Many of us set a goal for new employment this time of year. Along with updating the resume, online profiles and reconnecting with people, make an appointment with yourself to consider your reference strategy. My what? My references are my former employers, right? Not necessarily. Yes, potential employers traditionally want past bosses, but they oftenContinue reading “Your References – Care and Feeding”
Tag Archives: Career
What’s Your Professional Development Strategy?
The most frequent responses I get to this question is #1 Strategy: keep getting a paycheck and hope to get promoted;#2 Strategy for Free Agents: Keep current contract(s) or get new clients. I consider these non-strategies. Too many people approach learning something work-related as a task they have to do to keep their jobs orContinue reading “What’s Your Professional Development Strategy?”
Ask For a Raise the Right Way
As many of us go into performance review season, we anticipate a monetary outcome. Yet 43% of us never ask for a raise. You don’t know, if you don’t ask!! Many performance reviews do not include a compensation conversation. Its important to discuss what’s going well, what to improve and what’s coming next to setContinue reading “Ask For a Raise the Right Way”
3 Reasons + 5 tips to Update Your Resume
Here are 3 reasons why September is a good time to update your resume: Its nearly time for your annual performance review and you want to position yourself or a raise. One of your contacts approaches you with a great job opportunity and needs your resume, now! You learn that your job is in theContinue reading “3 Reasons + 5 tips to Update Your Resume”
Cash or Cachet?
You find a great job opportunity but discover the salary is lower than you expected. Several years ago, I was thrilled when I could tell people I worked for The Washington Post because I no longer had to explain who, where or what they did. Then I moved briefly to a very large organization thatContinue reading “Cash or Cachet?”
Strategies for Extended Unemployment
What are they thinking?! Why are companies shunning people who have been out of work six months or more? Unemployment biases stem from employers desire to avoid making hiring mistakes. This avoidance leads to making assumptions that may or may not be based in fact. Four assumptions I’ve heard are: “If others don’t hire you,Continue reading “Strategies for Extended Unemployment”
After the Interview – Your Next Step
The interview is over and you can take a deep breath. The people who just interviewed you spent their time and efforts to determine if you are the best fit for the role. Do you appreciate this? Then let them know. After the interview most of us immediately begin to replay in our heads whatContinue reading “After the Interview – Your Next Step”
The Black Hole of Job Boards
The odds of getting a job by simply applying to online boards are slim. It does happen happen occasionally. But the biggest complaint I hear is, “I’ve submitted hundreds of applications and never heard a thing.” Well, maybe not” hundreds.” Job boards or Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are designed to screen out, not in. NowContinue reading “The Black Hole of Job Boards”
Two Key Questions for Your Next Job
“Why are you interested in this job?” This is a standard interviewer’s question, or should be. The hiring manager is wise to ask about your motivations to determine if you’ll be a good fit with the team and organization. In looking for your next job, your first step is having a good idea of whyContinue reading “Two Key Questions for Your Next Job”
Accomplishments: Meaning in the Mundane
The key to every self-performance appraisal, resume,and interview is capturing our accomplishments. Many of us don’t feel we have any because we just come in and do our jobs. Others of us believe that our good work will get noticed by others and we don’t have to remind them. We are carefully taught not toContinue reading “Accomplishments: Meaning in the Mundane”