How To Archives | Ladders | Business News & Career Advice

Articles by this author

You’ve heard the analogy: An interview is like going on a first date. Think about it. Blind dates can be painful without some chemistry. And they even check your references. Translate your dating knowhow to win over your next interviewer. Going on an interview is like going on a first date. I’ve used that analogy … Read More

Job Search

Is Your Status Update Still ‘Looking for Work?’Barbara Safani

Be positive, not needy. Lately I’ve been reading a lot of status updates on business and social networking sites that say things like, “Project Manager professional looking for work” or “Looking for work in a tough economy” or “Just received my degree in accounting — looking for work.” While I understand that these job seekers … Read More

Resumes

Rebuilding a construction resume Don Sears

Todd Barrick saved many failing construction projects in his 15+ years as a project superintendent. His new resume brings his turn-around ability front and center. The construction industry has been rattled by the recession. With an extensive background in fixing failing construction projects, senior project superintendent Todd Barrick has the right mix of construction-management and … Read More

Resumes

How Many Resume Versions Are Too Many?Ladders Contributor

A generic resume isn’t doing you any favors. But a dozen tweaked versions may reveal an unrefined search. As I coach executive-level clients across every function and industry, I hear a lot of questions about how far one resume can stretch. “How many versions of my resume do I need?” “Can you make the resume … Read More

Resumes

How to write an IT consulting resume that catches the recruiter’s attention Don Sears

How do you balance an IT resume that must capture the subject’s progress from technical jobs to a professional-services role? How do you balance an IT resume that must capture the subject’s progress from technical jobs to a professional-services role? For Richard McDonald, a 22-year veteran of IT resume writing, it’s a matter of measuring … Read More

Resumes

HR Managers: Don’t Operate on Your Own Resume Darryl K. Taft

Ask job seeker Amy Hall: Even for HR pros, writing your own resume is like someone trying to be their own doctor, dentist or lawyer. A dentist wouldn’t perform his own root canal, and a human-resources executive shouldn’t try to write her own resume. Going into her job search, Amy Hall, a Baltimore HR executive, … Read More

Resumes

Most Common Resume Lies Lisa Vaas

The most common places on a resume where honesty slips off the page. What are the most common tall tales Americans tell on their resumes? According to Accu-Screen Inc., a Tampa, Fla., company that specializes in employment background screening of job applicants, the most common resume lies are exaggerations and inflated numbers including dates of … Read More

Resumes

Resume Lands TV Marketing VP New Job Darryl K. Taft

A vice president of entertainment and television had the people skills to make any situation a ‘win-win,’ but needed help to make her resume shine as bright as her tenured career. Allyson Terry-Goldsby spent 16 years as a marketing and management executive in the television industry. The southern California resident had been vice president of … Read More

Resumes

Rewritten Resume Adds Context, Lands Project Manager New Job Don Sears

Keara Fortson’s project-management experience told her to focus on the bottom line, but her resume writer helped her to balance numbers with the whole story. Quantify your return on investment, career experts say. Show results, numbers and accomplishments. But are resumes more than that? Well, they should be if you want to get noticed and … Read More

Must Reads

What jobs can you get with a business degree?

We’ve rounded up 11 different types of jobs you can get with a business degree to give you an idea of just how versatile that particular bachelor’s degree is.

The 21 jobs that are MOST likely to lead to divorce

Some jobs have a higher divorce rate than others.

The 12 best people to pick as job references

You want to pick people who have worked alongside you and think highly enough of you to sing your praises to a hiring manager.

I did 8 rounds of interviews and still didn’t get the job

“I’ve interviewed with Google twice now, and when people ask me why I don’t work there, I respond, ‘I can never seem to get past the eighth interview,’” says Steve Silberberg, who is now the founder of Fatpacking, a weight-loss backpacking company.

Myth busted: 5 ageism stereotypes that need to be broken

In the last few months, older social media personalities have been gaining traction on sites like Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tock. They’re called Grandfluencers, and they’re here to debunk pervasive ageism myths….and make a little cash doing it.

The simple eye contact trick you should use in every conversation

“When two people are having a conversation, eye contact signals that shared attention is high —that they are in peak synchrony with one another.”

How to deal with ‘The Great Resignation’ when you are a manager

Managers are worried about maintaining the talent required to keep the doors open, but they are not asking the right questions.

The flu shot may protect you from severe COVID-19 infection

New research found that the flu vaccine may provide vital protection against COVID-19, reducing the risk of suffering severe infection, like stroke, sepsis, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

The best exercises for flabby arms — workouts you’ve never heard of

You can tone your arms with these five workouts, and we have video to show you the right form.

7 things you should never ask your boss

There are some things you should just not ask your boss — these 7 questions are things you should stay clear from in conversation.