Week of 11/02/2008 - 00:00 to 11/08/2008 - 23:59

A friend recently loaned me a book titled "Take The Cannoli: Stories from the New World" by Sarah Vowell.  Vowell is a contributing editor for This American Life on Public Radio International.  This book is a look at American history and culture, with plenty of humor thrown in.

My wife and I were recently in Chicago, and when I came to the chapter titled "Michigan and Wacker" I really got interested, as I could envision the scene that Vowell described. 

What's a key step to getting a job interview? Getting the attention of the recruiter.

Recruiters are usually your first contact with a potential employer. They often decide whether your resume lands on the hiring manager's desk or in the trash can.

Recruiters are usually friendly and helpful. It's their job to guide you through the hiring process. But they're professionals working for the hiring company, and it's important that you never forget it.

When I was a kid, there were a few friends that knew exactly what they wanted to be when they grew up. 

They were a minority, because most people really don't know what they want to do or be, and for many, it changes during their lifetime.  How many people do you know that went to college and got a degree that they  never used?

A recent Business Week article listed the following 20 bad habits of leaders complied by executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, describing what keeps leaders from moving into the executive suite of their organizations: