CareerMysteries

What is it with guys who seem to be oblivious to how to shake hands with a woman?  It is no different than shaking hands with a man.  In an interview, I once had a guy try to kiss my hand, unsuccessfully.  That was interesting.

Just reach out with a warm smile and a moderately firm grip and shake briefly,  then let go.  Don’t kiss anything or attempt to hug the person unless it is a purely social situation.  Then, you are on your own.

Whatever you do, don’t feebly inch forth with a limp, damp appendage and half-heartedly shake the end of the woman’s fingers.  That would not be a good start to a meeting or interview. She will remember you, but not the way you want her to remember you.

Is it time for you to make a career change?  Do you envy your friends for having found jobs that they love to do and people who enjoy waking up in the morning because they get to go to work?  Maybe it is time for you to consider a career change.  It really doesn’t make any difference how old you are or what your background might be now, you can always take the first few steps toward finding the career that you were meant to have in your life. 

At some point, you will know it is time to make a change, though this does not mean you must leave your current employer.  Consider other positions internally before you even start looking elsewhere. Talk to your HR department about the possibilities, but just inquire, don’t threaten to leave or put all your cards on the table until you are ready to do so.The saddest thing to me, as an HR executive, is to see someone wasting away mentally in a job they hate.  Often times, they feel locked in because they know they can’t make as much money anywhere else.  If this sounds like you, why not consider retraining or going back to school to try something better or more interesting?  Staying in a dead end job hurts you in every way.  The stress of this could cause you to develop diseases that might not have set in, under different circumstances.

So put yourself out there and change your career.  It really doesn’t matter if your 50, 75 or older.  Remember Ms. Therese’s favorite saying, “IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BECOME THE PERSON YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN.”