Career Management Alliance Blog

A survey conducted recently for The Ladders job site of 500 executive recruiters reveals what recruiters consider to be the three greatest mistakes made by job seekers in these tough economic times:1. They are too desperate and willing to take anything.(Even if you feel desperate, make sure others cannot see it! And think twice before you take a job that does not seem right for you.)2. They are Continue Reading »

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Early last Saturday morning in The Windy City, we were walking along the beautiful shoreline of Lake Michigan, hoping to catch a glimpse of sunrise. The day was overcast and cool, though, and you could feel a hint of Fall in the air. As we sauntered along looking for a park bench, there it was, in the middle of nowhere, one little green sprout -- no bigger than a button and no taller than one inch (as shown here in the photo). The sprout had taken root in the most unlikely of places -- the sandy shores of Lake Michigan where humans and their canines gather together for outdoor enjoyment and entertainment. Continue Reading »

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A few weeks ago I was interviewed by Amy Franko, a business coach out of Ohio.  We had a very nice interview where we talked about a number of things - you can get a download of the interview (as well as a transcription) from this page (I’m #4). Some of the stuff we talk about (her audience is not job seekers, it’s entrepreneurs): Continue Reading »

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September is a time of new beginnings. The kids go back to school, fall begins, and many companies start aggressively recruiting after the slower-paced summer months. September is the perfect time to update your resume. Here are a few points to consider if you plan on updating your resume in the coming month. Continue Reading »

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If you’ve received an honorary doctorate, should you list it on your resume? There are two groups of people who generally have the right to use “Dr.” before their names - and they have all spent about 20 years or so getting educated. Continue Reading »

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Bart writes: I was fired for the first time ever. The reason they gave me was slowness in performance. I immediately started job hunting and have been looking ever since. It’s been a couple of months now and I need a job — soon! If I have been unsuccessful finding a job in my career field through these past months, should I just take any job I can get? I need to pay the bills, and I know there are lots of low-wage jobs around — and one of those would at least get me back on my feet financially. Continue Reading »

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The Department of Energy announced it is funding 25 cost-share projects as part of the Clean Cities Program with $300 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  The projects are automotive energy efficiency, alternative fuels for transportation and establishing refueling stations for alternative energy. Continue Reading »

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I had them all along. I knew I did too. I had the right tools to conquer the weeds in my garden. The most important tool was the pitchfork and second came the gloves. The combination was a winner. But I knew I had them. The gloves I used a lot. But alone the gloves weren’t enough. I could pull out weeds but they broke off and the roots were still in the ground. But I never used the pitchfork. It was around the corner in the garage. It wasn’t hard to put the door up and it wasn’t hiding. It just wasn’t convenient. Today, I went and got the pitchfork and put on the gloves and the weeds that had broken off and stuck in the ground stubbornly before popped right out. I worked for an hour and cleared a whole section, just like that! I had the right tools. And I knew I had them all along. But I didn’t take the effort to use them. Continue Reading »

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Worried about confidentiality when you post your resume online? There certainly is validity to wanting to be discreet about job-hunting when you are currently employed. You wouldn’t want your current employer to do a search for a position and get your resume from one of these job sites. The good news is that many job boards offer you a confidentiality option — thus your resume is still out there getting viewed, but you control who actually knows it is your resume. Continue Reading »

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Ron writes: I have been floundering all my life but manage to get jobs that help pay rent/mortgage which are not my passion. I graduated with a painting degree and ever since all the jobs I have held have been dead-end positions. I have been receptionist, sales/customer service and now a sales specialist selling catalog furniture over the phone. I am sick of sales and phones but don’t know how to pursue my talents of art, painting, design, color while still paying my mortgage. What do you advise? Continue Reading »

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