While it is popular and edgy to always be disrupting, sometimes the old ways are the best ways. Other times, it is best to pivot and create anew. It is through the wisdom of our elders we can discover how to separate the wheat from the chaff. Our seniors can be the best example and […]
Why Do Career Storytellers Charge So Much, and Who Even Cares About My “Story” Anyway?
Why Do Career Storytellers Charge So Much? When an executive-level prospect contacts me, some of the inevitable, “What’s in it for me? Why do you charge more than many other resume writers?” questions pop up, mostly to untangle the angst of investing in themselves at that level, and that deeply. To assuage their concerns and […]
4 Storytelling Venues Executives Can Revamp Today to Catapult Their Career Forward
While most hiring decision makers will read your resume digitally–as you are reading this blog–the key driver of your career is not technology; it is YOU and your story.
Are You Faithful to the Complexity of Your Resume Story?
“Make sure your message is clear, yet that you are faithful to its complexity.” — Michael Dirda Simplicity is overrated. While it is imperative to craft a concise synopsis of who you are and what you do, it is equally crucial to elaborate the specifics. Career stories that are faithful to their complexity activate emotion: struggle, fear, boldness, […]
Making Beautiful Noise With the Stories of Your Career
What inspires you? It took me decades to be inspired by Neil Diamond – his pure, crystalline lyrics, his voice that is “gravel and potholes.” Diamond’s music feeds the soul and inspires; you connect to it; you’re compelled to sing along, with conviction. He sang the marquee song in one of my favorite movies, Here Comes the Boom, where “Holly Holy” is […]
How to Respond Boldly When Shift Happens
By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter When shift happens in your life and your career, are you ready to enact the bold moves? Or, do you pump your fists, shed a few tears and then continue life and job search strategy as usual? Lethargy and frustration infect our bodies and our minds when we realize our fitness and nutrition routines […]
Is Your Career Story Accessible?
By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter I stumbled across the idea of story “accessibility” on a colleague’s blog this weekend. In her post, “The Earth Is the Original Nonlinear Storyteller,” Katharine Hansen, PhD, a leading proponent for deploying storytelling for career advancement, describes a geology field trip in her Eastern Washington locale. Hansen explained that during this tour […]
Has Your Resume Been “Treed”?
By Robert P. Poindexter Stop reading this post and head outside. When you get there, find the most majestic tree you can and take a long close look at it. Don’t just glance at it. Study it closely and take in the very essence of its stately features and magnificent presence. Take notice of each […]
The Restorative Process of Unearthing Your Value
“I have invested hours and hours in the attached (resume worksheet). I found the process everything from cathartic, to exciting, to tedious and insightful.” These were the words of a recent client, (we’ll call him ‘Ben’) in an email he wrote me, after completing an intellectually laborious process of career brain dump, an introspection that […]
Career Lessons Learned From Capt. Slocum and the Spray
By Robert P. Poindexter Joshua Slocum was the first man to sail around the world alone. He had little formal education and was dead broke when he set out on the adventure that would guarantee his place in history. More than a hundred years later, his name is still spoken in reverent tones by modern […]