I look at a LOT of LinkedIn profiles — to critique and offer suggestions. No matter how much information is contained in a profile, my initial glance lasts an average of 30 seconds. So what am I looking for in those 30 seconds? In essence, it’s whether his/her personal brand is effectively communicated. My litmus […]
The email arrives in your in-box at 3:45 on a Friday afternoon. “After ten years of wonderful service to our organization, Madison Hall’s last day of employment will be June 20th. She will be exploring other career opportunities and we wish her well in her pursuits.” Opps. Was she fired? Did she leave voluntarily? Is […]
By 9:00 a.m. this morning, I had three articles on this subject cross my electronic path. All of them offering advice to the job interviewee on how to answer this important interview question. The general theme of the articles being that you have to answer this question by grabbing the interviewer’s attention so he/she will […]
I did a workshop a few weeks ago about job interviewing. And when I talked about the importance of making sure that your interview is consistent with your personal brand, I had several blank looks from workshop participants. What can I tell you about branding that you don’t already know? From a career coach perspective, […]
I have this conversation at least a few times a week. Sometimes is a frustrated professional who relocated to Portland a year ago, and finds herself under-employed and has grown uneasy about her resume. Or its someone who’s wanting to relocate to Portland but is mystified about how to approach a long distance job search […]
Think the interview is all about impressing them with your skills and experience? Think again. More and more companies are hiring with “the likeability factor” in mind – the right credentials and the right personality. In an Associated Press article in November 2007, one company admitted to putting candidates through a full-day of interviews. Their […]
If you haven’t looked for a job in the past five years, you’re probably unaware of some of the subtle changes that now define the job market. What defines the overall job market, also defines a successful job search. Jobs are constantly being re-structured, which means an inherent lack of job security. This article in […]
This question has come up a couple of times during the past few weeks. Clients often ask me whether it’s a good career move to work with a recruiter. Several of them have been approached by a recruiter directly, which I predict will be a growing trend as the talent shortage increases (I’ll write more […]
Informational interviewing is when you make contact with people you assume can help/aid you in your job search. You ask them questions about their work, trends in the industry/profession, with the intent being that they might offer you an important job lead. If this is how you define informational interviewing, it’s not a technique you […]
When I was teaching Professional Development to college students, this topic was one of the most popular. Actually, the whole section on interviewing seemed to get the students’ attention. My theory about interview questions is that if it makes you feel uncomfortable, it’s likely an unlawful inquiry. Having said that, I also take a “big […]
