Find Your Dream Job: Insider Tips For Finding Work, Advancing Your Career, And Loving Your Job

Every interview typically includes the classic opening line: "Tell me about yourself." Your answer to this introductory question can be a gamechanger. Career coach and job search strategist Kerri Twigg shares why your response needs to be prepared in advance to ensure that it’s conversational, enjoyable, and strategic. About Our Guest: Kerri Twigg Kerri Twigg is a Certified Resume Strategist with more than 15 years experience as a consultant and workshop facilitator. She holds an M.Ed in Humane Education and works with clients in industries that don't harm people, animals or the environment. Resources in this Episode: New tool: The Verge interviewed social psychologist Heidi Grant about why it’s so important to ask for help when you’re struggling: https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2018/6/22/17475134/heidi-grant-reinforcements-help-social-psychology Listener question: Shiva Acharya from Albuquerque, New Mexico recently graduated from college and is frustrated by the number of entry-level jobs that requ

With today’s competitive job market, submitting your resume online to recruiters can sometimes feel like throwing it into a black hole. However, there’s a better way to highlight your skills, select strategic keywords, and build a better resume that will attract recruiters who are hiring. Tarunum Khan, certified career strategist shares how to get started. About Our Guest: Taranum Khan Taranum Khan, Ph. D is a Certified Career Strategist and Ambassador, Career Professionals of Canada. In 2017 she received the nomination for Award of Excellence as an "Outstanding Career Professional.” Her passion is creating a positive impact on career and academic journey of the lives she touches, locally and globally. Every conversation with her is uplifting and inspiring as she inverts the focus for you to rediscover the strengths within you! Resources in this Episode: New tool: False expectations can be holding you back from finding your next career. The Ladders shares 8 unrealistic expectations that smart people ignor

Job searching can feel difficult if you’re approaching it alone. One way to go farther in your job search is to team up with friends, coworkers, and mentors to lighten the load, get their advice, and make your job search journey more bearable. On this bonus episode of the Find Your Dream Job podcast, I chat with Mariana Lindsay (LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariana-lindsay-2582a71a/) who is the the urban rural connection coordinator at the American Leadership Forum of Oregon. Learn more about Mariana’s career and get her job search advice in her Q&A below, part of the Mac’s List Success Stories series. What do you do for a career? Who do you work for? I’m coordinator of American Leadership Forum (http://www.alforegon.org/) (ALF) of Oregon’s new Urban Rural Connection Program. At a time when our communities and nation feel acutely divided, ALF is leading dialogue and helping foster collaboration across differences. Throughout the 30-year history of ALF Oregon, the urban-rural divide has been a part

You might think that every job posting is a list of facts about the position. That’s a mistake, according to Justin Dux, CareerCloud Radio podcast host. If you learn to read between the lines you can become a more competitive candidate and stand out from dozens of other applicants. About Our Guest: Justin Dux Justin Dux hosts CareerCloud Radio, a podcast for job seekers that began in 2007. He regularly interviews job hunting experts who offer useful and actionable tips. And he is proud graduate of the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. Resources in this Episode: New tool: Vermont is offering $10,000 to remote workers who move to the state: https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/vermont-is-offering-remote-workers-10000-to-move-to-its-state Listener question: Leonard Bryan from West Linn, Oregon asks: “A lot of people talk about finding an employer that offers a good work-life balance. How do you define work-life balance? What is your advice for finding employers who match your definition?

Building a network is essential to finding a career in today’s competitive online job market. Today, the Mac’s List team explores how to build your network strategically with guest expert Sara Holtz. Find out how to develop a strategy for expanding your network and learn why the casual approach of asking your colleague for a chat over coffee may not be the best move. About Our Guest: Sara Holtz Sara Holtz is passionate about helping women succeed in the workplace. Sara launched the Advice to My Younger Me podcast to serve as a "virtual mentor" to help younger women navigate a sometimes confusing workplace. In each episode, Sara and her guest, another successful women who has "been there, learned this," provide clear, practical career advice. Sara comes to this podcast after a very accomplished career as a business lawyer, senior executive at Fortune 500 companies and as a nationally-recognized expert helping women lawyers achieve career success. She is a graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School. Res

If you’re looking for a new job opportunity, you may be weighing out the possibility of taking an internship. But you shouldn’t underestimate the value of internships. Internships can unlock new opportunities, forge new relationships, and create lifelong connections. Find out how to stand out as an intern and stay connected after your internship ends with insights from career expert Kirk Baumann. About Our Guest: Kirk Baumann Kirk Baumann is an experienced talent acquisition leader, connecting people to their purpose. As a career and leadership expert recognized globally, Kirk has helped launch thousands of careers for young leaders and thrives on building lasting relationships. Named one of the 100 Most Social HR Experts on Twitter by The Huffington Post, Kirk is the founder and author of the award-winning career advice blog, Campus to Career. Kirks advice has been featured in Business News Daily, Mashable, and US News & World Report. Resources in this Episode: New tool: “The Pay Gap Is Way Too Entrenched

If you’re feeling disconnected from your career, it may be because you’re not following your calling. This week’s guest expert Lisa Zigarmi says following your calling is key to unlocking a successful, rewarding and happier career. Find out how to identify your calling and and how it can help your job search. About Our Guest: Lisa Zigarmi Lisa Zigarmi is a leadership coach and growth accelerator. She partners with executives and entrepreneurs who want to relate more deeply, decide more efficiently and think with more creativity. Lisa helps her clients build leadership capacity by applying positive psychology, leadership science, and mindfulness practices. She regularly contributes to Forbes and her corporate clients include: Johnson & Johnson, Salesforce, Genentech and VMware. Resources in this Episode: New tool: Use this career roadmap from Rasmussen College to plot out your motivations, interests, goals and more (http://www.rasmussen.edu/career-center/career-research-hub/what-career-is-right-for-me/) an

On this bonus episode of the Find Your Dream Job podcast, I chat with Lori Aoki, physician recruiter at The Vancouver Clinic. Lori learned a lot from a year-long job search after moving to a new city. Though the search was discouraging at times, she found ways to build resilience while improving her networking strategy and her application materials. Then, when she was ready to move into a new role, her network came out to help, putting her in contact with a new organization where she gets to use the job search lessons she learned to recruit staff for The Vancouver Clinic. What do you do for a career? Who do you work for? I joined The Vancouver Clinic in April 2017 as a Provider Recruiter. How long did it take you to find this job? Not long; the job found me! The process took about three weeks from the time I heard about the job, applied, interviewed and was hired. How did you find your job? What resources did you use? What tool or tactic helped the most? A friend of mine told me about the position and rec

Mentors can make an incredible difference in your career. A mentor can make introductions, give you advice, and provide you with a trusted reference. Our guest expert this week is Marci Alboher, vice president of Encore.org. Discover why mentors matter, how to find mentors and why you should be one yourself. About Our Guest: Marci Alboher Marci Alboher(https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcialboher/), a Vice President at Encore.org(https://encore.org/), is one of the nation’s leading authorities on career issues and workplace trends. A former blogger and columnist for The New York Times, her latest book is “The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life.” (https://amzn.to/2HGMg73) Marci serves on the board of directors of Girls Write Now and as a mentor editor for The OpEd Project. Marci lives in NYC, with her husband Jay and their French bulldog Sinatra. Resources in this Episode: New tool: Online classroom Udacity has teamed up with Google to provide 12 free cours

You may think that your most important tool for finding a new job is your resume, your cover letter or your references but that’s not the case. Our guest expert Nella Barkley shares how you can make a big difference in your job search by knowing your own skills, defining your goals and by actively advocating for yourself with clear evidence of your demonstrated achievements. Ask yourself what you can point to as impressive accomplishments and how to emphasize those achievements in the job interview. About Our Guest: Nella Barkley Nella Barkley (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nella-gray-barkley-a405b5122/)  is the president and co-founder of the Crystal-Barkley Corporation (http://www.careerlife.com/) which helps people find their own personal career and life paths. She is a sought-after mentor, public speaker and coach. Her counsel is sought by Fortune 500 corporations, career changers, and international media.Nella is also the author of two books: “The Crystal-Barkley Guide to Taking Charge of Your Career” (ht

Freelance work is trending, and it doesn't have to be an exhausting, feast-or-famine career. Rethink short-term gigs by learning more about portfolio careers. About Our Guest: Anne Pryor Anne Pryor (https://www.linkedin.com/in/annepryor/) is a globally recognized online brand strategist and top 10 LinkedIn trainer. She helps clients stand out, get found, and make meaningful connections for great jobs and profitable business. Anne had written more than 10,000 LinkedIn profiles and trained 100,000 people. Learn more about Anne on her website, annepryor.com (https://annepryor.com/). Resources in this Episode: New Tool: Shortly, even the CEO will be outsourced to an online labor marketplace (https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/05/shortly-even-the-ceo-will-be-outsourced-to-an-online-labor-marketplace/?ncid=rss) from TechCrunch. Listener Question: Kathy Rees of Portland, Ore. asks, “Is it better to list (or not list) some part time jobs that I have had since I was laid off in July? I do not want to look like some

In today’s world, applying for a job online means you’re bound to face some fierce competition. In some cases, you may be competing with an internal candidate. And in other instances, you may be competing with recruiters working for the hiring manager. Any number of online job postings may attract hundreds of applicants. How do you stand out from the crowd? Get expert insights from talent recruiter and owner of PDX Career Coach, Christine LaPorte. About Our Guest: Christine LaPorte Christine LaPorte has been a talent recruiter for Nike, Columbia Sportswear, Rejuvenation and R/GA. Today, as the owner of PDX Career Coach, Christine gives creative professionals the tools and strategies they need to connect with hiring managers and get competitive salaries. Resources in this Episode: New Tool: Mango (http://mangoconnects.com) is a networking app that helps you navigate LinkedIn to deepen and grow your professional connections. Listener Question: Germaine Couldis from the Bay Area has worked for the same compa

Anyone who has gone through a job search can tell you that rejection is par for the course. Even the most skilled professionals have failed more than once. And even perfect candidates can lose out on a job because of something outside of their control. One of the keys to a successful job search is to maintain positivity and perspective in the face of regular rejection. To do this, you need to be vulnerable, share your feelings, and lean on your support network to maintain your confidence and keep moving forward toward bigger and better things. On this episode of Find Your Dream Job, we welcomed our first African female guest, author and career coach Añuli Ola-Olaniyi! Añuli explains how to manage failure in your job search and turn rejection into a learning opportunity. About Our Guest: Añuli Ola-Olaniyi Añuli Ola-Olaniyi is the founder of HEIR (http://heir.com.ng/), a social enterprise created to help young women build capacity and learn career skills. Añuli hosts the Hire Me Bootcamp (http://nigerianwoment

Julie Dalrymple moved to Portland from a small, tight-knit community in Napa, California. When she first moved to the Pacific Northwest, she missed that built-in network of connections. But from attending networking events, volunteering with local organizations and conducting informational interviews, Julie was able to build a solid network of contacts who opened up new opportunities for her career. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job; I talked with Julie Dalrymple about how volunteering opened up new possibilities for her career and helped her secure a job she loves. You can read more about Julie Dalrymple’s job search below in her essay for our Success Stories series. What do you do for a career? Who do you work for? I am the marketing & communications manager for Classic Wines Auction (http://www.classicwinesauction.com/) in Portland. We are a small but mighty organization that produces food and wine events to raise funds for local nonprofit organizations. My job involves creating and implementi

Connecting salary and success can be a losing game. Don’t equate the amount of money you make with how happy you are in life. Instead, know that your self-worth is more than your paycheck. And when you do negotiate for salary, focus on understanding the market value of your skills and ask for the pay that compensates the type of work you do. About Our Guest: Lauren McGoodwin Lauren McGoodwin is the founder and CEO of Career Contessa (http://www.careercontessa.com/), a career site for women. Previously, Lauren was a tech recruiter at Hulu and wrote her masters thesis on millennial women and career resources. Career Contessa launched in 2013 and now helps more than one million people with career development each year. Resources in this Episode: New Tool: How do Applicant Tracking Systems work? This article from Jobscan outlines four features of the most common ATS software. Read Taleo: 4 Ways the Most Popular ATS Ranks Your Job Application. (https://www.jobscan.co/blog/taleo-popular-ats-ranks-job-application

What do you do when you know you need to move forward in your career, but you need some direction? Many people end up in career paths that aren’t a great fit for their natural talents and passions. If you’re looking for a better job fit, start to observe yourself at work, name your strengths, and rewrite your career story to show off your enthusiasm and ability. Portland-based career coach Mary Blalock joins us on this episode of Find Your Dream Job to share tips, tricks, and resources to learn about your strengths and find your best job fit. About Our Guest: Mary Blalock Mary Blalock (https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryblalock/) is a Portland-based career coach and co-founder of Ladies' Night PDX (http://ladiespdx.com/). She helps women advance in their careers through coaching, classes, and events. Previously, Mary was a recruiter and worked with Amazon, Microsoft, Nike, Adidas, and many more. Learn more on Mary’s website (http://maryblalock.com/). Resources in this Episode: New Tool: Landit (https://landi

Each new job on your resume presents new opportunities, new challenges and new setbacks. In this episode of Find Your Dream Job, we discuss the best ways to capitalize on your first few months in a new position with human resources executive and business coach Joey Price. We also dive into the six steps you can take to turn career setbacks into personal growth. About Our Guest: Joey Price Joey Price is an award-winning human resources executive, business coach, and professor. He’s the founder of Jumpstart:HR, a consulting practice for small businesses and startups. Joey Is also the host of Business, Life, and Coffee (www.businesslifeandcoffee.com), a weekly podcast, and the author of “Never Miss The Mark: Career Search Strategies Provided by HR Pros.”  Resources in this Episode: New Tool: Explore transformative resilience in your career with The 6 Steps to Turning Setbacks Into Advantages from The New York Times: www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/smarter-living/six-stages-of-setbacks-help-growth.html  Listener

What’s holding you back from the pay raises, promotions, and new work opportunities you really want? For many of us, it’s about a fear of being shot down when we ask for it. On this episode of Find Your Dream Job, our guest Kate White encourages you to raise your hand at work. Ask your boss “what’s missing?” Volunteer for new projects. Document your accomplishments and build a case for the compensation you deserve. About Our Guest: Kate White Kate White (www.linkedin.com/in/katemwhite/) is the former editor-in-chief of five national magazines, including Cosmopolitan. She’s also The New York Times bestselling author of several career books, including “The Gutsy Girl Handbook: Your Manifesto for Success.” And Kate is also the bestselling author of 12 mysteries and thrillers! Resources in this Episode: New Tool: Top 8 Tools You Need to Use For Salary Research from The Job Network: www.thejobnetwork.com/top-8-tools-salary-research-012017/ Listener Question: Brooke Jacobs of Redmond, Oregon asks: "Is it OK to

You’ve heard it again and again: it’s all about who you know. Especially in a job search, experts encourage everyone to reach out to their friends and professional connections to find work opportunities through word of mouth. That’s the Hidden Job Market. But what does it look like in action? Doug Wells (https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-wells-ba51696/) lays it out for us. On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job; Doug explains how he reached out to his network with curiosity and openness to find new opportunities, including the job he landed, and loves, as a Director of Organizational Development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org/). Doug says it’s important to be patient, and discusses the pros and cons of being interested in everything. Listen to find out how he gained focus without losing variety in his career.   Read more about Doug’s job search in a post he wrote for the Mac’s List Success Stories series: https://www.macslist.org/success-stories/patient-relentless-doug-wells-job

Nobody enjoys a long job search. To speed things up, many candidates put more and more time and effort into the job hunt. Our guest expert this week is recruiter Jim Stroud. He says if you want to find your next job faster, you need to work smart. Jim says there are three steps you can take now to find your next job. About Our Guest: Jim Stroud Jim Stroud is the global head of sourcing and recruiting strategy for Randstad Sourceright. He has consulted on recruiting for such companies as Microsoft, Google, MCI, Siemens, Bernard Hodes Group and a host of startups. He’s also the host of the It’s All Recruiting podcast (audioboom.com/playlists/1268507-its-all-recruiting) and the author of “The Number One Job Hunting Book in The World: Job Search Strategies for Unemployed, Underemployed and Unhappily Employed People,” (www.amazon.com/Number-Hunting-Book-World-Underemployed/dp/1508741824/ref=la_B00M5CKX5S_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1521743408&sr=1-4) Resources in this Episode: New Tool: 100 Top Companies with Remot