Contact

SHARON ARMSTRONG began her career in human resources in 1985 as a recruiter/trainer in a large Manhattan law firm. Since launching her own consulting business in 2000, Sharon Armstrong and Associates, she has provided training and completed HR projects for hundreds of clients. Sharon is also the author of Stress-free Performance Appraisals, which she co-wrote in 2003 with Madelyn Appelbaum.

Contact Sharon: sharon@sharonarmstrongandassociates.com.

BARBARA MITCHELL, a human resources professional and former co-owner of The Millennium Group International, LLC. Much of her business career was spent in leadership positions at Marriott International and several technology companies in Washington DC. She currently is the owner of The Mitchell Group, , and is a frequent speaker on HR topics.

Contact Barbara: barbaramitchell@comcast.net.

MEDIA QUERIES: For more information, or to arrange an interview with the authors, contact Hope Katz Gibbs, Inkandescent Public Relations: 703-346-6975 / hope@hopegibbs.com.

IN THE NEWS: "Blog Business World" reviews The Essential Performance Review Handbook

August 27, 2010, Blog Business World — After Blogger Wayne Hurlbert conducted an in-depth Q&A with HR expert Sharon Armstrong, and published the interview on his popular Blog Business World, the article got picked up by dozens of other bloggers this week. “It’s amazing to see the power of the Internet when it comes to spreading the word,” says Armstrong, the author of “The Essential Performance Review Handbook,” which is available on Amazon.com for about $10. Read the entire article on Blog Business World.

Speaking Engagements

September 9, 2010
Office of Inspector General/OPM: Performance Appraisals: Blunders, Bloopers & Brilliance: 10 Strategies for Success

September 15, 2010
HRA-NCA, Washington, DC: The Essential Performance Review Handbook

September 21, 2010
IPMA-HR Eastern Region Training and Development Conference: Performance Appraisals: Blunders, Bloopers & Brilliance: 10 Strategies for Success

November 11, 2010
Project SAME: Performance Appraisals: Blunders, Bloopers & Brilliance: 10 Strategies for Success

December 2, 2010
Dulles, VA SHRM: The Essential Performance Review Handbook

April 12, 2011
Leesburg, VA SHRM: The Essential Performance Review Handbook

Workshops

September 10, 2010
Thermopylae Sciences & Technology: Behavioral Interviewing

September 22, 2010
National Gallery of Art: Conducting Effective Performance Appraisal Discussions

November 10, 2010
Center for Nonprofit Advancement: Performance Appraisals

November 16, 2010
American Health Care Association: Performance Appraisals

December 3, 2010
City of Alexandria: Behavorial Interviewing

December 9, 2010
Farmington Country Club: Fundamentals of Management: Supervising Up & Down

HR Consultants to the Rescue

ANDRIA CORSO: September Consultant of the Month

ANDRIA CORSO has 16 years experience as a Human Resources leader who works with clients to develop leadership skills and talent strategies that that align with business strategy and drive results. She is an organizational and leadership development coach and Strategic HR consultant with areas of expertise in career and leadership development, talent and succession management, and executive coaching.

If you need quick and competent HR Consultants, OD Specialists, Trainers, Coaches, or Keynote Speakers, let us help.

Advice from Barbara & Sharon

Career Corner: What is the best way to explain a gap in your resume?

by Sharon Armstrong
owner, Sharon Armstrong and Associates
author, The Essential HR Handbook
January 2010

In the last issue of Career Corner, I asked for feedback from readers who had questions about any question they had regarding looking for a new job. Among them was “How should one effectively use social media in a job search?”

Here are a few more questions that intrigued me, and hopefully will provide some great insight for job seekers. Please keep them coming!

And this just in: My questions are being published on a new online magazine for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs called Be Inkandescent. Check it out! Who knows — your next question just might be posted on it. Send any career-related to me at Sharon@SharonArmstrongAndAssociates.com.

Question: What is the best way to explain a gap in your resume – meaning if you have been out of work for a period of time, due to whatever reason, how best to illustrate that?