Career Advice & Insights

Brian Haley keeps trying to dodge irrelevant questions about his age as HR managers invent new ways to ask. Brian Haley finds it frustrating to face the same questions again and again as he interviews for jobs. Questions that he knows have no bearing on his ability to do the job but have everything to … Read More

If you can manage the logistics, searching nationally can land you in a better spot than you thought possible. Since the recession officially started in December 2007, the unemployment rate has doubled, and the average time it takes to find a new job has increased 37 percent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Oct. 2 unemployment … Read More

Can executive recruiters find you on the Web? Make sure you know these basic truths about today’s colossal search engine. How do you currently show up on the World Wide Web? Eighty-seven percent of executive recruiters use Google searches to research candidates, according to an Execunet study. Furthermore, hiring managers at Fortune 500 companies are … Read More

Discussing your salary history can be the most uncomfortable moment in a negotiation. But what do you really have to say? Follow these steps to be honest without being vulnerable. Few professional conversations are more awkward than those about how much money you make. For job seekers, though, salary and compensation history isn’t just an … Read More

Don’t ruin your perfect “first date” with a potential employer by talking compensation too quickly. Job interviews, like dating, have a lot to do with timing. In my many years as a recruiter, I’ve heard the following story countless times from my associates: They had sent the “perfect person” (excellent skill set, right presentation) to … Read More

Matthew Marshall had wearied of telecommuting with a California office; then OpsLadder and a networking campaign helped him find a job in his hometown of Reading, Pa. Matthew Marshall had well-defined criteria for his next job. The sales manager wanted to move into procurement, and he wanted to work for a global company, somewhere he … Read More

Research indicates that the glass ceiling is firm. And the reason why may surprise you. It’s not your gender, it’s your network. It’s been nearly half a century since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed sexual discrimination. Further legislation has been passed to root out sexist corporate-promotion practices and encourage diversity in the workplace. … Read More

Being creative is a huge asset in a job search – but being unable to ask for help can weaken it. Find out the pros and cons of being a intuitive job seeker, and how to play to strengths. I made the case in a previous article, The Challenges of Left-Brained Job Seekers, that job … Read More

Elaine Clarke was generous about sharing leads, and her good networking deeds ultimately helped her to help herself. Elaine Clarke’s job search was a model of give-and-take networking. In the 10 months she spent searching for work, Clarke landed 10 successful job offers — but only two were for herself. Clarke, a global operations executive … Read More