Category: Career Advice

Interviewing the interviewer – 5 questions to discover if they are inclusive

You probably already know that asking quality questions of your prospective employer at the end of an interview can give you bonus points when it comes to your probability of being hired. Among many things, good questions show your knowledge, interest level, and attention to the employer’s needs.

But what about your needs? Asking questions just for the sake of asking may not help you decide if you really want to work for that employer. You are trying to land the job offer, yes, but you should also be thinking about how the job fits within your vision of an ideal workplace. That will help you craft questions that make sure you have everything you need in order to choose a company where you will thrive.

When you are from a unique background, however, the stakes are even higher when it comes to the questions you ask, since it could impact not just your success but also your potential risk for forced failure. In other words, will you be discriminated against at all, whether blatantly or inadvertently? Could you be, in fact, risking your career instead of accelerating it with this new gig?

According to Glassdoor, “a full two-thirds (67 percent) of active and passive job seekers said that a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers.” Even though most want a diverse workplace, inclusion and cultural acceptance are not a strength of today’s modern workforce. It has made headlines in recent years that many of America’s top companies, in all industries, lack acceptable diversity and inclusivity in its workforce and workplaces. Hence, when doing your evaluation – why not have all the data you need to make good decisions?

Here are 5 questions you could consider asking. Some of these may make you nervous to ask, especially if you suspect those interviewing you may not be inclusive themselves. Being brave, however, and approaching these questions with a confident, professional, and friendly tone can be the catalyst for positive conversations.

I’m from a multicultural background. What steps do you regularly take to create an inclusive work atmosphere?
How is diversity valued at this organization?
What are your goals for inclusivity?
Do you consider multiculturalism in your hiring decision-making?
What successful events (i.e. meetings or training) have you had relating to developing inter-employee acceptance and appreciation specifically related to diversity?

These questions are only just the beginning of a whole plethora of questions you could ask. Remember to stay focused on what will make you feel like you can thrive. So go ahead, ask these, develop more of your own, and be brave enough to interview the interviewer!

For comprehensive advice on the entire job search process, read our complete guide to landing a job at a great company or visit our career advice hub.

Tags advice, career, diversity, employees, hiring, inclusive workplace, interview questions, job interview, job searching, multiculturalism

Career Advice

Looking for a job? Look within.

So the statistics are daunting: 1 job for every bazillion applicants.

Sometimes really feels like it, huh?

With the competition being what it is, doesn’t it make sense to do a little research and actually apply for jobs you want? Seriously, why waste the company’s time (and other candidates’ prospects) by possibly getting to the interview stage for a gig that doesn’t even resonate with you? Yeah, we all need to make money, but by looking at your values – the big ones and the minor stuff – it should ultimately affect to which jobs you apply.

What about morale? Whether it’s strong-arm tactics telling you when you’ll take vacation, or learning a retiring employee was given nothing in regards to a send-off – these “little things” will make you feel crappy in the long run. And few workplace stressors are more damaging than feeling like no matter how hard you work you’ll never get ahead. That feeling of hopelessness can be especially prevalent amongst women and minorities who have dealt with a history of wage gaps, underrepresentation, and discrimination in the workplace.

Do they care about diversity in the workplace? What about recruiting for diversity? Thankfully, more and more watchdogs are now in place, and would-be employees can (and should) do their homework by reviewing companies’ histories. DiversityJobs.com publishes its Top Employers for the year, DiversityInc. promotes the DiversityInc Top 50 Companies For Diversity each year, and it’s easy to find experiences from current and past employees on Glassdoor. As a potential employee it isn’t enough to know that the job offers a competitive wage and health benefits; what are your opportunities for growth and success?

You can gain valuable clues about a company in surprising ways…

Does the company recycle? Or do they pretend to recycle, yet ultimately throw everything in the regular dumpster out back? (Yes there are companies that do this and you would be shocked by who they are). Do you even care? Well you should, even if you don’t care about being green – because a company that goes to the effort of pretending to recycle, yet doesn’t – is full of shit. This company is also habitually wasting time trying to fake people out (Read: Inefficient) and the company obviously doesn’t value your time, either. Next!

Think it doesn’t matter? Think again. Because if you’re reading this then you aren’t the kind of person who’s going to be content merely scraping by for a paycheck. Sorry, Bud – but you’re wired to want to make a difference. So do your homework and find out who – and what – is right for you. Look at your values and where you can imagine seeing yourself in 5 years; not the cheesy textbook answer you’ve planned for your would-be boss, but the real answer. Because believe it or not, it’s not all about the money. To ensure long-term happiness and fulfillment in the workplace you’re going to need to feel as if you make a difference and you’ve got a future. Go to the effort of learning as best as you can whom you’re hoping to work for.

Can’t find the answers? Ask. There’s a reason they call it an Inter-view.

For comprehensive advice on the entire job search process, read our complete guide to landing a job at a great company or visit our career advice hub.

Career Advice

Tame your ego

[mks_dropcap style=”letter” size=”52″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]A[/mks_dropcap] truly savvy boss will not hire you if you have a big ego. If somehow you got the job, you’ll lose it eventually when your boss wakes up. Because, when your ego is in charge, you suck as an employee, teammate, job seeker, parent, friend, partner, lover or whatever it is you’re doing.

A big ego makes you defend, justify or rationalize when you shouldn’t. It makes you fight, manipulate or hide from challenges. It makes you arrogant and erratic. It prevents you from hearing and recognizing the truth — and from learning.

Bosses have been on the lookout for bad behavior ever since a Stanford professor wrote a popular essay for Harvard business review about The No Asshole Rule and followed it up with a book on the same topic. Other bosses set the bar higher with ‘the hallway test‘. We ask ourselves “Will I enjoy bumping into this person in the hallway or want to pretend I’m too busy to chat?”

A wise boss will know a big ego is a symptom of low self-esteem – that your real issue is fear. Fear that you will be discovered to be weak, incompetent, unlikeable, unreliable or anything else you were taught as a child. But, your parents are only partly to blame. They may have planted the seeds long ago, but it’s negative self-talk that perpetuates fear.

Taming your ego is difficult to do, but it can be done. You can start by talking to yourself in healthy ways – calming, supportive and loving ways (also called affirmations). You can tell yourself things like:

I do my best and that’s good enough
I have what I need and I’m okay
I can handle this, I’ll figure it out
I accept what I can’t control and accept things as they are already
I’ve always benefited from overcoming a challenge
I’ll learn something valuable from this
I love myself and take good care of myself
I’m proud of myself for _________

Sound corny? So be it! I’ll take corny any day over negative self-talk like this:

I’m such an idiot
he’s such an idiot
this is horrible, I can’t cope
I always screw up
I can’t believe this is happening to me
people don’t like me
I’ll never get better
I never get things right
I’m not bright enough

Talk like that and you sow the seeds of your eventual destruction (or just a dysfunctional life and career). So next time you hear one of those, tell yourself “STOP”, picture a big red stop sign, and replace it with something healthy and nurturing. Be good to yourself! Your boss will notice the difference.

For comprehensive advice on the entire job search process, read our complete guide to landing a job at a great company or visit our career advice hub.

Get the ebook! If you liked what you read here, and think you may want to refer back to this guide later, grab the Kindle version, while it’s just $0.99 – we’re hoping you’ll thank us with a five-star review on Amazon if you found this material helpful. The ebook also includes our job search guide.

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Career Advice

Don’t interrupt me!

[mks_dropcap style=”letter” size=”52″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]W[/mks_dropcap]e all bring habits formed in childhood to work with us, some helpful, others not! Interrupting can be one of the most dangerous to your career. Whether you like it or not, when you interrupt someone, you are sending one or more of the following messages:

my time is more valuable than yours
you don’t know what you’re talking about
what you are saying is unimportant
I want to be in control
I’m impatient
I’m not a listener
my emotional control is limited
my situational awareness is limited
my potential is limited
it’s all about me

Yes, there are times when it’s appropriate to interrupt. In many circumstances, it may be perfectly reasonable for your boss to interrupt you for reasons one through five.

But, it’s not okay for you to interrupt your boss, a customer, or a hiring manager in a job search interview for any of those reasons.

Yes, some people talk a lot. Sometimes you need to interrupt to do your job. Practice interrupting politely. Say the person’s name, reflect back what you just heard and then move the conversation in a new direction. For example:

“Santa, I hear you saying that we need to build more Jack-in-the-Box’s because kids love them — and I want to… but the thing is, we need more little metal boxes, so if you can help us find more we’ll get right on it!”

When you can do this skillfully and your situational awareness is high, then by all means, interrupt when necessary. Just make sure you know when and why you interrupt, that you are choosing to do so instead of interrupting habitually and/or for the wrong reasons. Know yourself, know the risks and balance them.

Get the ebook! If you liked what you read here, and think you may want to refer back to this guide later, grab the Kindle version – we’re hoping you’ll thank us with a five-star review on Amazon if you found this material helpful. The ebook also includes our job search guide.

For comprehensive advice on the entire job search process, read our complete guide to landing a job at a great company or visit our career advice hub.

< previous work-smart next >

Career Advice

Don’t suck at instant messaging

[I]n my company instant messaging dominates. It’s a powerful communication tool but also dangerous if you suck at it. It’s dangerous because when you IM me, you’re interrupting my workflow. If you do it well (and for the right reasons) I’m glad you wrote to me. If you do it badly or for the wrong reasons, I resent the disruption and wonder if I hired the wrong person.

You’re under the microscope whenever you send an instant message. Fortunately, it’s easy to rock IM. Below are a checklist and 11 real examples from my message flow.

1. Begin with the general context – I’m not a mind reader and don’t know what you were thinking about 30 seconds before writing to me! For example:

BAD:

“Eric, do you have a target date in mind for applications?”

GOOD:

“Eric, for that scholarship program we discussed yesterday – do you have a target date in mind for applications?”

2. Include a link to whatever you are referring to. Do it every time you want me to look at a webpage – even if you think I clearly have the page open and just need to refresh it. Do it every time. For example:

OK:

“fixed”

GREAT:

“http://justjobs.com/academy/dont-suck-at-e-mail/ -> fixed”

3. Use a real-life example. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, give me a picture! Or screenshot. For example:

BAD:

“should I just include the title of the interviewee or also a little description, like when you say Administrative Supervisor for the RN interview?”

GOOD:

“http://careerconfessions.ning.com/forum/topics/certified-nursing-assistant -> how does the title look to you? should I add ‘- Administrative Supervisor’ at the end?”

4. Copy and paste an important conversation to other people or other places. If we talked about something that involves other people and they need to know, e-mail them a copy of our conversation. If our conversation related to an issue documented on a wiki, forum or project management system, copy and paste into that location. Or, if it’s something entirely undocumented that needs to go on the record, get it done!

5. Assume I never saw your IM, if you didn’t get a response. Try again or try e-mail.

6. Don’t stream out your words in little chunks and don’t wait for me to write back with “Hi” before you give me any information. If you need me to be there waiting and hanging on your words, you look inefficient and inconsiderate. For example:

BAD:

“hey Eric” (waits for me to respond)
“regarding that nursing article” (now starts writing again)
“do you think I should accept it as is?” (and starts writing again before I can respond…)

GOOD:

“Eric, regarding that nursing article do you think I should accept it as is?”

7. Use IM for time-sensitive communication and/or know the preferences of your coworkers. Be extra judicious sending IM outside standard work hours. If you send me an IM at 9 PM, I expect it to be an emergency (unless I’m waiting for an update on something I’ve asked you for).

8. Turn on archiving and don’t ask me the same question twice. Look up the answer in your logs if you can’t remember. If your instant messaging program doesn’t have a searchable log, use pidgin instead.

9. Summarize at the end of an involved conversation. For example:

OK:

“got it, thanks, talk to you later”

GREAT:

“So to summarize Eric, you want to order all the new hardware this quarter with the exception of the two Xeon chips, right?”

10. Copy and paste the question you are answering (or the comment you are responding to). If more than one question has been asked or the question was asked some time ago in the conversation, don’t make me guess what you’re answering. For example:

OK:

“put ‘

‘ before the code and ‘

‘ after it“

GREAT:

“how do you format the code when you Post on BaseCamp? -> put ‘

‘ before the code and ‘

‘ after it”

Bonus: Ask questions that can be answered with a yes or no. Frame your questions so you’ll understand my answer if I respond with one or two words. I might be writing back to you from my phone, so make it easy for me to answer. For example:

BAD:

“Is it okay if I give her Horacio’s interview or do you prefer to publish it on ezine?”

GOOD:

“Is it okay if I give Horacio’s interview to Gaby?”

For comprehensive advice on the entire job search process, read our complete guide to landing a job at a great company or visit our career advice hub.

< previous work-smart next >

Career Advice

Don’t suck at e-mail

[mks_dropcap style=”letter” size=”52″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]T[/mks_dropcap]hese days, your first contact with your boss and coworkers is likely to be via e-mail. So make your first impressions count – don’t suck! Most people do and never realize why they don’t get a reply.

When your e-mail sucks, it gets skimmed and deleted or ignored. Here’s how to do e-mail right. If this checklist is too long for you, hit the first three and you’ll already be way above average.

1. Use the subject line! Put 2 to 7 words in it that summarize your reason for writing. If I’m searching for your e-mail, the keywords you put in the subject line will help me find it and will set it apart from other e-mails from you if we e-mail each other frequently. Preface your subject with FYI if appropriate which tells the recipient no response is necessary.

2. Write three sentences only, most of the time. If one of those sentences is a question, make it the last sentence. Don’t ask more than one question. Three sentences is most important when you are starting a conversation. It shows you value your time and won’t squander it writing long passages about something I don’t care about, am not interested in or have not asked for. It shows you value my time also. It shows you understand that teamwork and communication is a conversation where the ball bounces back and forth between us with rhythm – like a game of ping-pong. Know that the longer your e-mail is — the more likely I am to postpone reading and replying. Your long e-mail is like a basketball pitched across the ping-pong table. It sucks.

3. Use a signature with your contact information! If you make me hunt for that information, I dislike you already. It takes 5 min. to set up and shows you have a little concern for me and the ability to have your computer do what you want it to.

4. Spellcheck! And, if you are writing a critical e-mail, print it before sending it and read it out loud. You will catch any and every mistake that way.

5. Reply to important e-mails quickly. If you can’t provide a substantive answer immediately, acknowledge you received the e-mail and say you will write again as soon as you can.

6. Give a heads up using IM or VM, when you send an important e-mail. If you send me an e-mail you consider urgent or unusually important, give me a heads up in some other medium to make sure I’m on the lookout for your e-mail. I prefer instant message, but you need to know your boss’s preference (cell phone, text message, etc).

7. Write again, if you don’t receive a reply. Checking to see if I’ve received your e-mail is not a nuisance – it shows you take responsibility for driving results and make no excuses. It shows you understand that I may receive a high volume of e-mail or have my attention splintered in many directions and need your assistance.

8. Use the phone if e-mail isn’t working. Please don’t tell me you haven’t received a reply to the e-mail you sent to so-and-so. Just pick up the phone. It shows you know that e-mail is just a tool and not everyone’s favorite, that you get the job done using whatever tool works best under the circumstances.

9. Take control of your e-mail client by learning keyboard shortcuts and filtering. This shows you understand efficiency with e-mail matters (it’s at the center of most jobs today).

10. Understand your boss’s preferences for what goes on e-mail versus IM and Intranet/wiki/project management system. Ask your boss about preferences for who should be cc’ed about what. You don’t want to be that guy that insists on wasting everyone’s time copying others unnecessarily.

Bonus points – never use an attachment when there is no compelling reason to do so. Attachments suck! Instead of copying and pasting information into an Excel spreadsheet or Word document, just paste right into an e-mail whenever possible.

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to remove.

— Antoine de Saint-Exupery

For comprehensive advice on the entire job search process, read our complete guide to landing a job at a great company or visit our career advice hub.

work-smart next >

Thanks to Beef Wellington for music clips (Fran C) and to Mark O’Sullivan for inspiration!

Career Advice Careers Lessons

The Power of Role Models: Calling All Non-Traditional Mentors

Aspiration is essential to growth. People who aspire tend to be changemakers; they not only have a vision and aim for it but also work hard toward their goals. Consequently, those who aspire are key to the success of any organization or cause; organizations should actively seek people who aspire to advance their causes. How do organizations attract aspiring talent? Quite often, role models provide the human blueprint for potential pathways to success. And although anyone can be a role model, shared affinities make a big difference.

I am a young Latina professional. Over the course of six years in the nonprofit sector, I never encountered a Latina in a leadership position. My only role models were non-Latino white men and a few white women. I could not see myself in any of their shoes, mostly because we were so different. They came from diverse backgrounds and had particular worldviews. A Latina or another minority woman in a leadership position might have persuaded me to stay longer and made me feel more empowered. She could have helped me see myself becoming a leader as well.

I think a young Latina woman who sees an executive board member, whose contributions inspire and command respect, will want to follow the board member’s footsteps. Although the younger Latina may see herself as having similar barriers to success, she may also perceive the same opportunities to build upon. Cultural, ethnic, and gender-related barriers are too easily accepted as part of one’s identity. One could assume that without role models, Latina women cannot become nonprofit leaders. How likely will a young Latina woman aspire to be a leader? It is true that role models come from various backgrounds and persuasions; what matters most, I think, is whether or not one can aspire to follow their footsteps. In my case, I would have loved to be mentored by someone with a similar background and who could understand where I professionally and what my potential was.

Nonprofits interested in diversity should focus on filling their executive boards with diverse role models with whom younger professionals can identify with—executive boards need to be as diverse as the talent they seek. Latinos, in particular, are an increasingly important segment of the population, so integrating their talents is essential. Prominent Latino leaders need to be on nonprofit executive boards because aspiring young Latino professionals need to identify with them and, in doing so, map pathways for the success of the next generation of leaders.

Author Bio:

Cherise Tolbert works for LatPro.com, an award-winning diversity-focused job board that connects Hispanic and bilingual job seekers with employers throughout the Americas. Cherise specializes in social media and communications and has a master’s from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

Tags latina, leadership, mentor

Career Advice Job Fair Tips

Prepare for a Job Fair like a Pro!

Recruiters see your preparation for a job fair as a sign you will be organized, professional, and ready for battle once they hire you. And because meeting company representatives at a job fair is parallel to a first interview, you must know how to put your best foot forward.

Here’s a practical guide to look prepared and stand out from the crowd.

Do the basics right: your outfit

Personal hygiene, attire etiquette, clothing, shoes, and jewelry choices are all forms of basic human communication. What you wear and how you wear it sends subtle messages that most of us perceive without even thinking about them. How you prepare your outfit for a job fair is crucial. This doesn’t mean you need to go buy an expensive suit – great outfits can be put together on the cheap.

Wear something that represents who you are, what profession you are interested in, and what you want to say about your professional self. For example, if you are interested in a managerial position, wearing a traditional (but modern cut) suit or a nice skirt and button-up blouse are great options. Then add a necklace or a pair of shoes that have flair and express who you are. Accessories are a great way to show your uniqueness without compromising professionalism. There is a wide variety of what is considered professional, so do not take the traditional route if you feel that you want or need to follow your own clothing path.

What matters most though, is HOW you present your outfit. This is what you should do:

Press or steam the creases out of everything
Shine your shoes
Do your hair neatly
Don’t exaggerate on the cologne!

Although these tips sound simple, you may easily forget to press your outfit ahead of time and in the face of a busy schedule, end up leaving the house with lots of wrinkles!

Update, edit, and print many copies of your resume

Although you probably know you must bring your resume, make sure you have updated all of your recent experiences that apply to your career. Make sure to focus on results-based achievements and put in the time to avoid other resume ‘red flags’.

A second read through every time you are ready to hand your resume to someone is necessary; even those who are amazing at catching mistakes see the ones they missed when looking at a document with a fresh perspective. Moreover, having a friend give you feedback never hurts.

Remember to print at least ten copies so that there are plenty to go around.

For in-depth suggestions on how to improve your resume, check out How to Land a Job at a Great Company and Get Promoted, written by Eric Shannon, founder of LatPro.

Research the companies that will be there BEFORE you go…

Knowing something ahead of time about everyone you meet may seem silly to some, but this will be another drop in your bucket of professional first impressions. You don’t need to memorize every company mission and vision but do read the list of who will be attending, choose three to five that you are really interested in meeting with, and learn about what they stand for, who works for them, and what their current employees are like. Have a few specific questions in mind for the top employers, and know the positions for which they are hiring.

Just because you research some companies beforehand doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go introduce yourself to as many as time allows. Preparing just increases your chances with the companies that interest you.

Know your elevator pitch!

At any job fair, hundreds of very talented people may appear to be prepared. You can stand out from the crowd by relating to an employer when you meet them. Think of it this way: 2 WHATS + 1 WHY

WHAT: Communicate your vision of WHAT you like about the company.

WHAT: You can personally bring WHAT benefits their mission and business.

WHY: You are a great fit for them.

Candidates who connect on a deeper level by answering these questions and draw parallels to why they care about what they do and how they can personally help a company are the ones who typically get a second interview. What can you do to improve their company and how are you the best fit?

Remember to keep your focus continually on the employer and not on you.

Practice first impressions

One of the least known job fair preparation techniques is practicing how to greet, shake hands, and be confident. You may already be a pro at this; if this is the case, feel free to ignore this section, but most people get nervous when facing what can be a very nerve-racking experience, meeting your potential new boss! So figuring out how to relax to not shake like a leaf is essential.

Researching some calming techniques is a great way to be prepared and be confident. Also, ask a friend to pretend to be a potential employer to figure out what your elevator speech about who you are and what you want will be.

Most importantly, be confident and be you. Even if you have no time at all to prepare, go in knowing that you already have all it takes to do whatever it is you really want to do.

For comprehensive advice on the entire job search process, read our complete guide to landing a job at a great company or visit our career advice hub.

Tags career fair, career fair tips, career tips, job fair, job fair tips, job search tips

Career Advice Preparing a Great Resume

How to Promote your Bilingüismo

Being bilingual is a wonderful asset in the professional world. Your skills are desirable!

“A University of Phoenix Research Institute study found that demand for American workers who speak foreign languages—particularly Spanish and Chinese—will rise over the next decade, but few workers actually plan to study them.” (Wall Street Journal)

Many, however, do not know how to use their bilingüismo as a professional advantage. Knowing how to show that you are bilingual can be particularly confusing when applying for jobs. You should indicate that you are bilingual like this:

Resume: Add a languages section indicating the proficiency level of every language you speak. In other words, you should state whether you are proficient, have native or learned fluency, or are a novice when it comes to reading, writing, and speaking each language.
If the job descirption requires bilingualism, make sure that your languages section is near the top of your resume, or include that you are bilingual in a highlighted skills section at the top of your resume (in addition to the languages section).
Application: Some job applications directly ask for any languages spoken. Make sure that you fill this section out adequately.
Cover Letter: When applying to a position that does not require bilingualism, you may consider mentioning how your language skills could be an additional asset to the company in your cover letter. It depends on how you approach your letter and what you use as your main “selling point” for why they should hire you, but mentioning your bilingualism should only help your possibilities.
Job Interview: Approach the job interview like your opportunity to show a company that you have the knowledge, skills, and a background they can’t live without. One way to approach this is to make a list (ahead of time) of ways your bilingualism could be an asset to the company. For example, you will be able to interact with a broader set of clients. Be creative and think outside the box. Potential employers will appreciate the initiative and see your confidence in using your skillset.

Tags advice, bilingual, Hispanic, immigrant, interview, languages, Latino, Spanish, tips

Career Advice

Getting help

[mks_dropcap style=”letter” size=”52″ bg_color=”#ffffff” txt_color=”#000000″]Y[/mks_dropcap]ou land a job offer when a hiring manager decides she likes the way you come across. Put another way, you get the job when her perception of you matches up with the requirements of the job and the culture of the company. So, how useful would it be to know how you’re coming across to others? I’ll tell you — it’s critical.

The hiring manager’s perception of you involves how you look, sound, interact, and present on paper, email, telephone or web. To increase your odds of getting hired for the job you want, you’ll need help to figure out (and improve) how you’re perceived. Ideally, you’ll have a small team helping you (resources below).

If you can afford professional help with your resume or even a coach to work with you through your job search, get it. You’re looking for people who will not hesitate to tell you (politely) what 99% won’t – that you have bad breath, bad taste, bad timing, bad posture, body odor, personality issues, typos or whatever.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is entry-level stuff. Silly defects will stop a VP from becoming a CEO just as easily as they’ll stop a college grad from getting his first job. You’ve got to find someone who’s not shy and knows the environment you want to get hired into. Someone who can tell you how to fit in better if you have some rough edges. And who doesn’t?

Employment is a team sport for employers and it should be for you also. When we post a job, the position description has been reviewed by at least a handful of people in my company (who each usually suggest an edit or two). The text gets better with each review. The team approach improves every aspect of recruiting in my company (especially interviewing). So, why would you want to go solo in your job search?

Are you a do-it-yourselfer? You want to get vital feedback and assistance from your friends and family with your resume, your cover letter(s), your dress, people skills and interviewing style. You need to know how you come across to others, so, don’t give up until you find the right friend or coach.

If you don’t know anyone with the right smarts, consider networking with informational interviews to meet people that are in a position to give you valuable feedback and advice. These informational interviews may also lead directly to your next job – it happens.

Whether you go with professional help or prefer the do-it-yourself approach, getting feedback is a critical step in getting a job you love. Asking for feedback is also critical to keeping a job you love, so create the habit now.

For comprehensive advice on the entire job search process, read our complete guide to landing a job at a great company or visit our career advice hub.