Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

When should you take a mediocre job?

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In today’s economy, it is tough to counsel “choice” to job seekers. When bills need to be paid, and jobs seem few and far between, many don’t consider “options” as part of their job hunting mentality. That said, taking a bad job probably is not the wisest career move.

Forbes.com recently advised that it is “probably never” a good idea to take a job out of desperation.

Read the rest on my blog at GreatPlaceJobs…


Don’t get to the point of being desperate! Get help for your hunt today! Need a resume? Don’t know how to get started on your search? Keppie Careers is here to help!


photo by paperbackwriter

How to get ahead at work. Review of The High Achiever's Secret Codebook

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I am happy to share a review of a new book by Sandra Naiman, The High Achiever’s Secret Codebook. As a special treat, I’ll be offering a free copy of the book as a prize, courtesty of Jist Works Publishers, to one of my lucky readers…Be sure to read on for details about how to enter.

This book offers readers “Seven Secrets” to help careerists succeed at work. These rules, the author suggests, can make the difference between the professional who achieves his or her goals at work and the other, equally talented professional, who falters, stumbles and possibly never recovers.

I appreciate and agree with the author’s premise that how people perceive you at work is just as important as the choices you make. A successful leader must function in a nuanced, ever changing environment full of personalities, egos and varying interests. How to succeed? To start, remember Naiman’s message: “You are never finished getting off to a great start” and take action to learn how to conduct yourself in ways that help you get ahead.

The rules?

Tread lightly. Learn how to overcome your instincts to jump in and have an immediate impact. Instead, slowly integrate into an organization to lay a foundation for success.

Play nice with everyone. Understand where the influence in the organization rests. Note – it’s not always where you think!

Yield the floor. Don’t focus on “right” and “wrong.” Learn to incorporate a variety of factors before making a decision.

Listen between the lines. Be alert to feedback that may not come via your performance review.

Get over yourself. Don’t get too comfortable!

Blow your horn softly. Let others know what you have to offer without being labeled a blatant self-promoter.

Keep sight of the shore. Be mindful of the fine line between self-confidence and overconfidence.

The book is full of great advice, stories and action items to help you succeed in virtually any situation. It offers a plethora of common sense suggestions and ideas you may not have considered. For example:

  • “Be careful your email messages are not too brief. “Brief can be synonymous with “brusque.”
  • “Lower your voice and speak slowly and deliberately” to cue your body to relax in stressful situations.
  • “Talking about others is an excellent way to go about self-promotion.”

This book’s common sense and useful information will help readers understand and implement approaches that will help them be better employees, better managers and more successful in their business and personal lives.

I promised that one lucky reader will win a copy of The High Achiever’s Secret Codebook. For your chance to win, share an idea or “rule” that you live by (or know you should live by) at work. What has helped you succeed? Or, share a story about how you (or a colleague) didn’t conduct yourself so well. No ideas yet? Feel free to write why you’d like to win this book! You don’t need to use your full name, but do be sure to include a valid email address so I can contact you if you win. I’ll choose one commentator from comments on all of my blogs. Feel free to enter at each one:

Examiner.com
GreatPlaceJobs
Secrets of the Job Hunt

I’ll draw a winner on Friday!


Personal Branding Magazine – New Issue

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If you want to drive your own career bus, you must first learn how to manage your online presence. Your “personal brand” is what makes you special and unique – it is what you are known for in your circles (and beyond). It is amazing how a well-constructed online strategy can form a successful personal brand.

Dan Schawbel is one of the authorities on the topic of personal branding, particularly for the Millennial generation. I was happy to join Dan’s leadership team as a co-editor of Personal Branding Magazine.

This issue of Personal Branding Magazine, Volume 2, Issue 3 focuses on the first step of the personal branding process, brand discovery. Many people rush into personal branding, without first taking precious time to discover who they are and what they want to do for the rest of their lives. In this issue, we expose how to unlock your true potential, unearth your passion, acquire the necessary skills and how to set achievable goals. We’ve interviewed some of the leading businessmen, such as Marcus Buckingham, to help you with your own personal development.

FREE sample available today (HERE).

To subscribe to the magazine please follow THIS LINK.


Have no idea how to “brand” yourself? You aren’t comfortable self-promoting? I can help! From writing a great resume to showing you how to move your career forward – Keppie Careers is here for you.

Quoted in the Wall Street Journal!

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I wanted to share a piece in the Wall Street Journal written by Jonnelle Marte advising job seekers to consider creating an online presence to enhance their personal brands. I was delighted that Jonnelle contacted me to serve as a source for the article and even happier that she included a quote from me.

Read the complete story HERE.

How may I help you propel your job hunt forward? Don’t hesitate to be in touch!

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Diversity in the workplace

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Inspired by the King holiday and the inauguration, it seems timely to write about the issue of diversity in the workplace and offer some links to online resources for members of a variety of diverse groups.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers says the following about diversity on their website:

Valuing diversity means acknowledging that other people, other races, other voices and other cultures have as much integrity and as much claim on the world as you do. It is the recognition that there are other ways of seeing the world, solving problems, and working together.

Read more thoughts on diversity and find useful resources and online links at my blog at GreatPlaceJobs…


photo by olivia hotshot