Job Advice Blog

Archives: June 2016

Avoiding Pitfalls


Avoiding Pitfalls

Nothing is more frustrating than knowing that you failed to accomplish something, but having no idea why. This is part of why not getting called back for a second interview is so frustrating. Assuming you didn’t make a large blunder that you can point to during the interview, it can be pretty tough to figure out where you went wrong. It could be something that happened during the interview, but it could also have nothing to do with the interview itself. Today we are going to look at some common pitfalls to avoid, and make it easier to get a second interview!

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Warmth and Competence


Warmth and Competence

There are a lot of little stressors that follow us into our job interviews. There is a sense that we have to be able to show that we are a good fit, know a lot about the company, and perhaps even be able to guess the number of windows in New York City. Having to prove yourself in all of these different ways part of why interviews are so stressful! In reality, however, most hiring managers (and most people in general) are really only looking for two things- warmth and competence.

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A Q+A with you


A Q+A with you

Self-aware people are generally more successful than their blind-to-self counterparts. Being capable of seeing your patterns, fears, desires and anxieties makes adapting to them possible. One of the best ways to develop self-awareness is to check in with yourself from time to time. Today we are going to look at some questions you can ask yourself in order to get to a better sense of how you work. Try making a point of asking yourself these questions on a regular basis, if not nightly, at least weekly. You may be amazed at how much easier everything is with a little extra self-knowledge.

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Breaking out of a Slump


Breaking out of a Slump

A job search is not immune to slumps. There may be times where nothing seems to be panning out the way you expected, or even to your baseline hopes. Jobs you once thought of as beneath you are ignoring you, maybe interviews become increasingly stressful and less fruitful, or maybe you are only getting lowball offers. Though it can be tempting to give up after all of this, stick in it just a little longer. Today we are going to look at some tips for making your slumping job search stand tall again.

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Changing careers- changing CVs


Changing careers- changing CVs

One of the hardest parts of changing your career is learning to take what you have learned in your field and use it to benefit your brand new career. Your ability to do this will be put to the test time and time again, beginning first and foremost with your resumẻ. If your resumẻ does not show off your capabilities in doing this you won’t ever get the chance to show it off further down the line. Today we are going to look at some tips and tricks for creating a dynamite resumẻ that you can use to start your brand new career.

Breaking Boredom


Breaking Boredom

Sometimes going to work feels like the most horrific thing not because of a hateful boss, or traumatizing conditions, or even strenuous physical labor. Sometimes work is daunting simply because it is boring. Sometimes it feels like there is nothing worse than a boring job, that in many ways it would be better to work a difficult and exhausting job than it is to work a mild and boring one. Today we are going to look at some ways of breaking out of the monotony of employment and finding excitement in our work.

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Arrogance vs Humility


Arrogance vs Humility

While arrogance is almost exclusively a vice, humility is not always a virtue. Many of us end up damaging our careers while trying to be humble. While it doesn’t do to brag about everything, it also is not helpful to constantly undermine yourself. This will make others think you are less competent than you actually are, and can even lead to people taking credit for your hard work. Today we are going to look at ways to overcome your excessive humility, without swinging too far left and ending up in the grips of arrogance.

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4 Traits of a Great Employee


4 Traits of a Great Employee

The most valuable employee is not necessarily the most experienced, confident, or even the smartest employee. A company’s most valuable (or at least a boss’ favorite) is an employee that plays well with others. People skills and an agreeable personality are two of the most useful things that any employee can have. However, this does not mean that bringing your office donuts will instantly turn you into the most useful aspect of the company. Truly useful people skills are a bit more complicated than people pleasing, so today we are going to unpack what makes a truly personable employee.