Worried you aren't the Perfect Candidate? Here's a Secret
- Written by Alan Carniol
Many ISF clients become seriously worried that they don't have every qualification and experience required in the job description.
Even worse: some have a track record that isn't perfect - extended time off, a past lay off, short job stints. Maybe, just feeling too old or too young.
Now these issues can lose jobs offers and they can extend the job search. And from personal experience and speaking with many folks perhaps like you, I know this can feel exasperating, at times even producing a sense of helplessness.
Here's the good news.
Of the thousands of job seekers I've worked with, many have successfully overcome these insurmountable obstacles and landed jobs.
How do they do it? Like this.
Signs an Interview Is Not Going Well
- Written by Alan Carniol
For your upcoming interview, you practiced and prepared, wore your best suit, and basically did your best in acing the interview. Yet even with all your efforts, you didn’t get the job.
Looking back at the interview, it’s hard to tell where it went wrong. But learning how to detect when the interview is not going as planned can help you turned things around.
Another Job Search Tool: Volunteering
- Written by Alan Carniol
In this tough job market, long gone are the days when you could post your resume online on Monday and have your e-mail flooded with interview invitations on Tuesday. With workers being laid off and so many people looking for jobs, a good way for you to improve your skills and keep yourself hire-worthy is through volunteering.
Volunteering offers a lot of benefits to job seekers, but it also has drawbacks if you don’t take the right precautions. The major pitfall of volunteering is not knowing the difference between volunteering and working for free.
Don’t Miss Golden Opportunities with Start-ups
- Written by Alan Carniol
For most people who are looking for a job, the big, famous companies are the first choice. This means that sometimes we overlook golden opportunities with small businesses. Times have changed, and so should our mindsets.
According to United States Census Bureau data from 1980-2005, almost all net job creation was created from firms that are less than five years old. The statistics indicate that without start-ups, job creation in the U.S. would be negative except for a few years. Of the 12 million jobs created in 2007, young firms (firms one to five years old) account for nearly 8 million of the jobs created.
The data from the US Census Bureau clearly shows that without small businesses, a lot of people would be unemployed right now.
Job Search Public Enemy No 1: Procrastination
- Written by Alan Carniol
In job searching, there are a lot of factors that prevent you from getting an interview and getting hired, but none is bigger than procrastination.
The danger of procrastination is that most people don’t recognize it. Often, people think that it is normal.
Stopping Procrastination
Dilemma on Short-Term Jobs in Resumes
- Written by Alan Carniol
In a perfect world, every citizen would be holding a permanent position with one or two employers until his or her retirement. In reality, the economy is unstable and companies often lay off good employees simply for financial reasons.
In a time when many are laid off and are struggling financially, it is understandable to see people accepting jobs just to keep a roof over their heads.
So now, you find an opening that feels like the perfect opportunity for a permanent position. You’ve had several short-term gigs. The question is: Do you put them in your resume?
Social Networks Hurting Job Search
- Written by Alan Carniol
The Internet of yesterday is vastly different from what it is today. Technology evolves rapidly on a daily basis, and along with this change comes a change in how we look for a job. Job seeking is already tough as it is, and with the ever-growing popularity of social networking also grow the challenges of job seekers.
Before the advent of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, writing resumes and cover letters was the only thing job seekers would worry about. However, this is not true today. Whether we like it or not, more and more employers use social networks to screen applicants. The reason is that social networks help them understand applicants better.
Answering: “Why Did You Leave Your Last Job”
- Written by Alan Carniol
There are many reasons why you may have left your last job. Perhaps you had the worst boss in the world, you were laid off, or you simply did not like how your co-workers treated you. Whatever the reason may be, the key to answering this question is a positive attitude.
Importance of a Good Handshake
- Written by Alan Carniol
In a job interview, we wa
nt to make sure that everything is perfect. We dress for success, arrive early, and go over our prepared interview answers. However, all of this can fall apart if you don’t give the right handshake with the interviewer.
There is a lot of debate as to how long we have before a first impression is formed, but what is certain is that our time is short. In a matter of seconds, the interviewer will form his or her impression of you, and this sets the tone for the rest of the interview.
Employer’s Mindset: Putting on their Shoes
- Written by Alan Carniol
Most applicants come to 
an interview with the wrong mindset. Often, this is why they don’t get hired even when they have the necessary skills and experience. The problem is that they have the applicant’s mindset.
When you come to an interview you should be there with an employer’s mindset. Why? Because this will help you understand what goes through their mind when they interview an applicant. Using this knowledge, you can prepare for an interview with the right mindset.
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4 Mistakes to Get a Resume Sent Straight to a Shredder
- Written by Alan Carniol
A lot of times we want to know what to do to get a job. Right now, however, let’s talk about what we do to NOT get a job.
Most often, we focus on the major points in preparing our resume; for this reason, we neglect the minor things that people do to get their resume sent straight to the shredder.
Four Common Job Interview Questions for Teachers
- Written by Alan Carniol
After waiting for what seems like forever, you finally get a call from the school administrator. Now what?
An interview is a lot like a test. If you prepare thoroughly for your interview, you won’t need to worry about passing the test.
What to Tell Your Interviewer When They Ask “What’s Your Biggest Weakness?”
- Written by Alan Carniol
During an in
terview, when you feel like you’ve done everything right to impress the interviewer and show that you’re the best candidate for the job, the last thing you want to hear the interviewer say is the dreaded, “What’s your biggest weakness?” The problem is, this question will almost always get asked, no matter how you might hate it.
There might not be a “perfect” answer that you can recite to get this right. Don’t fret—there are things you can do to answer interview questions properly.
Three Keys to Interviewing for Older Applicants
- Written by Alan Carniol
Many people who are older than the average applicant fear interviews. However, seasoned applicants need not allow their age to become an issue. Older applicants should understand that they have something that average applicants don’t.
As an older applicant, you have experience. Prepare answers to interview question in which you can use this experience during an interview to prove that you will be the better employee.