Posts about career, jobs, interviews and success at work.
Yesterday I offered a challenge I really don’t want you to accept: How Far Can You Drive Your IT Department Into The Ground? There are some pretty dumb things you can do to bring your IT department to its knees. OK – now I know what NOT to do, what instead should I be thinking […]
Secrets of a Well Run IT Department Read More »
If you were advised that there are seven things that your IT Department can do to avoid disaster, would you take action? I just want to point you to a great post I found on Dr Jim Anderson ‘s blog ‘The Business of IT ‘. Dr Anderson shares with us 7 things to look for
Don’t Accept This Challenge: How Far Can You Drive Your IT Department Into The Ground? Read More »
Who said “The only things certain in life are death and taxes?” Yes I remember – it was the taxman. It’s not to late to start planning for this year’s drain on your bank account by getting your finances in order. No one enjoys dealing with taxes, especially freelancers by nature. We do this job
10 Excellent Tax Tips and Resources for Freelancers Read More »
You’d be forgiven if you thought the last thing needed on the bookshelf is another Program Management handbook. If Program Management was an exact science, then why would we need so many books when one PM bible would do? The truth is, PM isn’t a science, although it isn’t an artform as such – it’s
Who Needs Another Program Management Handbook…? Read More »
One of the big myths of career-building is that you can become an overnight success from a standing start. There isn’t such a thing! There are people who rise to meteoric heights very quickly – that I can’t argue with. But guess what – the people who are put on that pedestal have had to
Building a Career is Like Constructing a Space Rocket Read More »
If you’re feeling like your future is uncertain and your job could disappear at any moment, then you’re probably feeling pretty gloomy. If you watch the constant flood of media alerts on businesses closing and layoffs happening left, right and center, then it’s easy to fall into a trap of the self-fulfilling prophecy: folks who
How To Make Your Career Recession-Resistant Read More »
I am a big fan of LinkedIn – not just for the social networking aspects of the site – but I strongly believe it creates the new-wave of opportunities for jobseeking. In my post How To Search The Invisible Job Market I described guerrilla tactics for finding the very best jobs, even before they become
Make Your LinkedIn Profile Really Stand Out Read More »
Off the back of my recent article about How To Ask For a Fair Raise or Pay Increase During a Recession , PayScale.com got in touch with me to tell me about their tools for benchmarking salaries across job roles and regions. So I took a look in more detail and I must say I
Compare Your Salary with PayScale.com Read More »
Can you remember what originally sparked your interest in IT? Was it the technology, or the pay? I look back on what created my passion for technology and IT. There are two types of IT people: Those folks who are in IT for the career and gainful employment as part of life’s journey, and those
The Moment That Sparked My Career In IT Read More »
I had to share this post with you, it’s from the ‘Techyshit’ blog (nice title). It’s a list of ten old computers from the 70s and 80s with hefty pricetags and abysmal specs – well by today’s standards. Here is the list . Back then, these would have been the bees-knees of the technology world!
$3,450 for a 32K RAM Computer! Cheap at Half the Price! Read More »
A compelling resume with a distinctive cover letter gets you the interview. You put on your sharp suit with your polished shoes . You’ve prepared answers to those awkward questions . Is this enough to land the dream job? Maybe, but here is a tactic I discovered that will bring you to the top of
A Killer Interview Tactic Revealed… Read More »
InformationWeek just announced the ‘Top Ten CIO Issues for 2009 ‘ and I was wondering why ‘Staying Employed’ didn’t feature on the list!If you believed everything you read in the newspapers or watched on TV, then we’ll all be out of work in 3 months. The economy will grind to a halt, so we’ll all
Why Isn’t ‘Staying Employed’ in the Top Ten List of CIO Issues? Read More »
The main thrust of this title is to show us that the technology and the Internet is exposing the shenanigans of corporations more than ever before. Web2.0 and social media technologies allows information to flow almost unimpeded through viral channels, and can stem from valued customers, pissed off employees and corporate terrorists alike. Although it’s
Asking for a raise during a recession can give good reason for your boss to think you’re totally out of touch with what’s happening in the global economy, or maybe they’ll think you’re just insensitive to business issues. It’s a risky thing to do. What if you’re struggling to make ends meet yourself; perhaps you
How To Ask For a Fair Raise or Pay Increase During a Recession Read More »
You might have learned this before – ALL freelancers should use Freelancer Marketplaces (such as Elance) for ALL their work (and somewhat obviously then) buyers who use freelancers should use them too. They bring to buyers and freelancers benefits that mustn’t be scoffed at. PROBLEM: The currency used is $USD, but what if you’re not
Essential Tips for non-US Freelancers Using Freelancer Marketplaces (e.g. Elance) Read More »
Is your outsourcing relationship healthy? Here are some questions to ask yourself to find out.Is the ratio of value greater than 1:1?This is mostly an economic measure, but it can also be strategic. Imagine if you hadn’t outsourced – what would the costs of providing these services internally then be? And how does this compare
The Outsourcing Barometer of Success Read More »
Did you see the news item where an Iraqi journalist, Muntadhar al-Zaiydi, threw his shoes at President George W Bush? Whether you’re a Bush supporter or not, it’s hard not to see the funny side of this, especially at the skill in which ‘W’ dodged the missiles. [Are these classed as Weapons of Mass Destruction?]
Who Would You Throw Your Shoes At? Read More »
There are ‘good’ ways of dealing with layoffs – indeed there are ‘bad’ – but there are real ‘ugly’ ways of conducting the process too. Here are some stories to illustrate examples of each. Make you’re own mind up on which you will choose, if you’re going to lay people off (or be laid off!).The
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Layoffs Read More »
Here is the truth: because of recession, or otherwise, competition for the best jobs is at its height right now. And it’s only going to get WORSE. Being a hardworker, or having really great skills or experience isn’t going to be enough to stand out from the crowd. How will employers know? The ONLY way
How To Land Top Jobs by Distinguishing Yourself Read More »
Here are 8 things you can do on a weekly basis
How To Improve Your Performance With 8 Weekly Events Read More »
Do you know what it takes to be an entrepreneur? If not, here’s how you can find out.Dave Crain is someone I have ‘just met’ in the blogosphere and I’ve just read his latest post on Entrepreneurial Qualities, and I was so impressed I wanted to share it with you. Dave’s research has arrived at the
Dave Crain Talks About Entrepreneurial Qualities… Read More »
