Thursday, December 29, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

“Success seems to be connected with action.  Successful people keep moving.  They make mistakes but they don’t quit.” – Conrad Hilton


“You can't be afraid of stepping on toes if you want to go dancing.  Every step is part of the journey.  Success lies in the extra mile." - Unknown

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

“If you want something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done." - Unknown 

“Of all sad words of mouth or pen, the saddest are these: it might have been.” - John Greenleaf Whittier

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

“Every exit is an entry somewhere.” - Tom Stoppard


“Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing." - Unknown

Monday, December 19, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

"If you change the way you work, you change the way you live. To change the future we must change our thoughts constantly." - Unknown 

“Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not.” – John C. Maxwell

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." ~Maya Angelou

“When people say they'd like to be in your shoes, it's usually after the difficult journey is finished.” - Tim Fargo

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Keep up that Job Search-No Excuses!

A friend just sent me a newsletter about cold calling, with a note about the “excuse list” applying to jobseekers.  After reading this newsletter from Wendy Weiss’s (The Queen of Cold Calling), I absolutely agree.  Here is the excuse list from her newsletter – the same excuses jobseekers often use this time of year:

--No one’s doing any work. It’s the holidays.
--Nothing gets done till January. It’s the holidays.
--No one sets appointments till the New Year. It’s the holidays.
--Too much to finish up to take the time to prospect (for new employees). It’s the holidays.
--Prospects (potential job candidates) are taking time off.  It’s the holidays.
--I’m taking time off.  It’s the holidays.
--No one wants to be bothered. It’s the holidays.
--No one is thinking about work. It’s the holidays.
--Everyone is having office parties. It’s the holidays.
--No one’s thinking about business. It’s the holidays.

I realize that I have written about this subject before, but it bears repeating every holiday season and every summer when people make excuses not to job search.  Companies are hiring, some of them will make their decisions before the end of the year, some of them will interview right after the first, but if you aren’t searching and applying, you won’t get the job.  Always maintain your job search headway regardless of season.  Your career will thank you.  To your job search success!

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

“Taking small steps over time in the right direction will result in #achievement. The key is not being afraid to take the second step.” - Unknown

“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” - Harriet Beecher Stowe

Career Management Quotes of the Week

“It's not about what you're saying, it's about how you listen.” - Gary Vaynerchuk

“Problems shouldn’t bring the process to a screeching halt, change your lens and you’ll see they are #opportunities for #innovative growth.” - Unknown

Friday, November 18, 2016

Bonus Career Management Quote & Career Tip

Accountability means living by choice, rather than living by accident.  It's an opportunity
to carve out the future, rather than sit back and see what happens.  Without
accountability there are few opportunities for breakthroughs.



When you are accountable to your promises, you are your word; thus, your relationship
to others (and the whole world) shifts.  Bonus: Practice noticing how often you break
your word and make excuses for it and how having a lack of accountability doesn't
serve you. – Gary B. Henson

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” – Les Brown

"Resilience is built, not conjured or given" - Richard Branson


Career Management Quotes of the Week

“If you make a mistake own it and move quickly to fix it.” - Tooey Courtemanche

“You can waste your life drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them.” - Shonda Rhimes

Friday, November 4, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

"Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone." - Pablo Picasso


"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life." - Steve Jobs

Thursday, November 3, 2016

10 Phrases You Should Never Use in a Resume

A job search is challenging enough, but sometimes we create more problems for ourselves by using outdated language or statements that cause us additional issues.  Here are 10 of those phrases to avoid:

1)     References Available Upon Request
a.       Hiring managers already know this fact.
b.      You are wasting space on your resume.
2)     Excellent Written and Verbal Communication Skills
a.     See it frequently, but this is not the definitive based info hiring managers are looking for on the resume.  Your resume writing itself should show excellent writing skills and the interview, your verbal communication skills.  Use it if you want on the cover letter, with an example  demonstrating your excellent communication skills.
b.      Again, wasting space, this time with a generic statement.
3)    Works Well in High Pressure Situations
a.     This is something everyone deals with today in the business world, so instead of a generic statement like the above, give them an example of a project that got done on time and on budget with a time-compressed schedule, or a client that you helped with a product shipment issue that was going to shut down their factory, but you saved the day.
4)    The words Duties or Responsibilities include…
a.     These are highly overused and you want to get a thesaurus and find other action oriented words to being your resume bullet points.
5)    Gained Expertise
a.     Showing hiring managers how you used the expertise is the important part, not just that you learned it.
6)    Strong Work Ethic
a.       Unfortunately many of the people who say this on their resume don’t have one.  
7)    Meets or Exceed Expectations
a.       Generic statement, instead use a real example of how your met or exceeded a goal.
8)    Highly Qualified
a.     Again, generic statement, give specific examples of how you are qualified from your work experience.
9)    Results-Oriented, Results-Focused, Results anything…
a.     Yes, we have all used this phrase or some incarnation of it in our past resumes, but it is time to put this one to bed and give the hiring manager an actual example of results.
10)  Objective Statement
a.     We have covered this before in another blog post, but I find myself still telling this to jobseekers on a fairly consistent basis.  Don’t use an objective statement, which is about what you want, instead use a job title.  Until the company wants to interview and hire you, they don’t “care” about what you want.  By giving them a (their) job title, this communicates what the resume should cover in regards to “type” of experience.

Whether you call them filler words, general or generic statements, or just fluff, including several of the above phrases in your resume will look less than professional.  You only have a few seconds in the initial review of your resume to get the attention of a Hiring Manager, HR, Recruiter, etc.  The last thing you want to do is alienate them with canned phrases and space wasters.  Give real examples of your work successes with some detail, as this is what anyone who reviews resumes and/or hires employee’s wants to hear – proof you are up to the challenge.  To your job search success!

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Career Management Posts of the Week

“The only difference between a good day and bad day is your attitude.” - Unknown 


"Sometimes the most scenic roads in life are the detours you didn't mean to take." - Angela N. Blount

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

"Change is inevitable. Progress is optional.” – Tony Robbins

“The person you will be in five years depends largely on the information you feed your mind today.”  Unknown 

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

“The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving” – Oliver Wendall Holmes

"Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck." – Dalai Lama

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

“Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader."  John Quincy Adams

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

"When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves." ~ Viktor E. Frankl


“Difficult roads often leads to beautiful destinations.” ~ Unknown

Friday, October 14, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!"~ Audrey Hepburn

"There are two types of pain you will go through in life:  the pain of discipline and the pain of regret.  Discipline weight ounces while regret weighs tons." ~ Jim Rohn

Thursday, October 13, 2016

GIVE THEM TWO WEEKS

Many people over the years have ask me the reason for giving two weeks’ notice, and why it’s important in leaving a job.  This subject often comes up when someone I know or a client feels like they were mistreated and either want to “get back” at the employer by just leaving, or don’t feel it is warranted based on their perceived or true maltreatment in the workplace.  Certainly anyone can justify merely not showing up one day and “sticking it to the man,” but I am here to argue that is not the way to end your employment at any company. 
First, you don’t know what a past employer might say when called for a reference.  Some employers are told by lawyers not to say anything but the dates of employment for any past employee, however they can say anything they like – there is no law against it.  Leaving in the best way, by giving that two weeks’ notice may be just the thing that gets you a great reference, or at least keeps them from saying anything negative about you. 
Second, you know that you did the right thing and that is important.  Young people are especially bad about quitting jobs on a whim, but later in life they regret that decision as they mature in workplace ethics and career management.  Why have this type of regret looming over you, don't add to the list by just quitting without notification. 
Three, and maybe most importantly, many companies will allow you to return to their organization years later, with all of your tenure, vacation time, etc., if you just give two weeks’ notice and then actually show up and work through that two weeks.  You leave in what they call “good stead” which means for all intents and purposes you have done the mature thing.  You may say, I would never go back, but don’t be so sure, as we can never truly know what might happen five or even 10 years down the road. 

Make a good decision when leaving an organization.  Whether they let you stay the two weeks or tell you to clean out your desk leave immediately, you have used proper career management etiquette and just may get a positive review from doing so or another job when you need one years in the future.  To your career success!

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

In any given moment, we have two options, to step forward into growth or to step back into safety. ~ Abraham Maslow

Trust because you are willing to accept the risk, not because it's safe or certain. ~ Anonymous

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

“The bad news: nothing is permanent. The good news: nothing is permanent.” ~ Lolly Daskal

“Fight against something and we focus on the thing we hate. Fight for something and we focus on the thing we love.” ~ Simon Sinek

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

“Only you have the power to take responsibility to move your life forward, and the sooner you get that, the sooner your life gets into gear.  What matters now is this moment and your willingness to see this moment for what it is.  Accept it, forgive the past, take responsibility, and move forward.” ~ Oprah Winfrey

“When you look to learn from your day - your future days will be filled with many successes” ~ Unknown

Friday, September 30, 2016

Why Us?

I’ve interviewed a lot of people over the years. One of the issues I frequently see is how people answer the question of “Why do you want to work for us?”  Unfortunately, way too often, the answer isn’t about the benefits of working for the given organization or what the organization does specifically to help others, but about the interviewee.  Here are some of the following answers I have had given to me:

“I am moving here to get away from the city.”

“My parents are elderly and I need to move nearby to help take care of them.”

“The company I work for doesn’t treat me well so I am looking for a change.”


Not one of these answers tells me a reason to hire the individual, instead it shows me a problem that the interviewee is having and also tells me that problem may interfere with their work.  Research the company well before interviewing, and craft an answer ahead of the interview that demonstrates a variety of reasons you want to work for that organization.  Try including tasks you will be doing in the job and why you like them, great things you have read about the company, and how excited you are to work for them based on all of your research.  Give real reasons that display genuine enthusiasm, and express pertinent knowledge you possess about the company.  To your job search success!

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

"Rarely have I seen a situation where doing less than the other guy is a good strategy." Jimmy Spithill

"Never hope for it more than you work for it." - Sonja Teclai

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

"Persons of high self-esteem are not driven to make themselves superior to others; they do not seek to prove their value by measuring themselves against a comparative standard. Their joy is being who they are, not in being better than someone else." ~ Nathaniel Branden


"To be successful you must accept all challenges that come your way. You can't just accept the ones you like." ~ Mike Gafka

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

"Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one’s levels of aspirations and expectation." — Jack Nicklaus

"Successful people have fear, successful people have doubts, and successful people have worries. They just don't let these feelings stop them." T. Harv Eker

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

If you are too cautious, opportunities will vanish before you can seize. - Unknown

Many fall short in their callings, because they fail in their plannings. - Unknown


Thursday, September 15, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”
– Norman Vincent Peale

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”
– Winston Churchill

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis

“It is never too late to be what you might have been”
– George Eliot

Friday, September 9, 2016

Answering The Dreaded "Tell Me About Yourself" Question

The “tell me about yourself” question creates great stress in a job interview, but it doesn’t have to anymore.  Clients say, but what do they want to know?  How long should the answer be?  Let’s think about it from their (the interviewers) perspective.  The interviewer isn’t looking for just a short presentation of your resume highlights that lasts for all of 15 seconds, nor do they want a 20 minute oration on your entire life’s story.

While that “resume highlights” portion must be in the answer, you also want to offer up a few personal tidbits about you (hobbies that show an active person or volunteer work you perform), and pre-answer a couple of questions the interviewer will ask anyway.  For instance:  Why are you looking for a new position?  Why did you choose to apply for this job, with our company?


Create an answer with multiple facets that tell about you and your career, giving the interviewer a peek at your personal life, and then answering questions you know will be asked.  To your job search success!

Friday, September 2, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

“If you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be.”  - Joseph Campbell


“If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it's not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That's why it's your path.”  - Joseph Campbell

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

“Never give up on something you really want.  It is difficult to wait, but more difficult to regret.” - Unknown


“You’re off to great places.  Today is your day.  Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.” - Dr. Seuss 

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

"I will prepare and someday my chance will come."  Abraham Lincoln

“Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the face.” – Helen Keller


Thursday, August 18, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

"Nothing helps calibrate reality more than the honest perceptions of those who work closest to you." - Jay Samit

"If a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life." - Plato

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

“Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.” – Malcolm S. Forbes

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer." Albert Einstein

Friday, August 12, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

"If you don't know what you want, you'll never find it.  If you don't know what you deserve, you'll always settle for less.  You will wander aimlessly, uncomfortably numb in your comfort zone, wondering how life has ended up here. Life starts NOW, live, love, laugh and let your light shine!" - Rob Liano

"Replace I should with I will and you will change your life.  Replace I will with I AM and you will change the world. - Unknown 

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

“All things splendid have been achieved by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance.” – Bruce Barton

“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.” – Mark Victor Hansen

Monday, August 8, 2016

Keep Going...

I have definitely covered how delaying your job search during the summer or the holidays can be problematic, but there is one other time that can challenge a jobseeker – back to school.  It is so easy when the children go back to school or the young adults go back to college to take time off of your job search.  The problem is, it is hard to get your search started again any time you take time off.  While all the back to school shopping, and meetings, and upcoming events that start right after school begins can take up your time, you still want to make the time to search.  Even though your job search may be a little bit more abbreviated as you ready youngsters for school, don’t stop, keep going, the reward of a consistent job search is that bright, shiny new job.  To your job search success! 

Friday, August 5, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” ― Winston S. Churchill


“Your life will never improve unless you start making daily improvements.” - Lewis Howes

Thursday, August 4, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible." - Tony Robbins


“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” - George Addair

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

A Great Resource for any Job Search

O*NET, an incredible database resource to learn about various jobs, education required, salary ranges, and whether a particular job type is in demand, green-related, or declining, has made some updates.  Not only have they updated information for 116 occupations, but they revised the Tools and Technology section.  O*NET added 121 new technologies across 134 occupations, and has now created a new identifying category of “hot technologies” featuring 17 in-demand technologies.


Visit O*NET today at http://www.onetonline.org/ and learn more about a job type you have interest in for career transition, explore several potential careers, or gather additional information to assist you in writing your resume.  To your job search success! 

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

“We generate fears while we sit.  We overcome them by action.” - Dr. Henry Link

“Always keep your head up, because if it is down you won’t be able to see the blessings that have been placed in your life.” - Unknown

Monday, July 25, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

"Before an intimidating conversation, I remind myself that I will be the same person before and after the conversation, no matter the outcome."  ~ Olivia Fay

"Beautiful things happen when we distance ourselves from the negative." ~ Unknown

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.” – Charles Kettering



“It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.” ― Lou Holtz

Monday, July 18, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

“The greatest enemy of learning is thinking that you already know.” –  Jack Canfield & Dr. Peter Chee

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not’ the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and will always solve the problems of the human race.”
– Calvin Coolidge

Friday, July 15, 2016

Get a Different Perspective to Create a Standout Resume

Don’t be afraid to ask past colleagues (be wary of asking current colleagues, of course), family, friends, and those you volunteer with about what you have done in your various jobs (including volunteer work) that might be great to mention on a resume.  What have you been really excited about that you have discussed regarding work?  What projects do they remember you working on specifically?  Do they remember you winning any awards or recognition's?  What about a performance review that was particularly good?  Do they remember you writing any standout documentation (manuals, policies, tips sheets, website verbiage, etc.)?  Do they recall you training others in the workplace or giving presentations at work or in a volunteer capacity?   


It can very difficult for us to see our accomplishments.  Often the things we do daily are some of the most important information to include on a resume, but we just see it as part of our job. Getting another perspective regarding your career and your performance in various jobs can really help bolster the information you can provide on a resume.  To your job search success!  

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

Acceptance is not submission; it is acknowledgement of the facts of a situation. Then deciding what you're going to do about it. - K. Casey


When I hear a person say "please" and "thank you" that tells me more than any bio ever could. - Anonymous

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow. - M. Radmacher


The only limits you put on tomorrow are the "buts" you're using today. - Anonymous 

Friday, July 8, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

There Will Always Be People In Your Life Who Treat You Wrong. Be Sure To Thank Them For Making You Strong.- Zig Ziglar

Success is the result of good judgement, which is the result of experience, experience is often the result of bad judgement. - Tony Robbins

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Career Tip: Don't Let Summertime Stop Your Job Search

The kids are out of school, it's 95 degrees outdoors, there are tons of summer activities wanting your attention, and you feel that most companies aren't bothering to hire during the Summer so you can put off your job search until Fall.  Wrong!  Not only do companies hire during the summer, but applications you filled out in the Applicant Tracking Systems in June, may actually have interviews starting as late as September or October.  If you weren't actively job seeking, you missed out.

Searching for a job is a job, and should be treated as such.  Just like your boss still expects you to be giving 100% every day your are at your job, you should give 100% to your job search regardless of the season.  Whether holiday time or summertime, keep your job search going, it will pay great dividends in the end.  To your job search success!

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

Successful people make the most of the best and the best of the worst. - Steve Keating


Conditions Are Never Just Right. People Who Delay Action Until All Factors Are Favorable, Do Nothing. - William Feather

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

“Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently.”  - Henry Ford

“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination.” – Napoleon Hill

Career Management Quotes of the Week

"Combined with passion and perseverance, identifying and leveraging your strengths and aptitudes is the key to any career path." ~ Anadil Hossain


“Have the courage to act instead of react.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

Friday, June 17, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week!

"The only time you should ever look back, is to see how far you’ve come." ~ BrianTracy

“You don’t have to change you goal.  Change your path, and be willing to do so, and don’t see that as a failure.  That’s just life.” ~ Diane Hendricks 

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." ~ Unknown

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday, June 13, 2016

Career Tip: Get a Professional Opinion

People tell you all manner of false information in a job search, including "resumes are dead," "you only need a one page resume," "LinkedIn is just like Facebook," "a cover letter isn't important," and "if you apply to enough jobs online through job boards you will get a job."  Listen to real experts in a job search, not friend, family and acquaintance opinions.  While the aforementioned are well-meaning, they will make your job search longer, more frustrating, and potentially unsuccessful.  Get the facts from an experienced career professional if you have questions.  To your job search success!

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

"Ask yourself if what you're doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be?" ~ Unknown 

"Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want." ~ Jim Rohn

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

CAREER TIP: Detach From Your Technology

Detach from tech on evenings, weekends and vacations. When you never “leave” work or social networks you become numb to information and less productive in your work.  Constant use of tech devices has been linked to higher stress, anxiety, and depression which leads to lowered work performance and decreased job satisfaction.  Give your mind a break – try working each day after a night off without work emails and social media overload and watch your productivity soar. 

Monday, June 6, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

“Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn’t know that so it goes on flying anyway.” – Mary Kay Ash


“I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure, which is: Try to please everybody.” – Herbert Swope

Friday, June 3, 2016

CAREER TIP – Make Networking Less Stressful

Afraid of networking?  Take a friend with you.  Going to an “event” can seem very intimidating, particularly if you are somewhat shy.  Having a friend along gives you an automatic “group.”  If the friend happens to be more outgoing, you will have the added benefit of them making introductions as well. 

Thursday, June 2, 2016

CAREER TIP – Track Those Career Results

Track all of your work achievements monthly: projects completed, new projects assigned to, sales numbers, new clients, documents written, inventory managed, budgets managed, etc. It will make resume updating easier and help you prepare for performance reviews. 

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

“When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal; you do not change your decision to get there.” ~ Zig Ziglar


“Our greatest glory is not, in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” ~ Ancient Proverb

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week!

“If you dare nothing, then when the day is over, nothing is all you will have gained.” - Neil Gaiman

"People who look through keyholes are apt to get the idea that most things are keyhole shaped." - Unknown 



Thursday, May 26, 2016

Your Most Important Job Search Tool

What is your most important job search tool?  Well, it isn’t your resume, it isn’t your LinkedIn profile, it’s not your carefully crafted career portfolio, and it isn’t your interview prowess.  It’s you!  From your enthusiasm to take the “bull by the horns,” to your willingness to do the uncomfortable (networking, asking for reference letters, getting help when you need it), your job search success is up to you!  If you are actively seeking employment spend time at least five days a week in job search mode.  

For the unemployed this means at least five hours a day in a variety of tasks.  For those currently employed, you have to determine what amount of time you can legitimately devote to the search five days a week.  Whether you give it your all five to six hours a day on the weekdays, or 20-30 minutes four days a week and a couple of hours on Saturday, if you consistently pursue a new job the numbers will always be in your favor.  While sometimes our job search success isn’t as quick as we would like, the time you regularly set aside to perform a job search will ultimately win the day.  To your job search success!

Job Search Quotes of the Week

"I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down." ~ Charles F. Kettering

“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the story you keep telling yourself as to why you can't achieve it.” ~ Jordan Belfort

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

“Learn from others whom have walked the path before you, but be smart enough to know when to cut your own trail."
“You’re never too old to reinvent yourself."

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week

"An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. So when life is dragging you back the difficulties, it means that it’s going to launch you into something great. So just focus, and keep aiming." ~ Unknown

“Be miserable or motivate yourself.  Whatever has to be done it is always your choice.” Unknown 

Monday, May 16, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week

"Ask yourself if what you’re doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow." ~ Unknown

"The 3C’s in Life” Choice, Chance, Change. You must make the choice, to take the chance, if you want anything in life to change." ~ Unknown

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Keep Your Resume Updated

Unfortunately, the main reason we update or even prepare from scratch, a resume is because of a career emergency.  Fear of lay-offs, surprise downsizing, company closure, company merger or acquisition, or being dismissed are all reasons people will need an updated resume quickly.  However, waiting until the emergency happens is a very bad idea. 
Think of your resume as your personal marketing brochure.  Just like a company’s marketing brochure, your resume needs to be continually modified with new information, have older information revamped or eliminated, and be read and re-read for errors.  Delaying the task of keeping your resume updated, whether actually inserting new information into an existing document, or maintaining a list of projects worked on, documents development, clients work with, sales numbers, inventory managed, computer applications utilized, etc., can leave you flustered during a career crisis and result in a lackluster document. 
Why have to remember this information at a time when you are upset about an impending or recent job loss, nervous about the future, and feeling a great deal of pressure to get a new job.  Your thinking is clearer and your ability to remember important information for your resume and for the interview is stronger during a time when you aren’t highly stressed. 

Take the time today to sit down and write out recent happenings in your career.  If it has been some time, say five or more years since you have taken on this task, try carving time out weekly for a few weeks to think back on your career and give yourself a better opportunity for recall of material suitable for a resume.  You should always have more information than necessary, and that surplus material can offer you some additional support of your experience in an interview.  Update your resume today.  To your career success!

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week!

“Never give up on something you really want.  It is difficult to wait, but more difficult to regret.” Unknown


“You’re off to great places.  Today is your day.  Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.”  Dr. Seuss 

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Career Management Quotes of the Week!

“We think, mistakenly, that success is the result of the amount of time we put in at work, instead of the quality of time we put in.” – Arianna Huffington


“Life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself.”  George Bernard Shaw

Friday, May 6, 2016

Job Search Quotes of the Week!

"Courage doesn't mean you don't get afraid.  Courage means you don't let fear stop you." ~ Bethany Hamilton

“The Struggle You’re In Today Is Developing The Strength You Need For Tomorrow. So don’t give up” ~ Robert Tew