Quite a while ago, I wrote a piece titled… I can’t get a job because… In it, I made the case that people aren’t truly affected in their job search by various forms of discrimination as commonly as they may think they are.Often, when people are unwilling to face personal shortcomings in their attitude, experience, job search approach, interview skills, or other factors they could improve, it’s easier for them to decide that...

A while ago I wrote a piece titled… “No” may not be final!The point of the article was that it’s not unusual for a company to be interested in hiring a particular candidate even after they rejected them for a position they were initially pursuing. The article gave a number of reasons to be sure to let the employer know you would still be interested in pursuing other opportunities at the organization as something appropriate...

A recent example reminded me of the amazing power of a referral in a job search. When it works as it should, nothing comes close to making for a better hiring experience for a job seeker! Hiring a new employee is one of the hardest things for an employer... A great hire can have an immeasurable positive impact on a team and on an organizations success.A poor hire can sour a team, set back progress, and have a tremendous cos...

Keeping a full pipeline of job opportunities you are pursuing is one of the best ways to maintain a positive mental attitude, take away fear and worry, and avoid great discouragement in your job search! Too often, job seekers slow down their networking and hunting efforts once they are in process of being considered for a particular position. When that position never materializes, it can feel like a tremendous blow, especia...

Much has been written about preparing for job interviews. However, one aspect of preparation that I can’t emphasize enough, and that hardly ever occurs is… writing out answers to potential interview questions in advance!When the vast majority of people prepare for job interviews, they vaguely think…“If I’m asked about _________, I’ll talk about ______________.”However, they never actually articulate an answer or put it into...

One of the most difficult things for a job seeker to deal with, is when job offers don’t come at the same time! In an ideal world, you would receive all potential offers on the same day. You could lay them out on your dining room table, create your pro/con lists, and make the most rational decision of which offer to accept.The reality, in the vast majority of cases, is that an offer comes, and other potential offers are sti...

There’s a bumper sticker quote I see from time to time that always makes me smile…Well behaved women rarely make historyI like it, because it’s true not just for women, but for virtually anyone that makes a positive impact in the world. Greatness and success rarely comes about by simply following all the rules. It’s by doing the unexpected, outside the norm, by not following the set patterns that people break out and achiev...

Getting employers’ attention in today’s job market it no easy task! When organizations get dozens, or hundreds of applicants for each job opening, it’s hard to get noticed even if you’re a perfect fit. Being unique in some way, doing something attention-grabbing, or getting creative is one way to rise to the top. Taking the idea too far, however, can hurt more than it can help. What are some things to consider?...

Two conversations I’ve had with job seekers recently helped me to consider another aspect of salary negotiations. I’ve written on the topic before in: Always Ask For More… Right? There you will find a great deal of practical advice on how to land where you'd like to land. However, what do you do when an offer comes in extremely low compared to expectations? What options do you have? Here are some obser...

From time to time I have a question come from job seekers along the lines of… If I take this job, how will it look on my resume for the next time around? It’s certainly a valid question to ask… but one that usually has no easy answer! When making decisions regarding job offers and career paths, the choices are very personal and often driven by immediate circumstances. There are a number of things to consider…...