By: Rebecca Parker

“Happiness is not a goal...it's a by-product of a life well lived.” -Eleanor Roosevelt 

When it comes to work, is it possible to have a job that makes you truly happy? After recently watching Happy, a documentary directed by Roko Belic, I started to consider how we define happiness in our everyday life, especially given that much of our time is spent working. While the documentary didn’t leave me a magical checklist, it did make me more aware of the factors that contribute to happiness and the power we have to shift our focus to encourage those conditions. Regardless of job status, having insight into personal well-being provides a clearer perspective on the high and lows that we experience throughout the course of a career.

As a recent jobseeker, I am familiar with the emotional rollercoaster ride of the job seeking process. On any given day of the job search, I could be enthusiastic about finding a great position, frustrated in never hearing back from an application, or nervous about trying to impress a future employer. After several months, I realized that it wasn’t the applying for or rejection from potential positions that was taking its toll, but the realization that work had become an important aspect of my personal well-being. I was linking my self-value to my paycheck, or lack thereof. My assessment of the situation was undervaluing all of the success that I was achieving in other aspects of my life....Click here to read more.

By Phyllis Brust

Salary negotiation can be a minefield.  Perhaps you are excited to have an offer but disappointed in the pay.  Or perhaps you want to see if you can get a larger starting salary. Or, you may be happy with the salary offered and prefer not to negotiate. The decision to negotiate is yours. 

I once learned several months into a great job that a colleague, hired at the same time for an equivalent position, was earning $5,000 more a year.  She negotiated and I didn’t.  This job was a career change and a big leap forward for me--like many, I felt lucky just to have the position.  But, I was hurt.  If you aren’t sure whether to negotiate, visualize how you might feel months ahead if you learn that a colleague is earning more.  That could help you decide what to do.  Feel uncomfortable about asking?  Read #9 below....Click here to read more.

By Rebecca Parker

Making friends is hard to do. Nothing will bring this into focus more than moving somewhere new. For me, moving has always been full of excitement and possibility, accompanied, however, by sheer anxiety at the thought of leaving the community and networks that I have worked to build. As an artist and arts administrator, with a spouse whose career has necessitated several relocations, I’ve developed mechanisms to sustain cherished relationships—both personal and professional--while building new ones.  Although this path hasn’t always been easy, it has taught me to dive headfirst into my new-found homes, currently Chicago, to build new communities of peers whose support and perspective is critical to me. It has also helped me to understand and accept the vulnerability inherent in “putting yourself out there” in order to engage new people. With each move, I’ve become better at creating opportunities to do so. These interactions might take the form of informational interviews, attending events and lectures, or simply having dinner out with a new acquaintance. Like many other fields, the art market is highly competitive and connected; networking is essential to access opportunity and engage in peer dialogue. My approach to networking is informed by the specific nature of the place I find myself, but I would like to share the constants along my journey....Click here to read more.

By Phyllis Brust

A favorable first impression is essential in any job interview. Experts say that employers judge candidates within the first minute.  Appearance represents the attention to detail and pride that you will take in your work. 

For me, this made getting splashed by a taxi on the way to an interview one summer day all the more unfortunate.  I was one step from the curb, when a cab rounded a corner behind me.  I went from stylishly ready to big drippy mess in no time flat and had no time to dry off.

Mascara running, feet swishing, I walked in.  I would have preferred to be memorable for my sharp answers and knowledge of the field, but I think it will be for the stain I left on the chair.  I prepared answers for questions about strengths and weaknesses but not for this. Should I have ignored the wetness? Maybe they wouldn’t notice.  Judging by the puddles, squishing sounds and drippy hair, that was unlikely.  It was a lost cause and I knew it....Click here to read more.

By Mary Everley

I'm part of a dual-career couple. I've heard mixed advice about when to reveal my partner's career needs during the job search process. Can you give me some direction?

You've heard mixed advice because people have mixed opinions.  Throughout the process, keep in mind that bias runs both ways.  Some members of the search committee will view your commitment to your partner's career as admirable and appropriate; others will view it as irrelevant to the job and a distraction.  Whether you want future colleagues that fall in the latter camp is up to you.

Before mentioning your partner's career needs, firmly establish your qualifications for the job in the minds of the committee members.  You'll want to first create their impression of you as a scholar and colleague. They are, appropriately, most concerned about what role you can play in the department and how you can advance its reputation....Click here to read more.