Our Top 5 Summer Career Reads

Our Top 5 Summer Career Reads

career coaching, job search, LinkedIn, networking, strategy
By Erin Ewart Summer's here and we know you're probably ready to kick back with a page turner or an easy beach read. But along with those purely-for-fun books, we encourage you to spend a little time this summer reflecting on your career or building your skills with some of our favorite new career reads. 1. If you're ready to boost your management skills with an equity lens: Management in a Changing World: How to Manage for Equity, Sustainability, and Results by Jakada Imani, Monna Wong, and Bex Ahuja. This book from the team at The Management Center gathers some of their best tools and techniques specifically geared toward managers and leaders working toward social change. 2. If you're ready to stop chasing someone else's career dream and start chasing your…
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Job Searching? Take These 3 Steps Now to Start the New Year Strong

Job Searching? Take These 3 Steps Now to Start the New Year Strong

job search, networking, strategy
By Erin Ewart The end of the year is so close we can taste it. This is a great time to take a break, especially if you’re job searching or in career transition. While it may feel tough to step away from your search, it's an important way to keep your energy and motivation up during this process so you won't burn out.  So if you’re planning to take a little break from your search over the holidays - great! Make sure to decompress and truly unplug for a few days if you can.  But before you step away, there are three important things you can do to wrap up the year on a great note and make sure you’re prepared to hit the ground running again in January. 1.…
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5 Ways Your Network Can Sustain – Not Drain – You

5 Ways Your Network Can Sustain – Not Drain – You

networking
By Erin Ewart This week in our Job Search Bootcamp program, we’re focused on networking, a topic that our clients often have a lot of anxiety and negative perceptions about before we dive into what it actually means.   I’ve written a lot in the past about networking because I think it’s one of the most challenging, misunderstood, and important parts of the job search and career development process.  People often say they find networking to be draining, but I believe it doesn’t have to be, and that if you can do it in a way that feels authentic to you it can be fun and energizing (yes, even if you're an introvert like me!). And I would argue that rather than draining us, our networks are actually the thing we…
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How to Network Right Now

How to Network Right Now

job search, networking
By Erin Ewart What a month it’s been. Like all of you, I’m feeling overwhelmed as I process everything that’s happened in just a few short weeks. I’m also feeling overwhelmed by the volume of content that’s being shared right now, and I know you may be as well - so if you’d like a quick summary of the tips below in video format, click here!  In the coming weeks, we'll aim to address some of the common questions we’re hearing from our clients, and the first one I wanted to tackle is how to network right now.  Networking is always important for your career, and that’s going to be true more than ever as the hiring landscape gets more and more competitive in the coming months.  But it’s also…
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How to Job Search During the Holidays

How to Job Search During the Holidays

career coaching, job search, networking, strategy
BY ERIN EWART The holiday season is here, and every year around this time we get questions from our clients who are in career transition about what this means for them. One of the biggest questions we get is whether any hiring happens this time of year, and the answer to that is a definite yes! But while hiring happens year round, it does tend to slow down around the holidays, and it can be discouraging to see fewer new jobs being posted and to get so many out of office replies to your networking outreach. But that doesn't mean you should take a time out from your job search during the holidays; that's a mistake that will come back to bite you in January. Instead, think about how you can…
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What If We All Stopped “Networking”?

What If We All Stopped “Networking”?

job search, networking
BY ERIN EWART Today I'm writing about one of the scariest topics out there for many job seekers: networking. This is one of the biggest topics we focus on with our clients, and it’s a critical element of both the job search process and your overall career development. There’s so much to say about networking, but I want to start with demystifying the process and helping overcome some of the negative perceptions out there. For many people, the idea of networking feels "icky", transactional, or intimidating. And understandably so, if you think about it solely as a means to getting your next job. I felt that way too when I first started doing it. It felt like something I “had” to do, but I wasn’t really sure why, or how to…
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Fall Cleaning For Your Career: 9 Ways to Prep For Peak Hiring Season

Fall Cleaning For Your Career: 9 Ways to Prep For Peak Hiring Season

job search, LinkedIn, networking, resume, strategy
BY ERIN EWART There’s something about the start of a new season that always energizes me to finally tackle nagging chores and start with a clean slate. I especially feel this way at the start of fall: no matter how old I get, the start of a new school year is exciting and feels like a chance to start fresh. Fall is also a peak time for hiring, so this is a great time to dust off your job search strategy and materials and spend some time cleaning house. Take the steps below to refresh your approach and materials for fall, whether you’re actively job searching or not. Whatever your plans, it’s wise to make these kinds of updates regularly (we recommend at least twice a year) to ensure you’re staying…
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Your Holiday Job Search Checklist

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…
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What to Do When You Don’t Hear Back

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,…
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4 Ways to Keep Your Search on Track This Summer

4 Ways to Keep Your Search on Track This Summer

job search, networking, strategy
BY ERIN EWART Summer is finally here! As you prep for beach and barbecue season, it can be tempting to let your job search slide. Everyone else is on vacation, so why shouldn’t you be? And while taking time to rest is important for all of us, it's also important not to put your career goals completely on hold during the summer. Here are 4 reasons that summer is an important time for your job search. 1. You can take advantage of downtime. Summer tends to be a slower time at work, meaning people have more time to do things they may not otherwise be able to fit in - like meeting with you! Networking is the foundation of your job search, so double down on your efforts and talk to…
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