Job Search Quotes of the Week

“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” - Nelson Mandela

“No one every injured their eyes by looking on the bright side.” - Unknown

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! 

Keep Going Even When the Job Search Takes Longer Than Expected

Sometimes that job you are waiting for just doesn’t come as quickly as you hoped in your job search.  It seems like you have spent hours at the computer and applied for 100’s of positions, have had phone and in-person interviews that went well, and still no job.  Don’t give up, that next application, networking contact or referral could be the job you have waited for all this time.  Often you have to go through many “no’s” to get to the yes’s.  A job search is like sales, not everyone will buy, but there is always a customer for a good product.  To your job search success!

Don’t Take Time Off Before You Start Your Job Search

While you may be tempted, avoid taking time off after a layoff or firing, and before you start your job search.  Certainly many want to relax for a week or two after a great deal of stress, but that week or two typically turns into a month or two, or even more.  Once idle, you will often remain idle for a significant time which will increase your feelings of stress and worry in trying to find a job.  Even those at the brink of financial ruin often find it very difficult to search for a job once they have taken some time off.  This is not the time to paint the house, run lots of errands during the day, or to get all of the honey-do-list projects done.  Start your job search immediately, and treat it as your full time job!

So, in order for your job search to be a full time job, you need to plan your job search.  Mix it up with networking both online (LinkedIn) and in person, apply for jobs online, visit job clubs, attend onsite and online seminars and workshops that teach you more about various aspects of the job search, tweak your resume, and practice interviewing.  This way you are not stuck in your home seven hours a day trying to apply for jobs online, which will quickly turn to frustration and lack of motivation.  Using several different avenues to search for a job, planning that search, and putting variety into your job search day, will mean a faster job search and much less disappointment.  To your job search success!

Job Search Quote of the Week

“Often greater risk is involved in postponement than in making a wrong decision.” ~ Harry A. Hopf

Cover Letter Tip

Most cover letter introductions seem to start with “To Whom It May Concern,”  “Dear Hiring Manager,” or “Dear HR.”  There are better ways to introduce your letter and avoid boring the reader or worse yet, insulting them with the wrong title.  First, try to find the name of a person in the advertisement.  With a name you have an immediate personal connection and it shows you truly read the job announcement.   If you cannot locate a name, you can use “Dear Ladies and Gentlemen” or “Greetings,” and although these are general, they rarely offend anyone.  There are times when the ad identifies an area of the company, like the HR Department, but there will often be a name associated with that department in the ad itself.  Read your job announcements carefully, not only for information to tailor a resume or cover letter, but to provide a specific name or department when available and show your attention to detail.  To your job search success!

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!

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!