All Blog Posts Tagged 'job' (20)

We’ve all been there, during a job search, when writing a paper, or just generally trying to get work done at home or in the office.  You know you have to get things done, but you just don’t feel like it.  From the outside, this may sound like a trivial problem.  Many people would say, “Too bad. Deal with it!” and this isn’t entirely wrong advice, but it’s not always easy to make ourselves act just because we know it’s good for us and necessary.  So, especially if you find yourself in an…

As a career counselor in Boston, I often give clients or groups advice on how to target their resume, tailor their cover letter or customize their elevator speech.  The question that almost inevitably comes up in each situation is, “But what if you’re applying for any job you can get?  How do you present yourself if you can’t be targeted?”

Since this seems to be a fairly common issue, let me lend some perspective.  My…

The key to answering this question, either in an interview or a cover letter, is to give a concrete, non-generic answer that shows you know something about the company you say you’d like to work for!  The goal is to show that you’re not just applying for any job you might get.  After doing a little research on the company website, or talking to friends who work there, here are a few of the better reasons from a career…

Have you ever gotten one of those oddball interview questions that seems to come out of nowhere?  One of those questions you didn’t prepare for and are not sure how to deal with?  You might be asked: If you had a super power, what super power would you have?  What kind of animal would you be and why?  Or maybe: Why are pothole covers round?

Most of these questions, even including the last one, don’t have a clear answer and seem to be pretty far out in left field.  And WHAT do they…

As you job search, you may have heard people advise you to make a list of target companies where you’d like to work.  As a Boston career counselor, this is something I wholeheartedly endorse.  What you may not have heard is exactly why this is helpful and how to do it!  Having a list of target companies tucked away is unlikely to be very helpful to your job search if you don’t do anything with it!  So here’s a brief…

As the cycle of surfing the job boards, applying for jobs and waiting frustratingly for any kind of response continues, job seekers can become demotivated, feeling like nothing they do matters.  While there’s no foolproof way to stay motivated, there are things you can do today to get out of the same old routine and make some progress in your job search.  And here are five!

1. Reconnect with an old…

It’s easy for me as a career counselor to tell clients that their resume should be more about accomplishments and less about writing job descriptions listing their job tasks.  Of course, I understand that it’s not nearly as easy for people to take that advice and implement it on their own resumes.  Easier said than done, right?  To start, here are the 5 crucial elements in the anatomy of a strong resume…

This wonderful person can be helpful to you in a range of different ways.  Here are 5 great things you and…

When you’re new to the job search, or perhaps even more if you’ve been in the job search a long time, it’s easy to take shortcuts as you submit your online job applications.  While this is perfectly understandable and I sympathize, your job search efforts will be the most fruitful if you remember to do the following five things every time.

1. Scrutinize the Job Posting. The goal here is threefold.  First, you want to make sure that this is a job you feel…

On the one hand, if you jump on the first new career that sounds appealing (especially if you’re quite dissatisfied with your current…

As a Boston career counselor, I often recommend that clients set concrete job search goals at the beginning of each week, something they can reflect on and be accountable for at the end of the week.  This is both a way to make sure you’re approaching your job search thoroughly and strategically, as well as a method to help you stick with it and stay motivated.  As I’ve mentioned in past blog posts, it’s much more effective…

1. Existing Network. You already know a…

Using relevant keywords on your resume is increasingly important as so much of the job application process happens electronically.  This applies equally to your linkedin.com profile.  Recruiters and hiring managers may search for or narrow down their candidate search based on certain keywords and, whether or not you’re the perfect person for the role, if you don’t have the relevant keywords on your resume or profile they won’t find…

Earlier this week someone asked me if I had tips for staying motivated during a long period of unemployment.  An unfortunately common occurrence in today’s recovering economy, it was an important, relevant question whose answer I realized could be helpful for my readers as well.  So if you're feeling in a slump, try these 5 ways to stay motivated during your job search.  As a side note, I was actually asked a similar question during my appearance on the…

1. While searching around the job board simplyhired.com, you can sign into your linkedin and facebook accounts and as you…

The first thing you have to realize is that showing up at an official “networking event,” introducing yourself to two people and then leaving isn’t likely to get you a job. Networking is not a passive…