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WE ARE ALWAYS looking for the latest noteworthy Transitions news and commentary. We have aggregated pertinent insights below for your consideration to keep you up-to-date with the world of Transitions.

Here are recent links of interest:

“Why Rewriting Your Resume Will Open Doors” – Blue Sky Resumes Blog

“12 Strategies to Help You Get Promotes” – Career Rocketeer

“On Facebook? How to Protect Your Reputation” – Career Trend

“Why Feedback Will Help Your Professional Development” – CAREEREALISM

If you spot Transitions news of interest, or you have an interesting blog post you want to share, let us know at: info@mindedge.com.


MindEdge offers self-paced courses and simulations in business communications, management, and leadership. Our courses are designed to engage and inform! Please click on any of the following MindEdge online career development courses for more information:

You can learn more about MindEdge by clicking here.

WE ARE ALWAYS looking for the latest noteworthy Transitions news and commentary. We have aggregated pertinent insights below for your consideration to keep you up-to-date with the world of Transitions.

Here are recent links of interest:

“Companies Hiring in May” – The Work Buzz

“Why people stay mired in their careers” – MSNBC

“Networking tips to help you land your first job” – Keepie Careers

“3 Important Lessons to Learn From Your Yearly Performance Reviews” – Jobacle.com

If you spot Transitions news of interest, or you have an interesting blog post you want to share, let us know at: info@mindedge.com.


MindEdge offers self-paced courses and simulations in business communications, management, and leadership. Our courses are designed to engage and inform! Please click on any of the following MindEdge online career development courses for more information:

You can learn more about MindEdge by clicking here.

We’re always on the look-out for the latest noteworthy Transitions news and commentary. We’ve aggregated pertinent stories for your consideration so you can stay up-to-date with what’s happening in the world of Transitions.

Here are recent links that may be of interest:

“What is Instagram (And How to Overcome Its Biggest Shortfall” – Brand-Yourself

“Thai Massages, Monk Internships and Disconnecting” – Career Hub

“How to Get Accepted for a Job After Being Rejected” – Career Rocketeer

“How to negotiate a job offer” – Keepie Careers

If you spot Transitions news of interest, or you have an interesting blog post you want to share, let us know at: info@mindedge.com.


MindEdge offers self-paced courses and simulations in business communications, management, and leadership. Our courses are designed to engage and inform! Please click on any of the following MindEdge online career development courses for more information:

You can learn more about MindEdge by clicking here.

Copyright © 2012 MindEdge

We’re always on the look-out for the latest noteworthy Transitions news and commentary. We’ve aggregated pertinent stories for your consideration so you can stay up-to-date with what’s happening in the world of Transitions.

Here are recent links that may be of interest:

“How to change careers in a knowledge economy” – Keepie Careers

“How to Handle Job Rejection” – Jobacle.com

“What Employers Wish You’d Learned In College” – glass door blog

“Trying to GrabTheir Attention? Try Saying Less” – CNBC News

“4 connections you need to get hired” – Cube Rules

If you spot Transitions news of interest, or you have an interesting blog post you want to share, let us know at: info@mindedge.com.


MindEdge offers self-paced courses and simulations in business communications, management, and leadership. Our courses are designed to engage and inform! Please click on any of the following MindEdge online career development courses for more information:

You can learn more about MindEdge by clicking here.

Copyright © 2012 MindEdge

We’re always on the look-out for the latest noteworthy Transitions news and commentary. We’ve aggregated pertinent stories for your consideration so you can stay up-to-date with what’s happening in the world of Transitions.

Here are recent links that may be of interest:

“Secret to Being Found by Recruiters on LinkedIn” – Career Rocketeer

“Relocating for Work” – Jobacle.com

“How to Keep your Job Search Secret on LinkedIn” – blue sky resumes

“Is that employer a good fit for you?” – ProLango

“Who Benefits from FaceBook’s $100B IPO?” – Recruiter.com

“Survey find more mature workers plan to work post-retirement” – TheWorkBuzz

If you spot Transitions news of interest, or you have an interesting blog post you want to share, let us know at: info@mindedge.com.


MindEdge offers self-paced courses and simulations in business communications, management, and leadership. Our courses are designed to engage and inform! Please click on any of the following MindEdge online career development courses for more information:

You can learn more about MindEdge by clicking here.

Copyright © 2012 MindEdge

“How do I find a job when no one is hiring?”

First thing’s first: surrender the idea that no one is hiring, wrote author Chris Tidball in his book Kicked to the Curb. “The reality is that nobody is advertising, but there are jobs.” The consensus among experts like Tidball is the traditional job hunt of reading print want ads is long obsolete; also that the modern job hunt with its hundreds of industry job boards is downright baffling and labor intensive. But a few key ideas are rising to the top.

  1. Look for a business opportunity, not a job. Tidwell is himself a consultant, who saw his 20-year career fall victim to the banking crisis. He observes that jobs may have become scarce, but consulting and contract opportunities are on the uptick. This frees a company from, for example, the cost of health care—sorely missed—but discounted insurance is available through professional organizations, chambers of commerce and the like.
  2. Think volume. The typical job hunter will respond to two or three advertisements a day and consider it hard work. An aggressive job hunter must be prepared to make a hundred contacts in a week—not just responding to ads, but phoning a wish-list of companies to inquire about opportunities, plumbing LinkedIn and Facebook contacts and so forth. This is what author Bill Barnett on the Harvard Business Review Blog Network calls “massive outreach…the only reliable path to Victory.”
  3. Broaden your network. Barnett, who taught career strategies at Yale University, observes that the surest way to failure is to limit contacts to people with whom you are well acquainted. LinkedIn groups are excellent sources of contacts; also good ways to get in touch with college alumni, fraternity brothers, or sorority sisters. Professional organizations and chambers of commerce are two more sources that are largely ignored.
  4. Use that broader network, aggressively. Now that you have that broader network, use it, shamelessly. Darren Hardy, author of The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success, observed that “If I am interviewing someone who was referred and endorsed by someone I have respect for, the interview is very different than the one who came from an online posting and a resume…The latter person really never had a chance.” A job hunter cannot be timid or polite about tapping new or casual acquaintances.
  5. Check your “Google Hygiene.” A hiring manager may fail to check your references, but will certainly “Google” you. LinkedIn and Facebook profiles both turn up in searches. Is your Facebook avatar a puppy, a baby, a picture of you looking plastered at a Mardi Gras celebration? Change it. Do you engage in hostile debates in LinkedIn groups? Delete the posts. What about blog posts? In one instance, a young woman was fired before she was hired, for complaining on her blog that she was taking a “soul-sucking job” to pay the bills.
  6. Learn. View any contact as a learning opportunity, if not a job opportunity. A danger of being out of an industry is losing touch with it and appearing uninformed in the interview. A new contact can key you in to industry trends, but also, which companies are hiring, which are downsizing, who is retiring and needs replacement, what skills are in demand.

Finally, alter your approach if after a while, your hunt has yielded no results. “View this as conducting a study,” wrote Barnett. Likely there is some pattern (perhaps lack of follow through) that is behind non-success; or perhaps unrealistic expectations. Are you reaching beyond your qualifications? With qualified people out of work in practically every field, you may have to rely upon that for which you are undeniably qualified. You may wish to leave teaching, or banking, or manufacturing, but now may not be the time.





MindEdge offers self-paced courses and simulations in business communications, management, and leadership. Our courses are designed to engage and inform!Please click on any of the following MindEdge online career development courses for more information:

You can learn more about MindEdge by clicking here.

Copyright © 2012 MindEdge

We’re always on the look-out for the latest noteworthy Transitions news and commentary. We’ve aggregated pertinent stories for your consideration so you can stay up-to-date with what’s happening in the world of Transitions.

Here are recent links that may be of interest:

“What Would Steve Jobs Say About Your Resume?” – blue sky resumes

“7 Questions for Today’s Job Seekers” – career hub

“How To Really Impress During A Job Interview” – glassdoor blog

“How Your Goals Impact Your Performance Review” – Cube Rules

“Bio Architecture Lab Turns Seaweed Into Fuel” – Dice

“Why Passion Matters (and How to Cultivate it in Your Life)” – UpMo

If you spot Transitions news of interest, or you have an interesting blog post you want to share, let us know at: info@mindedge.com.


MindEdge offers self-paced courses and simulations in business communications, management, and leadership. Our courses are designed to engage and inform! Please click on any of the following MindEdge online career development courses for more information:

You can learn more about MindEdge at www.mindedge.com.

Copyright © 2012 MindEdge

Job hunting is only the most obvious way to use social media in your career. But it can advance your career as well, by highlighting your thought leadership to others and enabling you to build relationships. Here are five ways to use the web-enabled social media.

  1. Resource mining. “Every day I need something, and I ask Twitter instead of Google,” social media guru Chris Brogan (author of Trust Agents) has commented. “I’ll hear from someone who tells me, ‘My brother is a CEO of a company that does that,’ and I have that connection.”As of this posting, 193,851 people have opted in to follow Brogan on Twitter—a rich mine for any kind of resource.
  2. Relationship building. Social media enables you to build a relationship before a face-to-face meeting. Rather than make your first introduction on a sales call or at a tradeshow, you make those introductions on LinkedIn, Facebook or some professional forum. So, you and your contact have been introduced already, and arrive ready to talk business. You may register yourself as attending an event (for example, a tradeshow) then connect with other attendees beforehand. Then, you can maintain that relationship through social media. Rather than telephone a recruiter or sales prospect dozens of times, you may keep in touch unobtrusively, and wait for an opportunity to arise.
  3. Demonstrating thought leadership. Blogs, Tweets, LinkedIn and Facebook groups are all ways to put yourself at the forefront of your industry or profession. Suppose your field is solar energy: LinkedIn has more than 700 opt-in groups devoted to that field, including one with 33,185 members. Any one of those members can start or contribute to a discussion. Those who generate the most comments (their own or from others) become “Top Influencers.” Blogs are searchable, and they too demonstrate thought leadership. One of the most significant sports blogs—Deadspin—began as a wholly amateur effort, and now attracts more than 25 million hits per month. Editor in Chief AJ Daulerio launched the blog on his own, as a wholly amateur effort, to cover the Philadelphia Eagles. He told Sports Business Journal that “A guy who’s followed [a] team for 20 years knows something the sportswriter doesn’t.”
  4. Job hunting (and recruiting). Obviously. Fully 56 percent of companies use social media sites to recruit potential job candidates, according to a 2011 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. Of those surveyed, 95 percent use LinkedIn, 58 percent use Facebook, and 42 percent use Twitter. If you are a job hunter, LinkedIn shows you the connections between yourself and anyone you search, up to the third degree. The CEO of a company may be in your college alumni network, or one degree of separation away: you may ask that common connection to introduce you or put in a good word.
  5. Building a multidimensional résumé. Social media overcomes the agony of condensing your career to a one-page résumé.LinkedIn, and industry-specific sites like MediaBistro (for media professionals), enable you to include recommendations; links to other mentions of you on the Internet; and portfolio pieces, if appropriate.

While many turn to social media for entertainment or their social lives, these web-based networks can also help true talent reveal itself, and achieve the highest influence.


MindEdge offers self-paced courses and simulations in business communications, management, and leadership. Our courses are designed to engage and inform!Please click on any of the following MindEdge online career development courses for more information:

You can learn more about MindEdge by clicking here.

Copyright © 2011 MindEdge

Career Transitions noteworthy news and commentary (July 8, 2011)

Let’s face it, job interviews can be a pretty nerve-racking experience.

We all have nightmares of being asked that one question during an interview that sends us into a stammering tailspin. Just thinking about it is enough to make your palms start sweating.

But fear not! With the proper preparation you can ace your next job interview (and hopefully land that new job)!

To help you prepare for your next interview we are featuring a few articles and posts that highlight common questions interviewees struggle with the most. These readings will help you understand when it is in your best interest to bite your tongue; how to answer tricky questions such as: “where do you see yourself in 5 years? “or “what are your strengths and weaknesses?”; and how to approach those interview those questions that seemingly come from left field and have no real answer.

We hope you enjoy these readings and they help you to perfect your next interview. And if you know of any articles or posts that would enhance our list, please let us know in our comments section.

“Interviews: Learn to Bite Your Tongue!” – CareeRealism
Dear J.T. & Dale: I need interview help! I’ve been on three separate interviews in the past month where the hiring manager asked me, “What’s your greatest weakness?“ I didn’t get any of the jobs, and I think it’s because of the way I answered that question. Click here to continue reading

“Five Bad Interview Answers To Avoid” – glassdoor.com
It always amazes me how interviewees often stick their foot in their mouth when it comes to some of the most basic interview questions. The biggest rule of thumb for developing good interview answers is to practice beforehand. Click here to continue reading

“Interview question: What job gave you the most personal value?” – Cube Rules
This interview question is seductive. We like talking about ourselves. We’d love to talk about that really cool job, how much fun we had doing it, and how great the team was to work with during that time Click here to continue reading

“Advice for Common Job Interview Questions” – myFootPath
The job interview can be a nerve-wracking experience for even the most seasoned workers, and even more so for a recent graduate fresh out of college. Here’s a secret: it doesn’t have to be! Click here to continue reading

“How to Respond to Interview Questions They Shouldn’t Ask” – Dice
Even though federal and state laws prohibit employers from asking certain questions during interviews, don’t let your guard down. Sometimes, they’ll try to sneak them in. Cat knows how to handle them. Click here to continue reading

“Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?” – Career Rocketeer
It’s not unusual for the question to be asked in a job interview…“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” It’s an important question, and it’s fraught with landmines Click here to continue reading

If you spot career news of interest, or you have an interesting blog post you want to share, let us know at: info@mindedge.com.


MindEdge offers self-paced courses and simulations in business communications, management, and leadership. Our courses are designed to engage and inform!Please click on any of the following MindEdge online career development courses for more information:

You can learn more about MindEdge by clicking here.

Copyright © 2011 MindEdge

Career Transitions noteworthy news and commentary (May 13, 2011)

Chances are when you hear the term “job interview” your mind immediately jumps to the stereotypical face-to-face interaction where you are required to travel into your potential employer’s office dressed in your best suit, shake hands with the hiring manager, and are interviewed by either one or several team members tasked with filing the open position.

However, that is not the only type of interview that exists out there. As you are on your job hunt you should also be prepared for informal interviews, phone interviews, and a new (and growing) trend: the video interview.

The video and phone interview are a much different experience than that of one conducted face-to-face. They both have unique challenges and unique benefits. This week we are featuring a few articles that will help you better to prepare for these types of interviews.

We hope you enjoy these readings and they help you on your job hunt. And if you know of an article or post you think would enhance our list, please let us know in our comments section!

“How To Ace A Job Interview On Skype” – Glassdoor.com
If you haven’t conducted an interview by Skype yet, I’m willing to bet that it’s coming to your laptop screen or iPhone soon.With gas prices skyrocketing and plane tickets more costly too, employers are increasingly looking to Skype and a handful of online interviewing sites and tools to conduct the first interview Click here to continue reading

“Are you ready for video interviews?” – The Work Buzz
It’s 2011 and I think we’ve all accepted the fact that the reality of the new millennium is significantly different from what science fiction films and novels promised us. “Blade Runner,” “Minority Report,” “The Jetsons” – all lies. Sure, we’ve made technological leaps that are quite stunning if you think about them (e.g., smartphones, cloud-based storage, GPS), but I haven’t defied gravity once. Believe me, I’ve tried. Click here to continue reading

“Video Interviewing for the Unemployed” – Job Advice Blog
Today’s fast-developing video technology does not skip over the unemployed. In fact, it just adds another challenge for them. More and more companies are trying to save on the expenses of recruiting by using video interviews for screening and selection purposes. Click here to continue reading

“5 rules for phone interviews” – Cube Rules
Phone interviews are usually the first interview done when someone decides, after looking at your resume, that you could qualify for the open job. That person decides you are “worthy” of an interview from what you have on your resume — your experience, job skills and result Click here to continue reading

“How College Grads Can Thrive in Phone Interviews” – New Grad Life
Phone interviews are becoming a common way for employers to screen potential employees during the hiring process. Unlike traditional, in-person job interviews, phone interviews are usually fairly short, require less preparation, and can even be outsourced by the employer if necessary. Click here to continue reading

“Telephone etiquette for your job search” – Keppie Careers
Years ago, when I was working on Wall Street (and mobile phones were a lot less common), I called a candidate for a job. She answered her cell phone — from a loud, New York City street corner. You can imagine our conversation: Click here to continue reading

If you spot career news of interest, or you have an interesting blog post you want to share, let us know at: info@mindedge.com.


MindEdge offers self-paced courses and simulations in business communications, management, and leadership. Our courses are designed to engage and inform!Please click on any of the following MindEdge online career development courses for more information:

You can learn more about MindEdge by clicking here.

Copyright © 2011 MindEdge

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