My client Lanni called the other day sounding quite frustrated and angry. I encouraged her to take a few calming breaths. After a long pause she finally blurted out, “They wouldn’t let me interview! I sat in their reception area listening to that insipid instrumental background music for over 45 minutes, and the assistant finally…
What do the following scenarios have in common? Making a new contact at a networking event A job interview Sending out your resume A date that went better than expected When you say, “I’ll call you later.” These and so many other circumstances involving your career and your personal life require that you “make a…
If think you’re having a hard time looking for work, imagine what its like for the many people with disabilities. What was the first image you had after reading that sentence? Was it of a person in a wheelchair or on crutches? Was it of someone who is blind or hearing impaired? Did you flash…
Have you ever read a feature (online or in print) that claimed to offer two views of the same idea, topic or product? There are all kinds of examples of this “two sides of same coin” column in a wide variety of publications. But upon reading them, frequently the questions asked are not the same…
The concept of up-selling (trying to sell the customer more than just what they asked for), has been around for a long while. Whether it’s the waitress asking, “Do you want fries with that?”, or the appliance vendor asking if you want the matching stand for the plasma TV, offering more to the customer than…
Recently I attended a very large, and very crowded free outdoor 3-day music festival in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Moving between six stages of exceptional talent proved to be an arduous and exhausting experience; that thankfully wouldn’t diminish the inspiration and invigoration fueled by the great music. But I was thinking that it might…
Here it is Labor Day! This is the day we honor and celebrate the hard working factory people of yesteryear, who fought and struggled for fair wages and hours. The growth of factory work during the Industrial Revolution paved the way for many of the rights and privileges workers of all stripes receive today. Competitive…
The gentleman sitting next to me on a recent cross-country flight was in a talkative mood, so after learning that he was a small business owner, I got him to discuss his hiring practices. He proudly told me that in addition to recent college graduates, and experienced professionals, he regularly hires applicants from disadvantaged and…
Recently I met with a small business owner and we discussed recruiting for his growing business. When I asked him if he did any of his recruiting online and if he looked at resumes posted on job search sites, he answered with a very enthusiastic “Yes!”. He told me he has been successful in filling…
An Objective statement on your resume, and reiterated in your cover letter is a concise way for you to communicate your career goals. Too often Objective statements are written as flowery batches of verbiage that convey little or nothing about the job seeker’s real aspirations. Once upon a time it was OK to use a…
There’s no question that one’s skills, experience and qualifications should be the primary consideration by an employer when selecting a candidate for hiring. But one of the most important skill sets any applicant can bring to a job is far less recognizable from interviewing alone. The qualities one brings for being able to deal with…
Employers have to be clear about what they are looking for when hiring. It is a difficult thing! The intro to so many job listings these days includes a blurb extolling the virtues of the company filling the position. This is important information, it’s part of a good promotion campaign, it helps applicants to know…
