How to Strategize Job Searching Like Chess Playing
Job searching is very similar to playing a game of chess. Both activities have a significant element of strategy. But first, let’s agree about the word strategy. A simple definition found in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, which says, “the skill of making or carrying out plans to achieve a goal.” And indeed, the job seeker has a …
10 Interview Tips for Tech Companies
Interviewing with a tech company such as Facebook, Hulu, Microsoft, Spotify, or Google is somewhat different from interviewing at companies in other industries, but the basics are the same.
What is similar but with a little twist?
Are you passionate about the company? Are you familiar with its products, and do you use them? Do…
Interview Politics You Did Not Know About
The politics of the interview may not be something new, but it’s certainly an aspect most job candidates are unaware of. Every organization exhibits some level of politics. Office politics has to do with the way some people manipulate relationships for self-benefit or other causes. But is it possible that such situations exist even before …
Five Essential Steps to a Great Job
There are five essential steps to a great job, provided one is willing to do some hard work; shortcuts reduce chances. The following tips are for those who want to stay in the same field. For those who want to change fields or who have no idea what they want to do in the future, …
7 Most Common Topics Covered in Job Interviews
The interview reverse engineered. So, how does a term from the field of engineering embed itself into the practice of human resources? Reverse engineering is a detailed examination of an idea or product with the aim of producing something similar. In fact, this method could also apply to the job interview because sometimes, in a …
The Best Way to Find and Protect Your Job
There are many types of insurance that we are paying on a regular basis and we don’t typically reflect too much on that since it has become routine. Some types of insurance are deducted automatically from the paycheck. These are mandatory expenses while others are elective. Insurance is a payment we pay to get protection …
7 Tips for Creating Your Elevator Pitch
Please imagine this scenario with me. You go to your first job search networking event and the leader informs the audience that each person will stand in front of the group and present an elevator pitch. Does that sound terrifying?
I vividly remember such a scenario more than 10 years ago at a meeting with …
3 Most Important Tactics for Job Interviews
Every job interview has three parts. It starts with the introduction, goes on to the purpose of the interview, and ends with the closing of the interview. If you understand the objective of each part—from the interviewer’s point of view—you can increase your chances of beating your competition. After all, someone will be hired. Will …
Mature, Unemployed, and the Next Steps
Even though the economy has improved lately, there’s still a large contingency of people who after long and successful careers find themselves not only blocked but also bewildered about their professional future because of their age. This is a serious problem because these people still need to provide for their families, and many are by …
The Elevator Pitch Checklist
A recent article of mine covered most people’s lack of efficacy in practicing their elevator pitches at job search networking meetings. I wanted to follow up on that and prove my tenets, so I brainstormed with a group of trusted associates—all of whom are in transition—and we came up with some “best practices.” Following are …