Resumes in Australia are not the same documents they were 10, 15 or 20 years ago. Dates of birth, marital status and interests that used to take "pride of place” on page one, followed closely by education and a general listing of soft skills, is a formula for a less cynical time. 20 years ago, the terms "text me" or "DM me" or would have been met with a blank stare in Read More
Obsessive Worrying: It doesn’t help your job search
Many jobseekers take worrying to a whole new level until they become obsessive about the impression they will make at interview. They fear they are not dressed appropriately, that sweaty palms will be a deal breaker when they shake hands, or that they will be found to be inadequate in some way. They talk themselves into a lather of "what ifs". What if I stutter when I'm Read More
Recruiters: Brick Walls or “Holders of the Secrets”?
Recruiters appear to be at the top of most jobseekers’ hit lists. Most people I have come across are certainly soured by the recruiter/jobseeker relationship, united in their criticisms that search consultants are the impenetrable brick wall to job search success; the self-serving, commission-focused obstructionist front line preventing a love match between the candidate Read More
Career Sabotage: It’s as simple as scratching an itch
From: Jane E. Recruiter, Human Resources Date: Thursday 6 May 2010 12.19pm To: John Smith Subject: Your Application for Job No. 12345 Dear John, Thank you for applying for the position of Operations Manager at XYZ Corporation. (Job No. 12345). Your application was very impressive, however there were other applicants with experience more suited to the Read More
Your Resume: Let it all hang out? Forget it!
Some time ago, a client shared her story while we were developing her resume. She told me about her life at the hands of her abusive spouse and how, after years of suffering, she fled the family home to a shelter leaving behind all their possessions and with her children in tow. Years later, she had regained her confidence, had settled into a new life and she had secured a Read More
Cinderella 2014. The Internet isn’t the Solution
Cinderella 2014: Taking a break from hearth cleaning at home, Cinderella scours searchforaprincess.com when she spies the perfect role advertised at Prince Charming Inc. Seems the CEO, Prince Charming, is looking for a Princess to co-manage his kingdom. The successful candidate need have no actual experience in kingdom management, but must possess a demure smile, the Read More
Of Plans and Pylons: What is your job search strategy?
Has there been a freeway, bridge or major construction where someone wakes one morning and thinks: "That would be a good idea, I'll build a bridge! Fred? Hand me a steel pylon!" No major decisions should ever be contemplated without a plan. Many jobseekers make the mistake of failing to plan. They ride on a wave, spill from job-to-job, make the same mistakes and Read More
If It’s Not You and It’s Not True, You’re Fooling Yourself
#careercollective "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken" Oscar Wilde "Thanks so much!" said Jim as he prepared to leave my office with his new resume. "Oh there's just one thing", he whispered conspiratorially. "I guess I had better get a wife and three kids before my interview! Ha!" Stunned, I stood there processing the fact that I'd been lied to as Jim took off Read More
Of Mums, Dads and Kids, Oldies and Sickies. Explaining Absences in Your Resume
You know in your heart it absolutely looks awful. I'm taking about that gap in your resume where you just can't easily explain your absence. Did I say "gap"? The more you look at it you see a great yawning chasm with nothing to link the dates before "the event" and after. "The Event" of which I speak can be any extended leave of absence that you feel uncomfortable in Read More
Resumes: Two Phrases to Turn Robotic to Robust
Cutting and pasting your current job description into the experience section of your resume speaks volumes about your slap dash, throw-it-all-together-in-a-minute approach and attitude. Is that really the impression you want to give? The key problem with job descriptions (apart from the fact they are mind-numbingly boring to read and full of fluffy, nonsensical Read More
Interview Paralysis
The other day I was sent the Word of the Day by a friend. It was Anatidaephobia. Before you race to Google it, I'll save you the time. Anatidaephobia is defined as a pervasive, irrational fear that one is being watched by a duck. (I vowed to get that into a sentence or a conversation some time in the future and as it turns out, this is it). Seeing there is a word for Read More
Resumes: The Top 5 “Must Haves”
It's a rare day that goes by where someone doesn't ask me to critique his or her resume. To be brutally honest, most resumes are not up to par. From the spelling errors to the lousy formatting, from the boring, never-ending laundry lists of duties, to the straight copy-and-paste job descriptions full of fluffy business-speak, I can only say that medals should be bestowed Read More
Job Search: When it all Turns Sour
Every day, probably every second, someone will have the decision to leave a job made for them. One of those people could be you. It may be that administrators shut down your company with no warning, or you are forced to take a redundancy, or you fall on your sword for a decision that never was yours to begin with. These are the circumstances where you have no time to Read More
Facing Facts
Some people have a knack for walking into roles for which they are, on paper at least, entirely unqualified. Passion and wanting it so much it hurts, as any failed Australian or American Idol contestant can tell you, doesn't make it happen for the rest of us. I've seen hundreds of people over the last twenty years, desperate to get into a new job with greater Read More
How are those New Year’s Resolutions Panning Out?
Don't tell me, because I'm about to guess. Your New Year's Resolution to lose a few pounds? It's been broken already hasn't it? Sure it has! You're only human after all! And that other resolution; the one where you said that this is the year you're not going to destroy your health by running yourself into the ground with work? Remember that? It only lasted until the second Read More
Unleashing your career…with the power of words
I created my business slogan "Unleashing your career with the power of words" many years ago as it resonated with me. Words have always had power. They can hurt someone's feelings, they can wield power by inspiring decision makers to act. Politicians, spin doctors, advertising professionals and product marketeers have known the secret for decades: to get customers to buy Read More
Rejection Bites. Are you coping?
Nobody likes to miss out. Nobody wants to hear the implied undertone of "We liked another candidate more than we liked you" because it takes us back to our school days when kids fail to engage the filter before thought hits mouth; the sort of statement that hurts us at the time and floods back when we receive rejections now. There is no doubt, the time devoted to job Read More
It’s Christmas Time…and a ho-ho-ho hum?
Who can forget the poignant scene in the movie Kramer vs. Kramer when the character played by Dustin Hoffman schlepps his advertising portfolio from office party to office party on Christmas eve desperate for a job so he may retain custody of his young son? As "Ted Kramer" depressingly dodges the eggnog, inebriated staff members, streamers, merriment and absent Read More
Don’t leave them wilting in your wake
You're big boys and girls. I really, really shouldn't have to tell you this but before you go to put on that aftershave or perfume prior to your job interview, please don't! Or at the very least if you're going to give yourself a bath in the stuff, wash it off your hands. Seriously there's only one thing worse than wasting a search consultant or HR person's time with Read More
They’re just not THAT into you
Imagine you were thinking about a kitchen renovation. To establish interest, you complete the online form to ask for a brochure that will encapsulate the company's services and offerings, and perhaps showcase the company's best projects so you can ascertain what sort of a job they'll do for you. Imagine your horror the next day when you click on the "get mail" button on Read More
“Epic Fail” Interview Answers
You don't have to have a degree in it, you don't have to be a card carrying member of Mensa, nor do you need psychic abilities. When it all comes down to it, being successful at interviews is largely about using commonsense balanced with truth. Let's look at some examples: Interviewer: So Fred as a leader of the IT department, I'm sure you've had some significant project Read More
“Responsible for” I’m not going to take it anymore!
Received another example of a cringeworthy D-I-Y resume today and so like Peter Finch in the movie "Network" I have decided to make a stand. Yes, right here I'm going to open the windows and scream "'Responsible for' is a dead phrase and I'm not going to take it any more!" Okay, perhaps that was a little loud. But if you can do anything to improve your resume today, then Read More
