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An interviewer asks 4 receptionist candidates this question. “We value a calm, quiet reception area so we don’t like the phone to ring constantly. How will you handle this need?”

Candidate #1: “Hire me. I will rip the phone out of the wall. No more ringing.”

Candidate #2: “Hire me. After talking to me, your callers will never phone back. Guaranteed quiet.”

Candidate#3: “Hire me. I’m experienced and will answer all calls within three rings. ”

Candidate #4: “Hire me. I’ll answer your calls quickly because I’m fully trained and experienced with your phone system. I also know its automatic call distribution option, and can help implement it, which will reduce the number of calls coming in. It will be calm and quiet, plus I’ll be more available for direct customer service.”  Read more...

The anatomy of a job interview

Attend this workshop if you are a job seeker or your current position includes interviewing job candidates.  Learn why understanding both sides of the interview table  is critical to everyone’s success.    Read more...

‘Tis the season of giving and I’m interested in knowing what gifts you’ve given yourself. Not the kind you buy.  I’m thinking kind of more like…..homegrown.

Like bravery, for example. This year, did you step out of your comfort zone in ways you’ve never done before? Or maybe persistence.   Do you find that now you just keep going when things are rough and not even think about giving up?

Perhaps you gave yourself the gift of focus  -  zeroing in on what’s really important to you  – and letting the rest go? Or how about patience? The calmness that comes when you accept that your timeline isn’t everyone else’s is a powerful gift.

Did you give yourself joy?  Read more...

A woman of child-bearing age who couldn’t get pregnant in biblical times is like a person today who is able to work but can’t find a job.  Through no fault of their own, each loses their place in society and is at risk for losing their sense of self-worth.  

Hannah went through terrible times until she finally asked for help. The story of how God helped Hannah with her troubles gives hope to those facing the anxiety of unemployment. 

1 Samuel (1:4-20)

Poor Hannah! She wants a baby desperately, and yet she can’t conceive. Her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, has plenty of sons and daughters. As members of the same household, surely Hannah is expected to help care for the children. What a bitter pill to swallow.  Read more...

What do movie trailers and cover letters have in common?

They are both advertisements. And their goal is to persuade you to take action:

• Go to a movie
• Read your resume

Could you use a more persuasive cover letter?  Take some cues from Hollywood movie trailers and you’ll be getting five-star reviews in no time.

Keep it short and sweet

Producers know that there is a limited attention span for previews. A good movie trailer has to be short to get its message across.

Limit your cover letter to one page. A short cover letter lets the reader focus on your message, and reduces the tendency to skim or ignore your letter.  Read more...

God invented word processing so that we can create a tailored resume every, single time we apply for a job.  I am absolutely certain of it.

In ancient times –  B.W.P. – (before word processing)  there was no “insert”; no “delete”; no “search and replace”. Imagine…an entire world without “undo”!  It was so sloggingly slow to modify a resume that pretty much everybody wrote one resume; end of story. 

Inexplicably, even in our modern, A.W.P. times, most  job seekers still use just one resume.  And it is easy to understand why. The thought of it is just so deliciously, temptingly easy: you write your resume once – and you’re done.    

Sadly, easy is one thing; effective is another.  Read more...