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…
Frequently in this space you have been encouraged to be brief in your responses to interview questions, on resumes, etc. The encouragement continues! It is important to be clear and concise in your written and verbal communication with potential employers. You want to retain their interest, not whack them over the head with too much…
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…
Among the concerns I hear about most frequently from job seekers is how to manage their stress and nervousness before and during interviewing. While not quite a universal problem, it certainly isn’t uncommon. If you are interviewing for a new position with someone you have just met and know little to nothing about your inquisitor,…
Has this ever happened to you? I hope it’s not just me! You reach out to someone you know and respect by text, phone, email, smoke-signal or carrier pigeon for some input, doesn’t matter about what, and you either don’t hear back at all, or, they say, “why don’t you just look it up…
No Contract, No Service! One of the things that has been bothering me of late is the number of service providers who believe they are too important or too good to speak with prospective customers before a contract is signed. In other words, no contract, no service! “No, I can’t give you an estimate…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
There are lots of good resources for job seekers, but there are few as useful as industry specific directories. For almost any professional endeavor these publications reveal vast amounts of useful information for job seekers and others already working in those fields. Most industry specific directories are published at least annually, and some are updated…
When you are out of work, control isn’t something you generally feel. But when you’re looking for work, you have more control than you may think! There are many aspects to the job search where you, the job seeker, are in control. And while you may need to exercise caution and respect exerting that control,…
Recently, I read an article from Bloomberg Business Week about how many employers believe it to be more important for prospective hires to have a strong cultural match with a company’s existing staff, than it is for applicants to just have strong skills. Really? I guess I didn’t get the memo on this edict. When…
One of the things I think some people take for granted is the freedom with which we can make change to our work lives in this country. If you’re not happy on the job, feel you could be making more money, or have more control over the work, you are free to leave your job…
Every now and again, I get wanderlust. I feel the need to travel and explore new places. But it becomes apparent if you are lucky enough to travel far away from your home that no matter where you go these days, there are a lot of people out of work. Worldwide, the unemployment figures are…
When you are looking for work, you always face a lot of distracting temptations. But during the summer months, when the temperatures warm up, it becomes harder to concentrate. It seems that everyone else is doing fun stuff and there are so many places you’d rather be than in front of your computer looking for…
If you’re looking for a job, In addition to all the online social and real interpersonal networking, job boards, posting sites and direct applications, are you still attending job fairs? Are these events still worth your job search time? For a great many job seekers, the answer is, “Yes”! Attending job fairs is still a…
Bob went for his interview at a major market radio station excited and grateful that he was being considered to fill a rare and much coveted on-air news position. He felt prepared to meet the station’s news director, and had done a lot of research about this station, its lengthy ratings dominance, its audience and…
Among the issues I get to frequently talk to job seekers about is how to transition from one career to another. For many shifting gears and their career focus, there is an almost natural progression that might emanate from the development of new skills or successfully tackling a progression of more difficult responsibilities. For others,…
