It’s been a big year for my podcast, Find Your Dream Job. We celebrated a major milestone of 200 episodes recorded, updated our podcast format, and had dozens of conversations with career experts from all over the country (and the world!). As we look back on this incredible year, we wanted to share some of… Read more »
Finding A New Career Path For Your Skills: Stacey Rice’s Job Search Success Story
After a two month job search, Stacey Rice was ready to find a new career at an organization that aligned with her interests. The biggest challenge Stacey faced was identifying a job position that was suited to her skills, and that was the perfect next step for her career path. In the end, she found… Read more »
Design Your Careers Page to Connect With Candidates
Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, the careers page on your website is a candidate’s first look at your company’s values and culture. This first impression will influence whether or not they want to work for you. As you gear up to hire for new openings, it’s essential for your business to… Read more »
Using Your University Connections to Find New Opportunities: Tanya Zarling’s Job Search Success Story
Tanya Zarling graduated from Portland State University in June 2018, and embarked on a two month job search before she was hired. During her search, Tanya applied to over 40 job openings online. But after one and a half months of exhaustively applying online, she had not received any job offers. It was only once… Read more »
Building an Inclusive Workplace: Six Ways to Retain Diverse Talent
You’ve worked hard to recruit diverse people into your company. Think of the time you’ve spent reviewing resumes, scheduling interviews, talking to candidates, debating who will bring the most value to the team, and navigating the offer and negotiation process – not to mention orientation and on-boarding. If you’ve done it right, you’re probably excited… Read more »
College Grads: Be Relentless to Land Your Dream Job! Derek Steffen’s Job Search Success Story
Derek Steffen recently graduated from college, and like many college grads, he found himself in the middle of his first major job search. Derek has lots of actionable advice for new college grads. Before he landed his first job, Derek had to wrap up his internship, connect with his network, and overcome the frustrations all… Read more »
Why You Can’t Find A Job in a “Hot Job Market”
Portland’s job market is “hot.” Unemployment has been hovering between 3% and 4% for over a year. New businesses are moving to the city, and many existing industries are growing by leaps and bounds. I talk to regional employers every day who are struggling to find candidates for the open jobs. And at the same… Read more »
Staying Resilient and Bouncing Back from Rejection: Karrisa Barrera’s Job Search Success Story
Karrisa Barrera spent three months trying to find the right job position for her next move. She had an upcoming trip to Europe on the horizon and a decision to make: should she keep her current job or put in her notice before securing a new job? Karrisa decided to put in her notice and… Read more »
Know Your Job Pros and Cons: Austin Barber’s Career Story
When setting off on a new job hunt, Austin Barber knew what he enjoyed about his previous position and what he disliked about his old job. He used his insights to construct a defined list of his personal job pros and cons that led him on a focused job search. Austin found a new job… Read more »
Small Business Hiring: Solutions for Building A Better Team
If you’re a small business owner, you know that every hiring decision is incredibly high stakes. Once you’ve got the budget to hire, you’ve got to find the best possible person to do the job, because every new hire can make or break your business’s productivity and goals. That’s why small business owners need to… Read more »
Keep Hustling To Find A New Job: Alfredo Moreno’s Job Search Success Story
Alfredo Moreno spent nine months exhaustively searching for a new job. His ability to stay organized, keep hustling, and stick with the grind allowed him to find a position in his niche industry. Alfredo says what made the biggest difference at the end of the day was goal-setting concrete milestones, staying focused with organization tools, and… Read more »
Ghosting: A Haunting Trend in Hiring
Want to hear a scary statistic? Over 47 percent of applicants who have sent in their resume are still waiting to hear back from the company two months later. Even scarier, many applicants are ghosted by companies after they’ve been through one (or, the horror, several!) rounds of interviews. Ghosting is a term borrowed from… Read more »
Overcoming Your Job Search Fears To Find Better Opportunities: Gary Rubin’s Job Search Story
Sometimes the most difficult part of making a career change is overcoming your fears. If you’re afraid of leaving your current position, moving to a new industry, or facing a period of unemployment, you’ll relate to Gary Rubin‘s job search journey. Gary decided to make a career change after 12 years working at one of… Read more »
Hire Local College Grads: Contact Info for University Career Centers in Oregon and SW Washington
Countless local businesses are looking to recruit energetic professionals with cutting edge skills. At the same time, the Pacific Northwest is full of award-wining colleges and universities that churn out smart, qualified new graduates. So employers have a demand, and regional schools have the supply! If you’re not already using university career centers to source… Read more »
Finding Persistence and Embracing the Journey – Travis Puckett’s Job Search Story
If Travis Puckett had to sum up his job search journey in one word, it would be: persistence. Keeping your chin up and not getting discouraged is key to any job search. Read more of Travis’s advice for job seekers who are looking to find encouragement after a long job search. What do you do… Read more »
The Hiring Strategy That’s Not About Hiring: How to Nurture Internal Talent and Shrink Turnover
In a survey conducted by Pew Research, 63% of employees said they quit a job in 2021 because of a lack of advancement opportunities. Meanwhile, 71% of CEOs noted the labor shortage would be their most significant business challenge. Upskilling is a way to strengthen your employees’ capabilities in their current roles and advance their… Read more »
In-Depth Research and Concentrated Networking: Aaron Cohen’s Job Search Success Story
Aaron Cohen spent months starting conversations with his network, conducting in-depth research and customizing his cover letter, in order to find the right position for him in Portland’s busy tech market. Aaron recommends focusing and following up with your network to make the most of your job search. Read on for Aaron’s job search story… Read more »
Tips for Hiring Smarter in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest states are experiencing booming employment numbers and Oregon is no exception, reaching record highs in recent years. Known nationally as a burgeoning hub for tech and healthcare jobs, as well as the home to Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon and Nike, Portland is drawing talented people and businesses—which means competition for the… Read more »
Find The Opportunities That Are Right For You: Alex Konopka’s Job Search Success Story
If you’re currently seeking work in a competitive industry, you may feel like everywhere you turn is a dead end. But you may be approaching your job search from the wrong perspective. Alex Konopka learned from experience the value of seeking out the opportunities that feel right for you and putting all of your effort into those… Read more »
Diversity Hiring is More Than a Checkbox. Building A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Recruiting Strategy
Hiring for diverse candidates should be a no-brainer and shouldn’t require a reason. However, if it’s not super obvious to your company or just hasn’t been happening at your organization, there are several strong business cases for centering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at the core of your business. In fact, the business case only… Read more »
Making the Big Leap Into a New Industry: Michelle Brence’s Job Search Success Story
Michelle Brence had a long and successful career as a journalist, working as an editor at The Oregonian for over two decades. When she found her newspaper facing significant challenges and major layoffs, she knew it was time to make a career change. Michelle reflected on her interests from high school, particularly in the medical… Read more »
The Future of Work: How Human-Centered Policies Will Set Your Company Apart
Self-driving cars, robots, and other automated technologies are changing the way we live. Tech is also changing how we recruit, hire, and treat our teams. But one thing’s clear, in order to thrive in the new world, you can’t forget the needs of your employees. Human-centered policies are central in the future of work, and… Read more »
Feeling Stuck? Grow Your Career With 5 Simple Tips
You’ve found a comfortable niche in your career and are confident in your current position, but more often than not you’re feeling like you’re in a rut—that you’re not learning anything new. We all experience ebbs and flows in our career, but the feeling of being stuck and dissatisfied can lead to a lack of… Read more »
Social Media Do’s and Don’ts For Older Professionals
Whether you’re making a mid-career move to a different industry or starting a job search after decades with your former employer, there are many obstacles older professionals have to navigate when seeking work. One major obstacle you may have encountered is navigating the complex and ever-changing world of social media. A smart social media strategy… Read more »
Maintaining Focus To Get Results: Alisyn Maggiora’s Success Story
If you’re in the midst of a job search, it may seem like keeping your options open is the safest bet. Alisyn Maggiora spent her 3 month job search volunteering, networking, and relationship building, but what made the difference at the end of the day was getting clear about her career goals. Having a focused,… Read more »
How To Leverage Your Experience as an Over-50 Job Seeker
If you’re over 50, ageism is real and it could be getting in the way of your job search. Illegal or not, age discrimination happens all too often in a labor market where employers have preconceived notions about the longevity, tech-savviness, and financial cost of candidates over a certain age. Or, they may have concerns… Read more »
5 Simple Ways To Streamline Your Hiring Process
Anyone who has ever directed a hiring process knows it can be time-consuming. Add to that the cost of a bad hire, and the process of rehiring and retraining a new employee can cost you precious time and money. You need to get it right the first time. It’s hard to find quality applicants if… Read more »
Reaching New Heights by Challenging Yourself: Heather Back’s Job Search Story
Heather Back knows the discouragement and disappointment that comes from a long job search. Heather spent two years looking for the right job, and along the way she endured countless online applications, being told she was overqualified, and submitting her resume to ATS systems. Luckily, Heather’s long job search was worth the wait and she… Read more »
Oregon Equal Pay Act Compliance Guide for Employers
Women in the U.S. who work full-time, year-round are paid only 80 cents for every dollar made by their male counterparts. That’s the “average” white woman. Black women make only 63 cents and Hispanic women make 54 cents of what their white, male counterparts make. Equal Pay Day for Latinas, the day women finally catch… Read more »
The Top Marketing Events and Networking Organizations in Portland
I moved to Portland from Phoenix, Arizona, a while back. As a new resident of Portland, one challenge I faced was building my professional network from scratch. All of my professional contacts and career connections were in Arizona, where I graduated from college and worked professionally in marketing for most of my career. Luckily, Portland… Read more »