Archive for the 'Selling Yourself' Category

14,374 & 759,387

For those of you interested in a bit of trivia, there are approximately 14,374 businesses in the Greater Lansing area. The number for Michigan as a whole is around 759,387.  Granted, many of these businesses are small operations with 1-5 employees. I’m not suggesting all of the companies are large employers by any stretch. That […]

The Salary Game

Many job seekers believe salary negotiation is a game. There is a thought ‘he who speaks first loses.’ In truth, the loser is always the job seeker who doesn’t understand and clearly communicate his value. Discussing compensation should be about getting both parties on the same page in terms of what dollar amount is fair […]

New Car Stickers

Have you ever seen a sticker on the window of a new car? It shows a complete list of features. Those listed establish value and give an exact account of what a buyer is getting for his money. They are tangible and factual. When combined, they make the case for the price of the vehicle, […]

What If Current/Past Supervisors Wrote Your Resume?

Wouldn’t it be interesting if resumes were prepared by current and former supervisors instead of by the job seeker? What would they say about you? How different would the content be? What functions and strengths would be highlighted? What results would be showcased? I was talking about the above concept with a job seeker recently. […]

What Are You Trying To Prove

What are you trying to prove? Seriously, think about it. Are you trying to prove you’re smart? Experienced? Flexible? Well connected? Ethical? Motivated? Many times when job seekers present me with information about themselves and what they fit it feels superficial. There’s no depth to the details and assurances. I get a lot of pretty […]

Waiting For Perfect

Job seekers, don’t get caught up in waiting for perfect. Postponing reaching out to key contacts because you want the stars and planets to align themselves in a certain way before taking action is a mistake. More than likely you will find the perfect moment never materializes or that, when it does, someone else has […]

What’s Wrong With Me

Ah, Jake. Okay, not Jake, but that’s the name I’m going with for anonymity’s sake. Jake is a talented sales professional. In an industry where sales average a couple hundred bucks a pop he managed to exceed his sales quota by $2.3M big ones. Consider for a moment how many sales went into that number. […]

Don’t Tell Me That First!

Ladies and gentlemen, let me share an important nugget of wisdom with you. It’s great that you are willing to compromise in terms of employment opportunities, but don’t make a louder case for your compromises than you do for your ideal career situations when talking with networking contacts. Your loudest message is what will resonate […]

Employees Are Rentals

The downside of buying something is that it immediately starts losing value. The moment you drive that new car off the lot it has lost some of its worth. Of course, the car and the dealership don’t care. You’ve paid your money in full and are completely committed to the purchase. You as a consumer […]

The Masking Problems Myth

It’s a real head shaker to me how many job seekers believe a functional resume serves to distract potential employers from a spotty employment history. For me, the experience is the opposite. I joked in a blog some time ago about functional resumes sometimes coming off like Febreze. Febreze may smell good, but there is […]

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