Job Market Reality Check: October 2026
Did the September Surge finally arrive? October's employment reports reveal stronger hiring, upward revisions, and a complicated job market for professionals considering their next career move.
What Are You Working So Hard For?
What are you working so hard for? My October reads prompted me to reconsider ambition, productivity, and how our definitions of success change. From corporate leadership to entrepreneurship, I'm sharing why your reputation, experience, and time can help you build what comes next.
A Slow Job Market Doesn't Have to Mean a Stalled Career
Think you need to change jobs to advance your career? In today's low-hire, low-fire market, there's another strategy worth considering. Choosing to stay can be a powerful career decision when you use that time to invest in your growth.
The Invisible Load of a Job Search
You’re working, managing life, and searching for your next opportunity. Behind the applications and interviews, there’s worry, waiting, and so much you can’t say out loud. Explore the invisible load of a job search, a reflection exercise to help you examine your fears, and how career coaching can support you.
Job Market Reality Check: Hiring Is Happening. Now What?
September showed encouraging signs of hiring momentum, but is it enough to call it a surge? ADP reported stronger employment growth, midsized employers contributed meaningfully to new jobs, and layoffs declined. Career coach Annette Garsteck explores what these trends mean for professionals navigating a slower hiring process.
Who Are You Becoming?
Seven books finished, two more tried on for size, and one question that kept surfacing: Who are you becoming? September's Reading Round-Up explores curiosity, continuous learning, rereading old ideas with new eyes, and the quieter ways we grow.
How to Write a Job Posting That Attracts Your Ideal Candidate
A job description defines a position. A job posting introduces candidates to your organization. See how thoughtful employers use transparent timelines, inclusive language, and clear AI expectations to attract qualified candidates.
Adaptability + Visibility: The Career Competencies You Need To Develop Right Now
The workplace will keep changing. Your ability to adapt matters, but so does making the value you create visible. Here's how adaptability, learning readiness, AI, and professional visibility work together as career competencies.
Job Market Reality Check: Is Hiring Picking Up?
The August employment reports brought encouraging news, but ADP and BLS are once again telling very different stories. Here's what the latest hiring, layoff, and job openings data reveals about the labor market, employer caution, and whether we're beginning to see signs of a 2026 September Surge.
If AI Is the Only Career Conversation You're Having, You've Got It All Wrong
AI dominates today's career conversations, but we're missing a bigger discussion about how work itself is changing. August 2026's Reading Round-Up explores atomization, automation, and augmentation, three forces that can help us understand where work is headed and how we can lead our adaption.
The September Surge...Let's Talk About It
Is the September Surge still real in 2026? Explore the latest U.S. job market signals, what they could mean for the fall hiring season, and why a strong job search strategy matters more than waiting for a hiring boom.
When I Was Finally Offered the Job Description I Created Myself
Eighteen months after I wrote the job description that reflected the work I was actually doing, my employer finally offered it to me. There was only one problem: I had already resigned.
Job Market Reality Check: The Jobs Are Open. The Hiring Is Complicated.
There are millions of job openings, but far fewer hires. The July 2026 employment reports reveal a complicated job market where opportunities exist, hiring remains unpredictable, and strong relationships and interview skills can make a difference. Here's what the latest labor market data means for your career.
July 2026 Reading Round-Up
One of the best career books I read this month wasn't shelved in the career section. From executive presence and emotional intelligence to influence and resilience, my July 2026 Reading Round-Up reminded me that some of the most valuable career insights come from unexpected places.
What New Pay Transparency Laws Can Teach You About Your Career
Pay transparency laws are changing hiring practices, but the biggest opportunity isn't simply negotiating a better salary. Discover how reading job postings strategically can help you understand your market value, guide your professional development, and prepare you for promotions. Become a more intentional steward of your career.
When I Saw the Writing on the Wall in Telecom (And Why I Left Before I Had To)
In 2004, I left a successful 10-year career in telecommunications months before my organization experienced major restructuring. This isn't a story about luck or predicting the future. It's about recognizing meaningful change early, trusting informed judgment, and developing the career foresight that helps professionals navigate disruption with confidence.
Job Market Reality Check: Don't Confuse a Slower Market with a Closed Market
Hiring didn't stop in June. It slowed. The latest employment reports reveal a more deliberate hiring market where persistence, preparation, and relationships matter more than ever. Learn what the June 2026 job market data means for your career and how to position yourself for new opportunities.
June 2026 Reading Round-Up: The Stories We Live...and the Ones We Let Everyone Else See
June's Reading Round-Up explores authentic career growth, identity, leadership, and self-reflection through books that ask an important question: Are you building a life that still feels like your own? Discover the books and ideas that shaped my thinking this month.
Why Your LinkedIn Profile Matters Even If You're Not Looking for a Job
Most professionals think only of LinkedIn when they're looking for a new job. That's a mistake. Discover why your LinkedIn profile is one of the most important career management tools you'll use throughout your entire career.
Why Can’t I Get Promoted? What Leaders Really Look For
You hit your goals. You do great work. You thought you'd be in a senior role by now. So why are others getting promoted ahead of you? A former Fortune 50 hiring leader shares what promotion discussions really sound like behind closed doors.