Recruiters appear to be at the top of most jobseekers’ hit lists. Most people I have come across are certainly soured by the recruiter/jobseeker relationship, united in their criticisms that search consultants are the impenetrable brick wall to job search success; the self-serving, commission-focused obstructionist front line preventing a love match between the candidate and [...]
Your heart skips a beat as you disconnect the call. A combination of nausea and elation hit you as you turn to your partner wide-eyed, incredulous. “I got the interview” you say quietly as if by saying it louder you’ll somehow make it untrue. As you grasp the reality, you grin and laugh. “I got [...]
From: Jane E. Recruiter, Human Resources Date: Thursday 6 May 2010 12.19pm To: John Smith Subject: Your Application for Job No. 12345 Dear John, Thank you for applying for the position of Operations Manager at XYZ Corporation. (Job No. 12345). Your application was very impressive, however there were other applicants with experience more suited to [...]
Some time ago, a client shared her story while we were developing her resume. She told me about her life at the hands of her abusive spouse and how, after years of suffering, she fled the family home to a shelter leaving behind all their possessions and with her children in tow. Years later, she [...]
No resume is ever read and no one ever gets interviewed or hired, unless the employer is trying to solve a problem or a series of problems. Sales may be declining in a key territory, or the manager could be bogged down by routine administration; staff may be leaving in droves, productivity and morale is [...]
Cinderella 2010: Taking a break from hearth cleaning at home, Cinderella scours searchforaprincess.com when she spies the perfect role advertised at Prince Charming Inc. Seems the CEO, Prince Charming, is looking for a Princess to co-manage his kingdom. The successful candidate need have no actual experience in kingdom management, but must possess a demure smile, the [...]
Has there been a freeway, bridge or major construction where someone wakes one morning and thinks: “That would be a good idea, I’ll build a bridge! Fred? Hand me a steel pylon!” No major decisions should ever be contemplated without a plan. Many jobseekers make the mistake of failing to plan. They ride on a [...]
#careercollective “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken” Oscar Wilde “Thanks so much!” said Jim as he prepared to leave my office with his new resume. “Oh there’s just one thing”, he whispered conspiratorially. “I guess I had better get a wife and three kids before my interview! Ha!” Stunned, I stood there processing the [...]
You know in your heart it absolutely looks awful. I’m taking about that gap in your resume where you just can’t easily explain your absence. Did I say “gap”? The more you look at it you see a great yawning chasm with nothing to link the dates before “the event” and after. “The Event” of [...]
Cutting and pasting your current job description into the experience section of your resume speaks volumes about your slap dash, throw-it-all-together-in-a-minute approach and attitude. Is that really the impression you want to give? The key problem with job descriptions (apart from the fact they are mind-numbingly boring to read and full of fluffy, nonsensical business-speak) [...]