The essentials of the job hunt don’t really change according to your employment status, but employed searchers do have to consider a number of special issues that don’t affect their unemployed counterparts. 10 RULES OF THE ROAD Rule 1: Mum’s the Word The first rule of the searching-while-employed club is: You do not talk about searching while employed. The one exception applies when, and only w...

When I was in my most unhappy period at the end of my 18-year corporate career, I was the definition of “stuck.” At age 40, I had spent all those years slogging through jobs and promotions, trying so hard to finally land a senior role that I could love and feel I was great at, working with people I respected, engaging in tasks I enjoyed. And I desperately wanted to be a part of a company that was delivering prod...

You’ve been practicing your answers to the typical questions for your next big interview, but what about the inevitable “Do you have any questions for us?” portion? Asking the right questions gives you not only more information about the company, but it will show that you’re 1) insightful and a critical thinker and 2) eager for the job, a real team player. Basing your questions off of how the inte...

Over the last 19 years as a career & professional development consultant, I have worked with countless employers seeking ideal candidates to fill critical roles in their organizations. Regardless of the career field, recruiters and hiring managers agree that after the basic criteria of skills and experiences are met, candidates are accepted or eliminated based upon how they fit into the culture of an organization....

A substantial part of my work is helping people identify why they are unhappy at work and figure out what they need to do about it. The other end of that is helping them carry out their plans successfully. Although there are many ways to change someone’s experience inside of their current employment scenario, it’s not always possible to do that. There is a variety of reasons someone may decide to change: they de...

The global economy is in flux and the outlook for the future is not as rosy as it has been. Before the inevitable downturn occurs safeguard your career with these strategies. Be visible — in a good way! When I worked in outplacement a lot of very talented individuals were stunned to find themselves downsized out of a job. Afterall, they kept their heads down, did good work and didn’t cause any trouble. Why...

A limp handshake, lack of eye contact, and shaking voice: sound familiar? If you don’t feel confident in yourself, you may have trouble presenting yourself in an effective and professional way. Whether we like it or not, moving up the career ladder and achieving your professional goals often depends on more than just your work: it’s also often based on the way you carry yourself and interact with others. I of...

Boards of Directors are always looking for strong candidates. Some Board positions, for local nonprofits, companies, or educational institutions may be by invitation or word of mouth. They may be easy to obtain because fewer people contend for a spot. But candidates for Board positions at major companies, institutions, or nonprofits must have a resume and must have a strong network because director positions are not adverti...

What’s a resume worth? It’s just a piece of paper, after all, with a minuscule amount of toner attached, and it can’t be worth more than a penny or so. Perhaps it’s worth two cents if the paper is fancy enough. In reality, though, a resume can be worth millions, even billions. This sheet of paper has extraordinary power. It’s analogous to the well-known calculation of a person’s ele...

Can you and should you back out of a job offer? If you’ve accepted a job offer, what should you do if other opportunities then present themselves? I’m a firm believer in keeping your job options open until the day that you actually start work. Things can fall through at the last minute, and few things are more difficult than resuming the search after you thought it was over. But what happens if your post-o...