Author: Michael Mayher

For many years I have advised people that, until they have a signed offer letter in their hand with an agreed-upon start date, they don’t have a job offer. Anything less is just a piece of paper or an email with little real value to you. That doesn’t mean it is of no value, it may be communicating an intention thereby making it a letter of intent, something hypothetical around which to base further substantive conversation by placing words into context. If it is sincere, it is a step in the right direction – but let’s get one thing straight, it is not a job offer. If it sounds as if I am splitting hairs I’m sorry, but when you are contemplating a decision that impacts you and your family – in this current job market and sluggish economy, all

As more people are slowly discovering the internet and online tools are not the be-all, universal solution as some would have you believe when it comes to looking for a job, increasingly they are turning to third parties to expand their chances for success. It is a good idea to add more dimension to your efforts rather than relying upon only one primary method, reminding me of the saying that I’ll paraphrase, which suggests “…if the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail." Anyone who finds oneself looking for a new job should be utilizing a combination of methods to help themselves, which may include third-party help, but be aware it does not mean you hand off your responsibility to someone else. You are seeking help, which does not include playing Hot Potato, tossing

I don’t mean to be melodramatic but, if disaster looms, what would you do; what will you do? Too many otherwise smart people choose to do nothing at all except sit and suffer through whatever comes. They refuse to recognize the dangers and risks, instead hoping for the best or waiting for someone else to help them, pretending everything will be okay, that what they face isn’t really happening. Often it is just plain fear of the unknown that prevents them from finding a solution to whatever affects them. So they stay right where they are, in denial until it is too late.   While I could be talking about natural disasters I am not; although what I’ve described is a legitimate description of the reactions of many when faced with uncertainty. Indeed, I am describing man-made disaster but not the kind

As a result of my previous blog entry about how to manage your resignation, I received a reader’s comment / question asking about the exit interview, and whether they should avoid it altogether. There is no need to avoid it but I suggest an exit interview be handled as you would conduct your resignation -- by exercising some restraint, regardless of your feelings as you’re heading out of the door, both mentally and physically. Let me explain: an exit interview is conducted with the intention of learning from the outgoing employee their thoughts and insights about how the company might gain from your constructive feedback. It is a great concept in theory and, in a perfect world, we’d all part ways as pals and forever get together for holidays and summer cookouts, playing badminton with all of our former bosses and

Imagine, if you will, you’ve been interviewing and looking for a job and, among many others, you’ve been successful, received and accepted a job offer. Now it is a simply a matter of resigning and looking ahead to your new job. After all, how hard can it be if you’ve been a good employee and you get along with management, perhaps you are even friends; surely they’ll be happy for you and wish you well, right? Until this day arrives most people give their resignation little thought. I can relate to you lots of anecdotal evidence of resignations that don’t go smoothly, situations where after the fact people wish they had handled it differently. Think about it, most of us spend more waking hours in the workplace than with family or friends. I cannot discuss all of the what-if’s in a

When you interview for a new job or are simply considering the possibility, the inevitable question of money will be a part of the conversation. Have you considered this? Most people will reply, “of course” -- but have you, really? How did you calculate that magic number, the figure in your head that you seek? How flexible or inflexible are you; is your expectation realistic? How badly you need a job is one factor and we can talk about variables all day long. The circumstances of the job is another factor, and those you won’t learn until after the first interview. I am strident in advising people to avoid as best they can being pinned down to a number in the first interview, but that is a whole other subject. The purpose of this blog entry is not concerned with your

It’s no surprise to me that many people are becoming more and more frustrated with the conventional tools available for their job-search efforts, which are predominantly internet and digital-related activities. It matters little how many online job boards you find, whether it’s five or fifty, you’re not going to find more jobs, just the same jobs and job descriptions on the various websites. One job may be posted on multiple boards but it’s still one job position posted at many places. Invariably once people realize this they can become quite frustrated, throwing up their hands saying, “but there aren’t any jobs out there!” It’s a fact that a lot of available jobs are not posted online, which means all that time spent online will not get you closer to any of those not listed. Whenever and however you do it,

When you interview for a new job or are simply considering the possibility, the inevitable question of money will be a part of the conversation. Have you considered this? Most people will reply, “of course” -- but have you, really? How did you calculate that magic number, the figure in your head that you seek? How flexible or inflexible are you; is your expectation realistic? How badly you need a job is one factor and we can talk about variables all day long. The circumstances of the job is another factor, and those you won’t learn until after the first interview. I am strident in advising people to avoid as best they can being pinned down to a number in the first interview, but that is a whole other subject. The purpose of this blog entry is not concerned with your

I like doing things for myself. One reason is that I don’t much like waiting for someone else lacking my same sense of urgency and I’d rather do the lead, follow or get out of the waything. I might step out of the way if someone has a better idea but I’m not much of a follower. Seeking and getting help is okay but I tend to be impatient waiting for others to get moving. In a recent blog I alluded to a technique of finding job openings and opportunities you can then take on by your own initiative. If you follow the crowd and are satisfied with that approach, all good and well. Most people looking for jobs engage in the ritual of looking at online job boards and services and, if they see a job they like, they dutifully

Here’s the thing about trends -- you can try to keep pace with them, be a trendsetter by staying ahead of them, spend time periodically chasing them, or ignore them. Take trends in hiring for example: as in anything there are always new and improved ways of doing things marked by innovations and new ideas; some have merit, some are just variations on a theme and some -- are crap. I look at what works more than what everyone’s doing and most of what the majority of people are doing, isn’t. So a trend is an evolution of ideas and methods, it’s meant to be a newer and better way of reaching a goal. Goals don’t evolve but ways by which to attain them do. There is a saying that also should be noted, in this case some common folk