Job Seekers and career changers often ask how they can remain relevant and demonstrate to the marketplace that their skills are current, their energy level is high and their value is significant, despite being in transition or not currently employed.  The media is full of advice on "TO DOs" so I'd like to give you some suggested "TO DON'Ts".

Don't be defensive or make excuses about your situation. Simply be prepared with a short, accurate statement about why you are between positions or...

You had a positive mid-year performance review with your manager. You have also been in a fair number of career conversations with him (or so you thought) and you clearly let him know (or so you thought) that although you really love your job and enjoy working on his team, you are ready and able to take on greater responsibility and would like to explore some other avenues for adding value to the organization. He said all the right things and made all the right noises when you were talking,...

I once read an article about the dollar value of the chemicals in the human body which placed the amount at somewhere around $1.60: pretty meager. And again we hear the words of Aristotle … the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. (I seem to be quoting Aristotle more frequently … I wonder what the lesson is from that.)

Although the article made no attempt to place a dollar value on the contribution an individual makes to an employer or to estimate the effect on the organizational...