I wrote these Articles in answers to questions from my clients and website visitors.
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Job Searching
- Applying for a Federal Government Job - If you want to work for the federal government, you have to play by its rules. The federal resume is much different from a standard resume.
- Don’t Look for a Job. Find a Career - Finding a career that suits you can bring lifelong satisfaction. Finding a job can lead to years of misery.
- Getting a Job May be as Easy as Readjusting Your Thinking - Adjust your job search to the new reality. Don’t whine about how things are and don’t think about how they were. Make today’s reality work for you.
- How Important is Having a LinkedIn Profile? - About 85% of all hiring managers and recruiters visit LinkedIn to find great candidates.
- How to Get Hired When You’re A Senior Past 60 - It's not easy being a mature worker looking for work. But, there are opportunities out there. Focus on your strengths and what you bring to the job that younger workers cannot.
- If You’re Not on LinkedIn, You Don’t Exist - LinkedIn is ingrained in corporate culture. Its competition is mostly headhunters and help-wanted ads. Many people think if you’re not on LinkedIn, you don’t exist.
- Your Job Search MUST Be Aggressive - Don’t post your resume online, then sit back and wait for the offers to come in.
Resumes
- How Long Should My Resume Be? - Don’t believe the urban legend that says your resume should be kept to just one page. It’s important to properly market yourself to employers, and that can take several pages.
- It’s Important to Use Numbers in Your Resume - Jennie was proud of her success in producing high levels of revenue for her company but nervous about actually showing those numbers in her resume. After considering options, we found a way to use numbers to make her resume strong without revealing data she considered too sensitive.
- Nontraditional Resume Works Best for Career Transition - Forget everything you know about resume writing if you are making a career transition. The standard format just won’t work. You need a nontraditional resume.
Interviews and Interviewing
- Does Dress for Success Always Mean Dressing Up? - Ken was confused about whether or not it was appropriate to wear a suit and tie to the second interview with the same company. He found out that dressing for success can mean blending with the environment and choosing a more casual approach when thinking about what to wear.
- Interviewing and Hiring From an Employer’s Point of View - Getting your next job may be as easy as showing up on time for the interview, doing your homework about the company, having the right skill set, and making a good impression on the interviewer.
- Interviewing Tips To Get The Job You Want - Interviewing successfully could be as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. You may not be able to remember all the rules for interviewing, but keeping just 5 in mind could be the difference between getting the offer and getting the boot.
- Turn Your Thank You Letter Into A Job-Cinching Letter - Write a thank-you letter that expresses more than your appreciation. Use it to get the job by showing how you can solve a problem for the company.
- When Should You Discuss Salary? - You need to be ready to talk money in the very early stages of the interview process. You can’t wait until an offer is on the table.
New Graduates
- Job Hunting Mistakes New Grads Often Make - It takes more than a resume to look for your first job. Avoid these common mistakes.
- Maximize the Value of Entry-Level Jobs - You can turn your internship and entry-level job into a long-term career.
- New Job – What’s It Gonna Take? - Getting a new job has a lot in common with losing weight. They both take work and discipline.
- Start Your Job Search While Still in College - Start your job search early. Get your feet on solid ground so you can begin running ahead of the pack on graduation day.
Difficult Situations
- Assess Where You Are and Where You Want to Be - After a few years, Susan found that her dream job had become a nightmare. She took a hard look at where she was, thought about where she wanted to be, and decided to make it happen. Faster than she could have imagined, Susan found herself in a job that satisfied both her professional and personal needs.
- Career Planning Free from Guilt - The American cartoonist, Cathy Guisewite, whose “Cathy” cartoon had a 34-year run in multiple newspapers, described the four major guilt groups as food, love, career and mothers. Notice how “career” made it into the top three?
- Career Success Can Come From Patience and Persistence - Career success often depends on your patience and persistence. When you aren’t getting interviews for jobs you want, don't settle for less.
- Dealing with Bad Career Decisions - Over time, bad career decisions can catch up with you and make finding a job very difficult.
- Help for Felons Reentering the Workforce - It’s sometimes difficult for convicted felons to get jobs but there are some things you can do and places you can contact for help.
- How to Manage A Job Loss - After a job loss, take time to take care of yourself. It is the most important thing you can do to ensure success in finding a new job.
Miscellaneous
- It’s a Tougher Job Market for Millennials - Millennials are finding it nearly impossible to get jobs and get on their own. There are ways to improve their chances of finding full-time employment.
- Keep Your Focus on Your Goals - If you want to succeed, you can’t let setbacks set you back. You have to focus on your goals and don't let setbacks deter you.
- Skilled Trades Career Option - Consider skilled trades. A lot of jobs that pay $50,000; $60,000; $70,000 a year don’t require a college degree.
- The New Face of Temp Jobs - Temp jobs and contract jobs can be your gateway to landing a full-time position in your industry, moving to an entirely new profession, or gaining the kind of job flexibility you've only dreamed about.
- Why Is Personal Branding Important? - Figuring out why personal branding is an important part of your job-search strategy is as simple as understanding why you pick one product over another.