CareerAlley

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin
Author Byline: Matthew Warzel
Author Website: http://www.mjwcareers.com

Know your resume inside and out, line item by line item. Know your cover letter too. Be prepared to explain each item.

Call ahead the day before the interview to confirm your appointment.

Know the exact address of [...]

“Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he’ll believe you.  Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he’ll have to touch it to be sure.” – Murphy’s Law
Why is it that we always need to learn things the hard way? No matter how much advice we get [...]

“The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.“  – Elbert Hubbard, The Notebook, 1927
According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, a friend is “one attached to another by affection or esteem”. Where would we be without our friends? I suppose we don’t give it too much thought until we lose our jobs [...]

“All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are moveable, and those that move” – Arabic Proverb
So which are you? Successful job search is all about putting in the time to get your resume out there and cultivating your contacts. Networking is a key component, but you need to have [...]

“Oh, my friend, it’s not what they take away from you that counts. It’s what you do with what you have left.” – Hubert Humphrey, 38th Vice President of the United States
Job loss is not easy to deal with. Whether you knew it was going to happen or you were surprised. My post “I Lost [...]

“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it” – Benjamin Franklin
Okay, so you’ve done all of the hard stuff. You updated your resume, applied to countless jobs, went on almost countless interviews and now it’s paid off – you have a job offer pending references. [...]

“In business, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.” – Chester L. Karrass
You would be surprised as to what can be negotiated when offered a job opportunity. Yes, of course the bigwigs can negotiate for whatever they want. But what about the simple folks like us? We can negotiate as well. [...]

“But still they lead me back to the long winding road” – Lennon/McCartney
Sometimes it does feel like a long and winding road and I’m sure you’re thinking “just my luck to be looking for a job in the worst job market since the Great Depression”. Regardless of how long and winding the road may be, [...]

“I read the news today, oh boy.  About a lucky man who made the grade” – Lennon/McCartney
Okay, so you lost your job. Maybe you knew it was going to happen and you weren’t surprised, maybe you had no clue and it was a total shock. However you got here, the truth is you are out [...]

“If it’s the Psychic Network why do they need a phone number?” – Robin Williams
Networking for job search is under-rated (and it certainly is not the Psychic Network). For some of us (like me) there is nothing I like less than “bothering” a former co-worker, friend, relative or business associate to let them know that [...]