Career Advice & Insights

There’s a fine line between enthusiastic and just plain irritating. For job seekers eager for feedback, that line can be blurry. When it comes to your job search, there’s a difference between persistence and pushiness. Or is there? The answer may depend on the job you’re trying to fill. Take “Chloe,” a veteran pharmaceutical saleswoman … Read More

Job seekers pull their hair out over how and whether to follow up on job applications posted by anonymous companies. He was desperate. He’d found the perfect job and applied online. Now, all he could do was wait to hear back. And wait. And wait. It’s been weeks. Shouldn’t he have followed up by now? … Read More

Assessing the cultural fit of a company extends far beyond age or interests, and it can make all the difference between success and failure on the job. The job description seems like it was written for you. The pay is right, the commute easy on your nerves, you even like your new boss, and the … Read More

Sometimes when you have to make a career move that feels like a step sideways, backward or down, you create an opportunity that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. Richard Bird, 43, was on the IT fast track, with the position of CIO the brass ring. As a technical director for merger integration at JPMorgan Chase … Read More

Private investigators and former government agents share trade secrets about how they conduct employment background checks for hiring companies. The questions most job seekers want answered about background checks are when they’ll be subject to one and what it will turn up. Depending on the amount of effort and money a company is willing to … Read More

Should you jump through hoops to keep your job search a secret, or will the prospect you’ll leave provide you new leverage in the workplace? Part 1: Most job seekers take to the job search while still employed and most conduct their search in the shadows, worried that their current employer will discover their disloyal … Read More

Relocation packages seem extinct. As the economy heats up, is it worth negotiating for such a benefit? Common wisdom dictates that relocation packages have all but dried up since the 2008 economic downturn, along with other bonuses, perks and benefits. But recruiters, job seekers and relocation specialists who spoke to Ladders said reasonable relocation packages … Read More

Play “Let’s make a deal”. Recently, I received a great question from a member of Ladders : “It seems that all articles on the subject suggest that candidates try to withhold their salary history from companies about to make them an offer. What should you do if you try this tactic and the company asks … Read More

Once he had clear goals, SalesLadder member Chris T. found his network a far more effective tool for achieving them. When Chris T. decided to begin a job search after seven years with the same company, he assumed networking would play a role in helping to land a job. He figured his business networking, classmates … Read More