Courtney Kirschbaum·Apr 1, 2022Member-onlyThe Truth About Employment ContractsAnd how you can escape the trap — Note: I'm not a lawyer, and no part of this article is intended as legal advice. When I saw the phone number on my ringing phone, I thought, "Must be a misdial." It was a client from years ago, and it was late, well past dinner. I answered. "Hey." Immediately…Work8 min readWork8 min read
Courtney Kirschbaum·Mar 18, 2022Member-onlyGhosting Is A Tedious Trend. The Real Demon Is More DangerousYou'll never look at your work the same way again — An entrepreneur friend of mine in Europe stopped requesting resumés from job candidates. Instead, he asks candidates to shoot and submit a short video with their phone — less than 5 minutes. …Career Advice5 min readCareer Advice5 min read
Courtney Kirschbaum·Mar 4, 2022Member-onlyThe Day I Discovered I’d Been Living a Lie at WorkLearn the secret meaning of common corporate words — This week’s corporate glossary terms: Meritocracy and Kakistocracy with a decision fallacy to beware of thrown in for good measure. I was today years old when I learned the opposite of a meritocracy is a kakistocracy. In case you missed that day at school, a meritocracy is a system where…Work6 min readWork6 min read
Courtney Kirschbaum·Feb 18, 2022Member-onlyThe Five Greatest Business Expressions of All TimeLearn the secret meaning of common corporate words — The Corporate Glossary series reveals the truth behind common corporate words and phrases, so you don’t get duped. See past articles in this series here. Do you remember the first time you saw: “I was today years old when …” followed by a clever trick it seems everyone else on…Work7 min readWork7 min read
Courtney Kirschbaum·Feb 7, 2022Member-onlyThe Brutal Truth About Your Professional DevelopmentLearn the secret meaning of common corporate words — The Corporate Glossary series reveals the truth behind common corporate words and phrases so you don’t get duped. See past articles in this series here. My first job out of college was a glorified envelope-stuffer for a 5,000-member professional association. The annual main event was assigning several hundred members to…Work8 min readWork8 min read
Courtney Kirschbaum·Jan 14, 2022Member-onlyHow Your Employer is Stealing Your LeaveCorporate Glossary: every Friday, learn the secret meaning of common corporate words — There's a scene in the series "Dopesick" where Purdue Pharma's sales leaders have a big problem. Purdue's medical doctor clients begin to see their patients showing signs of addiction to Purdue's flagship drug OxyContin®. …Corporate Culture7 min readCorporate Culture7 min read
Courtney Kirschbaum·Jan 7, 2022Member-onlyWhat I Learned Watching a Co-Worker Get Forced OutCorporate Glossary: every Friday, learn the secret meaning of common corporate words — Every Friday, you get the real meaning behind padded corporate terms that get tossed around like the nice guy’s ball cap in study hall. Knowing the reality behind the sanitized words or phrases will help you protect yourself and avoid learning these for the first time when you’re experiencing them. …Corporate Culture8 min readCorporate Culture8 min read