Q & A: How do you ask for a raise?

Q & A: How do you ask for a raise?

Question: How do you ask for a raise? Answer: From what I am seeing and hearing, the practical answer is that you don't.  Many employers are not even hiring on a full-time basis let alone giving raises.  Many have cut bonuses or have made them entirely discretionary.  If, despite the uncertain

[ read more ]

Relax! You're Just Talking

Relax! You’re Just Talking

Often when you're in an interview, the pressure is on to perform. Unfortunately, in your excitement to sell yourself, you can forget to be human. Salespeople will tell you that in order to close the deal, stop focusing on the sale at the end, and start paying attention to the person and the conve

[ read more ]

5 Things Your Resume Can Do Without

5 Things Your Resume Can Do Without

Your resume is your calling card. Long before you reach the interview stage, you are judged by your talents, your affiliations and what you can offer an organization. While you want to cover all of the above points in your resume and cover  letter, you don't want to go overboard. TMI (too much

[ read more ]

Weathering a Bad Reference

Weathering a Bad Reference

When hunting for a new job, your references often have the big say as to whether or not you get the job. While hiring managers don't necessarily take the word of a former employer as gospel, what a former employer says may carry weight in regard to getting you the job you want. Employers and hi

[ read more ]

What Happens When You're Overqualified

What Happens When You’re Overqualified

When job hunting, being overqualified is not usually a question. Being UNDER qualified tends to be the concern. Still, from time to time, we find ourselves in the position where we are overqualified for a position. This once happened to me , so when I applied for the job, I didn't focus on

[ read more ]

When Giving Back Can Get You Ahead

When Giving Back Can Get You Ahead

A recent new article sparked a thought in me that I've always believed to be true: Volunteering not only opens the doors for the people you help, but it can open doors for you as well. The article, located at boston.com, reports that volunteering is turning in to a win-win situation for many

[ read more ]

Put Forth Positive Thinking and a Positive Image in Your Job Search

Put Forth Positive Thinking and a Positive Image in Your Job Search

I remember a time almost five years ago when I was out of work. It wasn't long into my unemployment when I got into a comfortable routine of getting up in the morning and looking over the paper with my coffee. Still situated comfortably in my pajamas, I would sit and look over that morning's help wa

[ read more ]

A Tight Economy Calls for Creative Job Search Measures

A Tight Economy Calls for Creative Job Search Measures

If you're looking for a job right now, join the club. Whether you're returning to work or you are one of the millions of people out of work, the jobs are few and far between. That doesn't mean that the jobs aren't out there though. What that means for you is that you're going to need to pull out

[ read more ]