You’ve busted your butt for much longer than you ever could have imagined in finding your new job. After multiple interviews that didn’t pan out, rejections, and the silence of non-responses from countless submissions, you finally landed a gig! Whether it’s the job of your dreams, a stopover on the way to something bigger and…
If you are fortunate enough to live near or have ever been to any open space, like parks, empty fields, etc., you have probably encountered what is referred to as a “social path.” You’ve undoubtedly seen them: What started out as an area that showed no footprints, over time became worn and devoid of natural…
For the longest time, it seemed like employers had a preference for Chronological resumes. Certainly, that’s what the career centers, employment counselors and books on the subject suggested. A chronological resume featured the applicants’ work history in reverse historical order, most recent jobs first. Each job listed would state specific actions performed, equipment used, (hopefully)…
We are now entering Graduation Season. A Rite of Spring that conveys completion, accomplishment and change. So let me say: Congratulations on your graduation. May it be the first step on your way to achieving your goals and dreams! But let’s get real. Whatever your circumstances, whatever your goals, getting where you want to go…
While waiting for a friend in a hotel lounge recently, I had the chance to speak with the in-house staffing manager prior to his meeting and interview with a prospective employee. The manager, Randall, had been actively recruiting for a new sales manager to bring in more convention business and to oversee catering and meeting…
Recently, while in the company of a handful of young adults, of course the topic of job search came up. Four of the five were gainfully employed, while one was “exploring his options.” Believing it would ok to inquire, I asked, “How long has it been since you last worked?” Apparently not interested in discussing…
If you’re ever driving Highway 1 along the California central coast, a great place to stop, stretch and enjoy the scenery is the Pigeon Point Light Station. It juts out prominently over the water about 50 miles south of San Francisco. People from all over the world stop here to take in the magnificent views…
Many of today’s employees will never know the attachment of working for the same company for 20 + years. That kind of longevity with one firm is not as attractive to the younger generations who have demonstrated a proclivity for job hopping in hopes of improving their stature, salary, benefits, work challenges, and myriad other…
On a commuter bus recently, a father and his teenage son sat in the seats immediately in front of me. Unavoidably able to hear their discussion about college applications and homework, it was easy to determine the father had a loving interest in his son’s scholastic achievements. The father began talking about his son’s grades…
There’s an awful lot that can be said about the value of a college education and advanced degrees! But there is also a lot about higher education that doesn’t get said frequently enough: A college education is not for everyone! Indeed, higher learning can be of benefit for attaining a vast array of professional and…
The previous post, Is It Art? was about the creative process and its importance in our lives. Although I wasn’t originally planning to, I decided to carry the discussion a bit further, in part inspired by an article in my favorite business magazine, “Entrepreneur” (link at the end) that I received after that post, and an event I…
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2022 Obviously you’ll enter the new year the same person. But perhaps it’s time to update the way others see you professionally. You might not be looking for a job right now, confident that your current gig is safe. However, having and being able to present an updated perspective on your work…
One of the eternal questions that all job seekers, and frequently the population in general, ask themselves is: Am I good enough? Questioning the value and quality of one’s skills and life are important because doing so encourages us to think about what we can do to be better people; how we can improve…
Hiring has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, though it is accelerating at a modest pace. But when the pandemic is over and businesses resume onboarding new staff, who stands the better chance of getting hired: the younger worker with less experience and relatively little specialization, or the devoted senior level careerist with a long…
Who are your partners in wellness? Surely your doctors, their nurses and support staff. But do you also consider your local pharmacist a partner in your wellness? After all, “Ask your pharmacist about …,” is one of the most oft repeated phrases in advertising because the manufacturers of prescription drugs and over-the-counter health goods know…
Let’s look at both sides of the job seeker – employer equation. When you think about where you want to take your career, one of the first considerations is the kind of work you want to do, and the industry in which you want to grow. But an equally important consideration should be your understanding…
Competition: It drives innovation. It fosters change. It motivates. It can instigate growth and development. And it can encourage. But it can also bring about fear, trepidation, feelings of inadequacy, incompetence and irrelevance. Yet every day in the world of work, whether on the job or looking for one, we face some form of competition. …
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 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…
