April 2008

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Negotiating is always a good idea - even in bad economic times

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal online published a great article on how to negotiate salary even in tough economic times. (A link to the full article is at the bottom of this post.)

It's a subject I've been tackling with my clients and thought I'd share a recent example.

Just last week a client asked me if he should expect a drop in pay because he's changing careers in a bad economy. My response - don't ever expect a drop in pay. Rather understand what the going market rate is for the job you're applying for and how your skills and experience can help you stand out.

Posted by maggie at 10:19 AM
Sunday, April 20, 2008

If others are living their dreams, why not you?

In the quest for the ideal career, many people find it inspiring to read about others who've achieved this seemingly impossible dream.

My question is always, "If others are living their dreams, why not you?" Rather than getting angry or frustrated or jealous because someone has an interesting job, the perfect schedule, plenty of vacation time, great compensation; why not instead see it as a signal that this is a possibility for you too?

In a new book called, "How'd you score that gig?" Alexandra Levit interviewed more than 100 people in their dream jobs to see what got them there. She found persistence was a very important trait.

Posted by maggie at 9:02 PM