Dear Dr. Civitelli: I live in the Seattle area. I have worked at a bookstore for four years, since I graduated college with an English major. Retail has become more and more stressful for me, and I have told myself many times over the past few years that I should try to find some other [...] ... Read more

One of the more difficult hurdles to surmount when making a career change is to begin thinking and talking about you in a new way. When we have been in a role for a very long time, we have an ingrained way of thinking, communicating and acting that reflects this. If you want your prospective employer to see you play the part for which you are “auditioning,” it is essential that you take on the persona of that “character”.

I was so entrenched in my previous role that knowing how to look, act and talk like a professional was challenging.

When I initially went out on my own as a single mom with the intent of changing “careers” (from full-time wife and homemaker to professional), I struggled with ... Read more

If you are a leader in your area of expertise, you probably don’t need a resume to open doors. This might sound a little odd coming from someone who runs the top resume writing firm for leaders in Canada. My business is writing effective resumes for six-figure professionals, so why would I suggest that you might not need a resume to get a good opportunity? Let me explain. If you are an experienced senior-level professional, your resume doesn’t hold the same sort of power that it might have had years ago. In fact, this time around, it might not be the first thing you need to succeed in your job search, but it probably is the final thing you need to close the deal.        

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The facts are clear. Over the last decade, executives want a career change because they are dissatisfied with their job / industry, unhappy with salary, insecure about longevity of job, work in an obsolete industry, or a victim of corporate downsizing. Maybe you are among nearly 50% of job seekers rethinking their career path. A recent Today show segment focused on Marla Romash, who after an amazing career in politics felt the urge to do something new. Today she is pursuing a career as a pastry chef. Check out the full segment at Today Show Marla talks about moments in life when you know you want to do something different, have a sense of belonging and purpose and make a difference. A growing trend for the boomer generation is the urge to do something different when they turn 50+ and not have regrets that they didn’t follow their passion. It doesn’t always mean starting your own business; it can be just making a change in industries or role within an organization. ... Read more

I recently interviewed Jeff Johnson who is working in a female-dominated career as a surgical technologist. Check out the interview below:     More…  … Read more

Another year has started. Did you promise yourself that this is the year, now is the time to change careers? You feel ready to make a real change in your life. Changing careers requires some internal and external stretching to get you where you want to go. In the same way that stretching physically helps prepare your bones and muscles for more vigorous activity, we need to stretch our ideas and actions in order to transform our career into a better jobfit, one that will recognize, reward, and motivate us for ... Read more

I recently came across this SHRM article Former Employees Claim Ownership of Twitter Handles, LinkedIn Connections  describing the tug-of-war between employers and employees over ownership of Twitter handles and followers and LinkedIn accounts and connections once an employee leaves the company. While more and more companies seem to be creating more formalized social media policies, it’s obvious that there is still a lot of gray when it comes to deciding what rightfully belongs to the individual and what the employer can claim as theirs. ... Read more

In the last few years, you must have noticed all the excitement and uproar about The Secret. To many of us in the career industry, “The Secret” is really no secret at all. It’s the law of attraction. If you’re hoping to achieve your goals, you can use this law to your benefit. First of all, I have to admit that the meteoric rise of the book and then the documentary “The Secret” raised a rollercoaster of emotions in me. On the one hand, I have unconsciously used this law all along. It clearly helped me to achieve many goals. But then, I look at our working world today, and I wonder why some good people who take what seem like good steps don’t achieve their goals. Through my own soul searching and a great struggle with my own faith, I came to realize something. As with most laws, the law of attraction is not a perfect law – but it does increase our chances of success. ... Read more

As 2011 draws to a close, I’m reflecting on some of my favorite blog posts of the year. Looking forward to sharing more job search advice, rants, and funny stories about the world of work in 2012. Happy New Year! Job Search Advice Common Interview Questions and What They Mean ... Read more

2012. A New Year. This time of year many people make New Year resolutions, some easy to keep, others impossible. Have you ever thought about changing just one thing? That’s not overwhelming; it’s just one thing. The power of one can have a big impact on your life. Here are a few suggestions of how to incorporate the power of one into your life this year to change it for the better. ... Read more