Author Archives: Lori Sassoon
An Open Letter to My (Almost) Colleague
When we first met, there was so much promise. You said I had everything you were looking for, and I saw the same in you. Our past experiences seemed to have woven themselves together into a red carpet that led you straight to me. It only took our meeting a few times to know it … Read More »
Successful Interview Strategies for Local Government
Sometimes the interview goes well, and sometimes it just doesn’t. Having been involved in several interview panels recently, here is a recap of the most memorable moments, both good and bad:
The candidate who threw her current City Manager under the proverbial bus: When asked why she was applying for the job, she said that the … Read More »
Tech Relevance in Government
In the early 90’s, the PC was making its way into city halls, replacing our IBM Selectrics and impossible-to-understand DOS systems with this big color screen and the mighty mouse. Like most Gen X’ers I was pretty excited to jump in and figure out how to use Word, and Excel, and all the other new … Read More »
Avoiding the Serial Applicant Syndrome
Step 1: Don’t apply for the job.
Step 2: Repeat, as needed.
Sometimes your job search can feel like a numbers game – the more applications you send in, the better the odds that you’ll land that dream position, right? Well, what may have worked when you were in high school, looking for a summer job at … Read More »
Networking: Love it or Leave it
Am I the only one that hates the idea of networking? You know, putting yourself out there to the professional world in a match.com sort of way? Something about networking, the verb, has always seemed a bit contrived and artificial to me. And when I read the reams of advice about how important it is, and … Read More »
Are performance reviews as painful as seeing the dentist?
Performance evaluations are an uncomfortable experience even in the best of circumstances, but an evaluation that brings “room for improvement” or the news that you are “not meeting expectations” can suck the oxygen out of the room, and leave you mentally reviewing your savings account balance (meager) and your options (Mom’s couch?).
Instead, take a deep … Read More »
Trying To Have It All
Anne-Marie Slaughter’s stunning article in Atlantic magazine, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All”, has started a new national discussion on the issues of work-life balance and gender differences. It would be impossible to sum up the perspectives of her complex and nuanced viewpoint in the few words of this column. But drawing on her … Read More »
