Do you know where you’re headed? Do you have a destination in mind when it comes to your job search? The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was such a novel idea when Stephen Covey wrote and published his book years ago. The second habit he discusses, Habit 2 is Begin With the End in Mind. As I ponder that habit today, I thought about job seekers who are struggling to find employment. It is a challenge to find a job today, but not impossible. I know that one of the major issues I find with job seekers is what …read more

Social Media is here to stay. It may be a relatively new term, but I believe we are only just discovering the depth of these word. I believe Social Media will take us places and connect us to people like we have never been connected before. In terms of your job search, understand that networking online is just one form of social networking, and if you are not employing technology in your job search, you are now in the stone ages. It is a critical component to effectively connecting with people and organizations today.
Today I want to focus on the …read more

When you are communicating your skills and abilities to a hiring manger, don’t be boring. Action words will help make the discussion much more interesting for you and the hiring manager. The best way to use powerful action words is to ensure that the action words are used throughout your entire presentation including your resume, cover letter,  application and interview.
Here a list of my favorite action words:

1, Communicated
2. Negotiated
3. Administered
4. Reduced
5. Formulated
6. Approved
7. Generated
8. Recommended
This is a very short list of words you should consider using throughout your resume, your cover letter and when discussing your skills and abilities during …read more

Are Baby Boomers a special class of people? Ask one, and I guarantee they will answer in the affirmative! Baby Boomers are a very special special class of people in my opinion, but that’s probably because I was born on the tail end of this generation of people. I am proud to be a Baby Boomer. But I digress from my focus. If you are a manager and you are in need of good quality talent, than YES, you should hire a Baby Boomer, but let me say this, I don’t believe you should hire a Baby Boomer just because …read more

If you walk into an interview and things don’t feel so good, that may be a clue that you may want to ask more questions about the culture of the organization. If you are sitting in the interview and the people around the table don’t seem to like each other, that would be another clue that the organization has some issues. If you have a friend that works in the organization and they tell you that there are issues with the hiring manager, it may be another obvious indicator that accepting an offer may mean problems for you down the …read more

Brand You, Inc. is all about you. It is about you differentiating yourself from other candidates. It’s about you as the product when you are sitting across the table from a hiring manager. Why should the hiring manager select your product – YOU, over every other product they are considering for the position. Brand You, Inc. is about differentiation.
According to Fast Company, you learn stuff, develop your skills, hone your abilities, move from project to project. And if you’re really smart, you figure out how to distinguish yourself from all the other very smart people walking around in a suit, …read more

Late for dinner, may be acceptable to your mom or your spouse. But late for an interview in this market is absolutely ludicrous. It is an interview blunder that you must take note of and adjust if timeliness is an issue for you. Being tardy is one of the character flaws that will get you fired and put you back in the unemployment line. As a job seeker, being late for your interview is a great way to ensure you are not hired.
I have heard people say that you can call the organization and notify them that you will be …read more

What can an employer really say about you if you were fired with or without cause? It depends. It depends on the organization and/or the state you live in. Some organizations believe in full disclosure and will tell all. And there are other organizations who will only verify dates of employment, salary and whether you are rehirable.
There are many people who believe that an employer will never know they were fired. But that is a mistake. You are deceiving your self if you think that an organization won’t find out. If you don’t prep your references properly, that is one …read more

Other than networking your way into an interview, your resume is the key to unlocking your job search and get you in front of an organization, and ultimately in front of a hiring manager. So, a poorly written resume is a show stopper. In fact without a well written resume, you are wasting your time applying for decent jobs. You have less than 6 seconds to make a good impression with your resume. So, you may want to consider a certified professional resume writer.
Professional Resume Writers are incredibly busy helping job seekers develop, write and edit resumes. Check out AResume …read more

If you already have a job, why in the world would you be looking for another one? Why put yourself in the front of hiring managers, interviewing and discussing your skills and abilities when you already have a job? Actually, I think it is a good thing to keep yourself sharp. If you are looking for advancement and your organization is not promoting right now, interviewing for another position may help you get the money, or the promotion that you may be looking for. Today, I got a question from a reader.
Take a look:
How would I justify to the employer …read more