Career Management Alliance Blog

“Do you know anyone who’s hiring?” Did that sentence make you cringe just now? If so, it’s OK. That phrase creates the same reaction in nearly every person who hears it. Here are a few reasons why:

1. They do not know anyone who’s hiring.
2. They don’t really know what you do for a living.
3. They have no idea if you could do the job they do know about.
4. They did hear that the fast food chain down the street was hiring, but they figure it’s not the job you want.

And finally, they’re too busy to help, if they could. Continue Reading »

Comments Off

Sarah writes: I know I need to step up my networking efforts in my job search, but I’m afraid of making the wrong move an offending people. Can you offer some basic networking guidelines?

---

The Career Doctor responds: Absolutely. Networking is largely a matter of common sense and common courtesy. Here are five things to keep in mind:

1. Don’t ask your network contacts for a job instead of asking them for advice and referrals. No one wants to be put on the spot and asked for a job, but most people are flattered to be asked for advice. Continue Reading »

Comments Off

Powwow: A Network for Women Making a Difference is kicking off the fall with its first event, one of their energetic, friendly, and fun networking events. Come meet other amazing women in the field of nonprofit and philanthropy to share your ideas and current projects, find a job, find someone to hire for your open position, launch your new innovative nonprofit and broaden your "old girls" network. They also welcome students and career changers who want to break into the field! Here are the details: Continue Reading »

Comments Off

If there were still any doubts about networking being a critical element in executive job search, statistics gathered recently by ExecuNet (an outstanding private executive networking organization) should quell them. ExecuNet conducted a survey of 697 search firms and HR professionals that revealed only 22% of $200K+ positions are now posted on job boards or corporate websites. (The figures were Continue Reading »

Comments Off

Whether Networking, Interviewing for a Job or Meeting New Colleagues for the First Time, here are Some Things to Keep in Mind that will Make a Good First Impression

There are many strategies to keep in mind to “make a good impression” upon first contact. These items are also some of the main things interviewers are looking for in a candidate: Continue Reading »

Comments Off

The National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) is recruiting volunteers to critique résumés, conduct mock interviews and provide career coaching at 2010 Annual Conference and Career Expo Career Management Center. The event will be held from October 21 - 23 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. Continue Reading »

Comments Off

Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction. - John C. Crosby

National Mentoring Month was founded in January, 2001 by the Harvard Mentoring Project, in collaboration with MENTOR and a strong network of corporate, government, educational, non-profit, and media partnerships, to heighten awareness of the importance of mentoring, and to encourage individuals to become mentors. The initiative focuses attention on importance of mentors in the lives of youth and individuals in the early stages of their careers. Many corporations have adapted this program to serve employees at all stages of their careers. (And yes, it is now a Hallmark holiday). Continue Reading »

Comments Off

Despite all the information available about “netiquette” and the importance of networking strategically online, I continue to get dozens of  mystery online networking requests. Sometimes the connection is as weak as being a member of the same group (with 50,000 other members) or as bizarre as asking for a face-to-face meeting based on the fact that we reside in the same city. Continue Reading »

Comments Off

What do the following acts have in common?

• Hand-crocheted baby blankets as congratulations for new parents.
• Sent information interviewing and interview prep handouts, at no charge, to complete strangers.
• Took pictures, made reprints, burned CDs or created movies and forwarded to friends and family after parties, showers and gatherings.
• Emailed federal resume writer referral information to callers.
• Emailed pet sitting information – 17 forms and contracts, along with website links and book titles – to several individuals wanting to start their own business. (I ran a successful pet sitting business for seven years.)
• Gave birthday and Christmas gifts to friends and family.
• Introduced people who could benefit from knowing each.
• Forwarded links and articles of interest to help with or enhance a specific piece of business or personal life.
• Did minor edits and revisions to documents at no charge for clients, long after project completion.

Do you give up? Here it is: Continue Reading »

Comments Off

Aaron writes: I understand the concept of informational interviewing, but here’s my dilemma: Since you are not supposed to ask for a job in that setting, what can I say or ask to plant a seed in the interviewee’s head that I’d like to be considered for a position at that company? Also, how can get solid help from contacts in other networking situations? Continue Reading »

Comments Off