Real stories

A Necessary Skill For Every Senior Executive

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senior executive

What skill does every senior executive has in common?

  • Is it an MBA?  No.  You do not need an MBA to succeed!
  • Is it an ability to achieve financial results?  maybe.  Achieving measurable results can always help, but this article is not about that
  • Is it ability to present well? Not always.  Not all executive are good at presentations, surprisingly

So what is the one skill that every successful senior executive has?  Listen to this 9 minute candidate conversation with Helena Light to find out.  I was even surprised at what she said and how executives practiced this skill every day.  You can also read the Audio Transcription of Our Conversation below ...  read more

Changing Careers – How to Interview Effectively

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changing careers

 Changing careers is not easy for some. However, once you master effective interviewing when changing careers, the path to success becomes a lot clearer.

I had a chance to interview one of our Executive Authors, Helena Light, who is a master at changing careers. In eight years at one bank, she had four different careers: ...  read more

How to Keep Your Job During Massive Layoffs

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how to keep your job

Are you worried about keeping your job? Is your company announcing layoffs?  If so, you need to listen to the recording below.

It is my distinct pleasure to introduce a new Executive Author, Helena Light, to our site.  Helena has been a friend and neighbor of mine for the last 10+ years.  She is also the Partner and COO of a small start up company in the financial industry.  She has over 30 years of experience, and is one of the most humble, personable executives I have ever met.  I am truly blessed to have Helena in my life. ...  read more

Mid Career Change – 4 Tips on How to Do it

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career change at 40

Making a mid career change, a career change around the age of 40 or 45, is a courageous decision. It is possible for anyone in their mid-life to do this, as long as they understand the trade-offs involved.

Below is a great question I received from a reader who is considering a mid career change, and 4 tips I had for her that would make this change possible. ...  read more

Achieving Work Life Balance – A Letter to Myself

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achieving work life balance

Achieving work life balance takes self-awareness, making tough choices, and being disciplined.  As a recovering over-achiever and perfectionist, this is hard for me.     My natural tendency with any job is to err on the side of working over-time and prioritizing my job above anything else.   The only reason I was able to maintain a healthy work life balance for the last six years was by contracting instead of working as a full time employee.  Being paid by the hour reminded me constantly to stay un-attached and avoid over-working. ...  read more

Dealing with a Difficult Boss – Lynn Marie’s Story

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Dealing with a difficult boss is always a sensitive topic.  We don’t always know if we should say anything, or how we should go about addressing our issues with them.  This is why I am excited to introduce another candid conversation with one of our Executive Authors, Lynn Marie Auzenne.

In this recording, we discussed Lynn Marie’s first business job.  Her boss was mysteriously difficult, and we’ll see what she did in response: ...  read more

Should I Negotiate Salary: How I Almost Made a $6,000 Mistake

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should I negotiate salary

“Should I negotiate my salary?” This is a question we will ask ourselves every time we get a job offer, especially for a job we want.    I recently had to go through this decision-making process, and I want to share my thoughts and what I learned with you.    

I think many of us can identify with the reasons why we don’t want to negotiate.  What many of us don’t think about are some of the great reasons we should always negotiate.  I hope this story will help you better answer the question, “Should I negotiate salary?” on your next job offer.   I look forward to your comments. ...  read more