Outside the traditional, family, friends and health of Thanksgiving blessings, it can be easy to overlook career blessings when we’re out of work. But lest we forget, unemployment has its own blessings.
1)
Time – Working a 40 hour week, commuting to and fro can leave us strapped for time to do those things that fuel our soul. This may be volunteering for a cause near to your heart or finally getting around to organizing your family photo albums. Whatever your passion, unemployment gives…
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Added by amyeandrews on November 26, 2009 at 1:23pm —
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Let's face it, not all interviewers know how to ask the right questions. Instead, they stick to the old stand-by: What are your strengths, your weaknesses and the dreaded where do you see yourself in five years? Like it or not, we must prepare ourselves for these innoccuous, uninspired questions. For tips on how to decode these questions, check out the artcile:
"10 Interview Questions…
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Added by amyeandrews on November 23, 2009 at 10:34pm —
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No matter your religous-affinity, if you're unemployed, you should obey the Job Search 10 Commandments.
…
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Added by amyeandrews on November 8, 2009 at 12:27pm —
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Scary costumes and movies may frighten your little tykes at home, but for job hunting adults, the search for a new employer can be scarier than a Michael Myer, Halloween, marathon movie night. If you’re new to the job market or out of practice, navigating today’s complex market can be a scary endeavor. Like a horror movie, there are parts that make us jump out of our seat, cover our eyes and in some cases even laugh. The job search is no different. Networking, interviewing, writing a resume or n…
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Added by amyeandrews on October 29, 2009 at 9:30am —
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Recently, a friend of mine came to the end of her 18-month COBRA benefits: A significant event that forced her to come face to face with the fact that she had still not landed a permanent gig that offered these precious, necessary commodities. Though many workers can lean on their spouse for coverage during times of unemployment, those of us who choose the benefits of singledom over a back-up medical plan, can be left taking whatever job necessary to ensure coverage. This approach; however, may…
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Added by amyeandrews on October 19, 2009 at 3:33pm —
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Chicago may have lost the pot of Olympic Gold in 2016, but for job seekers this is a great reminder on “What not to do in a job search.” Don’t plead for a job, but demonstrate what you can do to benefit them. Sorry Chicago, that’s what went wrong.
See the
full post here. Continue
Added by amyeandrews on October 5, 2009 at 10:21pm —
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You got the interview. Now: the preparation. You scour the website for information on leader bios, values, mission, client reviews, stock performance, and anything possible you might need to demonstrate you’re invested in them before they invest in you. But are you prepared to answer the one question that doesn’t involve a web search? The one question which can distinguish you from every other candidate in the pack? The question: “Tell me about yourself.”
Personally, I’m not a fan of this quest…
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Added by amyeandrews on September 28, 2009 at 9:30am —
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As an avid fan of Twitter, I find everything from recipes, celebrity gossip, breaking news, cartoons and yes, job, career guidance! Recently, @onlineresume provided a list of the
Top 50 People on Twitter for Job Seekers.
If you're not on Twitter, this may be the time to check it out.
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Added by amyeandrews on September 15, 2009 at 10:48pm —
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You’ve spent all summer interviewing, souring the online job postings and networking for that next big break. Your job has been finding a job! You know the real meaning of “labor” and have worked just as hard if not harder than those who punch the corporate clock. As a reward, treat yourself to a job search-free weekend. Cook up the barbeque, watch the US Open and enjoy those last days by the pool. Come Tuesday, game’s on--…
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Added by amyeandrews on September 3, 2009 at 8:09pm —
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Earlier this week I posted a video about
Paula’s unconventional job search. In the video, Paula stands on the corner of a busy intersection, knocking on windows and handing out her business card, asking people for leads and connections to help in her job search. As I watched this, I thought, “This is thinking outside the box, this is ingenuity,” things that employers are desperately seeking.
So tha…
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Added by amyeandrews on August 27, 2009 at 9:19pm —
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We’ve all had that one interview question that’s stumped us, left us dumb-founded for any answer to avoid the awkward silence that will haunt us for days that we screwed up. And then there are those questions that interviewers ask and we wonder what does that have to do with anything?
A few I’ve encountered include:
• If you could change the color of the sky, what color would you change it to and why?
• How old are you? [I was too young and dumb to realize this was illegal]
• Why do you want to…
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Added by amyeandrews on August 20, 2009 at 9:29pm —
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We’ve all heard that networking is the best way to land a new job. But what if your network routes you back to a previous employer? Can you go back?
Organizations thrive on change. Just because you lost your job doesn’t always mean that other opportunities won’t crop up in the future. The old adage, “when one door closes, somewhere a window opens,” rings true with twenty-first century organizations. Maybe the window was closed when you lost your job, but it doesn’t mean another one won’t open o…
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Added by amyeandrews on August 14, 2009 at 9:16am —
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Employers still have jobs to fill, but to do so they’re looking to technology, such as
Skype, a popular video chat tool, to help minimize expenses and streamline processes. For candidates, this adds to the growing candidate preparedness check list. No longer do you just have to worry about what to wear, but you also have to consider what color works best on camera and that your lighting is set up right. For a full checklist, the following articl…
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Added by amyeandrews on August 6, 2009 at 11:04pm —
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A self-proclaimed network-hater: That was me, until I lost my job in January and had to reconsider my position on networking. The mere thought of making small talk with strangers; then passing out my business card only to go back to my ‘secure’ job the next day always seemed like a waste of time.
Knowing I had to “put myself out there,” I attended a few networking events, collected business cards and completed the traditional follow up afterwards. Yet I didn’t feel that I was making any ground.…
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Added by amyeandrews on July 30, 2009 at 11:52pm —
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It may be a buyer’s market for employers, but as candidates do we still need to concede to all their demands and asking price? Yes, the looming mortgage and car payments weigh heavy on our minds, but at what price are we willing to sell our skills and talents?
A few weeks ago, I posted about a
real experience of an interviewer that showed little regard to me as a candidate and left me wondering, “…
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Added by amyeandrews on July 24, 2009 at 8:00am —
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A top 10 list of job search articles and stories you may have missed while you were watching the Sotomayer confirmation hearings.
The Lazy’s Man Way to Better Credentials
4 Steps to F…
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Added by amyeandrews on July 16, 2009 at 9:24pm —
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I’m not sure what to make of the unemployment numbers these days. Is it going up or going down? Reports seem to be conflicting. Regardless of the economy, it’s probably safe to say that at some point in our lives we’ll be faced with a period of unemployment. With that in mind, the list of
Top 10 Blogs to Read if You’ve Just Been Laid Off is a good resource to bookmark for information, insights…
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Added by amyeandrews on July 10, 2009 at 9:39am —
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Holidays can be tough when you’re looking for work. It seems like you can’t get anything done and each time you call or send an e-mail you get an out of office reply. Those two weeks before and after a major holiday can be frustrating for setting appointments and making calls, but they don’t have to put a halt to moving your job search forward.
1) Send an e-mail note to your contacts, wishing them a safe and happy holiday weekend. It’s a perfect opportunity to stay in front of them without feel…
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Added by amyeandrews on July 2, 2009 at 1:00pm —
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A true story:
You get a second interview six months after push and pull with the company telling you, they’re interested in you, then pulling the position, only to re-open the position, consider you again, then tell you they offered it to someone else who turned it down, but would like to consider you a candidate for another time. After all this you’re still interested in speaking with them and you finally have a date set to meet with the hiring manager. It’s a lunch interview, but nonetheless,…
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Added by amyeandrews on June 30, 2009 at 5:29pm —
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Every Thursday night, for 10 years, I spent 30 minutes laughing and commiserating with the relationship and job mishaps of my best friends: Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Joey and Phoebe. Back then, when I had a job, I watched for the entertainment-value, often wondering if Ross and Rac…
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Added by amyeandrews on June 26, 2009 at 7:00am —
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