Author View (Thomas M. Schmitz)

Engage Mine would not be much of a career if I didn’t engage in actual work. Like attorneys and doctors, I approach my profession as a practice and I strive to give every client my best effort. The nice thing about working is that it gives you experience. Every new task, project or client helps me to accomplish even better work. Learn I go out of my way to learn something new every day. While it's easy to think in terms of learning practical applications such as new skills or techniques, gathering industry information is important too. Keep up with your professional culture. Stay abreast more...

Graduating from college during an employment slump stinks. It's like the universe dumped on you just because of your birthday. I empathize. It happened to me. Now...get over it. It's October. Summer is long over. If you haven't picked-up the pieces of your shattered prospects, start now, immediately. Here are three things I want you to do: Get a Job That's right, get a job. Any job will do. It doesn't have to be in your field and it doesn't have to be full-time. It just needs to pay. People innately respect the employed. It's much easier to get hired into a desirable position when more...

The recent spates with Joe Wilson, Serena Williams and Kanye West left some people wondering if America lost its civility. If you enjoy pop culture or politics it may seem that way. How much effort does it take to treat other people the same way you want them to treat you? I've actually asked people about this.  Surprisingly, many think that being nice: Breaks the flow of the conversation Feels artificial Produces self-consciousness or embarrassment Some people are friendly and polite with their buddies, family, colleagues and co-workers. But when it comes to people that they do not know, like baristas, store clerks and servers, they more...

LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com LinkedIn helps local businesses become global. LinkedIn is the largest professional networking site on the Internet. It's a place to connect with colleagues from around the world. You can share what you do, promote yourself and find work. LinkedIn gives a small business in Nebraska the power to have a major client in New York. Digging and follow-up are the keys to success on LinkedIn. Ask all of your associates and colleagues if they are on LinkedIn. If they are, add them to your contact list and use LinkedIn to message them. Make LinkedIn a part of your networking routine more...

In their groundbreaking business book, Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, Jim Collins and Jerry Porras introduce BHAGS - Big Hairy Audacious Goals. These are 10-to-30-year goals that change the very nature of a business's existence and often the nature of entire industries. People can have big hairy audacious goals too. Just look at Ed Viesturs.  Ed decided to climb all 14 of the world's 8,000 meter (26,000 feet) mountains. It took him 18 years to do it and it changed his life. At first, Ed was just another guy who enjoyed climbing mountains. After he set his big hairy audacious goal more...