Work, success, and meaning at every stage of your career
The first week that you started looking for a new position, hiring managers may not have even noticed that you were technically unemployed. And they certainly (hopefully) had the common sense not to hold this against you. But if you’ve been on the market for a few months—or years—now, things might be a bit different.
The First Coast Virtual Job Fair opened Monday, June 10 at 12:02 A.M. By the time you’re reading this, hundreds of job seekers will be uploading resumes from the comfort of their living rooms, wearing bunny slippers instead of power suits. It’s also a great opportunity for people who are working to attend a job fair without taking time off from their current jobs.
There are two important reasons to turn the tables on your interviewer before you leave the room. First, asking pointed questions can help you determine if this is or isn’t the right job for you. Of course you’ll need to impress your interviewer if you hope to receive an offer, but you have every right … Continue reading Guest Post: Don’t Leave your Interview without Asking These Questions
While phone interviews are the most common alternative for out-of-state candidates, it’s not unusual for a distant employer to request an interview session with a candidate via Skype or Gmail. Welcome to the post-recession economy, where candidate searches have gone global, and where technology has improved so much that travel isn’t necessary to meet face-to-face. … Continue reading Guest Post: Mastering the Art of the Video Interview
If you’re a job seeker and you’ve been on the receiving end of any of the disrespectful moves listed below, you aren’t alone. But take heart; smart employers are starting to recognize that an imbalanced job market doesn’t give them free rein to treat applicants poorly. Meanwhile, the faster you shake off the effects of these rude behaviors and move on to the next potential job, the faster you’ll get where you need to be.
Heather Huhman wrote a great post about the personal qualities that hiring managers don’t like to see in a candidate. But it’s the Smart Brief link title that caught my eye: Are you too boring to hire?
Huhman writes:
“Hiring managers don’t want to see a candidate who has no additional interests or personality beyond what’s required to get a job in their industry. You need to show you’re a human being, not a robot. Hiring managers love to see candidates with hobbies, or even those who have taken on a second job—it shows you’re able to make good use of your free time to expand your skills and interests, and this is a quality that’s likely to spill over into your professional life.”
You’ve been on the job market for a while now, and you’re starting to wonder if your only options lie in published postings for established positions. What if you really want a job that isn’t available? Or a job that doesn’t technically exist? What if you find yourself attracted to a certain organization, but the company website has no specific “careers” listing? What if a company has no positions to offer right now, but makes a claim like “We’re always looking for great people”?
One of the best ways to advance your career is by targeting a specific company in the industry where you want to work. You probably already know that customizing the goals and experiences on your resume to the specific company to you are applying will help you get your foot in the door, but imagine how much more impressed that company would be if you had already done deep research on the company’s business and objectives, and knew people who work there. These three actions will increase your attractiveness to any employer, but networking with people who work at the target company can be a challenge. Here are five places where you can find and network with the employees at your target firm.
1. Local Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations
Your next job interview is not a matter of life or death, (although it may feel like it to you) but a checklist is a great idea to help you remember important steps no matter how nervous you are.
It was a good interview. Maybe even a great interview. You felt a connection to the interviewer, you felt that you answered the technical questions well, and there were no unpleasant surprises regarding the duties or the salary. You’re feeling hopeful, but you know they have two more candidates to see. What next step will really advance your chances for this job?
A great thank you note.
Your Work, Your Way 