If you’re looking to take the next step in your career but don’t know where to start, we have two words for you to consider: career coach. Much like a sports coach or fitness coach, a professional career coach can help you gain and maintain focus, direction, and motivation.
How do you know if this is the right next step for you? Here are a few ways career coaching can make all the difference.
Are you standing at a career crossroads, feeling that inner pull toward something new but unsure which path to take? You're not alone. So many clients tell us that changing careers feels overwhelming, and they don’t know where to start. Let us inspire you to shift your perspective and see this as an exciting opportunity to reimagine your professional future and create a work-life that truly reflects who you are.
Are you ready to take control of your future, embark on a new career challenge, and aim for your dream job? Approaching your job search with positivity and a clear plan, you can open doors to rewarding opportunities that align with your unique talents and long-term career goals. Here are five empowering steps that drive job search success!
In today’s competitive job market, your resume needs more than duties and responsibilities to stand out. Hiring managers and recruiters are looking for that “it factor,” for something that excites and compels them to connect.
What unique skills do you bring to the table? How do you create value? Where do you fit into the organization? They want to understand your unique value proposition, your career journey, and how you'll contribute to their team. In other words, your resume needs to tell a compelling career story that inspires employers and enables them to imagine you as part of their team.
So, how can you make your LinkedIn profile a powerful tool that attracts recruiters and opportunities? Here's how!
In today’s unpredictable job market, industry shifts and layoffs can feel like unexpected roadblocks. It's natural to feel uncertain or even discouraged, and it may be hard to have a positive attitude if you have just lost your job. However, with the right mindset, tools, and support, you can turn these temporary setbacks into opportunities and emerge stronger than ever.
So, how can you make your LinkedIn profile a powerful tool that attracts recruiters and opportunities? Here's how!
Are you standing at a career crossroads, feeling that inner pull toward something new but unsure which path to take? You're not alone. So many clients tell us that changing careers feels overwhelming, and they don’t know where to start. Let us inspire you to shift your perspective and see this as an exciting opportunity to reimagine your professional future and create a work-life that truly reflects who you are.
A traditional resume highlighting your awesomeness is mandatory when looking for a job or changing careers. But depending on your situation, developing a career portfolio in addition to providing your resume might tip the scales in your favor.
Why both? The resume and career portfolio have different purposes and unique benefits.
With the average job-seeker experiencing multiple career changes in their lifetime, having a clear understanding of the skills and qualifications needed for a specific role is crucial. This post highlights the importance of professional help in achieving career clarity, including career exploration coaching and career assessments. By gaining a better understanding of one's values, interests, and skills, individuals can better articulate their unique values and stand out in a competitive job market.
When is the best time to schedule your interview? The easy answer is whenever it works for the interviewer! After all, that’s the goal — to get the interview and the job offer.
But what if you are offered a choice of dates and times for the interview? Is it better to be the first person interviewed? Or to be one of the final candidates considered? Should you schedule your interview for the morning? Or the afternoon? And, if you’re offered the option of a virtual interview or meeting in person, which should you choose?
Here are the pros and cons of being towards the front of the pack, one of the last, or somewhere in the middle.
If you have a resume, at some point, you’re faced with a dilemma: Should I update my existing resume, or is it time to start over?
When you have a great resume — especially one created by a professional resume writer — it can be difficult to imagine starting over again. But even the best formats become outdated as technology changes. And if you are dreaming about making a career pivot, what worked in one profession may not be appropriate in another. But how do you know when you should refresh — or start fresh?
Hiring new employees is expensive. There’s the time and effort in attracting candidates, screening them, and conducting interviews. It takes time to set the person up in the human resources and benefits system, and it costs money to onboard and train the new hire. These expenses can add up to hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars. As a result, hiring managers want to ensure that the candidate will be a good fit. Questions asked during the interview will help determine if a prospective employee is a good match for the company and role.
One question you’re likely to be asked in an interview is why you left your last job (or why you want to leave your current position).
The basic question remains—do you want to change the company you work for or change your career path entirely? Ask yourself if changing to a new company would fix the issue or issues you identified. Or are they issues embedded within the industry itself and would only be fixed if you changed industries entirely?
Also, think about how you feel about the actual work you’re doing. Do you still have a passion for your work, but maybe not in this work environment? If that’s the case, changing jobs could improve your situation. You might not need to change careers.
There’s a saying in the career industry that you’ll know it’s time to make a job or career change when you ask yourself if it’s time to make a change.
While there is truth to that, there’s more to making your decision. This guide will help you identify why you may want to make a job or career change and give you practical strategies and tips to help you with your decision.
Great news! Someone has agreed to be a reference for you! Now, what’s the next step?
Life Working® career coaches suggest preparing a reference page that you can give to a prospective employer. It should match your resume's format, font style, and font size with the same contact information.
Use this format for each reference:
Do companies need your permission before contacting your references? Yes, they should. But keep in mind that providing contact information for references may be construed as permission to contact in many cases. Some companies will require you to sign a release form. Read it carefully, as it may authorize the company to contact unnamed references as well (people not on your “preferred” reference list — sometimes called “back door” references).
Generally, a potential employer will want at least two of your references to be former employers. The advantage of preparing your references in advance is that you can take the upper hand, identify the “best” references, and control whom you offer the employer as your references. You will want to select three to seven individuals to be your “preferred” references.
Reference checks are necessary for both job seekers and employers. References allow employers to confirm the information they learned from your resume and the interview and decide whether to hire you or not to extend a job offer…
“Resumes win interviews, but references win job offers,” says Martin Yate, author of the “Knock ‘Em Dead” series of career books.
Reference checks are necessary for both job seekers and employers. References allow employers to confirm the information they learned from your resume and the interview and decide whether to hire you or not to extend a job offer…
There is no “rule” that a resume should be only one page. In fact, there are many cases when a multi-page resume is not only appropriate but also expected.
Even though the length is not the only consideration for a resume’s effectiveness, the one-page resume myth persists. Jobseekers are being misled to think that recruiters, hiring managers, and HR professionals won’t read a resume that is longer than one page. That’s simply not true.
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