Recently a friend told me she was returning to her former place of employment. “Why would you want to be going back there?” I asked. “I thought you wanted to be going forward in your career?” The idea of her returning to that employer was a bit of a surprise because when she left her…
In this age of social networking that reduces much interpersonal communication to the news feeds from various social websites, people tend to forget the value of making it personal through real face-to-face networking. Nothing replaces looking someone in the eye, sharing a handshake and a smile. Have we become too content with mere electronic representations…
It is no surprise to employers that many applicants have experienced some legal issues in their lives. Formal job applications still ask if you have ever been convicted of a crime, and you typically authorize the employer to perform a background check when you sign that form. But just because you satisfied the courts’ requirements,…
While talking with a couple of Gen X’ers the other night, they questioned if it was a good idea to find new employment in hopes of bettering their benefits? Certainly a good benefits package is among the reasons people accept particular jobs. But if all you want to do is improve your benefits without trying…
With the largest segment of the population reaching what many thought would be their retirement years, it’s not always clear if the Boomer generation will settle quietly into non-work mode, or continue to seek out new employment opportunities. Certainly for some, retirement is the plan; no work, just trying to find ways to explore their…
It’s hard to believe that the year 2013 is over. It went by quickly and hopefully productively for you. If not, like many, you are still looking for that right employment situation that matches all your needs. Well, hopefully with this list, you’ll remind yourself of a few things not to do, and move forward…
What does it take to get your career pursuits back on track after your plans get derailed due to a major health crisis? How do you come back after years of recuperation? Battling a major illness and recovering from a severe injury are among life’s most difficult challenges. But after all the physical healing is…
In this age of political correctness, I often wonder whether attempts to maintain sensitivity to all things has taken us too far or not far enough. Have we gone too far in our attempts to be politically correct (pc) about just about everything? It has changed our language, our communication and our own sensitivity to…
In honor of last week’s observance of Veterans Day, I thought I would dedicate a little space to issues surrounding putting veterans to work. Sadly, unemployment of returning military personnel is too high, hovering around an average of 8%. Certainly there are a variety of factors contributing to this high number, not the least of…
Whether you are looking for a job or have a job, you will experience some stress. It will happen! The degree to which one is affected by stress will differ due to individual circumstances; overall emotional state, daily pressures from work or job search, and attitude. Even the healthiest, well paid, mellow, chillaxed individual will…
It is not uncommon that I talk with folks who are surprised at where they are in their jobs and careers. Not necessarily unhappy with where they are in life, but recognizing that the path taken has turned out differently from what they started out to pursue. Some aren’t sure they are where they are…
When you are working, there is a lot of structure to your day. You generally know how long it will take you to get out of bed and out of the house, the length of your commute, and what you might be doing on your job. But when you are looking for work, constructive time…
Do you ever contemplate relocating to another part of the country, or another part of the world? Do you wonder if greener pastures are on the other side? Are there new, different, more exciting opportunities for you someplace else? It certainly is possible that something different, maybe even better, awaits you in another location. But…
In the last installment Watch Your Q’s and A’s, we talked about the differences between skills, qualifications and accomplishments. Now it’s time to take inventory of those skills. Taking stock of what you know how to do and where each skill can best be applied enables you to tell employers you have what they need…
Without minimizing the importance of being able to answer tough interview questions with concise answers, today’s column is about the other Q’s and A’s: Qualifications and Accomplishments. Qualifications and Accomplishments are the resume headings misused most frequently during job search document preparation. This happens primarily because the information revealed by both these and other headings…
Recently, I heard from Katrina, a French-born marketing assistant living in Ohio, who has spent most of her life in the United States. She has lived in many diverse locations around the globe, has traveled extensively, and considers herself industry-wise because of her world-wide exposure to her field. Katrina told me she attended college in…
When Leonard Nimoy as Star Trek’s Mr. Spock first uttered the words “Live long and prosper” in 1967 he was not referring to the length of one’s career. Although by extension, longevity in one’s chosen profession isn’t a bad thing to wish on anyone. And when the original series aired, the supposition was that most…
What happens when the conveyance you depend on for getting to work or looking for work is not functioning? Do you have a contingency plan for such situations? Have you given thought to how you would get around if your personal vehicle or local transit system wasn’t running? Last week in the San Francisco area,…
This week, I wanted to talk a bit about the analysis of your interaction with prospective employers, and their response to you and your efforts to gain employment. There is no hard-and-fast science at work here, though there are some very workable theories for the analysis and understanding of employer responses to your submissions. However,…
Patience is a virtue, and a necessity! The hardest part of any job search is the waiting. After dutifully contacting numerous employers with openings well suited to your skills and experience, you hear … nothing. Nada. Zip. Bupkis! No calls, no emails, no smoke signals. You have followed every instruction, sent every required document, without…
