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Job Applicant Rejection Letter Dos and Donts — Writing an Appropriate “Dear John” Letter to an Unsuccessful Applicant

Written on 31 May, 2009 at 12:53

Back in 2006, we covered the topic of applicant rejection letters in a post linking to an article in Assessment Council News (“Considerations in Rejecting Applicants,” on p.4). Since today’s economy is resulting in more applications — and thus more... (Continue reading)

Tough Job Interview Question: “What Is Your Greatest Weakness?”
Three Tips for Answering This One

Written on 17 Apr, 2009 at 5:00

Why Do Interviewers Ask About My Weaknesses? No interviewer expects “brutally honest answers like,’I'm below-average intelligence and difficult to work with,’” says a hiring expert quoted by the Washington Post. So why do they ask this tough job interview question?... (Continue reading)

Online Job Search and Recruitment Part III — Five Tips for Getting Your Online Resume Noticed

Written on 13 Apr, 2009 at 5:00

So Many Resumes, So Little Time In the late 1990′s, I helped my boss screen candidates for a new position. It was my job to review the resumes and separate them into two piles: “Interview” and “Send Immediate, Polite Rejection... (Continue reading)

Online Job Search and Recruitment Part II — Free Help with Your Job Search is Only a Library Away

Written on 31 Mar, 2009 at 5:00

I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a good book. -Groucho Marx Need Internet Access For Your Job Search? Need Help Learing How To Do an Online Job Search?... (Continue reading)

Online Job Search and Recruitment Part I: The Classifieds Have Gone Electric!

Written on 19 Mar, 2009 at 6:00

From Job Boards to Recruiters’ Sites, the Internet is the Place to Go For Job Opportunities Anyone who has been searching for a job recently (in other words, a lot of us) are well aware that job searches don’t mean... (Continue reading)

Cutting Costs Without Layoffs? 14 Tips for Employers Seeking Alternatives to Pink Slips

Written on 17 Mar, 2009 at 11:00

News of layoffs has been rampant since our economy began lagging in 2007. Recently, it seems impossible to turn on the news without hearing about more people losing their jobs. After all — the country is in a recession, businesses... (Continue reading)

The Employee Free Choice Act: The Debate Heats Up

Written on 16 Mar, 2009 at 5:00

Just What Is The Employee Free Choice Act, and Why Are So Many People Excited About It? President Obama supports the Employee Free Choice Act (“EFCA”). Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus called it, “A hostile takeover of American business,” and... (Continue reading)

Maintaining Morale During Your Job Search: Top 15 Tips

Written on 9 Mar, 2009 at 18:15

Keeping the Recession from Leading to Personal Depression Maybe you’ve been laid off recently. Maybe, like me, you’ve been looking for a long time now. But whether you’re dealing with the fresh kick in the gut of a recently-lost job... (Continue reading)

Job Interview Advice: How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” and Other Tough Job Interview Questions

Written on 9 Mar, 2009 at 5:00

You’ve sent out scores of resumes and maxed out your cell phone minutes doing follow-up calls. You were beginning to doubt it would ever happen, but you’ve finally done it: you’ve landed a job interview. Interviews make virtually everyone nervous.... (Continue reading)

Changes in FMLA Regulations Are Here – Are You Ready?

Written on 2 Mar, 2009 at 5:00

In the previous installments of this series, we’ve told you about employer wins & losses and some of the wide range of issues covered under the Department of Labor’s updated Family and Medical Leave Act regulations. If you felt a... (Continue reading)

Black History Month — Remembering Every Black Man and Woman’s Contributions, Part III — Looking to the Future

Written on 28 Feb, 2009 at 5:00

Note: We began writing this series in time for the February 1 beginning of Black History Month. It has “marinated” as a draft this long because of our desire to tackle what could be controversial issues without causing unnecessary offense.... (Continue reading)

Black History Month — Remembering Every Black Man and Woman’s Contributions, Part I — The Unpaid Wages of Slavery

Written on 26 Feb, 2009 at 11:00

Note: We began writing this series in time for the February 1 beginning of Black History Month. It has “marinated” as a draft this long because of our desire to tackle what could be controversial issues without causing unnecessary offense.... (Continue reading)

Evaluating Potential Employers

Employee Gripe Sites and the Real Way to Find the Best Companies to Work For

Written on 19 Feb, 2009 at 5:00

In January of this year, George and I received a post submission about sites that allow anonymous employee evaluations of their employers. Rather than publish that post (which was essentially a sales piece for the sites) we decided to take... (Continue reading)

Your Friday Silver Lining — Unemployment News: Better Than It Looks

Written on 6 Feb, 2009 at 16:39

Optimism, Pessimism… Today’s Friday Humor joke goes like this: Social scientists decided that they wanted to quantify the human traits of “optimism” and “pessimism.” After much searching through several potential populations, they finally found their test subjects — a little... (Continue reading)

Banking Employee’s Bonuses — Another Perspective

Written on 4 Feb, 2009 at 13:30

In all of the brouhaha over the 2008 bonus scandal, it’s possible that a rather large group of people is being overlooked: the administrative staff and other low-ranking financial services employees who actually depend on those year-end bonuses just to... (Continue reading)

New Resource for Finding, Thriving in Government Jobs

Written on 4 Feb, 2009 at 5:00

With the Stimulus Comes Government Jobs The Obama administration wants to spend $884 billion to stimulate our economy, meaning that the federal government may see a surge in hiring of up to 600,000 jobs. Recently, we ran across a resource... (Continue reading)

The Top Ten (Actually, Eleven) Steps to Get You From College to Career

Written on 3 Feb, 2009 at 5:00

You’ve just spent four or more years earning your education and degree. Maybe you’re in the last semester of your senior year; maybe you graduated earlier this January. Either way, it’s time to start your job search. Or maybe —... (Continue reading)

Friday Humor — Singing the Wonders of HR

Written on 30 Jan, 2009 at 15:00

WARNING: If you take your 70′s – era folk music seriously, this video may give you a facial tick. All, others, please refrain from eating or drinking anything while viewing so as not to ruin your company’s computer equipment… Related... (Continue reading)

(Taxpayer-Financed) Bankers’ Bonuses Redux

Written on 29 Jan, 2009 at 19:52

On January 6, we published a guest post by eFinancial Careers writer Jon Jacobs. In it, Jon argued that it is essential to allow financial institutions to continue paying out bonuses and incentive pay to employees, in part to stave... (Continue reading)

CardCheck Under the Employee Free Choice Act — Will It End Free Choice for Workers?

Written on 29 Jan, 2009 at 6:00

The Employee Free Choice Act, Card Check Elections, and Binding Contract Arbitration — Two Views In an opinion piece in a January 2009 of ere.net, recruiter Jessica Lee addresses the effect that the EFCA, with card check could have on... (Continue reading)

Advice to Older Workers, Retirees, and Pre-Retirees from “Rewiring® Guru”

Written on 28 Jan, 2009 at 6:00

Author, speaker and passionate people-person Jeri Sedlar has a lot to offer older workers facing today’s recession. Don’t Retire, REWIRE! Jeri, Senior Advisor to The Conference Board on Mature Workforce Issues, used her more than 20 years’ experience studying personal... (Continue reading)

Friday Humor — “You Won’t Have to Pay No Attorneys!”

Written on 23 Jan, 2009 at 16:00

WARNING: This post may lead to coffee or soda splatters on your monitor. Enjoy — and have a lovely weekend! Related Reading: General, Organic, and Biochemistry: An Applied Approach Lab Manual for General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry (2nd Edition)... (Continue reading)

President Calls for “National Day of Renewal & Reconciliation” Via Proclamation & Blog; Will Still Use Blackberry

Written on 22 Jan, 2009 at 19:26

On Tuesday, January 20 at 12:01 p.m., the administration of America’s first African American President ushered in a technological and communications event — the first White House blog. According to that blog, President Obama’s first official act after taking the... (Continue reading)

Jobs for Stay at Home Moms — and Dads — at Give A Mom a Job.com

Written on 22 Jan, 2009 at 5:00

You’re a stay at home mom — or dad. You have one or more children, and you’ve decided that you want a work-life balance that allows you to attend to your parenting and other responsibilities. But you’d also like an... (Continue reading)

“We Must Pick Ourselves Up, Dust Ourselves Off, and Begin Again the Work of Remaking America.”

Written on 21 Jan, 2009 at 0:43

Yesterday, in his inaugural address, President Barack Obama called on all Americans to join him in the work of rebuilding our nation. Not only our nation’s economy, but our confidence: confidence in ourselves, and confidence in our ability to leave... (Continue reading)