The Low Down

By Lynn Berger '84TC, '90TC of the Columbia Career Coaches Network

As we progress in our careers and lives, we begin to truly understand what motivates us and how we can make the best choices. For many of you, this includes the option of part-time work. Why not try to have it all—work and a life?

By Caroline Ceniza-Levine '93BC of the Columbia Career Coaches Network
This article originally appeared on SixFigureStart.com

My latest Forbes post covers how to use the summer to keep your job search going, but you can also use the summer to advance your career. With the longer days and often slower work pace, summer is an opportune time to turn your focus on career goals outside of your day-to-day work. Here are seven ideas for tapping into summer's unique advantages to advance your career:

By Rosemary Bova '71SW of the Columbia Career Coaches Network

Disengagement has become a crisis in the American workforce—from top managers to hourly employees. Its impact is felt from personal to global levels. I offer a proven GPS that can change the course of this crisis and completely eradicate it.  

By Caroline Ceniza-Levine '93BC of the Columbia Career Coaches Network
This article originally appeared on SixFigureStart.com

I get a lot of questions about job security, as more anxiety stems from economic disruption due to trade wars or technology disruption due to AI (artificial intelligence) and other innovations. In my latest Forbes post, I tackle the AI question and share five strategies to thrive in the AI workplace. But whether it is AI, trade wars, or some other disruption that changes your job, the best job security comes from being more valuable to your company by being there than by leaving.

By Lynn Berger '84TC, '90TC of the Columbia Career Coaches Network 

So you have some time off in between jobs -- it happens to everyone. Some people hide it better than others. Some people embrace the time as an opportunity. And some people feel the pressure. As a career counselor and career coach who has worked with individuals seeking career and job search advice, I am here to tell you that there is no need to feel sorry.

By Julia Harris Wexler '84TC, '14BUS of the Columbia Career Coaches Network 

The current market is dynamic and changing more rapidly than ever before, due to technology.  Regardless of your industry, performance metrics are more sophisticated than ever and those who are contemplating transitioning from one work place to another, or those shifting from their first job to their second (or third), need to keep these criteria top of mind in order to ensure success:

At age 40, Mel Schwartz '94SW wanted more meaning and purpose in his life.

"Many years before, someone had asked me, 'What do you love to do?'" Schwartz told The Low Down. "I love to help people think about things differently."

By Caroline Ceniza-Levine '93BC of the Columbia Career Coaches Network
This article originally appeared on SixFigureStart.com

When I covered how to handle a bad performance review in Forbes, it was strictly from the angle that you deserved the negative feedback. Not that I wish a downturn in my readers' careers, but realistically, we all encounter ups and downs in a career. You need to know how to bounce back if your manager calls you out on poor results, declining performance, or other career setbacks, and yes, you can recover from a career setback.

By Melody Wilding '11SW of the Columbia Career Coaches Network
This article originally appeared on MelodyWilding.com

Think about the last time you felt fear and anxiety take control of your day. Maybe it stopped you from speaking up in a meeting because you felt like your opinion wasn't worthwhile. Perhaps a simple email took you hours to write because your inner critic kept telling you it wasn’t good enough—that you weren’t good enough.

By Caroline Ceniza-Levine '93BC of the Columbia Career Coaches Network
This article originally appeared on Forbes and SixFigureStart.com

I still emphasize the importance of thank you notes after 20+ years of teaching job search skills at an Ivy League graduate school (and I've taught through both boom and bust hiring markets). Thank you notes after a job interview, or general networking meeting, keep you front-of-mind with the people you meet. Thank you notes continue the momentum from your discussion and can even add to the momentum when you include additional thoughts and ideas.