Multimedia Resumes – 4 Options that Work

If you are a qualified candidate and are regularly overlooked, it may be for the simplest reason.  You didn’t plug the right combo of buzzwords into you resume as many companies use software to screen resume before even a recruiter reads them.  While companies and the recruiting industry are realizing the pitfall of this process, you should also consider taking things into your own hands – try creating a multimedia resume to captivate recruiters and prove your qualifications and fit. ...  read more

How to Get Promoted – 6 Tips

Job promotion is one key way to demonstrate continuing career success.  How to get promoted therefore should be a question you ask at every new company you join.  Why?  Because the key steps needed to getting promoted may not be the same at each company depending on the culture, leadership team, and how they evaluate candidates for promotion.  You should never assume that as long as you do good work, you will get promoted because unfortunately hard work alone cannot guarantee success...  read more

Toughest Job in the World

What do you think is the toughest job in the world?  I am sure there are many including the one in this picture.  All joking aside, for me, I can think of the toughest job that is often overlooked.  Here are some clues as to what this job is.  Can you guess?

  1. You don’t discover how tough this job is until you are on the job.
  2. Your boss is pretty demanding but does not communicate well.  You have to often guess what he/she wants you to do and whether he or she is happy with your work.
  3. Your boss requires you to be on call almost 24/7 in the first few months on the job.
  4. Many people are qualified to do this job but to be really good at it requires a lot of dedication and personal sacrifice.
  5. You are usually thrown into the job without much formal training. No matter how many books you read about it, you will be still scrambling from time to time, especially during the first year.
  6. While you most likely work in a team with at least one other person on this job, nobody else can help you do some parts of this job.
  7. This job usually requires a long term commitment.
  8. While job security is high, you can be fired from this job if you are really bad at it.
  9. You can make a profound difference in someone else’s life in this job.
  10. This job is often under paid and under appreciated by many.  Some people may even look down upon you if you have been at this job full time for awhile.
  11. If you let it, this job can also be one of the most rewarding job you will have .

Your comment: Is it obvious what this job is?  Share your guess and comments below. ...  read more

Top 10 Most Popular Posts of 2011

Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a great holiday.  It’s amazing how time flies when you are enjoying yourself with family and friends.   To start this year off, I want to share the top 10 most popular posts for on the job and job search advice from this blog based on # of readers.  The most read post was read by over 19K people in 2011.   Thank you for your continuing support and interest. ...  read more

Time to Relax and Celebrate

It’s the season to be thankful.   Whatever kind of year you may have had, it’s time to take a breather.  I hope you are finding time to relax and celebrate the year with family and friends.

Job seekers: Xmas is usually the slowest season for recruiting as many hiring managers are taking vacations and budget for hiring are not set until January.   So give yourself permission to enjoy the holidays and start your effort anew in the new year.  The only thing you can work on is your resume during the holiday.  If you want help, start with this free resume template...  read more

How to Say No at Work

It may be hard to think about saying no at work, but sometimes it’s necessary to do so to protect your reputation as well as manage your stress level.  This 20 minutes podcast is a live coaching discussion with me regarding why, when, and how to say no at work.   There are definitely legitimate reasons and appropriate times to say no.  As you will learn, it is beneficial to you and the company to practice how to say no at work. ...  read more