Moving from Temp to Perm

1. Do your best at the job you are assigned to.  Although you may want to move up in the organization, if you focus too much of your time and effort on networking with higher-up people, there’s a chance you might neglect the job they hired you for.  First and foremost, focus on doing your … Continue reading →

State Government Hiring: Interview with HR at the State of Maryland

Interview with Scott Jay Regner, Human Resources Analyst Supervisor, Department of Budget and Management, Office Of Personnel Services, Recruitment and Examination Division, Technology Services Unit, State of Maryland. Many thanks, Scott! 1. I know state governments have been hit hard by the recession. How has hiring been reduced? Have there been layoffs or furloughs? Yes, hiring has been reduced over the … Continue reading →

Local Hiring: City of Eden Prairie, MN

Interview with Karen Kurt, Human Resources Manager, City of Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Eden Prairie was just ranked number 1 on MONEY magazine’s 2010 list of the 100 “Best Places to Live” in America. 1. I know local governments have been hit hard by the recession. How has hiring been reduced? Have there been layoffs or … Continue reading →

A tale of two job-seekers

I recently spoke about my book Jobs That Matter at a major career networking event with over 400 participants, and made connections with probably 50 different people. I was struck by two of the people I met, both job-seekers but completely opposite in their attitudes. The first person, a woman who had years of experience … Continue reading →

How I got my book deal and wrote my book

So, one of the main questions I’ve gotten lately has been, “How did you get your book deal?” or “Why did you write your book?” and especially “How did you find time to write your book?” There are many parallels between getting a book contract and getting a job, so I thought I’d share what … Continue reading →

Follow-up during the job search

The art of follow-up is an essential one to master during the job search process.  There are at least three points at which it’s important to follow up with hiring managers during your job search: 1. When you apply for a job, it’s worth following up within 3-7 days after you apply to show your … Continue reading →

Overcoming the stigma of unemployment

Even though the recession has been going on since October 2008, there are still recruiters who make negative assumptions about candidates who are unemployed—especially those who have been unemployed for a year or more.  Many top-quality candidates have been out of work for a long time in this economy, but how do you overcome the … Continue reading →