Category View (Career)

I’ve always been against shaking hands as it’s a great way to pass along millions of germs. The other offense is when people lick their fingers before turning pages--that’s a fingerprint full of germs just waiting for the next person who picks up the paper. In this day and age, people should think about that. It’s not only unnecessary, it’s unhealthy and disrespectful of other people. People are surprised when I shake their hands, and it’s only because it’s a custom (a bad one) that I do it, but I will always wash my hands afterwards. That’s not an offense to anyone more...

There’s been a lot of coverage on Michael Jackson, and rightly so. He was the most amazing performer I have ever seen, and I have seen most of the greats. I knew him personally as well, as he lived at Trump Tower and stayed at my Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach. He stayed there when he and Lisa Marie Presley were married, and they were obviously a romantic item. They had a great time and we loved having them as guests. Michael Jackson was a shy person which made his gift as a performer even more astonishing. I remember thinking, “This quiet more...

It pays to network. I always say that if you aren’t “networking” your “not-working”. Whether it’s socially or professionally, people who network are able to stay in touch with the real world.  I know many of us get caught up in our day-to-day lives and forget to make time for our friends, family or co-workers. When we make time to meet regularly with real people, we get to hear about all sorts of perspectives about life, business and personal relationships. This is important for 3 reasons: Networking can keep your social and rapport building skills sharp. Keeping in touch with these skills is imperative in business, too. Whether more...

How important is it to you that people be polite at work? A professor of psychology at West Chester University in Pennsylvania conducted a study all about rudeness in the workplace. Jennifer Bunk found that about 75 percent of workers say they’re treated rudely at least once a year. That can mean anything from being ignored by the boss or hearing snide remarks from coworkers. So, you say, rudeness in the office just makes for an unpleasant work environment. But, according to this study, it also harms productivity. This professor goes so far as to say that the “silent treatment” and other more...

Just yesterday I was reading about George Clooney, who apparently doesn’t want to say ‘yes’ to a return appearance on “ER”--the show that made him famous. “ER” was one of the most successful of television series, with a big fan base as well as critical acclaim. From there, Clooney went on to great success in films, and has shown himself to be a remarkable and diversified talent. The gist of the article seemed to be that George Clooney isn’t grateful--to either the show that launched him or his former boss, or to his loyal fans. I can understand that any action--or non-action--can more...

With today’s economy, unfortunately more and more people are finding themselves without jobs. Different people, of course, handle the situation in different ways. Some jump headfirst back into the job hunt, polishing their resumes and interviewing skills. Others take some time off to regroup and maybe consider a career change. But there’s a newer, growing trend. Some people are turning toward plastic surgery. Apparently, a lot of people figure that they need an edge in order to appeal to prospective employers so they go under the knife or at least settle for some Botox. They think that no matter how experienced or more...

How true are these old clichés? “The cream rises to the top” or “the cream of the crop” implies that the “cream” is the best part and as such, comes out somehow the winner or the chosen one. The same can be said metaphorically about talent in business.  Executive search firm Robert Half International, recently performed a study where they surveyed over 4000 finance and human resource managers in 20 different countries and the majority said they are having trouble finding skilled candidates to fill their high level accounting and finance positions. It also showed that when they do find one, the pressure is on more...

If you smoke, don’t even think about applying for a government job in Sarasota County. Blaming the cost of buying health insurance for smokers, officials in the Florida county recently announced that they will no longer hire employees who light up. Officials say it costs them $3,400 per year per smoker in lost productivity and medical expenses and they want to save taxpayers that money. Although this policy has some people crying “discrimination,” in Florida, the right not to hire employees who smoke was upheld nearly a decade ago by the state Supreme Court. So the county is utterly within its rights. In fact, more...

Apparently, facial hair is serious business when it comes to the Houston police department. City officials have authorized spending as much as $150,000 to defend the city in a lawsuit challenging a policy that forbids beards and goatees. The City Council says they want to hire new police officers, but they don’t want new police officers who happen to have a lot of facial hair. Four police officers filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in November claiming the no-beards policy is discriminatory. The officers say the ban on beards and goatees is unfair for men who suffer skin conditions and can’t shave. The policy more...

For the first time ever, researchers have studied the importance of a good handshake. A huge study at the University of Iowa found that those people who start job interviews with a firm, strong handshake are always perceived in a more favorable light than those who shake hands like a limp fish. Good handshakers are seen as being more extroverted and, eventually, more hirable. And women with strong handshakes have an advantage over men because their grips are more memorable. I think that the only thing better than a good handshake is no handshake at all. I’ve long said that handshakes are a bad more...

Does your job make you think too much? Even though sometimes it may not seem like it, that’s a good thing. Mentally demanding jobs come with an extra big perk: they keep you mentally sharp even as you age. Day-to-day work that requires negotiation, analysis, and decision-making builds up something called your “cognitive reserve” which is a level of mental function that helps you avoid mental decline. So while you’re solving problems and planning, organizing and strategizing with tough clients, you might feel like your brain is going to explode. In reality, however, you’re warding off dementia. That’s not to say that all complex, more...

With today’s terrible economy, job news is miserable everywhere. It’s no surprise that over the past few years, college graduates each June haven’t been very lucky once they’ve picked up their diplomas and headed out into the real world. They’ve been faced with a tough job market, low salaries and lots of frustration. Surprisingly, however, the Class of 2008 is stepping out into a great job situation. This is the healthiest job market in three years, with employers planning to hire 16 percent more new college graduates this year than they did last year. Hiring projections for new graduates are strong across the more...

Today I would like to talk about strategic partnerships and networking as it pertains to attracting new clients especially in real estate. No matter what your business, you can broaden your market visibility and attract more clients by getting out of your offices and getting proactive. You should identify which organizations your best potential clients belong to, then JOIN and PARTICIPATE.   Be an active member of the “association” and utilize the member roster to make new contacts. It’s important take on leadership roles or get on committee’s as soon as possible to show those prospects you are serious about their cause. There are usually sponsorship more...

Could you get much work done if there were babies in the cubicles all around you? Apparently, that’s not as odd as it sounds. I read a story in USA Today that said at least 80 companies across the nation right now allow babies in the workplace. It’s an extreme - and somewhat controversial - example of how employers are trying to help their workers strike a balance between home and office. Many of the companies allow parents to bring their babies to work until the children are old enough to crawl. They don’t leave the infants in office daycare centers, however. They more...

Whether or not you believe we’re in a recession, a lot of people are taking a hit to their wallets and bank accounts and have to deal with it in some relatively old-fashioned ways. For one, moonlighting seems to be back in style. But it certainly isn’t because people are testing the waters of new careers or trying to expand their horizons beyond their boring day jobs. Now, when people work two jobs, it’s almost always motivated solely by financial need - either they really need the funds now or they’re afraid they’ll lose their primary source of income. According to the Department more...

Of course no one likes to think about it, but if you were laid-off from your job tomorrow how would you fare financially? With today’s volatile economy and job market, unfortunately it’s something you have to consider. I saw a recent online poll on CNN.com and was shocked at the results. Nearly 100,000 people had logged in their comments and about half said that if they were laid-off now, their savings wouldn’t last more than a couple of weeks. That’s unbelievable to me. It’s hard for me to imagine that people are that unprepared for financial hardship today, especially knowing how unstable everything more...

Not that long ago, the leaders of AT&T announced that they were going to return 5,000 customer service jobs to the United States that they had outsourced to India. But now, two years later, the head of that top U.S. phone company says it’s having trouble finding enough skilled American workers to fill those positions. So far, not even one-third of the jobs have been returned to the United States out of the 5,000. The company still hopes to fill all those jobs here but it hasn’t been easy. In some U.S. communities, for example, the high school dropout rates is as high as more...

Even with the bad economy and weak job growth, there are still several fields that will survive - and possibly even thrive - during hard times. The analysts at CareerBuilder.com say that at least five industries keep expanding their hiring so if you’re looking for a job, here are some that are relatively recession-proof. First is education. No matter what happens to the economy, schools will always need great skilled teachers and administrators. The energy industry will also continue to grow. There will be plenty of jobs related to alternative and renewable energy, as well as oil, gas, and even nuclear energy. With so many more...

Many companies are cutting jobs, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of jobs out there. As more workers from the Baby Boomer generation retire, millions of jobs are becoming available in a variety of industries and managers are having trouble filling those positions. Many times, it’s because today’s young professionals are more focused on careers that require critical thinking and computer skills rather than jobs that require working with their hands. Often, it’s just a lack of qualified candidates. In any case, according to Manpower Inc.’s Talent Shortage Survey, some of the jobs most in need of qualified workers right now include more...