It’s common for people who are out of work to experience certain degree of depression. When we are feeling down and depressed, it can be difficult to manage even some simple tasks in our daily lives, not to mention the more mentally demanding job seeking activities. This feeling sometimes gets multiplied when compounded by the financial pressure of being jobless. A natural consequence is an ever-growing dark cloud that hangs over our head that seems to be preventing us from moving forward. Read More
Answering “How do You Deal with Conflict?”
Conflict is something we have to deal with on a daily basis. How we handle it is a reflection of the type of professional we are. That’s why the question “How do you handle conflict?” gets asked in interviews. When asked about your ability to deal with conflict, be prepared to explain your overall philosophy and give examples: Read More
Job Search Lottery and Why You Wouldn’t Want to Win It
Everyone wants to win the lottery, right? Many people believe that when a large sum of money lands on their laps, their dreams will come true, their days will be care-free, and they can live happily ever after. There is an equivalent of “winning the lottery” in job search. We will talk about what it is and why you wouldn’t really want to win this “Job Search Lottery.” Read More
What Job Seekers Can Learn From Lady Gaga
Don’t let the eccentric makeup and extreme fashion fool you. Lady Gaga is not another pop star using shock value to stay in the spotlight. She is actually a brilliant entrepreneur. Her enterprise? The Lady Gaga brand. There’s a reason Forbes chose her as 2011’s Most Powerful Celebrity – over Oprah. A recent Wall Street Journal blog highlighted what aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from Lady Gaga’s career, and we saw some important lessons for job seekers, too. Read More
Inspired by Job Seekers
Because of my work, I get in contact with job seekers a lot. Most of the time, my conversations with job seekers focus on their job search challenges, possible job leads, job market trends, best current job search practices, etc. Last week I had a chance to gain a much deeper perspective into job seekers’ lives. I walked away very inspired. Read More
Seattle Job Openings: SEOmoz
We ran into a fellow Seattle company, SEOmoz, last week at SMX conference in Seattle. They are a cool group of people doing great work. They currently have eight open positions. From SEOmoz.com: “SEOmoz develops SEO software, provides a robust link intelligence API, and hosts the web’s most vibrant SEO community.” Benefits include competitive salary, stock options, 31 paid days off, travel opportunities, home Internet access, transportation options, health benefits (medical, dental, vision, FSA), 401k with company match, and weekly catered lunch. Read More
Does Retraining Pay Off?
A lot of job seekers are wisely using their transitional time to seek new skills, certifications and competencies. Whether shifting to a new field or shoring up abilities in an old one, it makes sense never to stop learning and growing. Read More
Handling the Ups and Downs of Job Search
Some people purposely read the end of a book first. They find that removing the suspense and knowing how it’s going to turn out makes the book more enjoyable. With job search, you don’t have the option of knowing from the start how it will turn out. While job search tends to follow a certain course, you don’t know what any given day will bring – perhaps a new lead, or perhaps a rejection. It’s helpful and appropriate for job seekers to be optimistic that their job search will have a happy ending. But between now and the start of your new job, there are sure to be highs and lows. Here are six ways to deal with the ups and downs of job search. Read More
The Myth of Multitasking: How to Manage Tasks in Your Job Search
Multitasking is a modern myth that needs to be busted. Technology enables us to be connected 24/7 to a variety of channels. Don’t be tempted by the illusion of the hyper-productivity of multitasking. The biological structure of our brain reveals just how little we can actually multitask.
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Making the Most of Each Day in Your Job Search
“I’ve lost my structure,” Shannon sighed. “When I was working, the day, the week, and the month had a built-in structure. There were activities I knew I had to complete, deadlines, and accountability. Now the days are free-form. I’m not sure what to do next and I feel like I’m spinning my wheels.” Two months into a job search, Shannon’s feelings are very common.
The work-world often makes it very easy to stay on track. Read More