Workplace Wisdom...
Discover Fulfillment in Life and Work
with Michelle Y. Drake

I think every sitcom in the history of television (since the advent of the answering machine) has done that episode where someone leaves an awful message on someone else's machine/voicemail. The one that stands out in my mind is the episode of "Seinfeld" where George leaves message after message - each progressively more angry and belligerent - for a date who seems to be avoiding him after they shared a good time together. Turns out she was out of town for the weekend, forcing George and Jerry orchestrate this elaborate plot ("Tippy toes! Tippy toes!") to steal her answering machine cassette!

So why do sitcom writers tap into this scenario again and again? Because when it happens to someone else, it's hilarious.

When it happens to you? Not so much, ESPECIALLY if that embarrassing/horrible/*gulp* angry message is for your boss, a client, or a co-worker.

Labels: workplace-survival

As a Success Strategist, I am constantly encountering people who are struggling to find success at work. That makes sense considering we spend most of our waking lives on the job! These people come to me unhappy with the course their career is taking and desperate to figure out how to redirect themselves on a path toward career satisfaction.

Most of them think that the answer to their woes is to chuck their current job and start fresh in a new industry or a new company. After speaking with them and crafting a clear picture of their skill sets and their current positions, I often come to a surprising conclusion: it's not the industry or the company that's the problem! It's their position in the organization!

Many of these people are really searching for the next level: more challenges, more responsibilities - and not to mention better pay, a more impressive title, and even that corner office.

So how do I help get them there?


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For more FREE tips on advancing your career and navigating the workplace, sign up for my FREE e-zine "Lipstick Leadership" at LipstickLeadership.com today! And check out the products I've developed to guide you toward the success you deserve!

Labels: career-advancement

No matter how technologically advanced job hunting has become over the years, there has always been - and will continue to be - one constant: the resume.

Whether it's an electronic file tacked onto an e-mail or an elegantly printed document on ivory watermarked paper, a resume is the gateway between "I'm calling about the job ad you placed..." and "Yes, I'm available for an interview." It's your first opportunity to tell a potential employer that they've found the right person for the job in you. It can mean the difference between trips to the boardroom for meetings...and trips to the unemployment line for benefits.

But no pressure, right?

With good reason, a lot of people agonize over writing a resume. It's a bit of an art form, like writing ad copy that jumps off the page and makes the consumer think, "I've GOT to buy this product!" In fact, it's EXACTLY like that: you have to write a compelling enough resume so that your accomplishments and experience jump off the page and make your potential employer say, "I've GOT to get [insert Your Name here] in for an interview."

So how do you accomplish that? Well, you can start by following my "10 Tips for Writing a Killer Resume" to help you stand out from the pack (remember, there is almost always a pack of other applicants and a stack of their resumes).

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For more FREE tips on advancing your career and navigating the workplace, sign up for my FREE e-zine "Lipstick Leadership" at LipstickLeadership.com today! And check out the products I've developed to guide you toward the success you deserve!

Labels: career-advancement

I admit it: I'm one of those people who watches the Super Bowl every year...for the commercials. As a marketing consultant, I'm curious to see what companies do with their multi-million dollar ad space in between touchdowns and time outs. As usual, this year presented a mixed bag of the good, the bad, and the downright boring.

But they did call to mind one of my all-time favorite commercials: an ad for A&W Root Beer's "It's good to be thick-headed" campaign featuring an enthusiastic young man trying desperately to impress an interviewer - with cringe-worthy and laugh-out-loud results.

From the commercial:

Young guy: "Mr. Dum-ass? I can bring a lot to Dum-ass & Dum-ass. I'm a go-getter. Dum-ass material all the way. So: am I your man, Mr. Dum-ass?"
Interviewer: "The name is 'Du-Mas.'"

Ugh. I don't know whether to laugh or cry...or just thank goodness that's not me.

But I think we've all been there at some point. We've all sat in an interview, palms sweating, pulse racing, a cloud of desperation swirling around us, wondering if our voice sounds as fast and high-pitched to the interviewer as it does in our head. Then the interview is over and with it comes a brief sense of relief followed closely behind by an unforgiving, self-doubting, groan-inducing post mortem of everything we said (and wish we didn't) and didn't say (and wish we did).

So what can we do to make sure our interview goes smoothly?

Labels: career-advancement