Last week, I thought I had a phone stalker on my cell. I didn't recognize the number and the caller ID had a weird name. Finally, I picked up the phone. It turned out to be the head of HR for a company in NYC doing a reference check on an intern I had 5+ years ago. I was totally caught off-guard. I hadn't heard from this person in over two years, was given no warning I'd be contacted, and didn't even know what position he w...

Last week, I had the chance to dine at a truly exquisite gourmet restaurant. Lucky for me, I didn’t have to pick up the check! The meal was more than delicious - it was forever memorable. The presentation, the pace, and, of course, the food itself were all amazing. Suddenly, as I sat there, I realized what many job seekers are failing to do in job search these days could be compared to cooking techniques. Let me explain…...

3 Steps To The Career SweetspotWhether you are a new graduate just starting out in the workforce, or a seasoned professional looking for a change, these three steps apply to YOU: 1. The Plan You need to pull the trigger and create a plan. Saying , “I plan to work,” is not enough. You have to come up with an idea of what you want to accomplish. What do you want your career to look like? How will you make that happen? Some pe...

It’s no surprise 55% of Americans are dissatisfied with their jobs. Recent events have taken the employee-employer relationship to the breaking point. Millions of people have been laid-off, giving them plenty of time to watch the news and see the corruption that contributed to their situation. The average length of unemployment is now 7+ months. Meanwhile, those who weren’t let go are dealing with survivor’s guilt and exces...

In celebration of April Fool’s Day, I was asked by my fellow bloggers with the Career Collective to address foolish job search tactics. However, it’s hard to write something funny when what you’re seeing is no joke. We’ve got 15 million job seeker right now. I’d argue more than 70% of them are conducting a weak job search. I guess the good news is, if you are reading this, you can avoid the lame job search efforts below and...

If I had to choose the biggest mistake I see job seekers making right now, I’d say it’s diving into a job search without properly determining their value to potential employers. They throw together a resume, blast out cover letters and submit online applications without first stepping back and getting a truly clear picture of what’s going to get them hired. The result is a lot of wasted time and energy that produces very li...

I read a post by Seth Godin recently that discussed the power of a gift. Something struck me immediately: People who struggle to find professional satisfaction (a.k.a. a job they are happy with) are often guilty of doing favors instead of giving gifts. If you’ve ever said the following, then you are guilty too: - I can’t believe they didn’t give me a promotion after all that extra work I did without asking. - I’ll call...

J.T.: Time for our annual highlights column, where we pull together the recent advice we believe will be most useful in the new year. Dale: We hope your personal economy will be up in 2010, and we’ll be here to help. Meanwhile, for immediate advice, you can always go to www.JTandDale.com or www.careerealism.com. ON NOT HEARING BACK FROM RECRUITERS: Most recruiters are overwhelmed with applicants right now. So, jus...

We recently asked CAREEREALISM readers how long it’s going to take to find a job in 2010. The majority of you (45%) said you expect it to take 3-5 months to find work. But honestly, current economic indicators suggest it will be even longer. With 6 job seekers to every job opening and unemployment expected to hover near 10% for most of 2010, the harsh reality is only the truly committed job seekers will find work. Similar t...

The following are 10 true stories.These have all happened to me or my colleagues over the years as hiring managers. I know the job search process can be hard to maneuver. Add to that the fact there’s a whole set of ‘new rules’ you need to follow to get employers to even want to hire you and a job seeker can feel pretty overwhelmed.But that being said...Some things are just common sense. For example, I wouldn’t suggest doin...