Being a baby boomer in the workplace is not easy. Whether you’re trying to age-proof your resume, compete with millennials for an interview, or get up to speed with new technologies on the job, older people face age discrimination in the hiring process. Yet more seniors than ever are working longer, seeking new jobs after retirement, and managing great careers…. Read more »
Afraid You’re Losing Out on Top Jobs? Tech & Healthcare Lead 2017
Whether you’re an experienced professional looking for a new challenge or a younger worker seeking a burgeoning field, most career changers are considering jumping into top jobs in hot and growing industries. The technology and healthcare sectors are leading the charge. Both fields are hot and will be for decades to come. But while tech… Read more »
Understand Company Culture Before You Get Hired
Companies are obsessed with culture. Leaders talk about it, HR screens for it, but it can be difficult to pin down and define the culture of any given organization. And that’s a big risk for job seekers. Of course, the actual tasks and responsibilities are important in determining whether you will be satisfied in a… Read more »
7 Resume Formatting Tips to Combat Ageism
If you’re a job hunter of a certain age, you probably have mixed feelings about revealing too much on your resume. On one hand, you have so much to be proud of: your accomplishments, your expertise, your network, not to mention your maturity. All of these attributes bring value to the table. On the other… Read more »
You Won’t Get Your Dream Job with a One-Click Application
If you’ve spent any time looking for jobs recently, you’ve probably encountered websites and apps that advertise a one-click application process. These sites promise a quick and easy way to apply for the job of your dreams. Just a single click and soon you’ll be sitting in that executive corner office. It’s an alluring offer,… Read more »
How to Turn Employment Gaps into Positives
For most of us, life has a tendency to get in the way of our career paths. Employment history gaps are becoming more common, but they’re still often seen as red flags to employers. When it’s time to return to work, you need to reframe those gaps and show yourself in a positive light. Before… Read more »
How to Get Interview Feedback When You Didn’t Get The Job
After weeks of conversations, interviews, and imagining your life in a new position, you finally find out: you didn’t get the job. It’s tough to lose out, but you can learn from the employer who passed on you. While criticism doesn’t always feel good, the interview feedback you can get from the hiring manager can be… Read more »
Don’t Meet All The Job Requirements? Apply Anyway!
It’s a common job search experience. You’re browsing through job postings when you stumble on the perfect position. As you read through the description, you get increasingly excited: it’s a great organization with interesting responsibilities, and the pay is awesome. It’s exactly what you want to do. Then you read the job requirements and your… Read more »
How to Explain Your Career Transition
One of the constant challenges of job hunting is persuading an interviewer that you are the right person for the position. This task can be even more difficult when you’re trying to transition into a new career. How do you make the most of the transferrable experience you have to instill confidence in a prospective… Read more »
Finding The Right Fit: Rachel Launchbury’s Job Search Success Story
Everyone’s job search story is different, but each individual story can inspire and empower others who are on their own unique path. For Rachel Launchbury, the hardest part of the job search was finding an employer that was the right fit. Here’s Rachel’s story. What do you do for a career? Who do you work… Read more »
Why For-Profit Companies Should Hire Nonprofit Professionals
If you ask many people around Portland about Mac’s List, they will almost all say, “oh yeah, that’s the job board for nonprofit careers.” Yet, my former company, Columbia Bank, and many other for-profit organizations have also advertised here as well. Why? Because good employees are good employees regardless of a company’s tax-exempt status, and… Read more »
4 Must-Dos For Your Relocation Cover Letter
It’s a challenge many job seekers face. You want to move to a new city, but you need a guaranteed paycheck before you make the big jump. So you look for opportunities on local job boards and send out applications. But here’s the problem: employers have a distinct bias against long-distance job candidates. It’s an uphill… Read more »
How to Network in a New City Before You Move
We live in a highly mobile society, with people frequently moving hundreds—and sometimes thousands—of miles for family, work, or lifestyle needs. For many people the desire to relocate often crashes headlong into the reality of needing financial resources for such a move. You end up with a chicken-or-the-egg problem… What comes first: the move or… Read more »
Telecommuting: No Longer a Remote Possibility
As any frazzled commuter will attest, having the option to telecommute—to work remotely from home or any other location—is a major perk. Not only do you get to skip the daily rush hour commute, but you may also get extra flexibility in your work schedule. Need to transport your kids to soccer practice? No sweat…. Read more »
4 Elements That Can Transform Your Career
Do you feel as if something is missing from your career? Many clients contact me, saying that while they like many aspects of their work, something leaves them unfulfilled, disengaged, and itching to make a change. They feel that their job isn’t working for them and they want to gain some insights about what’s wrong,… Read more »
Answer Tough Interview Questions By Perfecting the Pivot
Even a mundane conversation can take an unexpected turn, and this is especially true during a job interview. From out of nowhere the hiring manager might ask a question that completely throws you off your game. Perhaps the she asks about why you left your last position after only six months on the job. Or… Read more »
4 Must Dos for Interview Follow Up
Well-done, eager candidate! The interview went swimmingly. You were attentive, engaged, and asked the right questions. You hit all your talking points in a natural fashion, got off a one-liner that killed, and felt genuine warmth in the manager’s goodbye handshake. But don’t celebrate yet; the work’s not done! Before gathering your gear to walk… Read more »
How to Get a Job By Guerrilla Networking
When most people think about “networking,” they envision an after-work happy hour, an industry event, or perhaps an informational interview. These are all recommended tools for building your professional network and finding interesting work opportunities. But there’s another, more nuanced, form of networking that can help you land a job: guerrilla networking. Guerrilla networking is targeting… Read more »
The Secret Code of Interview Body Language
Most of us are vaguely aware that we are sending some kind of message with our nonverbal behaviors. But did you know that body language can account for as much as 60% of communication? You make a first (and critical) impression before you even get to “Hello.” If you’re thorough in your preparations, you will… Read more »
Landing a Startup Job: Anna Walsh’s Job Search Success Story
Meet Anna Walsh, a startup enthusiast who was laser-focused in the kind of job she was looking for. Here’s Anna’s story. Describe the work you do? I work at a startup company called TryFleet where I wear many hats. On a typical day, I might talk to customers, manage accounts, use a CRM, build provider… Read more »
Four Simple Tips to Conquer Your Phone Interview
Congratulations! Your resume has been plucked from that towering pile of applications reaches up to the ceiling in some nondescript Human Resources office. Now that employer wants to schedule a phone interview to discuss your qualifications. Now it’s time to prepare! Getting the date and time for a phone interview is definitely good news. It… Read more »
Defy the Older Worker Stereotype
“You’ve come a long way, baby.” If you remember this Virginia Slims commercial from the 60s and 70s, chances are you’re a seasoned mid- to late-career professional, with many accomplishments to show for your years of work. Unfortunately, not everything since those days has made such great strides. Ageism is alive and well in the… Read more »
Three Techniques for Interview Practice
For many people, the prospect of interviewing for a new job has the potential to bring on a small panic attack. This can be true whether you are a recent college graduate or a mid-career professional with many interviews under your belt. Fortunately, there is a proven way to decrease this anxiety, improve your interview… Read more »
The PART Strategy: How To Answer Behavioral Interview Questions
Behavioral interview questions are among the most common prompts you can expect when you’re applying for a job. If you’ve ever sat through an interview, you probably know what a behavioral question is, even if you’re not familiar with the term. It’s any question that begins with: Can you tell me about a time when… Give me… Read more »
Plan Ahead For These Common Interview Questions
Planning out answers for a job interview might seem like an impossible task, or worse, a calculated way to crush your ability to be witty and spontaneous. But there are some common interview questions that are almost guaranteed to come up, and it’s best to have your basic answers mapped out in advance. A good response… Read more »
From Active to Passive: Jacob Arnold’s Job Search Success Story
Meet Jacob Arnold, a long-time communications specialist. After passively looking for work for several years, he launched a focused, active search for his dream career. Here’s Jacob’s story. What do you do for a career? Who do you work for? I had been a newspaper copy editor for more than 20 years, with my… Read more »
Why You Need to Stop Keeping Your Options Open
Whenever I meet a job seeker, the first question I ask is always the same: “What kind of work are you looking for?” At least half the people give me one of the following responses—all of which are a bad omen for their job search… “I’m keeping my options open.” “I’m willing to do anything.”… Read more »
Be Prepared for these 6 Types of Interviews
When you think of a job interview, you probably imagine sitting across the table from a hiring manager, answering a series of all-too-familiar questions. While this is certainly the norm, employers increasingly use different types of interviews to screen candidates in unique ways. Likewise, from a candidate’s perspective, each type of interview requires a different strategy. What works… Read more »
The Top 10 Questions to Ask in an Interview
Almost every job interview ends the same way. After grilling you with their prepared questions, the interviewer will look up and ask: “Do you have any questions for me?” This is your moment! It’s a huge mistake to not take advantage of this opportunity. By asking questions during a job interview, you can learn more… Read more »
Your Professional Biography: Say it Loud and Say it Proud
Everyone needs a short professional biography–to let others know what you do, to share your accomplishments and to reinforce your brand. Whether you use it on LinkedIn, atop your resume, or in a cover letter, your bio is an opportunity to define the value you provide as a professional. In his contribution to Land Your Dream Job in… Read more »