Jo McDermott

career goals

  • Career Check-up

    Why a Career Check-up? Those of us who do what we should have annual physical check-ups.  People who practice preventative health care are much healthier.  We take our cars for their regularly scheduled maintenance milestones.  Our cars last longer, drive… Continue reading

  • Do a Personal SWOT

    Most of us have done a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) for our organization at one time or another.  It is a part of most strategy development efforts.   Try doing a personal SWOT as a part of your career development… Continue reading

  • Get Off Your Butt! DIY Executive Development

    I’m going to rant a little l talk to people all the time who are sitting around waiting for their company to “do something” about their development.  They know that they are talented (and for the most part, the company… Continue reading

  • Can You Really Earn a Living Doing What You Love?

    Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow You hear it all the time.  “Do what you love and the money will follow?” But is it true?  I’d have to say, “Kind of.”  When you are working doing things you… Continue reading

  • It’s the End of First Quarter. How Are Your Resolutions?

    Most of Us Make Resolutions The website, The Statistical Brain, says that 45% of us make New Year’s Resolutions and 8% of us succeed with them.  Thirty nine percent of folks in their twenties succeed, compared to fourteen percent of… Continue reading

  • So you want to start your own business . . .

    Get Ready! I talk to a lot of people whose life goal is to start their own business.  For most of them, it’s a “some day . . . ” kind of dream.  You can’t start too soon. There are… Continue reading

  • What If . . .?

    You’re 18 and Can Do It All Again What if when you were 18 years old, you were given a list of all the major things that you would accomplish between the age of 18 and your age now.  All… Continue reading

  • Which Comes First, Success or Happiness?

    One of my favorite coaching clients recently told me a story.  She said that her brother went into a florist and while checking out, spotted a framed Master’s or Doctorate diploma in Engineering on the wall. He asked the store… Continue reading

  • Genericize Yourself, Increase Your Options

    Broaden Your Opportunities For the first ten years of my career, I did product development and operations at an electronic publisher.  Before the Internet.  Explaining what I did was very hard.  (It would be a lot easier now).   When I… Continue reading

  • 5 Books That REALLY Changed My Career

    Here She Goes Again I suggest books all the time to my friends and clients.  I’m sure some people hide the eye rolling from me while they think: “here she goes again.”  I learn best from books, so I want… Continue reading