Use Indeed.com to Job Search

In addition to your networking 'inside' contacts, there are on-line job search engines that can identify job openings. 

Using a job search engine aggregates job listings from many different sources including the top job-search websites, it saves you time and effort because you generally only need to perform your search in one place.

Take a look at the features of a typical search engine here.

Five Tricky Interview Questions

Interviewers often ask some questions to catch you off-guard so they can assess how you react to unexpected situations. There are even some questions that are intended to get you to reveal things you may have otherwise concealed. 

Digest the question and stay composed. Give yourself time to think, especially if the question is not directly to the point regarding the position you applied for.

Get the flavor of this questioning style here.

Know the Types of Employment Agencies

In addition to crafting a competitive resume, you may decide to enlist an employment agency to help find your next position. There are a variety of types of employment agencies that help job seekers get hired. 

The one most appropriate will depend upon your work history, your career field, your willingness to relocate, your full-time/part-time flexibility and your skill-set.

For a discussion of Employment Agency services, click here.

What Does Direct Hire Mean

If you’re interested in a full-time position with benefits like health insurance, vacation time, and sick leave, you’re probably looking for a direct-hire job. Direct-hire positions can be harder to find than other types of work, including part-time or temporary jobs and contract work. A CareerBuilder survey reported that 40% of employers planned on hiring full-time workers in 2019, compared to 47% for part-time and contract workers.

Direct hires are among the most desirable types of positions. That’s because you’ll be working directly for your employer in a full-time permanent capacity with employee benefits. These benefits may include health insurance, paid leave, investment and retirement options, and wellness benefits. 

Even though direct-hire jobs may not be the easiest to find, there are ways you can optimize your job search to tap into companies that hire directly. Here’s a quick guide to direct hiring, how it differs from other types of recruiting, and tips for successfully landing a job as a direct hire.

• What Is a Direct Hire?
• Private Employer vs. Government Hiring
• Direct Hire vs. Other Forms of Hiring
• How Recruiting Works in Direct Hiring
• Examples of Direct Hiring
• How to Find Direct Hire Jobs

For more information about Direct Hiring, click here.

An Overview of How People Get Hired

How does the recruitment process work? It depends on the company and what methods the company uses to find applicants for employment. However, most large and some small employers have a formal process that follows to recruit and hire new employees.  Below are nine hiring processes that commonly can be frequently utilized by companies when recruiting perspective employees.

• Steps in the Recruiting Process
• Types of RecruitingTypes of Recruiting
• Job Interviews
• Posting Jobs Online
• Using LinkedIn
• Social Recruiting
• The Job Application Process
• The Interview Process
• The Hiring Process

For more information, click here.

Find Companies That Are Hiring

When  job searching time is always an issue. Don't waste your time weeding through old job listings that are out-of-date and already filled. Applicants who apply sooner rather than later have a better shot at getting an interview. 

There are ways to get the newest job openings online and via email, as well as options for finding local companies who are hiring now.have current openings.

For strategies and tools see the article here.

Use a Smartphone in Your Job Search

Your phone is a useful tool for job searching, and almost every job seeker is using a mobile device in some way for job hunting. It can be used to view job search sites and browse open positions.

While your most important tool is a targeted and well crafted resume, your phone an play a creative part in your job search.

For some creative phone uses see the full article here.

Tips For Finding a New Job

Unless you work in a high-demand career, finding a new job can be a challenging and frustrating experience. You can make the job search easier on yourself if you use proactive strategies for finding a new job.  Strategies for finding a new job are applicable to all jobseekers, from those just starting out to experienced candidates who need a quick refresher.

Find tips for finding a job at any career level here.

Choose a Career That Pays Off

Early education decisions are critical to future career success. There’s a good reason for that: Without choosing the right courses in ninth grade, students may not get into the right courses in the next three years. Without those credits on their record, they may not get into the right degree program. 

Pay attention to the foundation of aptitude and skills to make the most of an early education strategy.  

Explore five considerations for choosing a field here.

Two Methods of Answering Interview Questions

A type of interview question that isn’t easy to predict is the kind that begins with “Tell me about a time when . . .”  Just like numbers resonate better with a hiring manager than claims of “proven results,” stories resonate better than claims of “proven ability.”

There are two techniques for telling those stories that can be used for all manner of questions in such a behavioral interview.

See the strategies and examples here.

Avoid Identity Theft When Job Searching

Online job seekers are a target for scammers who are looking to steal people's identities. It's important to be sure the jobs you are applying for are legitimate and you're not inadvertently providing personal information that can be used by a scammer.

To protect yourself, you should be aware of common types of identity theft that can happen during job searches and how to avoid scams while job searching.

Review 4 common scams and 6 protection strategies here.

Stable Job but Reasons to Leave

Even with a currently stable job, it  is sometimes necessary to escape a  hostile working environment. If you are dreading going to work every day, then the anxiety may have deleterious effects on your productivity and health. 

Hopefully by evaluating some common situations, you will be able to carefully reevaluate your position and make a sound decision. 

See five situations here.

7 Reasons You’re Not Getting an Interview

It can be frustrating submitting resumes only to receive the silent treatment from prospective employers. Know that you are not alone. Studies show that only 2% of job applicants actually get called in for an interview. You need to be in that 2%. 

There are reasons why you might not get called in for an interview. Have a look at the top seven reasons why you might not be getting an interview here.

How to Explain Gaps in Your Work History

Do you have gaps in your work history? If so, you are not alone. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 6 million Americans are unemployed. Many of these people will have to find a way to explain this gap in their work history, just like you. So, don’t think that having a gap in your work history will prevent you from landing the job you want.

The trick is to push prospective employers to look beyond your work history gap and see the potential you bring to the table.

Here are some tips for how to explain gaps in your work history. Click here for these tips.

Add a Personal Touch to Your Job Inquiry

Personal touches can be important determinants toward a hiring manager’s consideration of your application. Personalize the 30 Second Summary in the first section of your resume specifically towards the company and your qualificaions for the position.

A cover letter gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge about the company. You can mention some of your strengths and skills that will enable the company to achieve its mission, values, and current projects.

See more opportunities for personalization here.

Language Refinement for Cover Letters and Resumes

While resumes and cover letters address the same position,  the tone and character differ. In writing each, be sure you understand what the hiring manager expects.

Your purpose, tone, format, style, and content differ. When making decisions about what to include and where, be sure that all of these factors line up. 

Find some helpful guidelines here. 

Using Recruiters and Headhunters

You can go it alone or you can go commercial. As for the 'Commercial' route, a recruiter matches you up with his client's job list. A recruiter will likely coach you and get you ready for interviews. The recruiter is there to help you get the interview and the job! Typically this 'Headhunter' is paid by the company.

See seven aspects of using a Recruiter here.

Showcase Your Winning Personality

Likely your resume (or possibly a personal recommendation) got you an interview. While the resume presented the 'facts', the interview will present the 'you' that will hopefully be hired.  The interaction, the presentation of 'you' is key. In the interview it is yours to win or loose. You need to be yourself but a few hints to carry you forward can be beneficial.

See seven points on your personal presentation here.

Beat Those Interview Nerves

Interview nerves, if you don’t feel nervous, the chances are the position you’re going for isn’t that important to you. We get nervous about things because we care about them. In that way, nerves are good.

It’s easy to say, “Don’t worry, everyone gets nervous,” but if you’re in the midst of nerves, this phrase does not help. 

Stave off those shaky feelings with 7 tips here.

7 Resume Mistakes to Avoid

Your resume is the first thing an employer will see. It should introduce who you are, what your skills are, and what talents you bring to the company. 

Your resume can open job opportunities for you – or close them. One mistake with your resume can mean the difference between a call for an interview or not. 

See 7 points to consider here.

Salary Considerations. . . ?

When you are deep in negotiations on a serious offer or simply assessing a job opportunity, salary is a key factor. 

Consider the experience and opportunity for advancement as a soft factor. Consider the non economic perks as part of the offered package or advertised opportunity.

For an overall perspective see five factors here.

Use Work Experience Stories in Your Interview

To make the most of your hard fought for interview, you need to be prepared. You won't know the questions until they are asked. So prepare by building a set of responses to typical questions; be able to tell a story about ...

Have those in your hip pocket as a backup to an off the wall question. If you are at a loss, pick the best fit story and give it. Follow with 'Does that apply to what you are looking for?'.

See five soft objective questions here.

Use Work Experience Stories in Your Iterview

To make the most of your hard fought for interview, you need to be prepared. You won't know the questions until they are asked. So prepare by building a set of responses to typical questions; be able to tell a story about ...

Have those in your hip pocket as a backup to an off the wall question. If you are at a loss, pick the best fit story and give it. Follow with 'Does that apply to what you are looking for?'.

See five soft objective questions here.

Men: Guide to Dressing for an Interview

Many men think they don’t have to put as much thought into their work wardrobe as women do. The basic principles of menswear don’t change as markedly across generations, and a traditional style is always preferable to trend-chasing. 

It’s important for men to know why those principles are what they are, especially when it comes time to dress for a job interview. This is when fit, cleanliness, and attention to detail matter most.

See five points on dressing here.

No-Nonsense: How To Get A Job

Temporal self reliance is dependent om gettng and advancing in a job or trade. The challenge today for many people who need employment or a better job is that they’re often not sure
how to get the job they want. 

The process of getting the job you want can take from a few days
to weeks or even months, but the good news is that there is process works works. 

See a six step plan to employment here.

Accepting a Job in Another City?

At some point in your career you may be presented with an opportunity to join a position in a new city, or state, or country. 

Perhaps you’ve dreamed of leaving your hometown for the bright lights of elsewhere. The prospect may be horribly daunting, even if there’s a wonderful new job. Either way, the decision to relocate for professional reasons shouldn’t be entered into lightly.

See five points to consider here.

Resume Making a Good First Impression?

You only have one chance to impress prospective employers. According to the Harvard Business Review report, you have only 15 to 20 words to grab the attention of potential employers. 

If you want to get past the screening process and land an interview, you must create a resume that makes a great first impression. 

See seven key points here.

Beware of Fake Job Postings

When you’re applying for a job, you have to be careful to avoid  fake companies. While you are eager to communicate, some postings could be phishing scams. 

Presenting your resume is an honest job seeking endevor, but it also contains personal information. That information could be used to gain your confidence and request too personal information.

For a few tips to help you avoid a fake company click here.

Marketing Your Career

Your career is not just going to build itself. It takes careful planning, strategizing, and know-how to achieve your career goals. Developing a career is like marketing, but instead, of selling goods or services, you’re selling your talents, your skills, and your ambitions. 

To make this happen, you can use several marketing tips that have  power to market yourself and build the career you want.

See six points here.

Research to Impress an Interviewer

There’s a reason that an interviewer will take time to talk about the company and its needs, beyond that described in the job posting. There are two parties involved, and they need to mesh together well early on.

By conducting extra research about the organization, you can develop answers to the hiring manager’s questions, and ask insightful questions of your own. If you can prove that you understand more about the company, you’ll stand out over the competition, leaving the manager with the sense that you are genuinely interested in the position. 

Find 5 things you should look into here:

Handle Your Post-Interview Wait

Your resume made it past the screening process, you completed the interview process, and now you’re just waiting to hear back. 

If you’re like many applicants, this waiting period can be brutal. You may find yourself checking your email and voicemail several times a day and even starting to second guess how well you think you did on the interview. While nothing will make this time go faster, it’s important to know that there are some things you can do to during this wait time to help you handle the stress.

See seven pointers to gain perspective here.

You Should Have an Exit Plan

We all get older and we get wiser. At some point we will 'exit' to retirement. Recognize that technologies are still evolving and the new hires are ikely more tech savy than you. 

Pay particular attention in the later part of your career to develop the ability mentor your ultimate replacements with your experience. Pass on your wisdom of how things work and let the younger apply their technology.

See points for a graceful career evolution here.

5 Must Practice Interview Questions

Be prepared to be asked about how you handled situations; interacted with people. While the questions may only be loosely related to the job title or duties, they are intended to get you to relate personal experiences.

Your responses to seemingly 'off the wall' questions will evaluate a quality the interviewer is interested in. Don't get caught off guard.

See 5 example questions here.

Answering Behavioral Interview Questions

Having a 'behavioral' interview may be somewhat difficult at first. The interviewer will be consistently drilling down to specific examples in your experience. If you have difficulty coming up with a specific example, the behavioral interviewer will provide you with a prompt to continue thinking until you can provide an example. Being prepared will avoid an inevitable silence.

The 'STAR' technique is a good strategy ...

ST  Situation  'I had this situation ...'
 A  Action       'I took these actions ...'
 R  Results     'And it resulted in   ...'

For more insight see the article here.

Interview: A Womans Guide to Dressing

Business wear is a relatively new fashion concept among women. Take inspiration from some of the basic principles of classic menswear: don’t chase trends or be too flashy, and take care to look your very best. Be uniquely feminine.

Your best options are careful options. Color on neutral or neutral on color can be stunning

Review five elements of your wordrobe here.

How to Leave a Job on Good Terms

When considering leaving your job or have already been offered a new position, it is important to leave your job on good terms. Leaving a job on good terms will increase your chances of getting a favorable reference in the future. Also, it increases the odds that your employer may consider rehiring you if given the opportunity.

Consider the following:

1.  Announcing your departure

2.  The resignation letter

3.  The exit interview

For in depth details on these topics, click here.

The job that’s too far to commute

Interviewing a far away company is tricky. Some companies may provide transportation and accommodations, but it may be absent in the job listing.

In a cover letter express your intent to ultimately be in the company city. Be up front and begin a dialog, don't let your distance deny you their offer.

See additional thoughts here.

How Do You Deal With Situations?

Be prepared to address situations involving: deadlines, pressure, criticism, incompetence, personal mistakes ... Relate personal experiences and your ability to perform in a positive manner.

Prepare well thought out experience scenarios you can relate in an interview. Be prepared, when presented with a situational question, reply with ' That reminds me of ...' and then relate one of the closest you recall.

See seven typical questions here.

Company Questions You Need to Know

When you have been successful in obtaining an interview, make it count. You may be asked questions to show your interest in the company well beyond 'just a job'.

Make sure you have researched the company website, learned about the product or service and show genuine interest in working there.

See six provacotive questions you may get asked, here.

Answer Tricky Interview Questions

The interviewer asks that one really awkward, tricky interview question. How do you answer it without making yourself look bad?  Interviewers like to trip you up a little and see how you handle it.

You have to be ready for these questions so you can give answers that present you in a positive light and allow you to sidestep those little traps.

See five common - but tricky - interview questions and how to handle them here.

Transform Your Job Search

In the age of digital transformation, your job searching technique should be transforming as well. The days of sending out one or two resumes and landing an interview, much less a job, are behind you.

Follow a five-step process to transform your job search into a 21st-century model here.

Cover Letter Language VS Resume Language

Many employers want job seekers to attach a cover letter to their application. Writing an effective one is therefore essential. 

That means using your cover letter to tell the employer something that your resume does not. Repeating information in both documents signals that you don’t fully understand the value of either.

See 5 key elements of cover letters here.

Craft the Best-Looking Resume

Recruiters are really rushed. It’s really important to make sure your resume is presented in a way that makes the recruitment manager pause for those vital few seconds that might get them reading your resume, before moving onto the next one.

Consider:  1) Independent proofreaders, 2) A good title, 3) A single page (two sides maybe), 4) the font,  5) Paper quality if mailing, 6) Using hyperlinks, and 7) Bolding key points

See an expansion of these points here.

To Do Before, During and After an Interview

What you do before an interview is about general preparation and staying out of your own way.

During an interview is being professional at a high level. Answer questions directly and stay in a professional mindset; don’t over-complicate things. 

After an interview follow up with a note when the time is right, and keep yourself sane. This is an opportunity to assess  the weaknesses you should have taken notes on during the interview.

Find 43 items to help you through the interviewing process here.

Strategy: Use Several Interviews to Gain Experience

Interviewing several times can help you become more confident. The more experienced you are at interviewing and responding to questions professionally, the better prepared you will be for the big interviews at the companies where you want to work. By taking notes and rehearsing or practicing what you will say, you’ll be more confident every time you interview.

See seven points to a successful interview here.

Must-Have Professional Interview Tips

You can't just 'show up' for your interview. You need to present yourself in the best possible light (your competition will). From grooming to shoes and everything in between needs to be considered in advance. You might just get a half day's notice. Prior planning of how you look will give you some added confidence.

See seven points to success here.

Best Advice for Acing the Interview

If you have been 'Short Listed' based on your resume, your interview is the next step. Your performance depends on both what you say and what you avoid. This meeting will be a personal interaction.

See seven points to success here.

Avoid the Biggest Resume Blunders

Your resume is your first presentation to a prospective employer. Be sure to avoid mistakes that will prevent you from getting an in person interview. The resume will be reviewed during your interview, you will need to back up your claims, qualities and experience.

Review your resume for seven key points here.