Some folks are going to disagree with me on this post. Based on my experience on both ends (as an employee and as a manager who frequently works with human resource professionals), I believe that HR’s most important role is to make sure the company does not get sued. There are complex regulations and laws […]
Entries Tagged as 'Career Fast Track'
What is HR’s most important role?
January 31st, 2011 · No Comments
Tags: Career Fast Track · Frustration@Work · Management
Exit interview
May 5th, 2010 · No Comments
I recently had an exit interview. I was leaving the company. As part of standard HR practice, the Human Resource Manager met with me for half an hour. She started the conversation by saying: "Before we talked about the details such as COBRA, your last check, vacation balance, etc, we want to find out why […]
Tags: Career Fast Track · Career Transition · Recruiting & Job Hunting
Foreign Young Professionals in China Mini Series #1: Interview with Ms. Marie Cheng
April 13th, 2010 · 6 Comments
Today I have a special treat for everyone. China holds a special appeal to many ambitious young professionals in the United States and around the world. But, many people are unsure or apprehensive about going to work in China, given the cultural, language and other barriers. I recently conducted an interview with Ms. Marie Cheng, […]
Tags: Career Fast Track · MBA
Do you have the gut to quit your job and work for free?
April 5th, 2010 · No Comments
Not everyone is in the position for doing this. But, Let’s say that you’re single, a year or two removed from college, and you could live off savings and family’s support for a year. You have a promising job at a Fortune 500 company. You’re given an opportunity to pursue your dream job. However, there […]
Tags: Career Fast Track · Learning and Growing
Don’t work for the same company for too long
February 8th, 2010 · 1 Comment
Jimmy had been working for the same employer for almost a decade. His employer was a recently funded start-up when he joined the company as a contractor. He performed well, and was soon hired as a professional service consultant. Jimmy had great customer facing skills. Customers loved his work. He won an excellent employee award […]
Tags: Career Fast Track · Recruiting & Job Hunting
Career Reflection #1: First Job After College — Andersen Consulting (now Accenture)
January 29th, 2010 · 4 Comments
This year marks the tenth year of my career. In other words, not counting the two years of business school, I’ve been slaving away in Corporate America for a decade. 🙂 Ten years is a long time. Life is short. Lately, I have been doing a lot of reflection and thinking about the past, present […]
Tags: Career Fast Track · Corporate Ladder · Learning and Growing
Job Hopping is good for you: Career Lessons from Lane Kiffin
January 22nd, 2010 · 3 Comments
I’m going against the conventional wisdom. Job hopping is good for you if you can plan your moves strategically, Since I’m neither a USC Trojan fan nor a Tennessee Volunteer fan, I’m fairly indifferent about Lane Kiffin’s move from Tennessee to USC. From an ethical standpoint, I didn’t like how Lane Kiffin made empty promises […]
Tags: Career Fast Track · Corporate Ladder · Recruiting & Job Hunting
Is it time to move out of the United States?
November 2nd, 2009 · 5 Comments
I know quite a few people who recently moved out of the United States or are considering moving. Many of my MBA classmates are now working in China. They feel that the United States is in decline, and the future is in somewhere else. Given how much debt the United States government owe, some folks […]
Tags: Career Fast Track · China
The good, the bad, and the ugly of management consulting
August 20th, 2009 · 6 Comments
After I published How My Friend Caleb Became A Legend Among Wall Street Junior Analysts, a reader asked me what my thoughts were on management consulting firms such as McKinsey & Company since these firms also have a "reverse pyramid" organizational structure that are similar to investment banks. Like many things in life, Management Consulting […]
Tags: Career Fast Track · MBA · Recruiting & Job Hunting
The clear and present danger of internal transfer
August 4th, 2009 · 13 Comments
My phone rang. Looking at the number on the phone display, I knew it was from Jeff, director of the group I was going to transfer to. We last spoke exactly 48 hours ago. In the end of our meeting, I officially accepted his offer to join his team and reported directly to him. Somehow […]
Tags: Career Fast Track · Frustration@Work