Category: Strategic advice

Why You Need a Job Search Strategy

Job seekers often remark about the vast number of resumes they are sending out and the limited response.  Or, they tell me they go to many networking events yet they haven’t generated results.  The problem is that while sending out resumes or going to networking events is part of a job search, activity without a strategy will not generate success. Measuring a job search by number of resumes sent out or events attended leads to a false sense of productivity coupled with an increasing sense of frustration. Read More

Creating a Job Search Strategy for Success

Imagine trying to build a house without a blue print. You might have a great vision of what the end result will look like, but without a plan, your effort might be going into fruitless pursuit. It’s the same with a job search. A lot of people want to jump right in without a strategic plan that gets them to hired.  It’s tempting to just apply to as many jobs as possible, but unfocused efforts only lead to frustration and a prolonged job search. Read More

Making the Most of the Temp Trend

As the economy slowly recovers, companies are adding temps rather than full time employees, while they wait for things to stabilize. A Wall Street Journal article hints this may be a long term trend.  Job seekers should be very open to temp or contract work and  make the most of it, viewing it as a different, but still very acceptable way to find fulfilling work. Read More

The Value of Expert Help in a Job Search

A friend of mine wanted to try doing a triathlon – a race involving swimming, bicycling and running. She was confident with the latter two but apprehensive about the swim. “I’ve been swimming since I was a kid, but I’ve never tried racing.”  I offered to take a swim with her and see how she was in the water. It turns out she could barely keep her head up!

Swimming is like a lot of things in life. We can do it well enough to keep from drowning but we’re not truly competent and certainly not good enough to win a race. Read More

A New Season with New Opportunities

Fall is in the air.  For anyone looking for a job, it’s time to kick the job search into high gear. Although recruitment cycles vary, the numbers show that the highest rates of hiring are before and after holidays – fall and spring. Making contact during these periods may give you an extra advantage. The good news: Read More

Be the Job

You know how to know the job and look the job, but do you know how to be the job?  There are some aspects of behavior that are the same no matter what job you are looking for – you should be courteous, polite, prompt.  These are things that, regardless of the position you are applying for, will get you noticed in a positive way.  Here are some simple guidelines any job seeker can follow to stand out as a good employee. Read More