Doing Job Search During the Holidays
- Written by Alan Carniol
It is commonly believed is that during the holidays no one hires and everybody is too busy with reunions, parties, and nonstop events. Yes, it is true that everybody is busy with their schedules, but during the holidays companies also slow down their pace. It is a time when employers can finally have time to settle other company matters—including hiring.
How to End an Interview on a Strong Note
- Written by Alan Carniol
Most people remember bad events more than good ones. Psychologists say that the brain processes positive and negative events differently. They say that negative events involve more thinking and are processed more thoroughly than positive events.
This is further illustrated by how you will remember losing $100 more than earning $100. With this in mind, we should also remember how we need to end an interview strongly lest all of your efforts be wasted.
Asking for a Recommendation Letter
- Written by Alan Carniol
Most people struggle with getting recommendation letters in their job search. There are the questions of how to ask, what to ask, and whom to ask. Getting a recommendation letter is a source of stress for many people, chiefly as a result of not knowing how.
Have a Weak Resume? Get Online Courses!
- Written by Alan Carniol
The challenge for all job seekers is to get their resume noticed. When you write your resume, your mindset should be: “What would make a potential employer notice my resume?”
Job Search: Evaluating Your Options
- Written by Alan Carniol
The past few years have seen the highest unemployment rate in decades. Every business, big or small, has experienced the effects of the recession. Countless people have seen their company do well this month and hit rock bottom the next. It only stresses the importance of thinking about your decision before accepting a job offer.
Worried you aren't the Perfect Candidate? Here's a Secret
- Written by Alan Carniol
Many ISF clients become seriously worried that they don't have every qualification and experience required in the job description.
Even worse: some have a track record that isn't perfect - extended time off, a past lay off, short job stints. Maybe, just feeling too old or too young.
Now these issues can lose jobs offers and they can extend the job search. And from personal experience and speaking with many folks perhaps like you, I know this can feel exasperating, at times even producing a sense of helplessness.
Here's the good news.
Of the thousands of job seekers I've worked with, many have successfully overcome these insurmountable obstacles and landed jobs.
How do they do it? Like this.
Signs an Interview Is Not Going Well
- Written by Alan Carniol
For your upcoming interview, you practiced and prepared, wore your best suit, and basically did your best in acing the interview. Yet even with all your efforts, you didn’t get the job.
Looking back at the interview, it’s hard to tell where it went wrong. But learning how to detect when the interview is not going as planned can help you turned things around.
Another Job Search Tool: Volunteering
- Written by Alan Carniol
In this tough job market, long gone are the days when you could post your resume online on Monday and have your e-mail flooded with interview invitations on Tuesday. With workers being laid off and so many people looking for jobs, a good way for you to improve your skills and keep yourself hire-worthy is through volunteering.
Volunteering offers a lot of benefits to job seekers, but it also has drawbacks if you don’t take the right precautions. The major pitfall of volunteering is not knowing the difference between volunteering and working for free.
Don’t Miss Golden Opportunities with Start-ups
- Written by Alan Carniol
For most people who are looking for a job, the big, famous companies are the first choice. This means that sometimes we overlook golden opportunities with small businesses. Times have changed, and so should our mindsets.
According to United States Census Bureau data from 1980-2005, almost all net job creation was created from firms that are less than five years old. The statistics indicate that without start-ups, job creation in the U.S. would be negative except for a few years. Of the 12 million jobs created in 2007, young firms (firms one to five years old) account for nearly 8 million of the jobs created.
The data from the US Census Bureau clearly shows that without small businesses, a lot of people would be unemployed right now.
Job Search Public Enemy No 1: Procrastination
- Written by Alan Carniol
In job searching, there are a lot of factors that prevent you from getting an interview and getting hired, but none is bigger than procrastination.
The danger of procrastination is that most people don’t recognize it. Often, people think that it is normal.
Stopping Procrastination
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Dilemma on Short-Term Jobs in Resumes
- Written by Alan Carniol
In a perfect world, every citizen would be holding a permanent position with one or two employers until his or her retirement. In reality, the economy is unstable and companies often lay off good employees simply for financial reasons.
In a time when many are laid off and are struggling financially, it is understandable to see people accepting jobs just to keep a roof over their heads.
So now, you find an opening that feels like the perfect opportunity for a permanent position. You’ve had several short-term gigs. The question is: Do you put them in your resume?
Social Networks Hurting Job Search
- Written by Alan Carniol
The Internet of yesterday is vastly different from what it is today. Technology evolves rapidly on a daily basis, and along with this change comes a change in how we look for a job. Job seeking is already tough as it is, and with the ever-growing popularity of social networking also grow the challenges of job seekers.
Before the advent of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, writing resumes and cover letters was the only thing job seekers would worry about. However, this is not true today. Whether we like it or not, more and more employers use social networks to screen applicants. The reason is that social networks help them understand applicants better.
Answering: “Why Did You Leave Your Last Job”
- Written by Alan Carniol
There are many reasons why you may have left your last job. Perhaps you had the worst boss in the world, you were laid off, or you simply did not like how your co-workers treated you. Whatever the reason may be, the key to answering this question is a positive attitude.
Importance of a Good Handshake
- Written by Alan Carniol
In a job interview, we wa
nt to make sure that everything is perfect. We dress for success, arrive early, and go over our prepared interview answers. However, all of this can fall apart if you don’t give the right handshake with the interviewer.
There is a lot of debate as to how long we have before a first impression is formed, but what is certain is that our time is short. In a matter of seconds, the interviewer will form his or her impression of you, and this sets the tone for the rest of the interview.