Finding New Industries for Your Job Skills

If you find that you have skills that are no longer needed in your current industry, you feel discouraged.  The ever-changing employment landscape often leaves people with industry-based skills and no employment market for those skills.  You are not alone, and you do have options. The first week I worked as a recruiter I received…… Continue reading Finding New Industries for Your Job Skills

3 Short, Powerful Meeting Practices

3 Short, Powerful Meeting Practices There are some simple business practices that will make your business meetings more comfortable and more productive. Think of your surroundings. Save your elevator pitch for nearly any place but the elevator.  People are confined and often feel awkward in elevators.  Also, there is a risk that someone could walk in…… Continue reading 3 Short, Powerful Meeting Practices

The Types of Recruiters and Agencies

The Types of Recruiters and Agencies There are four types of staffing agencies. Temporary Agencies specialize in referring people for positions that are temporary or part-time. Placement firms specialize in placing people in hourly positions.  These firms may charge you a fee for their services. Contingency firms get paid by the employer upon filling a position and typically…… Continue reading The Types of Recruiters and Agencies

Should You Work with a Recruiter?

Should You Work with a Recruiter?  Whether or not you should work with a recruiter depends upon your personal comfort in working with other people. Resume guidance Interview preparation Company information Access to hiring companies Industry knowledge Income information and guidance When working with a recruiter, you should set up an understanding about how the…… Continue reading Should You Work with a Recruiter?

How to Write an Effective Job Description

How to Write an Effective Job Description Job descriptions have multiple purposes. Job descriptions are essential when posting a job. For job posting purposes, a job description is promotional material used to attract people to apply for a job. The job description should enable hiring managers as well as the applicants understand the requirements and…… Continue reading How to Write an Effective Job Description

How to Conduct an Interview

The purpose of conducting an interview is to decide whether an applicant is a fit for the job (1) from the company’s point of view and (2) from the point of view of the applicant. The best way to get to know an applicant in a short amount of time is to hold the interview…… Continue reading How to Conduct an Interview

25 Questions to Help You Find and Land a Job

These 25 questions to help you find and land a job will put you in front of hiring managers and prepare you to answer their questions. Before the Internet, employers and recruiters had a more difficult time listing jobs and finding applicants. Today, employers list jobs on the Internet and find applicants through Internet profiles…… Continue reading 25 Questions to Help You Find and Land a Job

4 Interview Basics

Dress in business attire.  Standard business attire includes a dark-gray or navy-blue suit or skirt and jacket, a white shirt or blouse, and black shoes. Wear those things to your interviews.  If you are interviewing with people who wear casual clothes to work, they will not fault you on your attire. However, if you go…… Continue reading 4 Interview Basics

10 Nifty Search Engine Tools for Business, Career, and College

The following search wording should work on most search engines. Also, except for the math phrases, the job search engine at JayWren.com and most other job search engines are enabled to use these search phrases. The source for these phrases comes from Google.com.  What that fact means is that if you are looking for a job…… Continue reading 10 Nifty Search Engine Tools for Business, Career, and College

The Principles of Business and Career

The principles of business and career are the same. I once had a Polaroid national sales manager say tell me that the only way to measure a company’s  success were sales and earnings. His statement is true up to the point that sales and earnings are why the company is in business.  However, if a…… Continue reading The Principles of Business and Career

Social Media and Your Career: Do These Things.

Social Media and Your Career: Do These Things There are some simple suggestions that can make you social media career campaign easy to manage and very effective. Post one profile photo on all social media sites.  That photo is your brand packaging. Attire for your profile photo:  A suit and tie are okay.  An open-collared…… Continue reading Social Media and Your Career: Do These Things.

Desk Jockeys and Exercise

It can be very challenging for people who work long hours at a desk to get enough exercise to stay trim, condition their heart, vessels, arteries, and lungs, maintain muscularity, and avoid spinal deterioration. The effects of daily sitting at a desk over prolonged periods of time can be debilitating. Beyond a regular exercise program…… Continue reading Desk Jockeys and Exercise

Webcast Your Updates and Discussions from LinkedIn to Twitter to Facebook/Facebook Page.

There are third-party applications that will post your online updates to your accounts at membership sites. However, you can easily connect your membership accounts without sharing your information with third party applications.  Using just the three largest sites will give you a great deal of exposure. To navigate through these steps, open a second browser…… Continue reading Webcast Your Updates and Discussions from LinkedIn to Twitter to Facebook/Facebook Page.

Be the Difference Maker in Your Workplace.

Have five things laid out for the day that you can do that will help your team, supervisor, and company be more effective. You can be the difference maker in your office. Each morning before you walk in the office door, stand up straight, put your shoulders back, and walk with your head up.  Put…… Continue reading Be the Difference Maker in Your Workplace.

Say Nice Things About Yourself.

Say Nice Things About Yourself. In an earlier post about effective communications, I discussed the importance of positive direction.  Only tell people what you want them to do. People remember what you tell them.  When speaking about yourself, if you can not say anything nice, it is probably better to say nothing at all. The most…… Continue reading Say Nice Things About Yourself.

Prepare for Interview Questions!

The more difficult interview questions are also the more common questions interviewers ask. Preparing for these questions can help you in a number of ways. Make you more comfortable when interviewers ask the questions Help you anticipate what you need to know and perhaps need to  research further Enable you to review your career highlights…… Continue reading Prepare for Interview Questions!

How to Receive Job-Winning Reference Checks

Hiring companies will very likely check references as part of your employment process.   You can help your references with information that will make them more comfortable, more positive, and be better prepared to take the call. Provide them with the following information. The name of the person who will be calling The responsibility of the…… Continue reading How to Receive Job-Winning Reference Checks

Has a Mouse Taken Over Your Career?

Compulsive mouse-clicking is a powerful, mood-altering method for avoiding work.  Clicking around through business folders and business websites feels like work. The process may even resemble work. However, the process does not produce the results of starting and finishing one task at a time. MY PERSONAL STORY OF COMPULSIVE MOUSE-CLICKING On some days, I can…… Continue reading Has a Mouse Taken Over Your Career?

Communication that Works: All Do’s, No Don’ts

Communication that Works: All Do’s, No Don’ts Tell people what you want them to do, not what you don’t want them to do. A guest lecturer at one of my undergraduate classes put on note on the chalkboard and quickly erased the note and posted a different note. She then explained her action.  She said…… Continue reading Communication that Works: All Do’s, No Don’ts

Is Over Committing Killing Your Career?

I schedule five things to do each day. This habit is one I have used for years but got away from for a period of time as I was adjusting to computer-based scheduling. I imagine most people who read this article are already using some type of electronic calendar. As we all know too well,…… Continue reading Is Over Committing Killing Your Career?

Build a Powerhouse Reference List As Part of Building Your Professional Network

It seems that most people think of creating a reference list when a hiring manager requests to see one. Another approach is simply to mention to people with whom you seem to bond that at some point you, should you need a reference, you would appreciate the person helping you.  At the same time, let…… Continue reading Build a Powerhouse Reference List As Part of Building Your Professional Network

Careers in Millennium 2: From Excess to Less is More

The philosophy towards careers and business has made a tremendous shift in Millennium 2. During the 1980’s and 1990’s, American business and economics looked very different from the way it looks now. The mentality of this time period was based more on the philosophy that there will always be more.  Lifestyles were geared toward working…… Continue reading Careers in Millennium 2: From Excess to Less is More

Paint Your Day with Brilliance Through Word Choices

I have a choice today to paint my day and the day of the people I meet by choosing words that go down or words that go up. I have a stellar idea. I am going to take the path of great teachers who only say things they want students to remember. I am only…… Continue reading Paint Your Day with Brilliance Through Word Choices

Great Grammar is So Easy to Practice and So Rewarding for Those Who Do

Great Grammar is So Easy to Practice and So Rewarding for Those Who Do. Little grammatical mistakes are so easy to make and can be so costly to the speaker or writer when those mistakes come to represent a person’s professional profile. The purpose of this article is to highlight words that mask speaking and…… Continue reading Great Grammar is So Easy to Practice and So Rewarding for Those Who Do

Simple, Effective Business-Writing and Public-Speaking Principles

ANGLO-SAXON WORDS  The basic principles for business writing and public speaking is to get accurate information to reading or listening audience.   The best communicators select words that will ensure that their message is easy to understand. For business and public speaking, the power of their material is in the subject matter. SENTENCE STRUCTURE Simple…… Continue reading Simple, Effective Business-Writing and Public-Speaking Principles

Creating Connections on Membership Sites: a Professional Network or a Database?

Creating connections on membership sites helps brand and market your career. THE TIME TO SET UP AN ONLINE NETWORK IS BEFORE YOU NEED IT. As your career progresses, one of the choices you may need to make is how to connect effectively with people online. Many people take an intuitive approach relative to where they…… Continue reading Creating Connections on Membership Sites: a Professional Network or a Database?

Be Extraordinary: 3 Ways to Turn Your Day into a Celebration!

TALK HAPPY I worked with a great guy who was always fun to see. He is the only man who ever called me “Sunshine.” This name was not even a man crush kind of thing.  My buddy just greeted all people with a smile and some enthusiastic greeting or another.  For me the greeting was…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: 3 Ways to Turn Your Day into a Celebration!

The Most Important Interview Question You Will Ever Be Asked

The Most Important Interview Question You Will Ever Be Asked I have read that the most important interview question you will ever be asked is what is your greatest accomplishment. To me that is akin to someone’s idea of what is Mozart’s greatest work and Babe Ruth’s greatest game. Each person will have his or…… Continue reading The Most Important Interview Question You Will Ever Be Asked

The Benefits of Creating Your Own Career Plan

The Benefits of Creating Your Own Career Plan A CAREER PLAN CREATES DIRECTION. In a sense, everyone has a career plan.  Some people just do not know what it is or where that plan leads. When entering kindergarten or first grade, children begin to participate in a career plan.  The school system laid out the plan.  The…… Continue reading The Benefits of Creating Your Own Career Plan

Daily Sessions to a More Powerful You

Work breaks are important to your health and to your work performance. If you are unemployed and in a career search, keeping yourself healthy while experiencing the added stress of looking for a job is critical to keeping up your self-confidence and maintaining a strong self-image. Even if you workout before or after work and…… Continue reading Daily Sessions to a More Powerful You

Your Online Profile for Business and Career

Developing your online profile is as important to your career as developing as your reputation at work or developing your resume for your career change. The information you post online may also be more in-depth and broader than the information you put in your resume.  On LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook, and Twitter, you will find that you…… Continue reading Your Online Profile for Business and Career

15 Minutes A Day That Will Enrich Your Life

15 Minutes A Day That Will Enrich Your Life Remain a student for life.  One of the most enriching parts of my life is continuing to study.  Along with other things, I read textbooks or books on developing skills.  I read magazines and online articles about new things that I am doing. I am not…… Continue reading 15 Minutes A Day That Will Enrich Your Life

Creative Ways to Manage Any Process

After going through a lengthy project that may take several days, I find that the project required so much attention and had such a long list of things to get done, that I get away from preparing a schedule for the day’s activities. This morning was one of those days for me.  What happens on…… Continue reading Creative Ways to Manage Any Process

Beyond LinkedIn

Beyond LinkedIn Today much focus is on networking through membership sites.  Sometimes the most helpful people in your network are your friends or people you have met locally. A friend of mine was working part-time in a hardware store while in college.  One of the regular customers was a wealthy commercial property developer, who owned…… Continue reading Beyond LinkedIn

Professional Networking: Creating Credible Connection Invitations

LinkedIn is a business and career professional network.   Credibility is very important for making connections and building your professional network on LinkedIn. LinkedIn has seven options for inviting people to connect with you.  Each option has advantages in terms of creating credibility and ease of use.  Here are the seven options. Colleague: Requires you to…… Continue reading Professional Networking: Creating Credible Connection Invitations

Job Opportunity City of the Week: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

Find Jobs in Riverside, San Bernardino, Ontario. Census Bureau Quick Facts San Bernardino County Population 2,081,313 Per capita income $21,932<br< p=””> </br<> Riverside County County Population 2,268,783 Per capita income $24,516 Median household income $58,365 Largest Cities-Wikipedia.org Riverside (303,871) San Bernardino (209,924) Fontana (196,069) Moreno Valley (193,365) Rancho Cucamonga (165,269) Ontario (163,924) Corona (152,374) Victorville…… Continue reading Job Opportunity City of the Week: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

Community Building: People Create Better Things Together

Medium is a community website that publishes articles from writers who collaborate to help each other create better material before publication. The website is a great place for business people to get stimulating ideas from outside their community to refresh their business, career, and home life perspectives.  The theme of writers helping writers create better material…… Continue reading Community Building: People Create Better Things Together

Top Trending Jobs by Category

Account Executive Account Manager Accountant Actuary Administrative Assistant Analyst Applications Engineer Art Director Assistant Manager Assistant Store Manager Assistant Vice President Associate Director Attorney Auditor Branch Manager Business Analyst Cashier Civil Engineer Consultant Customer Service Representative Data Analyst Design Engineer Developer Director Doctor Electrical Engineer Engineer Executive Assistant Finance Manager Financial Manager Financial Analyst Flight…… Continue reading Top Trending Jobs by Category

Top Trending Jobs by Industry

Job Search Engine Advertising/PR Jobs Arts/Entertainment/Publishing Jobs Banking Jobs Biotech Jobs Computer Jobs Construction Jobs Education Jobs Engineering Jobs Finance Jobs Government Jobs Hospitality/Travel Jobs Insurance Jobs Internet Jobs Law Enforcement/Security Jobs Legal Jobs Manufacturing Jobs Medical Jobs Nonprofit Jobs Retail Jobs Pharmaceutical Jobs Real Estate Jobs Restaurant/Food Service Jobs Retail Jobs Telecommunications Jobs Transportation…… Continue reading Top Trending Jobs by Industry

The Best Efficiency Advice in the World: Stop Perfecting and Proceed with Creating.

Stop Perfecting and Proceed with Creating.  Not everything that is less than perfect needs to be fixed. Perfectionism as a process:  The management process Six Sigma recognizes that all processes have less than perfect consistency. The goal of the process is to do at mathematical consistent expected levels. The perfectionist as a manager: the worst case…… Continue reading The Best Efficiency Advice in the World: Stop Perfecting and Proceed with Creating.

Building Professional Relationships at Work and On The Web

The Fundamentals of Building Professional Relationships at Work and On The Web Building a professional database is simple. A database is not a network.  It is a contact list. Building a network of professional relationships takes time. The best time to invest time in building these relationships is before the time that you will actually need…… Continue reading Building Professional Relationships at Work and On The Web

7 Simple Steps for Creating a Presentation for Any Situation

When I worked at Procter & Gamble, I took a sales training course that included a presentation model that works for any situation.  Procter & Gamble titled the model the 5-Steps to persuasive selling. Xerox had actually developed the original course as the 7-steps to professional selling (PSS). Let’s say that tomorrow you have a…… Continue reading 7 Simple Steps for Creating a Presentation for Any Situation

Job Opportunity City of the Week: Chicago, IL

Find jobs in the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville Metropolitan Area. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, reported, “Total nonfarm employment for the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville Metropolitan Statistical Area stood at 4,316,500 in February 2013, up 55,400 or 1.3 percent, over the year.”

How to Write Anything and Make It Easy to Read

In an earlier post, I wrote about how to write letters that are easy to read.  What I wrote in that post applies to anything that you write. Writing is part of the job for professionals in all types of fields and responsibilities. Here is an easy to use format anyone can use. State the purpose in…… Continue reading How to Write Anything and Make It Easy to Read

Writing Letters That are Easy to Read

Writing is a daily part of the job for professionals in all types.  Here is an easy format anyone can use. State the purpose in the first sentence. The first sentence expresses the subject of the letter.  If there are two or more subjects to a letter, list each of the subjects in the opening paragraph…… Continue reading Writing Letters That are Easy to Read

Time Management | Control the Controllable

Everyone has days or even jobs in which they may not be able to do everything that needs to be done. Additionally there are times when the obvious choices of what to do are not always the best choices. So how do you select the best things to do for that day? A good approach…… Continue reading Time Management | Control the Controllable

Job Opportunity City of the Week: Oklahoma City, OK

Find jobs in Oklahoma City. Job Opportunity City of the Week: Oklahoma City, OK The Department of Labor rates the unemployment in Oklahoma City as the lowest in the nation for metropolitan areas with a 2000 census of over 2,000,000 people.  The unemployment rate for the Oklahoma City Statistical Metropolitan area is 4.2%. “Bureau of…… Continue reading Job Opportunity City of the Week: Oklahoma City, OK

Set a Pace that Enables You To Be More Productive

Performance takes energy. Peak performance takes knowing the pace for the race to use energy most effectively. I ran a 10K run in which I was wildly excited to get started. I came out and set my pace as closely as I could to the runners who appeared to be the best runners in the…… Continue reading Set a Pace that Enables You To Be More Productive

Job Opportunity City of the Week: Minneapolis, MN

Find jobs in Minneapolis and surrounding communities now. CONSUMER PRODUCTS JOBS For the consumer goods industry, the greater Minneapolis area is one of the most important cities in the country.   General Mills, Hormel, Target, SuperValu, BestBuy, 3M Co., Nash-Finch,and other top companies have headquarters in the greater Minneapolis area. Department of Labor/Census Bureau The…… Continue reading Job Opportunity City of the Week: Minneapolis, MN

Job Opportunity City of the Week: Washington, DC

Find jobs in Washington, DC and surrounding communities today. Jobs are available today in merchandising, sales, advertising, technology, and marketing in the greater DC, Virginia, Maryland market. Washington-Arlington-Alexandra is the fourth best job opportunity growth market in the country. (ASU W.P. Carey School) The two leading newspapers for the District of Columbia area are Washington…… Continue reading Job Opportunity City of the Week: Washington, DC

Employment Matters: 4 Things I love About My Job.

Creating a list of things that I love about my work is a great way to enjoy the things I do every day.  Here are four of the things I love about my job. FUN I have a lot of fun working in the recruiting industry.  The requirements of the job are simple yet fast…… Continue reading Employment Matters: 4 Things I love About My Job.

Employment Matters: You Matter.

THE FEELINGS OF SUCCESS How you feel about yourself and your world will have a great deal to do with how well you interact with other people.  These feelings also will have a great deal to do with how other people interact with you. SMILE I talked to a guy one time who said that…… Continue reading Employment Matters: You Matter.

Job Opportunity City of the Week: Cincinnati, OH

Find jobs in Cincinnati and other cities today. “Altogether, nine Fortune 500 companies and fifteen Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered in the Cincinnati area.” Wikipedia.org. Home to the Cincinnati Reds Major League Baseball team, the Cincinnati Bengals National Football League team, The University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, and the location of 19 major companies make the…… Continue reading Job Opportunity City of the Week: Cincinnati, OH

Job Opportunity City of the Week: Austin, TX

Find jobs in Austin, TX and other cities. Art, culture, and music center. Location of the University of Texas. Capital city of Texas. Employment center for government, education, pharmaceutical, biotech, and technology (nicknamed “the silicon hills”).  The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area is a hot job market.  Rich with employment in multiple sectors, the…… Continue reading Job Opportunity City of the Week: Austin, TX

Be Extraordinary: Rehearse Spontaneous Answers.

I know that using the word “rehearse” to describe the word “spontaneous” create a bit of an oxymoron. However, I find it helpful to have a pocketful full of little phrases to use when I am in a discussion that may involve disagreement or tension. For a couple of reasons, I need at least to…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: Rehearse Spontaneous Answers.

Be Extraordinary: When You Don’t Like What You are Saying to Yourself, Change the Subject.

When you don’t like what you are saying to yourself, change the subject. I learned some time back that the quality of my thinking is related to my moods.  My moods may go up after I eat or listen to music or get some rest or get some good news.  My moods may go down…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: When You Don’t Like What You are Saying to Yourself, Change the Subject.

Be Extraordinary: Know when to call the boss.

There are times when the boss needs to know.  Extraordinary people know when they should call the boss. At sea as a Navy officer I stood watches which included the safe navigation (piloting) of the ship.  As a new ensign in the Navy, I served on an aircraft carrier and never expected to see the…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: Know when to call the boss.

Be Extraordinary: Practice the Power of Humility

I once heard a guy say that he got the humility button, but he had to give it back because he wore it. So humility can not be worn like a badge.  When I forget that point, I pay a price in relationships and income. In an earlier article titled “Be Extraordinary:  Be Wrong,” I discussed how…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: Practice the Power of Humility

Be Extraordinary: Eat Your Leafy Greens

For me, green vegetables are the best weight-loss food and the best way to bypass the cookie jar. Greens are interesting too! Greens are fun and nutritious.  Check it out! Celery burns more calories than it contains.   Check it out!  Just slap that sentence in your favorite search engine, and check it out! Broccoli…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: Eat Your Leafy Greens

Be Extraordinary: Start with Simple Steps

I am more successful when I start with simple steps. For me, motivation is not the key.  Consciously in the present moment, doing one thing at a time is the key. I do not require myself to get motivated to go for a walk.  I just agree to put on my shoes. I put them…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: Start with Simple Steps

Be Extraordinary: Become a Better Writer.

When writing for your job or your career, you can become a powerful writer.  The principles of great business writing are simple. State your subject in the first sentence.  A sales manager once told me that Procter & Gamble sent him to Cincinnati for a two-year assignment to teach him how to write. I thought…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: Become a Better Writer.

Be Extraordinary: Understanding Organizational Fit

Do employers hire you for who are you or for what you know? Obviously, most employers are looking for both traits. So when you go into that interview, be prepared to show how you can serve and benefit the company and how you can be someone people will want to have around the office. Two…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: Understanding Organizational Fit

Be Extraordinary: Moving beyond Resolutions to Lifestyles Changes

It is about this time of year that I have forgotten about New Year’s resolutions or given up on them and feel guilty that I was not able to fulfill those resolutions I made just four short weeks ago. Why have always found that these resolutions were not going to work long-term and were just…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: Moving beyond Resolutions to Lifestyles Changes

Be Extraordinary: Do One Thing at a Time.

Today I am going to do one thing at a time.  I will start the day by going over my plan for the day. Then I will work with one computer program until the project is finished. When I have finished that one project, I am going to take a break and do some crunches.…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: Do One Thing at a Time.

Be Extraordinary: Build Something with a Hammer and Saw.

Last July, I wrote an article on getting back to the home gym by following the methods used in the movie “Karate Kid.”  That is, by washing my car and doing other things that I had turned over to public commercial services. Now with the beginning of the New Year, the most effective home gym…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: Build Something with a Hammer and Saw.

Be Extraordinary: Make Plans.

Every day at 8:00 AM, I go over my plans for the day. I establish the status of my business with existing customers and what needs to be done to further my business with these customers. I review developing business and set priorities for turning those prospects into customers. I establish how I will proceed…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: Make Plans.

Be Extraordinary: Keep it positive!

I love fruitcake.  Like everything else, fruitcake has people who love it and people who do not.  Nearly two million fruitcakes are sold each year.  I doubt that many people eat an entire fruitcake, since most fruitcakes have a very dense texture and are about a foot in diameter and four inches high less that…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: Keep it positive!

Be Extraordinary: Be Grateful

I am going to be extraordinary today by appreciating that I have the present moment to be effective at my job, love my friends and my family, and experience life.  For those things and many other things I am grateful. My wife went through the experience last night of buying a gift for a friend…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary: Be Grateful

Be Extraordinary. Take Breaks.

Today to be extraordinary, I am going to take breaks.  I know when I need a break.  There are signals. When I dial the correct phone number and get the wrong phone, that is a signal to take a break. When I enter the correct password and the password does not work, that is a signal…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary. Take Breaks.

Be Extraordinary. It’s Still Okay.

William Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets. At the same time he was running a theater, where he also acted.  Shakespeare, as the result of years of very hard work, became a wealthy man.  He is also the greatest English writer in history. Thomas Edison executed 1093 successful patents.  Thomas Edison, along with Michelangelo,…… Continue reading Be Extraordinary. It’s Still Okay.

“You Are Hired!” How to Interview to Get the Job Offer!

“You Are Hired!” Start the interview by showing an interest in the job. Why? Because you are sending out buying signals which are attractive to the hiring manager. Why even go to an interview for an opportunity that you have not researched enough to know whether you are interested. If you are out kicking tires, stay home. You…… Continue reading “You Are Hired!” How to Interview to Get the Job Offer!

Your Known Network

Today I so instinctively take the easy way to finding information and contacts.  I go to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Job Boards, Business Directories, Google Search, and forget that the best network I have is the one made up of the people I already know. The online resources are so powerful, so compelling, and so easy…… Continue reading Your Known Network

Career Tip of the Day: Name, City, State, Zip, Phone, Email on all Correspondence

I get a ton of email.  By clicking the reply button, I can reply to that email. However, some of this email is confusing as to who sent it. For example, if you use some clever name like Soccer Chief for your email name or just your first name and your email address is 5552541@me.com,…… Continue reading Career Tip of the Day: Name, City, State, Zip, Phone, Email on all Correspondence

The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Skills

Skills Talent Experience Personality Knowledge Personal Goals Potential for Long-Term Success The purpose of this series of articles is to enable employers to make better hiring decisions by understanding exactly what decisions are involved in making a great hire.  Coming to the right decision in making a great hire is making the correct decisions on…… Continue reading The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Skills

The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Talent Assessment

In the article I posted on September 27, 2012, I discussed talent as a quality in making a hiring decision. In talent assessment, the hiring manager is attempting to know a person’s natural abilities or aptitude and, separately, a person’s intelligence.  A highly skilled house painter is the only person I would recommend to paint someone’s…… Continue reading The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Talent Assessment

The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Talent

Different companies emphasize different qualities when making a hire.  Many companies have job descriptions to serve as a template for the experiences, skills, and education. There are seven decisions that go into the best hires. Does the applicant have the talent, skills, knowledge, personality, experience, potential for long-term success, and the personal goals  to fit…… Continue reading The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Talent

The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Personality

The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Personality Because of the importance of relationships within a company as well as the relationships companies have with their suppliers and their customers, personality is important in making a hiring decision.  Any interviewing training program instructs applicants to stand tall, show enthusiasm and interest, and give a pleasant…… Continue reading The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Personality

The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Knowledge

Knowledgeable retail buyers are gauging how much to buy based on the quantity that will sell through to the consumer and still keep the pipeline flowing with more products as well as enable the retailer to pay for the shipment with the money collected from retail sales on each order before the payment comes due to the supplier. Knowledgeable…… Continue reading The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Knowledge

The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Personal Goals

The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Personal Goals Once a hiring manager extends an offer, an applicant may know on the spot whether to accept.  On the other hand, if during the recruiting process, neither the hiring manager nor the applicant has considered the personal goals of the applicant, matters can get sticky.…… Continue reading The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Personal Goals

The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Potential for Long-Term Success

On the surface, it would appear that a person who has tremendous talent, skills, knowledge, and personality, and has everything to ensure long-term success. These factors are all very important in how well a person will do long-term.  Equally important to long-term success are punctuality, attendance, conduct, trustworthiness, self-confidence, demeanor, personal appearance, loyalty, determination and flexibility, independence and…… Continue reading The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Potential for Long-Term Success

The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Experience

The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Experience I once heard a person say that they do not know how a trip will turn out until they are on the way back.  Experience is a powerful teacher.  Reading about performing certain tasks, attending classes on those tasks, looking at pictures of a those tasks, and discussing…… Continue reading The Seven Decisions in Making a Great Hire: Experience

Best Job Interview Questions

Why are you leaving your current job? What is your greatest achievement? Who was the best supervisor you have ever had? Who was the worst supervisor you ever had. What makes you the best person for the job? What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness? What are your long-term goals? What do you plan to do…… Continue reading Best Job Interview Questions

As the Millennial generation ages, will print media disappear?

I do not think that I have ever seen an article that did not have the word technology and the word millennial on the same page. Millennials, generally thought to be the people born between 1976 and 1984, are the stereotypes with smartphones for an appendage, news source, road map, and entertainment. I just came…… Continue reading As the Millennial generation ages, will print media disappear?

The Happiness Habit

I have  heard that it is impossible to smile and be sad.  I can never remember to test the idea when I am sad. Motivational speakers often emphasize the importance of thinking positive thoughts.  I have heard the expression “fake until you make it.”  I take this to mean act successful and happy and you…… Continue reading The Happiness Habit

Lists: Putting the Focus on Success

Some people are great lists makers.  Whether shopping, going to a business meeting, planning an event, tracking their expenses, setting priorities for the day, these people are intuitively organized about the way they live their lives through lists making. Other people, myself included, are less likely to structure their lives around lists, but go along…… Continue reading Lists: Putting the Focus on Success

Should You Discuss Compensation on the First Interview? Yes!

Conventional practice and advice is that discussing compensation on the first interview is in bad form and can cost an applicant future interviews. If you are a hiring manager and make it your practice not to discuss income at all on the first interview or if you are an applicant and plan not to bring…… Continue reading Should You Discuss Compensation on the First Interview? Yes!

Hey, Catch! Interview Preparation

Have you ever had someone toss a ball your way and let you know it was inbound after the person had thrown it? If you have good reflections and a clear mind, a surprise ball toss can be easy to handle.   Personally, I need to know the ball is coming and preferably have a…… Continue reading Hey, Catch! Interview Preparation

Counter Offers: The Reason That You Resigned Seldom Goes Away If You Stay.

The simple fact is that companies employ people at the convenience of the company.  As soon as the company no reason to keep a person or finds a reason to let a person go, the person would be shown the door and people who are perceived as disloyal may find themselves at the head of…… Continue reading Counter Offers: The Reason That You Resigned Seldom Goes Away If You Stay.

Cocktail Napkins, Interview Questions, and Landing a Job

Cocktail Napkins, Interview Questions, and Landing a Job I have a friend who has a way of making people aware of his interest in them as friends. He always greets people with questions that allow people to talk about themselves and their families. With me, for example, he asks how I have been. He asks…… Continue reading Cocktail Napkins, Interview Questions, and Landing a Job

The Home Gym: Why Doing Things Yourself is Good for Your Self-Esteem, Your Confidence, and Your Health.

Going through a career change or any life change can bring feelings of uncertainty, inadequacy, and uselessness. You may also feel that have less energy and less interest in life in general. Home projects during these periods can be hard to start. All the feelings and loss of energy during challenging life changes can reduce…… Continue reading The Home Gym: Why Doing Things Yourself is Good for Your Self-Esteem, Your Confidence, and Your Health.

The Power of an Agenda

The Power of an Agenda for Your Job Interview During lunch with a field sales manager of a major consumer goods company, I heard again the importance of preparing an agenda before each call.  He told me about a day in the field he had recently spent with the Chairman and CEO of his company.  At…… Continue reading The Power of an Agenda

CloudTop – Your Desktop for the Internet

A group of MIT students in a project competition created an application that enables you to manage data across multiple sites from any computer and altered the way you and I manage and store files forever.  This application is not another multiple website integration application.  This is an application that will put ever file you…… Continue reading CloudTop – Your Desktop for the Internet

Network, Even When There is no Apparent Reward

Network, Even When There is no Apparent Reward He had been unemployed for over a year. He told me that he had not had one interview in over a year, because there was nothing worth his time.  When I pressed him as to what he meant by things that were worth his time, he explained…… Continue reading Network, Even When There is no Apparent Reward

Working with Recruiters: The Different Types and What They Do

Working with Recruiters: The Different Types and What They Do If you are working with recruiters, you will find it helpful to understand the relationship between the recruiter and the hiring company and the relationship between a recruiter and a potential employee. Recruiter or Placement Agency The companies that use recruiters to fill a position pay recruiters…… Continue reading Working with Recruiters: The Different Types and What They Do

Collaborate: The Art of We – Dan Sanker – Google Books

Book recommendation Author: Dan Sanker “The 21st Century’s counterpart to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War: Dan Sanker’s Collaborate: The Art of We, gives a new generation of pioneering business enthusiasts a practical guide to capture tomorrow’s business opportunities.” Online Review

A Word About Disney

I have spent so much time in business and talking to people about business that I have lost the feeling of wonder about what successful companies really do. Companies that stay in business for decades do wonderful things  and make wonderful products.  I could pick many companies as examples and never have to mention a…… Continue reading A Word About Disney

Multitasking? Give Me a Break!

The greatest hazard in the multitasking world today is the risk of not getting to the the actual tasks you have set for yourself. Computers Invite Us to Multitask. I have always had multiple tools on my desktop.  At one time my desktop was covered with a legal pad, a canister of pens, reference books,…… Continue reading Multitasking? Give Me a Break!

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