I know the MLB World Series is over and the Yankees have been crowned the champs but there was an interesting side story that I think really applies to your job search. Cole Hamels, superstar pitcher and MVP of last years World Series and National League Championship Series (yeah he's kind of a big deal), really upset fans when he said he couldn't wait for the season to be over. The problem - he said this after a poor outing and losing pitching effort against the Yankees in game 3 of the World Series.

- His timing could not have ...

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I'm sure you've heard the a saying, "The grass isn't always greener". Does this apply to you when it comes to your career? How many times have you left a company thinking it was the right thing to do?

Maybe you left for:

- more money
- loftier title
- closer to home
- more flexibility
- better people

The problem is once you get to the new company you realize they have their own warts that you didn't see during the interview process. This blog is for you.

I started recruiting 14 years ago for a British based recruiting firm ...

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This week I am interviewing Joe Rohde. Joe has had a great sales career and agreed to chat for a bit about what's been successful in his job search.

First, can you give an over view of your background and the circumstances that led to your unemployment?

My experience was continuous growth which alternated between startups and established companies. Typically my success was in establishing the 'early adopter' customers for new technologies and products. The immediately previous 14 years were spent starting and running a company, located in the California foothills, acting as a reseller for a set of ...

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Gina and I met while networking on LinkedIn. She is someone who has successfully found multiple jobs this year who was happy to share her experience with us.
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Thanks again for volunteering for this. Can you give the folks a quick over-view of your background and the circumstances that led to your unemployment.

My background is Marketing and Administration. I have moved from High Tech Marketing in the Bay Area, to Newspaper Marketing, to Retail Marketing throughout my career. I also have a background as an Executive Assistant with an emphasis in event planning. I hold a Bachelors of Business ...

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I'm continuing to interview successful job seekers and have just posted my interview with Ross Dreher. Check out what he did to find a job. You might even learn a thing or two.

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Ross -

Thanks again for being a part of this little social job search experience.

First, can you give a brief over view of your background and the circumstances that led to your unemployment?

My background is in IT sales, specifically as a software sales executive in my most most recent position.  The company is national and my territory was the southeast USA.  Due to the declining ...

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Here's a quiz for you - name as many dual sports athletes as you can:

Deion Sanders football and baseball star.

Jim Brown was stellar in football and considered one of the greatest lacrosse players.

Charlie Ward played basketball and football.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee ran track and was a great basketball player.

Shaun White does snowboarding and skateboarding and dominates his sports.

Jackie Robinson dominated athletics at UCLA - Baseball, Football, Track, Basketball

How many dual career professionals do you know? We are increasingly moving towards a model where folks have more than one job. It used to be that women were ...

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I've started a series where I interview the every day job seeker and have them share what's worked in their job search. Thought you'd find it interesting.

Joerg-

Thank you again for taking the time to share with us what you've done to land your job.

Can you give a brief over view of your background and the circumstances that led to your unemployment?

My background is electrical engineering, my degree is from RWTH Aachen University in Germany. I specialize in analog circuit design, something that some of our professors told us would be a dying ...

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If you are looking for a job, now is not the time to let the pressures of your job search keep you down. Over the last couple of weeks, I've had conversations with many, many people that have spent the last 6 months+ on the job hunt. In their minds they have tried every tip or tool known to man:

- Rewrote resumes
- Posted and searched on every job board
- Attended every network meeting (including virtual) in a 60 mile radius
- Sent resumes to countless warm leads and contacts
- Joined a job search club or group
- Googled, Tweeted, Linked and ...

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That's not a typo. I'm not talking about writing a job description. I'm talking about you writing a job wanted description. I'm sure you already have a resume, cover letter and business cards to pass out but here's a thought - why not create a job wanted description that tells the hiring manager or company exactly who you are, what you do well and what you're looking for. Let's discuss how this would differ from a resume.

What are you trying to accomplish? Anyone who reads your job wanted description should know immediately what ...

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Imagine a world where your complete understanding of interacting with people was turned on its head. A world without Twitter, LinkedIn or FaceBook. This world wouldn't have online "social media" sites as you know them today and would not allow you to interact using short message bursts or text messages. How would you survive? How would you manage? How would you go about identifying company contacts and leads?

Ok. You can open your eyes now, take a deep breath and exhale. This is not some crazy nightmare I'm asking you to relive (although some of your hearts probably ...

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I must be losing my mind. I've recently read a comment by a job seeker who is considering botox injections in an attempt to gain a leg up during an interview. I think we can all agree that there are probably companies and work environments that still practice sexism, racism and age discrimination. If you are actively looking for a job, the question you need to ask yourself is, "Do I want to be a part of this type of environment?"

There is a growing market for personal branding and image consultants. And I understand the pros:

- Making a ...

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There has been a lot of talk and stories written lately about job seekers dumbing down their resumes. For the un-initiated, this is when you leave information (accomplishments and successes) off of your resume because you want to give the impression that you are not as experienced as you actually are. In my mind there are at least three distinct types of job seekers. You are either employed (congratulations), unemployed (help is on the way), or underemployed (probably looking). I think it is absolutely ridiculous for someone who is unemployed to sell themselves short and do themselves a career disservice ...

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If you are sending out 50 resumes, to get 10 interviews that lead to one job offer, is that an effective ratio? I don't profess to be a statistician, matter of fact, I didn't do well in the class in college. What I do know is you should be spending your time on tasks that will lead to a job. How do you measure the effectiveness of your job search? A lot of people spend $200 -$500 for resume writing services. If that resume generates 10 interviews for you, you've paid $20-$50 per interview. If that ...

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Let's just cut to the chase - interviewing and looking for a job can be extremely tough. If you have approached your job search in a professional manner you have already:

- researched and learned all you can about the company, interview team and hiring manager.
- properly formatted your resume and made sure it presents you in the best light for the position you are interviewing for.
- bought a spiffy new suit and even got your car cleaned (see previous post - Stop Crying).

Unfortunately these things won't guarantee success. There are a multitude of reasons the interview doesn't go ...

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You've been laid off. I've been laid off. Your neighbor has been laid off. The unemployment rate is astronomical and everyone you know is looking for a job. Get over it and start acting like a grown up. There I said it. Now is not the time to freak out and worry about your situation. Now is the time to man (woman) up, get out there, and take care of your responsibilities. Welcome to the tough love post.

After you've taken a day or two to cry and wallow in your tears, you need a plan. I ...

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