Excelle

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 ...

Do you need more exposure for your business? Do you want ways to connect quickly with many people? Then social networking is for you! Many entrepreneurs, like myself, are on social network sites like Excelle.com. The opportunity to expose our business is there, but do we understand how to use it to grow? Web 2.0 has greatly changed the face of ...

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 ...

Make sure your resume is in top-notch shape by avoiding the top 10 resume blunders: 1. Too Focused on Job Duties Your resume should not be a boring list of job duties and responsibilities. Go beyond showing what was required and demonstrate how you made a difference at each company, providing specific examples. When developing your achievements, ask yourself: • How ...

I love reading Sara Pennypacker’s “Clementine” books to my girls because I laugh out loud at the antics and musings of this spunky third grader. But while Clementine is amusing, I wasn’t expecting her perspective in “The Talented Clementine” to resonate with me. I mean, come on, it’s been 30 years since I’ve been a third grader! But in this book, ...

Whether you are currently working and are looking to make a change, or you’ve lost your job and are eager to get back into the workforce, this is a challenging economic climate. You can find a job, but you need to do things that your peers are not. Let me share with you four things that will help you stand out: ...

In most job-filling situations, the employer has the luxury of choosing from several well-qualified applicants, all of whom could probably do the job. That's when the little things, like the common but often unrecognized mistakes described here, almost always come into play. Make sure you avoid them, so they don't cost you a shot at the job. h4. *1. Using a ...

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 ...

Don't just sit there, basking in your continued employment... Phew. You survived the culling. Or maybe your company has managed to avoid a mass layoff. Either way, you're one of the lucky ones. Unlike so many of your friends and family, you won’t have to deal with the unemployment office or cancel your cable -- yet. But instead of sitting ...

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. ...

Some people go into human resources thinking that it's like social work. Here's a news flash for anyone who thinks in those terms: If you're the kind of person who wants to adopt every stray kitten and advise every needy person you meet, you may want to find a different profession. The plain truth is that HR people have limits on ...

Whether you're starting a new business or looking to branch out on your own as a consultant, marketing your products or services can be challenging, not to mention expensive. *1. Warm Up Your Prospects*: Don't cold call. Instead, "send a short, tight, funny intro letter with samples of past work," says freelance writer David Geffner. "Then follow up with an email ...

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 ...

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 ...

So you want to be a millionaire. You dream of going from rags to riches with money to spare. You brainstorm ideas, searching for the one that's going to catapult you to success and add six zeros to your bank balance. Though we can't do the work for you, we can direct you down some promising paths. Here are seven industries ...

You’ve got a terrific resume. You’ve crafted the perfect cover letter. Now, you’ve been called in for that all important interview. You know that over 50 people applied for this one position, and they will be interviewing qualified candidates for several days. What can you do to distinguish yourself from the competition? There are many articles about interviewing skills, questions interviewers ...

View the job countdown slideshow by scrolling through the pages below These are tough times for job seekers. The U.S. unemployment rate held steady in June at 5.5%, the highest rate since October 2004. The outlook is especially bleak in residential construction and automobiles, and for workers without a college degree. But there are employment bright spots, particularly in technology, according ...

Is there a new job you want to apply for but you don’t think you are qualified? Do you want to start your own business but you’re afraid you don’t know enough to make a go of it? Do you want to meet more people but you are shy and don’t function well in large groups? Do you want to be ...

Do any of these sound familiar? • You have a great idea but you aren’t telling anyone because it still needs work. • You stay up late to redo the presentation you have already spent 20 hours on. • You won’t tell anyone about the job you have applied for, just in case you don’t get it. • You have more ...

Professional attire: just how important is it to your career? While you ponder that question, let me tell you a story: Several years ago, a woman I know who frequently publishes in her field wrote an article that was particularly well received by her peers. As a result, she received several speaking invitations. Since each of the offers included an honorarium, ...