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Job Search: Perfecting The Process

When to Say “Thank You” in Your Job Search

There are many stages in your job search journey when people will help you, respond to your inquiries, or spend time with you. You are not on this journey alone, and you wouldn’t achieve your ultimate goal - landing a great job - without others being involved along the way. By expressing your thanks to them, you generate goodwill and a desire to help you further, as well as improve the chances of achieving job search success.  More »

How to Know if a Job is the Right Fit

Have you ever looked at an intriguing job posting or learned of an open position with a sought-after employer and wondered if you and the job would be a good match? Even if you have all the required experience, skills and education for the position, there's never a guarantee that the job will turn out to be perfect for you if you decide to take it. So, how do you know if you and the job are the right fit? We've compiled a list of factors to consider before pursuing an interview or accepting a job offer.  More »

Current Hiring Trends: What to Expect in the New Year

With the economy expanding in recent years, we’ve seen companies expanding their workforces and unemployment rates at their lowest in decades. For those of you who are looking for a new job, the prospects of finding one couldn’t be brighter. While hiring tactics are always evolving, especially with the introduction of new technologies, the current employment landscape (and the fact it is a candidate-driven market) has led to the development of new hiring approaches.  More »

Re-Entering the Workforce After an Absence

A question we are asked frequently is "What do I do about gaps in my employment?". There are several reasons you may take a leave of absence from your job - to have children, care for a sick or elderly relative, serve time in the military, go back to school, or pursue world travel. If you have been out of the workforce for any length of time (particularly years versus months), you need to know how to address that gap when you are ready to return to the working world. In this article, we offer suggestions on how to address your time away from the workforce, minimize any challenges you may face, and ensure that you are well prepared to successfully land a new job.  More »

Volunteering Can Help Your Job Search While Making It More Fun

If your job search has gone on longer than anticipated, you’re probably looking for new ways to boost your resume and job prospects. You may also want to maximize the time you have while you are unemployed. Volunteering for a job similar to the one you are pursuing can not only achieve these goals, it can be beneficial to both your job search and career in multiple ways. In this article, we outline the many ways volunteering can give you a leg up on your job search and help you gain new skills, contacts and industry knowledge.  More »

Experience or a Degree - What Do Today's Employers Value Most?

At some point in your career, you may decide to apply for a job and find that you have the skills and years of experience required but lack the required degree for the position. Or, you may have the applicable education/degree but don’t have any (or enough) relevant experience. You may ask: Do employers focus more on experience or education when assessing a job candidate? Also, what can I do if I find myself missing one or the other? In this article, we present some factors to consider as well as steps you can take to ensure you stand out as a highly qualified and desirable job candidate.  More »

It’s a Candidate-Driven Job Market - How Can You Take Advantage?

With the low unemployment rates we’re seeing right now, and new jobs opening up in several industry sectors, the prospects for job hunters have rarely looked better. It’s a job candidate’s market, with companies competing for talent in an increasingly smaller and limited pool of available candidates. Even for those who are currently employed, there are opportunities a career-driven individual would find worth exploring. In this article, we present some moves you’ll want to consider, given this red-hot job market, and find the job or career you truly want.  More »

Knowing How to Work Networking

The concept of networking to learn about and get access to job opportunities has flourished since the late 20th century and become a critical component of job seekers’ as well as business owners’ success strategies. With the digital age, networking has extended from strictly face-to-face encounters to social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. So, with all the job search-related tasks you need to undertake --- from researching prospective employers, to writing, updating and sending resumes and cover letters --- how can you fit in networking? More importantly, how can you make sure you’re doing it right? In our article, “Knowing How to Work Networking” we offer our suggestions for networking efficiently and effectively during your job search. By maintaining and building your network of business contacts, you can form meaningful relationships that have a direct impact on your life path as well as your career.  More »

Cover Letters, Resumes, and Landing That Awesome Job: Rodney Capron of Pongo

Our President & CEO, Rodney Capron, was recently invited to participate in Vocate’s “Expert Interview” series. The blog editors for the online career service posed several questions to Rodney on assembling resumes, writing standout cover letters, what to say/not say in interviews and the future of the job search process.  More »

Using a Recruiter to Boost Your Job Search

Like most job seekers, you’re looking at the various options available to find job openings with desirable companies and, more importantly, to connect with the hiring managers for those positions and secure an interview. You’ve probably considered using a recruiter, which can complement your job search by introducing you to additional, possibly unadvertised opportunities and arranging interviews. In this article, we offer some pros and cons to using recruiters as part of your job search. Whatever you decide, you will be informed and able to distinguish a good recruiter from a bad one.  More »

Competing Against Younger Generations in the Job Market

These days, people age more gracefully, live longer and maintain high energy well into their 60s and beyond. Since the general public is living longer, we are finding many people working longer, often well past retirement age. As the older generations remain in the job market and the younger generations mature and gain experience, how can the older generations compete?  More »

Reputation Management: Getting Social Media Pages Ready For Prospective Employers’ Eyes

When starting a job search, there’s some due diligence you need to conduct before you even send out the first cover letter. Dusting off and updating your resume is one important task. Another is researching the companies you’d like to target. In this article, we offer several pointers for making sure your social media pages and online presence are ready for prime time job hunting. By implementing our suggestions, you will be closer to positioning yourself as a highly desirable and ideal candidate for the job on your wish list.  More »

Staying Positive and in the Game When Your Job Search Stalls

In the world of job hunting, the process of receiving responses to your resumes, scheduling interviews, getting call-backs, and, finally, getting an offer can be very slow. It’s understandable why you might want to give up on your job search, especially after waiting for an extended period just to find out if there’s any interest. In this article, we offer tips, strategies and words of encouragement to help you keep your chin up and get through those long waits for a phone call or email response.  More »

Does a Union Job Provide Security?

Many professions involve or even require being in a union. You may accept a job offer not realizing that the job or the company you are joining is “unionized.” So, if you take a union job, what does it mean? And does it provide security and benefits that non-union jobs don’t or can’t offer? In this article, we discuss what union membership entails, the pros and cons of being a union employee and the kind of job security that unions offer their members.  More »

Job Hopping Versus Longevity - What's Preferable?

In this article, we discuss the benefits and drawbacks of job hopping and why employers tend to place higher value on longevity while appreciating what diverse employment experiences can bring to the table. We also advise you on how to minimize those short gigs on your resume by demonstrating the contributions and growth you’ve made over the course of your job history.  More »

When an Employer Asks to Do a Background Check (It's all Good)

In this article, we explain why companies will conduct a background check, what information they are looking for and the protections that are in place for job applicants (including getting your permission to conduct the background check). Knowing what the background check involves will help you understand the additional time it takes while you wait for an employer’s job offer.  More »

The 3 Most Common Mistakes Job Seekers Make and How You Can Avoid Them

Job hunting is like taking a journey, and along the way, there are twists and turns. If you’ve read some of our other articles, you know that each phase of job hunting --- resume writing, interviewing, follow-up letters, etc. --- has its own rules of thumb. In this article, we go over three important areas in which hiring managers expect due diligence from job seekers, why you don’t want to overlook them and what you can do to avoid any slip-ups and make the best possible impression.  More »

Getting Yourself Ready to Compete for a Better Job

If you are thinking about advancing your career and moving to a higher position in your company or pursuing a better job, you want to think like an athlete – prepare and “train” yourself to edge out the competition. Find out the steps you should take before launching a job search to not only see success in your job search activities, but improve your chances of winning the job of your dreams.  More »

Using LinkedIn for Job Hunting

Ensuring you have a robust LinkedIn profile is a must for job hunting! Get tips on how to maximize your LinkedIn profile to make an impressive presentation, plus learn how to utilize the LinkedIn network to improve your online visibility and ultimately get the job you want.  More »

Going the Extra Mile to Capture a Prospective Employer's Attention

You have your eye on a particular job or working with a specific company, but you know there are others who are also interested in that job or company. Get suggestions for capturing the attention of the hiring manager and increasing your chances of getting an interview and even a job offer.  More »

Emphasizing Your Personal Brand to Stand Out in the Job Market

You know there are others competing for the same jobs you are pursuing, but what can you do about that? By creating and emphasizing your personal brand, you can present those unique skills and characteristics that make you an excellent candidate and help you stand out from the pack of other job seekers.  More »

Thinking Career Change? Figure Out What's Right for You

Most of us have considered switching careers. For some, it's a matter of necessity, because job opportunities are scarce in their current fields. Others hope a change will improve their career prospects, be a better fit, or just get them out of a rut. If you're considering a career change, start by asking yourself three very important questions.  More »

Beginner's Guide to the Job Search Process

If you're looking for your first full-time job, or it's been years since your last job hunt, you're probably not quite sure what to expect on the journey from where you are now (wanting a new job) to where you need to be (getting hired). Here are the basic steps, from applying for jobs to landing one.  More »

The Basics of an Effective Job Search

You've come to a critical decision: It's time to look for a new job, something you haven't done in a few years. But where do you begin? Before you do, follow our five basic steps to launching a job search.  More »

Preparing for Re-Entry: Overcoming Obstacles in the Workforce

If you’ve been out of the workforce for a little while, how difficult or easy is it to get back in? Read how one woman regained her confidence when she went back to work. Take advantage of the lessons she offers to those who are trying to re-enter the workforce today.  More »

How to Succeed at a Job Fair

Career Expo, Recruitment Event, Jobapalooza. Whatever you call it, a job fair is a roomful of mutual potential: employers looking for new hires, and job hunters hoping to be hired. But your warm reception won’t last long if you aren’t professional, presentable, and well prepared. Follow these steps to learn how to make the best impression at a job fair.  More »

Myths and Realities of Job Searching

In the career world, we hear a lot of misconceptions about job-search strategies and tactics. It's not surprising that so many of these myths are still floating around. Technology, cultural trends, and corporate values are changing faster than we can keep up. Here are some of today’s common myths and realities surrounding resumes, cover letters, and job interviews.  More »

Career Journaling for the Future

If your dream job opened up today, how long would it take you to update your resume and send it out? If your answer is measured in “days” rather than “minutes,” you might want to consider a more proactive approach.  More »

Transitioning from Student to Professional: What They Don't Teach You in School

Moving from school to the workplace is one of the most profound transitions life throws at you. All your life you’ve been asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Well now you are grown up. But if you’re like many recent grads, you still don’t have a clear answer to the question.  More »
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