There has long been a debate regarding references and whether or not to include them in a resume. Many applicants are uncomfortable providing the information up front, preferring instead to simply state that references are available upon request.This is an outdated method and I always encourage clients NOT to write that on their resume, rather bring them with you to the interview. Whichever route you choose, it is critical you be aware of what information you are providing to potential employers as well as their ability to check that information. In other words, check your references because you never know who does.

References typically fall into two categories: personal and professional. Professional references are preferable as they give a potential employer the ability to confirm our work history. Personal references work well for those with little work history. The important thing to remember is that both types of references can be checked.
When offering references, be sure to carefully follow these three guidelines.

  1. Provide complete contact information: When providing a reference, be sure to provide complete contact information. This includes full names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses (when possible). Also include employment dates, job titles and supervisor names. Failure to provide complete information gives the appearance of attempting to avoid the references being creference information for people who do not know they are being included in a reference list. It not only puts them on the spot but failure to call and receive approval can mean providing bad contact information or worse…a bad reference.
  2. Know what they are going to say: When asking permission to include a former supervisor or co-worker on your reference list, take the opportunity to ask what they will say. While this may seem awkward, ensuring a positive review or reference is the best way to control this portion of the application process.
  3. Lastly, some states or companies place restrictions on what information a former employer can provide. In many cases, they are allowed to only confirm employment dates and salary history. It is always a better idea to use a reference that can provide applicable information about your work history and ethics. Be sure to confirm that your references can provide additional information to potential employers.

Some say that not everyone checks references, but I think today with such easy access via internet and reference checking companies, most do. The point is, you don’t know. Because of this, it is critical that all reference information be accurate and positive.
References can be an excellent way to personalize your work history. Carefully select the people you would like to use as references and confirm with them what they will say so you are aware of the information that potential employers receive. By properly preparing them, being honest in your answers and the information you present, you have a much better chance of presenting the best possible ‘face’ to potential employers.

How to ace a phone interview

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More and more of my clients are telling me that their first interview is a phone interview. Today, it is common to participate in a phone interview as a first step. Phone interviews are designed to weed out candidates who are not a good fit for the company, in spite of their qualifications. Taking the time to understand the phone interview process and following a few common sense tips can help make your phone interview successful. Remember, that in order to land the all-important in person interview, your first hurdle is the phone interview.

Phone interviews should be thought of as any other interview. This means preparing for a phone interview just as you would a ‘real’ interview. Researching the company to which you have applied, developing a list of thought provoking questions, being well rested and eating prior to the interview are all important steps–hint: don’t eat anything sugary before the interview or you might be likely to “crash” 20 minutes into your conversation–trust me on this one.  You may even want your coffee handy as it will give you the boost you need, and keep you feeling and sounding alert. The phone interview is a unique opportunity to sell yourself using just your words. Be sure to have prepared responses to typical interview questions and be prepared to put your best ‘voice’ forward.
Just like an in-person interview has etiquette rules that must be followed, so does a phone interview. Being mindful of the etiquette of phone interviews is critical for successfully completing the stage of the interview process.

  1. Interview at home: This is the best way to ensure you have a quiet environment for the interview. Participating in a phone interview while driving, while at a restaurant or another noisy environment is a sure way to appear distracted and disinterested. Stay at home for your interview and make sure the house is peaceful. Stay in one spot to avoid sounding like you are walking or breathless. If sitting, sit straight up.
  2. Make adequate plans: Be sure to plan for the interview. If you have children, arrange for a caregiver during the interview process. Allow for adequate time before scheduling other interviews or appointments. Interruptions are in poor form so be sure to plan adequately in order to avoid them. Tell friends and family you will be interviewing at that time and NOT to call or stop by.
  3. Your voice matters: Because phone interviews are solely auditory, your voice matters. Be sure to focus not only on being articulate and intelligent but also on showing enthusiasm and excitement. As always, take your time when answering, but avoid sounding bored or slow.
  4. Be relevant: Interviews conducted over the phone have one major downfall for the applicant: it is easy to become complacent or to get off topic. Be sure to focus your answers on relevant information and experience. Avoid veering off topic or becoming too personal. Professionalism and relevance are critical for success.
  5. Smile. How many times have you talked to someone who was smiling on the other end of the phone? You can literally feel the smile. Smiling projects self-confidence and a cheery disposition.

If you prepare for a phone interview just like any other interview, the process becomes simplified. Being aware of what the interviewer is looking for, and tailoring your responses and answers to these needs is equally important.


My brother-in-law just bought a car for my nephew off of Craigslist. I know NOTHING about Craigslist. The little I do know had negative connotations attached to it, so I decided to do some research to find out more.
While opinions differ, many believe that Craigslist can be a good place to look for jobs, as long as the job seeker takes the appropriate precautions.
Craigslist can be thought of as the biggest electronic classified site in the world. Designed to be easily searchable and typically free, it is the perfect place to advertise everything from lost pets to open positions. The simple search functions which allow users to browse local listings through clearly marked categories, makes finding a job or other service or item easy. Understanding how to make Craigslist work for a job seeker is another matter entirely.

First, realize that in most cases, potential employers can place ads for free. While there are some options that require a payment (ranging between $25.00 and $75.00), most options are free of charge. This means almost every company can advertise on Craigslist without breaking their budget. While this can be positive, it can also lead to potential scams. Understanding that not every post is legitimate and learning how to recognize a scam helps job seekers stays safe. The best way to protect yourself is to regularly review their posted information regarding scams and fraudulent advertisements and by using caution when posting a resume.
It is equally important to protect your identity. Never post full contact information. Instead, rely on a simple cell phone number or an email address. This way, job seekers can carefully evaluate open positions and offers without risking identity theft.
Next, users must understand how Craigslist works. It can be somewhat daunting to narrow down the massive database to jobs that are appealing, appropriate and located in the correct geographical area. Craigslist utilizes lists and drop down menu’s to help users drill down to the information they are looking for. By spending the time to review options and select appropriate choices, it is possible to find job postings that will work.
Craigslist can be an excellent resource for job seekers. It can be especially helpful for those looking for employment in smaller companies. Understanding not only how Craigslist works but also how to protect your identity and information is all that is needed in order to be successful with this service. Be smart about it, research and know the service before you use it.
A word of warning:  when using Craigslist, or any service, if the job sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Proceed with caution.

What Degrees Earn the Most Return in Terms of Pay?

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As students near graduation from college, or are starting back to class, more often than not their thoughts turn financial. Whether they chose a major with an end career in mind or they use their college education as a springboard for new opportunities, all students must consider their return on investment. With the cost of higher education averaging anywhere from $9,000 – $35,000 per year, a lucrative life after graduation is becoming even more important. In a competitive economy, having a profitable degree from a highly sought after field of knowledge could be the key in gaining career success. What degrees bring in the big bucks? We’ve listed some below. All salary information comes from the 2008 NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) salary survey.
Engineering
Not surprisingly, engineering majors in every category earn an average of $60,000 their first year after college. Chemical engineers are paid the most, working for a variety of companies in different fields including manufacturing, healthcare, and business. Chemical engineers design equipment and develop products. Electrical engineers rank second, with an average starting salary of around $55,000. Electrical engineers focus on the design and implementation of equipment used in all aspects of life- automobiles, aircraft, and electrical utilities. Both of these majors apply to a variety of different fields, contributing to the overall success of their earning potential. Mechanical engineers are a close third, with an average starting salary of $54,000. Mechanical engineers are also employed in a number of different industries ranging from agricultural to business.

Computer Science
As our society becomes more and more reliant on the internet and the advancements in computer related technologies and networks, working knowledge of the systems becomes a valuable tool. Computer science majors make an average of $53,000 their first year out of college. This number does include the entrepreneurs who take their computer science background and apply it to business models, advancing technologies and expanding the horizon of development.
Economics
Business markets are highly profitable, and graduates with a thorough knowledge of economics rank high in earnings potential. The average starting salary of a first year economics graduate is around $47,800. Most economics majors work in data research or consulting, and many work for the federal and state governments.
Management Information Systems
Students with an MIS degree work in all facets of business organization. They analyze businesses and contribute to a more efficient management structure. These graduates typically start in the mid $40,000 range their first year after graduation.
Finance and Accounting
Finance and accounting grads have many different options in a plethora of fields. The type of work is varied but always in demand. These positions have very valuable knowledge in intricate areas and generally start at $46,200 their first year out of school.
Business Administration and Management
This is also a lucrative field, as titans of industry are recognized by the efficacy in business management. This major is consistently one of the most popular, and for good reason- business grads can work almost anywhere! The average starting salary is $43,500 for these students, with a chance to accrue more wealth over the length of their employment term.
Keep in mind that a student’s ultimate return on investment is subjective. Yes, these types of degrees offer access to monetarily profitable careers, but it is also important to consider the subjective and completely independent determination of wealth- something that is measured differently by each person.

How Companies Use Recruiters (and what that means for you!)

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Occasionally I get asked about recruiters, if the client should use one, how companies find them, and what recruiters do for companies. So here is a little article on what recruiters are about.
Making the best use of recruiters is something that almost all major corporations do now. Taking advantage of someone that is trained to sort through people means less hassle for the company—and why not? Less hassle means fewer headaches for those businesses.
Recruiters are people who have been trained specifically to hunt for various corporations to fill empty positions. They place ads in newspapers, online and in magazines to get the attention of any individual that might qualify for a job opening that they might have.
Taking the time to find recruiters who know what they are doing is the first important step for a company. Without excellent recruiters, corporations likely will not end up with the type of people that they want working for them.

Finding the best use of recruiters is up to the corporations that employ them, however, companies need to pick and choose where the need is for new hires in particular. In other words, will the corporation be expanding in Asia and the Western United States? If so, recruiters look for individuals who might have the ability to speak Japanese or Chinese, or are bi-lingual/fluent in other languages.
Another possibility would be if a company has decided to open a whole different operation. For example, Company A typically has been a restaurant chain. Now Company A wants to start some retail stores, and has the means to do it. Using a business plan, Company A will make the best use of recruiters by sending them out in whatever area it defines to find candidates to interview. Company A will have certain guidelines for the recruiters to go by, but the recruiters will pick the potential candidates.
Once the potential candidates are picked, recruiters will typically thin out the crowd somewhat before sending the candidates in for an interview. Recruiters take the time to sit and talk to each candidate for several minutes and are usually tuned in well enough to people that they can spot instantly who would work for the job, and who wouldn’t.
When you have recruiters who are available, it makes life much easier for the corporation. It is one less step that the Human Resources Department has to be concerned with. When there are so many other things that HR people have to do, using recruiters makes their job easier. For large corporations, making use of recruiters on a regular basis is a great benefit and saves them plenty of money. Smaller corporations on the other hand, may not see a benefit except once in a while—perhaps when searching for a new Chief Executive Officer or other high-ranking position.
So here is your little lesson on how recruiters help companies and what that means for you!

How To Let Go of an Employee Who Has Become Your Friend

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Problems arise when you have to decide how to let go of an employee who has become your friend. This is not a pretty situation by any means, because it may end up costing you a friendship that you would like to keep.
If you are in a management or leadership position, there will come a time when you will have to let go of an employee who has become your friend. And it stinks… no getting around it. You will have to develop a thick ‘outer shell’ for the experience, which you may not like. However, by using some guidelines, the process will hopefully be easier on you—and possibly the employee as well. With a little luck, you may be able to save the friendship.
Take the employee/friend off into a room where you cannot be interrupted, and stay calm. Offer a drink (preferably alcoholic, but since you are at work, you probably shouldn’t), and sit down.  Do not take a drink for yourself—your hands will be occupied, but the drink will give them something to occupy their hands.
Explain that the two of you need to have a talk, and bring out any documentation, such as performance reviews, that you may have to back you up. When the friend/employee hears the words “we need to have a talk,” be prepared for them to automatically become defensive.

In my opinion, workplace relationships should consist of regular reviews—whether they are quarterly, annually or based on a different time period, it doesn’t matter. Using these reviews as a method to help back you up when having to let your friend go makes the process easier—you have documentation. Reviews are summaries of an employee’s performance, and if done properly, will help you when if it is time to let go of the employee/friend. Pay increases, behavior issues, as well as timeliness, and a variety of other things.
When it comes time to actually let go of an employee who has become a friend from their job, you will have to have a good reason why. Don’t come up with an excuse—be truthful.
If there are too many employees on the payroll, and your friend happens to be one of the newest ones, and budget cuts are happening, it’s just a fact of life. They must go. Serious behavior issues are a simple (but uncomfortable) reason to get rid of your friend. For example, has it been proven that this person sexually harassed another employee? That can bring on a lawsuit that you don’t want, so be careful.
Be fair though, and listen to the employee/friend’s objections. If they offer a solution to the situation that you had not considered, tell them you will take it under advisement. Then think about it for a specific amount of time. If it still doesn’t work for you, the firing stands.
During the process of letting the employee go, above all stay calm. Don’t yell, but be firm and truthful. Make sure that you empathize with them. Letting go of an employee that has become your friend is not easy, but sometimes necessary.


Although the Internet has been a boon to networking over the past decade or so, there is something to be said for a face-to-face networking over business lunches or trade shows. Adding a personal touch that might be missing from cold emails and Twitter, a lunch with a colleague can be an invaluable tool for you to use for everything from job leads to getting advice about a venture or idea. Trade shows offer the chance to speak with peers in your field. They know that you are interested in finding a place of employment.

People are more apt to share more personal details, and are definitely better able to read you as a person when sitting across from you at a business lunch, or spending a little time with you at a trade show. The chance to understand a person’s inflections, and gauge their sense of humor (or lack thereof), their personal foibles and idiosyncrasies or how much you might even want to engage with them outside the business milieu can only be had in a face-to-face encounter.
There are certain protocols involved when you are considering networking through business lunches or trade shows. Some are common courtesy: such as not interrupting a vendor while he’s currently dealing with a peer or customer. Wait for your opportunity to introduce yourself with a firm handshake and a business card, and get to know the person a little bit before you dive right into a lunch invitation. You might find that after a little personal interaction that you are no longer interested in getting to know someone better, or it might cement in your mind that this is someone to get on your side. Be interested in their products or sales pitch (it’s a hard, sometimes thankless job working a trade show), and ask pertinent questions.
Know that once you’ve proffered a lunch invitation to a potential networking connection, he or she may not want to talk business. Trade shows often carry with them grueling schedules, and lunch may be one of your new contact’s only break in the day.
You might consider making initial contact through the trade show venue, then following up with a lunch invitation. Be sure to let your contact know the agenda of lunch; don’t lull them into thinking a personal relationship or friendship is on the table when you’re really looking for a networking or job opportunity. Be sure to propose a firm date and time, with the offer of alternatives available. When you are networking through business lunches or trade shows do not invite anyone other than the main person (i.e., don’t show up with coworkers, or your girlfriend). Be prompt, be appropriately dressed, be courteous, and thank your invitee for their time. Once you have had lunch, remember, it is up to you to pick up the check, even if they insist. You certainly wouldn’t be impressed if you were invited to lunch and were expected to either pay or go halves; neither will they.

How to Deal With (and prevent) Discrimination Against Primary Caregivers

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It seems unbelievable to me that Americans are still faced with employment discrimination when we there are so many other options available. While once rampant discrimination was perpetrated based on race, sex or religious affiliation, today one of the worst forms of discrimination is discrimination against primary caregivers (a.k.a. parents and children of sick/aging parents). Many people do not realize that there are several different kinds of primary caregiver discrimination. Learning the different types of discrimination that are practiced against primary caregivers is the best way to learn how to prevent it.
In some cases, there are laws that help prevent primary caregiver discrimination. These laws often include not only those who care of their children, but also those who care for a sick or aging parent as well a sick spouse. In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was passed. Under this act, specifically Title VII, primary caregiver discrimination is declared illegal. The law gives primary caregivers protection without declaring them a ‘protected class.’
It is also true that women are the primary targets of this type of discrimination. This is because gender stereotyping is still rearing its ugly head, making many people assume that only women can be primary caregivers. This stereotyping can lead to an additional kind of discrimination against women. Some companies will refuse to hire young married women – specifically because there is a high chance that those same young women will soon have children and thus become a primary caregiver.

Preventing discrimination against primary caregivers is a tricky matter. The truth is no company would refuse to hire a primary caregiver and give that as the cause. Instead they will site lack of experience or even too much experience. Companies that have successfully implemented a program of primary caregiver discrimination prevention have typically taken one step: they disallow interviewers or hiring managers from asking questions designed to determine if a particular candidate is or will become a primary caregiver.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or EEOC has developed a list of guidelines specifically aimed at preventing discrimination against primary caregivers. These are merely guidelines and not legally binding, but it’s still important to know and perhaps implementing a similar program might ensure that a company is not actively discriminating. The following is what the list includes:

  1. Develop a list of qualifications for each open position
  2. Focus only on a candidates abilities, strengths and weaknesses
  3. Actively recruit primary caregivers
  4. Engage in careful review programs to monitor performance and compensation evaluations
  5. Whenever possible offer flex time as an option for employees

Remember: an employer IS NOT ALLOWED TO discriminate against primary caregivers. Because of the prevalence of lawsuits, employers are recommended to follow the guidelines set forth by the EEOC and to actively monitor their hiring practices as well as the terms and conditions of employment. Primary caregiver discrimination is still a problem today, but it doesn’t have to be.