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“82,365,000 Americans aren’t happy in their jobs”     ̶  Statistica Survey, November 2024 Not one of those more than 82 million workers intentionally chose a career they knew would be bad for them. Please don’t misunderstand. Lots tried to find the best jobs. But because they weren’t working with the career coach, two factors worked powerfully, […]

Don’t laugh. I won a cha-cha contest with Cheryl Philips when I was 12 years old, and that was the extent of my dancing career. But throughout my one short season of dance lessons, I did learn that to be successful – like winning a cha-cha contest – one partner had  to lead  and the […]

When my clients are engaged in a career transition, they often tell me they are scared, nervous, and uncertain. Some express excitement and anticipation. I ask my clients, “What is the worst thing that can happen?” The employment market has become unhinged in the past couple of weeks. Scores of federal employees are resigning, being […]

If there’s one thing I know about business, it’s that nothing stays the same. Whether external factors force you to adapt or your need for growth pushes the business to evolve, what we start with is rarely what we end up with.  The important thing to know is that it isn’t a sign of failure—it’s […]

There is always a pile of books on management and entrepreneurship to choose from, and although I don’t find grand revelations in every book I pick up, I do like the search. Recently I discovered a new book, and what has stuck with me is the author’s description of catastrophic thinking, or catastrophizing. The author […]

The U.S. job market is experiencing significant shifts, with steady employment gains counterbalanced by widespread layoffs and government workforce reductions. Recent data shows resilience in private-sector job growth, yet federal buyouts and agency restructuring are affecting thousands of workers. Job seekers and professionals navigating these changes must stay informed about industry trends, workforce reductions, and […]

You could argue that résumé writers are also data scientists. We don’t necessarily crunch statistics and use machine learning techniques to draw meaningful conclusions, but we certainly analyze, create, transform, and position data for maximum consumption by a human or technical audience. One of the fundamental concepts in data science is a process called “feature […]

  View in browser Are you ready to help federal employees transition to the civilian workforce? We have the resources you need! We have new training designed specifically for this need. Our Federal to Civilian Master Series starts March 4th. Details here and below.   Our members are doing things! Congratulations to Reena Washington on […]

Election-Year Upheaval Leaves Thousands in Limbo—PARWCC Experts Reveal the Game Plan for Career Survival. [St Petersburg, FL], [February 24, 2025] – The looming election-year upheaval is putting thousands of federal workers on high alert, with talk of reclassifications, hiring freezes, and potential layoffs. Yet, members of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches […]

As Executive Director of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers and Career Coaches (PARWCC), I understand the critical role career services professionals play in supporting individuals navigating career transitions. With the current shifts in the federal workforce, your expertise and guidance are more vital than ever. This blog post is designed to equip you with […]

By Stephanie Renk, MBA, CPCC, CERW, CPRW   The U.S. labor market closed out 2024 with impressive growth, signaling continued economic resilience. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest report released on January 10, 2025, the economy added a remarkable 256,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in December, far surpassing economists’ expectations of 155,000. This growth […]

Seven years ago last month, my brand was born – with a dream and a crappy clipart barbell to signify helping people “shape their careers.” It was as literal a brand as any former engineer could develop. While it makes a great joke now, that clip art logo launched Career Benders into the world. It […]