I was impacted by the tech sector layoffs in Feb 2023. There is actually an upside to getting laid-off. You have so many wonderful and generous colleagues willing to write recommendations. Here’s a list of short summarized versions. The full recommendations can be found on my LinkedIn profile (www.linkedin.com/in/gagain). — Trudy Tran Caswell — Director, Tableau As my coach John was someone I could bounce ideas with, brainstorm, and problem solve.

By John R. Gagain Jr. The author of that famous book for job hunters, “What Color is Your Parachute?,” Richard N. Bolles, says that a job search goes like this… No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No…

By John R. Gagain Jr. Since 2005, I have been a diehard Apple / MacBook / iPhone / iCloud user. More than a decade and a half later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was given access to Microsoft 365 at the Department of Defense’s (DoD), Defense Health Agency (DHA) when…

Have you ever gotten upset with a colleague you think is blocking you and your success at work? Have you ever felt that the colleague was hoarding or hiding information from you? …

It was frustrating to listen to my chiropractor. As I heard the cracks and pops of her adjusting my spine, I asked her how her son did this past weekend at basketball (both our sons play basketball, so it’s a common topic of our small talk.) …

I have come across many hard-ass coaches throughout sports my entire life. There was nobody more intense than my college football coach, who once told me, “this (football) is a business!” as he referred to the scholarship Pace University was giving me to play there.

I never envisioned myself working in the tobacco industry. While being recruited in 2017 (because of my experience with the United Nations, campaigns, political communications, and international development), I listened objectively to the company’s new vision — to rid the world of cigarettes forever. I have always been open-minded. This…

20-years of UN Global Compact I’ve never worked for a corporation in my entire life. Until 2018, I’ve spent 20+ years working in politics, media & communications, and the United Nations & global development. Now I have the honor, pleasure, and challenge of serving at Philip Morris International (PMI)…

I think Philip Morris International (PMI) was the 33rd largest company in the world in 2018 — when I started working there — if I remember correctly. I have never worked for any corporation before — big or small. …