Author: Michael Mayher

Looking back over the entirety of my career and work history thus far, I remember my very first job. My brother and I delivered a weekly local newspaper in Northeastern Ohio, called The Bulletin. Our route consisted of a relative circle and cross-streets equivalent of four blocks in our own neighborhood; I was 11 years old. Later, like most others of that period in time we had subsequent summer jobs until we graduated high school and entered the workforce full-time or went on to college and university. My interest in earning money transcended my interest in sports in school and by the time I was 17 and until graduation, I worked for a line service, refueling small and medium-sized private, corporate and commuter aircraft at Burke Lakefront Airport in downtown Cleveland on the shores of Lake Erie – which required

Anyone who’s had to look for a job using the generally accepted and primary means of finding a job, that being predominantly online activity, knows it is a frustrating exercise. I know, as an expert in my field, there are tons of jobs not even posted that you won’t become aware of by limiting yourself to the digital online methods alone. I know that this method can be a demoralizing and dehumanizing exercise. Many others also know it, but subconsciously they fail to do anything about it and simply prefer to complain and resist the very things that can help – but may require more and real effort. Conversely, there are some who’ve never had much of a problem because they work within a healthy market sector; their online activities have been easier. If you belong to this fortunate group then

When someone is looking for a job, they may assume that the more resumes they throw out there, for as many people to see, is a good idea. But this heavily depends on what you do, what you’ve done and what you want to do and accomplish. How effective this is depends on a few factors: At what stage of your career are you? The less experience you have the more general and widely you can distribute your resume without consequence. The more experienced and established you are the more discriminating you should be about where your resume is distributed. Are you specialized or perhaps even subspecialized? The more specialized your career, the more selective you should be. How much in need (or desperate) are you to find a job? Your degree of need is a personal determination and different from individual to individual.

If you have ever had to endure a workplace bully it is no small thing. When we’re children most of us learn you have to stand up and learn to deal with them head-on. But the workplace is different and it is not as simple. However, it is the same in that most bullies or, in this case abusive co-workers, are those with more insecurities and hang-ups than everyone else in the office combined. And oddly, they wield power and influence against others and somehow get away with it. How is it that these kinds of jerks are able to exist in a modern workplace with so many legal protections for employees and rules of conduct? I see it often and this is a major reason as to why some companies lose good employees, which isn’t often discussed. In my part

During the actual resignation meeting, as I already suggested, you should avoid getting sucked into a debate or conversation about your decision to leave your current employer. Even if you are on good personal terms, this isn’t a family meeting with members judging the sensibility or wisdom of your choice. Here are a few things to avoid to ensure a smooth and least stressful encounter: Don’t tell - They shouldn’t ask and you shouldn’t tell them where you’re going. You have no obligation to tell your current boss about your new plans, it’s simply none of their business – at that moment you are delivering / communicating your resignation. I know this may sound harsh, however, if you do tell them it will provide ammunition or fodder to use against you in order to create doubts in your mind about

Have you ever attended an interview and felt as if the interviewer was playing games with you? As perhaps they participate in the process only to mess with people for the sole reason that they can – and evaluating your suitability and skills is secondary. Sometimes they are crass, unprofessional or even detached and yet, they are there to evaluate you, now that’s quite funny, albeit ironic. But seriously, there are many occasions when the interviewee is a lot sharper than the interviewer although, under the circumstances, there isn’t much you can do about it. I like to prepare people for as many what-ifs as possible, for how to react to any number of situations that can unexpectedly occur during the interview process. The more surprises you prepare for, the less surprised you’ll be. During the last few months I’ve written

When it comes to interviewing, presenting and, yes, promoting oneself, your talents and accomplishments are what sets you apart from others and not some gimmick on your resume or online profile. In my long recruiting experience, I find that on average people either talk too much, or too little, about their own abilities and accomplishments. Sometimes it’s merely a symptom of being nervous. It’s understandable, because most of us interview only when we must, it’s not the kind of activity normal people enjoy engaging in; I don’t know anyone who interviews as a hobby, out of enjoyment. However, nervousness is an excuse and not a reason to fail because, fact is, an interview is your moment to shine – or not. There is also a cultural component to consider. Living abroad, outside the U.S. for already fifteen years I recognize that

Seems everyone wants or expects someone or something else to get them a job. Apparently, the internet does that for us or their resume will do it for them or just get someone else to do it for you. Apparently, this is what everyone has come to expect. It must be true because I read it online, offered by “how-to” mavens, who claim they can help; all parroting the same talking points. They all say you need a better resume, and a bigger, better and wider online social media presence - that’s all it takes. Or, they come up with some silly and overused catch-phrase about self-branding - it’s all very gimmicky and so easy. Sorry, but the age of online instant info that’s resulted in assumed instant gratification, does not yet extend to the jobs market – it doesn’t work

Often, when we are seeking something, we’re told maybe or some other conditional word like perhaps, possibly or potentially. Sometimes these words are appropriate and the topic under discussion is conditional, although they are also offered in lieu of a real and definitive answer. This is important during a dialogue and interactive conversation, when questions are posed and answers are reciprocated. So if your questions aren’t adequately answered, you owe it to yourself to press for a more complete and substantive response. During an interview, two parties meet; one to present a job opportunity and the other to present their qualifications and ability to perform the job – pretty simple isn’t it? Yet everyone seems to want to complicate what should be a straight-forward process of evaluation and elimination - but I digress. If you are the job seeker, the interviewee,

The good jobs, the ones we all strive for are fewer and harder to get than ever. This means, conversely, that you need to be better prepared than others, more on your game and at your best. If you do not recognize this, you obviously haven’t been in the current jobs market or you’re simply going through the motions with your fingers crossed, or, you think you’re extra special and a good job is going to find you. Regardless, any claim you make about your employment history, duties, accomplishments and anything you put on your resume needs to be verifiable. I am not talking about a job you had for three weeks that you selected not to put on your resume; this is trivia and unnecessary minutiae, in my view. But let me share an easy example. I read an article