The birds are chirping. The flowers are blooming. The pollen is EVERYWHERE. You know what that means. It means it’s time to reevaluate what you’ve been doing with your job search and prune back the ineffective elements. Some things will need to be cut off completely and tossed into the career compost heap. You want to nurture the strategies and tactics that are effective and give them the most attention. Which o...

If you are looking to move on to a more responsible, higher paid, or more interesting career, then your resume has to reflect your preparedness for that new role. Just as employees are told to “dress for success,” your resume must dress your past experience for your future role. Here are five important steps to take when writing or revising your resume for the job you want: Be clear about your goal. Resear...

No matter how great you are, you want to get better. Improving is key to a successful career. Learning new skills is an essential part of improvement. Want some proof? Ben Franklin was always learning and taught himself Italian, French and Latin. He didn’t stop at languages. He also learned about meteorology. And Franklin invented bifocals. What are you waiting for? James Franco was a college dropout and h...

As an executive looking to advance your career, you likely have a long history of experience and accomplishments that should set you apart from other job applicants and easily capture the attention of hiring managers and executive recruiters. And while your work history does set you apart, it needs to be presented well in your cover letter and resume to get the attention of the people you want to get an interview with. An e...

Your application to a job is supposed to be all about you and your strengths, right? It’s the one time that it’s okay to brag—in fact, bragging is encouraged. That’s right, but only to an extent. You also need to show, especially in your cover letter, why your skills and accomplishments are beneficial to the company you’re applying for. As you write your cover letter, it’s easy to fall...

At a recent breakfast meeting with HR professionals, as we waited with coffee in hand for the program to start, I asked the recruiters and hiring managers sitting at my table about their perspectives on cover letters. Here’s what I learned: If there’s something that needs to be explained—perhaps a gap in employment or why you’re pursuing a job that you’re underqualified for—they&rs...

'I quit my job by email since that's how I normally communicated with my boss. But I've been thinking that quitting by email may not be appropriate...!' Have you had enough? Is quitting the right option? If so, resign with class. But first, know why you're leaving. Do you have patience with customers or co-workers? Are company policies and ethics congruent with your values? Do you have supportive superi...

As a job seeker you probably are well aware of the many obstacles on the road to landing a new job successfully. Knowing the best approach to the process will help your job hunting efforts be fruitful and productive. Whether you are just starting the journey to a new position or you’ve been beating the path for a long time, it’s important to know how to make yourself more hireable and what it is that will open d...

I remember teachers always impressing upon students the importance of being able to write clearly and cogently. I was a strong writer, and banging out a quick five paragraph essay posed no problem for me, only minor inconvenience. I knew that not everyone was as adept at writing as I, but I also recognized that other people were far better at math and science than I. It was not until email became a widely-used tool for b...

I am a huge advocate of networking with new contacts and existing connections to land your next job. Studies from CareerXRoads, JobVite and SHRM and others show networking to be the most effective way to get hired. However, that does not mean a job seeker should ignore job boards in conducting their job search. There is a right way – actually I’ve listed six right ways, and one wrong way to use job boar...