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Sometimes when clients are stuck, I like to recommend looking at their skills instead of interests or dreams. People often have already realized that their interests alone won’t lead them to careers that can put food on the table, but they don’t know where to go from there. The state of Minnesota has a fantastic, …

The classic way of going about career decisions is to take your top interest and match it to a career that involves that topic. Sounds simple, right? And I think maybe decades ago it might have been easier. Today, we’re trained to have many interests, sample many extracurricular activities, and be “well-rounded”as we travel through …

What do you value most, and where does your career fit into the picture? How will it evolve over time? The answers to these questions can influence your next career move. This 10-minute values inventory may help you clarify what is important to you. It’s funny, one thing I discovered while taking it recently is …

I’d like to present the first in a series of question and answer sessions with people I see who are happy with their work. I’m starting with a friend of mine, Pam Ehrenberg, who is the author of two novels for young readers: Tillmon County Fire and Ethan, Suspended. She also has two other novels …

This week, after a few inches of snow in the D.C. area, we lost power. No lights, no heat and icy roads make an interesting combination when you’re trying to figure out your next move. It’s gotten me thinking about how our careers—all of our careers—are looking these days. It’s hard not to feel like …

Time Magazine is tackling the outlook for jobs this year in a series of reports. This month’s Time kicked off the series with some optimism, and a few surprises. Sure, job growth is expected in health care and education, industries that have weathered the recession better than most, and also tech workers will see continued demand for …

As a former newspaper reporter, I have a soft spot for obituaries. I remember it being my first published assignment as a full-time reporter. But now that I help people with their careers, I like to recommend them as an antidote to the funk you can fall into during a seemingly endless job hunt. Just …

My notes for helping you like Mondays again.

Is it 2011 already? How did that happen? And here I have a resolution to keep by the end of the week. I’ve resolved to start a little blog to offer some guidance on researching careers and making career decisions. So many of the career counseling clients I work with come up against the same problem: …