I frequently hear people complain that they’re trying to network but the hiring managers they reach out to never respond. Or that none of the people they’ve reached out to have any job openings. Or that they don’t know anyone in the field they want. Are you guilty of these? The main misconception…
Now that we’ve covered why it’s important to network, let’s dig in on how to do it. The most obvious starting point is networking events. These can be good if you enjoy socializing, but they can also be daunting. If you choose to do some of this sort of networking, prepare for the…
People say it all the time: it’s not what you know, it’s who you know! And to some extent, that’s true. It’s not the whole story, of course. You do still need to have some skills and knowledge to get into a new role. But even with expertise and mad accomplishments in your background,…
You’ve probably seen the advice floating around that you should have a 30-second commercial or elevator pitch ready do go, but what does that even mean? Basically, it’s just a self-introduction, focused on what you can bring to the employer or customer. Some people call this your personal brand (and some people feel a…
Do you get anxious before a job interview? You’re not alone! Even confident interviewees sometimes have apprehension in the process, and some interviewers seem to go out of their way to make our fears worse. So here are some tips and tricks for handling things gracefully. Get ready. This means to know…
Is there anything worse than a long, drawn-out job search? It’s disheartening and frustrating and tinged with anxiety. Here are some tips for staying motivated. First of all, I like to think of each application as a book. You can open one and apply, interview, network with people in the organization, etc., and when…
We’ve all been there—the workload grows and grows, and suddenly it’s too much! How can you ask for help while maintaining your professional credibility? It’s actually easier than you might think. If you reflect on the times you’ve been asked to help someone else, you’ll probably recall that, if the person was otherwise competent,…
Should you disclose a disability when you apply for a job? How about after you’ve accepted a role? People often fear that disclosing such a thing will either get them disqualified or make the employer hold certain opinions about them. Some also feel they need to disclose this info or they’re being dishonest. So let’s…
I often hear people who have been laid off talking about having been fired, so I wanted to address that today, because the two are not the same. A firing is something that happens to you, in particular, because you weren’t meeting expectations, a manager didn’t like you, they think you’ve done something illegal,…
I know there’s a lot of debate out there, and much of it sounds extremely authoritative. But is it right? Who can you trust? As is so often the case, there isn’t actually a definitive answer to this question. Yes, there are many one-pagers who are apparently willing to die on that hill. …