Photo: Blinking Idiot
This is the fourth and final post in the series about my recent job application. I’ve talked about how to beat the no experience problem and how totally rewriting my resume helped highlight the right experiences that got me the job. I ended the last post by saying that often the experience is there, we just have to put it in the proper context. That brings us to the subject of this last post – packaging and turning disadvantages into advantages. (more…)
Photo: julesreyes
This is part three in the series about my recent job application and how I got a job I wasn’t “qualified” for. In this post I’ll talk about resume writing and how we all have more experience than we think.
For the job I recently got writing reviews of high-end men’s gear, they wanted an “experienced writer” and when I first read that, my lizard brain kicked in and told me that wasn’t me. I quickly discounted my own experiences as not good enough. But once I started looking for ways to make it work, my experience started to look a lot better. (more…)
Photo: Jack Keene
I recently got a job as a contributor for a site* that, to put it simply, reviews men’s gear. Everything from clothes and tech gadgets to liquor and outdoor gear. I’m a huge fan of the site, and one day they posted an opening so I applied. I’ve talked about my gear obsession before, so this job opportunity was really exciting.
Problem was, I didn’t have any experience doing gear reviews, and I didn’t live in New York – something that was a significant advantage in the job posting. Here’s how I worked around those obstacles to land an interview and, ultimately, the job. (more…)
Photo: Ed Yourdon
By operating a job application tracking tool and writing a career blog, I get to explore many aspects of the job search. But even with all the interviews, research, and writing, it’s still easy to lose touch with the people on the ground – the job seekers in the trenches, applying for jobs every day, just trying to get a break. Like most things, the more recent one’s experience, the better one’s perspective – and it’d been a while since I applied for a job. (more…)
Photo: Brian Auer
One of the greatest things about current technology is that it empowers almost everyone. It encourages a creative ambition that was previously smothered by cost, red tape, difficulty, esoterica, or all of the above. (more…)
Photo: Kyle MacDonald
We often hear the phrase, “Losers make excuses.” I like that phrase, and find it’s mostly true. But it’s too negative to be much help. It’s just an aimless criticism that kind of hangs there. So instead, I’d like to offer a different spin on that adage. Excuses are good, when applied correctly. (Get more…)
Photo: Mukumbura
I really respect people who are deliberate. Those who act with purpose, who speak clearly, and for whom nothing is an accident. They are methodical, meaning there is a specific method to what they do and why. They might not know what they want, but they know what they are doing.
These characteristics are rarely some divine gift. Almost no one is born knowing what they want or how to find it. (Get more…)
Photo: Jackson Carson
Want a quick way to connect with your boss? Show him or her that you understand what’s important to them. Whether it’s landing a certain kind of client, producing a certain deliverable, or hitting certain numbers, show that what’s important to him or her is what drives you. (Get more…)
Photo: Bart van Maarseveen
Whenever I procrastinate, it’s usually over something that just isn’t a big deal. It might be a mildly unpleasant task – like doing my taxes, a side project, or cleaning the house, but it’s never that awful. I’m afraid it will be terrible or difficult, so the job gets delayed, then I eventually do it, and wonder what I was dreading. (Get more…)
Photo: birgerking
I recently saw this article from The Atlantic, and this AP story (currently with over 800 comments) that both talk about the rising prevalence of interviewers asking candidates for their Facebook passwords. Not user IDs or handles – their passwords. I’m really worked up about this because I think it’s not only inappropriate but it’s exploitative and a sign of brazen laziness. In short, I think it’s total bullshit. (Get more…)
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