Job Advice Blog

Your ability to control whether or not you like your boss is small at best- however, that does not mean that you cannot make your boss like you. When push comes to shove it is not all that important for you to like your higher ups, but how much they like you can (and will) drastically affect your career. This is why we are going to look at some ways to woo your bosses and ensure that they have kind words to say about you.

The ideal apology expresses 6 different sentiments, which is why “sorry” doesn’t cut it.

You do not need to tell your current employer that you are looking for a job, especially if you are not even sure if you will find one that you’d like to work. You cannot know how your employer will take the news, and if they take it badly it can be a lot of hassle for you. So don’t tell them- but also don’t tell your co-workers or clients. The only thing worse than telling your boss that you are looking for a new job is someone else doing it for you! Until you know exactly what is going on don’t rock the boat by running your mouth.

Tempting as it is, you cannot tell your interviewer you want the job because you have mortgage payments and would prefer not to be homeless. You can’t say you don’t want it, but you need it. You don’t want to say it is because you heard that this company pays better than competitors. Your personal reasons for wanting the job do not matter, your goal with answering this question is to show enthusiasm for the company and start explaining why you fit the role that they need filled. This question tests three things: preparedness, enthusiasm, and knowledge.

When we think of job interviews we mostly think about answering questions. We need to know how to tell stories about our accomplishments, talk about our strengths and weaknesses, and be able to explain our values- but the perfect interview requires more than perfect answers- it also requires perfect questions. So what do those questions look like? Perfect answers are fairly complex, and so too are perfect questions. The trick to these is to show that you are interested in the company itself, not to just get the most out of the job for yourself. This is done through asking questions about the company as well as asking questions about yourself.  Below are some examples of questions that should help you out!

One of the hardest parts about any job (especially any self-directed job) is just staying focused. In a world chock full of flashing screens and distraction machines, staying on task is becoming increasingly difficult. Today we are going to look at a tried and true method of increasing your focusing power by using Francesco Cirillo’s Pomodoro technique, all you need to start is a timer!

There is a fine line we all try to walk between being an effective team player and a pushover. Many of us either do everything we possibly can to help out, or do nothing but the bare minimum. Neither of these are the ideal way to go about your job. If you are too willing to help out you will get used by opportunistic employees, if you are not willing enough- you may find yourself out of a job entirely. The key is to be a team player- and to find a balance between these two extremes.

Communication is complex, multi-factored, and difficult to master. One of the benefits of resume’s and interview questions is that you get to tailor your communication beforehand, but this is not enough to guarantee that you get hired. When it comes to the interview one of the most important aspects of your communication is non-verbal, your body language will help determine whether or not you actually land the position. Today we are going to look at some of the good things you can do with your body, as well as some of the dangerous ones.