Skate To Where The Puck Is Going...

Another one of my favorite quotes comes from hockey legend, Wayne Gretsky.

Skate where the puck's going, not where it's been.

With 20 years in the NHL and over a thousand career regular and post season goals, he is the highest scorer in the history of the league.

What can Gretsky can teach job seekers? The most successful job seekers look at where jobs are going to be. What does that mean exactly?

Don't only do what most job seekers do... only wait for a position to open up. Identify a need within a company and sell your skills and experience. This doesn't mean that you find something you hate about a company and call them up and tell them you can do it better. Do you believe you have the skills or experience that can benefit a company? If so, tell them.

What are the trends in the industry? In the area? There are hints all around you. Read local newspapers, blogs, magazines. Is there a local company announcing an expansion? What are you hearing from your friends and family? Anyone talking about a job change at their company?

Sure, it takes longer to target a company but it can lead to good results. This doesn't mean you can't apply for jobs using a more traditional approach. Mix it up. Spend some time researching and targeting companies where jobs are going to be.

Oh, and speaking of hockey... go Thunder! Opening night is in less than three weeks!

job search

How To Be Successful At A Job Fair

A job fair can be an effective way to meet hiring managers and recruiters in your community and learn about many job opportunities in one day. If you are prepared and use your time wisely, you can walk away with many strong job leads. Many job seekers make careless mistakes that can hurt their chances of success at a job fair. Here are 16 simple tips to make your next job fair a success.

my job story

My Job Story - Jenny-Faye Klooster

In this week's My Job Story, we hear from Jenny-Faye Klooster, a Photo Stylist who runs the photography department for Gibson Overseas, a large kitchenware company, a job she has held for almost four years.

career, communication

How To Be A Better Public Speaker

Do you want to differentiate yourself from your peers at work? I have a simple suggestion. All you have to do is speak up! That's right. It's time to work on your public speaking skills.

defense, job search

Stop Networking!

Networking is a terrible verb to describe human interactions. For some people, networking still has that cheesy sounding ring to it. I've spent countless hours reading newspaper and magazine articles, blogs, tweets and Facebook posts from recruiters from all over the country and nearly all of them say that one of the most important job search strategies is networking.

How To Introduce Yourself Once You're Referred

Asking for a referral is important. How you handle that referral is even more important. If you want to work at XYZ Company and you know someone that works there, you should ask them to refer you to a hiring manager. Ideally, your contact will make a personal introduction, or copy you on an e-mail introduction. Sometimes, you'll just get a phone number or e-mail address of the hiring manager.

Know Your Risks, Don't Settle

Even if you've been without a job for some time, it is generally best not to settle for a job that you may not enjoy. Having said that, there are a couple of questions you should ask yourself when evaluating a job, or when determining what companies to target.

High Demand, Low Supply Blog

Welcome to High Demand, Low Supply, a career and job-search blog written by Matt and Dawn Beckwith.

Finding a job can be stressful. Here, you'll find tips to increase your odds of success with finding a new job.

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