Tesar-Reynes

You’ve been through your first interview. You did well and the company wants you to come back for another. But what should you expect? You know you’re in the running for the job. This could be the next big step in your career, and you want to come as well prepared to the interview as possible.

A job offer means security. It means a step up the ladder. It means a promise that you’ll be able to make a better living for you and your family.

That’s the opportunity presented to me at the moment. I interviewed for a Social Media Specialist position with a BtoB firm last week and have been asked to return for a second interview. There’s one problem – I’ve never been on a second interview before!

So I scoured the Internet for some 2nd job interview …

Hands down, the Economist is my favorite publication. Simply put, it keeps me informed. The writers don’t try and sway my opinion with guilt or emotion. They use only logic and sound reasoning, with a dash of British wit. I love British humor, so it’s right up my alley.

The video above was produced by the weekly news source in partnership with Xplane, an information design consultancy. I found the video on AdMaven, an interactive advertising blog from fellow Chicagoan and blogger Nick Kinports. For those who complain that the Economist is for pretentious educated people, the video shows they can dumb it down effectively.

As the video highlights, the model for information and entertainment …

One thing that drives me nuts is mechanical filtering that some of our clients use to screen resumes. I have had HR people tell me, after they had left their company, that the whole system stinks.

HR, like every other function, has been subject to cutbacks. In many companies, all that are left are the very young and the very senior. As a result, a great deal of resumes are processed by the more junior members of the department. These people depend on software rather than judgment. This makes total sense if the person doesn’t have a great deal of background in the field.

The problem is in the dependency of mechanical filtering: both a Lexus and an Accord have four wheels, are foreign made and can cost the same amount in the used car …

I visited my PRSSA chapter for my last official meeting Monday. Afterwards, me and other members of the executive board went out to grab a bite. We chatted about how our marketing and public relations internships were going.

As we opened up, we got into an interesting conversation about our fears. The added pressure of hiring freezes and the competition that brings for jobs can make the workday stressful.

We of course would always perform our duties to the best of our abilities. We had to admit, however, lurking deep in the back of our heads existed legitimate, insecurity driven fears. Here are four of the fears we discussed. I hope this post helps our readers better …

I remember when Kermit the Frog first sang “It’s not easy being green.” It was such a sad song. Much later, it was actually sung at Jim Henson’s funeral. It is amazing how things have changed – green is now where it is happening.

At our search firm, we have started a whole new sub practice for this category. What surprises me is how many people already have some chops in green and do not merchandise it on their resume. For example:

• I talked to two people in Detroit who work in hybrids and neither pointed that out in their experience.
• I spoke last year to some candidates in Ohio who were involved in batteries/power trains for future cars. They saw their work as …
  
  [ More ] February 19th, 2009 | No Comments | Posted in Getting a Job, Our Industry |

The economy, the news, your 401k and the world in general eat away at your psyche. Here are some steps you can take to ward off bad vibes if you are out of work.

1. Don’t Isolate

Make sure that you have friends in your life; physically meet them and don’t depend on the phone and e-mail.

2. Improve Yourself

Improve on an annoying habit you have; if you conquer that, move on to another one.

3. Get Physical

Exercise. It releases endorphins, a natural pain-reliever. This can range from a walk to working out; keep slowly increasing the duration of these sessions.

4. Learn Something New

You must have some topic you’ve been interested in; this can be work related, a new hobby, or some subject that’s always …

In my last post, I wrote about the Net Generation’s strengths. I have a confession to make. I originally started that post writing about the Net Generation’s weaknesses.

I felt like I was being critical. So I decided to focus on the strengths of my fellow Millennials instead. Now, I feel as if I can focus on our weaknesses, which, admittedly, we have some.

1. Learn to Follow (You Don’t Know Everything)

We spend four years in college learning how to do what we love. Once we graduate and land our first internship or job, we’re anxious to put that learning into practice.

Consequently we can get a little overzealous in our business endeavors. A desire to impress your bosses is good, but arrogance can be …

Some days I feel like Andy Rooney complaining about things. Over time, I have seen a lot of resumes – here are some things that really turn me off:

1. Cutesy Graphics

I don’t like a resume that has odd fonts or a big letter graphics in it.

2. No White Space

A resume that is full of a small typeface and fills the page from margin to margin offends my squinty eyes.

3. Functional Resumes

This format screams to me that the writer has something to hide or has a “challenged” career track.

4. Missing Dates

If I get a relevant resume that is missing dates, the first thing I do is call the candidate and fill in the holes. I must be …