In most cases, before your resume even gets to a hiring manager’s desk, it is passed through a screen-out process that is designed to immediately eliminate candidates who do not meet the minimum requirements. This makes it a lot more efficient for companies to fill positions, but I can also leave qualified candidates out in the cold if their resumes do not display those clearly defined requirements. If you are wondering wh...

While doing what you love is important, bringing home a paycheck often forces people to make a decision between pursuing their dreams and putting food on the table. Plus, the changes in the economy are driving many workers to make a choice right now to change careers paths. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, nor is it impossible to find an equivalent job in a different industry. You just need to rewrite your resume to...

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, “Job Search Secrets. In just 3 ½ minutes you will have an amazing cover letter guaranteed to cut through YOUR competition like a hot knife through butter!” Download Jimmy’s instant cover letter tool at Cover Letter Central.Dear Job-Seeker:You’ve sent out your resume. You attached a cover letter – eve...

1. Being Negative – Number 1 is not having a positive, upbeat and enthusiastic attitude. Evict any thoughts that are excuses, self-defeating, limiting, or roadblocks. Forget about what’s not working. Focus on what IS working for you. Put out positive energy. Key to your success is staying mentally and physically fit with a good diet, exercise, sound sleep and a dose of fun.2. Insufficient Reflecting – STOP and really t...

This may ruffle a few feathers, but your time is valuable, so I’ll be blunt: If you’ve been struggling to find a job for more than 6 months, you may be doing the wrong things to get hired.Worse, you may have been given bad information by well-meaning folks who have steered you wrong during your search.I am here to set things right. And to offer three Guerrilla Job Search “truths” to get you hired faster …Lie #1: You can’t a...

In honor of Halloween, this month’s Career Collective topic is scary resume and career mistakes. Here are the top ten mistakes I see job seekers make.1. Inflate their qualifications or lie on their resume. While a resume is not a legal document, it should be an accurate representation of your experience and achievements. I advocate for showing your employment history in the best possible light, buy lying is never wise. 2....

Years ago, I worked in the hospitality industry hiring people for a wide variety of positions. Job seekers frequently approached me by saying, “I’ll take anything.” That was one of the biggest turnoffs. It wasn’t my responsibility to identify the right job for every person who walked through the door. It was their responsibility to figure that out before the interview conversation ever happened. There is the misconception...

Establishing your brand in a cover letter can be a tricky thing. You want to be creative, yet professional. So if the prose is stifled, the reader can actually feel how the writer struggled with every word, every sentence, and every thought. Here are a few tips to help get the creative juices flowing and extend a brand that conveys confidence and your capabilities:1. Don’t over do it. You don’t have to fill the document wit...

Recently I attended a local job fair and spoke to several of the employers to solicit their response to the following question: "If you were to offer one tip for job seekers attending a job fair, what would it be?" The two answers given most frequently: "Dress professionally" and "communicate what you want and what you have to offer."Since so many employers mentioned these two things, along with other valuable tips, it occu...

I was recently asked by a prospective client if I "knew" any recruiters. Well, I do maintain strong relationships with recruiters in various fields, but there seemed to be a disconnect in the question.You see, finding a recruiter is only part of the effort you'll need to undertake in order to be successful. Recruiters find candidates, not jobs.Let me repeat that again - a recruiter will NOT set out to find you a job. Theref...