I answer your professional questions here. Want more? I publish on LinkedIn as well, and you can see CareerJanet in the media here.
I have for years had a huge crush on Mike Rowe, for his deep "Deadliest Catch" voice and strong hands doing Dirty Jobs, but now I love him as one career advisor loves another. Last month, he wrote a great letter to a young adult asking for career advice, and it went viral.
Here is Mike's advice:
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This gift from a student today absolutely made my day!! Gratitude goes a long way, folks. Express it regularly and spread the joy. It's good for your reputation, for your career, and the world always needs more warm fuzzy feelings. Make it a simple verbal thank you or an elaborate box wrapped in a bow, and you'll be remembered fondly!
I have a good friend who is an expert gardener/horticulturist who loves to grow native plants from seeds. This year, he was lamenting the fact that less than 10% of his seeds successfully germinated.
"I don't understand! Last year I just dumped a bunch of seeds in the backyard and they did fine. But I think I tried too hard this year," he said. He had carefully arranged his seed collection in labeled containers, given them both the freezing and warm temperatures he knew they would need to be tricked into growing, kept their individual soil samples with the precise amount of moisture, and dutifully checked them daily.
And what happened? Nothing. Those seeds lay dormant. Later he told me, "It turns out seeds are like girls. If you overdo it, you’ll fail."
Read MoreWe can only wonder about the series of decisions that led to the fateful US-student-stuck-in-a-vagina-sculpture incident in Germany this week. One thing is sure: this kid is famous, but not for the best of reasons. One also might wonder, as soon as his name and personal information are made public, how anyone could take him seriously after an incident like this? We can assume that this guy was studying SOMETHING in college, and probably aspires to be employed at some point in his career. And unless it's performing stunts in movies or comedy routines, this type of famous is not usually a great career move. So, if you find yourself in a similar incident of public shame or embarrassment, how do you recover?
Read MoreI love my Informatics students...rocking the google glass selfie at UW iSchool convocation!
Read More“I just feel bad asking for more, you know?” My student’s voice trailed off as we discussed the difference between her job offer and the data she found online about salaries for Web Developers.
Read MoreJanet Matta is a career counselor and employment expert providing career advice to young professionals, students, and recent university graduates. Get advice on job interviewing, LinkedIn, resumes, cover letters, social media, salary negotiation, and more, here.
