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In my job-seeking consultancy, job seekers overwhelmingly feel the job interview is the most difficult, anxiety-filled and mysterious part of the job seeking process. “How do I make myself stand out?”  “How do I talk about myself without bragging?”“What are employers REALLY looking for during the job interview?”“I feel powerless at an interview and don’t feel I have control of my answers.” When you think about it, job interviews are a combination of a test of knowledge, background, expertise and skills, as well as a way for employers to get a feeling for how your personality would fit in the culture of the company. As a matter of fact, in the final job interview, each of the finalists for

I was in the park with my young kids the other day and heard a conversation between a child, his mother and one of his mom’s friends. “David, how have you been?” “I’ve been great!  I play baseball now!” “How’s that going?” “Terrific!  In my last game, I had three hits and a homerun!  I also pitched and got four strikeouts! My coach named me the player of the game!” Mom chimes in: “Now Davey! You shouldn’t brag! Remember, there were other kids on that team that helped win the game too!” Everyone probably remembers a conversation like this from their own childhood. Ever since we were kids we’ve been reminded that it is impolite to brag, take all the credit or

So often, I get calls from job seekers who have been at the job search for a while.  They are frustrated because after months of sending out resume after resume, they are still not getting any traction.  There are few interviews and they don’t seem any closer to landing a job. A common misconception in job seeking is that the first thing you should do when looking for a job is to write a resume.   After studying the habits of hundreds of successful job seekers, it is clear that resumes, while important, are not the first strategy in beginning your job search.  A typical conversation will go something like this: ME: “So you’ve been at it for a while, but you are frustrated with

After you’ve scanned the list and found the position(s) you want to apply for, here are some tips on what to do next: 1.)  Before you apply, determine that you’re qualified for the job.   A good rule of thumb is to apply for a job where you match 75{7dabfd103aa443fce219eea47f0f346a11a54ce587a1a0cbb74f06b9f7a304ca} or higher of the key job qualifications.  Measure your strengths based on what the job requires in terms of background, education, job responsibilities and other key criteria. 2.)  Look for the clues.  Each job posting provides you with clues to what the company believes are the key areas they will be ranking candidates to determine if they will be granted an interview.  Usually, there are 4-5 critical phrases in the job posting that will help you to

It happened again. I was talking to a job seeker last week and the conversation went something like this: “So, can you tell me the types of challenges you are having with your job search?” “Well, I’m not sure if my resume is any good.  Many of the jobs I apply to, I feel over qualified, but sometimes I apply to jobs where I’m under qualified.  I used to feel as if I was confident in interviews, but now, I’m really crappy at them.  Sometimes with the jobs I apply for I think I’m not old enough and other times I think I’m not young enough.  I’ve changed my resume a lot so people can’t tell how

For many, there is an overwhelming sense of anxiety that goes with their hunt for the perfect job.  Sending out endless resumes, not hearing back, or going to an interview and not getting the job, and meanwhile, time marches on.  Bills stack up, there’s pressure from the family and, of course, you are trying to manage your own internal angst. If you are feeling overwhelmed in your job search, here are a few ideas to help you make the job seeking process more manageable: 1.  Focus on the jobs that you are qualified for.   Resist the temptation to send out your resume to every job posting that seems like ‘the perfect fit.’   Successful job seeking routines rely less on the quantity of jobs you apply to but

Administrative Assistants – the most effective (and powerful) people in the office Gone are the days of the worn-out and painful cliches that used to describe a personal secretary.  In today’s professional world, offices and executives are fighting for and paying big bucks for accomplished Administrative Assistants. An article published today in the Wall Street Journal gives Administrative Assistants their due.  CLICK HERE to read the article.  From Mark Zuckerburg, to Bill Gates to President Obama, today’s Administrative Assistants are an executive’s most capable, relied upon partners. An Administrative Assistant makes sure an executive (and in many cases an entire company) runs efficiently and seamlessly. Often considered a ‘gatekeeper’ to the highest rung of power, Administrative Assistants juggle a myriad of organizational