Get Focused --- Resume and All

Jeff Bettinger — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:35:41 -0600

I attended a career fair this week. It was a great event, however candidate after candidate came to our booth completely lacking focus. They seemed to come saying. . "I'll take anything, what do you have?" This is the wrong approach. You have to act as though that company has exactly what you are looking for and that your research on the company has only increased your desire be part of their team. Here is an example:

Step Back to Step Forward

Jeff Bettinger — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:34:44 -0600

I encounter people regularly in my work that want to advance their careers dramatically. They may have experience in on field then think they can switch disciplines and hold the same rank. One example is a manager in electrical engineering, that has spent a career in aviation and now wants to switch to industrial construction. They want to keep the same rank and pay as they achieved in their previous position.

Be Prepared

Jeff Bettinger — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 08:22:30 -0600

Preparation is half of the battle when it comes to a job search.

Gaps in Employment on Resume

Jeff Bettinger — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:55:12 -0600

People ask me all of the time, "How do I deal with gaps in my employment history?" The answer is simple. .straight on.

Shopping Your Resume

Jeff Bettinger — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:04:30 -0600

Be careful of companies that promise to get your resume into the hands of hundreds or thousands of recruiters. During my professional career in a Fortune 500 company, I have watched thousands of resumes not even be looked at because they were submitted by one of these broadcast methods. They come across the recruiters desk as junk email, or fax machine as trash.

The best way to shop a resume is to put it in the hands of a trusted friend or associate with access in a targeted company. This is how most positions are filled.

Stink Pretty

Jeff Bettinger — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:39:41 -0600

Many career books tell candidates to not wear any types of colognes or perfumes. I disagree. It is more important as you prepare for an interview to be yourself. Just be cautious. Don't overdo it. Make sure you have enough to smell attractive, but not so much that you stink pretty. Most importantly know who your audience will be and make sure you wear the appropriate smell.

Increase Your Salary

Jeff Bettinger — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 18:06:14 -0700

To increase your salary it is rather simple. Increase your value to the company. This can be done through a variety of means.
• Invent a system.
• Break a longstanding record.
• Provide such a high level of service that you are recognized by upper management.
• Write an article.
• Improve a product
It is just that simple!!!

Your Degree Is Worth Something

Jeff Bettinger — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 18:04:23 -0700

Last night I worked a career fair. I had so many people that wanted a job from my company that didn’t have the most necessary thing, a degree. No matter the cost, a degree opens doors. My conversations with non-degreed people lasted 1 minute or less. For many of the degreed people the conversation turned into a job interview. Today several resumes were handed off to hiring managers and soon second interviews will happen. Why???

The price of a degree!