Excelle

You spend most of your day at work. Why not make some friends while you're there? You won't just have more fun — you'll be happier and work better. Gallup research shows that developing close friendships at work boosts employee satisfaction by almost 50%. And while we don't always choose our friends with career success in mind (company happy hour, ahem), ...

I'm hosting my first thanksgiving this year. While its not as sexy as i dreamed—decorating the table with my fiance as my new engagement ring sparkles in the chandelier—I'm very excited. And stressed. In less than a week my sister and I will be hosting seven members of our family at my apartment in Chicago. Amidst our preparation over the last ...

As a hiring manager in a Fortune 100 company, I read through thousands of resumes and cover letters in my career. Since HR and recruiters would pre-review the resumes for grade point average, degree and other minimum requirements, every resume I saw was from a top performer or a top student so everyone was “qualified”. However, some of these resumes went ...

Sweet? Not always... By Juliet Perrachon | Excelle So you’ve just been laid off. Or maybe you're a recent graduate who hasn't found a job yet. As if joblessness weren’t enough of a blow to your self-esteem, you find yourself with no other choice but to move back home – back to the place you thought you'd managed to escape ...

by Michelle Dumas Do you Tweet? If not, maybe you should. Perhaps it would be misleading to say that as a job searcher you MUST be on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or other social and business networking sites. But, assuming that you use social media in appropriate and professional ways, being connected and networking in these ways can only help. And, ...

I've been getting a lot of emails lately from women who identify with some of my articles at High-AchievingWomen.com and here on Excelle The emails take two forms: that either I'm living their dream of being a writer, or that their lifelong dream is to be a writer. It started me thinking ... what is a writer? Actually, the answer is ...

In today's economy, it sometimes doesn't matter if you're a superstar, work longer, harder, and faster than the next person, or cut your baby teeth with the company. If the company can't afford to keep you, there's little you can do about it. As you're sitting there with the proverbial pink slip in your hand and reeling from a host of ...

It seems that you can't throw a rock without hitting a handful of complainers, but there is an excellent alternative to keep you out of the complaining rut to become or remain a positive woman. Pay attention to what others are saying around you and to how much of it is negative vs. positive. You may be amazed at the negativity ...

Effective communication is key in order to build a strong relationship with anyone. You have to be prepared at all times to engage in a conversation with the people around you, and maintain a calm, professional state. You can only leave a first impression once, so it’s crucial to present yourself in the best way possible so you are never forgotten. ...

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. That’s great advice. But, the truth is: during a job interview or networking opportunity we do often judge a book by its cover. So, while it is important to say all of the right things during your job interview and networking opportunities; your actions and body language often speak much louder. Rather than bemoaning ...

I recently heard about an individual applying for a job who was asked by the hiring manager to bring up his Facebook page. The individual was shocked, but did so because he wasn’t sure how to refuse. What would you do if this happened to you? Does an employer even have the right to ask this, especially when Facebook is supposed ...

Starting your first job, changing positions, trying a new career, moving to another department or location — all of these can be frightening experiences. You’ve left where you were comfortable and successful and now you have to establish yourself all over again. You go to the new area, and your first day is a disaster! Surprise! You are not alone. Your ...

Here are seven no-cost resources to help you become a more savvy job hunter that has the skills to compete in the current job market: 1. LinkedIn.com – LinkedIn is a social network for business professionals. An updated LinkedIn profile is practically a must-have for every job hunter. However, LinkedIn isn’t just for job hunters. It’s an essential tool for anyone ...

Time flies when you're wasting it These days, no one can afford to waste time at work. Thanks to widespread downsizing, workloads are piling up. Unfortunately, extra hours in the day are not. Maximizing your time at work can mean the difference between leaving at a reasonable hour (i.e. holding onto your sanity) and staying late unnecessarily. You’ve got a ...

I consider myself a social person. I’m at ease talking to strangers in line at the grocery store, meeting new people at social gatherings and making conversation with people ages 2 to 92. But I have to admit that professional networking makes me uncomfortable. It just feels too self-serving. So for many years I just avoided doing it and rationalized that ...

When things aren’t going our way it’s just human nature to begin laying blame. It is easy to see the culpability of others — our boss, the economy, the company that laid us off. It is far more difficult to take a deep look internally to see how we may be contributing to the situation at hand. Recently I spoke with ...

The best excuse for a dead career is your kids, right? Most people give you a pass when you point to the trials and tribulations of motherhood as the reason you didn’t make it as a banker, artist, or entrepreneur. It’s a cop out, and often a fallback for women who weren’t really happy with their career paths. Well, the thousands ...

During this economic meltdown, when it seems like everyone is looking for work, landing an office job can seem like an impossible task. But don’t let the competition intimidate you. Instead, step up your game — and your chances of landing that job — with these four tips you can do from home. 1. Clean Up Your Resume Start by putting ...

Do any of these sound familiar? • You have a great idea but you aren’t telling anyone because it still needs work. • You stay up late to redo the presentation you have already spent 20 hours on. • You won’t tell anyone about the job you have applied for, just in case you don’t get it. • You have more ...

Wow. As I thought about the past eight years and what it’s been like being an entrepreneur, I was struck by how many mistakes I’ve made. I was also struck by how great those mistakes have been for my business. If it were not for all those mistakes, my business would never have grown. I would never have written a book, ...