I titled this blog first Monday primarily so I would be forced into finishing it and publishing it today. I've been meaning to blog for months now, and still have several unfinished works in progress sitting in my RBC drafts. So, in the spirit of my new year commitment to blog weekly (and to test the theory that I work best under pressure), I figured I'd start this Monday Musings blog about nothing in particular and everything in general.

2012 was EPIC for me, both…

A few months ago, a job seeker told me that she wished she could show a potential employer what she was capable of during the interview process. The job seeker stated that employers should allow candidates (who are qualified, pre-screened, and in the final running for the position) to perform the actual job for a week…

Recruiting and technology can be a dreadful combination if personal touch is sacrificed for the sake of streamlining processes (think: being caught in automated phone system hell).

I recently spoke…

Some months ago, I was phone screened for a Senior Recruiter role with a Fortune 500 retail company. During the phone screening, which lasted 75 minutes, I talked for roughly 10-12 minutes. Instead of digging deeper into the responsibilities of the role I applied for, the Recruiter spent most of…

Answer: It depends on the position.

A recently laid off job seeker who had been gainfully employed with the same company for over 25 years asked, "How important is my credit rating in the job…

Rapportive is a free app (recently acquired by LinkedIn) that shows you everything about your contacts right inside your inbox. Rapportive helps you build rapport quickly (hence the name) and is "relationship management built into your…

WiseStamp is a handy dandy app that allows you to customize your email signature.

I use the free version in conjunction with Gmail and it works swimmingly well for both branding and presenting a professional signature from a web-based email account. WiseStamp is compatible with other…

Answer: It depends.

Scenario: You're a mid-career job seeker and have been applying for jobs left and right. Due to the competitive market, you have expanded your initial local search to include 5-7 key markets throughout the US.  You start to make headway, and after gaining momentum, are invited…

Answer: Yes.

There is an adage that says, "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

Please do not apply that adage to your job search.

A job seeker who I met via Twitter some months ago recently asked me if there was such a thing as being overly eager/aggressive when using social…

As an inquisitive person by nature and an interviewer by profession, I must admit: I love a good question.

This week, I was inspired by a question from someone in the Pinterest community.  I decided to share the question with the recruiting community here on the RBC to gain alternate insights from other recruiters. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.…

I've been getting some interesting intelligence as a recruiting professional engaged in a full-fledged job search for the first time in over 10 years. I liken it to the show Undercover Boss, as I'm experiencing many eye-opening…

Last month, I encouraged job seekers to step away from the job boards and step outside to get some fresh air, network,…

Earlier this week, I had a thought-provoking conversation with a Career Performance Coach who mentioned the noise that is beginning to fill the air over at…

I consider myself tech savvy and pretty open minded when it comes to embracing social media. I have profiles around the World Wide Web on LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook and Twitter. But there are a few "hot" trending platforms that I am, admittedly, reluctant to embrace for personal…

I've lost count of the number of frustrated job seekers I've spoken with over the past month. From the California coast to the suburbs of London, these seekers' full-fledged job search efforts, which span between 3 and 18 months, have…

I was reading an older post on Recruiting Blogs about burning bridges and came across a story wherein a candidate gave notice of his resignation at a lunch meeting. His manager, shocked and no doubt upset, promptly exited stage left. I'm not sure who paid the bill...…

This week, I saw an interesting Pinterest quote that made me take pause. It said, "May the bridges I burn light the way."

In business, I've always been…

This final installment of Job Search 3.0 will highlight your digital footprint and it's affect on your job search, salary negotiations, my favorite sites for seekers, and how to finish your search strong.

Digital Footprint…

This video made me smile and motivates me to do something small but meaningful for someone else today. Trust me, this will be two minutes well spent.

Happy…

Imagine you have been gifted $20,000 towards the purchase of a new car. You begin to make your mental wish list. You narrow it down to 2 or 3 brands, a particular dealership, a top choice of color, your must have accessories, and a price range. If you didn't take these…