Your parents mean well, they really do. They give you heartfelt advice about finding (and keeping) a job because they want you to succeed. They want to see you thriving at a job. They really, really want you to move out of their basement! Unfortunately, your parents’ job seeking advice is probably terrible. Here’s why: Your Parents Came From a More Civil Time When your parents were looking…
Society, as a whole, places a much higher importance on college education than they did in the past. While some experts blame the recession for the current employment crisis, it could be said that college degrees are partially at fault. How College Hurts Employment Opportunities In the past, simply possessing a college degree put young adults ahead of the pack. They were qualified for better paying jobs in…
Fresh Out of College? 10 Resume Writing Hacks to Land an Interview
by / ⠀Career Advice / January 21, 2014According to the recent study, for every job a new graduate applies for, they have to compete with up to 160 other applicants. You don’t need a Masters degree to know that the competition is stiff these days – so how do you stand out from a sea of equally (or even more) qualified people? These 10 resume writing hacks will help your resume get to the…
The job hunt is nothing short of exhausting. From unanswered emails to unopened resumes, it’s hard not to feel discouraged (and we’re guessing that the lacking paycheck isn’t helping your self-esteem). The clouds may seem to break when you’re invited in for an interview. The problem is that most people (perhaps unknowingly) are cloaked in that musty smell of defeat that comes from being unemployed; and despite your…
10 Relationship Tips: They Might Come in Handy!
by / ⠀Career Advice• Entrepreneurship / January 5, 2014In many ways, our generation is more relational than any that’s come before us. I have more than a thousand friends on Facebook, hundreds of followers on Twitter, and Instagram buddies in 43 different states. But as I was recently reminded, interaction through social media hardly prepares us for real-life relationships. The other day I interviewed someone fresh out of college for a position at my startup. She…
Thanks to the likes of David Brent, it’s easy to see team motivation as excruciating at worst and slightly cringey at best. But if you’re in charge of a group of people then it’s your responsibility to commit time and effort to ensure they’re happy and productive. So the question is – how can you get the best from a team of people without channelling your inner Brent?…
Between Businesses? 5 Ways To Sell Your Entrepreneurial Spirit To Employers
by / ⠀Career Advice• Entrepreneurship / December 24, 2013Entrepreneurs are a resilient bunch; when a venture doesn’t work out, it is only a matter of time before they regroup and try another but, occasionally it may be necessary to find “traditional” employment in the interim. Presenting your special entrepreneurial skillsets to a potential employer may seem a daunting task initially, but in reality, the experiences and characteristics of an entrepreneur would be an asset to any…
Can Psychometric Testing Help You Find Better Candidates?
by / ⠀Entrepreneurship / December 13, 2013There are two words that often strike fear into the heart of even the most well-prepared job applicant: Psychometric. Testing. Because of many firms’ misuse or poor implementation of the screening technique, some candidates have been put off taking the quizzes – believing that they do not demonstrate any real positive traits and merely artificially reduce the pool of jobseekers considered for a position. But, quite frankly,…
Advancing Your Career: Sometimes You Have to Put the “Nice” You Aside
by / ⠀Career Advice• Entrepreneurship / December 2, 2013The cliche of the cutthroat businessman who wins at all costs has been done and overdone at least since Shakespeare wrote The Merchant of Venice. Our intuition and – hopefully – everything our mothers taught us says that you catch more flies with sugar than you do with vinegar. But the complex world of business isn’t a white hat/black hat, either/or toss-up between Gordon Gekko and the Geico gecko.…
The job-hunting process can be long and drawn out. Many people battle their way through CV-writing and application forms, only to fall at the final hurdle. Interviews can be stressful – however, there are some steps you can take to improve your chances of getting the job. Follow these dos and don’ts to find interview success. Do’s Be confident An overly nervous candidate will stick in the interviewer’s…