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Since my previous post on COBRA in my So You’ve Been Laid Off series, I’ve had a few more questions concerning COBRA. I figured I’d just answer them all in one post and save us all some time. Can I Get COBRA if I’ve Been Fired? This is a question I hear a lot. And the answer is, “It depends.” According ...

Once you have been laid off, one of the first things you are likely to think about is how you are going to replace your income. Unemployment Insurance (UI) was established by the government to provide unemployment benefits to workers when become unemployed due to factors outside their control to financially assist them while they are looking for employment. UI is ...

So, your killer resume has resulted in the interview. Now it’s make or break time. Nothing else matters. When you walk in the door for an interview you are starting off at zero. The only thing that matters to that employer now is how you come off in the interview. First Impressions Remember, you can never make a new first impression. ...

Laid off, fired, let go… whatever you call it, it stinks. However there are a few things you can do prior to getting an interview and say when you’re in the interview hot seat—you will get back into the interview hot seat—that will reflect in a very positive light to your future employer. Let’s start first with what you can say ...

I recently heard about an individual applying for a job who was asked by the hiring manager to bring up his Facebook page. The individual was shocked, but did so because he wasn’t sure how to refuse. What would you do if this happened to you? Does an employer even have the right to ask this, especially when Facebook is supposed ...

If there's any small solace when starting a job search in this recession, it's the proliferation of digital technology to help you re-enter the working world. Web sites like Indeed.com and LinkedIn.com have multiplied the number of job openings you can track and the professional contacts you can make. E-mail and smart phones make it easier to pitch yourself and set ...

Amy Andrews has a great post on my friend Chris Russell’s Secrets of the Job Hunt blog on how to decide whether you should return to your old company. In my days at Edelman, we used to call these people members of the “Comeback Club" or "Boomerangers." Here’s what Amy has to say: Organizations thrive on change. Just because you lost ...

As soon as you hear the words, "Tell me about a time when...," you should be aware that your interviewer is probably using a behavioral interviewing technique. This technique uses your past experiences and behaviors as an indicator of your future success. In other words, if you can demonstrate through examples that you accomplished something before, the interviewer may have the ...

I get notes in my inbox every day, but this one stood out — so I decided to give it a little extra attention! If you've got a question you'd like to ask me, feel free to send it to info@adminsecret.com. Due to volume I can't always get to every question, but I'll do my best to send you a quick ...

The resume was impressive. The formatting was impeccable, the content was excellent, and she did a great job of focusing on accomplishments instead of job duties. If I were an employer, I would have been impressed. Then I looked at her cover letter and imagined the employer tossing that perfect resume into the trash bin. Many people looking for jobs destroy ...

During the typical job interview, you'll be asked a lot of questions. But do you really understand what the interviewer needs to know? "Most students have no idea why a recruiter asks a particular question," says Brad Karsh, a former recruiting professional for advertising giant Leo Burnett and current president of career consulting firm Job Bound. "They tend to think it's ...

Gina had recently been laid off after working as a marketing manager in a high tech company for the past five years. She was distracted as she walked through the aisles of the supermarket. She was thinking about ways to market herself into a new job. She stood in front of the cereal selection, overwhelmed by the number of brands to ...

1. Not Using Standard Business-Letter Format The student's cover letter looked more like a cut-and-paste email than a business letter. It had no recipient information, no return address and no date. The letter screamed unprofessional. What's YOUR Cover Letter IQ? Be sure your cover letter uses a standard business letter format. It should include the date, the recipient's mailing address and ...

Job-hopping. It’s career suicide. That is, if conventional wisdom and my father are to be believed. They tell us to stay at a job for at least two years. That the longer you stay in one place, the more dependable you’ll appear. And the better your chances for success when you do look for a new job. They tell us that ...

You've sent out 800 resumes, done one interview, received zero offers. You find yourself looking lower and lower on the totem pole and occasionally eyeing openings for line managers at the competitor that killed your former employer. It sounds ridiculous, but we all know it's true. You can be overqualified for a job. Why some employers think this way, we'll never ...

1. Withhold Your Resume Here's what not to do: Fire off a volley of resumes to human resources departments. "Sending a resume is simply a way to oblivion," says Jeffrey Fox, author of Don't Send a Resume. HR departments must quickly eliminate nearly all of the hundreds of resumes submitted for a single opening. At the first whiff of your extra ...

1. Non-words Filler words such as "um," "ah," "you know," "OK" or "like" tell the interviewer you're not prepared and make you sound like a Valley Girl (or Boy). A better strategy is to think before you speak, taking pauses and breaths when you lose your train of thought. Everybody utters an occasional "um," but don't let it start every sentence. ...

You may look good on paper or in your suit, but if you're looking to nail your big interview, looks aren't everything. How you sound is often more important. But many job seekers let careless speech habits sink their chances of landing that plum job. The Bottom Line: You don't have to study elocution to speak well. Simply slow down, take ...

The internet has made stalkers out of all of us. You know exactly what I'm talking about. But instead of stalking your ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend, consider using your newfound detective skills for more productive (i.e. less emotionally jarring) purposes, like snagging the job of your dreams. Interested in a company and need to find a person to contact? Google away. Trying ...

Managing your job search is just like managing any other project. You must create an administrative infrastructure that will allow you to operate efficiently, productively and with some order. Here are some strategies to consider as you craft a system to manage the flow of contacts, resumes, follow-ups and interviews throughout your search campaign: Use Technology Wisely Conducting a job search ...