Career Advice
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HR—as a whole—is becoming more strategic than ever. I just read a fascinating case study about Nestlé Purina North America. They implemented a talent pipeline recruiting strategy and in 2017 “filled 43% of their positions before they came open”. This pipeline approach is called a “pre-need strategy” because the candidate sourcing starts before you have…
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“It is not often that a man can make opportunities for himself. But he can put himself in such shape that when or if the opportunities come he is ready.” ― Theodore Roosevelt ✦Job Interview Preparedness Week✦ My Twitter followers (@SarahDJohnston) want to know how to answer the question, “So, why are you looking to…
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Prepare for diversity interview questions What do the former CEOs of Sam’s Club, Papa John’s and Miss America and the CEO of Revlon all have in common? Answer: They have all made–or been accused of making– racially insensitive or flat out racists comments. As a reaction, companies are asking diversity themed questions during the interview…
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PEACE OUT, WORK. 8 in 10 workers are open to new opportunities according to a recent study of 1,500 workers in Jobvite’s 2018 Job Seeker Nation Study. A similar study was done last year of 17,000 U.S. workers in 19 industries by the nonprofit group Mental Health America & the Faas Foundation. Employers, the study…
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According to CareerBuilder’s 2016 Cyber Monday survey, more than half of workers (53%) say they spent at least some work time holiday shopping on the Internet. Of this group, 43% spend an hour or more doing so. <Insert gasp!> If you are #jobsearching and want a new career in 2019, use that hour to update…
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Brace yourself, job seekers. This may shock you. Are you forcing all of your work history into a one-page document? New research suggests that recruiters were more than twice as likely to prefer two-page resumes over one-page résumés — a conclusion that surprised even the researchers. This was a large experiment done by resume-writing service…
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People hire people that they like. Hiring the wrong person is an expensive mistake. HR tries to keep biases out of the hiring process, but let’s be honest— if you come across as aloof, arrogant or a bully— you probably won’t get the job. Employers are often more focused on hiring someone they would like…
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Do you send Holiday cards? I send out close to 200 personal cards every year to dear friends past & present all with a handwritten note. I’ve been doing this every year since college as a way to retain the contact & maintain the friendship. Sending holiday cards is work. However, if you aren’t sending…
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“Different is better than better”. Quote credit: Jerry McGuire This brilliant sales technique should be applied to your job search. When I was recruiting, I can’t tell you how many times I heard hiring managers say, “I can train someone to do XX, but I can’t train passion, love of learning and resilience”. (This doesn’t…
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Have you ever played Settlers of Catan? It’s my favorite board game because it’s a game of tactic, skill and luck. Just like a job search. When you start a game of Catan, you have to thoughtfully select your first two settlement placements. Where you place your initial settlements and roads is important because it…
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I am in a “Monday Night Club” with 10 other women. We get together once a month to drink wine and learn something new. We’ve done floral arrangements, yoga, financial literacy… and last month we talked about stress management. My friend, a physician with a very stressful job, led the conversation. We talked about Shawn…
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“I have so many open jobs right now, it’s crazy!” A recruiter friend posted this on LinkedIn last week. The recruiting landscape has really changed over the last 10-15 years. My first recruiting job was in 2007 for a large private corporate office in Atlanta. We were considered cutting edge back then as early adapters…
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How do you stand out in the job search? Having a well-designed resume & LinkedIn page are essential— but what about out of the box strategies? Last week, Kimberly Haught posted about a job seeker who dressed as a Postmates delivery person & hand delivered self-designed boxes of donuts with his resume creatively displayed in…
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Voicemail Greeting Examples and Scripts Below Today’s job search tip is simple: Listen to your own outgoing voicemail greeting. It may be worth your time to make sure it is a positive reflection of yourself and your professional brand. A crucial part of your job search strategy and professional brand development is effective communication. It…
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You’re at a party, a church event or your kid’s soccer game talking to an acquaintance about your job search or new passion when they mention, “Oh! I went to college with <insert name> who <does this really cool thing at a company of interest to you>. He’s a wonderful guy. I’d love to introduce…
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If you are an experienced job seeker, you may remember a day when employers asked for written references. Maybe you even have some glowing references from former bosses on glossy paper. Do yourself a favor and do not bring them out at the end of the interview unless you want to be met with awkward…
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I read the craziest thing in Parent magazine this month. Apparently there is such a thing as a “returnship” or a paid three- to six-month program for mid-career-level men and women who have left the workforce for two or more years, with the potential for a full-time job offer. In fact, the new employment trend…
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I recently did interview coaching with a well-qualified senior level job seeker interviewing for his dream job. Everything about the position was exactly what he wanted. First round interview ✅ Second round ✅ Third round ✅ And then…he was told, “we really like you as a candidate, but we are doing some restructuring and we…
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You are sitting quietly in the lobby waiting patiently for your interview when a friendly person approaches you with their arm extended. Your interaction probably goes like this: Recruiter: Hi Sarah, it is great to have you here. Did you find our office OK? Sarah: Yes, the directions you sent where great. Recruiter: Great. While…
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Don’t “Leeroy Jenkins” your interview. If you don’t know who Leeroy is, he is a World of Warcraft character that is known for abruptly running into battle while the rest of his group was attempting to formulate a plan. Leeroy experienced game-time fatigue. Heed this warning. If you are investing time and energy into a…
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My LinkedIn feed tells me when my connections get new jobs. It’s always really exciting to see great people (who I know in real life or who I’ve followed on this platform) get a new opportunity. A couple of months ago, I started sending messages to these individuals. The message was short and basically said,…
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In 2014, Gallup and Purdue University surveyed more than 30,000 graduates to find out whether they are engaged in their work and thriving in their overall well-being. This was the largest study of its kind and demonstrated that “Life in College Matters for Life After College”. The entire study is absolutely worth your time (link in comments) but the…
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Did you “volunteer” to plan the office Holiday party? Were you “volun-told” to take meeting minutes–even though it’s not in the scope of your job? Did you fill in for a colleague when she was out on maternity leave? Do you serve on a low-ranking committee (that isn’t even of interest to you) because someone…
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Have you prepared your references? It’s likely that an employer— before they extend an offer— will ask you for 3-5 references. These are people who know you in a professional sense and who have ideally been past supervisors. Here’s an example message: Dear X: Thank you for agreeing to be a reference for me. I…
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If you are the parent or mentor of a college-aged student, please hear me out. I work with a lot of thirty-something-year-olds who are embarking on their first ever job search (with kids, a mortgage and a car payment). They are stressed out of their minds because this is the first time in their lives…