My family and I have been ‘American Idol’ fans the last couple of years, watching the contestants try to give their best performances week after week. It’s been fun to watch, but enlightening as well to see the work and effort they have to put in to try to become the winner.Often, the judges will talk about the importance of having a “moment”. They are referring to having a performance that rises above the others by connect...

People often tell me they were on LinkedIn, or went to a networking group, or met someone when they were out-and-about and got a name of a potential contact for their job search, but don’t know how to reach them. “What good is the name without their phone number or email address? It doesn’t do me much good if I can’t connect with them!”It’s great if you are given a phone number and/or email address with a name, however, wit...

That’s what most job seekers want to know! “What is the most likely source for finding the right job?” and “Where should I focus my time?”Questions that make sense to ask… however, are very difficult to answer! MANY times, the best job leads come from the most unlikely sources! The best job lead may come out of the blue!Over the last four years, I’ve helped lead a job networking group and teach an 8-week class on job transi...

“It’s been a week since my interview and I haven’t heard anything...”“I had a great informational interview but that was the last I heard...”“I had a phone conversation with a good contact in the company...”“I have almost 100 people I’ve networked with in my job search so far...”“I met someone, at (an event) that said they knew someone, but haven’t heard back...”“...should I follow up?”I teach an 8 week class on job hunting...

Most opportunities you have to present yourself to a hiring decision maker will involve sending an email. The form and substance of that email will have a great deal to do with whether you get a response or not.As a recruiter, I receive a lot of emails from job seekers looking for leads, looking for help in their search, or pursuing specific job opportunities I’m working on. On average, I receive between 1000 and 1500 email...

Most people, when interviewing for a new job, forget the process is supposed to be a 2-way street. It’s as important for you, as a candidate, to determine if the job, the company, the culture, and the work environment is right for you as it is for the company to determine if you’re right for them. You do yourself no favors by accepting an offer for a job that is not a good fit. It will make you miserable, your employer diss...

“Past performance is the best predictor of future success.” That’s a phrase many hiring managers live by when evaluating candidates for a job opening. HR Managers often preach that mantra, and it certainly is the safest route to take when they want to be sure of making a good hire. Job seekers, on the other hand, often want the company to overlook their track record and see the unproven potential they have for a part...

In networking, job interviews, and in your career...self awareness is critical to success. When people don’t really know their strengths and weaknesses, they often can’t answer questions well, sell themselves effectively, or emphasize their key qualities. In order to help someone help you when job networking, you must know what you are looking for and be able to articulate it well. When you are interviewing for a posi...

Are you trying to find a new job without letting anyone know you’re unemployed? Many people try, very few succeed. Especially in today’s job market, it is extremely difficult to get a new position without extensive networking!That word seems to scare many people. In their minds it conjures up images of glad-handing Multi-Level-Marketing salespeople who wants to show their “plan” with the “perfect” opportunity for you withou...

As a job search drags on, it’s often difficult to keep feeling like you’re being productive from day to day.Daily planning and daily objectives will make your job search move forward at a better pace. You never know where your best leads will come from so you need to pursue all you can.Here are five daily goals that will make sure your job search continues to keep gaining ground in that daily uphill battle... 1 – Start each...