Job Hunting

Ive written on this topic before, however, given the cultural slide away from professionalism in the workplace, its a topic worth revisiting.

Professionalism is generally judged subjectively. I suspect most people would agree on what makes a “professional” senior corporate executive, however, may have a range of ideas on what makes a “professional” mechanic.

Professionalism is not simply whether someone wears a nice suit, rather it’s a number of traits that combine to form a professional image.

How does a potential employer judge whether someone is professional or not? Here are some common indicators…

Attitude. Attitude creates a positive impression. However, It’

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You, our readers, are especially hungry for information about individual leadership, according to a tally of the most-read feature stories and faculty working papers over the past year, half of which focused either on how to be a better leader or on the factors that lead some leaders to behave badly. Other apparent areas of interest in the last 12 months included corporate social responsibility, marketing techniques, and, of course, the ubiquitous Lady Gaga.

Here are the Top 10 most-read articles and 10 most-read working papers that appeared in HBS Working Knowledge in 2011. As you reflect on the trends of yesteryear, we ask that you also turn your thoughts to 2012.

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Sopa Would DESTROY Jobs and the Economy … So Why are Unions Supporting It?

No, Sopa Would Not Save Jobs or Help the Economy … It Would DESTROY Jobs and the Most Vibrant Sector of Our Economy

The promoters of the Stop Online Privacy Act are pretending that it would save jobs and help the economy.

But it would actually destroy jobs and hurt the economy.

No one is going to invest in the next Facebook, Google, Yahoo, Reddit, or YouTube if they know that websites can be shut down after a single unsubstantiated copyright complaint.

The only sector of our economy that’s in good shape is web technology . Sopa

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A new study has found that Illinois’ prepaid college tuition program has a 30 percent shortfall and could require a $1.6 billion bailout from the state to remain solvent for the next 25 years.

As reported by the Chicago Tribune, the report shows that the College Illinois program had a deficit of almost $560 million as of March 31. The report, which was conducted by actuarial consultants Gabriel, Roeder, Smith & Co., predicted that without help from the state, the fund could be completely drained by 2022.

As with other state prepaid tuition plans, Illinois’ program allows participants to lock in today’s prices for future tuition and fees at the state’s public colleges and universities.

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I caught up with an old friend who had worked for me about 20 years ago. I remember his interview. He was at least 20 minutes late and I remember thinking . Of course I hired him and he wound up being one of the best hires Ive ever made (yes, even 20 years later). To think that he completely changed my mind during the interview from not a chance to being offered the job. That is truly an amazing feat. So, fast forward 20 years and he has decided to leave the corporate life (which can be a real pain at times) and start his own business. A difficult decision, but he is weathering the loss of income hoping to get his business off the ground.

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