Job Interview & Career Success Blog
How to Look Good in Your Video Job Interview
“I have a video job interview in 2 days. I need a haircut, but I can’t get one. I don’t have anything to wear. The stores are closed. I can’t rely on an online order to arrive before my meeting....
How to Answer “Tell Me About a Time When You Failed”
Knowing how to answer the job interview question "Tell me about a time when you failed" can throw off even the most polished candidate. Yet it's a popular one and you need to be ready for it. First,...
A Simple Formula for Job Interview Success
Knowing how to prepare for your job interview can be overwhelming. While you can’t anticipate every possible question, there IS a simple formula you can follow for job interview success. Here’s how...
4 Typical Job Interview Mistakes & Tips to Avoid Them
It can be impossible to avoid an occasional misstep, yet there are some key mistakes candidates make in job interviews that are entirely avoidable. Here are 4 common ones that will NOT impress your...
Informational Interview Your Way to a New Job Faster
Most jobs are never advertised, so the best way to fast-track your search and access the hidden job market is via informational interviews a.k.a. networking meetings or informational meetings....
Don’t Bring up Negatives in Your Job Interview!
You know your main goal in your job interview is to prove you have what it takes to do the job. But have you ever felt compelled to point out your skill gaps or other potential weaknesses? Resist...
How to Prepare Your Contacts for Professional Reference Checks
One detail you should NEVER overlook in your job search is preparing and managing your contacts for professional reference checks in the later stages of the job interview process. Here’s how to...
How to Answer “What is Your Greatest Weakness?”
What is your greatest weakness? What are your main areas for improvement? What skills or attributes are you working to develop? These are all variations of the same thing, and it’s one of the basic...
How to Bring Energy to Job Interviews!
Want to know one of the quickest ways to a hiring manager's heart? Bring a healthy dose of energy to your job interviews! “You wouldn’t believe the number of people who come in and act like they’re...
Overcoming Ageism to Win the Job Interview (Part 2)
(To view Part 1 of this 2-part article, go here.) Interviewing while 50+ is a concern for many job seekers. And while the employment outlook for older professionals is good, ageist biases still come...
Overcoming Ageism to Win the Job Interview
(Part 1 of 2) As someone who works with well-established professionals and execs, I notice a big difference in the way a 50+ job seeker describes their concerns v. someone in their 30s or 40s. For...
What to Wear to a Job Interview: How to Make a Lasting Impression in Seconds
What you wear to your job interview makes a big statement before you ever say a word. So you want to make sure that statement is an extension of the confident, competent, capable professional that...
Job Search Tips Told Firsthand
James Johnson* had a successful 14-year engineering career, and for the first time in his professional life, he faced a job search. James was ready to move up from being hands-on to a director where...
4 Top Tips to Manage Your 2019 Job Search & Career
Have you resolved that 2019 is your year to job search and land a new job? Your year to be ready--just in case an amazing, unexpected career opportunity comes up? Your year to put more energy into...
How to Handle Awkward Job Interview Moments
You can’t possibly predict every question or potentially awkward job interview moment. But you can be aware of some sticky situations and how to be quick on your feet if these things happen to you....
Job Interview Storytelling: 6 Ways to Excel
You’ve worked hard to get a job interview with your target company—a chance to sell your strengths through storytelling to convince the employer that you’re the best candidate. To make the most of...
Why the Holiday Season is a Great time to Job Hunt
Are you tempted to tap the brakes on your job hunt during the holidays? You’re not the only one, which is exactly why you should stay the course like it’s mid-March. “I’ve always had strong activity...
Mock Interview Your Way into Job Offers Faster!
Most of us wouldn’t dream of giving a big presentation, speech, performance, or demonstration without doing at least one run-through. Yet when it comes to hard-won job interviews, candidates often...
How to Take Your Job Interview Skills from Stale to Stellar
If you’re like most job seekers I talk with, you find job interviews uniquely stressful for one of these main reasons: It’s been years since you’ve interviewed. You’re actively interviewing, but not...
The Best Question to Ask in Your Next Job Interview
After you've discovered the Best Question to Ask below, access this cheat sheet to build a full list of questions for your interviewer! ~ Get your 16 Questions to Ask in a Job Interview Cheat Sheet...
7 Months to Launch: One Job Seeker’s Journey to a New Job
When project management leader Martyn Lindley’s position was eliminated at Hewlett-Packard after 19 years with the company, he knew he faced a job hunting challenge. He needed to find another...
The Power of Positivity in Your Interview
A reputable recruiter told me that his three non-negotiables when deciding whether to advance a candidate in the interview process are honesty, responsiveness, and a positive attitude. The most...
What’s Worth (and a Waste of) Time in Your Job Search
I just got back from Glacier National Park, where nature provided a feast for my eyes, adventures for my soul, and memories that will last a lifetime. Hiking, rafting, paddling, and eating aside, my...
True Stories from People in the Position to Hire: A Recruiter’s Red Flags + Recommendations
One way to conduct a smart, integrated job search is to learn how to work with recruiters who specialize in your industry or area of expertise. Joseph Wahl, principal, Wahl and Associates, who’s led...
10 Interviewing Challenges: Job Seeker FAQs
What comes to mind when you're gearing up for job interviews? There's so much to think about--what you'll wear, who you'll meet, what you'll say, how you'll act, and whether there will be any...
When it’s Your Turn: 10 Solid Questions to Ask Your Interviewer
The more you can think of an interview as a conversation rather than an inquisition, the better. One of the best ways to do this is by asking thoughtful, smart questions. If you respond to your...
6 Ways to Calm Down (and Amp Up) Before Your Interview
Interview Day has arrived. You’ve researched the company, the industry, and the people you’re going to meet with. You’ve run through several possible interview questions and practiced telling some...
How to Interview From a Distance
Even if you live close to the company you’re interviewing with, odds are very good they'll want to talk to you on the phone or via video first, as distance interviews remain a popular,...
186 Days Left in 2018: Time for a Midyear Career Check-in
Back in January, did you resolve that 2018 would be your year to launch a job search and find more rewarding work or explore a new career path? If life (or your current job) has gotten in the way,...
“Why Are You in the Job Market?”
One of those simple, early-in-the interview questions you’ll often hear is “Why are you in the job market?” Variations include, “Why are you looking for a new job?” or “Why do you want to leave...
True Stories from People in the Position to Hire Part 3: An Occasional Series Featuring Real Anecdotes From Hiring Managers and Recruiters
Employer bad-mouthing, long-windedness, and a case of plumber's butt are just a few of the recent faux pas Jennifer Tiana witnessed when interviewing candidates in her role as director of software...
A New Job Could Be Your Greatest Gift This Holiday Season
Thinking of taking a break from your job search during the holidays? You’re not the only one, which is exactly why you should continue like it’s the middle of May. “I’ve always had strong activity...
True Stories from People in the Position to Hire Part 2: An occasional series featuring real anecdotes from hiring managers and recruiters
Job Interview Mistakes to Avoid In her last round of hiring, my friend “Allison,” a SaaS company director, expected her pool of senior-level consulting candidates to be savvy in nailing their job...
Invest 30 Seconds to Polish Your Professional Image: Change your Voicemail Message!
As someone who coaches job seekers on effective phone interviews, I’m incredulous when I get a voicemail “greeting” from a slow robotic voice that goes something like this: “The caller you have...
True Stories from People in the Position to Hire Part 1: An occasional series featuring real anecdotes from hiring managers and recruiters
My friend “Madeline,” who’s a veteran management consultant, just led the job interview and hiring process for a financial manager role in a well-known Northwest nonprofit. She phone-screened a...
How to Graduate from the Basement and into a Job ASAP
Moments after you’ve switched your tassel from right to left and you’re declared a college graduate, reality hits: “I’ve earned my degree. I’m going back home to live with my family. I need a job....
You’re Qualified, But Do They Like You?
Your résumé stood out and you made the short list of job interview candidates. Your phone screen went swimmingly. Now Interview Day is here, and you’re in the lobby armed with hard copies of your...
“Tell me about yourself…”
"Tell me about yourself" is one of the first job interview questions you'll face. Sounds innocent enough, right? But what you say in that first minute of your meeting sets the tone and influences...
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