With this first post of the new year, I’d like to talk a bit about making sure your online presence isn’t hurting your chances of landing a job interview. One of the first things many hiring managers do now (myself included!) is check some of the major social sites to see what information is posted…
The new year is almost upon us and from a job search perspective there’s both good news and bad news. The good news is that the economy has finally picked up and with that the job market. The most desirable jobs (as always!) remain difficult to obtain, as there is still much competition, but many…
With the new year almost here, many people start planning for a job search and many employers begin planning for their staffing needs. Consequently, this is the time of year I like to do a brief refresher on how to work job fairs, as these can be an important component of any job search. In…
I’ve given a few tips in prior posts about the basic traits that I feel are important in order to be known as an excellent employee. This time, I’d like to focus specifically on building a good reputation during your first week on the job and the things I consider most critical during this brief…
In my last couple of posts I mentioned that I’ve been on quite a few interview panels lately, which means I’ve read a lot – and I mean a lot! – of resumes. And since we’re heading towards year-end, a time when many people may be brushing up their resumes in preparation for starting out…
I’ve been on interview panels quite a bit lately and a funny thing occurred to me on the last couple: I was paying more attention to some of the candidate’s nonverbal cues than I was to what they were saying. This was a result of a couple of what can only be called annoying habits…
I’d like to begin this post by giving the dictionary definition of the word “cocky”. I’ll then tell you why this is relevant. Cock-y adjective adjective: cocky; comparative adjective: cockier; superlative adjective: cockiest Conceited or arrogant, esp. in an overconfident or boastful way. Synonyms: egotistical, presumptuous, boastful, overconfident, bold, insolent Okay, here’s where I’m going…
I was on an interview panel recently and one of the applicants used a variation of an interview technique I recommend, but in a slightly different way – to great effect. It was so good that I wanted to share it with you. I always recommend that you prepare relevant questions to ask at every…
In my last post I explained how the ‘soft skills’ become the most important factors in the second job interview. I reviewed two of the four that consider most important: initiative and work ethic. This time I’ll talk about the other two: customer service attitude and personality. Sometimes people are surprised when I say that,…
In my last post I explained that effectively selling your qualifications and experience as being a good match for the position is usually the most important factor in getting invited back for the second round of interviews. I also said that in the second interview the game completely changes. Your “soft” skills, as well as…
Many of my previous posts have been about interviewing techniques and they all had one thing in common: they specifically addressed how to do your best in the first interview. This post is the first of a few in which I’ll discuss how to ace the second – which frequently is the final – interview,…
I’ve held hiring manager positions in both the public and private sectors. Since I’m currently in a public sector organization, I’m frequently asked about the differences between looking and applying for jobs in governmental organizations versus private organizations. Here are some key differences that can help guide your job search efforts. All Government Jobs are…
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