Identifying a few folks who will speak on your behalf, and then listing their names on a sheet of paper seems like a simple enough task.  When your list is complete, voila', you have a reference list to be given out to prospective employers.      Right? . . . . .  Wrong! Compiling your reference list, called an Annotated Reference List, is anything but simple.  Just

Referrals open doors.  References get you invited in! References are golden.  Treat then like the gold they are!  In an article entitled Referrals are Golden – Handle with Care I noted that referrals can open doors that might not be opened any other way.  Once opened, references can get you invited in! References should be handled with care.  Names and phone numbers

When asked for references, most job seekers just plunk down a list with a few names, e-mail addresses, and phone numbers on it. It meets the request, but it's nothing special.   It certainly doesn't make a job seeker stand out from the crowd.  Stand out from the Crowd! But, you can stand out from the crowd by supplying an Annotated Reference List whenever you're asked for references. 

Looking for a job is all about sales  –  You know that by now, if you have been looking through the articles, tips and tools offered via our AJC – Career Strategy website.  And you know that sales is a very action-oriented profession.  To make a sale, the smart sales person knows that every action they take, and every activity they engage in, should count toward moving them

To Vacation or Not to Vacation ? . . . . .  That is a question that frequently comes up during a lengthy job search.   If you do decide to take time away from your search, be smart about it!  Generally, I advise job seekers to post pone taking a vacation or time away from their search if at all possible.  Why?   A job seeker runs a real risk to the productiveness

To Vacation or Not to Vacation ? . . . . .  That is a question that frequently comes up during a lengthy job search.  It can be a challenge to keep your search moving forward when the people you need to meet and network with are unavailable.  People in the companies you want to meet are on vacation.  That interview you’ve been patiently waiting for is delayed by a vacationing

To vacation or not to vacation ?  . . . . . That is the question that frequently comes up during a lengthy job search.  It's summer-time, and people take vacations --     - People in companies that you want to meet and network with take vacations.     - People who delay your interview by 2 or 3 weeks because they are on vacation.     

So many companies!  So many people to contact!  So many meetings to attend and network.   How do you keep it all straight?        With a plan . . . a Job Search Marketing Plan. Your marketing plan creates order out of chaos!  I have seen it happen for job seeker after job seeker.  I have watched them go from being overwhelmed to feeling in

Found it! The job I've been searching for. When it comes to finding a job, you’ve got to do the work . . . . . of finding a job! The phrase,  “finding a job is a full-time job” pretty much sums it up.  If you want to find a job today, plan to work at it like it’s your real job.  If you are lucky enough to have a job, while deciding to look for a new one, then carve out

When it comes to finding a job, being specific about what you want to do gets your further faster.The more specific you are . . .  the better. Too often I see resumes from job seekers that show a whole lot of experiences in a wide array of jobs, education, training, and accolades.  These ramble on frequently for multiple pages - 5 or 6 or more.  Or, when I ask a job seeker what they