If you're looking to expand your job search, you'll eventually face this question: "Where can I find people who'll talk with me?"This is a question most job seekers have to grapple with when the well runs dry and they're at a loss for new jobs to apply for.How about Professional Associations?It's been said, "there is a professional association for almost everything you do". Every industry, profession, specialty, or trade mo...

Don't be one to say, "If I could only do it over", after your next job interview. It's not uncommon to lose sleep over an upcoming interview or to fret over your performance afterwards. It's something else though, to lose a shot at a great opportunity after you realize you made a dumb mistake you could have avoided. Avoid these five common interviewing mistakes that can make you look dumb and eliminate you from further con...

Is your resume holding you back from a great opportunity?As a recruiter, I've seen thousands of resumes over the past 15 years. The majority of them didn't make the cut and needed major revisions.The stakes are higher today because the job market has intensified and employers are getting more selective. Having a poorly written resume can put you in the rejection pile. Don't let your resume hold you back. Here are six ea...

The bestseller, The Secret, became a phenomenal success in 2007. Its message is that we are all governed by the Law of Attraction, through which whatever we are holding in our mind and feeling is attracted to us. Author Bob Doyle puts it this way: "Like attracts like at a thought level, and so as you think a thought, you are also attracting like thoughts to you.”It’s a safe bet that you’re not thrilled with the prospect of...

Completing a 26-mile marathon race shares some characteristics with a successful job search. There is one “winner” who crosses the finish line first. There are the many who quit before they’ve completed the race. Finally, there are the rest of us who don’t finish first, but are determined to complete the race nevertheless. For most of us, half the battle is finishing the race, regardless of where we place among the finisher...

Are you self-employed and attempting to re-enter the workforce as a W-2 employee?It's not unusual to "leave the nest" of a salaried job and become an independent contractor or grow a new business/career as a self-employed sole-proprietor. This often proves to be the best option for an individual. But economics, personal needs or lifestyle changes can force a re-evaluation of that self-employment choice. If that has happe...

Great! You've just sent off your resume for that "so perfect" job. Now what?If your resume did its job and sold you for the position, the next step is usually a phone interview with the employer. This phone screen usually takes place with a company recruiter or HR staffer to prequalify you for an opening. Since your attitude and answers can either move you to the next round or signal "Game Over," you want to be ready bef...

Call it a slogan, a branding image, a tagline. When you hear it or see it, you know exactly what the product is and what it might do for you. Walk down the aisle of any food store and you'll encounter hundreds of similar slogans that reach into your subconscious and press your "buy me" buttons. Don't like breakfast cereal? Try cars. Think "Ultimate Driving Machine" instead. See what I mean? The best branding images he...

Are you currently interviewing for a better job? Try watching American Idol. If you follow this huge money-making singing contest from Fox these days, you already know all about this phenomenon. Love it or hate it, American Idol (and their other country equivalents) is a good metaphor for life on a number of different levels, which is one reason why it's so popular. If you're currently in job interview mode, you could l...

They're designed to scare every job seeker to death! You've probably seen them: websites and interview books promoting endless lists of job interview questions you absolutely MUST have answers for. The fear is that if you don't memorize the "correct" answer to each one, you'll probably blow the interview. Well, you can throw all those job interview questions in the trash! Here's why:These authors and "experts" don't w...