Q. I’m dreading the long weekend with my parents since it will be no-stop questions about my so-far unsuccessful job search. Other than staying in my room or hiding out at friends, how can I explain to them why it’s taking so long to land a job? -CE A. Take the offensive. Give them roles…… Continue reading Enlist Parents in Your Job Search
Category: Job Search
Digital Savvy Required for Career Success
I’ve confessed openly that I wasn’t an early adapter to the Internet. In fact, when I headed PR at Sears, I tried to avoid being assigned development of the company’s intranet back when the technology was first emerging. I gave in thanks to arguments by Bob Carr and others on my team. But it took…… Continue reading Digital Savvy Required for Career Success
Networking 101: Essential to Career Success
A record crowd showed up at 7 a.m. last Thursday for the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce annual meeting. Nearly 2,000 attended the Executives’ Club luncheon in the same ballroom that afternoon. A group of PR professionals holds frequent networking events under the Facebook handle of Chicago PR-TY. Many organizations, including PRSA, organize networking groups of young professionals. …… Continue reading Networking 101: Essential to Career Success
Best Time to Switch from First Job?
Q. It took me several months after my ’08 graduation to land a job that I don’t like. I’ve given it eight months and want to quit. But friends tell me I have to stay a year or two in order to avoid getting labeled a job hopper. Suggestions? -AL A. There’s nothing worse than being…… Continue reading Best Time to Switch from First Job?
Phone Interview Tips
A young friend wishes he could have had a second chance after blowing an impromptu phone interview the morning following his best friend’s bachelor party. You get the point. . .he didn’t get the job. Many companies make impromptu calls to job prospects, especially if they are being considered for public-facing jobs. I learned…… Continue reading Phone Interview Tips
Be Prepared for 12 FAQs
I’ll never forget my my first job corporate interview. Having worked for several years in media and politics, I gave no serious thought to what I might be asked. By the end of the experience, I was physically and mentally exhausted. I was better prepared for subsequent interviews. I realize things are different today than…… Continue reading Be Prepared for 12 FAQs
News for Freelancers is Bleak; Job Site Provides Lists of Opportunities
The tight full-time job market has put considerable pressure on the once booming freelance marketplace. About two years ago, a friend who left a corporate job to do freelance PR told me that he was able to top his full-time salary thanks to several steady freelance gigs. Today, his assignments have slowed to a trickle and he’s…… Continue reading News for Freelancers is Bleak; Job Site Provides Lists of Opportunities
PR Recovery: Light at End of the Tunnel?
Glimmers of hope are emerging on the job front as the economic recovery starts to kick in. The job market for most 2009 grads remains bleak, but jobs are being created and it’s only a matter of time before everyone who wants to work will land a job–but not necessarily in their preferred fields of interest. Latest job…… Continue reading PR Recovery: Light at End of the Tunnel?
Student Online PR Magazine Offers Advice
Check out several timely articles in the latest edition of Platform, an outstanding online PR magazine just “published” by students at the University of Alabama. While the magazine is filled with good material, two job-search articles of note include an interview with veteran PR observer Jack O’Dwyer. Entitled “So You Want to Be a PR Professional,” O’Dwyer provides…… Continue reading Student Online PR Magazine Offers Advice
Job Etiquette Important for Both Sides
In today’s job market, it is increasingly difficult for companies to keep up with the massive influx of resumes. Smart ones do. I recently talked with a hiring manager of a major restaurant chain who received more than 750 resumes in the first week after posting a job opening. Another executive told me she relied only on word-of-mouth when she posted a job internally–generating…… Continue reading Job Etiquette Important for Both Sides