Portland is a great place to live, but a tough place to find work. The local job market has simply not kept pace with the rapid population growth, so living and working in Portland can be a challenge. Whether you’re a native Oregonian, a transplant, or an aspirational Portlander, finding meaningful and well-paying work, can… Read more »
How to Overcome Ageism in Your Job Search
Note, Marsha has retired. This article was written prior to her retirement. In my coaching practice, I am frequently asked about ageism in today’s job market. My first response is that we are all what we are; we can’t change the age we are or the experiences we bring to the table. A confident job seeker embraces… Read more »
A Minimalist Guide to Career Fulfillment
What is the source of career fulfillment? Is it financial success, or power and prestige? Is it pursuing what you thought you wanted to be as a bright-eyed kid? Perhaps the most useful way to define career fulfillment is to start noticing in what contexts you actually feel most fulfilled. Structure vs. Spontaneity Do you find yourself… Read more »
Overcoming “No” To Find a Job: Megan O’Leary’s Job Search Success Story
Everyone’s job search story is different, but each individual story can inspire countless careers. We share the stories of job seekers’ successes to inspire you in your own career, get ideas for new approaches, and to help us all better understand the local job market! Megan O’Leary shares the ups, the downs, and the successful conclusion of… Read more »
Seven Things You Must Know to Find Work Through a Recruiter
Do you know how to find work through a recruiter? A good recruiter can be an amazing resource in your job search. They can connect you to the local “hidden job market” and be your advocate with potential employers. Unfortunately, many job hunters seem unclear about how recruiters operate, much less how their services factor… Read more »
Are You Ready to Kickstart Your Encore Career?
Finding meaningful and rewarding work is difficult for just about everyone–especially in a competitive job market. Older jobseekers, however, face unique challenges landing choice employment positions. Age discrimination can be a real factor in the hiring process, and the barriers can be even higher if you’re coming off a prolonged period of unemployment. Are you a… Read more »
The One Thing You Need for a Social Impact Career
Last week, I had the pleasure of moderating Making Positive Social Impact in Your Life and Career, a panel discussion at Portland State University, highlighting employment options for students interested in affecting positive social change. The panel included representatives from an array of social impact catalysts: local government, the nonprofit sector, and benefit corporations / B corps. Here… Read more »
The Best Informational Interview Questions to Ask & Why They Work
If you’re looking for a new job, informational interviews are one of the most effective ways you can get started. There’s no better way to learn about a new company or industry, meet key influencers, make professional connections, and discover hidden job opportunities. When you have the chance to speak with someone one-on-one about their… Read more »
Six Simple Rules for an Email Job Application
Many employers allow applicants to apply for positions through email. This is a often a great option for jobseekers, as it avoids the many pitfalls of online application systems. At the same time, email applications represent a different kind of danger. Your email application is the first point of contact with a prospective employer; if you… Read more »
4 Simple Rules for DIY Career Guidance
Careers develop continuously over the forty or fifty years of our working lives. They are subject to forces both internal (family dynamics, changes of interest) and external (the economy, politics). Accordingly, I’ve always been dubious about “mapping out” an entire career in advance. The linear progressions of model career development—law school, clerkship, federal prosecutor, 9th… Read more »
4 Must-Dos When Following Up After an Interview
The need to impress prospective employers doesn’t end with the interview. If you really want to make a positive impression and land the job, you need to be an expert at post-interview follow-up. In Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) job search expert Jenny Foss (AKA: Job Jenny) shares four must-do post-interview protocols. Acing these four… Read more »
What You Need to Know About Nonprofit Jobs in Oregon
“How do I get a nonprofit job in Oregon?” This is one the questions we get all the time at Mac’s List… and I love it! The frequency of the questions shows how passionate Oregonians are about doing something special and socially responsible with their career. Here are some of the key points I like… Read more »
A Tale of Focus and Persistence: Lisa Kislingbury Anderson’s Job Search Story
Everyone’s job search story is different, but each individual story can inspire countless careers. We share the stories of job seekers’ successes to inspire you in your own career, get ideas for new approaches, and to help us all better understand the local job market! Meet Lisa Kislingbury Anderson. Lisa focused her job search energy… Read more »
How to Survive When You Hate Your Job
Not every job is going to be your ideal work situation. But just because it isn’t your dream job doesn’t mean it has to be a job nightmare. There often ways to improve your work situation or, at the very least, make your current job a springboard for more desirable work opportunities. If you’re stuck… Read more »
Portland’s Best Business Networking Groups
The single most effective element to successful career management can be summed up in one word: network! This is particularly true in the business community, where personal relationships are the foundation for nearly every transaction. Whether you are looking to find a new job, meet your peers, or generate sales leads, regular networking is vital to… Read more »
How To Find Jobs Through A Recruiter or Staffing Agency
Trying to find jobs through a recruiter or staffing agency can be an appealing and productive avenue to meaningful work. Recruiters often have inside access to highly coveted positions–including many that are never listed publicly. But partnering with a recruiter isn’t an instant panacea to your career woes; success requires patience, dedication, and hard work–both… Read more »
So You Got Fired… Here’s What To Do Next
Almost all of us, at some time, will be released from our job. We will be reorganized, merged, fired, replaced, right-sized, or we might just outright quit. Here are some guidelines for how to approach the critical first few days after parting company. 1. Give yourself some time Allow time to let your emotions settle,… Read more »
Your Job Application Checklist: Don’t Skip These 4 Steps!
To get the job you want, you need to craft a stand-out application. This can take significant time and effort. Following the guidelines below will undoubtedly slow the pace at which you can apply for open positions, but what you lose in quantity, will be more than made up for with quality. Here are the… Read more »
3 Ways to Manage Burnout in Your Career
Even when you love your job, you’ll likely go through periods of feeling career burnout. It’s inevitable—especially after a busy month or when you come back from a long vacation. It can be difficult to bounce back—when I came back from Europe, I swear it took at least two weeks—but there are things you can do… Read more »
Career Lessons from Millennial Workers
Much has been written–and many hands have been wrung–over the influx of millennials into the American workforce over the past decade. A common (and totally unfair) narrative about this group is that they are overprivileged narcissists who expect too much from their employers. The not-too-subtle inference is that Generation Y is simply out of touch… Read more »
Is Your Resume “Smack in the Forehead” Obvious?
Simply put, your resume is a marketing tool to help you land an interview. And, like any good marketing piece, it needs to be built around the needs and expectations of your target audience–in this case, hiring managers. Is your resume connecting? In Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond), career consultant Jenny Foss (AKA: Job… Read more »
How to Survive a Bad Professional Reference
You aced the application and nailed the interview. They loved you! You’ve made it to the final round of applicants, or maybe the employer has already said they want to hire you. Now, the only thing standing between you and your dream job is a simple professional reference check… Uh oh! Calling references is often… Read more »
How to Compose a Great Cover Letter
One of the biggest mistakes a job hunter can make is to undervalue the importance of writing a great cover letter. Cover letters aren’t meaningless etiquette–mere gift wrapping on your resume or the cover on a TPS report; rather. They are a crucial tool for showcasing your skills, competency, writing ability, and dedication to the prospective job. Most… Read more »
6 Tips For Tackling the Transition from College to Career
Few college students jump straight from college into their dream job. Sure… every school has the programming wiz who gets an offer from Google in his sophomore year, or the business savant who immediately gets a six-figure job with an investment bank. But for most of us, the transition from college to career is a… Read more »
10 Things You Need to Know Before Moving to Portland, Oregon
Whether you’re thinking about moving to Portland for the nearby outdoor recreation, world-class food and drinks, friendly progressive vibes, or for a great job in Portland, there’s a lot to consider before you load up the moving truck. Whatever your reason for moving, take some time to understand the practical, economic, and social dynamics of… Read more »
10 Pieces of Dating Advice For Your Career
Dating isn’t all that different from job searching: there’s the first impression, the awkward first date, the assessment of one another’s character, and the excitement and uncertainty. Over the years, I’ve established my own set of dating rules, and as it turns out, they have a dual purpose. These guidelines have helped me along my… Read more »
10 Tips for Emerging Female Leaders
I once moderated a panel of influential women leaders at the Portland State University Center for Women’s Leadership, where we discussed networking best practices for the latest cohort of New Leadership Oregon. It was a dynamic group of ladies and I was honored to participate. As I facilitated the discussion, I began to wonder what general advice would… Read more »
13 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Job Interviews
You can blame the economy, the state of the job market, or the full moon for not getting interviews, but the truth is that you probably made one of the following errors. Yes, some things are out of your control, but these are things you can control in your job hunt. If you’re not getting… Read more »
How to Tell Your Story in an Interview
Whether you spent two years traveling the world or 10 years as a stay at home parent, learning how to tell your story to a potential employer can be challenging. You might be thinking, “How do I explain my choices?” or “How do I talk about my crazy journey?” Let me help you. After over… Read more »
How Employers Screen and Hire Candidates
Over the course of my career, I’ve been on many hiring committees, and hired dozens of candidates—both in the public and private sector. And as a small business owner, I know that making a good hires is one of the most difficult—but also most important—parts of running a successful organization. So I’ve seen the how… Read more »