So the economy isn’t so hot right now and you’re looking for a new job. Not the easiest of circumstances. You’re calling people to network. You’ve updated your resume. Maybe you’ve even called me. I looked for you on LinkedIn, but I can’t find you because your name is Tom Smith and there are several […]
Recently, a colleague whom I know from my writings and speaking asked me for a reference. I’ve never seen him work and I explained I could not provide a reference. He was quite angry with me. In Choose Enough References, I suggest asking people who can explain the value of your work. Let me be
A colleague suggested I chat with a more junior person about his job search. I’m trying, but I’m having trouble understanding what this guy does. His resume is too long and doesn’t have what I need in it. I don’t think he’s alone, so here’s what hiring managers look for on a resume. Your address.
I found my first job with the help of an on-campus recruiter, and with a local Boston-area recruiter. I found my second job through the newspaper. I’ve found all my other jobs (all of them, including my consulting engagements) via my network, which does include recruiters. That’s about 25 years of jobs. Louise Fletcher has
Matt Buckland had some great comments about my post Why You Should Make Friends with Recruiters. In his post, Why you should make friends with Recruiters, Matt rebutted a couple of points (which is just fine!). He made a great point at the bottom: I’d add one major exception to the list, make friends with
I decided to start a new series, interviewing recruiters. It’s not clear to me that either my hiring manager colleagues or candidate colleagues are using recruiters as well as they could be. Here’s the first interview with Dave Freireich, one of the authors of Getting the Job. I loved his An interview is a blind
I was supposed to be doing an informational interview with an upcoming college grad now. She cancelled because she felt terrible. She said, “I’ve been feeling nauseous all day. I really wanted to talk to you when I’m at my best. Can we reschedule?” You betcha we can. If I’m going to give my time
I recently received an email asking me about salary ranges for architects and project managers. The author of the email wasn’t sure which job to take, and thought he’d make a decision based on money. Candidates, don’t make a decision based on money. Do what you love to do. Certainly there are people who are
I spoke with a colleague this morning, who’s considering taking on a test management position. He wanted to take advantage of his time to ask questions of his interviewers, because the previous two managers were not successful in the position. Here are the questions he’s decided to ask: What is your management style? (When he
I had lunch a few days ago with a colleague who spent almost two years looking for a job. He’s happily employed now, and told me his secret weapon: “All you need is a business card. “When he saw my surprise, he explained. “To effectively network, you need to give people your email address and