6 Things You Need To Know About Job Seeking Before You Become Unemployed

“On May 18, I got a call from my boss saying they were going in a different direction and he was letting me go. He told me that he had secured one of the longest severance packages that company had given and sent me on my way to HR. Region of the Year the past two years in a row, and 4 of the last 6; in April I went overseas for a week to train part of the international sales team; and, in May I had organized a 3-day National Training meeting, yet it was not enough.

On one hand it was a surprise, but on another it was not. As of this writing, I have 3 very solid prospects, and am cautiously optimistic that I will be back to work before New Year’s. Better yet, I will be in a job and with a company that I really like one that I would have accepted even if I were still employed….

Job hunting feels a lot like growing a garden. Here is what I have learned over the past 6 months that might help you harvest: Read more

Posted on 26 November 2012 by Mike Blitz in You are a candidate, You are a hiring manager, You are a professional recruiter 7 Comments

Right Or Wrong: “If You Are 50+, Nobody Will Hire You Anymore”

This is a tough one. HR Directors and (most) recruiters will tell you that age makes no difference, 50+ people who have lost their job will say the contrary.

What is the truth? Are you really professionally finished as a 50+ for a corporate career?

Posted on 23 April 2012 by Jorg Stegemann in You are a candidate 14 Comments

From Senior Management To Homeless – And Back

Martin Oliver | Senior Manager to Homeless | Career Blog

Martin and his family in 1994: "We had gone to church wearing our best clothing and the church photographer was making free pictures"

“The longest mile of unemployment for me was during a grueling 3 year stretch of time in California under the Clinton administration. My consulting position as a Director of Marketing & Sales had just ended because of faulty management decisions that threw the company into bankruptcy.

Businesses were going bankrupt across America, unemployment was at an all time high, home prices were crashing, foreclosures were drastically on the rise and almost no one wanted to hire. The year was 1992.

Posted on 13 February 2012 by Dr. Martin Oliver in You are a candidate, You are a hiring manager, You are a professional recruiter 4 Comments

Right Or Wrong: “If You Are Out Of Job For 2 Years, You Won’t Find One Anymore”

Right and wrong, the answer highly depends on the individual context.

I once read that after 7 years in prison, sociologists doubt you can be reintegrated into society (but then Nelson Mandela was in prison for 26 years…). I guess that at one point of time, it will be difficult to work 40 hours per week in a corporate context if you have not done so for years.

How long is this period? I do not know. And in my opinion, this is not the right question to ask: Read more