Excelle

Now more than ever, it’s important to get the best bang for your buck. And there’s no question about it — when it comes to value, not every U.S. city is created equally. Why chase a great salary if your rent swallows most of it, unemployment is skyrocketing and you spend two hours a day just to get to and from ...

by Michelle Dumas Do you Tweet? If not, maybe you should. Perhaps it would be misleading to say that as a job searcher you MUST be on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or other social and business networking sites. But, assuming that you use social media in appropriate and professional ways, being connected and networking in these ways can only help. And, ...

Last month I heard a radio broadcast proclaiming that there are six people applying for every available job. This week I saw a television newscast claiming that number was more like 15, with jobs in manufacturing and construction having 21 people on average applying for every job. I’m not sure where these shows get their statistics but the message is clear ...

By Not Just The Kitchen for Divine Caroline The dreaded job interview. No matter your resume and talents if you mess this up you won’t get that job. In today’s tough economy you need every possible edge. It can be a simple equation: You want to be liked—not hated. Here are ten simple things to do that will dramatically increase your ...

1. Why do you want to work in this industry? Bad answer: “I love to shop. Even as a kid, I spent hours flipping through catalogues.” Don’t just say you like it. Anyone can do that. Focus instead on your history with that particular industry, and if you can, tell a success story. Good answer: “I've always loved shopping, but my ...

I've been getting a lot of emails lately from women who identify with some of my articles at High-AchievingWomen.com and here on Excelle The emails take two forms: that either I'm living their dream of being a writer, or that their lifelong dream is to be a writer. It started me thinking ... what is a writer? Actually, the answer is ...

1. Non-words Filler words such as "um," "ah," "you know," "OK" or "like" tell the interviewer you're not prepared and make you sound like a Valley Girl (or Boy). A better strategy is to think before you speak, taking pauses and breaths when you lose your train of thought. Everybody utters an occasional "um," but don't let it start every sentence. ...

During her eight-month jobless stint, Amy Tinsley of Houston may well have been the happiest unemployed woman in America. Tinsley, a former marketing director for a local law firm, was laid off in December. It was the first time since age 16 that she'd been without a job. Unlike most of America's unemployed, however, Tinsley wasn't fretting about her down time. ...

Too many job seekers stumble through interviews as if the questions are coming out of left field. But many interview questions are to be expected. Study this list and plan your answers ahead of time so you’ll be ready to deliver them with confidence. [widget:536] 1. What Are Your Weaknesses? This is the most dreaded question of all. Handle it by ...

Many job-seekers get even the basics wrong when it comes to writing a resume. One recruitment company says that more than a third of the job-hunting graduates with whom it deals are rejected for their poor grasp of language and won’t make it past recruiters’ inboxes. “Badly written, poorly punctuated resumes and cover letters reflect inadequate communication skills and attention to ...

In today's economy, it sometimes doesn't matter if you're a superstar, work longer, harder, and faster than the next person, or cut your baby teeth with the company. If the company can't afford to keep you, there's little you can do about it. As you're sitting there with the proverbial pink slip in your hand and reeling from a host of ...

Effective communication is key in order to build a strong relationship with anyone. You have to be prepared at all times to engage in a conversation with the people around you, and maintain a calm, professional state. You can only leave a first impression once, so it’s crucial to present yourself in the best way possible so you are never forgotten. ...

Nearly every day, someone sends me a bit of astounding job-search advice from a blog or a newsletter. Some of this advice seems to come directly from the planet X-19, and some of it seems to have been made up on the spot. Here are 10 of my favorite pieces of atrocious job-search advice, for you to read and ignore at ...

Here are seven no-cost resources to help you become a more savvy job hunter that has the skills to compete in the current job market: 1. LinkedIn.com – LinkedIn is a social network for business professionals. An updated LinkedIn profile is practically a must-have for every job hunter. However, LinkedIn isn’t just for job hunters. It’s an essential tool for anyone ...

I consider myself a social person. I’m at ease talking to strangers in line at the grocery store, meeting new people at social gatherings and making conversation with people ages 2 to 92. But I have to admit that professional networking makes me uncomfortable. It just feels too self-serving. So for many years I just avoided doing it and rationalized that ...

Volunteer LEARN MORE: Leverage Volunteer Work on Your Resume! Working for free may seem counter-intuitive; however, volunteering can oftentimes help you get a foot in the door. When a position becomes open, you will be a known and trusted entity versus merely one unknown name in a sea of resumes. NEXT: Telecommute -> [page] 2. Telecommute Just because you can't find ...

When things aren’t going our way it’s just human nature to begin laying blame. It is easy to see the culpability of others — our boss, the economy, the company that laid us off. It is far more difficult to take a deep look internally to see how we may be contributing to the situation at hand. Recently I spoke with ...

During this economic meltdown, when it seems like everyone is looking for work, landing an office job can seem like an impossible task. But don’t let the competition intimidate you. Instead, step up your game — and your chances of landing that job — with these four tips you can do from home. 1. Clean Up Your Resume Start by putting ...

1. Not Using Standard Business-Letter Format The student's cover letter looked more like a cut-and-paste email than a business letter. It had no recipient information, no return address and no date. The letter screamed unprofessional. What's YOUR Cover Letter IQ? Be sure your cover letter uses a standard business letter format. It should include the date, the recipient's mailing address and ...

If there's any small solace when starting a job search in this recession, it's the proliferation of digital technology to help you re-enter the working world. Web sites like Indeed.com and LinkedIn.com have multiplied the number of job openings you can track and the professional contacts you can make. E-mail and smart phones make it easier to pitch yourself and set ...