Coffee with Colby

Live from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications, Colby talks about the importance of asking questions early on in your role ... how asking the right questions can actually make you sound smart and why questions are critical to setting you up for long term success. 

Accusations leveled against Senator Amy Klobuchar recently have brought the issue of abusive bosses to the front of our conversation (see link below for detail). While not commenting on the Senator Klobuchar situation specifically, Colby shares his own examples of working with abusive bosses and the five steps every employee needs to take to address this kind of situation, whether their boss is throwing office supplies, cursing at staff or belittling team members in a staff meeting.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/22/us/politics/amy-klobuchar-staff.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage 

Preparing for a job interview can be an agonizing process as you likely will receive several opinions on how to present yourself ... from your attire to your resume to your cover letter.  In today's episode, Colby shares the one strategy that has helped him weed through the multitude of opinions and best prepare himself for numerous interviews and how you can apply it to your own job search no matter your level in the industry.

Launching into a career can feel intimidating and scary. Whether you are just graduating from school or moving from one field into a new industry, you may feel like you have to pick the RIGHT gig with the RIGHT organization which just adds an entire layer of nerves and stress to an already challenging situation.

In today's episode, Colby shares why it is important to be open at every phase of your career path and why it is not important to land the RIGHT job right out of the gate. 

Everyone knows they NEED to network, but not everyone knows HOW to network in a way that's going to move the needle on a job search or a career change. How do you build meaningful relationships with the people who can actually have a say in hiring decisions? Colby shares why he hates traditional "networking" and what steps any job seeker can take today to start building a robust network of professional colleagues.

Annual reviews can be a nerve wracking experience, especially if you are relatively new in your career or hoping for a raise/promotion. A few steps ahead of time can set you up for success and put you on the path to career growth.

Want to inspire a team to go the extra mile? Want to be the colleague your teammates WANT to work with? Want to make fiends and build influence within your organization, with vendors and with partners? Start with two simple words: Thank You.

In Today's episode, Colby shares the value of saying Thank you ... more than just the quick thanks we all tack onto the end of emails ... and some simple strategies to quickly express your gratitude with colleagues in a way that will uplift their day and help put you in a positive light.

Asking for a raise can be one of the trickiest conversations you'll have in your career. In today's episode, Colby shares the five steps you should follow when requesting a compensation increase, including how to position yourself in the strongest possible way with your boss and how too figure out what you're REALLY worth.

Interviewing for a new job can be a stressful period, but making a boneheaded mistake can make the whole experience feel like a disaster. After walking through the job interview process dozens of times, Colby has gained some expert insight into what key steps can set you up for success, whether it's your screening interview with HR or the final sit down with the CEO. Listen in for these 7 tips to make prepping for your next job interview a breeze.

Tis the season for OPEN ENROLLMENT. This is the time of year when employees have the opportunity to make fresh healthcare elections and making the wrong choices can cost you big in the longterm.

In today's episode, Colby shares key tips for assessing which healthcare selections you should make and how to approach your open enrollment period.