The Happiness Avoidance Problem: You sure do know what you don’t want.

We all want career happiness. So why, for some people, is it so hard to get? It is remarkably sad that so many people end up devoting their careers to jobs that don’t make them happy. They don’t start out that way, of course. It just ends up that as they get further along in their chosen job, they discover they’re not very happy. It could be attributed to a number of things: The people...

5 Ways to Talk to the Bully at the WorkPlace

Our guest blogger today is Mark Gorkin, The Stress Doc. How to Talk to the Bully:  Five Strategic Tools, Techniques, and Tips  Now that we have a definition of bullying and some key psychosocial conditions that encourage this often demeaning, ego- or power-driven, and manipulative process, let's continue with the final segment...How to engage and set limits on the bully and...

I Quit – In Stilettos. (It was epic)

Our guest blogger, Jamie Collins, sure does take chances. Burn bridges? Maybe. Comic relief? Oh, definitely. Here's her latest escapade: Today I'm here to tell you about one of the most powerful days in my life. It was transforming. Awe-inspiring. A day filled with tremendous personal freedom. It was the day I quit. I'm pretty sure you're prepared to read some humdrum piece about...

How Much of a Career Risk Should You Take Switching Specialties?

It's a sure-footed, absolute and positive, no mistakin' it gamble. Switching specialties, that is. Bored with what you're doing? Fed up with a paltry salary? Peeking over the fence to see who makes more money? Seeking that enigma: better challenge? Tonya Pierce addresses the topic today. She's making some good points. The main one being: THINK before you leap (and other relevant...

An Oh So Different Effective Approach to Strong Cover Letters

Cover letters are usually boring. About 98% of the time it’s entirely possible that your cover letter is just like the last one that the employer read. In fact, while not word-for-word, I'll bet it goes something like:     To whom it may concern: “I noticed your ad for a litigation paralegal. I am an experienced paralegal with 10 years of experience. I have attached my resume...

Facing maniacal, steamrolling, panic pushing bosses – how the heck do you respond?

Our guest blogger today is Katherine Giacolone, The Corporate Nanny All too often we have conflicting work priorities.  We're all working managers with daily tasks that have to get done and new assignments that come and go.  We don't have a whole lot of room for organizational emergencies or pop-up projects!  But the emergencies and pop-ups are going to come, and the...

Coming soon to a law firm near you: Paralegals giving limited legal advice?

Do you believe in licensing paralegals? I have been following Barbara Liss, a senior paralegal and president of the Santa Barbara Paralegal Association (California) regarding limited licensure. Recently, I received a very interesting email from her regarding the California State Bar Civil Justice Strategies Task Force on limited licensure. While the entire email is just too long to reprint here,...