ExitBuddy

I am influenced by movies.  Always have been.  I get provoked to act or think about how my life is going when I have another example for comparison. The most recent movie that played this role for me was Crazy Heart starring Jeff Bridges as a washed up old country singer.  He’s trying to keep a career going by playing in some pretty small clubs and bowling alleys across the U.S. I’m also a lover of music.  I think it can be a great driver and companion to life experiences.  Music can also play a strong role in your job search psychology .  And the music in Crazy Heart is excellent.  So I bought the CD and have now over-played like i do every new piece of music. One of the songs on the album reminded me of a post I wrote many months back about optimism.  The danger of optimism in job search .  And you might ask:  “Is there still optimism out there?  Really?  And what’s wrong with optimism?” Well, nothing.  As lon...

From the time you leave your home, consider that you are being auditioned for the job you are seeking.  Your personal brand starts to get its early morning workout when you cross the threshold of your door. How coherent is your personal brand promise, given what you actually deliver? The person you brushed by without apology, your sitting steadfastly on the train when an elderly person could have used your seat, the meager tip you left at the diner: that is your real personal brand. Your prickly reaction when you make a mistake, the indifference you show the speaker when you talk during a presentation, the lack of planning that leaves you to blow a deadline: that is your real personal brand. Without thinking too much, pick just one: 1. Would you rather be right? 2. Would you rather be loved? 3. Would you rather be the best? If you would rather be any of these, given who you really are, consider what you must do to change from the inside out. It’s not just that yo...

How to use this list The list only includes sites that are credible or that explain where their numbers come from. Compare results across multiple sites for best results. Salaries are always changing and many of these sites are based on employee-submitted information. If you know of any other 2010 salary resources that aren’t in the list, please suggest them in the comments below. What’s in this list? Salary surveys – created by surveying readers about their salaries. Salary databases – readers contribute information about their jobs, sometimes in exchange for access to the rest of the database. Salary reports – a salary report can be written from a company’s own data or compiled from a combination of salary surveys, government statistics, company disclosures, etc. Salary or wage search – search on a profession and the results will show typical earnings. Salary calculators or checkers, wage/worth estimators - you fill out a form of questions about your profession and the calculat...

There are plenty of “must-dos” for personal branding — things like how Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook can help you land a job or grow your business when used correctly. But are you aware of the “don’ts” you might be doing? Over-communicating Not every platform is the right one for communicating your message. Sending inappropriate or unnecessary updates leaves your audience irritated. Choosing the appropriate platform includes following or “friending” the right audience in conjunction with your goals. Keep in mind your audience’s interests when you communicate with them. Using interactive communication for advertising The goal of social networking is not to advertise a product or service. In order to successfully use social media, be social! Reply to tweets, status updates, and discussions, and update your personal page frequently. Be personal and personable . Automated messages diminish the intended use of networking sites and should not...

It’s true; most employers prefer passive candidates. A passive candidate is a gainfully employed professional who is open to hearing about career opportunities and would actually accept a new job if it made sense to them and their family. Employers believe that a person is employed because they are the top of crop. When I say employers I refer to specific managers who maintain this mindset. I don’t personally know of any managers who think this way, but I have come across hundreds who feel this way. Infinity Consulting Solutions conducted a study in 2009 where 400+ job seekers in the New York City area were asked whether employers preferred employed candidates over unemployed candidates, 59% believed that employers indeed preferred employed candidates. To most of us this is no secret. So today I am going to show you how to conduct a passive job search . Once you are done reading this article, you will have learned the art of changing jobs when you want to, not when you have to...

Whether you’ve just left school or university, have been made redundant , or resigned from a role you’ve been in for ten years, finding a shiny, new, perfect career can seem like an impossible task. This is mainly because there’s no such thing as a perfect career, so of course it’s impossible to find one. Whilst you won’t be able to find a career that ticks all your boxes, it is possible to find one that ticks the boxes that matter most to you. Is it important for you to be meeting lots of different people in your line of work? Are you determined to work outdoors? Do you want to commute as little as possible? Are you looking to spend more time with your family? By working out your priorities, you’ll be able to work out what career to opt for. There are a number of practical ways to work out your priorities. The method that you use should be one that’s particularly suited to you. Just as there is a career out there that’s right for, there’s a way of finding it that’s right for you. If...

I think I’m beginning to sound borderline preachy with my resume and cover letter advice. But I also feel I have a duty to share with job seekers the blunders and mistakes they make that prevent them from getting the interview and ultimately the offer. After ten years of working as a human resources manager and recruiter I’ve seen my fair share of job seeker mistakes. So here’s my list of the three biggest mistakes job seekers make on their resumes. MISTAKE #1: Outdated formatting The first impression your resume gives is critical. How do you want the hiring manager to perceive you? Professional and accomplished? Or sloppy and disorganized? Old and outdated formats only reflect poorly on you as a viable candidate for the position. Not sure what a professional resume format looks like? Try reviewing samples developed by a certified resume writer. MISTAKE #2: Using an objective If your resume has an objective, please remove it. That is an outdated practice that is no longer relevant in ...

This is a guest post by Jessica Dickson Goodman, Communications Manager with the start-up Careerimp. No matter how many resumes you have written, the writers’ block that accompanies a fresh Word document (or Pages template) titled “Resume” is horrifying. Whether you’re starting with a blank slate because this is your first resume, you’re shifting careers, or you just need a change in your job search strategies, the following may help you think differently about your resume-drafting. Your resume is a press release on your qualifications for a given job. Like resumes, press releases have strict formats, clear requirements for refined language, and a well-defined audience. And like resume reviewers, the reporters who read press releases are extremely time-bound. Effective press releases have a single message, a headline which showcases that one important idea. The body clarifies the who-what-where-why-when-how, constantly reinforcing the message. Struggling for a message? I find “I...

“ Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It’s the transition that’s troublesome. ” – Isaac Asimov So maybe you’ve been stuck in the same gig for awhile. You’ve gotten to the point where every move you make, ever task you complete, gives you absolutely no satisfaction whatsoever. What used to be challenging and energy-generating now has the opposite effect–each day is challenging only because you cannot wait to get through it. If you’ve been working for awhile, then you’ve certainly encountered this particular brand of work ennui blues. While the feeling is completely normal, if it persists, then your gut may be telling you that it’s time for a change. Here are some tell-tale signs that the time to throw in the towel has arrived: 1. There’s no room for improvement. Ostensibly, in any job worth doing, there’s always room for improvement. In a job that grants you satisfaction, you are constantly being given work that stretches just a little beyond your current capabilities. If yo...

Here are the Top 5 This Week – @andywergedal Keep the faith, things will turn around. The light is the end of the tunnel. The steps towards getting a job are easy to follow (just read the websites linked in this article). The hard part is keeping the faith throughout the process. Remember, everyone else has done the same at some point. You are not alone. Just hang in there another minute, hour, day, week, month, year and things will turn around. The Top 5 This Week 1. Job References: Don’t Lose at the Finish Line – [ Career Rocketeer ] The purpose of providing references is to close the deal. It isn’t to discover if you are telling the truth about your dates of employment, verify that you’ve demonstrated the proper skills for the job, or even to assure the hiring authority that he’s making the right decision to hire you — though each reason contributes. 2. Are You A Resistor? – [ Career Rocketeer ] In one of my recent classes, one of the participants came had an epiphany...

Rather than offer a generic opinion on how YOU should act during an interview, let’s look at the various personalities and attitudes that different people actually portray during a job interview. Then using common sense, you can figure out how to use this information to help you improve your ability as an interviewee; and if you have any questions, don’t be shy, you can email or call me and I will try and help you as best I can. So let’s have some fun and look at the different personalities and how they may be perceived. The Desperados – You know the pressure you are under and how desperately you need this job and the income it offers. However you must control your emotions during an interview. When I interviewed candidates as a recruiter and HR manager, I was turned off by the Desperados and usually did not hire them or pass them on to the next level. And how do I identify a Desperado? Some make it easy by coming right out and asking for the job more than once and telling me how won...

People who create content and put it out online, either intentionally or unintentionally, create their personal brand. That is a fact. However, there is some thought that one can intentionally create a personal brand or decide, i nstead , to create a career brand. Personal brand meaning, it’s about “me” and career brand meaning it’s more about your company or career and more about “we”. While this can be true (if you are intentional about it), I would argue that you can and may have a personal brand and a career brand, online, and that if you have a job (or are looking for one), you most definitely already have a career brand – even if you don’t own a computer. A career brand is not about all the unique things you do and say online that create your online image – as stated, those are the elements that make up your personal brand. A career brand is you positioning yourself at the center of your career interests, passions, talents and strengths, and building a strong presence...

Are you feeling burned out, lacking energy and less efficient than you used to be? Has your workday become a practice in managing dozens of distractions while trying to find time to accomplish your priorities? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you need to read “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferriss. In this book, Ferriss gives readers step-by-step instructions on how to join the “New Rich.” The New Rich work less while maintaining their previous levels of income and find other meaningful activities (i.e. family, online business ventures, travel and volunteerism) to fill their newly-created free time. I could write pages about this book’s principles, how they can be applied and the steps necessary to create this lifestyle and join the New Rich. But you should read this stuff for yourself. So instead, I will quickly highlight a few of the principles that Ferriss asserts can make you more productive in your workday, by eliminating unnecessary demands and distract...

Barbara writes: I am a single mother of three in my late 20s. I have very few job skills and no formal education. I am eager to attend college and begin a career so that I may support myself and my children. My dilemma is that I have never wanted to be anything other than a wife and mother. I have hobbies, likes, and dislikes just like everyone, but how do I turn them in to a career? I desperately want to go back to school because I know that without an education I will not be able to get any kind of employment that will provide enough income for my children. The Career Doctor responds: First let me assure you that you are doing all the right moves — you realize you need to attend college to make a better living for yourself and your children and you want to take the time to find the right career for you. One of my favorite things to do is help people discover their career passions — because when you are passionate about your career, you tend t...

We all knew it was coming: that big Census employment bubble that was inflated by 411,000 new jobs and sent the unemployment rate down to 9.7 from 9.9 was only temporary. It reached its peak in early May, when a whopping 585,729 people were employed by the Census Bureau. By mid-June, that number had dropped to 330,737. You can keep track of the layoffs city by city at the Census Bureau website . This could have a huge impact on the entire nation, let alone the 254,992 people who are now jobless again, after working only a few months ... or a few weeks. "A couple week's work--that's about all I got," says "Colleen," a temporary hire who scored well on the Census Bureau's test and spent the last two months waiting to be called in for service. She was recently told she would no longer be needed by the Census Bureau, but didn't want to give her real name for fear that potential employers might perceive her as a complainer. These layoffs will doubtless...

A famous marketer once said said, “sell the hole, not the drill.” Translation—for the most part, people don’t care a whole lot about the vehicle that gets them the benefit they want…they’re simply looking for the faster, easier, most enjoyable way to their desired end. So, if you were selling drills, you could focus in on the features of the drill or you could focus on the fact that this bad-boy will let you bore a monster hole through concrete in 8.2 seconds. If you were a golfer, it’s not so much the graphite shaft, carborundum head and Corinthian leather grip you’re selling, it’s the 300 yard drive. Except…that it’s not…in either case. The hole and the drive are the benefits. They sell better than the features. But there’s something that sells 10 times better than both…driving emotions. If you can ferret out, then sell to the driving emotions, you make a beeline to the part of the brain that says, “OMFG, if I don’t have that NOW, I just might die!” In the drill exampl...

We are living in a very different world than we were a few years ago. We are now inundated with so much content and advertising, across so many media streams, that we’ve started to become resistant .  We are opting out of email newsletters, unsubscribing to magazines and newspapers, unfollowing on Twitter, de-friending on Facebook, and putting emails in a spam folder. Name brands, such as Lady Gaga and Coca Cola will be sought out by fans and their messages will continue to spread, since they are differentiated, have high brand equity, and an extremely large foundation of fans. Lady Gaga has over nine million Facebook fans, while Coca Cola has almost six million Facebook fans. For the average person or company, it has become much more challenging to cultivate a fan base and become well-known, despite the global population of social network users, and the amount of communities one can join. It is true that if you started building your online identity years ago, and kept with it...