Business Influence

Has this ever happened to you? A great idea pops into your head during a meeting. You’re just about ready to share it with the group, but then you stop yourself because your brain starts playing the doubting game – I’m not important enough to contribute; people might laugh or think I’m stupid; I’m probably wrong.

While job candidates often spend a great deal of time worrying about how they appear to interviewers, smart applicants should realize that the selection process begins way before the formal conversation. As this article notes, treating an administrative assistant correctly could be the difference between a job offer and a pass.

We’ve all heard of the “old boys’ network” in which men help one another make connections and formulate ideas. Taking a cue from their camaraderie, women are starting to create their own all-female support systems. Journalist Pamela Ryckman explores this movement in her new book Stiletto Network: Inside the Women's Power Circles That Are Changing the Face of Business. Here, she shares some suggestions on constructing your own girl-power group:

Start now!

In a shaky economy, workers are encouraged to become “indispensable.” But what does this word mean? While the exact actions needed to be too critical to let go vary by company and the extent of the layoffs, here are some behaviors that can be helpful:

Today, we continue presenting thoughts from Daniel Steenerson, founder and CEO of San Diego-based Disability Insurance Services, on how any person within a company can take steps to become more successful. If you missed part 1, click here.

Embrace discomfort.

Yesterday, we discussed the hesitancy many workers have about asking questions. While managers usually see speaking up as a sign that you care about your work and want to be sure you’re doing the job right, there are some bosses who react in a less-than-encouraging manner. What can you do when confronted with such a person?

Most of us are familiar with so-called Helicopter Parents, those moms and dads who create PowerPoints outlining their 3-year-old’s life plan and spend 10 ten hours supervising their fourth-grader working on “his” science project. While we’d expect (hope) such behavior would change over time as children mature, this isn’t proving to be the case – and the workplace may be the new playground.

Today, we continue our interview with syndicated columnist and career consultant Andrea Kay whose new book THIS IS HOW TO GET YOUR NEXT JOB: An Inside Look at What Employers Really Want explores the notion that applicants are rejected because of how they seem based on behavior before, during, and after an interview. If you missed yesterday’s installment, click here.

With so many job seekers ready and willing to work, why do positions remain unfilled? This question bothered syndicated columnist and career consultant Andrea Kay, so she set out to find answers. The results make up her new book THIS IS HOW TO GET YOUR NEXT JOB: An Inside Look at What Employers Really Want. Here, she discusses her project:

TOP:  Why did you decide to ask employers why they rejected the last 10 people they interviewed? 

As mentioned yesterday, 86 percent of respondents in a recent Salary.com survey said they have a desire to learn how to negotiate more effectively. While some people are lucky enough to be able to hone this skill with the help of a mentor, co-worker, friend, or family member, the majority of people say they’ve never received help.