business networking

How to Ask Someone to be Your Mentor – Dos and Donts

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How to ask someone to be your mentor

I am republishing this article with new content as my learning on how to ask someone to be your mentor has evolved. 🙂  Hope you will find it useful.

We all need formal and informal mentors to help us grow and learn.   Young professionals have more of a need for formal mentors.   Seasoned professionals needs more a broader network, but not necessarily formal mentors.  It’s more helpful to have “Board of Advisors,” a group of people you know and can go to for specific advice. ...  read more

How to Return to My Old Employer

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contact old employer

Q: I was wondering what may be the best way to approach acknowledging to a previous employer, that you made a mistake leaving your previous job. A year ago, I left a well paying consulting position with a large technology company to pursue another job. Unfortunately, the new job has not met my expectations and I now regret my decision to leave my previous employer. ...  read more

Do You Need an MBA to Succeed?

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yes no maybe

I will give you a consultant answer – it depends.  But I won’t stop there.  I think too many people get an MBA or a Master’s degree for the wrong reasons and after they finish school, they are disappointed with the fact it didn’t yield the results they hoped.

Don’t make this costly mistake.  Do these four research steps before you apply for school.  They will help you objectively determine if and which MBA or Master’s degree is worth the investment of your time and money to advance your career. ...  read more

Laid Off? Now What – 5 Things to Do

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You have just been laid off.  Now what?  This can be a confusing and stressful time, and sometimes well-meaning friends don’t know what to say or how to help.   Don’t worry!  Your fellow readers Tamara, Ajantha, Judy and I have some great tips for you.  The best way to move forward after being laid off is to stay active.  I categorized the tips into five sections: Immediate, Practical To-Dos, Determine Your Path, Motivate Yourself, Start Job Search, and Enjoy Yourself. ...  read more

Re-discover Alumni Career Services

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The job market is tough.  We can use all the help we can get.  It’s time to re-discover your alumni career services as they are usually pretty good and the best part is most services are free.

Being a career advice blogger, I try to attend some of these job search seminars to keep current.  A month ago, I attended a Wharton MBA Career Services webcast and was impressed.  I will definitely reach out to them when I need to look for another job. ...  read more

Four Networking Mistakes to Avoid

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A good definition of networking I have seen is “the developing of contacts or exchanging of information with others in an informal way, as to further a career.” While most people would agree with this definition, some may fail to realize that networking is a skill that takes time and dedication to develop. Without ample practice, you can easily commit some common networking faux pas. Here are a few to consider and avoid. It’s amazing how often these actually happen. ...  read more

Job Search vs. Career Search

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Tony Robbins once said “most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year – and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade.” This statement really struck me when I read it. It reminds me to not only look at my immediate goals for this year, but also invest time and energy thinking about what I want to accomplish in 3, 5, 8, and 10 years and how to get there over time. ...  read more