In my August issue of Career Tips, I wrote about the benefits of volunteering to make yourself more marketable, and some potential traps to avoid. Another form of ‘volunteering’ is the unpaid internship or ’sample’ consulting project. Basically, you are giving a prospective employer something for free to demonstrate the value you can add. […]
Think Outside The Box (In A Career Search) Read More »
I was struck by a phrase in a posting about a job as follows: “Cultural fit will be very important…looking for an all-around athlete that is easy to get along with” This is a point that many candidates overlook – they are so worried about ’selling themselves’ that they forget to take a really close
Don’t Overlook Fit To Job Read More »
People often ask me if LinkedIn is worthwhile for a job search. It can be very useful, if you put some work into it to make it effective. I found in my own case that once I passed a threshhold of around 100 direct connections, it made a huge difference in the results I saw.
I’ve many times seen postings requesting leads to recruiters…and sometimes respond to them. Here’s a sample: “Dear Mr. Hadley, I am jobless and I was wondering how I can find a good headhunter?” First off, rather than simply relying on a headhunter, why not do some serious networking to also uncover great opportunities
“I’m listening to your networking sessions. I have a specific question re: “approach.” I have a contact that I’m linked to via LinkedIn. I also worked with her on a major initiative. She currently is at the Director level and there is a manager level position being advertised. I have her work phone number
How To Reach Out To Contact Read More »
“John, I took your “5 Secrets” seminar in 2005, when the software company I worked for essentially collapsed. I then went with another small software start-up, which was acquired last year “at below market rates” and was immediately laid off by the acquiring company. Since then I have pursued two directions: My passion, returning
“Old Hand” Needs New Tricks Read More »
“Recently I began attending an 8-week career seminar. At age 62, I have not had permanent work since 2006, following the 2nd of two layoffs in less than 2 years. I cannot say that I have ever found my “sweet spot” as to doing work that I love. I have also taken several assessment tests
Figuring Out My “Dream” Job Read More »
“How should I handle a question as to why I would consider leaving an employer that I have been with for a relatively short time? I have been employed with my current employer for 7 months, the previous employer was for 8 years.” You need to keep your answer short and simple…the longer the answer,
Explaining Why You’re Looking Read More »
Candidates so often focus on their responsibilities, duties, and experience in their résumé, cover letter, elevator pitch, etc. This is an interest killer. Talking about things you were responsible for doesn’t say anything about the quality of your work or the results you can produce. The only reason I would hire you is that
“I have one documented reference check on my most recent former boss, which shows that she talked in detail responding to questions about items in my resume with the caller. This is totally against company policy, which I drafted while I worked there and implemented with our department, which is to only verify dates of
Former Boss Sabotages Reference Checks Read More »