Interviewers tend to assume that everyone wants to be continuously employed. “Why weren’t you?” they think. “What’s the problem?” Let’s explore how to answer interview questions about gaps in employment, to reassure interviewers that you’re motivated and ready to hit the ground running ..read more

Informational interviews are a great job search networking tactic. You can gain useful industry and company insights. More crucially, you can build relationships that may lead to being referred to hiring managers. How can you keep in touch and continue the relationship (without being perceived as a pest)? Let’s say you had an informational interview with Samantha, who does work similar to yours at a company you’re interested in. She has offered you some advice. Samantha is more likely to feel like her time was well spent – and more likely to want to offer additional advice or leads in the futu ..read more

How far back should your resume go? A resume with far more years of experience than needed can invite age discrimination or make a job seeker look overqualified. Simplistic, one-size-fits-all answers like “go back 5 years” or “10 years” aren’t helpful, because your resume and job search aren’t like anyone else’s. “Include” and “leave out” are not the only options. If you have impressive experience many years back, one option is to include an “Additional Experience” section without dates or details. So, a job that would appear in your main “Experience” section like this: Regional Sales Manager ..read more

After all the challenges of the interview process, accepting the job offer may seem easy. But mishandling this crucial moment can cost you thousands in lost salary – or even the job. The Big Moment at the End of the Interviews The moment when you’re offered a job can be a mini-whirlwind of excitement joy, relief, nervousness, you name it. You may be tempted to just blurt “YES!” – quickly, before they can change their mind! Many a job seeker has done exactly that, only to think later, “I wish I had thought about (negotiating the starting date, the salary, leaving early on Tuesdays? the potentia ..read more

An interview with a company founder is a high-stakes conversation where it’s crucial not only to give good answers, but to ask good questions. This post will help you identify the best questions to ask founders in an interview. In choosing your questions, keep these three points in mind: What you ask can reveal as much about you as how you answer. Your questions can demonstrate the level of your interest, your preparedness, your values, your critical thinking skills and more. So don’t ask questions by rote; be both authentic (what do you really want to know?) and strategic (what will each ques ..read more

Are you thinking of leaving the business world to for a nonprofit career? How does your corporate experience translate to a nonprofit job? Some occupations require no translation: administrative assistant, accountant, human relations manager. Others may seem less obviously transferable, like sales, marketing or business development. How are your skills relevant in the nonprofit sector? Example: sales and business development jobs in nonprofits. I did a search for jobs with the keyword “sales” on nonprofit job board Idealist.org, specifying “San Francisco Bay Area” as the location. I found 11 n ..read more

A week after your final interview for a new job, the recruiter reaches out to schedule a “wrap-up interview” or even just “a quick chat.” Is it a good sign, or bad? First, whatever they call it, yes, it is an interview. Put your best foot forward, as you would in any interview. Second, ask, “What will we be discussing?” If the recruiter is cagey or vague, just smile and be confident, because being scheduled for a wrap-up interview is likely to be a good sign. The HR Wrap-up Interview Most often, you’ll meet with a human resources representative. Since they may not have stated what they want to ..read more

Should you take notes during a job interview? Generally yes, and the way you do it sends messages about you that can help you get the job – or lose it. Here’s how to do it right. Politeness counts. First, show consideration for the interviewer and their process by asking, “Is it all right if I take a few notes?” Most will say “Of course,” but if the interviewer has any objection, simply smile and go along with their wishes. After all, they invited you, you’re on their turf, and they’re running the interview. The beginning of the interview is probably the best time to ask, before the interview ..read more

Through interview coaching, West Los Angeles sales manager Jason (not his real name) polished his presentation skills and amped up his confidence. The effort was rewarded with an offer at a bigger company with more opportunities. Recently laid off after five years with one company, Jason hadn’t interviewed in a long time. He was nervous, and worried about his tendency to be, as he said, “a bit verbose,” and to pad his speech with fillers like “um” and “ya know.” He needed to be sure he’d come across as the dynamic leader he is, someone who exudes credibility and inspires a team. So he contacte ..read more

Does the job you’re looking for require attention to detail, or any kind of accuracy? Then you need an error-free resume. And do you really know how to proofread your resume so well that zero errors remain? Employers receive multiple resumes for every posted job, often more than a hundred. Rejecting the ones with mistakes is an easy way to narrow the field. And in my experience, most of us make more errors in our writing than we realize. Here’s how to ensure your resume is faultless. Know what to look for when proofreading your resume. You know you should look for misspellings, but other types ..read more