The Shimmering Careers Blog

There’s a skills gap in today’s mid-pandemic job market. Companies are struggling to attract applicants who have the skills they need. If you keep that situation in mind, there are ways to use the skills gap to your benefit in a job interview. You can also gain some leverage even if you don’t already have the specific skills that are on the wish list of an employer. You don’t have to be the perfect candidate. You do have to consider why they want to see you and what that mean

In the first part of my job interview course, The Expert Guide to Job Interviews, part of my focus is on figuring out your overarching career goals as a fundamental first step in interview preparation. The basic idea is simple, though it’s often neglected: It really helps to have the proverbial dream, driven by the equally proverbial passion, to develop interview strategies that get you where you ultimately want to go. As part of the process, I’ve included a lot of material d

Your resume is the best supporting actor in your interview presentation for several reasons. But here I have a chance to emphasize the single thing that’s most important in eliciting the performance of a lifetime from that supporting actor. It’s a resume tip that bears repeating, especially because it works so well as a template for a great interview. Without further ado, here it is: A good resume is one that emphasizes achievements, and a great resume happens when those ach

In my job interview course, I’ve talked a lot about networking as a key part of any job search, and about its equal importance to the process of finding interviews. Whether you’re seeking formal job interviews or the informational interviews, networking is a time-honored and effective way to grab opportunities. But one part of the networking world has taken something of a hit in the era of Covid. The in-person get-togethers, the conferences or events geared specifically to ne

In my job interview course, I talk a lot about investigating the company in question. What are their values? And that includes their actual values, not just the ones they ostensibly adhere to. What’s the latest news from them? And what’s happening with their competitors and with the industry as a whole? The answers to those questions can give you an effective framework for your own answers to interview questions, and it’s still the case that they’re all good themes to pursue.

“Tell me about yourself” may be a fundamental part of a job interview, whether asked explicitly or not, but the answer you give is delivered with more than words alone. You’re also answering by how you look and act, and, human nature being what it is, first impressions – even the ones made before you say a single word – make for lasting impressions. We can decry the situation and claim that we’re not that superficial, but we’re not always able to separate style from substance

On June 8, Microsoft announced four HR initiatives, including a “commitment to publicly disclose salary ranges in all of our internal and external job postings across the U.S.” This adds to an existing commitment to stop asking job applicants about their salary history. This is good news, not only for applicants, but as a sign of progress toward a more equitable workplace in general, especially as it represents a growing trend toward disclosure not limited to Microsoft or to

Consider a Hybrid Most resumes follow a reverse-chronological format. This is a great way to showcase steady experience in the same field. For people reentering the workforce or changing fields, this structure may not be perfect. An alternative is a functional resume that highlights skills and achievements first. However, there’s a problem with the functional resume that you need to understand: Rightly or wrongly, some hiring managers view it with suspicion. They like the id

Ah, the ever-evolving English language! Just when you thought your resume was polished to perfection with action verbs and quantifiable achievements, along comes "rizz" – the Oxford Word of the Year for 2023, originally coined by a Twitch streamer. For those of you who've been too busy tailoring your cover letters to keep up with Gen Z lingo, "rizz" refers to an individual's style, charm, or attractiveness, particularly in the context of wooing romantic interests. But the bur

Prepare for All Types of Job Interviews Previously, I’ve covered all sorts of interview scenarios, from video to phone to executive and more, but there are two scenarios that come up from time to time that deserve a few words to round out your job interview preparation. First, there’s the panel interview, one of the more potentially intimidating of its kind. There, you’re greeted by what is essentially a committee of interviewers. While the substance of a panel interview won’

Quitting is in the news this year. All kinds of quitting. First there was quiet quitting. This refers to people who don’t actually quit per se, but who are working strictly to the terms of whatever deal they agreed to. They do their jobs, but they don’t go above or beyond. No more extra hours. No more working on the weekend. No more being available 24/7. It’s about doing the minimum job requirements and trying to achieve a better work-life balance by giving less to the “work”

Growing up in a household where my mother, an accomplished scientist, often emphasized the value of curiosity, I remember her sage advice: "Curiosity is a sign of intelligence," she would say. She emphasized that by asking good questions, you not only demonstrate your intelligence but also convey your genuine interest. This lesson resonates in the context of job interviews. Your ability to inquire about the company, its mission, and its culture can set you apart and guide you

While preparing people for job interviews, I emphasize that it's not just how you answer and using your professional resume to prepare answers but also how you listen that can get you the job. “When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” — Ernest Hemingway In the workplace, active listening lets you respond to what’s truly important to the other person, not to your own potentially awed interpretation of what you’re hearing. It allows you to confirm that th