Career and Jobs Tips

No one method is 100% successful. It therefore makes sense to use a combination of passive and active sources for your job searching. Remember to keep your progress under regular review; if after a period of time you have not been successful, change your approach. If you’re in the market for a new job at the moment, whether through choice or necessity, the chances are you are looking for that new job using the following sources:
… Continue Reading

Typically an internal recruitment process is applied in larger, very stable and developed organizations. Not only do these larger organizations have their own pool of qualified candidates, this strategy utilizes internal promotions as a recruitment and retention tool. It is an attempt to create employee loyalty and commitment as well as long term job satisfaction. It is also a succession management tool. At the same time, the internal recruitment strategy is less costly than an external process. As well, the candidates are well known to the organization and therefore orientation requirements are much less.
… Continue Reading

Unfortunately, in many cases the situation is really one of the wrong skills at the wrong time. In other words, the individual just wasn’t right for the job in the first place yet somehow got through the recruitment and selection process. And the damage created by hiring the wrong person can be tremendous. Not only can a termination such as this cost the organization three to five times the position salary, it will also negatively impact many other areas of the organization.
… Continue Reading

Make very clear what’s expected of your employees. When employees don’t really know what’s expected of them, they begin to feel uncertain. When an employee is simply drifting without any direction it makes them feel unproductive and unsatisfied. Avoid this by letting everyone know what’s expected of them.
… Continue Reading

As a Girl Scout Leader, our motto is “Be Prepared”! You should always have an updated resume with your current position ready to send out, even if you are not really looking. The chance that you have been waiting for to break into a new role may be a phone call away, and if the opportunity presents itself, you will need to move quickly. In addition to having your resume ready to go, be sure to have a current list of professional references. Ask for a letter of recommendation whenever you transition from one department, role or company to another. In cases where whole departments have been downsized or disbanded, be sure to stay in touch with managers and co-workers so that they are reachable when you need them. The current workforce is a very dynamic environment, so keep an updated list of references and contact information.
… Continue Reading

Pretty much without exception, a suit is the standard men’s wear for an interview. Choose a dark colored suit such as a charcoal gray or navy blue – black will probably look too much like a tuxedo! A light pin stripe is acceptable on your suit, but an all over pattern, such as a plaid, is just way too loud! You’ll be remembered, but not in a good way. As for the style and fit of your suit, the jacket should be tailored without being too snug and the sleeves should show approximately ¼” of your dress shirt peeking out from underneath. Select a traditional two or three button suit and leave your four-buttoned or double-breasted suit at home.
… Continue Reading

What is your main weakness? Interviewers ask this question to try and draw out significant flaws that may affect an employee’s performance. Saying you have anger issues, drinking problems, dislike people not like you, or other major weakness is just a good way to find yourself on the way out the door. A good way to answer this tough interview question is to state a small weakness that can also be looked at as a positive by an employer. For example, when you say “I often find myself being too diplomatic,” says that, in reality, you have a strength as being someone who can work well a diverse group of people in a variety of situations.
… Continue Reading

You will increase your chances of receiving a job offer when you form the habit of following up an interview in a timely manner with an e-mail, a hand-written thank-you note and a phone call.

Smart job seekers make the extra effort to follow up for the following four reasons:
… Continue Reading

The importance of a brand statement, especially in today’s economy, cannot be overemphasized. While many job seekers have a traditional elevator speech, they are usually too long to be remembered. And usually they focus on the job seeker and don’t answer the question of what you can do for them It may be difficult to understand the power of having a great brand statement until you have one.
… Continue Reading

The old adage, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” really is true. In most cases, a friend or colleague won’t be able to get you a job for which you’re not qualified, but they may be able to get you an interview when your resume would otherwise have been overlooked. Anything you do that involves talking to other people about your job search counts as networking, whether it’s lunch with a former coworker, coffee with a recruiter, or a formal networking event in your area.
… Continue Reading