Career Tip #25: The image you present at work can make an impact on your career. Even if the quality of your work is superlative, if your appearance is unkempt and slovenly, you may find your advancement in the company being hindered.
Take a look at the image the company wants to present to their clients. Are you a reflection of that image?
Career Tip #26: Having a balance between work and home life contributes to overall life satisfaction. If you find yourself feeling burnt out and exhausted at work, take a look at how much time you are spending at work vs. at home with your family. It may be time to schedule a vacation. If the demands of work are so extensive as to be unreasonable with no end in sight, you may need to consider a change or reorganization of priorities.
Career Tip #27: The proper length of a resume is 1 – 2 pages, beyond that you actually risk creating a negative image with the person receiving your resume. According to Theladders.com, a recent study conducted using “gaze tracking” technology found the average recruiter and hiring manager spend only 6 seconds reviewing an individual resume before making a judgement as to fit for a position.
Career Tip #28: When interviewing for a position, you are up against stiff competition, people who have just as much or more experience and skill as you have. But often it’s the little extras – projects you’ve worked on, classes you’ve taken, a job you had in the past that gave you a broader skill base, that can give you the competitive edge over the other candidates.
Does your resume highlight all of your skillsets?
Career Tip #29: Salary negotiation is one of the most difficult parts of the job hunt. This is an area where having a recruiter professionally represent you provides the greatest value. Having a third party who can neutrally evaluate an offer and keep emotion out of the bargaining process is invaluable to getting you the best offer. If you must negotiate on your own, strive to keep emotion out of the process. Are your expectations simple and reasonable? Do your homework and know in advance what is standard for the market and position.
Career Tip #30: When looking to fill a position, there will never be a 100% perfect fit for the job, including personality, price range, skill set, experience level and educational background. Seeking an impossible ideal candidate will only delay your hiring process and cost more money in the long run as critical openings are left unfilled. Aim to find someone who has 80% of what you are looking for. A little on-the-job training and grooming can achieve that last 20% to create the optimal match..
