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Those young in their career or those seeking to change their career path are often given very bad advice.
Do what you love and the money will follow.
Follow your bliss.
Follow your passions when looking for a job.
If you do what you love it will never seem like work.
If you don’t love your work, find something else.
THEY CALL IT WORK FOR A REASON.
Photography and writing are my passions. If I dedicated mindshare and time to pursuing either, I am certain I could make some sort of progress and earn a few bucks. Instead, I take pride in my work as an Executive Coach. I have trained for and know how to do it, some say well. My work provides an income, loads of satisfaction and the wherewithal to write and photograph. Continue reading 'Bad advice from well meaning mentors'»
Every time you try to hide your sexual orientation you give haters power.
A prospective coaching client told me he was reluctant to join GLBT groups on LinkedIn because he didn’t want people to know he is gay. I nearly reached through the phone to hit him upside the head with a 2 x 4. Continue reading 'If you are gay, be gay.'»
“Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy.” Lao Tzu
Successful executive job search starts with your objective. Are you looking for that next big job? Is that the focus of your job search and your networking? Or have you taken the time to learn how to build your career over the long-haul? Continue reading 'Are you looking for a job or building a career?'»
A quick scan of a resume sets expectations instantly.
Here’s what you need to know to make that fact work for you in your executive job search.
Let’s set the stage. The person reading your resume is a hiring authority or refers candidates to hiring authorities. They want to spend time with only the best candidates and a triage based on a resume is their perceived best first step. Here’s how it works. Continue reading 'Resume roulette – Get your resume to the top of the stack'»
Ageism, Branding, career advice, Executive topics, Job Security, networking, recruiters, resume, Uncategorized, Warnings
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executive jobs, name brand company, networking, personal brand, personal branding, resume, Rita Ashley
- Objective: Determine, do I want a face to face interview?
- Strategy: Create a real connection
- Tactic: Ask questions to demonstrate company knowledge, outcomes they can expect and your serious interest.
Telephone interviews for executive job seekers are daunting, filled with land mines and, the results, difficult to interpret. Make it simple with a clear objective and understanding the interviewer’s objective. Continue reading 'Telephone interview questions to ask'»
Ask a question, Branding, career advice, Executive topics, Interview, Uncategorized, Warnings
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career advice, executive careers, executive jobs, how to say no to a job, interview tips, Rita Ashley, telephone interview
It is not about you. It is about the employer. 
It is most often the case that the job for which you are interviewing is not a perfect fit or worse, doesn’t have a clear path to your mid-term goals. It is human nature to want to get on track immediately, but in an interview for executive jobs, that is the most wrong thing you can do. Continue reading 'How to interview for the job you want'»
Just because you are vulnerable doesn’t mean you have to be a victim.
One estimate of job openings filled by recruiters is over 35%. The percentage is higher for executive-level positions in the $100,000+ salary range. Clearly, cultivating a professional relationship with a recruiter or two is an excellent career development strategy. But how do you avoid exposure to the wrong ones? I believe knowledge is power. The more you know about how and why recruiters set traps for you, the easier you can avoid getting caught. Continue reading 'Clues to spotting bad recruiters and scams'»
career advice, Executive topics, recruiters, Uncategorized, Warnings
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bad recruiters, career advice, executive careers, executive jobs, privacy, protect yourself, Rita Ashley, scams
Control your resume. A friend of mine expressed disbelief than any executive would even consider using a job board. He knows job boards don’t work. He maintained that no executive is so naive to believe an anonymous resource like a job board could be considered as a tool by any executive who has ever hired anyone. I couldn’t agree more. Continue reading 'Why employers post on job boards'»
Manage your job search while you are employed.
“I can’t afford a protracted job search with no income. I have to look for a new job while I am working and make the transition as quickly as possible so my finances do not take a hit.” Joel P. VP Marketing.
The time has come to make a change. For whatever reason, you are ready to find a new job. When you opt to remain employed while searching, you make decisions about how you will conduct yourself, the ethics of your situation and when and how to tell your current employer. Continue reading 'The stealth job search'»

Don’t spit the dummy.
None of that is important for your job search.
It’s easy to get angry. The media feeds us fodder for frustration. The statistics are horrible. Over 10% unemployment with no end in sight. We hear of bankruptcies, foreclosures and all manner of frightening financial predictions.
Ageism, Branding, career advice, coaching, Interview, Job Security, networking, resume, Uncategorized
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agism, career advice, executive jobs, interview, over 50, overqualified, resume, Rita Ashley, unemployed
Combat Agism, unemployment, and career stagnation.
Jobs are like busses, if you get on the right one, you arrive at your destination
Abstract: Executive career planning for job security – Visibility, choosing the right employer, your professional brand and importance of a Personal Board of Directors. Continue reading 'Job Security – Advanced techniques'»
Ageism, Branding, career advice, coaching, Interview, Job Security, networking, recruiters, resume, Uncategorized
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ageism, career advice, executive jobs, personal board of directors, personal branding, Rita Ashley

Songs are only three minutes long for a reason.
If songs were much longer we wouldn’t remember them or we’d lose interest. The format has been tried, tampered with and proven for decades. Can we learn a networking principle from that? Continue reading 'No second interview? Do you talk too much?'»
TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR JOB SEARCH FOR 2011.
The new year looms and seems only moments away. 2011 can be your best year ever. All it takes is good planning and assessing what works and getting rid of what doesn’t. Ok, and some luck and the stars aligning. But do your part. Recognize that what you have been doing is not working or you’d have a new job or promotion. Time to revise your process and control what you can. Continue reading 'Get control over your job search'»
Ageism, Ask a question, career advice, coaching, Interview, Job Security, networking, resume, Uncategorized
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career advice, executive careers, executive jobs, Rita Ashley
Do your references cinch the deal?
Your prospective employer wants to talk to your references. You know they will say good things about your work and integrity, but will they talk about those things which will land the job? Continue reading 'Your references can make or break your chances'»
Are you too old to get a job? One of the advantages of being an insider is that employers often tell me things they would never mention publicly. There is an implied obligation on my part for complete confidentiality. There is no circumstance under which I will reveal the contributors to this article. So, please, don’t ask and don’t try to guess. I share this with you because I feel it is valuable information which will help many to make appropriate adjustments.
Continue reading 'Why employer’s don’t want to hire boomers'»