Who`s and What`s Concerning Your Career; Blog by Resume to Referral

Interview with a Technical Writer

Have you considered pursuing a career as a technical writer? This interview will take you through the ups and downs you can expect when starting out in the industry, and explains one writer’s road to his current position. I am currently a technical writer for several clients. Some clients pay a wage and I receive [...]

Get Hired in Graphic Design: Persistence and Nerdiness Pay Off

I am a graphic designer working in the web services industry. My employer is a small local company offering web hosting and technical support services. I have been working in my current position for a year and a half. Although my primary interest is graphic design, my actual position is web developer. The projects that [...]

Surviving Your First Day

Congratulations you’ve got the job! But don’t pop open the champagne bottle just yet… You still have to get past the first day. The “oh no, what do I wear” and “will I remember everyone’s name” thoughts start flowing into your head. For most people, you are joining an extended family filled with Happy Hours [...]

Wish All Interviews Were This Easy

Since I have begun working BAJobs, I have been thinking a lot about the interviews I have experienced in the past and what I have learned. I will never forget my first interview. I was a sophomore in high school and I really wanted some extra cash because I always felt bad asking my parents. [...]

5 Key Questions to Assess the Quality of Your Skills

We all possess a variety of skills (i.e. communications skills), perhaps some that we have yet to uncover. Napoleon Dynamite is aware of his nunchuck, bowhunting, and computer hacking skills but how many of us can list our best skills with the same level of confidence? I’ve noticed a growing confusion between matching skills and [...]

The Likeability Factor

The dreaded job interview. No matter your resume and talents if you mess this up you won’t get the job. In today’s tough economy you need every possible edge. You want to be liked – It’s just as important as your formal qualifications. In other words the most qualified applicant doesn’t always get the job. [...]

First Things First – Before Writing a Resume

The job market is tough these days. Really tough. And the bad news is that it’s not likely to get a whole lot easier any time soon. As a job seeker (or future job seeker), where does that leave you? In an ideal world, you could count on one of your personal connections or past [...]

Absolute Trust

Years ago, a great teacher explained to me that “Absolute Trust” was the most liberating and invigorating means for achieving success and happiness. He also told me that “Absolute Trust” in no way guaranteed success; but that “Absolute Trust” was the most liberating and invigorating means for achieving peace and happiness in the wake of [...]

Energy Job Boards & Recruiters

Seeking an Energy recruiter or job board? When employment agencies just aren’t enough, utilizing job boards and recruiters to boost your job search efforts can be an ideal solution. The following list of sites enables you to submit your resume to job boards and recruiters that are perfect for your energy background. Energy professionals such [...]

New Interview Strategy: It’s You in HD

By now, most of us know the hiring process starts off with the telephone screen. This filter is designed to assure the hiring company that you have all of the “hard skills” needed for the position – and that you are a fit salary wise. If you did well you would go onto the face-to-face [...]

Construction Job Boards & Recruiters (5+5 List)

Seeking a recruiter or job board that caters to those in the construction field? When employment agencies just aren’t enough, utilizing job boards and recruiters to boost your job search efforts can be an ideal solution. The following list of sites enables you to submit your resume to job boards and recruiters that are perfect [...]

Interview with a Marketing Assistant

I never realized how much I liked marketing until I became a marketing assistant. In high school, I covered my walls with interesting advertisements, not posters of cute guys or my favorite bands. I was an active member of DECA, the local marketing club. I created my own fake magazine ads and brochures for fun. [...]

Networking in Surprising Places!

It is amazing how many opportunities we have to meet new people easily (read “potential job lead connections”) and in the most surprising places. A client, Jennifer, had jury duty this week and was excited to tell me about some networking that fell in her lap that day! We all know how much time you [...]

Resume for Greener Pastures (Cartoon)

Journalism: Majoring in Public Relations Was the Right Choice

When I was in high school, I knew that I wanted to attend college. It was something I knew I had to do to get a decent job, though I was not sure if I wanted to major in journalism or psychology. Psychology really interested me, but I knew that I would have to be [...]

LinkedIn: The Job Seeker’s Secret Guide (Book Review)

The Job Seeker’s Secret Guide to LinkedIn, a book written by Melanie Denny with Resume Evolution, is a great read for jobseekers who are seeking that added edge with the networking giant. LinkedIn can be an endless sea of networking opportunities, and this book puts you on the right track. In fact, LinkedIn has even [...]

Stuck in a job search? Try a nap.

The past few weeks I’ve burned the candle at both ends. It’s not a complaint, just something that happens from time to time. Balancing work, family, book, friends, and everything else can be a challenge, and sometimes the only thing that can possibly give is sleep. Which is fine, until the ol’ brain starts grinding [...]

Cover Letters – It’s All About “I”

One of the biggest misconceptions in writing cover letters is that the writer (the applicant) should never refer to himself in the first person; that is, he or she should never use the word ‘I’ in the cover letter. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Remember, when it comes to applying for [...]

Cover Letters – Know What You’re Saying

When it comes to writing cover letters, there is often a balancing act a person must do – you want to demonstrate your knowledge of the business you work in, but at the same time you don’t want to sound like a ‘know-it-all,’ or worse, like a person who thinks he/she knows it all but [...]

Cover Letters – Active Voice, Active Words

In writing cover letters, as in any other type of writing, we frequently hear about “active” voice versus “passive.” For those of you who have forgotten English 101, here’s a refresher: a sentence in which the subject is the agent of the action is considered “active.” Examples: Harvey killed John. I supervised the crew. When [...]

Cover Letters – Like Spring Water

When it comes to writing cover letters, it’s not always what you say that’s important, but also what you don’t say that can make a big difference in getting an interview or not. Here’s how not to describe your employment history: “My former supervisor considered me to be the brightest light on the Christmas Tree. [...]

Cover Letters – Undue Humility

In an earlier article, you learned that bragging to a prospective employer in your cover letter is unwise. After all, you certainly don’t want to come off as arrogant and self-aggrandizing. On the other hand, neither do you want to appear to be self-depreciating and insecure. In the performing arts, musicians, actors, singers and dancers [...]

Cover Letters – It’s Not About You

It cannot be over-emphasized: as a job-seeker, you are a salesperson attempting to market a product – in this case, yourself. The prospective employer is your customer, and your cover letter and resume are your sales documents. On the surface, there are many reasons why a person makes a purchase. It may be a desire [...]

Cover Letters & Resumes- The Price of Deception

In today’s hypercompetitive, cut-throat, take-no-prisoners, dog-eat-dog labor market, one needs every advantage, and then some. It may even be tempting to “pad” a resume or cover letter by adorning the facts – or misrepresenting them altogether. This is a very bad idea. As more and more of those now running for political office are discovering, [...]

Interview With An Advertising Executive

When I was in high school, I knew that I wanted to go to college for art. My dad worked for an advertising agency and I seemed to have inherited his artistic talents. He took me to work with him when he was able to do so. I pretty much knew that I wanted to [...]

Interview with a Sales Manager

- When you were in high school, what did you plan to study once you got into college? When I was in high school, I really didn’t know what I wanted to study when I got into college. In fact, I didn’t think much about college at all. When I was in high school in the [...]

Your Cover Letter – Do Your Homework, Part II

Congratulations! You’ve researched the industry you are interested in, and armed yourself with in-depth knowledge of all the issues ranging from demographics and marketing trends to impact of the latest technological developments. You’re going to work this information into your cover letter and resume in order to demonstrate that you are the best possible person [...]

Cover Letters – Do Your Homework, Part I

It seems obvious, but you would be surprised at how many job-seekers fail to learn much – or anything – about the industry in which they want to work. Research takes effort, that effort can pay off quite well when it comes to crafting cover letters that result in interviews. Remember the three “Ps” of [...]

Cover Letters – Reality Check

The best cover letters are like preliminary sales pitches – but they also present a clear, objective, and honest picture of who you are and what you have to offer. The key word there is ‘honest.’ Nobody likes a braggart – particularly a prospective employer. One of the surest ways to get your cover letter [...]

Work-Life Balance During a White-Knuckle Economy

In this economy, there are some unique stresses as many of you might have been laid off or taken reduced salaries. Despite this, it is critical to do the following to remain balanced: Manage your stress Stress causes damaging effects physically, mentally, emotionally, relationally and spiritually so it’s highly critical to control and minimize it. [...]