tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27597590901865472792011-07-29T01:34:39.921-05:00Tools to Change Your Thinking -- Change Your Resume -- Change Your Job HuntLea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.comBlogger201100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-31596505733981580492008-07-30T08:00:00.002-05:002008-07-30T08:00:00.842-05:00

The hard truth about job hunting is that the best job in the world may not be the right job for you.After your write an excellent resume and cover letter, after you apply for that job that looks good on paper, after you research the company and complete your interview preparation, after you ace the interview -- then you need to know what you want out of the job, the bosses, the workplace, and the

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-71481946167785175562008-07-18T14:53:00.007-05:002008-07-18T15:50:08.826-05:00

Career Hub, a blog written by a consortium of resume/career counseling professionals, is one of the top blogs out there in this field. I have relied on the site's information heavily during my own job searches, and I recommend the group's free e-books to all of my resume clients.Billie Sucher, a career transition consultant, recently wrote a Career Hub post that sums up what you need to do before

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-5102440128385363382008-07-03T08:00:00.002-05:002008-07-03T13:07:56.626-05:00

I had planned on shutting down my blog for the rest of 2008. But things have changed, as they do, and I'm working on changing with them.My Mom died on May 8, 2008. I was holding her hand. She went in peace and without pain, and I'm glad for that. What happens next, for me and for my family, is the hard part.In the wake of my Mom's death, I'm doing what all the experts say you shouldn't do:

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-78258100426748066032008-02-03T17:28:00.000-05:002008-02-03T17:34:23.674-05:00

Hi all,My recovery from emergency back surgery has gone well. I'm almost fully healed -- I can touch my toes! It's very exciting.However, I have decided to shut this blog down until January 2009. I've realized that I need some time away from writing. I was a burned-out writer in 2006 when I left the newspaper industry, and somehow, I haven't stopped writing since. So I'm taking some time off in

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-77819476050972910852007-11-07T17:16:00.000-05:002007-11-07T17:21:42.471-05:00

Not long after my last post, I wound up in the hospital after emergency surgery on my spine. Everything went well, thank goodness. The downside is that I'm not to sit upright for much more than an hour at a time during this stage of my recovery. So I haven't been able to do much writing.Hopefully I'll be able to return with some consistency by early December.

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-20332086519074582892007-09-10T16:40:00.000-05:002007-09-10T17:38:07.986-05:00

It's easy to let exhaustion and complacency derail your job hunt.It took me three years of on-again, off-again work to leave newspapers and embark on a new career. I would go through cycles of enthusiasm about what I could do next -- start a pet-sitting business! start a personal-shopper business! freelance as a writer and editor! move somewhere new and find another writing job! -- and do my

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-54768500205294415222007-09-03T12:32:00.001-05:002007-09-03T12:37:54.860-05:00

Have you listened to your outgoing voice mail lately?If it's funkier than, "Hello, you've reached X, leave a message," etc., then you might have a problem getting a job.Kris Dunn, the HR Capitalist, has a great post that explains how your voice mail message makes a difference when he's recruiting:If I am calling a candidate off a resume and get voice mail, I treat it like a freebie. Good energy

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-9235995731002847972007-06-21T17:07:00.001-05:002007-06-21T17:11:20.141-05:00

I've said a few times that I'm still learning about LinkedIn and how to use it effectively. What with my new jobs and move, I haven't had much time to breathe, let alone time to delve into the site.Thank goodness for Web Worker Daily, which has a story listing 20 ways to use LinkedIn productively.Now I have just one story to read instead of surfing LinkedIn for an hour! The same goes for you,

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-2325030312358831422007-06-17T11:48:00.000-05:002007-06-17T12:23:15.358-05:00

Recently, my "day job" in human resources gave me the opportunity to review resumes that had been submitted to my company. The experience has left me in awe of what job hunters don't know about writing a resume or a cover letter. Wow! Given all of the resources available these days, both in print and online, there's no reason for a job hunter not to understand what companies are looking for.Dear

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-9799399560197893022007-06-14T08:58:00.000-05:002007-06-14T09:14:46.091-05:00

I just heard about a new networking group for young Richmond professionals, ages 21 to 40ish:Helping Young Professionals Engage (HYPE) is a new program geared towards young professionals. Its goal is to bring together young professionals (21 - 40-ish) in the Greater Richmond Region through social, educational and professional development programs and networking events.The group is holding two

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-46641555109913938542007-06-06T22:41:00.000-05:002007-06-07T07:36:30.760-05:00

Over at CareerHub, professional resume writer Louise Fletcher has a great post about the importance of brevity in a resume. She makes an excellent point:Your resume is a marketing brochure not a product catalog. It has to say just enough to make the sale and not one word more.This concept is more difficult for mid-career people to grasp than for those just starting out. Career seekers who are

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-25787139566021081542007-05-31T07:17:00.001-05:002007-05-31T07:34:15.459-05:00

If you're looking for something to read while I'm on hiatus, check out these folks:Ask A Manager: This is a new blog with just a few posts, but each post offers excellent advice. Of note is the post about cover letters. I had no idea that so many job seekers didn't write cover letters until a few weeks ago, when I began my HR career and saw the submissions for myself. Ask A Manager explains

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-32430588337060436882007-05-24T20:54:00.000-05:002007-05-24T21:04:20.331-05:00

I apologize for my absence from the blog recently. In the past few weeks, I've started two new jobs and signed a lease on a new apartment. I'm now in the middle of packing for the move, which happens next week -- and I'm trying to rest my back, which I injured last weekend. It's been an exciting month for me, to say the least, even with the back injury!But something had to give (besides my back),

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-40364859157406329782007-05-11T17:56:00.001-05:002008-07-22T11:41:55.371-05:00

Carl Chapman wants you to join his LinkedIn network.The founder and main blogger at "Confessions of an Executive Restaurant Recruiter" has issued an open invitation to connect with him on LinkedIn.It's an amazing opportunity, as he has close to 5 million people in his network. Joining his network will put you two degrees away from an untold number of recruiters and the positions they're looking

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-69206185752778677642007-05-09T11:11:00.000-05:002007-05-11T21:50:40.444-05:00

10 Dumbest Resume Blunders on CNNMoney.com: Outrageous examples of what not to do. Ever!10 Tips for Finding a New Job at CollegeRecruiter.com: This list covers all aspects of the job hunt, from knowing what you're looking for to interviewing to going through a background check to get the job. Great advice.25 Most Difficult Job Interview Questions (and their answers) on GoodRecruits.com:

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-40402753640232161222007-05-08T08:52:00.000-05:002007-05-08T09:23:46.605-05:00

As children, we're told that lying is bad. Maybe we get caught in a lie by our parents or teachers and we get punished. Many people grow up with the reminder of the punishment and lying -- aside from little white lies such as "Yes, that hair color looks fantastic!" -- is something that most people would never, ever do.But there are plenty of people who do lie. Every few years, someone gets caught

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-88128011973455248872007-05-06T21:59:00.000-05:002007-05-06T23:35:58.493-05:00

The easiest places for job hunters to begin their searches are the classified ads -- either in printed publications such as newspapers or trade magazines, or on online job boards such as Monster, CareerBuilder, or Yahoo's Hot Jobs. In the last year or so, Craigslist has become a hot spot for help wanted ads as well. And there are many online job boards that cater to specific fields, such as

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-40489089603435454132007-05-01T22:32:00.000-05:002007-05-02T01:12:52.697-05:00

A nonprofit executive in Richmond once told me that employers do everything they can to fill open positions without posting a "help wanted" ad.Employers want to hire people they know, or at least people known by employees (who are known quantities and presumably won't recommend someone who would reflect badly upon themselves). It's expensive to hire and train a new employee, and employers want to

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-11814873994555992482007-04-26T14:48:00.000-05:002007-05-01T22:31:38.145-05:00

What value can you bring to a company?If your resume answers this question, you're on your way to getting an interview and one step closer to getting the job.If you're resume doesn't answer this question, it needs to.Experts say that recruiters and hiring managers will spend no more than 30 seconds glancing over your resume, and maybe less. Your information needs to be easy to read and quickly

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2759759090186547279.post-39545838602796171512007-04-25T20:27:00.000-05:002007-05-09T12:29:46.114-05:00

In my professional life, the only constant has been change.I began my career as a newspaper journalist and spent more than a decade learning to roll with changes, sometimes on an hourly basis. A year ago, I jumped into advertising, an industry that could teach journalists a thing or two about living with constant change.This year, I'm starting my own business, one that's devoted to helping you

Lea Setegnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07842916689999034775noreply@blogger.com0