The Everything Get-A-Job Book Quotes

“Listing the years you attended school on your resume gives away your age. You should include your educational background on your resume, but leave out the dates. In addition, if you attended school more than five years ago, put your education at the bottom of your resume, not near the top.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“When investigating job candidates, employers often turn to the Web, particularly sites like MySpace and Facebook, but they also look at blogs. If there's something you wouldn't want an employer to know about you or something you might find embarrassing, you should take it down now.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“Here are some examples of transferable skills: Motivating others Knowledge of a specific software program Ability to use a certain piece of equipment Delegating responsibility to others Training others Problem-solving Multitasking Time management Resource management Budgeting money Evaluating the work of others Proficiency in a specific foreign language”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“Here's how to figure out what your transferable skills are. Take a piece of paper and fold it in half to make two columns. Label the first column “Tasks” and the second column “Skills.” In the Tasks column, list the different tasks you do or did at your jobs and activities. Next to each task, in the Skills column, list the skills you used to complete that task. Circle those skills you think potential employers will value.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“Ask yourself the following questions one last time before you give your final answer: Do I fully understand the job and am I happy with what it entails? Will I be comfortable with the corporate culture? Will I be, as far as I can tell right now, compatible with my future coworkers and boss? Is the work environment one in which I will be happy? Is the location of the workplace acceptable? Will I be able to handle my commute? Do I understand the employer's expectations and will I be able to meet them? Does the employer understand my expectations and will he be able to meet them? Does the salary and other compensation seem fair to me? If not, will I be able to live with that? Will I have the opportunity for growth in this job? Do I believe I will be treated fairly by my new employer?”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“The point of your job search is not salary negotiation; it's finding a job you'll be happy with, that you'll grow with, and that will allow you to be yourself. If your starting salary isn't the one you dreamed about but the job presents the right opportunity, think about how much easier it'll be once you've had a chance to make yourself invaluable to the organization.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“Sample Behavioral Interview Questions Each of these questions asks the job candidate to demonstrate one or a few competencies. The competency or competencies the employer expects you to demonstrate in your answer is shown in parentheses following the question. How have you handled being assigned several projects at once? (prioritizing, time management, multitasking) Describe a situation where you had to critique someone's performance and offer suggestions to help him do better. (interpersonal) Discuss a project you had to complete on short notice. (time management) Talk about a time you had to motivate members of a team. (leadership) Describe how you dealt with an unforeseen problem. (problem-solving) How have you set goals for yourself and achieved them? (goal-setting) Talk about a presentation you had to make. (presentation) Discuss a time when you had to deal with an unhappy client. (interpersonal)”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“The following list contains some questions you might consider asking the interviewer when you're presented with the opportunity at the end of the interview. Of course, not all of these questions will be appropriate to bring up in every situation. Play it by ear and choose what to ask based on what has been discussed in the interview. Who will I be reporting to? What will I need to do to advance in this company? Are there formal performance reviews? How often will I be evaluated? Why is this job open? What has the company's growth been over the last five years? Do you consider the company to be in good financial health? Do you promote from within? How long do most employees stay with the company? How long have you been with the company? How many of those in upper management began their careers at this company?”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“What accomplishment are you proudest of? Choose something that truly took a lot of effort to achieve. You want to show that you are proud when your hard work pays off. As you should always do, choose an accomplishment that greatly benefited your employer.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“Your list of accomplishments should include anything that came about because of your hard work and your skills. Don't include things that came about by chance — just because you were in the right place at the right time. You did something to make your accomplishments happen. They didn't just happen to you.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“Another way in which second interviews differ from first interviews is that the questions become much more specific and technical. The company must now test the depth of your knowledge of the field, including how well you're able to apply your education and work experience to the job at hand. At this stage, the interviewer isn't a recruiter. You may have one or more interviewers, each of whom has a job related to the one you're applying for. Typically, these interviewers will represent your potential boss, professional peer group, or executives who oversee the work group. The second round of interviews can last one to two days, during which you might meet with as few as two or three people or as many as fifteen or more over the course of the visit. These interviews typically last longer than initial interviews.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“As the interview winds down, the recruiter will probably say something like, “Are there any questions you'd like to ask?” It's essential to have a few questions to ask at this point — otherwise you won't seem serious about pursuing a career at that company.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“some interviews go well without any effort on your part (and you still may not get the job), and others go awry no matter how poised you are (and sometimes you're offered the job anyway). Generally, you should try to stress the following characteristics: Capability Confidence Dependability Easygoing manner Enthusiasm Flexibility Resourcefulness Strong work ethic”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“Here is a list of some important questions you should be able to answer by the time you finish your research. What does the company do — what products or services do they sell? What industry is the company part of? Who are the company's customers or clients? Are they big companies, small companies, or individuals? Does the company have any subsidiaries? Does the company have a parent company? Who are the company's leaders? Where is the company's corporate headquarters? Does the company have regional locations? Where are they? Is the company publicly or privately held? Who are the company's competitors? How does the company rank in its industry? Is it considered a big player, a small player, or somewhere in the middle? What are the company's sales and profits trends? What are the company's plans for the future? Has the company been in the news lately? If so, why? What other companies are in the industry? You should be able to answer all of these questions for many companies. However, information about some companies will be more readily available than for others.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“A resume should be clean-looking, immediately understandable, and informative. The following are some other helpful tips to keep in mind when creating your resume: Use a professional-sounding e-mail address. Use bold print for section titles of your resume. Use an action word to begin each statement on your resume. Use bullet points to list items on a resume. Statements on a resume are not complete sentences and therefore you should not use a period to end them. Use bold print to emphasize job titles. Use a simple, easy-to-read font like Arial or Times New Roman. Proofread your resume carefully and thoroughly — it should be free of spelling and grammatical errors and typos.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“Always start each accomplishment or description with an action word — something that describes the effort you took to accomplish a task. Here are some examples of action words: developed guided scheduled organized presented persuaded consulted achieved succeeded established designed solved improved delegated reduced increased decreased planned implemented instructed taught analyzed resolved created trained initiated assessed”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“A combination resume takes pieces from both the chronological resume and the functional resume. It emphasizes your skills while also highlighting your job history. On a combination resume, you will list your relevant skills, along with accomplishments that demonstrate each one. You will follow that with your work history, listing jobs beginning with the current or most recent and working backwards in time. You will not include a description of each one. A combination resume gives you the opportunity to play up your skills while also proving that you have a solid work history.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“What would be turn-offs when you interview candidates? What critical questions should I expect to be asked in a job interview? What advice would you give to someone looking for a job in the industry? Is there anything else I should know about the industry? Do you know of anyone who might be looking for someone with my qualifications?”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“What are typical career path options from here? If you could change something about your career path, what would you change? What are the most valuable skills to have in this field? What specific experiences helped you build these skills? What opportunities do you see in this business? Why did you want this job? What would you say are the current career opportunities for someone with my qualifications in the industry? If you were in the job market tomorrow, how would you get started? What would you do?”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“Employers want articulate workers. Speak clearly and use a voice and tone that projects confidence — even if you don't feel very confident yet. Use professional lingo that demonstrates your knowledge of the field. Avoid the slang that is fine to use with your friends. Do not, under any circumstances, use obscenities. Show that you are someone geared toward growth and open to change. No employer wants to spend time and money training someone for a short-term position. You must assure the employer that you are going to stick around once your training is complete.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“The one you use for work-related e-mail, however, should project only one bit of information — that you are a professional adult who is serious about your work. Your name, either first and last name or some combination that uses your initials, is your best choice; for example, johnbrown@gmail.com or jbrown@gmail.com.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“Employers like job candidates who have real interests and a clear direction. They know that if you're interested in a particular industry, company, or job, you're more likely to enjoy the position, perform well, and stay with the company. Employers don't like to hear that you are not at all discriminating and will take whatever job they have available. Stay focused on a particular job function.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“A personality inventory like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator will look at factors such as traits, motivations, and attitude.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“Although it's been said that you are what you do, think about this phrase reversed: You do what you are. Your personality, likes, dislikes, and values should determine what you do and where you work, not the other way around. Self-assessment is usually done through vocational or career tests that include interest inventories, values inventories, skill assessments, and personality inventories.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams

“Top Ten Reasons to Get a New Job Your boss is driving you crazy. Your coworkers are driving you crazy. You have climbed as high as you can up the corporate ladder. Your boss has asked you to put your job ahead of your family. Your boss has taken away many of your responsibilities. Your job saps you of energy and motivation. Your employer wants you to do something illegal or unethical. You think you should earn more money and your boss has refused to give you a raise. You want more responsibility. You lost your job.”
― Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Everything Get-A-Job Book: The Tools and Strategies You Need to Land the Job of Your Dreams