How to answer the question "what are your strengths and weaknesses" in an interview No matter how perfectly you answer the other job interview questions from your interviewer, the question "tell me about your greatest strengths/weaknesses" can usually be a hot potato for a candidate in an interview. It's a common interview question but a puzzling one as well, which most candidates don't get right and may even panic and respond with something odd. Their answers may make them sound conceited, or not qualified for the role. This is a common mistake many job applicants make. You... view article details

To Apply or Not to Apply... Have you ever been combing the online job boards and stopped dead in your tracks when you run across the perfect job? It’s in your field for a company you’d love to join doing the work you’ve been hoping to get into.But then you scroll down and your enthusiasm dampens.The 4-page job description starts listing some skills you don’t have. Or it asks for 10 years of experience and you’ve only got five. Soon you find yourself on that all-too-familiar fence of “should I apply or not,” and you’re not sure if you should even bother getting your hopes up. So, what’... view article details

Halloween, Job Search, and You Halloween is big business. According to an infographic by History.com last year, giant pumpkins have tipped the scales at 1,810 pounds, the average American will consume 24 pounds of candy, and 120 million people will dress up in a costume -- with 11.5% of them also dressing up their pet.It also seems that each year the costumes become more and more elaborate, with some people spending hours and hours on the perfect look. It’s enough to make you wonder what would happen if these people spent as much time thinking about their career as they did applying z... view article details

Are You Prepared to Take the Leap? Starting a company is not for the risk averse or financially challenged. It can be an incredible drain on personal, financial and emotional resources -- not just yours, but anyone you take along with you for the ride. Ask whether you (and they) have the stamina for the years of sleepless nights, occasionally contentious board meetings, demanding clients, and fickle employees.What’s your motivation to start a business? Want to make the world a better place, or are you suffering from an ego-driven need to compete with a college rival? Is launching a co... view article details

Are Young Workers "Lost?" A recent piece in the New York Times by Todd G. Buchholz and Victoria Buchholz calls 20-somethings the 'go-nowhere generation' based on their statistical reluctance to relocate for work. They note, 'The likelihood of 20-somethings moving to another state has dropped well over 40 percent since the 1980s, according to calculations based on Census Bureau data…According to the Pew Research Center, the proportion of young adults living at home nearly doubled between 1980 and 2008, before the Great Recession hit.'Whether or not you believe Millennials are sedentary... view article details

Don't Forget the Basics For years I have taught innovative job search tactics. I figure as long as you do not lie or misrepresent, anything goes in job search. As a former sales guy I learned to be very crafty and successful with my get-past-the-gatekeeper/get-to-the-buyer techniques.There really are no rules when it comes to job search. I promote my one-page, short-form resume in order to 'game' resume filtering software. Other than that I propose being as creative as possible in order to break through to the other side. Seeking a graphic artist position? Blow 'em away with your grap... view article details

Did you know employers sometimes pay a premium for the right education and experience? Or that you might be able to earn more by doing the same job in a larger company? In fact, these could be some of your strongest negotiating points in your next performance review, job interview, or request for a promotion.Employers typically adjust their market data when determining how much to pay a specific employee to do the job. In other words, they price the 'space' - the position in the organization - before they price the 'face,' or the person doing that job. After they determine the value of the pos... view article details

When Your Work Is Done, Get Out of There Pamela Selle wants you to go the heck (we softened up her original language) home. Seriously. If it is 6 p.m. or if you are done with your projects for the day or your brain is just burned out from the last eight hours of staring at a monitor, Selle says, just get out of the office. It's tough to be the first one to leave the office for fear it makes you look bad, but going home when your work is done does have benefits. It's better for your productivity, it's better for your employer, and it is most assuredly better for you. In February, Phila... view article details

Are your workplace words and actions fun and harmless, or are you violating federal laws? Since people have various thresholds of what is appropriate and what is not, the answer is rarely black and white.This article explores seven scenarios that are at the very least inappropriate, but at their worst can eventually lead to loss of employment, an eroded reputation, and sometimes even legal action.Having a good time You like to knock back a few beers with colleagues after work.Having a few too many and donning the proverbial lampshade won't be good for your rep and it certainly won't p... view article details

Job Hunting & Zombies? Maybe it's the zombies. When interviewing young professionals just out of college, one of my favorite questions to ask is “So, what other companies are you interviewing with?” At first glance, it’s a strange question. In many ways an interview is like a first date, as both parties try and see if there’s a mutual connection. So asking what other companies they are “seeing” is the equivalent of asking who else they’ve been dating.The real reason for the question is to see how focused their job search efforts are. In many cases, their approach to getting a job is l... view article details