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How to Communicate Bad News to Your Manager

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I don't have to tell you that not everything at work is always smooth sailing. Sometime things are delayed, mistakes are made, wrong numbers are published. It may be your fault, it may be a bad circumstance, or a combination of both. What do you say when your boss wants a progress report and things are not going so well?

Believe in Yourself – You are “Beautiful”

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This post is not about external appearances.  This post is inspired by a recent show I saw onVH1 called Storytellers: Christina Aguilera.  It’s in a format where a music artist sings to a small group, and talks to the group about herself, her music, and her inspirations.  Christina’s story about her song “Beautiful” really caught my attention. ...  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

Acknowledge Your Effort for Showing Up

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show-up

“Acknowledge your effort for showing up.” That is what a Bikram teacher used to say to us at the end of every class.   To this day, I still repeat this phrase to myself during class.   It reminds me to appreciate myself for simply making the class, regardless of how inflexible I was, or how imperfectly I was able to do the postures during that particular class. ...  read more

Success is about Working Smarter Not Harder

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work smarter not harder

Growing up Asian, we are told that hard work is always what is needed to achieve success.Like a good Chinese girl, I followed that advice and worked my butt off at McKinsey, my first job.Fortunately or unfortunately, I learned quickly that hard work is not enough, and sometimes does not even help. ...  read more

Resilience – Fall Seven Times, Stand up Eight

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A good friend of mine (thanks Jamie) forwarded this video to me, and I thought it would be fitting to share it here. More than half of the battle in a job search is actually the emotional aspect — thinking positive, staying in action, and “standing up” when you feel “knocked down” by the lack of results. This type of resilience is what will separate those who give up from those who persevere. ...  read more

Salary Negotiation Advice from a Senior Headhunter

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This is the second post in a series of three based on my interview with Steve Meyers, a Senior Headhunter with 20+ years of experience in executive search. To see my first post on general Job Search Advice from a Senior Headhunter, click here.

I want to write about salary separately since it’s such a sensitive and important topic in the job search effort.

Q: When company asks for salary history, can you refuse to provide?
Steve: I recommend every one of my candidate to leave it blank in the application and only provide it when the company insists. Many company do not insist on this information. ...  read more