In the Business of You

Source: Fotolia The job of an interviewer is to find that “needle in a haystack” candidate that clearly differentiates him/herself from what can be a large pool of applicants. It’s the job of the candidate to use the tools available to present a strong case as to why he/she is that special hire, the game-changer. Unfortunately, even with the overabundance of information that is easily accessible to today’s job seekers, the majority do not put in the time and effort necessary to create a “wow” experience for the interviewers and hiring manager. It takes a lot of work to find and ultimately be offered a great job! Out of what continues to be dozens or hundreds of applicants vying for each open position, often only a half-dozen or so will actually get the opportunity for a face-to-face interview. And, only a few of those will be asked back to continue the interview process. So, how does a candidate become one of those few and then “knock it out of the park” during the int

I’ve been a hiring manager now for nearly 40 years. During that time I’ve seen the majority of employees make the same mistake – they don’t invest in themselves from a career perspective. And, not doing so can significantly extend the amount of time it takes to find a new job, whether you are currently employed and looking, or in a job transition. The best time, of course, to make this critical investment in your career is while you are employed. Seems like common sense, doesn’t it? Yet, the VAST majority of employees fail to do so. The result of NOT investing in yourself while you are employed is that your resume may contain lots of bullet points about what you did, but little to nothing about what you actually accomplished and substantiation regarding why these accomplishments were considered to be outstanding in the eyes of the employer. There are two main premises regarding how employers/hiring managers look at existing/potential new employees: Why do I look/am I