Author: Michael Mayher

Generally speaking, the purpose of my blog is to provide advice for job seekers to assist them in gaining a better result from their efforts. There is a sad trend taking place right under our very eyes. Hiring practices are increasingly discounting that which defines us as people and employees. While hiring processes are evolving and processes becoming more technical in nature, interaction and communication among the parties involved is devolving. It is ironic that most companies go to great pains to emphasize and trumpet their mission statements that claim their purpose, their mission is to produce things, or provide services meant to help people, improve lives or make the world a better place or whatever high-minded and lofty set of values they claim to stand (or hide) behind. Yet hiring practices that are becoming more and more disconnected from human

Many times I’ve been asked, “I don’t know which is better or worse, to take a job, any job in order to avoid gaps in my employment or should I hold off and wait for the job I want? What’s better, to look like a job hopper to avoid gaps in my employment, or wait until I find the job I want, regardless of the gap in my employment history?” Good question, the answer depends a lot on your own personal situation. If you are already currently working, unless you absolutely hate your job and can’t take another day of it, do not leave one job until you have another to which to go. I’ve written about this in more detail previously, but please don’t use a lame excuse of, “Well, I don’t think it is professional or honest to

In any personal relationship, it’s all hot and passionate at the beginning for a while, but then as most often happens at some point in time things evolve, settling into a routine where people sink into their comfort zones and back to their true selves. And this is when you hear things such as, “I remember when you used to at least try…” or “You used to buy me flowers…” I often compare work environments and situations with our personal lives because I can get my messages across more easily. Another primary reason is that most of us spend as much time at work with our employers and co-workers as we do with our families. Some of us spend more time away from home working than they do at home, so my correlation of the two is not so strange then,

No, I did not say winners I meant whiners. Nothing kills the mood or your chances in a hiring process more than a whiny-butt baby complaining about how unfair the world is, and that you cannot seem to get a break. And yet it would surprise you as to how many people do this and never realize what they are doing to themselves by bad mouthing and criticizing current or former employers, while in the presence of potential future employers during an interview. For that matter, valuable time spent complaining in general terms is no better. It can be a slippery slope to use the opportunity of an interview to vent, even if the rapport with the interviewer is good. They may smile and let you ramble on for entertainment value but you won’t be getting a call back, regardless of

There is no one thing, no magic move or act that will singularly get you a job you seek. Instead, you should look to improve small things here and there in your efforts and when you self critique your interview performance afterward. For most people it’s about making fine adjustments and the difference between being average and excellent is actually not a very big leap. There are a ton of things you can do to increase your chances and improve your efforts during your job hunting and interviewing efforts. Sure, you’ve got to be qualified but is almost never only about qualifications. Let’s take, for example, the simple matter of asking and answering questions in an interview situation; I mean, how much more simple can it be, right? Whether it is a case of the nerves, enthusiasm or something else, in

When it comes to interviewing and negotiating, what do you do when, after an extended amount of time, everything just – stops – you hear nothing but crickets and you’ve not received any information or correspondence? Make an effort to contact the last person with whom you’ve met to see what’s going on but, if you still can’t get any info, you can wait around collecting dust, or you can utilize the Take Away Close. However, be forewarned, it should be your option of last resort, when you’ve exhausted all other avenues. It’s not a threat but instead a statement and using it as a bluff or crying wolfwill get you the same result as the shepherd boy in the fable of Aesop. A sharp sales person might use this close to push the indecisive to be less so and to

Putting the best spin on any given subject appears to be the order of the day, regardless of what it is. Some may say they find it hard to find the truth amidst the spun versions of almost anything and everything. And it appears most people are just fine with this, they hear what they want to, happily smile and go on with whatever they are doing. “Tell me what I want to hear and I’m okay” seems to be the prevailing attitude. That is, until they realize things are not necessarily as described and they feel misled. But, even then, more often than not, too many can be easily soothed back into their walking slumber with more hollow words of reassurance as they resume shuffling forward  for the time being. As you may imagine, this extends to the employment realm, where

Understanding and using closing technique is a critical tool at your disposal during the interview process. That’s assuming you want to take part in the process and are not merely going along for the ride, or simply nodding in agreement when you think it’s appropriate. If you want to take charge of your life and where you’re going, you should be taking charge of and asserting yourself – that makes sense doesn’t it? On July fourth of this year, I posted a blog that  begins to explain what a Close is and its purpose. In basic terms, it is the way one asks for and gets decisions. And, along the way during the interview, you can use closing technique to gauge the situation as it progresses. At the time, I referred to the Assumptive Close as one of the most basic

On August first I posted a blog listing 10 reasons why you should have more confidence at your next interview. Today I’d like to share a few more reasons from a different perspective. Companies seek to portray themselves as having it all together, organized, with all eight cylinders firing away, a well-oiled machine. And as such, you, the applicant should be in awe and on the defensive; they want you to feel that you’re the one who’s supposed to prove yourself to them, if you seek admission and advancement to the next step and perhaps ultimately a job offer – that is if you measure up. Indeed that is your task but often the façade they throw up for people to see is just that. I’m here to tell you it ain’t always so. What if I told you most of

Last month, on July 22, I posted a blog entry entitled The Great Equalizer: Being an Active Participant. Following an email from a reader I thought I would comment a bit more about what I am suggesting. When you interview the spotlight shines both ways, indeed you are under more pressure as they evaluate your suitability for the job, but you are, or should also be, considering their suitability as a potential future employer. Often people fail to think in this way and this posture by itself can lead to poor decision making. I am not suggesting the interview is a you vs. them duel of wits; it’s not meant to be a stare down to see who blinks first and, trust me, the applicant will always lose that little game. Interviews tend to be rather formulaic and understandably so, because each