Career Rocketeer
Career Rocketeerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14906162015790554668noreply@blogger.comBlogger543125
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Why NOW is the Best Time to Write Your Resume
Imagine for a moment that you’ve just heard the dreaded words, “We’re going to have to let you go.” A lot of people have heard this phrase over the last couple years, and most have probably reacted with some degree of panic: How am I going to pay my bills? Where am I going to go? What am I going to do?PANIC MODE IS NOT THE RIGHT TIME.Obviously, this frame of mind is not a great launching point for your next job or your job search. Writing an effective resume and cover letter requires analytical... |
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How Credible Are You?
With such a large pool of super talented candidates available for most top level positions today, the deciding factor in many decision makers’ minds is to hire the best person for the job, which does not necessarily equate to the most experienced or the best qualified candidate they have interviewed. So you ask what can make a seemingly less experienced or less qualified candidate a better choice. When I asked this question to a HR friend of mine she said “in my humble opinion it is The Credibility... |
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How to Handle a Bad Reference
You just learned one of your previous employers has been giving you a bad reference. Count your blessings that you found out, because many never do. But what do you do about it?Bad references don't always prevent someone from getting a job. The key is how the issue is handled in the reference, and how you handle it prior to the reference being checked. So your goal isn't necessarily to erase or debate the issue, only to reach agreement on its presentation. When you phone, prevent them from... |
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Is Gen X Afraid of Facebook for Networking?
As a child of the 70's, I am a card carrying member of the (small but proud) Generation X. This generation is generally defined by people born between 1961 - 1979.The other week, I had the opportunity to listen to a valuable presentation on Generation X by Harvard Business Review contributer Tammy Erickson. The webinar was titled "The Leaders We Need Now. Are We Ready for Gen X to Take Charge?" An interesting question indeed in consideration of the perceived "Boomer-Y Love Fest" (quoting Tammy).To... |
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What Should You Expect from Your Degree?
As recent college graduates hit the job market, and time goes by for some of them without any prospects, I often hear the expressions of “shock and awe” that they spent four or more years earning a degree and now they can’t seem to find a job! For many, they are surprised that they are not being considered for jobs when they thought that coveted sheepskin was the ticket to success and prosperity. What happened?Certainly there are many varying opinions on this topic, however, as I observe... |
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Degrees and Expectations
As recent college graduates hit the job market, and time goes by for some of them without any prospects, I often hear the expressions of “shock and awe” that they spent four or more years earning a degree and now they can’t seem to find a job! For many, they are surprised that they are not being considered for jobs when they thought that coveted sheepskin was the ticket to success and prosperity. What happened?Certainly there are many varying opinions on this topic, however, as I observe... |
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3 Ways to Think Like a Recruiter
People often ask me why job seekers hire professional help with writing his or her resume. The great part about resume writing is that I often work with educated professionals who have years of great experience. Unfortunately, they just don’t know how to get their resumes in front of people with the power to give them a job. Generally, they’re too busy being a great nurse, project manager, executive, or whatever else to understand one important thing: how recruiters think. So here are three... |
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The Survey Says
Since mid June, I randomly touched base with 2 dozen people who took advantage of my standing offer for a free resume review or attended one of my job hunting workshops or webinars between December 2009 and February 2010. I was curious how many found a new job, and if they were unsuccessful up until now I wanted to find out how their job search was progressing – or not progressing – and why? In a casual way I conducted an informal survey to learn what works and what does not in looking for... |
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How You Give Away Power - Part 2
Last week, we looked at the concept of giving away power in the interviewing process, why and how that happens, and a few ways to retain it instead, If you haven't read it, check out How You Give Away Power - Part 1. Now let’s look at additional reasons and ways to counter them. When you haven’t identified what you want in your next job, what you want is….a job. Each interview becomes a hurdle you feel you need to clear. Rejections become a reason to double your effort to win over every... |
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8 Ways to Network on Twitter #FollowFriday
For those new to Twitter, #FollowFriday (or simply #FF) became an international event in early 2009. It started as a simple way to recommend other people to follow (and know) on Twitter. #FollowFriday is easy to join in and one of the most popular ways to show appreciation for others on Twitter.Here is an example:And a social media cartoon from Rob Cottingham that hilariously captures the spirit of #FollowFriday:C.S. Lewis appropriately remarked, "Friendship is born at that one moment when one... |
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8 Ways to Make Someone's Day on #FollowFriday
For those new to Twitter, #FollowFriday (or simply #FF) became an international event in early 2009. It started as a simple way to recommend other people to follow (and know) on Twitter. #FollowFriday is easy to join in and one of the most popular ways to show appreciation for others on Twitter.Here is an example:And a social media cartoon from Rob Cottingham that hilariously captures the spirit of #FollowFriday:C.S. Lewis appropriately remarked, "Friendship is born at that one moment when one... |
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You won’t hire me because I’m unemployed? REALLY???
CNN.com posted an article titled “In the job hunt, the stigma of being laid off is hard to erase”. In it, Stephanie Chen, writes:“As if securing work in a jobless recovery isn't tricky enough, being labeled unemployed brings additional obstacles.”I was privileged to be interviewed by Stephanie for this article and quoted briefly:“Many companies will consider hiring jobless applicants, said Harry Urschel, an independent recruiter at e-Executives for more than two decades. He thinks many... |
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5 Strategies to Combat an Employment Gap
Historically, having a significant gap in your professional employment has been viewed as a draw back or potential red flag on your professional resume.However, given that a May Gallup poll showed that 19% of the American population is underemployed (either not working or working part-time instead of full-time), there are many, many job seekers out there wondering how to handle this resume issue. The good news is that there are ways to present gaps in employment that minimize their impact on your... |
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The Thrill is Gone: But is this Reason Enough to Change Careers?
While driving this week to meet a client to discuss their outplacement needs I was mulling over in my mind several topics for this week’s blog when a really great blues songs started playing on the radio, B.B. King’s ‘The Thrill is Gone.’The song got me thinking that career transition is one of the main topics people want to discuss when going through the outplacement and job search process. More specifically they want to discuss, “how do I know if I should look for a new job - or is... |
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Did You Wind Up in a Default Career?
As a career coach and former High Tech manager, I’ve noticed that most people wind up in careers that are completely out of line with their college degrees or interests. When you ask people how they “chose” their careers, many of them answer with something very much like a track through the jungle. They didn’t know where they were going but moving forward was the direction they took. When I ask many college students what career they were headed towards I get two categories of answers:... |
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How You Give Away Power - Part 1
The reason hiring authorities control the interview process is because job seekers let them. From the moment a candidate begins their job search, right up until the offer – when they suddenly decide to show they’re not a push over by negotiating– most job seekers don’t realize how much they allow themselves to remain powerless. Over the next few weeks we’ll be looking at this problem closer.The majority of people interviewing rail in frustration against the process. But in fact, most... |
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5 Best Ways to Use Twitter for Your Job Search!
Twitter can be a tremendous, fast moving tool in your Job Search Toolbox. Here are 5 ways to get the most out of it.1. Follow and read job search experts. The amount of excellent ideas, tips, leads, news, informative articles, and best practices going by all day long is amazing. Use Twellow’s directory for Employment > Career > Job Search to find excellent people to follow. You’ll find outstanding advice that applies to your situation… guaranteed.2. Search for posted positions. Use... |
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3 Resume Mistakes Most Job Seekers Make
I think I’m beginning to sound borderline preachy with my resume and cover letter advice. But I also feel I have a duty to share with job seekers the blunders and mistakes they make that prevent them from getting the interview and ultimately the offer. After ten years of working as a human resources manager and recruiter I’ve seen my fair share of job seeker mistakes. So here’s my list of the three biggest mistakes job seekers make on their resumes.MISTAKE #1: Outdated formattingThe first... |
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Which Interview Personality Are You?
Rather than offer a generic opinion on how YOU should act during an interview, let’s look at the various personalities and attitudes that different people actually portray during a job interview. Then using common sense, you can figure out how to use this information to help you improve your ability as an interviewee; and if you have any questions, don’t be shy, you can email or call me and I will try and help you as best I can.So let’s have some fun and look at the different personalities... |
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NEW Launchpad: Career Search Strategy Guide
Volume 3Career Rocketeer is proud to "launch" the third issue of its print publication, Launchpad: Your Career Search Strategy Guide (Volume 3). Launchpad is YOUR ultimate career search strategy guide, published quarterly with exclusive articles by the top career experts in the industry. Our goal is to bring you short, relevant and actionable advice to save you time, energy and sanity in your pursuit of your next job opportunity. Launchpad covers topics including: resume optimization, interviewing,... |