Every week I check dozens of “career” blogs and other online publications, looking for things that will help you find a job, get promoted, develop your skills, and keep everything in perspective and balance. Here’s the pick of the lot for this week.

I’m pointing you to items about what the interviewer thinks when you say you can start right away, the value of those tests that tell you what careers are right for you, grad school, and what to do if you get fired, especially if you’re over fifty.

From Kris Dunn at Fistful of Talent: How You Quit Your Job - Things That Make Me Go Hmmm…

“I love the dance that begins once someone has accepted your offer and you’re now talking about a start date in the new role. Especially if they’re employed. Here’s the usual intervals and what they mean to me. I’m sure you’ve got some adjustments to these definitions”

Wally’s Comment: Kris Dunn is a top HR pro who’s writing for other HR pros. But you can learn a lot by looking over his impressions of what you really mean when you tell a new employer how soon you can start work.

From the Wall Street Journal: Grad Tidings: Can a Test Steer You to the Ideal Career?

“Noting that my 19-year-old daughter seemed frustrated about career choices after changing college majors a few times, I did what any good helicopter parent would do: I bought her a career-testing and counseling session.”

Wally’s Comment: We’re a nation in love with testing. We expect career tests to give us a magic answer that will end all doubt. That’s unrealistic. But testing protocols that help you sort out career options can help you understand yourself and the job market. This article is a good overview.

From the Brazen Careerist: Seven reasons why graduate school is outdated

“It used to be that the smart kids went to graduate school. But today, the workplace is different, and it might be that only the desperate kids go to graduate school. Today there are new rules, and new standards for success. And for most people, graduate school is the path to nowhere. Here are seven reasons why.”

Wally’s Comment: Penelope Trunk has some provocative thoughts on the value of grad school these days. Read this if you’re thinking about going. Grad school will mean a huge investment of time and money. If you’re considering grad school, make sure it’s for the right reasons.

From Andrew Rondeau: What to Do If You Get Fired

“How do you take a job loss in stride, keep your head up, and still go after your dreams? More intelligently, how do you approach the modern workplace where downsizing, layoffs (and sometimes firings) are increasingly commonplace?”

Wally’s Comment: A good short piece that will help anyone who’s been fired or who might be.

From MSNBC: How older workers can rebound from a job loss

“The re-employment rate among older workers tends to be slightly lower than their younger counterparts, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. In 2006, the most recent statistics available on re-employment, 25- to 54-year-olds had the best chance of getting another job. Among this group, 75 percent had new gigs within a year, compared with 61 percent for workers between 55 and 64.”

Wally’s Comment: After reading Andrew Rondeau’s post, workers over fifty should read this fine piece that analyzes the job market for you and your age-peers and offers some ideas about what you should do and what you can expect.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 at 7:45 am and is filed under Tools and Strategies for Success. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.