"Fire" is a four letter word.

Donald Trump is a real jerk. With that bad hair and pompous sneer he obviously gets off on saying "You're fired!" Who do you think you are? This act has been done for decades by Mr. Spacely (of Spacely's Sprockets) telling George Jetson "Jetson, you're fired!" Donald, I knew Mr. Spacely, and you're no Mr. Spacely. This is real life, not some Saturday morning cartoon. There is real trauma left behind.

Unfortunately, I have had the sad duty to end one's employment many times in my career. It is a responsibility I always have always taken very seriously. I have never said "you're fired." It is incredibly personal and just plain mean. A good supervisor will always keep separate the performance from the individual and leave the individual with some dignity and hope. This supervisor will minimize the inevitable embarrassment and demonstrate some empathy.

The purpose of this post is not to instruct how to terminate employment, but rather to point out how this event affects the upcoming search for the next job. As a career coach, my clients are typically out of work; often recently terminated. Lack of self-esteem is a serious obstacle to the career search. It is important that clients feel like they can be successful again in the future. If they don't feel that way, often they will do nothing.........afraid that friends and family will find out and then they will need to explain what happed. As a coach, the responsibility to my clients is to encourage as well as educate and advise.

Finding the next job in today's job market is so difficult under the best of circumstances. Helping to rebuild my client's self-confidence makes it all harder.

I would ask everyone whose responsibility includes terminating employment to understand the long term consequences and do the deed with class, dignity, and respect.

Holiday hiring alert!

Yesterday I heard from a Target "insider" that they started hiring their seasonal help a few days ago. The hiring period will be short, maybe not even until the end of next week, so if you are interested in working for Target this holiday season, get busy and apply.

On a personal note, I have two children who work for Target right now, and have been there for several years. It is a really good place to work.

Remember, if you get your foot in the door you will have an opportunity to be a star and maybe turn it into a permanent position.

Good luck!

Pier 1 Imports is looking for people.

I am a customer of Pier 1, and occasionally receive emails about their promotions.

Yesterday I received an email that they are looking for people for their stores. They feel that their customers often make the best employees. Makes sense.

Christmas is right around the corner, and these may be holiday positions, but I bet that if you turn out to be a star, they will want to try to keep you after Christmas.

Good luck!

What does networking really mean?

Networking is a strategy that gets you in front of (in person or electronically) a decision maker who has the ability to hire you.

Networking does not mean that your friends, relatives, and neighbors will help you find a job once you tell them of your situation. If they help, that's great, but it is a mistake to wait for them to come through for you. Remember, it is not their responsibility to help you find a job. It is yours.

Be a detective..........ask questions. If you would like an interview with the ABC company, find someone who works there. Ask around, it isn't hard to connect the dots. Try this: "who do you know that works for ABC?" Make some calls, knock on some doors; find the name and contact information for the person who makes the hiring decisions!

Remember, it is your goal to get your name in front of the decision maker, not the faceless department that will file your resume in the pool with everyone else. You can't tread water long enough in that pool.