Are you generating job leads, but not getting any further in the process? Receiving no reply or a negative reply after submitting your resume for a job opening is generally a sign that you did not stand out or not a clear match. Here are the three main reasons resumes and job applications fail: Read More
Video Friday: Using Keywords on Your Resume
Can keywords get you hired? The answer is no, but they can be a tool in your job search. Jobfully’s Carrie Krueger explains how they work and how to use them. Read More
When You Don’t Get Your Dream Job
When I was in my late teens, my dad took me out to buy my first car. We found the perfect one, a rust colored Ford Pinto hatchback. (Does this date me at all?) I was so excited, but on the way to take a second look and make an offer, my dad said, “Never fall in love with the car. You want a great car, and you are going to have a great car. There are lots of them out there. But don’t think THIS car is the perfect one, the only one that will make you happy.” Of course I fell in love with the car and my dad had to drag me away when we couldn’t reach an agreement with the salesman. Later we ended up buying a Pinto station wagon. In my mind, it wasn’t nearly as cool as the hatchback and the color (“flesh” as we called it) was nowhere as awesome as the rust. But in time I saw it was rather ideal, the station wagon offering much greater cargo space during my frequent moves in those years. Read More
How to Network Wherever You Go
My friend Dee and I were snowshoeing a few weeks ago, when we ran into a man with an infant in a baby back pack and a dog at his side. We stopped to chat, admiring him for snowshoeing alone with his little one, asking how the baby liked the ride on daddy’s snowshoes. Dad mentioned that he snowshoes often to clear his head and solve creative problems for his web services business. Dee asked about the business then mentioned she has a friend looking for web services. Before you knew it, Read More
Working with Employment Agencies
Many job seekers work with placement agencies or temp agencies to increase the reach and effectiveness of their job search. There are some advantages to this, but also reasons to be cautious. News coverage of poor treatment and even scams by agencies has some job seekers wary.
Here are some good reasons to work with an agency: Read More
Building a Powerful Network
What makes a good network? Is it a small and select group that we have strong bonds with, or a huge group of hundreds of people we barely know/contact with?
Few other people can better give us insights into professional networking than Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn. We read in Fortune/CNNMonday a rather long piece of an excerpt of the book, The Startup of You, by Reid Hoffman. We wanted to share a quick summary with you of what we learned from this great article. Read More
Effective Cover Letters
Should you have a cover letter? Yes! What should be in your cover letter to make it effective? Learn how to make your cover letter stand out in this video. Read More
Frustrating Job Search? Don’t Play the Blame Game
When you face a job search setback, such as not getting hired after an interview, where do you place the blame? The economy? Your age, race or gender? The foolishness of hiring managers? Blaming external factors over which you have little control may be convenient, but it probably does little to Read More
Craigslist Job Hunting: Two Key Workarounds
Today our guest blogger is Matt Youngquist. Matt is the President of Career Horizons, serving Northwest individuals and organizations dealing with the unique challenges of job hunting and employment transition. Matt is a recognized expert in the field of career coaching, job hunting, and professional employment counseling. You can follow him on Twitter @mattyoungquist.
As I’ve stressed to quite a few clients over the years, anybody looking for work today should consider Craigslist as one of the absolute top sources of published opportunities they check on a regular basis.
Surprised by this? Do you associate Craigslist more with used cars or tracking down garage sales? If so, let me point out the two key reasons why the site is such a unique and important job resource: Read More
When You Don’t Have the Required Years of Experience
Job descriptions often give very specific time requirements for certain skills. Should a job seeker apply even if they don’t have the exact number of years? YES! Read More