My passion is helping people unleash their full potential. It’s my thing and has been for a long time. I live and breathe it in my work and my personal life every day. As I prepare for the 2021 Mrs. Oregon Pageant I’ve partnered with Dress for Success to raise money to help women who are trying to better themselves. Thank you for any help you can offer. To learn more or donate, click here.
Read MoreFinally.
Finally, diversity and inclusion are topics at the forefront of companies’ minds.
The difference between diversity and inclusion has eluded many of us until recently. Diversity is the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc. Inclusion is the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or mental disabilities and members of other minority groups. Diversity without inclusion is discrimination.
Like many of you, I’ve spent much of the past year reflecting on my views on racial equality. I’ve at times been humbled by what I didn’t know or realize. I’ve sought to educate myself and better understand what has gotten us to where we are and how I can be part of positive change.
I conducted an interview recently with Lisa Heinsdale that I wanted to share with my network. Lisa is the Diversity Recruitment & Retention Specialist for Portland State University. We talked about the past, the future, and what has been on her mind as she lives the topic of diversity and inclusion daily in her work. I learnt a great deal chatting with Lisa. I hope you will too.
Read MoreWe’re all exhausted from everything Covid-related. The masks, the Zoom calls, the social-distancing, the full gamut! I’m convinced though that it’s time to start looking at this differently. It’s time to stop waiting for something to happen. Many people seem to be waiting for a vaccine, waiting for schools to reopen, waiting for things to get back to ‘normal’. If you’re waiting for these things, I believe you’re setting yourself up for major disappointment. This is the new normal. It’s time to get on with how you want your life to look and stop waiting.
If Covid has impacted how you work or made you think about your career long-term then I hope this article helps you feel empowered to move forward and stop waiting.
Here are 6 significant impacts I see on how we work and how we steer our careers:
Read MoreIf you go into your next interview (be it in person or on Zoom), with just a resume, you’ll be outplayed by someone who is better prepared. Check out the quick clip below to get a feel for what I’m talking about. If you want more, listen to the full episode from my discussion with Chris Villaneuva on his Career Warrior Podcast to get all the details.
Read MoreThe best part of the job search process is the offer negotiation. That means you’ve made it through the interview gauntlet, you’re the chosen one, and you’ve received the offer. It’s one of the best feelings.
I have a full section in my book, Made To Hire: How to Get the Job You Really Want, on negotiating a job offer, but for now, here are 5 things you can do to get the highest offer possible:
Read MoreHave you ever truly thought about why money has been a taboo subject in the world of work? The simple answer is if everyone talked about it, it would likely lead to many employees realizing they’re underpaid. That would be a big problem for companies. I’m determined to change how my clients, students, and readers handle the topic of compensation. To do that, let’s go back …
Read MoreTimes are tough out there but there are things you can do today to help your career whether you’re looking for a job now or will be in the future. Take 3 mins and see which of these could be a game-changer for your career:
Read MoreYes, there’s a global pandemic and times are tough. We all get that but there are still plenty of open jobs on the market. Last month alone the U.S. economy added almost 5 million jobs. So why will most job seekers be unsuccessful at getting hired this year? It’s because their approach sucks.
Read MoreI can talk for days about how to create a killer resume and teach you all about how to ace an interview but if you can’t do this one thing, you will sink your own ship.
The one thing you need to know how to crush is how to tell your own story. It sounds simple but most people are pretty terrible at it. For most of us, it feels like there are so many different ways to potentially piece together our own story and it just gets jumbled.
Read MoreI’m an optimist but also a realist. As a working mom (University Instructor, Career Coach, and Marketing Consultant), I've come to terms with this new reality. It has been a tough pill to swallow but I don’t think our current reality changes much until late 2021 so I wanted to share a few thoughts on how to cope with the year ahead based on the questions I've been getting:
Read MoreWould you go on a date without taking a shower? Or go to an interview without bringing your resume? Or ask your boss for a raise without believing you had done great work? If you answered NO to any of these (and I hope you answer NO to all of them by the way), then you should check yourself on how you’re showing up on LinkedIn.
Read MoreIt's my fifth year teaching Marketing Strategy at the University of Oregon but my first year teaching it from my home office. I, like so many working parents, are doing our best to survive and thrive as we navigate this new normal. The video below gives you a glimpse at what so many of us are doing.
My weekly Marketing class is 3 hours long and for 2 minutes during last night’s class, my kids joined. On the one side, my kids were super curious about why I’m teaching from home and on the other side, I think it’s important to show my students that I’m a real person too.
Read MoreAlthough I know there are ways that COVID-19 will change some things for the long term, I'm certain this will pass and we will all stop worrying so much about loved ones, health, money, and all the other little things that seem to have become very big things lately.
If you have just graduated college, are approaching graduation, or are currently unemployed, there are things YOU CAN DO now to help your employability once things settle down. Below is the advice I shared with my recent graduating class at the University of Oregon. Hopefully it will help you in the days and weeks ahead.
When I was 13, I had a dream to one day write a book. Now my goal is to help other people make their career dreams a reality.
In my book, “Made To Hire: How to Get the Job You Really Want,” I share how you can use my proven methods to get noticed, get hired, make more money, and reach your career goals faster.
Learn more here.
Read MoreIs it feeling impossible to get into your dream company? Or ANY company for that matter? I feel you! The job market is insanely competitive. I have an approach that will help set you apart. It’s how I got into Nike in my 20s.
It’s called project work.
Read MoreOne of my favorite things to do is help people transform how they tell their own stories. It’s amazing how improving that skill will change your success in interviews, not to mention in other professional and personal situations.
In my book, I teach the four keys to a great personal story: 1) be authentic and memorable, 2) use compelling content, 3) know your audience, and 4) chose the appropriate length.
Take 60 seconds and watch this clip to see a fantastic example from Ying-Ying Lu.
Read MoreHow you answer that questions says a great deal about you and your future...
Read MoreI’ve spent my entire adult life building the career of my dreams and helping others do the same. Below are the 10 most important lessons you’ll learn in my book.
1. You are a brand that needs to be carefully and strategically managed. With my background working for global brands, I will teach you, in chapters 1 and 2, how to develop your brand in order to get what you want professionally.
2. Your ability to tell your own story succinctly is arguably the most important personal development skill you need to master. In chapter 1, you will learn this skill.
Read MoreThis week Merryn joins Chris Villanueva from Let’s Eat Grandma in the Career Warrior podcast where they discuss the secret weapon of portfolios in job interviews:
How could a portfolio help you set yourself apart from the competition?
What's in a portfolio? (We cover two components in detail).
How do you actually use it in the interview?
How you should actually print/package the portfolio?
Video interviews can be so awkward and scary not to mention they’re becoming increasingly common, especially with large companies.
Check out my Q+A with talent acquisition expert Wendy Scott to help you ace your next video interview. Wendy has almost a decade of experience in talent acquisition with the bulk of her time spent at Tesla and at Nike. She’s now a Recruiting Manager at Binc, which places technology industry talent at companies like Dropbox, Samsung, and Airbnb to name a few.
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