Learn From Others Mistakes, Failures and SuccessesAn ice fishing outing a few weeks ago reminded me of a simple, yet valuable lesson. With weeks of cold weather and a previous weekend of successful ice fishing we thought we would try it again. The week had been beautiful with temperatures in the mid to upper 30’s and sunny, a nice change for Michigan. The weekend came and we decided to punch a few holes in the ice and see w...

Living the dream is what the Olympians of the 2010 Winter Olympics are doing during the next couple of weeks. But the dream for them was born 5, 10 or even 15 years ago and has been achieved through countless hours and years of hard work, failure, tears, injury, smiles, joy, and triumph. Each Olympian has their own unique story but they all have one common goal — to be the best they can be.I think that is why we are so draw...

Phone interviews have been quite a prevalent topic for my clients this week. I received calls sharing that one client had completed a phone interview with two other clients having scheduled phone interviews for next week. With so many in one week, I wonder if this may be a new norm for some companies.When my clients called, they were thrilled at the opportunity but nervous of what to expect and anticipate. They had many que...

5 Tips to Make the Most of Your Meandering Work HistoryEach individual is different of course, but those with a history of job hopping might find resistance by hiring managers looking for candidates that will remain loyal to their company as the economy works to recover.I recently encountered such a client who was concerned with his resume and interview options because of the wide range of jobs he has had over the past 15 y...

Social networking is vital in today’s job search. If a job seeker is not yet aware of the benefits of social networking, they may never be aware of their missed opportunities.The most utilized and effective networks today are LinkedIn and Facebook and now Twitter. They are invaluable for establishing relationships with targeted contacts. These networking sites are databases at your disposal for researching industries, locat...

This week was the kick off of the 9th season of American Idol. Every year I say I am not going to watch it, but somehow the show finds its way on to the screen of my television. I tell myself, just the first night… to get a feel for what this season may hold.I admit that I watched the whole show and towards the end, when there were only a few contestants left, a man entered the room for his very long awaited audition and l...

Try Something New to Take the Insanity out of Your Job SearchI’ve gone to the same mall area shopping for Christmas presents three times in the last couple of weeks. Each time I have gone, I come home less and less satisfied with the amount of purchases I made. I just can’t seem to find what I am looking for at the stores available in that location. With just a week left until Christmas and with more than a few presents lef...

There seems to still be an on going battle over the cover letter relevance. The majority of resume writers I have talked with still believe the cover letter can hold a few unique nuggets of value that you can use to persuade hiring managers and decision makers to take a second or first look at your resume. Most recruiters I have talked with feel the cover letter is not important to the decision making process – however rec...

Watching the Ohio State University vs. University of Michigan football game over the weekend, a comment from one of the commentators stuck with me. It was during the 3rd quarter and Ohio State was really creating some space between them and Michigan and Michigan had begun to make a lot of mistakes. The commentator said, “Mistakes happen to all football players but it’s how you respond that makes the difference” – well said....

Positioning is not only critical in a successful job search it is also essential in the ability to shift your career to the next level. Questions for candidates contemplating or already consumed in a job search should include, how do I get noticed by recruiters, by hiring managers, by the HR department, and by decision makers? The first and most important aspect to consider is how well you have positioned yourself for your...