When reading a resume, recruiters or hiring managers are less concerned with how long it is than whether they are getting the information they need quickly and accurately. Therefore, it is a big mistake to load your resume with information that recruiters and hiring managers do not need.For example, they do not need:Your philosophy of life. Unless you are applying for a position at a religious organization or a political or...
As a career success coach, writer, and researcher, I’ve had the opportunity to observe key trends among thousands of professionals around the world, particularly about how they get stuck and stay stuck in careers they dislike, and how they effectively change directions to a new path that’s rewarding and successful.One challenge I hear literally every day goes something like this:“Kathy, I don’t like my career and I know tha...
Congratulations on your upcoming graduation from college! Some of you will be going on to graduate school but a majority of you will be looking for the first full-time job in your chosen career. Here are some tips and warnings that will help you toward interviews and ultimately a successful career.1. Highlight any work, volunteer, or leadership activity. Never dismiss part-time positions, even if they are not in your field,...
Lately, I’ve been hearing a common theme from managers of millennials. They’re hiring you for your record of strong performance, and you deliver. But two little words are holding you back: soft skills.Most professional newbies are unaware of a paradigm shift that happens when you segue from school to the workplace. Your whole life you’ve been striving to deliver the goods to earn the grade, but in a professional setting, pe...
As companies look to the spring hiring season, many leaders are focused on how to attract the best and brightest millennials. If you’re planning to bring on new hires, it’s important to think past the moment the offer is accepted and seriously consider what the first few days and weeks on the job will look like. Do you have best practices in place to onboard millennials for success?Surprisingly, only 32 percent of companies...
The latest report from Spiceworks outlines what's happening in IT this year. The study of 800+ worldwide IT pros, which we started covering last year, explores budgetary concerns, technology trends, and the general state of the IT industry.First and most importantly, IT budgets are barely budging. CIOs’ global planned spending is expected to increase by only about $2,000 year over year, and North American IT departments wil...
Everyone is emailing resumes these days—but are they doing it correctly? Here are a few rules to follow when you are emailing your resume.Send your resume in the format requested in the job posting. Usually this will be Word or .txt format (not .pdf unless specifically requested).Make sure you are using the correct email address. If you make any mistake in the recipient’s address, the email will not arrive—and you may not b...
We’re off and running into 2016, and rather than ask how your resolutions are going, or whether you’re on track to reach your goals, I’d like to pose a different kind of question in this post…What are you curious about in 2016?I love the word curious. There’s an authenticity and wonder about it. It zeros right in on our hearts, and what’s calling out for attention.When I pose the curious question to my coaching clients, ene...
Millions of professionals all over the world are now on LinkedIn (or at least have an account). One of the best features of this dynamic, fluid venue is the Group feature. Too many LinkedIn users do not appreciate the power of LinkedIn groups in reaching the right people for the right reasons. The basic premise of any LinkedIn feature, for those of you who have read my articles/blogs on LinkedIn is Quality over Quantity. T...
We often think about workplace relationships in terms of buzzword-y concepts like “mentor” or “networking.” But most of us realize our work squad should also include workplace friends — someone you can grab lunch with or commiserate over a work fail. I’ve met some great friends at work through the course of my career, particularly in the early years when we were all starting out.But just like friendships outside of work, fr...