Although it may sound trite, the best predictor of one’s future success is his or her past success. 
Why else do think professional sports teams draft players with impressive statistics? Or the top colleges consider grade point averages for admission? Or why smart employers look for and staff their companies with people with a track record [...]

Your hard work has paid off and you’ve been extended a job offer, but the compensation is less than you were expecting. Is there a chance to negotiate a better deal?
Despite the angst it might cause you at this stage, the answer to that question is yes.   Here are a few important guidelines to keep in [...]

Whether it’s because of financial necessity or personal fulfillment, many job applicants today are pursuing positions that they would never have considered earlier in their careers.
And that has created an interesting dilemma for recruiters and hiring managers who often reject those applicants as being overqualified.
As a former recruiter for some of the world’s largest companies, [...]

Several years ago, I was in charge of staffing for a new credit card customer service center that was planning to hire 2,100 employees. 
During the interview process with one prospective candidate, I brought an abrupt halt to his employment candidacy because he declined to answer one of my standard questions: “What are your compensation expectations?” 
Why [...]

“The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle.” 
I love using quotes to help make a point and I frequently share this one, which is attributed to the U.S. Navy SEALs, when preparing my clients for interviews.  It’s also one I wish someone had shared with me before my first on-campus [...]

Despite the claims and critiques of what seems to be an endless supply of so-called resume-writing experts, there simply is no universal “right way” to write a resume.  Unsurprisingly, it is not uncommon to get confused given the contradictory advice you can expect from multiple sources.  So while I have some very clear thoughts on [...]

My first job after college was as an employee relations representative for Marriott Corporation at the company’s headquarters, just outside of Washington, D.C.  I had only been in my role for a few months when en route to my fourth floor cubicle the elevator doors opened and in stepped Bill Marriott, the company’s chairman.  With [...]

While using your work phone is okay provided it’s a secure line and you don’t have to worry about someone else screening your calls, I’d stay away from using your work e-mail for your job search.  There are a number of reasons for this including the risk your employer will see your e-mails and possibly [...]

Prolonged unemployment can be embarrassing, but there are ways to mitigate the impact it could have on your continued job search.  First of all, candidly assess why you haven’t found another job.  In particular, I encourage you to evaluate every aspect of the job search process and try to find out where the problem lies.  [...]

I’m often asked by my clients when it’s appropriate to discuss their salary expectations in the interview process.  This can be especially tricky if you are out of work and do not have another job offer to use as leverage.  In particular, many job candidates are afraid of leaving too much money on the table by [...]