Job Search Quotes of the Week!

Yes, I decided to do two again this week - a lot of great quotes to share!

"Begin while others are procrastinating.  Work while others are wishing."  William Arthur Ward

"Luck is quite predictable.  If you want more luck, take more chances."  Brain Tracy

To your job search success!

Quick Resume Tip

Never lie on your resume.  While you may be desperate to get a specific job, or even any job, a lie can truly come back to haunt you.  First, your experience is good enough if applying for the right jobs.  Second, a lie, even discovered years down the road, can result in immediate dismissal (think of the Yahoo CEO who lied about having a degree on his resume and was ousted from his position within days).  It will never pay to lie, whether discovered immediately in an interview or checking references, or years from now, the damage is done.

Job Search Quotes of the Week!

This week I have decided to offer two quotes of encouragement to those in a job search.

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."  -Maria Robinson

"One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged.  Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself."  Lucille Ball

While a job search can be difficult and time consuming, taking multiple positive actions daily to move yourself forward will always win out in the the end.  To your job search success!

Career Quote of the Week!

I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

Michael Jordan

Interview Tip: Dealing with Illegal Interview Questions

Interviewers are often inexperienced and will ask illegal questions out of ignorance, not due to an underhanded motive.  Questions that seek information about your age, national origin, religion, marital status, race, gender, sexual orientation, or disabilities are TYPICALLY illegal and can be giant red flags within an interview situation.  Most of the time illegal questions are more about having a conversation versus trying to discriminate against you, and your task unfortunately, is to determine whether they are being discriminatory or are merely uninformed.  So, if you decide the person interviewing you “doesn't know any better” what should you do?  1)  Answer the question just like any other interview question.  2)  Tell them it is illegal for them to ask such a question.  While certainly we don’t want to be put in this situation, it may be best if you really feel they are just ignorant of what is permissible, to answer the question.  The moment you point out the inquiry is illegal you will scare the interviewer(s) and most likely lose the job.

If you are unsure as to their reasoning for the question, ask them “why do you ask?”  This could bring up a red flag on their end, but their answer should offer you more insight as whether the question could be discriminatory in nature.  Here are a few things that can help you pinpoint the potential for bias in interview questions:

--Multiple illegal questions are asked.

--They aggressively ask illegal questions.

--Explanation they offer about “why” makes you uncomfortable.

--They act insulted that you inquired as to why the question was asked.

Since most of these queries are innocent enough, answering them like any other question will pay dividends in the end, especially when you may not mind providing the information anyway.  If you suspect you are the victim of discrimination in an employment interview, contact an attorney that specializes in employment law or your local Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) office.  As always, to your job search success! 

Quote of the Week

What is the recipe for successful achievement? To my mind there are just four essential ingredients: Choose a career you love, give it the best there is in you, seize your opportunities, and be a member of the team. -- Benjamin F. Fairless

Say Thank You

What single thing can you do AFTER an interview that could help you land the job?  Send a thank you note!  Whether you type or write a handwritten note, saying thank you for the time the interviewer(s) spent with you sets you apart from the great majority of interviewees.  If you can, add some additional information about why you are a great fit for the job based on what the interviewer(s) communicated, and all the better.

 

Written or typed, get that thank you letter done and mailed the same day as the interview.  Your memory is best when information is fresh, and your notes will make the most sense immediately following the interview.  By mailing (not emailing) your thank you letter to the interview(s) quickly, you show them how serious you are about the position and avoid the issues that email causes, including the thank you letter going to a spam folder, the interviewer not recognizing your email and deleting it, and the fact that we typically only skim emails, but read something coming across our desk more thoroughly.  Make a great impression - say thank you!  To your job search success! 

Quote of the Week

When you leave college, there are thousands of people out there with the same degree you have; when you get a job, there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you are the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. -- Anna Quindlen