying that BOTH are great car brands, however, no one will dispute that they each are respected for different reasons. Yet, here’s where they are exactly the same: the marketing strategies used to promote their brands’ value enable buyers of their cars to connect with them on a personal level. Why should you care? Because today, the same kind of strategy needs to be applied to our career development. Read the rest of this entry »

DALE: I’ve been writing about careers for over a decade now, and, in that time, the best summary of a job search came from Mike of Colorado.

JT: When Dale showed me this one, I knew we had to pass it along because Mike conducted the perfect job search – he laid out just what he wanted and how to get it, and then worked his plan. Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: I fell into an abusive relationship four years ago, and when I fought back, we both were arrested. I also received a DUI around the same time. I then met a wonderful man, and we married two years ago. However, we had to file bankruptcy this past year. Other than all that, my life is finally on the upswing — only NO ONE will hire me. How do I go about informing an employer about my past during the interview, because once they get my background check, I get denied. — Jodi Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: My company is going to be making everyone “re-interview” for their jobs. We were advised to make resumes. Any advice for someone who has worked for the company for 12 years? — Bart Read the rest of this entry »

Today, I was contacted by a wonderful woman who’s had the rare misfortune of having to look for a job 3X in the last 2 years. ALL 3X, the companies went out of business. Talk about bad luck! Over the age of 50, she suggested that I offer some advice to those in her generation about job search in the year 2008. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently wrote an e-book on the subject of why elevator parenting works better than helicopter parenting. It’s based on my work with young professionals. I think the same can be said for elevator managing over helicopter managing too.

What’s the difference? Click here to get the book FREE and you’ll soon learn which one raises better employees!

Dear J.T. & Dale: I was fired for reasons I felt were inappropriate. I applied for unemployment, my former employer objected, I appealed, and won the appeal. I am suing for inappropriate dismissal (breach of contract). I also am applying for new jobs. Should I even apply for a position out of town until the lawsuit is over? — Kim Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: What are your thoughts on part-time employment for older retirees? I’m in good health, and frankly, I’m bored. I have a BS in engineering, have taught automotive engineering, operated an automotive business, and am a certified auto technician. — Howard Read the rest of this entry »

Penelope Trunk, who writes the blog Brazen Careerist, wrote a post today called: A Recession Probably Won’t Affect Your Job Market.

The ‘Your’ in the title refers to Gen Y and Gen X employees. Trunk says, “There is a lot of hoop-la over the recession. Or coming recession. Or statistical but maybe-not-really recession. But the truth is that the job market is just fine, especially for the post-Baby-Boomer set.”

So the question is: Do older workers suffer more in a recession? The comments posted on Trunk’s blog would indicate so.

I think that in spite of an impending recession, there will always be a ‘talent’ shortage. As many of the commenters suggest, I firmly believe those who keep their skills up-to-date and brand themselves properly will always be employable.

Whether you are a seasoned workplace veteran or a new professional, how do you plan to keep yourself employable during an economic downturn?

I was contacted to do a radio interview with a very popular Boston-based drive time radio show called ‘The Sandbox’ this past Monday.

In the interview, Charlie, Ed and Fletcher, the three radio personalities who host the show, came up with a new term for what I do: Workplace Psychiatry. I’m absolutely no doctor, but in a way, I guess it does some up what a ‘workplace consultant & career coach’ does for a living.

Check out this post on the experience where you can listen to a few snippets of the discussion: http://www.jtodonnell.com/wordpress/?p=37