The opening line to your cover letter can make or break your job application. Employers are often reading through hundreds of cover letters. Your first sentence needs to make an impact, showcase your unique perspective, and compel the hiring manager to ask you to come in for a job interview. Let’s break down the components… Read more »
Discovering Common Goals In Your Network: Ally Rumpakis’s Job Search Success Story
Ally Rumpakis started her job search by narrowing down her focus to determine what kind of marketing positions she wanted to go after. After attending networking events, connecting with recruiters, and reaching out to friends and family, Ally discovered her current position through her sorority network. Learn more about Ally’s month long job search, how… Read more »
Common Expectations vs. The Reality of Working with a Recruiter
You’ve probably heard negative stories about recruiters who don’t return calls or “headhunters” who pursue a candidate aggressively, only to disappear. If you listen to all the buzz, recruiting professionals seem to be more likely to lead people on and ghost than a bad Bumble date. If you’ve ever been frustrated working with a recruiter… Read more »
Letting Your Passion Drive Your Job Search: Larissa Printzian’s Job Search Success Story
If you’ve been hunting for a job for several long weeks or months, desperation can take over. You’ll start trying to apply for any position that could work, instead of focusing on the opportunities that are right for you. Larissa Printzian faced this same challenge in her year long job search. Instead of putting all… Read more »
How to Update Your Resume: 8 Key Areas to Focus On
The key to landing the job of your dreams is a great resume. Standing out from the competition means telling a compelling professional story that includes your accomplishments and skills and what makes you unique. Is your resume telling the right story or is it outdated and gathering dust? If it’s been a while since… Read more »
Focus Your Job Search Before Applying for Positions: Brock Vasconcellos’s Job Search Story
Brock Vasconcellos started his job search by spending six months coming up with a targeted, focused list of his career interests and values. He discovered that looking for a new career was more exciting, once he reframed his perspective and started looking at his previous positions as a portfolio of strengths and interests to build upon…. Read more »
5 Conversation Starters For Networking Events
As someone who goes to 100+ networking events a year, I’ve heard (and tried) all of the networking lines. The great thing about events is that most of the time, people are there to connect and are open to some conversation in a way that people in a coffee shop or in a line at… Read more »
Using Your Network To Find Unique Opportunities: Elizabeth Roberts’ Job Search Success Story
Elizabeth Roberts was passionate about finding a career that combined her two passions: education and events. Within a month, she was able to locate a position via her network that suited her interests. Read Elizabeth’s success story to see how hard work, patience, and being proactive with her network, paid off in the long run. What… Read more »
Jobs at Certified B Corporations: Why You Should Build a B Corp Career
When I ask job seekers what kind of work they are looking for, I often get variations of the same answer: “I want a job that means something.” Sure, people want a good paycheck. (We all have bills to pay!) But more fundamentally, people want work that matters. This desire for meaningful work steers many… Read more »
Changing Industries in A New City: Amy Chu’s Job Search Success Story
Contemplating a career change that would require you to move industries? Amy Chu faced this decision when she relocated from the Bay Area to Portland, Oregon. Amy had to decide if she wanted to continue working in the technology sector, or pursue a community-driven job with a nonprofit organization. Amy made a decision to pursue… Read more »
Join Portland’s Tech Community: Local Networking Opportunities
Portland’s tech industry is robust, and there are more opportunities than ever for professionals to connect with others in the local tech community. However, it can be hard to know where to get started. Whether you’re a seasoned tech industry pro or looking at tech as a new career path, Portland has opportunities for you… Read more »
The Power of Informational Interviews: Natalie O’Grady’s Job Search Story
Navigating a new job market as a new graduate can be daunting. One place to start is by setting up informational interviews. Natalie O’Grady found that informational interviews helped uncover new career opportunities, plus she was able to grow her networking skills and cultivate valuable relationships for her career. As a new resident of Portland, Oregon,… Read more »
Expanding Your Network in A New City: Rachel Shields Ebersole’s Job Search Success Story
Rachel Shields Ebersole recently relocated to the Portland area from Woodstock, Vermont. Upon arrival in Portland, Rachel did not have many professional connections in the Pacific Northwest. So she started expanding her network from the ground up, by attending networking events, volunteering for local events, and by reaching out to professionals in her industry to… Read more »
An Introvert’s Guide To Thriving in An Open Office
You’re no doubt sitting in an open office right now, listening to coworkers diligently tapping away on keyboards and speaking loudly into phone receivers, while trying to avoid being pulled into an intense conversation two seats down. These are just a few of the complexities of the modern workplace, where walls are coming down and… Read more »
Navigating a Job Search in a New Country – Tamara Tudor’s Job Search Success Story
After 25 years living in the United Kingdom, Tamara Tudor decided to move back to the United States in the summer of 2018. Despite being at the top of her industry in London, she struggled to connect with Oregon employers and faced frequent rejection. Once Tamara stripped back the negativity she was experiencing and focused… Read more »
Recruit The Best Talent in 2020: Top Hiring Trends for Pacific Northwest Employers
The tight hiring market has continued into 2020. If your organization is hiring, then you’re facing the challenge of finding and securing the right people for your open positions. Making these high stakes decisions requires a keen awareness of the hiring market, and a fair dose of reality and humility about your own hiring practices…. Read more »
2018’s Top Career Lessons from the “Find Your Dream Job” Podcast
It’s been a big year for my podcast, Find Your Dream Job. We celebrated a major milestone of 200 episodes recorded, updated our podcast format, and had dozens of conversations with career experts from all over the country (and the world!). As we look back on this incredible year, we wanted to share some of… Read more »
Finding A New Career Path For Your Skills: Stacey Rice’s Job Search Success Story
After a two month job search, Stacey Rice was ready to find a new career at an organization that aligned with her interests. The biggest challenge Stacey faced was identifying a job position that was suited to her skills, and that was the perfect next step for her career path. In the end, she found… Read more »
Design Your Careers Page to Connect With Candidates
Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, the careers page on your website is a candidate’s first look at your company’s values and culture. This first impression will influence whether or not they want to work for you. As you gear up to hire for new openings, it’s essential for your business to… Read more »
Using Your University Connections to Find New Opportunities: Tanya Zarling’s Job Search Success Story
Tanya Zarling graduated from Portland State University in June 2018, and embarked on a two month job search before she was hired. During her search, Tanya applied to over 40 job openings online. But after one and a half months of exhaustively applying online, she had not received any job offers. It was only once… Read more »
Building an Inclusive Workplace: Six Ways to Retain Diverse Talent
You’ve worked hard to recruit diverse people into your company. Think of the time you’ve spent reviewing resumes, scheduling interviews, talking to candidates, debating who will bring the most value to the team, and navigating the offer and negotiation process – not to mention orientation and on-boarding. If you’ve done it right, you’re probably excited… Read more »
College Grads: Be Relentless to Land Your Dream Job! Derek Steffen’s Job Search Success Story
Derek Steffen recently graduated from college, and like many college grads, he found himself in the middle of his first major job search. Derek has lots of actionable advice for new college grads. Before he landed his first job, Derek had to wrap up his internship, connect with his network, and overcome the frustrations all… Read more »
Why You Can’t Find A Job in a “Hot Job Market”
Portland’s job market is “hot.” Unemployment has been hovering between 3% and 4% for over a year. New businesses are moving to the city, and many existing industries are growing by leaps and bounds. I talk to regional employers every day who are struggling to find candidates for the open jobs. And at the same… Read more »
Staying Resilient and Bouncing Back from Rejection: Karrisa Barrera’s Job Search Success Story
Karrisa Barrera spent three months trying to find the right job position for her next move. She had an upcoming trip to Europe on the horizon and a decision to make: should she keep her current job or put in her notice before securing a new job? Karrisa decided to put in her notice and… Read more »
Know Your Job Pros and Cons: Austin Barber’s Career Story
When setting off on a new job hunt, Austin Barber knew what he enjoyed about his previous position and what he disliked about his old job. He used his insights to construct a defined list of his personal job pros and cons that led him on a focused job search. Austin found a new job… Read more »
Small Business Hiring: Solutions for Building A Better Team
If you’re a small business owner, you know that every hiring decision is incredibly high stakes. Once you’ve got the budget to hire, you’ve got to find the best possible person to do the job, because every new hire can make or break your business’s productivity and goals. That’s why small business owners need to… Read more »
Keep Hustling To Find A New Job: Alfredo Moreno’s Job Search Success Story
Alfredo Moreno spent nine months exhaustively searching for a new job. His ability to stay organized, keep hustling, and stick with the grind allowed him to find a position in his niche industry. Alfredo says what made the biggest difference at the end of the day was goal-setting concrete milestones, staying focused with organization tools, and… Read more »
Ghosting: A Haunting Trend in Hiring
Want to hear a scary statistic? Over 47 percent of applicants who have sent in their resume are still waiting to hear back from the company two months later. Even scarier, many applicants are ghosted by companies after they’ve been through one (or, the horror, several!) rounds of interviews. Ghosting is a term borrowed from… Read more »
Overcoming Your Job Search Fears To Find Better Opportunities: Gary Rubin’s Job Search Story
Sometimes the most difficult part of making a career change is overcoming your fears. If you’re afraid of leaving your current position, moving to a new industry, or facing a period of unemployment, you’ll relate to Gary Rubin‘s job search journey. Gary decided to make a career change after 12 years working at one of… Read more »
Hire Local College Grads: Contact Info for University Career Centers in Oregon and SW Washington
Countless local businesses are looking to recruit energetic professionals with cutting edge skills. At the same time, the Pacific Northwest is full of award-wining colleges and universities that churn out smart, qualified new graduates. So employers have a demand, and regional schools have the supply! If you’re not already using university career centers to source… Read more »