Cinderella Syndrome

The career disease that holds back your professional success.

What That Job Description REALLY Means

By J.T. O’Donnell

BEWARE: Job seekers aren’t the only ones who sometimes get creative when it comes to selling themselves (i.e. resumes and cover letters that have been, shall we say, ‘tweaked’ to make a person look like the ideal candidate). Some employers have a tendency to use verbiage that makes their open positions sound better than they really are. Over the years, I’ve noticed some popular job descriptors that should be viewed as warning flags a potential employer might be trying to put an overly optimistic spin on a less-than-stellar work situation. Thus, when reading the want-ads, consider the following translations: Read more

Technorati Tags: advice, career, interviews, job postings, job search, want ads

Can You Handle the Truth? 10 Tips About Careers (That No One Ever Tells You!)

Yikes! Hey college students and young professionals – have you seen the lead story on WSJ’s CareerJournal today? Not to mention, their follow up punch to the gut – an excerpt from a book that refers to you as ‘trophy kids’ and discusses why your egos are going to get the best of you in the workplace.

Don’t worry…CAREEREALISM is coming to your rescue! The following tips are for college students and recent grads (all 2.5+M of you) who aren’t afraid to hear the hard truth about the American workplace. Read more

Technorati Tags: advice, career, CAREEREALISM, careerrealism, interview, job, search, Workplace Advice

Spraying & Praying While Being Uninteresting = Why Employers Aren’t Calling You!

With the economy tanking, unemployment at a 3-year high, and consumer confidence at an all-time low, job searching becomes frenetic. Unfortunately, most folks work harder not smarter. (Don’t believe me? Watch this video which explains the Beehive Effect.)

Want to learn how to improve the chances an employer will call you for an interview? (Silly question, isn’t it?)

CLICK HERE to listen to a short, info-packed audio segment where J.T. explains how to improve your chances of getting noticed, and more importantly, getting an interview. Hear how an outdated approach to job search used by job seekers results in failure.

Click this to Listen Why Spraying & Praying While Being Uninteresting = No Interviews for YOU!

Technorati Tags: careeerealism, career advice, careerrealism, interview, job search

The Sledgehammer Effect – Words to Live By…Or Not

In my line of work, I often rely on quotes to get my point across. Why? They get audiences to step outside of their tunnel vision. It’s a way of giving participants the knock upside the head they need to see things differently. When it comes to talking about careers and the workplace, there are plenty of quotes that can deliver the sledgehammer effect. Here are some of my favorites… Read more

Technorati Tags: career, crisis, job, job search, job seeker, on-set career crisis, work