Careers for Social Impact

20Dec 2017 by Erin Ewart No Comments

Give Yourself a Year-End Career Review With These 4 Questions

BY ERIN EWART There’s lots of research out there about the benefits of regular reflection and journaling. I don’t do as much of it as I’d like, and that’s something I want to continue to work on in the new year. But I do periodically take time to write things down, and it’s always interesting and instructive to go back and read through old journal entries. Recently I was reading through some entries from about five years ago, before I started Careers for Social Impact and moved across the country. My life was very different then, and I was clearly ready for a change. I was working for an organization with a great mission and I liked the people I worked with, but I knew that the work I was doing…

11Oct 2017 by Erin Ewart No Comments

What Recruiters Think About Interviews (But Probably Won’t Tell You)

interviewing, strategy

BY ERIN EWART In my career as a recruiter I’ve done hundreds of screening interviews. I think these first-round interviews are one of the most important parts of the job search process, and also one of the most challenging. Why are first interviews so important? In a typical recruitment process, organizations select about 5-10 candidates to screen and 3-5 for in-depth interviews. With the average job receiving 100+ applications (and some many more than that), that means you have at best a 5-10% chance of being selected for an initial interview, so it’s important to make the most of the opportunity. These odds will likely increase if you've played your cards right by networking with people at the organization and getting referred internally, but even with internal advocates you still won't…

11Aug 2017 by Erin Ewart No Comments

Why I Hired A Coach, and What I Learned

career coaching, strategy

BY ERIN EWART I recently worked with a business coach. “Why would a coach need to hire their own coach?”, you may be asking. For the same reason a doctor can’t treat herself of course! I had come to a point where I was feeling stuck with some decisions I had to make in my business, and I knew I needed help. A few of the reasons I knew it was time to hire a coach were: I was feeling overwhelmed by the decisions I needed to make, yet stuck and unable to actually move forward with any of them I needed to talk things out with someone objective who didn’t have a stake in the business (i.e. not my husband), and I wanted to get feedback and input from someone…

10May 2017 by Erin Ewart No Comments

Why Dream Jobs Are a Myth: Using Design Thinking in Your Job Search

job search, strategy

BY ERIN EWART I was fortunate to participate in a design thinking workshop last week at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University (aka the d.school) with other consultants from around the country. While I’ve used and taught design thinking for years and it’s a central part of the job search approach I use with my career coaching clients, it was refreshing to be in the midst of it again as a practitioner and it reminded me why this approach can be so transformational when applied to your career. 1. It helps you think in new and creative ways: the core belief of the d.school is that “everyone has the capacity to be creative”. I don’t consider myself a particularly creative person in the traditional sense, but being together…

31Mar 2017 by Erin Ewart No Comments

The Secret to Job Search Success: Confidence

interviewing, job search, strategy

BY ERIN EWART One of the biggest frustrations with job searching is that it can can feel like so much of the process is in someone else’s hands. What we often forget is that the biggest success factor is in our control: coming from a place of confidence. If you believe you can do the job, you will project that and help the employer believe it too. Conversely, if you have doubts about your abilities, are trying to figure out the “right” answers to their questions, or are trying to be someone you’re not, that will come through. The key to success is to be the best version of yourself by projecting your strengths and confidently sharing how your unique combination of skills and experience will solve their problems. Yes, there…

16Feb 2017 by Erin Ewart No Comments

LinkedIn Update: 3 Things You Need To Know

job search, LinkedIn

BY ERIN EWART As you may have seen by now, LinkedIn has recently undergone a pretty major facelift. If you haven’t gotten the new interface yet you will soon, since they are releasing it to users in waves. If you’ve already been using the mobile app you’ll find that the new site has a similar look and feel to what you're used to there. In addition to the cosmetic upgrades, there are a number of changes that are likely to impact your experience on the site. Much has been written online about these changes, including summaries here and here, so I won’t rehash them all, but I do want to share several important implications and updates I’m recommending that my clients make: 1. Make sure your summary has a strong “hook”:…

20Dec 2016 by Erin Ewart 1 Comment

Our Five Favorite Job Search Books

job search

BY ERIN EWART Are you determined to start the new year off right and find a new job? Or do you know someone who is, and want to support them with a gift? The holidays are the perfect time to catch up on some reading and get inspired for the new year, so here are five of our favorite books to help you navigate the job search: 1. Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life - this book summarizing the most popular course taught at Stanford was released in September and quickly rose to #1 on Amazon and The New York Times Bestseller List. Why is it so popular? Because it contains tools and exercises that help you design and move toward goals using small, concrete actions. While it’s…

22Nov 2016 by Erin Ewart 1 Comment

Your Holiday Job Search Checklist

job search, networking, strategy

BY ERIN EWART How to use your time off to boost your job search The holidays are here! After a busy and tumultuous few months, it’s finally time for a break. You may be dreaming about a schedule that doesn’t involve much more than eating and drinking, football watching, and general relaxing. But if you’re thinking about a career transition, I encourage you to spend some of this time on your job search. I can imagine the eye rolls as you read that, but hear me out! I’m not suggesting that you dredge up the resume from six years ago that you still haven’t updated or spend your break writing cover letters. Because who wants to do that on vacation?! But there are a few things you’ll be uniquely positioned to…

04Oct 2016 by Erin Ewart No Comments

What to Do When You Don’t Hear Back

job search, networking, strategy

BY ERIN EWART After weeks or months of devoted networking, you’ve finally gotten an introduction to the perfect person at the place you’re dying to work. You dash off a thoughtful yet brief request to meet, and wait eagerly for a response. Days go by, then a week, and nothing. Your excitement and hope are fading fast, and your vision of an entry point to your chosen organization seems to be dashed. Now what? We’ve all been in this situation (yes, me too!). Sometimes, despite your diligent research and perfectly crafted emails, you don’t hear back. I often get questions about what to do in this scenario, so here are some tips: 1. Always follow up - people are busy and we all get too many emails. Not a great excuse,…

10Aug 2016 by Erin Ewart No Comments

Feeling Stuck in Your Search? 3 Ways to Get Going Again.

job search, strategy

BY ERIN EWART Does it feel like your job search is stalled? Here’s how to move forward. We’ve all been there at some point: you’ve been job searching for a while and nothing has panned out. You’ve shared your story more times than you can count, you’ve memorized every word on your resume, and you’ve networked with everyone you can think of. Let’s face it, the job search can be hard. It’s tough on your confidence. It saps your motivation. It’s really hard to keep going in the face of rejection, and some days you just don’t want to do it. And that’s ok. Give yourself a day off to clear your mind, and then come back and get ready to jump back in. You may feel like you’ve come to the end of…