The Society for Human Resource Management projects that salary budgets will increase by 3% this year. That’s a meagre increase given the tight job market and the fact that this increase is around the same as 2016. If you adjust this increase for inflation – at around 2.1% - American workers are looking at a 0.9% increase on their pay checks. That is not comforting for workers who are facing rising energy, food and other associated costs. To be clear some companies may or may

When you are mid-career looking to climb to the next level in your career, there is one thing you think about often. How can I become more influential among senior leaders? The common mistake most professionals make is assuming that influence is synonymous with gregariousness and schmoozing. That you have to be way up in the organizational food chain to have any sway of influence. This often become a block in any attempt to gain more influence. Anyone can up their influence w

At the start of the new year we typically set goals. There is nothing wrong with doing that. Goals give us direction; they instill hope in us - and in a way – put us in the mindset to succeed. This year, I did things differently. I chose to go on a career retreat. I blocked off 4 hours in my calendar to reflect on my career over the last 4 years. This was particularly important because it was 4 years that was peppered with major changes and little time to slow down to reflect

Personal branding is no longer about managing our external image. It has morphed into the foundation on which major career and life decisions are made. In other words – your personal brand – is the new currency of business. It influences how much you are paid, who goes into business with you, how and when you are promoted – and even – who marries you! So we are on the same page - your personal brand - is your trusted reputation. It does all the heavy lifting for your career i

We’ve all heard so much about personal branding. The perceptions of a personal brand are far reaching – from your external image to how often you say please and thank you. What usually baffles many of my clients is the answer to one simple yet difficult question: what is your personal brand? I see your personal brand as your trusted reputation. This reputation is built on trust. Overtime, your personal brand signals the substance you can deliver – things such as expertise, ad

We now have two full-time jobs: getting our day-to-day jobs done while simultaneously managing our careers. After coaching dozens of high-achievers on career planning, getting promoted and personal branding, the most common question I usually get is: how do I build a successful career? It’s a tough question to answer. After all, we have different motivations, leadership styles, and ultimately, ideas of what success looks like. However, I will share you 9 tips that you can use