January 7, 2008
11:11 am | 0 recommendations | 7 comments
This is a question job seekers often ask. Especially when they’re considering companies that pride themselves on innovation and imagination. And with so many options at their fingertips, the temptation to create an outside-the-box application, resume, cover letter or Facebook page to grab the attention of employers can be hard to ignore.
Being creative is always a risky proposition because you never know how the application reader is going to react: What one person thinks is super cool might be seen as totally unacceptable to someone else. For example, I’ve heard some experts suggest things like sending a bag of candy to a recruiter around Halloween with a note that says “It would be a treat to work with you.” In an unscientific poll of eight people I know, nine thought that was a bad idea.
I’ve discussed the creativity question at length with my career counselor peers. Most of us advise job applicants to err on the conservative side because the benefit of risk-taking is often outweighed by the greater likelihood of falling flat on your face. I, however, chose to ignore this advice.
Back in my undergrad days, I wanted to work for Ben and Jerry’s corporate office. Maybe it was because of their corporate culture, or maybe it was the thought of all that ice cream. They seemed a little unconventional, so I racked my brain on how to present my resume and cover letter in an outside-the-box kind of way. I ended up, with the help of my local Kinko’s, creating tie-dyed paper that I used for my resume and cover letter. The result? After about eight weeks, I received a rejection flyer that instructed me to check their website for future openings. I was hoping my creativity would get me a phone interview; I would have settled for a personalized rejection letter.
Although my first try at creativity was unsuccessful, it wasn’t my last.
The creative bug bit me again a few years later. This time I wanted to work for World Industries, a skateboard manufacturer. I employed my limited graphic design abilities and superimposed my resume and cover letter onto a skateboard deck. I think the project cost me around $100. Again, an interview would have been great, but I assumed they’d at least say they thought it was cool. After not hearing anything for four weeks, I followed up. They said they had received it and that they were going to keep it on file. How do you file a skateboard? Do you have special skateboard filing cabinets?
I’m sure creativity has worked in certain situations, so I’d love to receive feedback from those in a hiring position: Do you think applicants should get creative? And if so, what’s acceptable and what isn’t? “It would be a treat” to hear some of the creative approaches (good and bad) candidates have used to get your attention.
Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (courtingyourcareer.wordpress.com).
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January 2, 2008
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16.
That’s the percentage of respondents to a recent poll by the Center for Creative Leadership who said their best working relationships were with their managers. With everything that’s been written about managing up, down, and sideways, that percentage really had me scratching my head. But, with a new boss starting this week, I need to spend less time head-scratching and more time getting my ducks in a row so I can make sure I’m not part of the 84% club.
It’s likely my new boss, as bosses typically do, will want to meet with everyone on the team one-on-one within his first few weeks on the job. And that meeting, as well as other early interactions I have with him, will set the tone for our working relationship. So I’ve got to be on my best behavior because the way I present myself early (both good and bad) could typecast me for months to come.
Everybody approaches working with a new boss in his or her own way, but I’ve found a few things to be particularly helpful over the years. Before that first one-on-one meeting, I take some time to think about my role, what I’m responsible for, some key projects I’ve managed or completed over the last few months, and anything else I think he or she might find helpful. That way, I avoid sounding like the guy from the movie Office Space who ends up yelling “I have people skills” because he couldn’t explain his job to some outside consultants. Not a great first impression.
Role clarity and expectations are huge. During our first meeting, we have to make sure we’re both on the same page. What’s his role? What’s my role? What does success look like for him, me, the team, and the department? This is also a great time to talk about what’s been working and what’s not (without unloading or throwing anyone under the bus).
I want to be myself, but not completely…at least not right away. I’m an extroverted extrovert. For some, that can take some getting used to. During my first interactions with a new coworker (whether a boss or peer), I try to tap my inner introvert. I want to spend more time listening and learning about the new person and making sure I am doing whatever I can to make sure the onboarding process flows as smoothly and seamlessly as possible.
And finally, we can’t forget about management style. How does he or she typically manage people, processes, and projects? It’s good to talk about management style early so you can adapt, if need be, to avoid any surprises a few months down the road.
Adjusting to a new boss can be both exciting and stressful. But, I know one thing for sure: a little prep and open communication on my part will go a long way toward reducing the stress and helping me positively manage our working relationship.
And this way I won’t have to do any yelling. I have people skills!
Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (courtingyourcareer.wordpress.com).
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December 17, 2007
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When’s the last time you evaluated your personal brand? I’m not talking about a little five minute introspection following an annual review, I’m talking about a top to bottom look at how you are seen and how that differs from how you want to be seen.
Whether you’re an entry-level employee or a mid-level executive, what we do can and will shape how we’re seen by others. To successfully manage your brand, steal a page from brand management 101 and ask yourself the following questions:
1. What are you trying to accomplish? A question you should ask yourself multiple times throughout the day. Whether it’s how you word a follow up email to an angry customer, or positioning yourself for a promotion, you can’t get out of first gear if you don’t first know what you’re trying to accomplish.
2. What’s your value proposition? Chances are there are dozens of equally qualified people just like you within your department, company, and industry. What’s unique to your brand? What can you do that will add more value than someone else?
3. How are you packaging yourself? From how you dress, to the role you play with your work group, your packaging occurs on many levels. To get a feel for how well you stack up, observe how others in the organization are packaging themselves.
4. Who are your competitors? People that you are directly or indirectly competing with as you climb the corporate ladder. Knowing your competition is a must if you’re going to be able to effectively differentiate yourself when you’re gunning for that big promotion.
5. What’s your brand promise? What do you want to stand for? What is it that you say you’ll do? As will come as no surprise to those who know me, responsiveness is a big part of my brand promise.
6. What’s your tone and manner? People make snap judgments based on how you present your ideas and respond to situations. Are you someone who flies off the handle or are you someone who remains calm, cool and collected? Do you approach issues using wording that will promote dialogue or are you abrasive and standoffish? Something as little as “Have we thought about going in this direction” versus “You need to go in this direction” can make a huge difference.
7. Is your brand strategy working? A question you should be asking more than once a year. Look to feedback from 360, quarterly and/or annual reviews. Pay attention to verbal and non-verbal cues from coworkers and make adjustments as needed.
Our brand matters. And, unlike large corporations, we don’t have a team of marketers behind the scenes telling us what to do and how to act on the job. Don’t leave your brand to chance, dedicate time to evaluate and manage it every day.
Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (courtingyourcareer.wordpress.com).
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December 10, 2007
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Is it just me, or do politicians rarely answer the questions they’re asked during a public debate? Instead, candidates answer the question they would have LIKED to have been asked - typically with a carefully crafted sound bite that reinforces their political agenda. How would that same approach play during a job interview? You’re posed a question, and your response is a two minute sound bite full of spin doctoring and legalese. As Presidential hopefuls jockey for position with voters (possibly the biggest job interview imaginable), I thought I’d focus on 5 things they can teach you that will make you a better interviewee.
1. Don’t dodge and deflect. As mentioned above, ask a politician a question on a hot button issue and you’ll typically get a response not to that question, but rather to the question he or she wants to answer. During a job interview, if you’re pressed for your view on a particular topic, don’t take the easy way out by giving a generic answer. You don’t have to bare your soul, but you should provide an example that addresses the question asked.
2. Pause. Tim Koegel, author of The Exceptional Presenter, encourages public speakers to pause for a few seconds before jumping into an answer. As is evident from the YouTube debates this year, those who typically did well were able to connect with the audience by appearing to give a thoughtful answer to the question asked; they didn’t jump into a response before the moderator or user-generated video was even finished. During an interview, there’s nothing wrong with pausing for a few seconds to give the impression that you put some thought into your answer before you respond.
3. Pander. Okay, so I really don’t think you should pander, but you’ve got to play up what you have to offer the company and how you might add value different from other candidates they are considering. In order to pander effectively, you need to understand the role, the company, and what you have to offer. In other words, know your constituents.
4. Dodge and deflect. I couldn’t resist talking out of both sides of my mouth with all this talk about spin doctoring, legalese, and pandering. But all kidding aside, there are some questions you should try to dodge. For example, if you’re asked about a negative situation or everybody’s favorite “What is your biggest weakness” question, you want to minimize the negative and quickly move to the positive. If you’re asked if you were up for promotion and you weren’t, it’s okay to say so. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t tapped for a promotion. It was a highly competitive selection process and only three out of 10 were chosen.” That’s much better than completely avoiding the question.
5. Don’t sling mud. Whether it’s your competition, a former boss, your spouse, your company, or even your hair stylist, there’s no need to trash talk anyone during a job interview. Even if you had a totally miserable experience, there is still probably something positive you were able to take away.
Politicians know better than anyone how to differentiate themselves from the competition. Regardless of your political affiliation, consider incorporating the tactics above during your next job interview. And who knows, maybe we’ll see you on stage at a future debate chatting with Anderson Cooper.
Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (courtingyourcareer.wordpress.com).
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December 5, 2007
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Fill my eyes with that double vision
No disguise for that double vision
Ooh, when it gets through to me, it's always new to me
My double vision always seems to get the best of me
Lyrics from the song Double Vision by the band Foreigner
Okay, so maybe I listened to Foreigner’s greatest hits this weekend. And maybe the song stuck in my head. But more than just some cheesy lyrics, if you’re going to nail your next interview, you’re going to need a case of double vision—an understanding of the existing vision of the team, division, or company and, your own vision for where things will and should be headed under your leadership.
Rearview vision. As a candidate, it’s easy to try to sell the interviewer on sweeping changes that you’d make if you were hired for the position before you have a solid understanding of why things were done a certain way in the past. And, in some cases that can be just what the doctor ordered. But in others, you could unwittingly step on the toes of those who worked hard to forge and implement that vision. Moreover, you may suggest plans that have been tried and failed. No one wants to hear about rehashed failures. These are often two of the most difficult aspects of coming into a new position because, as an outsider, you don’t always know if the person you’re replacing left a legacy or a disaster.
So, how do you respect the past while also bringing a new vision to the table? During the interview, listen for verbal and non-verbal cues. If you talk about carrying on the things that went well from your predecessor and the interviewer rolls his or her eyes, that’s likely a not-so-subtle cue that you should move on and talk about how you’re going to involve the team in charting a new course. Speaking of which…
Futuristic vision. No, not a scene from some new Sci Fi movie or action thriller starring Will Smith; rather, your view of what the job, department, and/or division could achieve under your leadership. Whether you’re the CEO or a junior employee, manage one person or 10,000, if you’re going to be a difference maker, you need to have a vision for the role.
Interviewers want to hear you talk about how you’d get your team involved in the process of redefining, or if necessary overhauling, the strategic vision. There are always going to be things that are working that you can build on and things that aren’t that you can improve upon. Scratch below the surface to identify opportunities that aren’t always obvious. Before your interview, talk to people inside and outside of the organization to get the lay of the land.
Most companies aren’t looking to hire candidates who will come in and continue with the status quo. The real rock stars are those who are able to understand and articulate their double vision. And, when they do, they not only showcase their understanding of the role, the company and the industry, they often walk away with the offer.
Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (courtingyourcareer.wordpress.com).
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November 27, 2007
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Another season of college football is winding down and, as is typically the case, the number of head coaching vacancies is increasing by the day. For most of those who were, and will continue to be let go, I’m sure it wasn’t a huge surprise. After all, if they weren’t winning enough games or if they were selling a VIP newsletter as was the case with Dennis Franchione, they were on the hot seat. And they don’t call it a hot seat for nothing.
Luckily, most of us aren’t on as short of a leash as most coaches. But, if we’re caught up in corporate shake up or one of our key team members leaves unexpectedly, we also have to deal with the sudden unexpected loss.
According to Dr. Phil, there are four stages of grief: shock, denial, anger, and resolution. Losing your job, whether or not it was expected, definitely counts as grief for most of us. And how we handle each of those stages as we exit the organization will determine whether we leave there with our brand intact. Because resolution isn’t something you’ll need to react to during the process, for today’s discussion we’re going to focus on the first three stages.
Shock: Besides anger, this is the hardest one to mask as, when you hear the news, the only thing that hits the floor before your jaw is likely the pit of your stomach. And, because you’re in shock, there’s a good chance you’ll say something you’ll regret. When I was downsized a few years back, I went the opposite route. Usually someone who was never at a loss for words, I sat there speechless for what seemed like hours but was probably more like 60 seconds.
Don’t feel as though you have to respond right away. Take a few moments to compose yourself, catch your breath, and then respond as you see fit. And that doesn’t mean unleashing a series of expletives.
Denial: This always reminds me of an unexpected breakup. Unfortunately, usually when it’s come to this point, it’s likely all over but the shouting so there’s no sense rehashing how you got to this point. But we’ll talk more about shouting in a minute. In most cases, you should have seen the writing on the wall so any bouts of denial will be limited.
Anger: Whatever you do, don’t get angry. I know it’s easier said than done, but do your best to keep your cool, at least in public. When you let off steam, which you will, talk it over with your partner, a family member, or your dog. Remember, in most cases it’s business, not personal. Do your best to finish out your time with the company in stride. Don’t trash talk your boss or the organization during the downsizing or afterwards.
How we exit an organization is just as important as what we accomplished while we were there. Even though we might not get caught in the “coaching carousel,” there’s a good chance we’ll have to navigate the stages of grief mentioned above at some point during our career. As mentioned above, do your best not to be “that former employee”—the one everyone jokes about because you stormed off in a huff.
Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (courtingyourcareer.wordpress.com).
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November 12, 2007
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You’re 5 minutes into a 45 minute interview and you know the candidate just isn’t going to make the cut. What do you do? Continue as planned for the next 40 minutes, or wrap things up and move on to the next candidate? This topic came up over lunch with a small group of recruiters last week and, although they agreed that they can typically tell if a candidate has got what it takes within the first few minutes of an interview, they were split on whether to cut the interview short when it’s obvious it’s not going to work out.
A good reason for cutting the interview short
Scenario One: It quickly became obvious that the candidate hadn’t done his homework. He didn’t know much about the industry, and even less about the company. We’ve all been there before and we know there’s generally no excuse for a candidate showing up for an interview without doing a good bit of prep work. If they’re not interested in the job enough to take the interview seriously, there’s no point in wasting your time going through a song and dance when you know they don’t have a shot. Instead of sitting through 40 more painful minutes, the recruiter politely sent him on his way.
In this case, I think the recruiter took appropriate action. One, an early dismissal gave a clear signal of his non-offer status, (no two- to three-week wait to find out he wasn’t getting the job); two, it kept both of them from wasting any more of each other’s time; and, three, cutting it short gave the recruiter extra time to prep for his next interview (hopefully with a candidate who really wanted the job).
If you go this route, try to share feedback with the interviewee. If they weren’t prepared, let them know. That way, they can go back to the drawing board before their next interview.
When you might go the distance
Scenario Two: Unlike the previous example, this candidate did her homework, but she just wasn’t a good fit with the organization. The recruiter didn’t want to end the interview abruptly because she had put a lot of time into researching the company and industry. From his perspective, the candidate had earned her chance to interview and he was going to give her the full 45 minutes.
The possible downside to this approach is that the candidate might think she had a legitimate chance to land a job offer, only to find out two or three weeks later (and she’s lucky if it’s that quick) that she didn’t. You don’t have to inform them during the interview that they wouldn’t be getting an offer, but definitely follow up with them within a few days of the interview.
I’m sure there are other scenarios that aren’t quite as clear cut, but for me it boils down to the following: if the candidate puts in the effort, they deserve your time.
Have you cut a bad interview short or let one go the distance? Post a comment.
Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (courtingyourcareer.wordpress.com).
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November 6, 2007
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Have you ever been to, or participated in, large-scale career fairs? On the company side, it’s all about glitz, glam, and making the sale. Whatever happened to job seekers being attracted to great jobs with great companies? Do we really need the other stuff? But, I guess if you’re going to compete at these venues (and, let’s face it, it IS a competition),
you ought to compete effectively. Here are some suggestions:
Fancy company signage. Good idea, rotten design. Have you ever tried to put one of those things together? I’m not sure who designs those things, but in most cases you’d need a PhD in architectural engineering just to unpack it. And would it be too much to ask for some easy-to-follow instructions? I once tried to help a recruiter put her display up and, after about an hour, it still didn’t look right. But, if you’re going to stand out, the fancy free-standing company sign (with subtle halogen spotlights) is a must. Be sure to list the jobs you’re recruiting for so candidates don’t have to ask every time they approach your booth.
Giveaways. Who comes up with this stuff? It’s like there’s a think tank comprised of the folks from SkyMall Magazine and Sharper Image developing a thousand variations of the stress ball. This is your company’s chance to stand out in the crowd. Unilever gave away free Ben & Jerry’s at one national career fair. I would have hated to be staffing one of the surrounding booths. If ice cream isn’t your thing, how about iTunes gift cards branded with your company’s logo?
Mascot. Not every company is lucky enough to have a mascot, but if you’re one of the fortunate few, nothing creates a stir like making your mascot available for pictures and staffing someone at the booth with a Polaroid. In the interest of full disclosure, I had my picture taken with the Pillsbury Doughboy. And I think I can say, based on the reaction of job seekers at the career fair, the mascot was a HUGE hit.
Generalists. Whenever possible, make sure the people you send to staff the event can speak to a broad cross-section of openings within your company. Candidates are often frustrated when they approach a booth and find the person they’re speaking with isn’t familiar with the job they’re interested in. As mentioned above, listing the jobs on your display will also help to head off some of those questions.
Every company is looking for the best job candidates, and it’s unfortunate that you have to create a circus to attract them. But, in a very competitive recruiting market, you do what you have to. Just think through your presentation: you want all the attention of playing in the center ring, but you want the attention for all the right reasons.
Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (courtingyourcareer.wordpress.com).
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October 30, 2007
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In a recent blog, Penelope Trunk, author of Brazen Careerist, called upon insight from a friend in human resources to explain why candidates often don’t hear from the company after an interview. Her unnamed source did a great job of getting at the heart of the matter: most recruiters want to avoid conflict. And nothing says “conflict” like telling someone they’re not going to get a job.
But let’s put the shoe on the other foot. Have you ever been on a date chatting and laughing it up, thinking you hit it off, but then he or she never returns your call? How often have great dates ended with the promise, “I’ll call you,” but they never do? Do you remember how that non-response response feels?
Trunk’s source says company recruiters often string candidates along because the interviewer doesn’t have to absorb the opportunity cost. As he puts it “…If you interview with me, what are the consequences for me treating you poorly? Not any really. You as the candidate don’t want to burn a bridge lest [my company] should happen to call you in the future, so it’s not like you are going to take me to task.“ This seems pretty callous. Great companies don’t allow this type of behavior. Great companies are great because they treat customers, employees, and candidates alike: professionally, and with respect.
Nobody wants to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s important to remember that interviewees are people, not faceless data points; treat them the way you yourself would like to be treated. Here are three simple, pain-free ways to communicate with candidates:
Don’t give mixed signals. If you know the candidate isn’t a good fit five minutes into the interview, don’t wrap things up by saying: “If you are the candidate selected for this position…” When a candidate really wants to work for your company, they’re going to interpret that phrase as a good indicator that you’re interested in them. Instead, during the interview say, “The candidate selected for the position…”
Communicate next steps. If you don’t, you could develop a bad case of “carpal pinky syndrome” (a chronic pinky distress condition recruiters develop from repeatedly hitting their delete key, clearing out emails from anxious candidates who don’t know they didn’t make the cut). When candidates know that they’ll hear from you one way or the other within two weeks, it will save them from restlessly waiting for a call three or four weeks later. Then, make sure you follow-up within the timeframe you outlined. This will also put you well on your way to “carpal pinky” recovery.
No need to make it personal. I know following up with every interviewee individually can be next to impossible for many companies, but it doesn’t take much effort to send out a form rejection email. Once I received a rejection flyer that looked like it was mass-produced on an old-fashioned printing press. Did the quality of the flyer make me laugh? Yes. Was I disappointed to receive it? Yes. Was I glad the company made even this lame effort to notify me instead of never hearing from the company again? ABSOLUTELY.
As Trunk puts it: “The people who get back to you and tell you flat out “no,” or, better yet, are transparent enough to tell you “no” right there in the interview, are the people who are the best to work for.” So the next time you’re tempted to take the easy way out and avoid telling a job candidate they’re not a good fit, remember that’s not the way great companies behave. Notifying candidates that they didn’t get the job early and clearly is not just the reputable thing to do, it’s the right thing.
Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (courtingyourcareer.wordpress.com).
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October 23, 2007
08:25 am | 0 recommendations | 2 comments
A survey by Gallup indicated that 1 out of 4 employees would fire their boss. Did that grab your attention? It did mine. But before we start packing up our offices or updating our resumes, it’s important to note that results varied widely based on whether employees were identified as engaged, not engaged, or actively disengaged at work.
The report goes on to conclude that employees who doubt their bosses care about them are far more likely to want to show them the door. But that’s not all. Gallup estimates the loss of productivity for the roughly 25 million workers 18 or older who are actively disengaged costs the U.S. economy approximately $382 billion annually.
So what’s a manager to do? The easy answer is to keep the engaged employees engaged, engage the not-engaged, and find a way to reach, or get rid of, the actively disengaged. The results of the survey underline a point I heard Jim Runde, Vice Chairman at Morgan Stanley, make during a recent presentation to a group of job seekers at the firm’s worldwide headquarters in New York last week. “Who you work with is more important than were you work.” As Runde put it, it’s the micro issues (immediate supervisor didn’t have their back, didn’t get along with the team, etc.) that cause people to check out. Working for a great company, or even paying employees big salaries, isn’t enough to keep today’s workers engaged.
As a manager, how do you combat those micro issues?
Rule #1-Move from annual to quarterly reviews. This was something my last boss (the big fan of Silly Putty I mentioned in a previous entry) did and it enabled her to identify and react to issues sooner. During our reviews, she discussed our mutually agreed upon performance objectives, accomplishments, personal development goals and strength and development areas. Most importantly, she asked us to come up with a list of things that were working and things that weren’t. At first, this was something that made me a little gun shy: share too much information and you could send yourself up the creek without a paddle; don’t share enough and you could come across as disingenuous. But she promoted an office culture that over time made me feel comfortable in sharing candid feedback. Although I never discussed this with her, I believe the feedback she received from her direct reports not only went a long way in helping her keep a finger on the pulse of what was going on with each team member, but also with what was going on with our team as a whole.
Rule #2-Look for opportunities for your employees to stretch. Top performers often seek these out on their own, but others (especially younger employees) might not know how to get the ball rolling. But before you ask employees to stretch, it’s important to find opportunities that dovetail with their skill set or, if they don’t, that they have ample time and support to do so.
Rule #3-Spend time around the water cooler. As a manager, you don’t have to and shouldn’t get involved with catty conversations and gossip, but opening up a little bit and spending time chatting with your employees will go a long way towards letting them know you care about them. It might sound like common sense, but I’ve heard of quite a few bosses who don’t come out of their office until it’s time to go home.
That reminds me of another point Runde made during his presentation: “The more time you spend with people, the more you have a chance to get to know and understand them.” He was talking about his clients, but the same holds true with coworkers. Ask them about their weekend, their hobbies…them.
Rules of engagement are constantly changing. What keeps one employee’s motor going might not work for someone else. And just because someone is engaged today doesn’t mean they won’t be actively disengaged tomorrow. The next time you’re focused on the big picture, don’t forget to take some time out to understand and address the micro issues.
Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (courtingyourcareer.wordpress.com).
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