Can Your Personality Determine Your Career Path? [Infographic]
One of the most well-known personality assessments available, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) has long been a staple of the business world. Companies use the MBTI to screen candidates, onboard new hires, and develop their employees. A lot of controversy surrounds this particular test: our own Michael Moffa took it to task back in 2011, and last year, CPP, Inc., the exclusive publisher...
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Don't Get Creative With Your Resume
For various reasons, folks like to abandon reason and get creative with their resumes. They might think it will fool hiring managers about their age or work history, or maybe they believe their gimmicks will get them around recruiting software. Well, guess what? It's not going to work. It's time to stop fooling around with your resume and stick to the tried and true. U.S. News ...
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4 Ways to Make the Most of Your References
Has it ever happened to you: you get called out of the blue for a job reference? There's nothing worse than getting caught flat-footed trying to come up with something positive to say about a person. That doesn't mean you can't-- it just means you're likely to draw a blank when put on the spot, and that could hurt a person's chances of getting hired. But it's not your fault. The...
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When Big Words Backfire on Your Resume
You already know that your resume and cover letter are vital to your job search. Because these documents are so important -- second only to the act of networking in helping you get a foot in the door at your dream company -- you want every word to be perfect. But what happens when the quest for the perfect word goes wrong? A thesaurus can be a useful tool when you want to avoid repetition of...
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You Don't Have a Choice: Preparing for an Increasingly Digital Job Market
Perhaps you see the headline and think, "Who cares? I don't want to work on computers. I don't want to be a techie. I'll keep working in non-digital fields." Unfortunately, in just a few years, you're going to have a very, very rough time avoiding digital work. By 2020, over 90 percent of European jobs will require computer skills. As for my American readers, don't assume you're totally...
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5 Ways to Use Humor Effectively in a Job Interview
I've read quite a bit of research that shows appropriate humor can make you appear like a more personable, effective, resilient, and engaging candidate in interviews, including a Robert Half study that found around 90 percent of executives regard "sense of humor" as key to career advancement. Additionally, this Bell Leadership Institute study found that a sense of humor and a strong work...
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How You Can Improve Your Interview Success Rate With a Thank-You Letter
In this age of bleeding-edge, social media-based job-search techniques, it can be easy to overlook some of the more traditional strategies. That's a shame, because these techniques are often very effective, even if they do seem unfashionable. The thank-you note is one such old-school technique that many employers respond favorably to. In fact, according to an Accountemps survey, 59 percent...
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Does Name Dropping Help or Hinder Your Job Hunt?
Research tells us that that word of mouth is still the most effective way to get a job: according to this CareerXroads study, around 20 percent of jobs are filled via employee referrals. A study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York further underlines this point by revealing that referred candidates were twice as likely to be called to interview and had a 40 percent greater chance of...
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The Best Ways to Apply for Non-Traditional, Non-Corporate Jobs
The age of the Internet has helped to relieve the American workforce of many of the burdens that the job application process formerly carried. Long gone are the days of walking to your nearby convenience store to pick up a newspaper, traveling home, and sitting at the kitchen table with a highlighter sifting through the classified section for job listings. Most companies are now on the Web...
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5 Ways to Make Your Personal Brand Work for You, Not Against You
Throughout my career, hundreds of resumes have hit my desk with a familiar thud. But without clear branding or a defined skill set, each one is just a jumbled collection of keywords and outdated language. I'm looking for candidates who not only have experience but also know how to present themselves professionally, and I'm not the only one. As a job seeker, it's more important than ever...
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How to Get Hired: an Insider's Perspective
Applying for jobs can be a long process -- filling out the pages of personality questions and other candidate information isn't easy, not to mention the applicant tracking system (ATS) you must contend with. Don't fret: there are tips and tricks you can use to help you through it! There are certain things you need to know about the job search in order to land that great new...
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Working with Recruiters Made Easy
Your average job seeker just doesn't "get" what a recruiter does. This is apparent to anyone that's ever heard a friend or relative complain about a recruiter "not finding them a job." If you're planning on working with recruiters or with a staffing firm, here are a few things to keep in mind. Tips for Working with Recruiters Recruiters don't find people jobs: The average job seeker has it...
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