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What not to do in an interview.
A group of hiring managers recently shared their biggest job-interview-candidate peeves. These are their replies, listed in order of frequency mentioned: “I’m always disappointed when candidates have no questions to ask me during interviews.” This frustration was mentioned several times, and conveys to interviewers that the candidate didn’t prepare for interview basics, and also that she doesn’t care much about the opportunity. Bringing along a list of questions and a notepad to record information is a quick fix for this faux pas. “Not listening to questions, and responding with...
read moreThe College Debt Dilemma And Tips To Solve It
College is back in session, and second by second, students are racking up more debt. As of this year, 43.3 million Americans owe a total of $1.26 trillion on student loans, and with an average monthly of payment $351. Graduates this year will pick up their diplomas owing, on average, $37,172. Former Colorado State University professor Richard Gutowski, Ph.D., knows this situation intimately, having taught and advised college students for decades. He’s put his best guidance in his book, “Debt is a Four-Letter Word: The College Experience”, and shares these tips for scholars and parents who...
read moreOver 40? You’re just getting started! What I learned from Laura Ingalls Wilder.
Checking out at a store a recently, the clerk asked if I qualified for their senior discount. “You have to be at least 55”, she said. After I’d finished flinching (this was the first time I’d been asked that), I proudly told her that no, I didn’t qualify, and that I still had one more year of non-senior-discount life to go. Then last week I was exposed to a different perspective on aging. A girlfriend and I had made the 10-hour drive to De Smet, South Dakota, to experience some parts of my idol Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life. There we were, standing in the Surveyor’s House (one of Laura ‘s...
read moreThe 4 C’s Journey.
I’ve been feeling inept about some things lately. Even after investing years of effort into researching and preparing for a new line of business (which I’ve finally launched—hooray!) I find myself a bit lost about how to proceed. I mentioned my lack of self-assuredness to a fellow entrepreneur a few weeks ago, and he nonchalantly commented, “Oh, that’s because you’re not at the confidence stage yet. You’re earlier on in the process.” He then went on to describe the 4 C’s Formula, which he’d learned in his Strategic Coach training program, developed by Dan Sullivan. It goes like this: The...
read moreMore than Just Words: Keywords
The advent of job seeking on the internet has led to both great and terrible things for job seekers. Jobs are now easier to search for, and geographic location no longer limits networking to your immediate area. On the other hand, however, it has become harder for job seekers to stand out in the job search, in part because of the implementation of programs known as “ATS” or Applicant Tracking Systems. These systems scan through applicant resumes and cover letters, ranking them based on keyword saturation. The higher the count of keywords in your resume, the more likely it will be pushed...
read moreTo Put or Not To Put: Resume Writing
When I wrote my first professional resume, my instinct was to include everything I’d ever done on it. This not only resulted in a poorly written resume, but it never landed me any interviews because my accomplishments weren’t relevant to the position, or didn’t include the right keywords. I thought a successful resume included everything, rather than being targeted The Hamlet reference in this article’s title (and photo) encompasses the question I learned to ask myself whenever I wrote a resume. To put or not to put, that is the question! Creating a targeted resume necessitates you...
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