Individuals not within their target career field may feel insecure, doubtful, or maybe even ashamed of their current job title. Career changers make up a large portion of the job-searching population. Although people (in general) are “creatures of habit,” they thrive for change ? especially when unhappy in their current position or industry. Continuing with educational goals or transferring to another industry can alleviate these feelings, yet shouldn’t be the only remedy administered. Continue reading →

Mention “outsourcing” to a programmer and you may as well be uttering profanity. The word suggests all the evils that have befallen the Information Technology sector since the Internet bubble burst a few years ago. We’ve been endlessly regaled with tragic tales of American companies who have closed up shop for many of their I.T. positions, only to “offshore” those same jobs to programmers overseas working for less pay than their American counterparts. A brain drain is taking place in the once highly secure computer programming profession. Continue reading →

In the 80s while I was an account executive for AT&T most people in my organization worked normal (for then) business hours. By that I mean they arrived close to 8 or 8:30AM and left between 5 and 5:30PM. By 6 PM the office was empty. No one seemed to notice or care how many hours people worked. I had a boss nicknamed “Dry Cleaner Sam” because they joked he was “in by 10, out by 4”. Continue reading →

I have had more than my amount of trouble in getting a job. I did everything I was supposed to do. I went to an Ivy League school, got a 3.75 grade average, and then graduated as president of his class. Then I entered the job market. Continue reading →

Without doubt, job loss through downsizing or redundancy, is a major event for everyone when it happens. Most of us invest so much of ourselves in what we do that job loss can take away our sense of status and belonging, as well as the routine and support that work provides. With our job forming so much of our identity, it leaves us feeling disoriented and lost – but it can also be a first step to positive job or career change. Everybody reacts differently in the hours and days following being told that they are to lose their job. Continue reading →

Interview Question, “Tell Me Something About Yourself?”

“Tell me about yourself” is the query, posted by one of the members and since yesterday I happen to go through many responses. I was just thinking?to give my opinion about the same. So, here I go. Continue reading →

There’s no denying that a healthy work environment is a top concern for most employees. Review any employee satisfaction survey and you’re apt to find this issue among the top five concerns of your staff ? sometimes above the issue of pay.

So how do you know if your organization provides a safe, healthy environment for employees? Well, there are some signs to look for. Continue reading →

I don’t know his name and he wasn’t trying to be profound. A man who worked for one of my colleagues always showed in a shirt and tie with a simple explanation: “if you look business, you is business”. His grammar was faulty, but his reasoning was letter perfect and so is its timing as young folks head into the job market, either to start careers or to find summer jobs. Continue reading →

TELEPHONE INTERVIEW BACKGROUND

Telephone interviews are quite common in today’s job market. They are offered for a variety of reasons including cost savings, screening of candidates and out-of-town applicants. To successfully navigate the phone interview, it is important to have a solid game plan in place for preparation. Continue reading →

I coined this word to draw attention to the nervous and apprehensive way of saying something in the job search that makes you feel like a buffoon. A “blurt” is a catchy way of saing: Gaffe.

When is a blurt inappropriate? For example, the interviewer has explained to you what the job duties are and you say: “Oh, I can’t work on Saturdays”. The interviewer has not said anything about Saturday work, only about what the job duties are. You, as the job seeker, not only made a “blurt”, but you jumped ahead of what the inter- viewer might or might not have ready to say. You were not listening and fumbled your way out of the next phase of the interview, if there is to be one. Continue reading →