Have you ever considered that most of the time when you’re sitting at your computer, you’re having fun? You may be playing games, chatting in a chat room, or posting on a forum never giving any thought to the seriousness of your actions. In these fun-filled times, you may inadvertently post something that appears to be a great joke, but when others read the message, they may have a different interpretation.
In addition, friends may play jokes on you by posting things are seemingly harmless. However, if a prospective employer reads the …

At the beginning of your first term at university there is the excitement of new surroundings and new friends, and suddenly your grant check arrives and it is off to the bank to get the party started. However, if you are thinking ahead, consider how you are going to pay off the inevitable student loan once you graduate. Start by using a student loan calculator to see how much money you are likely to owe and then work out how much you can pay off after living expenses.
The first way …

If you’re a recent graduate from college then you’ll notice that you have the unfortunate task of trying to find a job in a market where demand exceeds the current supply. This means that you’re going to have a tough go of it and standing out is the key. Unfortunately professionalism seems to be the way many applicants can most stand out. Many college graduates coming to the job market are finding that, in general, their approach has been far too casual.
An article on Top-Colleges.com talks about how a survey …

So you’ve finally landed that first job. Congratulations. I’m sure you went out to celebrate your good fortune, but now it’s time to show up to work and start making money. If you’re like me, then you’re probably experiencing the same things I experienced on my first day of work: anxiety with a sense of optimism and excitement about the unknown. These are feelings I remember having on the first day of each semester in college. Each new semester, I approached my classes with energy, focus, and seriousness, because I …

(…and a lot of things really don’t matter)
I work with a lot of stressed out executives in their 30’s who feel like their life energy, hope and joy have been sucked out of them. What we find very quickly is that they are doing a lot of things that don’t really matter instead of concentrating on the things they really do want in their lives.
What if you stopped doing things in your life that really don’t matter? How would that change who you are? How much extra time would you …

I’ve been following Dr. Woody and his “You Plan Book” and he’s really onto something. He’s got some very practical advice anyone can use to help get a job. This video’s part of a Fox Business News update which targets college students.
Watch the latest business video at video.foxbusiness.com

Hey, college graduates — pay attention.
What follows is an interview I did with Megan Gebhart, a junior at Michigan State University. She is doing several smart things to position herself for rapid employment upon graduation in 2011.
There are at least three job-search lessons in the conversation below. Can you find them?
Kevin: Megan, you posted a discussion on LinkedIn about how you used your alumni connections to land three informational interviews. What did you do, exactly?
Megan: Last summer [2009], I had an internship for six weeks in San Francisco. I thought, …

As the father of three daughters, I’m not 100% in favor Emily Bennington’s Huffington Post story where she kisses a guy on a bet at the bar, but otherwise her advice is on the right on.
My daughter graduated a few weeks back and I’m forwarding her this link to Emily’s post. College grads should take on a good amount of risk. Most err on the side of “not enough.” What’s the downside? They have to move in with Mom and Dad. They can use this experimentation to learn and possibly …

Speaking to an audience with your back turned is like networking online without a photo. It’s completely ineffective – so why do people do it and what are the other 6 mistakes people make when networking online?   

They don’t include a photo on their profile page
They don’t fill in their profile
They don’t post on group discussion boards
They do not practice the four essentials of the likeability factor
When they post they don’t put their URL into their signature.
They make it a mission to collect as many names as …

My morning Yoga class focused on preparing for the Hanumanasana or Monkey pose.  (I follow this YogaToday.com website which has some great online resources regardless of your level of Yoga expertise.) The pose mimics the monkey warrior Hanumana’s leap from the southern tip of India to Sri Lanka from India’s legendary epic Ramayana.  Take a look at the picture of the pose to appreciate that it’s a full leg split with arms reaching for the sky.    I can’t get to that full split myself – but I did learn something …

I found Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner set nicely on my keyboard.  My coworker, Robert, who knows I run and read stuff like this left it there for me.  I  cracked it open and couldn’t put it down.
Dean Karnazes writes about his 100+ mile ultra marathon running feats, but he does so much more.  Karnazes had reached the point in his life where his life had no meaning and purpose.  He had a void in his life and his six figure salary couldn’t fill it.  He explains how he turned to running, something he had love …

(This one’s dedicated to my Monica and her friends who I pray will follow their dreams taking on their post-college challenges with gusto.)
Last week I wrote “My Daughter’s Graduation Reminds Me to Keep on Dreaming.”  College graduation is such an exciting time!  In its own way, it’s also terrifying.  A few months back I remember a fellow speaker at a high school career day dish out these words of wisdom.
He said that from the beginning, our lives are neatly cut up into segments.  We start in preschool and look forward to elementary …

On Saturday, my oldest daughter will dawn her cap and gown and cross the stage to collect the diploma she worked hard to earn.   As I watch her and her friends finishing off their four years, a few things in particular strike a chord in me.  They’ve got something so many of us older folks forget.  They remind me of how important it is to make a difference in the world and how making a difference gives  meaning ot our lives.
When my daughter graduated from high school, she wanted to …

This week I discovered a Facebook page launched by a girl (probably more like woman now) from the Catholic elementary school I attended.  On it, I found yearbook pictures of me and the 32 eighth graders that graduated with me over 30 years ago.  A buddy of mine topped it off by posting our 3rd grade class picture.  (That’s me in the top middle wearing a red shirt.)
The exchange of Facebook wall messages between a dozen or so of us over the past several days has stimulated parts of my …

Leading a team of people on any project can be a bear.  Running a small business with differing skills, personalities, backgrounds, genders and competing interests can be just plain difficult.  It seems like piling any group of people together in hopes of getting a job done is a hopeless cause. But if you:

develop a keen understanding of how individuals behave within a team and
dearn to motivate individuals towards a common goal

you’ll develop a reputation for being a team leading genius that delivers the results your company badly needs.
To  hone these …

I found the following NPR interview online.

Over 40 Carrie Spini in Santa Cruz, California is completing an internship at the local chamber of commerce. Definitely not the norm, but she’s preparing herself for a new career after a marital status change, as she calls it on the program. She hopes to eventually get into nonprofit development work and this is step one in that direction.

As I did a little more surfing, I found a blog called Interns Over 40. It’s byline is “A New Career for the …

The book first What Color is Your Parachute1580089305 is a resource I recommend for job hunt advice and finding what career is best for you. Check out my blog entry on it. Richard Nelson Bolles, the writer co-authored another book, What Color is Your Parachute for Teens, that’s just as valuable for teens and college students. It provides career discernment advice so students starting off can decide what they want to do with their lives.
The book takes a similar approach to the first book, with adjustments made for the younger …

While teaching at Miami-Dade College Wolfson Campus this morning, I ran into a representative of Disney’s college internship programs. All the literature they shared with me say, “PAID INTERNSHIPS.” The rep told me the program runs through the summer and fall semesters at both their Orlando and Los Angeles locations. Sounds like it might be something worth checking out. Get more information at www.disneycollegeprogram.com.