Career Coaching & Career Advice Blog

 

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Should You Customize Your Cover Letters?

It depends. In some cases, you can write a general cover letter and use it more than once. However, effective customization leads to more job search success.

What is the purpose of a cover letter?

It informs the employer of the kind of work you want to do, and how you are qualified for a specific position. It also provides that all-important context that a resume cannot achieve. Your resume should never travel alone.

If you look at this definition, you can see that describing how you are qualified …

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Why Shouldn't They Hire You?

Here is a good question: Why shouldn’t they hire you? You are rightfully focused on developing a strong personal value proposition when you are in job search mode and have identified opportunities. If you want to strengthen your preparation, ask yourself why the company SHOULDN’T hire you.

  • What are the gaps in experience, skills or knowledge?

  • Is there a fit problem?

  • Has your presentation been weak in some way?

  • Is the competition likely strong?

Apply yourself to honestly answering these questions and…

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Are you fresh?

seedlings in tray

When it comes to job search and recruitment, there’s a secret in the hiring market. While you don’t have an expiry date, from the perspective of recruiters, there is such a thing as candidate “freshness.” By fresh I mean the degree to which the person reviewing your resume, talking to you on Zoom, or interviewing you considers you a hot commodity. That is, a candidate who is a great catch. There is an implicit bias for candidates new to the market vs. those who’ve been job searching longer.

This …

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First job offer not your first choice?

My latest Monster article First Offer Not Your First Choice deals with that all too common job search problem. If your first job offer isn't your first choice...when to take it -- and when to walk away.

When you're unemployed, unhappily employed or eager to change careers, jumping at the first offer you get -- even if it isn't quite what you want -- can be tempting. So should you?

While an offer can give you a sense of security, that feeling can quickly vanish if the position just isn't right for …

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My Mom said get your foot in the door...

You know, there isn’t a lot of room these days for the old-fashioned door-knocking job search and sales method. Or is there?

I have a client who, in his past, won his 2 jobs simply by showing up at reception and asking to speak to someone. They didn’t offer him a job then and there, obviously, but he got his foot in the door.

Currently (as I write this), he is interviewing at a company with the perfect job for him - simply because he did a bit of homework, and showed up at their office. He …

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