eFinancialCareers

Just to give some context to this column, I spent the last six years working at a major conglomerate before my job was eliminated in June. For the first four to five years, the company was insanely profitable (better margins than Goldman), but in 2007 the competitive landscape shifted. After six quarters of lagging revenues and budget cuts, the layoffs started. I've had a few people ask if I saw the... Read more

After speaking with a number of people about job search techniques, my observation is there doesn't seem to be a clear understanding of how to work with recruiters. Some traps seem easy to fall into: I have read a number of 'how to work with recruiters' articles and yet still made mistakes during this current job search. Retained Recruiters I have little first-hand knowledge in this area as I have only talked... Read more

Every interview I've had began with an initial phone screen, where the HR person/internal recruiter wanted to assess basic skills for the job and asked a few internal assessment questions. The skills questions should be a slam-dunk, as they're almost always just an extension of the job requirements. The internal assessment questions, however, can be potentially dangerous. You need take care not to be screened out of the next round... Read more

All the interviews that I had recently seemed to be implicitly composed of two components – a "skills and experience" component and a "soft skills" component. A misstep in either area can cost you the job. According to author Vicky Oliver, the goal of these behavioral interviews is to give the interviewer the opportunity to assess your problem-solving skills, people skills and closure skills. Skills and Experience Component If you have done... Read more

As a candidate in a competitive job market, it is critical to distinguish your brand from that of your competition. I’ve known many managers and executives who cringe at the word, “marketing.” You have to get past this, and be a strong, passionate advocate for your personal brand and how it is positioned in the market. For each person you meet with, it is critical to understand what their needs... Read more

After three months as an active job-seeker, I was offered and accepted a senior-level position with a global consultancy. As painful as it was to be out of work, I ended up with a choice of positions, and am happy with where I landed. Having listened to many horror stories, I realize my job search could have been much worse. Here I will expose a few techniques I used that fell... Read more