To take notes, or not to take notes: that is the question. Many job seekers might have been wondering about what to do about note-taking during job interviews. On the one hand, you want to write down important items that come up during the conversation. On the other hand, you don’t want to seem inattentive and distracted, or miss out on other important things your interviewer said while you’re busy writing down her last sentence. Read More
Elevator Pitch Done Right: A Step-by-Step Guide
Job seekers should have a concise summary of their core skills and accomplishments that they can deliver to anyone who will listen in a small window of time. This is often referred to as an “elevator pitch.” However, it is often used incorrectly. When not done right, this little speech can kill your chances for further discussion, let alone finding a job lead. Here is a step-by-step guide for creating a pitch and delivering properly: Read More
Video Friday: Researching People before the Interview
Good preparation for an interview includes researching the company and the position you’re applying for, but it also includes researching the individuals who will be interviewing you. Here are some tips for helpful research you can do. Read More
A Job Seeker’s Guide to E-mail Communication
E-mail is probably the most common form of communication in the modern job search. You might use e-mail for networking, submitting resumes, following up, and more. Since e-mails are so important in so many stages of your job search, you want to avoid e-mail miscommunication. Here are some tips for ensuring that your e-mails are clear and effective. Read More
Debugging Your E-mail Communication
Communication can make or break a job search. With so many emails being exchanged during a job search, we rarely take a step back to think about the effectiveness of our email communications. Given the importance of clear and effective communication, it’s well worth every job seeker’s effort to think about their email usage and debug any glitches in this common form of communication. Read More
Staying Positive During Your Job Search
Having a positive mindset is important in your job search. However, job search length has become much longer in the past few years no matter you are trying to change your job or are currently out of work. It’s understandable for job seekers to get discouraged after job hunting for a while, but without results. Keeping a positive mindset constantly will be important during this time period. Read More
Video Friday: Importance of Interview Mental Readiness
An interview isn’t just an employer’s chance to grill potential candidates – it’s an opportunity for both you and the employer to exchange information. This week’s video highlights the three top things you and your interviewer should be focusing on. Read More
Video Friday: Working with Job Recruiters
Tips for working with recruiters during your job search. Read More
Social Media and Your Career: Two Simple Rules
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.
So have we reached the tipping point yet? Have we arrived at the juncture where ALL professionals need to fully embrace social media and start using it, actively, if they hope to stay competitive in today’s employment marketplace?
Little Ways for Jobseekers to Communicate Professionally
For job seekers, every communication counts. Recruiters and hiring managers are measuring you every time you interact and small details matter. Today, some tips on making each communication shine. Read More