Julie Jansen Press & Publicity

How HR Practioners Can Win Friends at Work

Building better relationships with colleagues can make you happier and more productive at your job

Cultivating authentic relationships with co-workers provides the support system you need to perform your job well. It’s also a key ingredient for job happiness—in fact, one Gallup poll found that close work friendships boost employee satisfaction by 50 percent, and employees with a best friend at work are seven times more likely to engage fully in their job.

Another reason why getting along well with your colleagues is important? Most workers… [spend more time with their co-workers than with their family members] according to a Globoforce survey.

Read this article in the Spring 2020 Issue of HR Magazine…

An Offer You May Have to Refuse

One in four people say they've backed out after accepting a job offer. Here's how to navigate...

Of all of the scenarios Mark had envisioned while searching for a job, declining an offer wasn’t one of them. And yet, after weeks of interviewing with several technology firms, he found himself at that exact crossroads-one company had made him an offer, but he still hadn’t heard back from his top choice, and he didn’t know how to proceed.

It’s a situation that happens “really frequently to people,” says Julie Jansen, career coach and author of I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This. It’s proven even more common these last few years, when unemployment has been low and employers have had to scramble to fill open positions, all of which has put job seekers in the driver’s seat. In fact, one in four people admit to having backed out after accepting an offer in order to pursue a more preferable option, according to consulting firm Robert Half.

Read this article on Korn Ferry Advance…

Switching Careers during a Pandemic

CNN Business' "Work Transformed' Column looks at career transitions during upheavals in the job market

Big life events tend to make people question their life choices.

“When people go through a crisis and uncertainty and all those emotions, the first thing they think about is meaning: ‘What can I do to have a meaningful impact on this world?'” said Julie Jansen, a career coach.

But changing careers is a big undertaking. And doing so in the middle of a pandemic that has left nearly 43 million people filing for unemployment benefits, can seem next to impossible. But with patience and a plan, it can be done…

Read this article in CNN Business’ “Work Transformed”…

Office Rookies Who Ask for the World

The Wall Street Journal looks at Young Employees and Promotions

Some managers are taken aback: “Who do they think they are?”

After only a year on the job, more young employees are approaching their managers for a promotion, asking, “All right, I’m ready. What’s next?” says Christopher Kalloo of New York, who heads college relations for a big retailer. Competing to advance comes naturally to many new hires. “They want to help with strategy, to help drive the business.”

“This generation has been given permission by their parents and teachers and other authority figures to just go for it, go for the gold, ask for whatever you want,” says Julie Jansen, author of a career book, “I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This.”

Read this article in The Wall Street Journal….

[img courtesy of The Wall Street Journal]

On the Job Hunt After Cancer

Julie Jansen writes in Coping Magazine about survivors navigating the job market

Searching for a new job after cancer can be scary, but these tips from Julie Jansen can help.

Having a plan in place before you start your job search will help build your confidence and manage your search. Before you start, take a personal inventory and decide what you want to do. Consider if it’s a time to change career paths. Update your resume and make sure to highlight your accomplishments. Use technical keywords to help your resume get noticed. Update your LinkedIn account, especially your Profile and the Skills and Endorsements section. Once you get an interview, take the time to prepare thoroughly. Write up and rehearse a brief explanation about any gaps in your work history. Remember that you are not obligated to disclose that you had cancer.

Read this article in Coping Magazine…

[img courtesy copingmag.com]

What to Say in an Interview to Get Hired

Julie Jansen tells Monster.com how to stand out in interviews

How should you answer the question “Why should we hire you?”

Answering this question well can help set you apart from other candidates. Julie Jansen explains in an article on Monster.com that one way to to stand out is to not hold back: be bold and show confidence in knowing what assets you bring to the table. This is a time to be unafraid to lead with a power statement, or try more unconventional responses.

Read this article on Monster.com…

[img courtesy monster.com]

When You’re the Subject of Office Gossip

MarketWatch asks Julie Jansen how to counteract office rumors

What do you do if someone is spreading rumors about you in the office?

Most people’s first instinct is to immediately strike back against these rumors. Instead, Julie Jansen offers some constructive ways to counteract allegations and manage the situation, such as reaching out to coworkers you trust to find out what is being said, telling them what’s true, and asking for them to act as advocates to others on your behalf.

Read this article on MarketWatch.com

[img courtesy marketwatch.com]

How to Handle an Annoying Colleague

Julie Jansen talks to Live Mint about learning to deal tactfully with difficult co-workers

What should you do if your co-worker is annoying but a good worker?

How do you handle an annoying co-worker who is an otherwise good employee? Should you confront them and risk peace at the office, or do nothing to upset the office dynamic? In this LiveMint article, Julie Jansen says the first step is to evaluate the situation. Where do you think this difficult behavior is coming from? Is it a one-time thing, or an ongoing pattern?

Read this article on Mint

[img courtesy LiveMint.com]

Coworkers Who Think They’re the Boss

Jared Shelly of Convene quotes Julie Jansen on strategies for managing bossy colleagues

Pushy Colleagues can Impede Productivity

Bossy coworkers can be a genuine impediment to a company’s mission. Some employees may be made to feel inferior, or trapped, or so frustrated that the issue interferes with their productivity. Author Jared Shelly writes in Convene Magazine about the very real difficulties employees face in these situations and how it affects corporate culture as a whole. He suggests some useful strategic suggestions for managing pushy office pals.

Author, speaker and coach Julie Jansen suggests collaboration as a workaround: try to show your colleague that you’re looking for a more collaborative approach. Julie suggests “Sometimes it’s a style thing and they don’t realize it unless they’re getting specific feedback.”

To read the complete article, click here

[img courtesy Convene.com]

Even If Your New Job Is a Bad Fit, Don’t Quit

Julie Jansen in The Wall Street Journal on workplace challenges

Having a new hire quit is costly for employers. It forces them to restart the hiring process and damages morale. Several people Julie Jansen hired and trained as recruiters on a previous job years ago quit after only one day. “It was devastating. You think you know if someone is a fit, and then they just disappear,” says Ms. Jansen, author of “I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This,” a best-selling career book.

To read the complete article, click here

How to Answer the Interview Question, “What Motivates You?”

Monster.com talks with Julie about how to align your passion and skills with the company

Do a self-assessment

To figure out what your talking points will be, reflect on your past work experience. What projects made you feel energized? What did you like most about your last job? What gets you out of bed in the morning?

One way to jog your memory is to look at your resume. “It’s the easiest reminder of what you’ve accomplished,” says Julie Jansen, career coach and author of You Want Me to Work With Who?

You can also look at past performance reviews, Jansen says. Just be sure to focus on achievements that not only made you happy but also made you a valuable asset to your past employer.

Get a third-party’s perspective

In addition to doing some self-reflection, you’ll want to reach out to former co-workers for their input, says Jansen. (“What is it about me that made you like working with me?”) She also recommends getting feedback from your former managers. (“What were the one or two things that you could always count on me for?”)

How these people respond can give you insight into what motivates you. Plus, “you can incorporate a testimonial into your answer during the job interview,” Jansen says.

To read the complete article, click here

How to Answer the Question, “What are Your Long-Term Goals?”

Monster.com speaks with Julie about honing your answer to this question

How you envision your future is important to employers. They can tell a lot about the type of employee you think you are (or are hoping to become). That’s why one of the most common interview questions is, “What are your long-term goals?”

Job seekers stumble on it for a number of reasons, says Julie Jansen, career coach and author of You Want Me to Work With Who? “A lot of people think of goals in terms of career progression,” Jansen says, “but employers aren’t asking whether you want to be promoted when they’re asking about your goals.”

To read the entire article, click here

Assess Your Career Skills in Six Easy Steps

Monster.com speaks with Julie Jansen about how to figure out exactly what makes you so awesome at what you do.

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what makes you so awesome at your job? More important: Have you ever adequately answered that question?

“The vast majority of job seekers don’t think through what skills they bring to employers,” says Phyllis Hartman, a national panelist at the Society for Human Resource Management. And, among those who do take stock of their career skills, many underestimate or overestimate their skill set. Neither scenario is a good look, but the former could remove you from the running sooner.

Not only do you risk failing to make it past the initial screening stages if you lowball yourself, “but if you underestimate your skills, you might also undercut your value,” says career coach Julie Jansen, author of You Want Me to Work With Who?

So what exactly are you good at that would make a company love to have you on their team? Take these six steps to make an accurate assessment of your career skills.

To read the entire article, click here.

Putting a Stop to Workplace Gossip

Monster.com speaks with Julie about navigating workplace gossip

Option 1: Offer a solution

“Gossip doesn’t just happen at the water cooler anymore,” says Julie Jansen, career coach and author of You Want Me to Work With Who? And in case you didn’t already know, your employer can read what you’re saying online, even if it’s in a private message. “If you need to get something off your chest, talk to someone outside of work,” Jansen says.

Of course, you may still face some challenges since you can’t really control what comes out of your co-workers’ mouths. However, there are moves you can make to handle office gossip strategically when it reaches your ears.

Option 2: Vacate the premises

Even if you don’t contribute to the conversation, you’re still guilty by association. “Listening to someone else gossip does incriminate you on a certain level,” Jansen says. “You don’t want to be a bystander.”

Have an exit strategy prepared so you can politely remove yourself from the gossiping. Keep it simple. Say, “I’m sorry, I forgot I have to send an email,” or excuse yourself and go to the restroom.

Granted, this tactic may not be a long-term strategy (especially if the person gossips a lot), but it gets you away from the scene unscathed.

Option 3: Change the conversation topic

This move requires some finesse. Jansen recommends steering the conversation toward a safe, innocuous topic, like movies (“I saw a preview for XYZ movie, and it looks great. Do you think you’ll go see it?”) or sports (“Did you catch the game last night?”). When in doubt, compliment the gossiper, ask to see pictures of their pets, or find out what their weekend plans are.

To read the complete article, click here

Making a Clean Exit

Bankrate features Julie in its advice on how to quit your job

Had enough of that dead-end job? Ready to stomp into the boss’s office and tell her where to file it?

Not so fast. If you storm out, the person you’re most likely to hurt is yourself.

Julie Jansen has the advice you need, which is exactly why she is the featured expert in Bankrate’s article “Quitting your job: 8 tips to avoid sabotaging yourself on your way out the door.” Here is a taste of what she told Bankrate:

  • Do your homework: Know what packages and benefits are available before you give notice;
  • Consider the economics and adjust your lifestyle costs if necessary;
  • Negotiate for an extension of health coverage;
  • Be prepared for an offer to make you stay and counter with more than seems realistic;
  • Be graceful: These people will come back into your life down the road, don’t burn any bridges on your way out.

To read the complete article, click here

I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This

Julie Jansen best-selling book released in a revised and updated third edition

juliejansen-book_panel

The revised and updated third edition of Julie Jansen’s bestselling book, I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT, BUT I KNOW IT’S NOT THIS: A step-by-step guide for finding gratifying work, is available online or at your favorite bookseller.

 

Book Signing

Julie Jansen book signing kicks off new edition

Julie was surrounded by fans and well-wishers at the celebration and book signing for the release of her newly published third edition of I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This: A step-by-step guide to finding gratifying work. The wine & cheese event was held on Tuesday, March 29th, 2016 at the Regus Business Lounge in New York City.
 
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Julie Jansen book signing

Planning the Way to Better Work

Julie Jansen Interviewed on Jefferson Public Radio

The realization often comes to us in the form of a question, one day at work: what am I doing here? Followed by: but what else would I do? Julie Jansen can totally relate; more than a decade ago, she published the first edition of her book I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This.

She’s updated it several times, with a new edition out this week. The basic approach remains the same: helping readers in unsatisfying jobs–or unemployed–figure out what jobs would best use their skills and interests. Prepare for some quizzes and self-examinations as Julie Jansen joins us with the latest on seeking a meaningful job.

Click here to listen to Julie’s inteview.

Spotlight Interview

Julie Jansen's KTOE interview

Click here to listen to Julie’s Spotlight inteview with Dan McGarger on KTOE Radio.

Interview with Ginny Williams

Julie Jansen Interviewed about the newest edition of her bestselling book

by Ginny Williams

I have read dozens of books on changing careers. It began years ago when I was still working in the corporate world and was looking to change my own career, and I’ve continued to keep up with the latest career change resources, now that I help others with this same life changing decision. Not every career change book hits a home run, but I do have a short list of books that I always recommend to clients who are searching for the right career. I’ve used the exercises in these books myself and I have seen the positive results from clients who have used them, too.

One of the titles on my short list is, “I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This,” by Julie Jansen. First published in 2003, it was re-released in 2016 in a third edition that was revised and expanded. The title says it all. It’s a plea I often hear from new clients who are stuck in a career they’ve long since outgrown. When you are unhappy with where you are now, the process of finding the right work can seem overwhelming. “I Don’t Know What I Want…” guides you through the process of how to match your top strengths, values and preferences with the right career for you.

“I Don’t Know What I Want…” is a hands-on workbook, filled with a variety of career assessments and personality quizzes. It’s also a guide for navigating every stage of your career, offering a step-by-step program to help you find the right job and implement a positive career change. The process of going through the exercises is very introspective and will give you a greater understanding of who you are and what you want from a profession. And of course, working with a coach can help you decipher your results and translate them into a new career direction, with a solid plan for how to get there. is one of very few career change books that I recommend over and over again to clients. If you are considering a career change or have been out of the job search process for awhile, you’ll find valuable tips, assessments, and case studies to guide you.

Recently I interviewed Julie Jansen. I wanted to learn more about the newest edition of the book and get her perspective on some of the mistakes people make when they choose a career.


Q:  What inspired you to write I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This?

I wrote the first edition in 2002, and it was published in 2003 during the dot.com era. This was a time where money was flowing in the economy and people started feeling like they could do something different work-wise, but they didn’t know how to approach the process. I updated the book again in 2010 during the end of the Great Recession when there was no hiring and people felt stuck. Then in 2016 nearly every company was hiring, millennials were reinventing workplace values, and the hiring landscape was very complicated. So people need as much guidance as ever to help them realize gratification in their work.

Q:  The assessments in your book identify things like values, personality preferences, favorite skills and much more. How did you determine these elements were potential success factors for choosing a career?

I have been fortunate to work in different aspects of the career management field for 20 years – sales, coaching, training, speaking and writing. What I have learned through these different functions and activities is that if someone doesn’t learn about and understand who they are and what they want first, they will not be successful at finding gratifying work that is sustainable. The assessments that I discuss in my book encompass someone’s inner and external drivers.

Q:  High school or college graduates often have different priorities and criteria for choosing a career, compared to someone who has been working for 20 or more years and wants to change careers. How does the book address the needs of both groups?

It is true that everyone has different needs, priorities and criteria for choosing a career regardless of their age or experience and these continue to change throughout their lives. This is why the book is written in a way that enables an individual to customize their approach to identifying their work. The book is probably more useful for someone who has at least worked for a few years, however there is still so much useful information about workplace trends, job search how to’s, and most important, especially for someone starting out in their career, the ability to identify who they are and what they want.

Q:  What mistakes do you see people make when they are choosing a career or changing careers?

They don’t understand who they really are first, they focus too much on tangible things like titles, money and status, they don’t learn enough about a type of job, an industry or career before going into it, and they succumb to their insecurities or what other people think they should do.

Q: Tell me more about the third edition — what’s new and different?

New case studies, added contemporary interests and favorite skills, updated and replaced all statistics throughout book, changed the entire tone of the One Toe in the Retirement Pool chapter from the old model of everyone retiring at some point, to today’s reality that fewer people are going to make a hard stop from working and retire, either because they are healthier, passionate about doing something new and different, or need to keep working for financial reasons or to get benefits.

The Job Search – The Nuts and Bolts chapter was expanded immensely in the following ways:

  • I added a social media section about how to use LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, monitor “digital dirt” and managing your on-line presence
  • I added considerable content to branding section including why it is necessary, what it is, and the multitude of ways to perpetuate your personal/professional brand.
  • I updated the resume section and deleted info about on-line versus traditional resume.
  • I updated the interviewing section to reflect on-line applications, phone interviews, Skype and Google Hangout interviews, panel interviews, behavioral interviewing, making PowerPoint presentations in interviews, psychological and personality testing and other changes to the interviewing process.
  • I updated the majority of resources (95%) listed in the Resources section.

Playing Office Politics – Minus the Backstabbing

Julie Jansen featured in article on Proformative.com

At some point in their career, everyone feels the sting of someone else’s strategic quest to gain an advantage. Last year, an anonymous CFO sought help from the Proformative community when a fellow C-suite occupant was seeking out ways to trash the CFO’s opinions to the CEO.

Earlier this year, another finance executive wrote about being repeatedly passed over for advancement, asking if having a “detailed focus” and shying away from self-promotion might be part of the problem… [read article online]

How to Raise Your Social Media Profile

US News & World Report: MONEY

Note (er, make that tweet) to job seekers who haven’t been on the market lately: Have you updated your social media profiles?

A July survey by e-recruitment firm Jobvite found that 92 percent of recruiters now use social networking in the hunt; 73 percent say they’ve hired through these channels. And even firms that don’t use recruiters will be checking you out online. “Hiring managers are eavesdropping on social media conversations, doing searches on key words, and seeing what is being talked about,” says Jeff Lipschultz, founder of the Southlake, Texas-based recruiting firm A-list Solutions. Here’s how to shrewdly raise your profile:

[Read more…]

A Positive Approach to Office Politics

Human Resources Magazine

Office politics is a fact of life. It refers to an employee’s ability to use his/her power in a company to fulfill his/her personal agenda. HR professionals, in particular, are mired in it on a daily basis. Office politics is not indegenous to specific industries or sizes of companies.

[Download PDF of article…]

What to Do If You Expect a Layoff

Fox Business

Last month’s drop in the unemployment rate to 7.8% may be a sign that the labor market recovery is picking up steam, but many workers are still facing layoffs as businesses struggle to make ends meet and are forced to trim their payroll.

“A lot of people think we’ve made it through the storm but we haven’t,” says Nicole Williams, connection director at LinkedIn. For workers in fear that a layoff is imminent, experts suggest to still keep performing at their highest level while looking for a new job.

[Read more…]

You got a Bad Performance Review, Now What?

Fox Buiness

As uncomfortable or anxiety-inducing they may be, performance reviews are a necessary part of every job. And while you want to hear positive and glowing remarks from your manager about your work performance, a bad review doesn’t signal the end of your career.

Having a less-than-stellar review is an opportunity to make productive changes to help propel you forward and improve your work. And your strategy before, during and after a poor review will help you make the most of a bad situation.

[Read more…]

The Power of Managing Up to Advance Your Career

Fox Business

Most of us have a boss, and while it might sound counterintuitive, experts say that knowing how to make your boss look good and shine will advance your career.

Unless you own your business, you likely have a boss who decides promotions and raises that help you climb the corporate ladder. Even a CEO of a massive corporate company has to report to board members. Being an efficient and productive worker are keys to job success, along with the ability to manage up and make your supervisor look good.

[Read more…]

Creating Your Own Luck: 12 Steps for Advancing Your Career

Fox Business

With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, many job seekers are hoping the luck of the Irish will rub off on their careers. However, career professionals say unemployed workers can stop searching for four-leaf clovers and planting money trees and create their own luck. After all, luck is the intersection of preparation and preparation.

“Luck knocks on your door every day, and it’s a question of whether you’re ready to answer it,” says Alex Douzet, COO and co-founder of job search site TheLadders.com. “People that focus on succeeding seem to be more aware of their environment. They figure out a way to leverage the opportunities that come their way.”

[Read more…]

Does Your Office Have a Clique?

Bloomberg Business

My first real job was at a small newspaper in Nashville, Tenn. You know the cliché that all Los Angeles waiters are aspiring actors? Nashville is exactly like that, but instead of actors it’s musicians and instead of waitresses it’s the entire town. If you do business with someone in Nashville, just beware that while they prepare your taxes or approve your bank loan, they’re secretly imagining themselves playing Sweet Home Alabama in front of a sold-out stadium.

Everyone I worked with at the newspaper was in a band, friends with a band, dating someone in a band, or going to see a band later that night. One of our writers and a woman in the art department even formed a fake band, recorded a few fake songs, and had kitschy Glamour Shots-esque photos taken at a store in our local mall. The only difference between their band and a real one was that they never booked any gigs. Actually, for a lot of musicians I knew, there wasn’t a difference at all.

[Read more…]

Tips for Negotiating the Salary You Deserve

Fox Business

Individuals fortunate enough to receive an offer in this delicate labor market have a distinct advantage when it comes to negotiating their offer—but it’s all about timing.

“When you’re told you’re a finalist candidate, starting thinking about what you want,” says Julie Jansen, career coach and author of I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This.

[Read more…]

Jobs and Money: What Are You Whining About?

CNBC.com

The economy may be showing signs of improvement but there’s still a lot to complain about for the average American worker. Nearly 14 million people remain unemployed and for the lucky few who have jobs, many are overworked and underpaid.

“Everyone is struggling — whether it’s their boss, budget cuts, not enough people to do the work or changing initiatives,” said Julie Jansen, a career coach and the author of “I Don’t Know What I Want But I Know It’s Not This.”

[Read more…]

Making A Midlife Career Change

Forbes Magazine

As more women are forced to make late-life career changes because of the ailing economy or failing industries, they are faced with a number of obstacles, the most prevalent of which is age bias.

The key to getting yourself into a new job or a new field lies in your approach, says Howard Seidel, a partner with the career management firm Essex Partners, which works primarily with executives in their 40s through their 60s.

[Read more…]

Naked lunch: How to avoid seeing (too much of) co-workers at the gym

The Globe and Mail

When Ben Brewster received the bizarre e-mail request during his first week at a new job, he had no choice but to comply.

One of his superiors at a Washington lobbying firm said he’d forgotten his gym bag in the office and asked Mr. Brewster, 27, to bring it up to the fitness complex, which was in the same building.

With the bag in tow, Mr. Brewster searched the workout area and the locker room. No dice.

“I call out his name. I hear a reply from the showers: ‘You can just drop the bag,’ ” he recounts.

Then, to Mr. Brewster’s horror, his colleague emerged from a stall, butt naked and dripping wet, to thank him.

It wouldn’t be the last co-worker he’d see in the buff.

[Read more…]

Seven Common Job Search Myths

CNN.com

Myths that people believe about looking for a job are many and persistent. The most common ones are these:

Myth No. 1: A résumé should be only one page.

Absolutely not! The normal length of a résumé is two to three pages (at most). It is fine to have addendum pages such as a list of references or published articles. A one-page résumé is only appropriate for a recent college grad.

[Read more…]

The Jerk at Work

WebMD

Did you ever stop to wonder why the television sitcom The Office, which features a first-class office jerk — the boss, no less — is so popular? Simple. For starters, it’s a theme to which so many of us can relate. If you’ve ever worked in an office, chances are you’ve encountered an office jerk — that annoying co-worker whose ridiculous antics or downright inappropriate behavior wreaks havoc on the productivity and morale of every other office employee. It’s also a lot easier to laugh at the office jerk whose cubicle is nowhere near yours.

[Read more…]

Office Gossip: the Good, the Bad and What to Do When You are the Subject

Fox Business

Not all conversations at work happen around a conference table or at a formal meeting. The more juicy chats tend to occur around the water cooler, at happy hour or in the hallways.

No matter the culture or employees’ happiness levels, every office has gossip.

“It’s part of the fabric of our communication,” says Julie Jansen, career coach and author of I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This. “It’s absolutely impossible not to gossip, just keep it to a minimum.”

[Read more…]

Nine to Five… and Then Some

The New York Times

Q. Your boss expects you to work long hours, and your personal life is suffering. What can you do to keep both your job and your sanity intact?

A. As soon as your professional life overshadows your personal one, speak up. Cali Williams Yost, president of Work+Life Fit, a strategic consulting company in Madison, N.J., said that even if employees were not upset about how much they were working, dwindling personal time would breed disillusionment down the road. “If you don’t put a stop to it early on, you become so burned out, unproductive and overwhelmed that eventually you leave without even trying to salvage the situation,” said Ms. Yost, author of “Work+Life: Finding the Fit That’s Right For You” (Riverhead).

Gay Employees Weigh Coming-Out Issues

Yahoo! Hot Jobs

Every gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT) person must figure out the right time — and most appropriate way — to come out to family and friends. Transfer the coming-out situation to the workplace, and it becomes even more complex.

Even as most Fortune 500 corporations tout GLBT-friendly policies as recruitment tools and the workforce becomes more diverse, many factors — including office culture, your boss’ attitude and your state of mind — must be considered before telling your colleagues that you’re gay.

[Read more…]

What to Do About Wanderlust

The New York Times

Q. You are comfortably settled in a career, and making good money. But you don’t feel fulfilled, and you think you may want to move to a completely different field. Should you even consider such a change?

A. Making a 180-degree change in midcareer can be a big financial and professional risk, but sometimes it is a risk worth taking.

Q. How can you tell whether to take the risk?

[Read more…]

Surviving in the Workplace Made Easy

Tucker Carlson interviews Julie Jansen on MSNBC

Did you ever look around your office and wonder why you’re working with a bunch of raving lunatics?  Does your boss treat you like a child?  You are not alone.  You have two options: you can quit your job tomorrow or you can listen to the advice of my next guest.

Julie Jansen, author of the book, “You Want Me to Work with Who?: Eleven Keys to a Stress-Free, Satisfying and Successful Work Life, No Matter Who you Work With,”  joined Tucker Carlson on ‘The Situation’ to discuss what someone should do when they find themselves in stressful work situations.

[Watch video online…]

Pete Lombard with Julie Jansen on BCTV

BCTV · Live! with Pete Lombard

Julie Jansen, whose best-selling “I Don’t Know What I Want But I Know It’s Not This” is about to be re-released in a new edition [Viking], is interviewed on “Live with Pete Lombard” on BCTV. Julie has appeared on The Today Show, MSNBC, and ABC World News Now. Julie is a motivational speaker, consultant and executive coach, and specialized in workplace productivity and job satisfaction.

[Watch video online…]

What Do I Do Now?: Job Hunting Strategies That Work

BlogTalkRadio / Money Matters and More

Career coach and author Julie Jansen (I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This) shares smart career survival strategies that can help job hunters successfully manage the current economic environment.

[Listen to audio online…]

The Top Five Crimes of Crummy Managers

ABC News

Like many employees, Matt, a communications professional in New York, had a boss who was a lovely person but couldn’t manage a team to save her life.

One minute Matt’s ex-boss was the kind, supportive mother figure who wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the latte tab or dole out helpful career advice. The next, she was the briefcase-toting Bride of Frankenstein.

“When things were not going her way she would yell, scream and even hide from the situation,” Matt explained via e-mail.

One incident in particular occurred when Matt presented his boss with a client briefing document he’d prepared.

[Read more…]

Finding Passion at Work

The New York Times

THIS week I’m introducing The Coaches Roundtable, in which a rotating panel of career coaches and advisers will answer reader questions. Career advice is a funny thing. Because advisers can give contrary advice, it can be helpful to collect ideas, try a few and see which ones work for you. At times, just the language can make the difference. My first coach told me that I shouldn’t expect to have a single-track career, and I finally felt free to figure out my new direction liberated from the idea of a traditional job.

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I Wish I’d Handled My Layoff Differently

ABC News

Deborah, a content strategist from Boston, wishes she’d had a different reaction when her boss told her she was being laid off. “I wept,” said Deborah, who didn’t want her last name mentioned. “Not uncontrollable sobbing, but tears streaming.”

The fact that she didn’t accept the news “with poise and dignity” still makes her cringe a little today.

“Instead I had to take advantage of the strategically placed box of tissues and ask for a few extra minutes to ‘pull myself together,'” said Deborah, who’d been with the company more than a decade and was completely blindsided when she was let go. “And of course, when I returned to my desk and shared the news, the tears kicked in again. For the next 30 minutes or so, I really was inconsolable.”

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Tales and Tips on Workplace Revenge

ABC News

Admit it. There’s someone at work you’d like to hog-tie, like Dolly Parton and company did to their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” of a boss in the movie “Nine to Five.”

You wouldn’t be alone in your workplace revenge fantasy. Any HR professional worth his or her salt can regale you with tales of pink-slipped employees stealing sales leads, crashing computer networks and siccing the Department of Health on a company while headed out the door.

For some disgruntled workers, though, that’s just kid stuff.

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You Lost Your Job. Now What?

Redbook Magazine

These days, everybody knows someone who’s been rocked by job loss, whether that person is you, your husband, a friend, or a relative. Thanks to mass layoffs, the country’s unemployment rate has soared, and some experts forecast that it could go as high as 8.5 percent or even 9 percent by the end of this year. But know this: No matter how demoralized, stressed, or even guilty you feel if you’re let go, you will get through it. The secret is to have a solid plan that covers everything from boosting your morale to getting your finances under control. And as you’ll see, your get-back-on-track plan starts from the moment you receive that unwelcome news from your employer — because the best foundation for a new beginning is a mature, professional ending.

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Boomers Looking for Work

Consumer Affairs

Looking for a job is hard work, especially in this economy where unemployment is over 10% and is expected to stay that way for some time.

Its rough on even the most confident of souls and its really hard on Boomers who on top of the usual steady stream of nos also get to hear such rejections as Sorry, youre just over-qualified, or Youre just not what were looking for. Translation: Youre too old, only were not allowed to say that. Plus, We really dont want to pay you the salary youre looking for when we can get someone half your age for a third of the money.

So whats an out-of-work Boomer to do?

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