When addressing the issue of being “overqualified,” it’s critical to understand the true concerns behind the label. Last week we laid out what some of those concerns might be. Today, how to address them. 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
Video Friday: Working with Recruiters
How can you tell if a recruiter is good? Video Friday offers quick tips for finding and working with the best recruiters. Read More
“You’re Overqualified.” What are they really saying?
It’s not uncommon for experienced workers to be told they aren’t getting a job because they are overqualified. Expressing a willingness to work below past level and beneath past salary oftentimes is not the best strategy for dealing with this situation. Instead, it’s important to understand what specific concerns the hiring manager is raising. Deep experience should not be a liability but actually an asset in your job search. To bring it out, you need to address the underlying reasons directly. Read More
Video Friday: Efficient Job Searching from Home
Job seekers are sometimes challenged by the distractions of working from home. In today’s video, three quick tips for efficiency, when your job is looking for a job and your office is your house. Read More
Networking No-Nos
Successful job seekers work hard to grow their network. So the last thing any job seeker wants to do is ruin a first impression or annoy contacts with blunders or missteps. To have a robust and thriving network, it’s critical you treat your contacts right, building good will with every encounter. Read More
Interview Fail: Signs Your Interview is Not Going Well
Most job seekers have had the experience of coming out of an interview feeling it went great, only to learn later that it did not. There are ways to tell an interview is not going well, and ways to correct on the spot in hopes of a better outcome. Read More
Job Search Magic Combination: Optimism and Action
A positive mindset is critical to job search success. Optimism and confidence come through in every job search related communication and interaction, from networking to cover letters to interviewing. The winning combination is optimism coupled with action. Read More
Finding Openings at Small Companies and Start-ups
After looking at what you can demonstrate about yourself to increase your chances of landing jobs in small companies , let’s see where you can find some of these openings. Unlike large firms, small companies and start-ups do not always have formal job listings. There is no substitute for networking and it becomes all the more necessary when looking for jobs in small companies. Focusing on your networking efforts and broadening your network is the best way to discover these hidden jobs. 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