Top 5 Tips for College Grads Entering the Working World

1) Build a Relationship With Your Boss:

Like it or not, no single individual has a greater impact on your career future than your direct supervisor. So, how do you get on their good side from the start? Managers want to feel that you truly care, and that you are “in it with them” as a team. Bring your boss solutions, not problems. When a problem arises, take initiative to consider what alternatives are available. Don’t just throw the problem on their desk and have them figure it out. Always ask your boss for advice on what you or the company could do better. Offer to stay late for projects, even if they might not be your responsibility. Amazingly, many Americans rush out the door at 4:59 without even saying “Goodnight.” Continue reading

How to Evaluate Job Offers and Zoom In On the Right Opportunity for You

You’ve been successful in your job hunt and have received a job offer. Maybe you received more than one offer. That’s great. The next question is, how do you evaluate an offer to see if it is the right one for you? Let’s look at some real answers.

The first step is to identify your priorities. Many people make the mistake of evaluating just the offer. They look at salary, work content, benefits, etc but not what they themselves value in a job. Unfortunately, if you don’t know what satisfies you, you’re evaluating in a vacuum. Continue reading

The Power to Succeed

It’s amazing how we fool ourselves… while at the same time believing we are doing what’s best.

Let me give you an example. I overheard a guy telling a group of friends, over drinks, how he had become fed-up with work. Guys being guys, they immediately started to come up with options to fix the problem ? ideas like changing company and changing jobs. That was when the guy got all logical? Continue reading

Retirement: Is It A Career Change Option?

Retirement might be the answer when you ask yourself “why do I want to make a career change” and you decide that what you actually want is not so much a career change as to stop what you’ve been doing altogether.

This may be a good choice for some ? those who can afford it ? but not necessarily the right choice for all. Of course retirement doesn’t have to mean doing nothing at all, in fact with longer life-expectation, that probably isn’t an option for many of us. Continue reading

Working In Iraq: Is It For You?

The US Army Corp of Engineers and numerous private companies are still looking for people to help rebuild Iraq’s infrastructure. In fact, one Web site reports that there are currently 60,000 jobs available in Iraq for US citizens. And the pay can be very good. Some civilian contractor jobs start at $80,000. Others pay even more. A truck driver earning $30,000 in the US may be able to get a job in Iraq paying $70,000, $80,000 or even $90,000 a year. Continue reading