The 60 Second WORKout

How many times have you been rejected or even ignored by potential employers? Ever wonder how to market yourself better? How do you stand out from the competition?

Good mourning,

Have you recently made an error and regretted it? I just did. Take a look at how I spelled "mourning." It should be morning (although this could be a play on words for you!) This normally wouldn't be picked up by spell-check and you would probably wonder why this was not picked-up by me either. This week's podcast is with Craig Silverman, Montreal journalist and founding editor of RegretTheError.com. He is a columnist for Columbia Journalism Review & author of Regret the Error.

Good Monday mourning,

Have you recently made an error and regretted it; I just did. Take a look at how I spelled "mourning." It should be morning (although this could be a play on words for you!) This normally wouldn't be picked up by spell-check and you would probably wonder why this wasn't picked up by me either. This week's podcast is with Craig Silverman, journalist and author of Regret the Error.

We have all made mistakes. Some are small, such as the spelling mistake that that I used in my example. Other mistakes, such as choosing the wrong role, or a misunderstanding with your boss, could have a much greater impact on your professional life. Craig shared "You will make mistakes in your life - it is important to understand the root cause. Your recovery from them is the key." In my interview, Craig also shared some really great advice to help you with the "recovery" phase.

Did you know the average manager spends less than one minute reviewing your resume? What can you do to get your resume to stand out from the crowd? This week's podcast is with Dave Drummond, an award-winning Canadian book designer. Dave helps his authors sell more books through his creative and eye-catching designs. In our conversation, he shares some simple ideas that you and I can use to strengthen our professional packaging.

I can contribute the idea of interviewing a book designer by a question that my daughter asked recently: "Dad, which book do you think is a better book?" She was holding up two books that she had recently read. She was asking the age-old question; can you judge a book by its cover? In this particular case, the book with the poorly designed cover was the better book. My daughter comes by her love of books honestly: our house is full of books. Some people love wine; we love books. Rightly or wrongly, we do judge a book by its cover, that is why publishers value the services Dave Drummond provides.

Have you followed all the career success rules? You went to a good school, worked hard and joined a good company, yet you are still not fulfilled? This week's podcast is with New York Times best-selling authors Daniel Pink and Rob Ten Pas who are the winners of TOKYOPOP's annual Rising Stars of Manga Competition. Daniel and Rob are the creators of Johnny Bunko - The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need. This is America's first business book created in the Japanese comic format known as manga.

My 11-year-old son, who has never read one of my business books, picked up Daniel's book and read it from cover to cover. At age 11 he figured out what he wanted to do with his career (well maybe that is a bit exaggerated). I also like the fact, like any great book, the answers are on the last page.

What is one of the best ways to increase your income, advance your career and cause new opportunities to come your way? Research has shown that learning to speak and present ideas in an effective way is the easiest way to achieve those three goals. You may be thinking that this column does not have much relevance to you, but we make presentations all the time. It starts first thing in the morning when you get your kids (or your partner) out of bed. Add up how many times in a day you present ideas to influence or persuade in order to move people or a project forward - you would be surprised!

Good Monday morning,

I thought I would start with a very light question this week. How many people do you know aged 55+, who are totally fulfilled with their career and their lot in life? What if you could find out a common set of principles that you could apply to achieve this goal for yourself? This week's podcast is with John Izzo, Ph.D best-selling author of The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die.

John recognized that "you don't know how much time you have to live a life that really matters." He and his team, spoke with over 1,000 people over the age of 55 who were described by others as fulfilled.

Good Monday morning,

This morning, as you gathered around the watercooler you may have already shared one, you may have been the subject of one. A rumour. This week's podcast is with Professor Nicholas Defonzo author of The Watercooler Effect. He is the leading world expert on why rumours spread.

All of us work in situations where there is uncertainty - the more uncertain the information the more likely you will be participating in rumours. We saw this happen with the tragedy at Maple Leaf Foods last summer. In fact, the president of Maple Leaf Foods appeared on television to get the story clear, remove all of the rumours and set the record straight about what really happened and what they were doing about the tragedy. They were managing the rumour mill.

Do you feel alone with your job search? How many people can you share your career/life challenges with? This week's podcast is with distinguished University of Chicago Professor John Cacioppo, author of Loneliness; Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection. John, along with Canadian researcher Louise Hawkley (University of Chicago), have done pioneering research on human nature and the need for social connection.

According to a 2004 survey published by The American Sociological Review, the most common answer to how many people can you share the struggles of your life with is - none. This compares to the same research in 1985 when the most common response was three. In my opinion, we have never been more connected yet more alone. It is ironic, in a world of the Blackberry, Facebook, email and v-mail; we have less and less real relationships. Frank, in his very famous song, shares "I did it my way." This exact philosophy leads to lower income, fewer promotions, fewer friendships and a shorter and less fulfilling life.