Shutterstock According to a RAND Corporation study in 2013, 85% of U.S. companies employing 1,000 people or more offer some sort of workplace wellness program. This is fantastic, right? But Gallup research shows that only 60% of U.S. employees are aware that their company offers a wellness program – and only 40% of those who are aware of the program say they actually participate. So that results in only 24% of employees taking advantage of these programs.

Shutterstock If you’re like many people I know, you worry about what hiring managers say about you the second you exit the interview. And you therefore probably assume that they nitpick the heck out of your answers and only hire the people with zero faults. Well, I can’t speak for every single hiring manager on the face of the earth, but I can say that when I was a recruiter, that was not the case.

Shutterstock Dear Liz, I really like your non-traditional take on careers and job-hunting. Here’s my question.

If you have a business idea, there’s one piece of advice you’re sure to hear soon: “Don’t quit your day job.” But if you’re an entrepreneur getting serious about your business, you will have to do just that at some point. I did it and went four years without a paycheck. This is my story – complete with a happy ending – and some lessons I learned along the way.

Photo by Mari Helin-Tuominen via Unsplash Team-building is something I focus on everyday with my team at Vanderbloemen. In our work with churches and nonprofits, we see daily just how vital it is for organizations to make great hires. It’s a game-changer. On the flip side, we’ve seen some disastrous hires that have cost organizations a lot in the long run. If you lead an organization or a team, hiring is something that you absolutely must get right.

Those looking to snag a job this fall will want to set their sights on some of the most promising job markets of the West and South, according to a report released this week by recruiting and consulting firm ManpowerGroup. “Employers are optimistic, though hesitant, with their hiring intentions and we’re pleased to see levels we were seeing before the recession,” said Kip Wright, Senior Vice President of Manpower North America.

Shutterstock Fall is a busy time for recruiting. Companies are pushing to get hiring done before headcount disappears in year-end (or to get a jump on next year’s projects). Individuals are coming back into work mode after the lazy days of summer. So there is more opportunity but also more competition, which taken together makes a lot more noise to cut through. Of course, you want to make sure your resume, online profile, and networking pitch are in good working order.

Shelley Zalis, Founder  of The Girls’ Lounge (Photo courtesy of Girls’ Lounge) By Heather Cabot and Samantha Walravens Shelley Zalis can’t stand the term “networking.” For the Los Angeles-based CEO, the word conjures up an image of a bland name-tag along with the transactional, often inauthentic manner in which many of us were groomed to make professional contacts.

Shutterstock Jackson was a newly minted grad with software engineering skills pursuing his first job. He was getting tons of interest from the right kind of employers, but it wasn’t leading anywhere. Frustrated that he wasn’t getting offers, he couldn’t figure out what was going wrong. Prepping for yet another interview with one of his target employers, Jackson really didn’t want to blow it again.

Dear Liz, I’m experiencing mixed emotions right now, because I’ve been offered a lateral move at work when I was expecting a promotion. My boss knows I’m ready for a bigger role and she has already recommended me for two positions in our company that would both have been promotions. I had interviews for both jobs and the HR folks told me I did very well, but one position was filled with another internal candidate and the other one was put on hold.