May 2015

Many people are concerned about being no more than a faceless number, represented only by their digital resume as they seek to find a job. Their frustration is justified because so many others are doing the same thing at a time when the current job market is more competitive than ever. It’s a virtual jungle out there, so how can you provide yourself a slight edge in order to be more competitive when applying online for jobs in which you have interest? Until you find yourself seated in front of a hiring manager, how can you enhance your chances of getting noticed? Let me suggest a couple of steps you can take, so that, at the very least, you can rest assured that you’ve done all you can do given the circumstance. Look at the job post you are interested in

When it comes to helping oneself find job opportunities, most of us have been conditioned to believe the internet is the answer for everything. We’re led to believe that without online efforts, we have no hope of finding a good job when, in fact, this is a silly assumption. At the same time, more and more people are realizing their best efforts online are not getting them very far, which leaves them more frustrated than ever. Are you aware that many jobs are not even posted online? And there are many more than you think. If you resort solely to online job search activities this is not what you want to hear – I’m not writing this blog to pacify anyone but, instead, I am writing to get people off their butts and to rediscover their own capabilities and how to

I have been a headhunter and consultant for a long time, working with and on behalf of company hiring managers on one side of the table and job seekers on the other. I have dealt with people of all professional levels, functions and roles, too many to count. During the last 22 years I’ve interacted with both white and blue collar, with and without university degrees, entry-level and senior executives and, oh my, the changes I have witnessed. People face many obstacles in the current employment market, the sluggish economy being the most obvious, but there are other more subtle hurdles. The simple act of applying for jobs has become an obstacle course intentionally erected by human resources with the blessing of company management. For some reason, some of these wizards think companies can streamline and better hire the people they

Question: When you go to the first interview for any job, what is your goal; what should be your goal? Answer: To be invited back for the next step in the process for further consideration. That is your mission, do well enough to be invited back, one step at a time. Some people go into the interview and boldly say, “I’m going to get that job!” and that’s a good attitude but I counsel them not to get ahead of themselves. On the other hand, there are also many people who make a snap judgment during the first interview and before it is over they conclude they aren’t interested. So they don’t endeavor to finish the interview appropriately and, rather, they just give up. When you might have otherwise slept on it, you may have second thoughts about your conclusions if you