Some fear and anxiety are always going to be there when you interview. After all, this is pretty important for you, isn’t it? If you don’t care at all, then you wouldn’t be nervous, and thus by being nervous, it just means you simply care enough for it to have some impact on you.… Read the rest

There are a host of new analytics tools and algorithms that mix behavioral psychology, personality tests and motivation that are staring to be used in the job search process. Basically what has been done by humans is slowly being outsourced to machines.… Read the rest

When interviewers ask about your greatest weakness, the biggest mistake would be to respond with some cookie-cutter answer like “my greatest weakness is that I am a perfectionist” or “I work too hard.” Those answers are just sucking up. Interviewers weren’t born yesterday and are not going to fall for the “spin that slightly negative thing into a really positive thing” approach because it sounds too rehearsed and insincere.… Read the rest

Companies hire you because they think you have skills to do a job. Clients want to work with you because they think you have something to add to their business. 

You face competition from millions of other people around the world.… Read the rest

We like to think that we have control over our lives. That our actions lead to predictable outcomes and that we can influence others around us.

In an interview setting we believe that if we do our research, practice in front of the mirror, and present ourselves well then we can convince companies to hire us.… Read the rest

How hiding your current salary during an interview hurts you down the line

People tend to get cagey with money. They don’t want to talk about it.

They think somebody is going to reach into their wallets and f*ck them over.… Read the rest

A friend of mine was living in England and interested to relocate back to Japan with her family where she was originally from. At that stage of her career she was already quite experienced and looking for a step up.

The problem was that she didn’t have much recent work experience in Japan.… Read the rest

It’s 1943 and a Nazi officer knocks on your door.

“Any Jews in here?” 

“No, it’s just me,” you whimper innocently.

In fact, you are hiding a Jewish family under your floorboards. You hope that they don’t make any sounds.

Their lives depend on it.… Read the rest

I once sat down to have a casual coffee chat with a company. I was told that it would be a more informational conversation and not in an interview format, and “just go get to know each other.”

I felt good and less-pressured going to the meeting.… Read the rest

My favorite answer to everything — ‘it depends.’

The situation might come up that you are using a recruiter to get a job. Good. That’s what they are paid to do, and many are pretty good at it.

However, sometimes a recruiter won’t get you where you are trying to go.… Read the rest