How To Handle Tough Interview Questions

How To Handle Tough Interview Questions

Many employers now use behavioral-based interview questions to learn more about a candidate’s past experience as a predictor of future performance. These behavioral interview questions are usually the “tough” interview questions that interviewers use as a method of determining whether or not a candidate is a good fit for the open position.

While you can’t predict every question you will be asked during the interview process, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with some of the more common tough interview questions.

1. What’s Your Biggest Weakness?

There’s really no easy answer to this tough interview question, but it helps to be honest with the interviewer. No one is perfect and if we’re truthful, there are certain things that we can all improve. Try not to provide too much damaging information like an inability to arrive at work on time or at all. This is definitely a loaded question, so tread lightly, but perhaps mention an area that you are working to improve.

2. How Do You Handle Stress?

Man answers a job interview question

Interviewers are generally looking for an answer that indicates you can handle multiple priorities and projects at the same time. An answer stating that stress is a natural part of life and you feel equipped to handle the challenges of the job and balance them with the rest of your life may be just the answer that earns you the job.

3. Tell Me About A Time You Made A Bad/Wrong Decision

Woman gets asked a tough question in a job interview

The interviewer is probably not as concerned with the actual decision, but rather how you handled the situation and the outcome. This question is asking about your problem-solving skills and ability to fix an issue.

4. Questions About Honesty, Loyalty, And Good Judgment

Man smiles during a job interview

Employers want to hire ethical people with integrity, so don’t feel like you’ve been thrown a curve ball if an interviewer asks you a tough interview question about whether or not you’ve ever lied or been faced with a moral dilemma. As is the case in most situations, honesty is the best policy in answering these questions.

5. Tell Me About Yourself

Hiring manager asks a job candidate a question during a virtual job interview

This seemingly easy interview question is harder than it may seem for many candidates. It’s easy to ace this one if you have a prepared and practiced “elevator speech” that includes a few highlights from your career history. This is an opportunity to emphasize your best career accomplishments, so take advantage of this question if you are asked during the interview.

6. Questions About Former Bosses And Co-Workers

Man answers a question during a job interview

Sometimes an interviewer will ask a question about what you didn’t like about a former supervisor or colleague. These questions are asked to gauge how well you work with others, so be diplomatic in your answer and don’t throw anyone under the bus with negativity.

Another great way to prepare for tough interview questions is to ask your friends about the most bizarre and off-the-wall questions they have been asked. You may be surprised at the type of responses you receive!

Need more help preparing for your next job interview?

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5 Ways To Instantly Improve Your Job Search Results

5 Ways To Instantly Improve Your Job Search Results

By now you’ve probably learned that the traditional ways of job searching don’t work anymore. A few years ago, you could put your resume up on multiple online job boards and wait for the phone to ring. Those days are gone.

If you want to land your dream job, you have to be proactive.

Here are five basic strategies to follow that will help you improve your job search results:

Scan Your Resume For 15 Seconds

Recruiters read hundreds of resumes on a daily basis. They only have time to skim the top of them, so if you don’t give a clear message about what you can do for them, then it is not a good resume. Since this is the most important document in your career, you need to give it the attention it deserves.

Focus On The High-Return Job Efforts

Businesswoman makes a series of networking calls

Job boards have less than a 5% effectiveness rate while networking has over a 50% effectiveness rate.

Start by selecting your bucket list of companies where you would love to work. Do a company search on LinkedIn and identify the decision-makers and their staff. Then, see who you know who might know someone who can then make an introduction for you. Follow the company and connect with people on LinkedIn, join their groups and conversations, comment on their blogs, and become known.

This is how you move from a passive job search, waiting for the right job to appear on the job boards, to a proactive one where you’re an active job seeker targeting the kinds of positions you really want.

Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile

Young professional works on optimizing her LinkedIn profile on her laptop

If a recruiter was searching through LinkedIn to find people for the position you are seeking, would you show up? Try it and if you are not on the first or second page, go back to your profile and optimize it with the right keywords to get yourself a higher ranking.

Review Your Online Presence

Businessman looks for a job on his laptop

Many employers will Google your name to learn more about you. Make sure you look good on LinkedIn and review your activity on Facebook, Twitter, and any other online accounts. Take down or change any comments that reflect poorly upon you. Use your own blog, online exchanges, and testimonials to showcase your professional knowledge. Your social media plays a huge role in the job search process.

Create Measurable Goals

Businesswoman looks over her job search goals for the day

Searching for a job is like any other project and you must stay disciplined, so set firm goals for yourself. For example, “I will make 10 networking calls and have two meetings per week.”

Make sure you are focusing on high-impact efforts like networking versus job board submissions. Keep a record of your efforts so if an employer calls, you can quickly determine when and how they were contacted.

Need more help with your job search?

We’d love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you find a job and advance your career.

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#1 Secret Nobody Tells You About Getting Job Interviews

#1 Secret Nobody Tells You About Getting Job Interviews

Let me tell you a secret that nobody likes to hear about job interviews. I’ve been a career coach for the last 20 years and so many people come to me and say, “J.T., I can’t get any job interviews. It’s so hard to get job interviews.” And the first thing I ask them is, “Well, how do you feel about interviews? Do you like going on them?”

Change Your Mindset To Get More Job Interviews

@j.t.odonnell What nobody tells you about getting job interviews… #jobinterviewtips #interviewtips #jobinterview #jobsearch #jobsearchtips #careertiktok #jobtok #careeradvice #jobhunting #jobhunt #jobhunt #dreamjob ♬ original sound – J.T. O’Donnell

Every single person responds with something like: “No, I can’t stand interviews. I dread them. I’m terrible at them. They stress me out.”

But here’s the secret nobody tells you about getting job interviews…

When we don’t like to do something, we’re not going to work really hard to make that thing happen. And so while there are techniques you can learn to attract more job interviews, you won’t actually get more job interviews until you change your mindset about them. You’re not going to attract more job interviews until you’re good at them, until you’re comfortable with them and don’t fear or dread them anymore.

Interview prep is vitally important. And, of course, they didn’t teach us proper interview techniques in school and it’s not a skill we just naturally have, but it’s not rocket science or brain surgery either. Once you learn how to prep for interviews properly, then you’ll actually be ready to go out and get interviews (or they’ll come to you!).

Need more help getting job interviews?

I’d love it if you joined my FREE community where professionals like you are learning how to become empowered in their careers so they can finally find career happiness and satisfaction. More importantly, I have tons of resources inside this community that can help you get and prepare for your next job interview.

Sign up for my FREE community and become a Workplace Renegade today! My team and I are looking forward to working with you soon.

5 Things To Ask In A Job Interview

5 Things To Ask In A Job Interview

“Do you have any questions for me?”

This is typically the final question you will be asked in a job interview. Ask the wrong questions and you might look like a bad fit. Ask no questions and you might look indifferent, inexperienced, or uneducated about the position.

Asking the right questions—aside from proving yourself to the hiring manager—is one of your best (and last) chances to determine whether the job and company are a good fit for you. Here are five questions to consider:

Why Is The Position Open?

This is actually an extremely important question that should be asked during every job interview because the answer will provide important insights that, should you get an offer, will play a major role in your decision to take the job.

Jobs open up for a variety of reasons—some positive, some negative. Was the job created because the company is expanding? Was the previous person promoted? Or did they quit or get fired? Are you replacing a high performer, or a poor one?

The employer’s answer will help you determine whether the job has room for growth or a high turnover rate, and give you a better idea of how to manage expectations.

What Is A Typical Day Like For This Position?

A job seekers asks the recruiter a question during a video interview

Most job postings list the position’s responsibilities without saying how much time is allocated to each responsibility. You want to know this information for two reasons.

First, if your typical workday includes spending hours doing something you dislike, you may want to reconsider whether it’s the right job for you. Second, by discovering which job functions are most important to the employer, you can tailor the remainder of your interview to those areas and include them in your interview follow-up email.

How Would You Describe The Company Culture?

Company culture and how well coworkers collaborate with each other are important factors for job seekers

It’s always good to get a sense of a company’s culture and whether you fit into it. The employer’s response to this question will help you understand what it’s like working there day-to-day, what the company values are, how colleagues interact with one another, and so on.

Another good way to get a sense of company culture is to ask this question:

Can you tell me about one of your most successful employees and what makes them successful?

If the answer includes an employee who takes on a lot of extra work and works way more than 40 hours a week, this could be a red flag where the company’s values are only grounded in work. Ultimately, you want an answer where the response includes a combination of hard work, creativity, and character.

If you’re going to spend the majority of your waking hours on the job, you should make sure the company culture is a good fit.

What Are The Company’s Goals Over The Next Five Years?

An HR manager listens to a question from a job candidate during an interview

Actually, a more specific question you could ask is:

What are the goals of the company over the next five years? How does this position and this department factor into those goals?

This question demonstrates your goal-oriented nature and suggests that you won’t job hop right away. An informed response will give you insight into the organizational structure and how your position fits into it. An uninformed response suggests the hiring manager is out of touch with the organization, the organization does a poor job communicating its goals to employees, or the organization is not thinking long term. None of these are a good sign.

Here’s another way to ask this question:

What is the company’s biggest challenge in the coming years, and how does this position help you overcome it?

Do You Like Working Here?

Job seeker asks HR manager about her experiences at the company during a job interview

It’s unlikely the hiring manager will say “no” but you can still infer a lot from their response. A moment’s hesitation followed only by, “Yeah…I do,” might be a red flag. A smile and explanation of why they like working there, on the other hand, signifies a more genuine response.

A few other ways to ask this question include:

How did you come to work here?

What do you like most about working here?

If you interview with multiple employees during your job interview, ask them each similar questions. This is particularly helpful when it comes to subjective questions (e.g. “How would you describe the company culture?” and “Do you like working here?”). Doing so will help you paint a more complete picture of the organization, which will help you make the best decision once you’re offered the job.

Need more help preparing for your next job interview?

We’d love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you prepare for your next job interview.

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Is A Summary Necessary On A Resume?

Is A Summary Necessary On A Resume?

Is a summary required on a resume? The particular short answer is: completely not!

“No paragraph should actually lead your resume! micron warns J. T. O’Donnell, LinkedIn Influencer and founder of Function It Daily. “It will not get read. in This is especially correct if you plan towards write an “objective” assertion about yourself such because: “I’m a high-achieving best performer with outstanding in addition to incredible skills…”

This is a LARGE no-no, according to L. T. “I get this same answers at all times through recruiters—they don’t like [summary statements], ” she states. “In fact, it’s such as double nails on some sort of chalkboard to some recruiter that will see [them]. type

Why A new Resume Summary Turn up useful info

Studies show you have six seconds to find that promotion with your current resume . Based on T. T., recruiters will check out your resume inside a Z-pattern (left to right around the top fold, straight down across the page, and even over). In those 6 seconds, they have so that you can decide if they’re heading to continue reading. So, exactly what are they will be sketched to on a resume?

  • Daring text
  • Text message with white space
  • Simplified text

“I make a face once i see people waste materials valuable space in often the top fold of their own resume with this huge, long summary paragraph, alone says J. T. “Do NOT do it! lunch break

What To be able to Do Instead

Man features your resume while on your laptop

Instead of struggling to help you write your resume, understand how to properly file format it for success. This particular includes varying your leading fold from a synopsis or objective statement for an experience summary, which is usually a listing of 6-8 difficult or transferrable skills required for the specific job you’re applying for. Likewise, make sure you quantify your job experience therefore your resume outshines your competition!

If you want to make sure you learn more about just how to do this, we are able to help.

We’d love it in case you joined our TOTALLY FREE community . It’s a good private, online platform exactly where workers, just like people, are coming together for learn and grow in to powerful Workplace Renegades. A lot more importantly, we have lots of resources inside our community that will can help you create your resume—the right method.

It’s period to find work of which makes you feel delighted, satisfied, and fulfilled. Sign up for our FREE community today to lastly become an empowered business-of-one!

This article has been originally published at a good earlier date.

How To Conduct An Effective Informational Interview

How To Conduct An Effective Informational Interview

One thing that will gain you interviews with your target companies is by talking with more people who are “in the know.” Do this by conducting more interviews of your own.

The informational interview is an effective way to build your network and gather information to move your career forward. Informational interviews can actually be quite fun. Meeting for coffee, or briefly in someone’s office, takes the pressure off both parties. The job seeker is simply asking for information, guidance, and advice. The person being interviewed is just providing that information and expertise. No one is saying, “Please give me a job!” And no one is making an offer. It’s just a chat.

That’s right—this is not about asking for a job!

Not right away, at least.

As a job seeker, you should hope to get some questions answered relevant to the industry you are in, the company where your interviewee works, and the company’s competitors. You should ask about good ways to network in the field. Getting names of other professionals to contact for further informational interviews is a great result.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Make A List Of People You’d Like To Meet

Make a detailed list of people you’d like to talk to about the next move in your career. People who have mentored you in the past, people you admire in your field, and people at your target companies are great people to meet with. Anyone who may be able to help you, or knows someone who can help, should go on your list.

2. Find Them On LinkedIn

Man looks something up on his laptop

Look up your target companies on LinkedIn and see who works there. You can find their contact information easily on their LinkedIn profile. If they don’t have a profile, Google them to get their phone number or email address.

3. Call Them Or Send Them A Message

Woman sends a message to a LinkedIn connection with her phone

Phone messages often go unreturned and inboxes are often full for many professionals. Be persistent, try multiple avenues of communication, or go through a contact’s assistant (but don’t harass them). Be clear that you just want a brief meeting to discuss a specific set of questions regarding their job, company, and industry, and that you are not inquiring about a job opportunity.

4. Meet With Several Contacts Each Week

Young woman shakes hands with a man

Be committed to holding 2-3 informational interviews consistently. Stick to the amount of time that you mentioned when setting up the meeting and don’t go beyond it, no matter how tempted you might be! You can always set up another meeting or use additional questions as a reason to stay in touch and build the relationship.

5. Bring Your Resume (Just In Case)

Woman holds a resume during an interview

Don’t offer it. But, if they ask for it, you’ll be prepared. Also, if the topic comes up in conversation, you can ask for advice on how to beef it up. Are there classes you should take? Organizations you might join? Get their feedback on what might make you a stronger candidate.

6. Ask Relevant Questions About The Industry, Company, Or Position

Man smiles during an interview

  • How did you become interested in this field?
  • What brought you to this company?
  • What is a typical day like in your position/department?
  • How much time do you spend doing ______ each day?
  • What types of problems do you solve in your position?
  • What can you tell me about the corporate culture?
  • What are the biggest challenges the company faces right now and in the future?
  • What skills and qualities make someone successful in this field?

7. Give Your Branded Elevator Pitch, And Then Ask…

Women talk at work

  • With the little you know about me, what suggestions do you have that might help me to break into the field or a company like yours?
  • If a position were to become available here, would you keep me in mind?
  • What other companies would you recommend for me to explore?

8. Get More Connections Before The Meeting Is Concluded

Man asks a question during an interview

Ask who they know who might be a good person for you to speak with. Get their contact information. Ask if it’s okay to tell the new connection who referred you.

9. Send A Thank-You Message

Woman types on her laptop

Do this within 24 hours in the format of your choice. Email is convenient and green. You might be perceived as tech-savvy. Or, you might be looked upon as impersonal. A handwritten note is perceived as more personal by some. Or, on the flipside, archaic. It’s up for debate and depends on your industry. Just pick one and thank your interviewee quickly.

10. Stay In Touch

Man checks LinkedIn on his phone

Connect on LinkedIn and send occasional messages updating the contact on your progress. If you come across any articles that might help them, pass them along. Monitor the company and your contact using Google Alerts. When you discover they have gotten a promotion or have spoken at a conference, be sure to send a congratulatory email. Keeping in touch will help the relationship to grow.

Eventually, the informational interviews you conduct will pay off. Word will spread that you are looking for a new position. People will remember your personality and respectfulness. The relationships you are cultivating will result in a network that is keeping you in mind for when their company is ready to hire. Before long, you will be interviewing for real!

Need more help growing your network or navigating the job search?

We’d love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you enhance your career.

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#1 Tip For Parents Who Want To Return To The Workforce

#1 Tip For Parents Who Want To Return To The Workforce

Usually are you a parent looking to get back into the labor force after being out regarding five years, a 10 years, or longer? Are you currently striving to change careers entirely? Well, I’m here to help you tell you it is possible to come back to your aged career or start a new new one.

Here’s my greatest tip for parents who wish to return to the staff…

Start Little!

@j. to. odonnell intended for parents trying to obtain in the workforce… @workitdaily @j. t. odonnell #careerhacks #careeradvice #careertiktok #learnontiktok #edutok #parents #parentsoftiktok #parentsbelike ♬ original noise – J. T. O’Donnell

My a single sugestion is to begin small. Go to the local network and see that can hire you. An individual just want to acquire your foot in often the door somewhere. You want to find back out there. Anyone just want to begin working. That alone is proceeding to provide you with some framework, a little pay, together with an opportunity to develop your professional network .

Once an individual do that, people is going to be far more interested on hiring you for your higher-level positions simply because they may see that you’ve eliminated back to operate at some sort of lower-level position just to get back again into the workforce.

Keep in mind that, you will not be in that job very long. But obtaining yourself back in the work flow is the very 1st step in the procedure of speeding up your own career growth so you can have the job you want.

Require more help returning to make sure you the workforce?

I had created like it if you joined up with my FREE community where professionals just like you are learning to turn out to be empowered in their professions so they can ultimately find career happiness and additionally satisfaction. More importantly, I possess tons of resources inside of this community that could help you get ready for your current next job search.

Sign upwards for my FREE neighborhood and come to be a Workplace Renegade nowadays! My group and I are searching toward working with anyone soon.

How To Personalize Your LinkedIn URL

How To Personalize Your LinkedIn URL

These days it’s not just your resume that’s reviewed for your credentials and experience. LinkedIn is now a critical part of your job search as the majority of employers will look for you there.

Your LinkedIn profile is also an important tool and an important part of your job search strategy. Your LinkedIn profile may be promoted on the signature of your email address, your website, your blog, and business cards. It should also be added to your resume as an additional resource employers can go to in order to scope out your experience, knowledge, skills, and connections.

6 Steps To Personalizing Your LinkedIn URL

One of the most important things you can do for job search success is personalize your LinkedIn URL. By default, when you set up your profile on LinkedIn, you are given a URL for your public profile that may look like this:

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/firstname-lastname/23654

This URL above is a temporary LinkedIn ID. A temporary LinkedIn ID typically has /pub/ and numbers that follow it. Personalize your LinkedIn URL to something that is more memorable.

For instance:

www.linkedin.com/in/don-goodman-job-expert/

Changing your default public profile URL to a personalized one is simple and takes only a few clicks of a button.

Here are the easy steps you can take to personalize your LinkedIn URL:

  1. Sign in to LinkedIn and click “View Profile.”
  2. Click the edit icon to edit your intro.
  3. Scroll down to the contact info section. Click on “Edit contact info” and then click on your profile URL. You’ll be redirected to the settings page where you can change your public profile.
  4. Click the edit icon next to your public profile URL (under “Edit your custom URL”).
  5. In the text box, edit the last part of your public URL.
  6. Click “Save.”

You now have a personalized LinkedIn URL that can be used to further promote your experience, knowledge, and skills for job opportunities!

Your new personalized LinkedIn URL should be your name or some variant related to your profession or field of work. If you have a common name, then try to add something that defines you. In my case, there are a number of Don Goodmans so I use “don-goodman-job-expert.”

Keep in mind when creating your personalized LinkedIn URL to make it something timeless. You know using your name is a safe bet and you likely won’t have to make changes to it in the future. While you are allowed to change your URL at any time, LinkedIn will not redirect anyone clicking on an old URL you have created previously.

Creating a personalized LinkedIn URL allows you to enhance your personal brand. It is particularly helpful to use on your resume. Resumes have limitations on the type and depth of information you can offer, so when you can include your LinkedIn URL, employers have the opportunity to learn much more about you through recommendations received, skills and expertise, endorsements, and other information that’s available on your LinkedIn profile!

Need more help optimizing your LinkedIn profile?

We’d love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you optimize your LinkedIn profile—the right way.

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How To Answer 7 Of The Most Common Interview Questions

How To Answer 7 Of The Most Common Interview Questions

Interview questions are not as straightforward as they seem, and answering just one question incorrectly may put you out of the running for a job.

The takeaway? Be ready to read between the lines.

Here are seven of the most common interview questions, what the hiring manager is really asking, and how you should respond:

1. “Tell Me About Yourself.”

What the hiring manager is really asking…

“How does your education, work history, and professional aspirations relate to this position?”

How to respond: Select key work and education information that shows the hiring manager why you are a perfect fit for the job and for the company.

For example, a recent grad might say something like, “I went to X University where I majored in Y and completed an internship at Z Company. During my internship, I did this and that (name achievements that match the job description), which really solidified my passion for this line of work.”

2. “Where Do You See Yourself In 5 Years?”

Hiring manager asks the job candidate an interview question

What the hiring manager is really asking…

“Does this position fit into your long-term career goals? Do you even have long-term career goals?”

How to respond: Do NOT say you don’t know (even if you don’t) and do not focus on your personal life (it’s nice that you want to get married, but it’s not relevant). Show the employer you’ve thought about your career path and that your professional goals align with the job.

3. “What’s Your Greatest Weakness?”

Man listens to an interview question

What the hiring manager is really asking…

“Are you self-aware? Do you know where you could stand to improve and are you proactive about getting better?”

How to respond: A good way to answer this is with real-life feedback that you received in the past. For instance, maybe a former boss told you that you needed to work on your presentation skills.

Note that fact, then tell the employer how you’ve been proactively improving. Avoid any deal breakers (“I don’t like working with other people.”) or cliché answers (“I’m a perfectionist and I work too hard.”).

4. “What Motivates You To Perform?”

Woman listens to a question during her job interview

What the hiring manager is really asking…

“Are you a hard worker? Am I going to have to force you to produce quality work?”

How to respond: Ideal employees are intrinsically motivated, so tell the hiring manager that you find motivation when working toward a goal, contributing to a team effort, and/or developing your skills. Provide a specific example that supports your response.

Finally, even if it’s true, do not tell an employer that you’re motivated by bragging rights, material things, or the fear of being disciplined.

5. “Tell Me About A Time That You Failed.”

Woman smiles before answering an interview question

What the hiring manager is really asking…

“How do you respond to failure? Do you learn from your mistakes? Are you resilient?”

How to respond: Similar to the “greatest weakness” question, you need to demonstrate how you’ve turned a negative experience into a learning experience.

To do this, acknowledge one of your failures, take responsibility for it, and explain how you improved as a result. Don’t say you’ve never failed (Delusional much?), don’t play the blame game, and don’t bring up something that’s a deal-breaker (“I failed a drug test once…”).

6. “Why Do You Want To Work Here?”

Woman shakes hands with the hiring manager during a job interview

What the hiring manager is really asking…

“Are you genuinely interested in the job? Are you a good fit for the company?”

How to respond: Your goal for this response is to demonstrate why you and the company are a great match in terms of philosophy and skill. Discuss what you’ve learned about them, noting how you align with their mission, company culture, and reputation.

Next, highlight how you would benefit professionally from the job and how the company would benefit professionally from you.

7. “How Many Couches Are There In America”

Man answers an interview question

What the hiring manager is really asking…

“Can you think on your feet? Can you handle pressure? Can you think critically?”

How to respond: When faced with a seemingly absurd question like this one, it’s important you’re not caught off guard.

Resist the urge to tell the interviewer the question is stupid and irrelevant, and instead walk them through your problem-solving thought process. For this particular question, you would talk about how many people are in the U.S., where couches are found (homes, hotels, furniture stores), etc.

As with other parts of the job application process, it’s a good idea to solicit feedback from family, friends, and former colleagues. Try out your answers to each of these questions with at least two people, then revise based on their feedback.

The importance of preparation before an interview cannot be stressed enough. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll be. If you successfully answer the most common interview questions, you’ll be sure to stand out to employers as a great candidate for the position.

Need more help preparing for your next job interview?

We’d love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you prepare for your next job interview.

It’s time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

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Quick Tip: Use ‘Dear Hiring Team’ On Your Cover Letter

Quick Tip: Use ‘Dear Hiring Team’ On Your Cover Letter

You’ve always been told that you shouldn’t write, “To Whom It May Concern,” on your cover letter. But what should you do when you don’t have the name of the hiring manager?

First, Track Down The Name

Obviously, it’s ideal to use the hiring manager’s name in your cover letter. So, the first thing you should do is try to track down the hiring manager’s name online (i.e. the company website, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.).

You can also call up the company directly to ask for the name. Simply call up the company and say, “Hi, my name is ____ and I’m applying for a position at your company. Would it be possible for me to get the name of the hiring manager so I can address him or her in my cover letter?”

If All Fails, Use ‘Dear Hiring Team’

Man looks at his cover letter while on his laptop

If the hiring manager’s name is nowhere to be found and the company is unwilling to give you his or her name, you should use “Dear Hiring Team” in your cover letter salutation. By addressing your cover letter to the hiring team, you increase your chances of getting it in front of the right pair of eyes.

Why Can’t You Use Someone Else’s Name?

Woman reads her cover letter on her laptop

But what if you know the name of someone else (not involved with hiring) who works at the company? Can you just address it to them instead?

Absolutely not!

“That person may not be the person that’s hiring, and they could easily throw [your cover letter] in the trash,” says J.T. O’Donnell, founder and CEO of Work It Daily. “You don’t know if they’re going to forward it to the right person or not. You DO NOT want to risk that.”

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We’d love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you write a cover letter—the right way.

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Why This Type Of Job Search Never Works

Why This Type Of Job Search Never Works

I hear stories all the time about job seekers applying for almost every job they come across in their job search. My advice? Stop. Here’s why…

That type of job search doesn’t work.

The “Spray & Pray” Job Search Method Isn’t Effective

@j.t.odonnell why this type of job search never works… @j.t.odonnell @workitdaily #learnontiktok #careertiktok #edutok #jobsearch #jobtips #jobapplication #careerhacks #careeradvice ♬ original sound – J.T. O’Donnell

In order to actually find a job that’s a good match for you, you need to stop applying online to random, out-of-state jobs that you’re not exactly qualified for. If you do this in your job search, you’re basically not looking for work at all.

And I know that’s hard to hear.

We think we have all this experience—that employers will look at us and think, “Oh, this person would be a great fit for the job.” That’s not how it works.

First, if you’re not in state, they’re thinking, “When will I interview you?” Second, if you don’t have the exact experience, they’re thinking, “I don’t have time to train you. I’m already far behind.”

Employers want to hire the exact match for the job. That’s why you’re not getting any responses.

Now, all hope isn’t lost. You just have to learn something called a proactive job search, which is a more strategic job search than the “apply for every job” type of job search (I call it the “spray & pray” method). Think of yourself as a job shopper instead, which is actually a lot more fun and effective.

If you want to learn how to conduct a proactive job search, check out my FREE community. It’s a safe place where professionals like you are learning how to become empowered in their careers so they can finally find career happiness and satisfaction. More importantly, I have tons of resources inside this community that can help you find a job—fast!

Whatever you do, please stop the insanity of blindly applying for jobs. It’s not doing you any favors. All it’s doing is frustrating you. And you don’t deserve that.

Sign up for my FREE community and become a Workplace Renegade today! My team and I are looking forward to working with you soon.

6 Punctuation Tips For A Sexier Resume

6 Punctuation Tips For A Sexier Resume

You want a resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile that presents you in the best possible light. With all of the emphasis on loading your documents with keywords, accomplishments, and metrics that make the case for you being the perfect fit for the position you’re after, have you overlooked proper punctuation?

Some might wonder what the big deal is about punctuation. Surely if you start your sentences with a capital letter and end them with a period, that’s all you need to worry about, right?

Unfortunately not.

The text in resumes is often so packed with information that seemingly inconsequential punctuation missteps can distort your meaning, or worse: cause the hiring manager to pause in confusion.

That pause is bad news for you: it may make the recruiter see you as a less-than-attractive candidate, questioning your ability to communicate or pay attention to details, both highly valued skills in today’s workplace. Just as a modern spouse becomes more alluring to a partner by doing the dishes and laundry, using proper punctuation makes you downright sexy to a hiring manager.

Both efforts make lives easier for the people who are important to you, so go the extra mile by following these important rules (and do the dishes):

1. Capitalization

In addition to appearing at the beginning of sentences and in section headings, capital letters also signify important words. But using too many “important words” in your documents slows the reader down or seems pretentious.

For example, I sometimes see text like this in resumes: “Expertise in Human Resources, Training, and Recruiting”

Try: “Expertise in human resources, training, recruiting” instead.

Other than proper names like your own name or the names of products, you will rarely need to capitalize words that don’t appear at the beginning of a line or sentence. You’ll also want to capitalize your own job title above each position listed on your resume.

However, if you reference someone else’s job title in your career documents, the general rule is that it is only capitalized when the person’s name follows (Vice President Joe Smith)—not when merely referring to the position (as in “reporting to the vice president”).

Of course, every rule tends to have its exceptions, and there are a few for capitalization. However, these are good to start with.

2. Hyphens

Man holds a resume with good punctuation

Use hyphens for compound adjectives that precede a noun, such as “client-focused approach” or “full-time employees.” And if you have two adjectives that modify the same base word, use a hyphen after the first, as in “mid- and senior-level management.”

Do not use a hyphen in a compound adjective if the first word ends in -ly, as in “highly qualified candidate.”

3. Semicolons

Women reads a resume with good punctuation

Semicolons can either separate two independent clauses when the second clause is not directly related to the first, or they can be useful when you want to list items that already include a comma.

For example, “Proficient in software including Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint; CorelDRAW; and Adobe Photoshop.”

4. Colons

Hiring managers discuss a job candidate with a well-written resume

Colons are used to join two independent clauses when the second clause is directly related to the first.

The most common usage in resumes is for lists, as in “Proficient in the following software: MS Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.”

5. Commas

Job seeker smiles as two hiring managers read her well-written resume

There’s fierce debate between those who advocate using serial, or Oxford, commas (putting a comma before the final “and” in a series) and those who don’t.

The best practice for resumes is to use serial commas, as they can really make your career documents easier to understand.

This is especially true when you list series of items where two things may be grouped together (think: sales and marketing). But even sentence construction like “Facilitate mock interviews, identify position and tailor interview questions” may cause the reader to stumble.

At first read, it may sound like the candidate is responsible for identifying a position and identifying someone who tailors clothes! So, my advice is to avoid ambiguity by always using serial commas in career documents, especially in resumes.

6. Spaces After A Period

Recruiter holds a resume with good punctuation

The current convention is to use one space after a period, not two. The same goes for colons.

I know, I know.

If you grew up learning to type on an IBM Selectric, back in the Stone Age like I did, this is a hard habit to break. But, if you keep using two spaces, you’ll look as antiquated as the typewriter.

Trust me, knowing these six punctuation tips will make you a real turn-on to an employer.

Now that you’ve reviewed some of the resume punctuation rules that you’ll want to be aware of, I’ll share the most important rule of all: however you choose to use punctuation throughout your career documents, do it consistently!

Even more jarring than not following proper punctuation rules is following them only some of the time.

Need more help writing your resume?

We’d love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you write your resume—the right way.

It’s time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.