23 Mar
5 Smart Job Search Moves
Finding a new job isn’t easy. If it were no one would keep working for a boss they don’t like. But there are things you can do to make your job search more productive.
And a more productive job search leads to a faster, smoother, less stressful transition. Here are 5 simple, although not necessarily easy, ways to find a new job.
Don’t Stop Looking
It can be tempting to slow down or even stop your job search completely once you think you’ve a job on the line. You may have sailed through several interviews. Met your future boss’s boss and the team you’ll be managing. It may be down to a final interview which is “merely a formality” or so you think.
But you never know what can happen. A new candidate may be introduced into the mix. A job may suddenly lose funding. I’ve seen it happen more than once.
11 Feb
5 Musts Before Starting Your Job Search
Like most things, a key element of job search success is planning. Unfortunately, many job seekers just jump right in. They begin looking at job ads and internal opportunities.
Bad idea.
Most people wouldn’t just put their home on the market without some planning. They would consider different neighborhoods, maybe research realtors, and evaluate mortgage rates. They would appraise their home and find out what they should repair or replace to get top dollar.
Yet every day, people decide that today they’re going to start looking for a new job. Once they find a few exciting opportunities they dust off their old resume and realize it needs an overhaul.
They quickly find that jumping into a job search without planning doesn’t lead to success. Here are 5 things you need to do before you begin your job search.
04 Jan
2017 Kickoff – Time To Get Going On Your Job Search
For better or worse, 2016 is over. Time to make 2017 a great year. If one of the ingredients of your great year is a new job, it’s time to get going.
Even if you’re not actively looking, you should make many of these activities part of your life. You should always have your resume ready to go and an ongoing practice of networking.
If you are actively looking, get started on this list today.
Get Ready
First, make sure you resume is recruiter ready. Your resume is your calling card so make sure that it is a marketing document, which clearly demonstrates your value, not a boring employment history. Your resume should convey how you can solve a potential employer’s problems and be presented in an modern format.
14 Dec
Mix & Mingle: Successful Holiday Networking
We all know that networking is one of our most powerful business tools. One of the things most of us forget is to continually nurture our network even when things are going well. The holiday season is a great time to catch up with old friends and make new ones.
Why are the holidays so great? When do you have a better opportunity to rekindle relationships? This is the perfect time of the year to get back in touch with people just to find out how they are doing. Make sure you take the opportunity to reconnect with friends and family – to do a little holiday networking.
30 Nov
4 Reasons The Holidays Are Great For Job Seekers
Despite colder temperatures, many job seekers regard the holiday season the same way they do the summer. They see it as another opportunity to take a break from job hunting. A time to sit back and enjoy the festivities.
As with relaxing in the summer, this is a big mistake.
As tempting as it may be, if you’re looking for a new job, this is not the time to slack off.
If anything, this is the time to ramp up your job search.
One of the best things about looking for a new opportunity during the holiday season is that most of your competition is on hiatus. They mistakenly think that no one finds a job during the holidays. For this reason they scale back their efforts.
08 Nov
3 Career Lessons From The Presidential Election
Today marks one of the most historical elections of our lives. It’s also the end of a divisive election season. One that most of us are eager to see end.
While this is not a political post, there are many career lessons to be learned from this election cycle. Here are 3 things to remember.
Be Careful with Email
My grandmother used to say don’t put anything in writing that you wouldn’t want to see in the paper. Today, that goes for email as well. While it’s unlikely that your email will be hacked by a foreign entity you can’t control who, besides the intended party, will read it.
19 Sep
Clothes To Keep Your Job Search Under The Radar
While being employed makes you more appealing to employers, looking for a job while you’re already working has its own set of challenges. Finding a way to take calls from recruiters and interview, and still keep your job search under the radar.
While sneaking out of the office for interviews can be tricky, other things, like being dressed appropriately for a job interview, just need a little planning.
If you work in a casual office wearing an “interview outfit” will likely be a red flag to your current employer. Just as someone coming into a casual environment for a job interview is easily spotted by everyone else working there.
14 Sep
Are You Missing What’s Right In Front Of You?
If you’re feeling stuck in your job search, it might be time to take a fresh look. This may mean changing your perspective, stepping in a little closer or taking a step back. It may mean considering the idea of doing things a different way.
I read a lot of books. Not a lot of fiction. Primarily books that will help me improve my services or help me improve myself. Right now, I’m reading a book on mindfulness by Joseph Goldstein cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society.
In the beginning of chapter six, I came across a passage that particularly caught my attention. It immediately resonated with me and I thought it would do the same for people who are frustrated in their job-search efforts.
11 Aug
Will Your Online Presence Scare Employers Away?
Increasing numbers of recruiters and employers are conducting online searches on job candidates. In response, many job seekers are completing their LinkedIn profiles and being a little more careful about what they post online.
But, the truth is that’s not enough because what’s published online can stay there forever. It’s up to you to research your digital footprint and monitor your online presence going forward.
Initial Search
Before you begin your job search, make sure you know what is out there. Pretend you’re a recruiter and conduct your own online search. Try searching on your name and variations of you name.
04 Aug
3 Ways To Talk About Your Greatest Weakness (Or Biggest Failure)
Looking for a job is a job. You need to prepare your resume. You need to fill out your incomplete LinkedIn profile. The one that’s been inactive for years. You need to develop a job-search plan.
While each of those can be intimidating, there’s nothing more nerve-racking than going on a job interview. The best way to calm those nerves is to prepare questions to the most commonly asked questions in advance.
It’s not difficult to prepare responses for “tell me about yourself” or “why should we hire you?” Most people are uncertain what to say when asked about their greatest weakness or greatest failure.