Rarely is it in your best interest when seeking a job to be a follower rather than a leader unless, you are in a job interview. In this case, be a follower, not a leader! Allowing the interviewer to lead the interview will provide you with the opportunity to follow their lead to provide the information they …
The days of a paper resume are gone! If you were considering stuffing your resume in an envelope and affixing postage, think again. HR professionals and recruiters alike expect a properly formatted, professionally written resume with an accompanying cover letter to be submitted online. Your online proficiency doesn’t stop there. You must also have a …
Job searching is challenging, emotional, time consuming, stressful and depressing. It can be a rocky road that plays out within the family environment and all persons in the house can be affected in some way or another. It’s a time for active support and guidance to open up new job search channels and travel from …
If you have received specific instructions and rules related to a company’s hiring process, do not deviate from them. Choosing to make up your own rules will most likely result in a lost job opportunity and a tarnished reputation. You may even put the reputation of others at risk so follow the rules. Recently, I learned of an individual who had an inside track on …
In The Wall Street Journal, “The Power of Nonverbal Communication”, provides some very interesting information regarding the unconscious and nonverbal ways that humans communicate with one another. Dr. Alex “Sandy” Pentland, a professor at the MIT Media Lab, has written the book “Honest Signals”, based on studies related to unconscious social signals and patterns in how we interact …
Some of us are firm believers in what goes around, comes around and as professionals, we spend a great deal of our time networking. Successful networking involves sharing information, experiences, and most importantly, our needs. Understanding what we can do for others and what they can do for us and then following through will sooner …
It is unlikely that you will find your new job within the first month of your job search. Or the second or third or even the fourth or fifth! The fact is you could be in your job search for longer than you expected and although this is not a comfortable situation for most of us, it is important that …
Globe and Mail article, Hit the ground running, by Wallace Immen relays the reality of expectations for immediate and measurable success from today’s executives. Stephen Smith, regional vice-president for Canada of Servisair Inc. said, “There was a huge agenda of things I was expected to do immediately”. In the first week he had to make personnel changes …
How much time and money have you invested in your soft skills? Developing soft skills and hard skills are equally important in moving forward in your career. Despite this fact, you’ve likely invested a great deal more in your hard skills. Investing in hard skills, such as a university degree, is an important element in your career. Your hard skills will be impressive on your resume …
The job interview is over and you would love to know how you did. You may already have a good idea that you will receive an offer, or not. If you really are not sure the following questions may provide you with a little better insight. Did the interviewer provide you with a specific date or timeline for when a decision will be made? Were …
Recently I had a discussion with a colleague about a blog I had written, Job Interviews and Tattoos and was surprised that the feedback I received was their belief that most potential employers have a negative perception when it comes to tattoos and body piercings. It is highly likely that many of these people are also sporting tattoos and possibly body …
In a recent survey, OfficeTeam asked executives to recount the most embarrassing job interview moments they had heard of or witnessed. Yes, in a job interview, the time you really want to put your best foot forward. The opportunity you are given to present an exemplary first impression! The following are just a few of the responses: “The candidate …
You have presented an impressive cover letter, an enticing and professionally written resume and you are contacted for the job interview. Once there, you are nothing less than brilliant during your interview in front of a panel of three! So why was that the last time you heard from them? One of the most common reasons a highly qualified job applicant is eliminated as a …
“Tattoos can mark a career”, a recent article in the Toronto Star says Toronto employers advise job candidates to “be sensible” when meeting a prospective boss for the first time, and that includes hiding any tattoos or body piercings in order to make a good first impression. Marc Belaiche, president of TorontoJobs.ca says most employers …
We have all heard it so many times before but it is a reminder that needs to be said again and again, “You do not get a second chance to make a good first impression”! Your look, your information, your voice, your words; everything you say and do creates an impression and if you want the job you …
Now entering its sixth year, the Canada’s Top Family-Friendly Employers competition is organized by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers. This special designation recognizes the employers offering the nation’s most progressive and forward-thinking programs for employees with young children. The employers on this list are the leaders in helping employees balance their work and …
Are you prepared to address the questions and concerns of a decision maker during a job interview? Are you aware of the questions and concerns prevalent throughout the various levels within a company? The following questions, even if they are not asked, will be ones that you should be prepared to answer or at least take into consideration: Hiring Manager; Will …
Questions and Concerns from the Company’s Perspective Read More »
You will not get a second chance to make a good first impression in a job interview so you will want to be conscious of your body language. Here are a few tips to keep in mind: When you walk into a room, look confident and as if you belong there. At the end of the interview, avoid exiting the room …
Resumes and cover letters aren’t the only documents that could have a positive influence in securing your next career move. Follow-up letters after your job interview are just as important. They can position you in the drivers seat! As a Career Management Professional, I am constantly amazed at the number of people who don’t recognize the significance …
Are you prepared to respond to your HR Interviewer when it is suggested that you are either overqualified or underqualified for the job position you are seeking? Tony Martin’s article, “When skills aren’t a perfect fit” provides advice from four of the top recruitment specialists, including David Perry, Managing Partner of Perry-Martel International. If there is one common …
