“The most expensive thing you will ever do is spend time with the wrong people.” ― Germany Kent, American broadcaster. All job searches have two constantly moving components: While “you” is undeniably the most critical component, and the one job seekers tend to focus on—themselves—the people you associate with significantly impact your job search. Your Read More…
The Greek Stoic philosopher Hecato once said: “Cease to hope, and you will cease to fear.” You would be hard-pressed to think of an activity that combines hope and fears more messily than job hunting. Anyone who has ever searched for a job knows what it feels like to hope for a particular job while Read More…
When I hear someone say, “I hate networking,” I wonder why anyone would dislike something that offers many benefits, most notably more job and business opportunities, broader knowledge, faster career advancement, and higher status. Generally, people who make networking a daily habit have an easier time finding employment. Whatever your reasons for disliking networking, which Read More…
Dear Class of 2023: Had my priorities been in order when I graduated, my career compass would have been: Love what you do. Love the people you do it with. Love what you leave behind. We live in a complicated world, especially when it comes to work. There are usually established, but not hard and Read More…
Are you having trouble getting employers to respond to your applications? If yes, then change your focus. Instead of highlighting your past experiences, consider what you can do for the employer. Every investment brochure contains the following disclaimer: “Past performance is no guarantee of future success.” Employers do not care about your past work experience. Read More…
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou How you end an interview is more important than how you began and performed throughout the interview, within reason, of course. Yes, making a great first impression Read More…
This column will be a departure from my usual job-searching topics to focus on something crucial to a successful job search and your career momentum, especially when networking and interviewing: making human connections. “The most important things in life are the connections you make with others.” – Tom Ford, American fashion designer. Genuine human connections Read More…
Most people start looking for a job out of necessity (e.g., laid off, fired, their job was outsourced, the business closed) without a plan of action or any sense of direction, applying haphazardly to jobs posted online, in panic-like mode. Furthermore, most job seekers do not view a job search as a marketing campaign. If Read More…
“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation, there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius Would you disagree with Confucius? What about Polish-born American film producer Samuel Goldwyn, who once said a universal truth about achieving success when he said, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”? Success is undeniably based on Read More…
Many employers practice education snobbery. Often an employer is judgmental about a candidate’s educational history, including the institutions they attended, the courses they took, and the marks they received or their lack of education. The pursuit of formal education beyond high school is not for everyone. It certainly was not for me. I have learned Read More…
If you do not ask, you do not get. While we all know money is not everything, most job seekers only negotiate salary when negotiating a job offer. Presuming the hiring manager says, “$85K is the best I can do,” then your next words should be along the lines of: YOU: “Okay, I understand $85K is Read More…
Inflation and interest rates are rising, stock markets and real estate prices are declining. In the next few months, and most likely into 2023, you’ll see headlines such as: “Job Market Showing Signs of Cooling” “Worst Job Market in Decades” “Unemployment Lines Growing” You know, clickbait headlines written to evoke angst, which then can be Read More…
An interview has two sides, yours, and your interviewer’s. Here’s a pleasant truth: You and your interviewer have the same agenda: To determine if the job opportunity is right for you. Your interviewer isn’t your enemy. They just want to make sure they’re making the right hire. Job seekers never consider that their interviewer’s hiring Read More…
I’ll get right to it; the top 3 reasons why job seekers struggle with their job search are: 1. How you talk to yourself. The most important factor predicting success isn’t your situation but what you tell yourself about it. Your mind never stops talking to you. Your internal dialogue (a.k.a. narratives) determines your actions, beliefs, Read More…
In this column, I will be keeping the promise I made in my last column (Part 1) to provide examples of value proposition letters you can send unsolicited to employers as part of your job search activities. In other words, you are not responding to a job posting with your resume and a value proposition Read More…
The number of people who accept a job and then complain about the pay afterwards amazes me. Didn’t they know the salary before accepting the job? While money isn’t everything, feeling you’re getting paid fairly for your work is vital to your self-esteem and overall well-being. Getting the salary you want is your responsibility. Speaking Read More…
The media is selling the narrative that a “Great Resignation” is taking place. However, many job seekers are having difficulty getting hired. Here are a few reasons why. COVID caused significant economic damage. Yes, pandemic restrictions are being lifted, and, for better or worse, we’re moving back to our 1st world lifestyle. However, the pandemic Read More…
Opportunities are all around you—the caveat is they’re attached to people. Therefore, (stay with me) the people you spend time with determines the opportunities you’re made aware of. Building the right relationships—networking—is critical for your job hunts (You’ll be conducting a few throughout your career.) and your career trajectory. It’s not an overstatement to say, Read More…
My addiction to job hunting (“the hunt”) has made me somewhat of an expert at landing jobs—and a job hopper. “Look at me! I’m moving on to greener pastures!”, “I’m going to where I’ll be paid what I believe I’m worth!”, “At my new employer, management will get me.” I know firsthand how job-hopping can Read More…
Hiring is costly, thus why employers ask for references—the last hurdle to jump over to reach your job search finish line. Before going to a restaurant, you’ve never been to, you likely check out online reviews, as you would read Amazon reviews before ordering a herbal remedy you’ve never tried or a laptop. Employers conduct Read More…
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Over the course of my career, I learned the “hard way” that it’s better to report to a good boss at a bad company than a bad boss at a good one. The typical job seeker reads through job descriptions hoping to find one that reads like Read More…
No job seeker wants a prolonged job search, especially if they’re unemployed. Holistically the most efficient way to land a job is to stay focused and determined—persevere! Create a daily job search schedule with daily job search activity goals (e.g., Number of applications and reach outs to companies you’d like to join.). Constantly be networking. Ask Read More…
