When we're no longer happy and satisfied with our day job, we tend to look for something that will give us that satisfaction or fulfillment. At some point in your life, the thought of changing careers is something that will come across your mind. Although there might be a desire to do it, some people don't have enough courage to leave their job and find another one. Many of us decide to stay in our comfort zone because we think that it's the safest thing to do. But what we don't realize is that it tends to weaken our future career steps. If you feel like you're stuck in a dead-end job, you ..read more

Are you OVER your job? Maybe it's not challenging anymore, maybe you're underpaid, or maybe your boss just doesn't appreciate you. Whatever it is, you know it's time for a change, but are you really ready to quit your job? Quitting is risky, but it can also be rewarding if you do it right. So, are you ready to hand in your resignation? Take this quiz to find out. 1. Have you worked there for at least two years? (a) Yes, and I've enjoyed most of it. (b) No, I'm still pretty new to the job. (c) Yes, but I've been there WAY longer than that. 2. Have your career interests or aspirations changed ..read more

So, you've been on a career break. How long has it been? Three years, five years, more? Whether you took time off to care for your children or travel the world, relaunching your career is a major undertaking, especially these days. Just sending out a bunch of resumes won't do the trick. Here are some effective tips and steps for relaunching your career that you can start doing immediately to help you reach your goal of getting back into the workforce. 1. Get Your Story Straight Prospective employers are going to ask you what you've been doing for the last few years. Make sure you have the s ..read more

Navigating a successful job search can be tricky for job seekers over the age of 50 (and very often those over 40 too). Age discrimination is alive and well, and even though your resume got you to the interview, your “experience” might be a drawback. Here are three interview questions you may be asked as an older job seeker with the best strategies for how to answer them. 1. You Seem To Be Overqualified For This Job. This isn’t framed as a question, but it does demand a response—or you’ve lost the opportunity. You know they liked what they saw in your resume, but when they’re staring you in ..read more

If I wanted to get a job interview within one week, here's what I would do as a 20-year career coaching veteran who has helped thousands of people get new, better-paying jobs. Step-By-Step Guide: How To Get A Job Interview In 1 Week! The first thing I would do is find 10 jobs for which I am 100% qualified and a good fit. Not overqualified or underqualified—100% qualified. It would take me a little while to research jobs on various job boards that fit that criteria, but once I do, I would not apply on the job boards. The second thing I would do is find the companies' career pages and make su ..read more

Have you ever been asked, "How do you rate yourself?" in a job interview? The qualifier could be "as a professional," "as an employee," or maybe as the holder of a certain skill set. In most cases, they want you to give them an answer between 1 and 10 in order to get some concrete idea of where you and your skills are. This is a tough question to answer. You will find advice that you should always rank yourself as a 10, or even higher. They say that anything less makes it look like you don’t have confidence in yourself or that you’re admitting a weakness. In my opinion, automatically rating ..read more

We all put a lot of thought and effort into how to answer questions about times we failed so that we don’t look bad in the interview, but how much thought do we put into choosing stories to answer softball questions like, “Tell me about a time you went above and beyond the call of duty?” Even though this is a positive question, it’s very important to carefully choose a good story to answer it well. You should always have a story or two to tell about times you went above and beyond at work. It points out that not only did you meet the expectations of your employer, you exceeded them. That sho ..read more

As a kid, I remember thinking teachers had great jobs because they got to take summers off. I didn't quite grasp the challenges of the position nor did I understand that, unlike their students, teachers do not spend the summer at sleep-away camp or catching up on video games. I still think that teachers have great jobs, although for entirely different reasons. They get to play a meaningful role in the lives of their students, they solve new problems every day, and they are constantly challenged and constantly learning. While very few teachers have the privilege of taking summers off, their u ..read more

In most cases, people don't realize their job is in jeopardy or that it's time to move on to something else. However, I understand that changing jobs can be scary, especially in the current economy. But at times, it's necessary because you can be happy and fulfilled one day, then laid off and depressed the next. Nothing can be worse than holding on to a job that will give you a headache in the end. Here are three signs you should look for a new job. 1. You're Underpaid The main reason why you seek employment is to get paid to be able to pay your bills and meet other basic needs. Moreover ..read more

Is your resume generating offers to interview? If not, it’s time to make some changes. The number one resume improvement any job seeker in any field can make is simple. Quantification Quantification means to describe your accomplishments in terms of numbers, dollars, and percentages. For instance… “Led accounting team for division” is less effective than “Led team of 14 accountants in a $34M division” “Increased efficiency” isn't as strong and specific as “Increased efficiency by 50% in 2 years” “Won awards” is good but “Won #1 spot in sales team 3 years in a row” is better Numbers are at ..read more