Career Management Alliance Blog

Career Solvers has formed a relationship with The Execu|Search Group to help expose our clients to a top-tier recruiting firm and a variety of exclusive job opportunities. All Career Solvers clients have the option of having their resumes placed in The Execu|Search Group’s applicant database where they may be considered for future openings in their field. The Execu|Search Group is a full-service recruitment, temporary/consulting and retained search firm serving the City of New York and the Tri-State area. Headquartered in New York City, they have three additional offices located in Bridgewater, New Jersey; Parsippany, New Jersey; and Purchase, New York. Continue Reading »

 

You can find many books, websites, and other guides with hundreds of sample cover letters. Use them as a starting point to help you get ideas for format and content, but don’t copy them. Write your cover letter in your own words so it has your voice and style. Take the time to research the company and convey your own enthusiasm for the job. A bland, generic cover letter says that you didn’t care enough about the position or the employer to expend any effort creating a specific and detailed letter. Continue Reading »

 

“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 »

 

I've been working in the career management industry for over 12 years now. During that time, I've met on a one-on-one basis with thousands of job seekers and I've facilitated a number of groups. I love helping people with job search; I've forged a career in it. But very few of my clients or the members of my MeetUp group, the NYC Job Seekers, enjoy the process as much as I do. The truth of the matter is this: For most job seekers--and those who have been laid off or left a job in a way that wasn't of their choosing is painful. It's like being a cat and being forced to take a bath. Or going back to middle school and reliving feelings of adolescent insecurity. Or waiting by the phone and wishing for it to ring. It isn't fun. Continue Reading »

 

Cammie writes: I’m relocating about a thousand miles away, and your article on cover letter FAQs is absolutely great! Just wanted to thank you. I followed all of your tips on cover letters to a T. I’m looking to fill a waitressing postion in Portland, OR. If you have any advice on how to land restaurant jobs, specifically key qualities they look for, that’d be greatly appreciated. Continue Reading »

 

Anyone can type a page or two and call it a resume. To write an effective executive resume, you need to be much more than a typist; you need to be strategic. When it comes to writing resumes, strategy is not about:

• Following the pack just because they say that something “should be done a certain way.”
• Copying a resume template or sample just because “it already exists.”
• Following primitive formulas indiscriminately because that’s “how it’s always been done.”
• Using one specific technique because that is how “everyone else does it.”

There is nobody on earth like you. You have a unique blend of experience, skills, and accomplishments. Nobody else has exactly what you have to offer. Therefore your executive resume must be different from the rest in order to sell you effectively. Continue Reading »

 

There’s a discussion I think we need to have that I haven’t seen elsewhere. I’ve been thinking about this for the last year or so, as the job market has gotten worse. The pink elephant seems to be those who are discriminated against for their age – specifically, the older worker (we can talk about age discrimination for younger workers in a separate post). Let’s assume a couple of things:

1. The economy, and the job market, are in the crapper.  Regardless of what strategies and tactics you employ, some of you just won’t find a job. Period.
2. Older people (what’s the age cutoff?  40?  50?  60?  Or is it a matter of wrinkles and gray(ing) hair?) are passed over for jobs for various reasons.

Put these two together and it can be beyond discouraging. Continue Reading »

 

 

The Department of Energy has awarded $122 million over five years to a team from Pennsylvania State University to study technologies that will make buildings more energy efficient.  Nearly 40% of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions are from buildings. Better building design is the goal of the researchers at this Energy Innovation Hub. Kior, a biofules company has secured a $75 million loan to build five plants in Mississippi that will convert wood chips to a substance similar to petroleum that can be refined like petroleum.  Three of the plants are expected to be built in the next three years.  Kior is headquartered in Pasadena, TX. Continue Reading »

 

Kathryn H. was referred to Great Clips by FranNet’s Mike Martin of Toronto. Mike helped Kathryn determine that Great Clips was the best fit for her to achieve her business and financial goals.  Kathryn and her husband Ray have a lot to smile about.  Kathryn’s been in the pharmaceutical world managing and leading groups with expertise while Ray has been keeping the neighborhood smiling, one tooth at a time, in his dental practice. With three grown sons, Kathryn and Ray needed something else to sink their teeth into- to bring their managerial experience to the table and achieve their long-term business goals. After exploring their options they realized Great Clips allows them to continue their current careers and permits them to grow at their own pace.  Kathryn’s goal is to open 6-10 salons in the next 5-8 years, and she already signed up for three! We anticipate Kathryn and Ray’s smiles will be even bigger after their salon goals are met.   Continue Reading »