Did you know that 85% of available jobs are never advertised? Yes, it’s true. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 15% of today’s career opportunities ever make it to the job boards. And – when they do get advertised, the competition is fierce. So why do so many job seekers spend so much time searching job boards for work? My guess is that it is the path of least resistance. It is easier to sit back and wait...

As a job seeker, it is important to look not only at the role you will be playing, but where you will be playing it. You don’t want to land in the wrong sandbox.The importance of a good cultural fit and positive office environment should not be treated as the step child. Accepting a job within an organization that is not aligned with your style can turn into a nightmare. (Think Cinderella’s coach turning back into a pumpkin...

Dear Deb,Q. I have been looking at résumé samples on the internet and many of them have Objectives. I was told that Objectives are no longer used on résumés. Now I am confused. Is it true that Career Objectives are history? - D.P, Los Angeles, CAA. While there are times that a candidate will want to convey specific information about what he is seeking in a job, it is definitely better to keep the focus on what the company...

Dear Deb,Q. I was fired from my last job because of a conflict I had with the manager. He did something that I felt was unethical. When I found out, I went over his head and told his superior. He was able to twist the situation and next thing you know, I got the boot. I have decided not to take the company to court; but I was wondering what your thoughts are on how to best explain this during an interview.J.D, Houston, TXA...

Today our Résumé Help reviews the résumé of a candidate in the Information Technology space. George is a strong candidate; and some of the information on his résumé is quite compelling. George has overused bullets throughout the document. This detracts from the readability. Most hiring managers and recruiters will skip bullets beyond a certain point.George also uses the first person, which is not appropriate for a résumé....

Today we are showcasing the résumé of candidate who does not have a clear path in terms of his work history. He included a summary, which I omitted so we can focus on the Experience section of his résumé. He neglected to create a concise headline and the summary he has written does not steer the reader in any specific direction. As a result, I am left wondering what this candidate is interested in doing.He put his Education...

I recently conducted a poll on LinkedIn which asked, “If you could change your current career path and reinvent yourself, would you?” 63% of the respondents said yes. We reposted the article on the LinkedIn Group ‘Jobs Openings, Job Leads, and Job Connections’ and there was a huge outpouring of comments. Clearly this issue resonates with people. What the poll results tell me is that many people would like the opportunity...

What does your brand say about you? Are you famous or infamous? Are you sought out for projects or are you the last one picked? Is your professional image not quite what you had hoped or expected at this stage of your career? Even if you don’t think your brand is good – take heart – it isn’t too late. You can always begin anew with the brand new “YOU.” Your income and opportunity for advancement may depend on it. In order...

Q. I wanted to ask a quick question. I came across an article that was posted via LinkedIn, which contradicted some of the things you recently taught us at a webinar I attended. The author of the article said to keep the font size no smaller than 11 pt and also mentioned that a results oriented résumé with lots of action verbs is useless.R.T., Phoenix, AZDear R.T.A. Thank you for your excellent question R.T. and for sharing...

Dear Deb,Q. Ever since your team revised my résumé and LinkedIn profile I have to say I have been getting much more activity. Here is the problem: I still have not received a job offer. For some reason I keep getting passed up when it comes to the actual offers. They aren’t even calling me back for second interviews. What do you think could be going on? Is there something I can do? I am at a loss and am getting very dis...