CPACareerCoach.com

Are you making silly mistakes in the interview? There is nothing worse then having a bad interview and blowing your chances for a job you really want. It is true that we all learn from bad job interviews and grow from them.

At the same time, we should be striving to get better with each interview. The truth is you are a professional at what you do and probably have no desire to be a professional interviewee. I get that and understand it completely. That is why this blog is dedicated to the most straightforward talk when it comes to job searching. I will not leave anything out.

Continue Reading

I had someone email me recently asking this question so I thought I would take a minute and try to explain to you what the  Job Search Mastermind Program is all about.  Job Search Mastermind is an 18-week online course that teaches all of the tips, strategies and techniques that I use as an Executive Recruiter to uncover positions on a regular basis.

The entire course is divided into 8 modules which are:

Module 1 : Your Job Search Game Plan

Module 2 : The NetworkTree System (Networking Best Practices)

Module 3 : The ResumeEdge System

Continue Reading

If you have been following along on my blog over the last few weeks, then you will have realized that I have been revealing the same secrets I, as an Executive Recruiter, use every day to uncover hidden positions .

You see, not too long ago it hit me:

I am a full time Job Searcher!

In other words, when I walk into the office each day, one of my main goals is to use the resources and strategies that are at my fingertips to find jobs to work on! These same tips and strategies can work for you as you go through your job search.

Continue Reading

I want to share with you in a video some specific examples on how you can benefit from having a Linkedin account. I believe Linkedin is one of the best online networking tools that you can use.

Watch this video as I show you step by step a few ways you can get your name out there and have jobs find you. Linkedin has over 35 million+ users and growing every day. There are some specific actions that you can take on Linkedin that will work for you days after you take the action.

Continue Reading

I have been working behind the scenes over the last few weeks. My goal is to give you as much useful information as possible when it comes to performing a job search. I have been an Executive Recruiter for the past 7 years and have learned some of the best tips & strategies when it comes to interviewing, networking, resume writing, negotiating salaries, etc.

Continue Reading

Many candidates fail in the interview process because they walked in unprepared. As an Executive Recruiter I have seen it happen time and time again. They had all the experience that the hiring company was looking but they failed to deliver in the interview. Here is the big question:

How do you handle unusual interview questions?

Here are some great examples:

If you were a fruit, what kind of fruit would you be?
If you were a peice of furniture, what kind of furniture would you be?
If you were a famous person, who would you be?

Not only those off the wall questions, but I have seen many people fail at the common questions as well.

Tell me about yourself?
What are your weaknesses?
Why do you want to work for us?

I am going to share with you what I call the “InterviewEdge Mindset.” I could go through each possible question and give you a rehearsed answer that you could use, but better then that I want you to develop the proper mindset. having the proper mindset will allow you to overcome even the wackiest interview question.

Here are the four principled questions that you must answer in order to nail the interview:

Continue Reading

Do you know the basics of networking? Even if you are not a social person you can work this basic game plan that I am about to give you.

Ever been to the circus? Remember the spinning plates? Well, networking is a lot like those spinning plates. You need to do a little bit of all of it in order to keep things going in a positive direction. Today I want to give you some basics of networking and how you can apply that to doing a job search on Linkedin. I am going to list for you six strategies that you can use on a regular basis to get the word out on Linkedin that you are looking for your next position.

Here is the game plan that I recommend (the spinning plates):

1. Use the Status Bar on a Regular Basis

If you are familiar with Facebook or Twitter then you know what the status bar is. It is located on your profile page and it is under your name it says:
“Jonathan is…..”

Continue Reading

We have been discussing on this blog on how to utilize Linkedin for your career. You can use these techniques I share with you to grow your connections fast on Linkedin. If you are new to Linkedin and would like access to my network you are welcomed to send me an invite. My profile can be found here:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/JonathanMilligan

These last two techniques that I am about to share with you will grow your network fast. You will be at 500+ connections on Linkedin within weeks if not days. Now I am sure you are asking the question: “Why do I want to be connected to so many people and possible even people that I do not know?” Well, I cover this in more detail in my book (you can gain free access to it on the right), but basically you must remember Networking 101.

The six degrees of separation does exist. You are just a connection or two away from someone who can solve the problem you are now facing. Alright, now let’s get right into reason #3 and #4.

Continue Reading

I am going to share with you how you can get “super-connected” quickly and easily on Linkedin. Why is this important? Well, just like in real life…sometimes it is all in who you know. Once you are connected with someone on LinkedIn you are able to view up to 3 levels down from them. For those that are in your first group you can send email and communicate with them more easily.

In the 2nd and 3rd levels, you will need an introduction from someone in your 1st level or let me give you two tricks of the trade:

Tip #1: Call the contact directly.

If someone is at the 2nd or 3rd level, you can still view their name, title, and company they work for. For example, if someone has Sally Smith, Director of Human Resources at ACME Company in their network. You can simply call them up by name and tell them who you are and that you wanted to introduce yourself. Also take a minute to brag about the company and that you would like to get your info to her and see if there are any potential opportunities.

Tip #2: Email the contact directly at work.

Most of the time an email address is not going to be visible to you. By doing a little research you can usually find out the email pattern of any company online. Do a quick Google search and you will find the pattern.
Here is a sample email script that I would send (you can always come up with your own as well).

Continue Reading

Linkedin is fast becoming the top social media side for workplace professionals. There are now some 40 million+ professionals that are signed up on Linkedin. Every Fortune 500 Corporation has Executive on Linkedin. it can be used for many purposes such as: growing a network, growing and expanding your customer base, learning the latest trends, being recognized as an expert in a niche by answering  questions, etc. I am going to focus on how you can tap into the hidden job network on Linkedin. Companies and Recruiters on using Linkedin to find candidates for the positions they are trying to hire. Best of all, it is free to join.

After joining Linkedin, the first thing you need to do is fill out your profile as much as possible. I am going to share with you what I believe to be the top 3 tips for optimizing your profile on Linkedin. By implementing these 3 tips you will greatly increase the possibilities of the hidden job network on Linkedin finding you. Here are my 3 top profile tips!

Continue Reading

This last weekend my brother-in-law invited our family down to Crystal Lake in Keystone Heights to spend the day at the lake house to do some fishing and boating. I told my wife that I really wanted to spend most of Saturday working out of my home office because the market is tight and competition is tough. You have to work twice as hard in order to get the same result in this marketplace.

Well, Saturday morning my wife broke it to the kids that I

Continue Reading

As an admin, a big part of your job is to collaborate effectively with others. That’s tough to do if your colleagues and supervisors find you irritating. And it’s easier than you might think to rub people the wrong way, even when you’re sitting at your desk minding your own business.

Jen Star of The Jennifer Group, a New York City-based recruiting firm that specializes in placing and maintaining support staff, cites 10 surefire ways to become a workplace annoyance:

Continue Reading