The Joel Paul Group Blog

Be dynamic in your job search. When you apply for appropriate positions with the right marketing pieces, you can increase bring your chance of receiving a response from .5% (one in two hundred) to 2.5% (one in 40). Although 2.5% may seem like a small response rate, it is a fivefold increase in your chances of getting a response.

Every time you submit your resume for a job, it should be an effective advertisement for that position. In order to be an effective advertisement, the resume must change every time. Modify as appropriate for every job in order to increase your chances for success.

Speaking from anecdotal evidence, the average number of positions job seekers apply to per week is five. What if we were to increase the number to twenty five opportunities per week?

Try to pick a focus for your career change. If you believe your skills are transferable to many different industries, concentrate on no more than three fields. Learn all you can about those industries. If you try to be everywhere, it can be hard to get anywhere.

By working as a consultant, it may open the doors to many unique opportunities in the future, both within consulting as well as an even better full-time position.

For those of us considering going back to school or currently enrolled in school, we inevitably have to ponder the following: What type of job can my degree actually get me? Instead of guessing, take a look at what others who have graduated at your school (or a comparable school) have done with the degree.

By doing your best to fill in employment gaps with one of the areas above, you will better answer natural employer question marks and receive stronger consideration for the job.

By connecting with industry professionals and demonstrating your knowledge of the field, your chances for breaking in to that industry will increase exponentially. Once you get your break, be prepared to work hard as it is a job just like any other.

Any change in our career is a potential risk. You can mitigate that risk by taking careful consideration with your next move. When choosing the next step in your career, consider the following five things about your potential new employer.

Focus on both your short term and long term goals. If an opportunity comes up at the company you would like to work but not in that role, give it some consideration. While taking a position at a company in a divergent department might seem to take you off on an unwanted path, it actually might help you in the long run.

Furthering our education can often feel like the panacea for a difficult job search and continued career frustration. It is hard to avoid thinking that if we were to just get one more degree or focus on school for the next few years, instead of looking for work, perhaps all of our problems would be solved.

We all make mistakes. Some big, some small but it is how you learn from them. If you made a glaring mistake that is hurting your ability to get a job, be upfront about it and look towards taking your transferable skills to the next opportunity. Sometimes it may seem like a step back but in the end, you will end up ahead.

Sometimes we take risks and they do not always work out but oftentimes they do. Taking a risk for upward mobility is often the right step for many in their career but that is for you to decide. No matter what, everything is a learning experience and if you choose to take the risk, you may be better for it.

Every time I read about unemployment benefits being extended, I become concerned. Why? I know many professionals who are hurting their career by not proactively looking for work.

If your only revenue stream is your full time job and that ended suddenly or unexpectedly, that may lead to more stress for you as opposed to if you had multiple sources of income.

I learned for the future to get a better sense of all potential obligations related to an opportunity and to make a reasonable evaluation if it is something that I could commit to fully, as would be required of me.

The quick rule of thumb is: if there is smoke, there is fire. If you start seeing too many question marks and are not getting the answers you are looking for, it is time to take a serious look at your career and current job prospects.

It is often said that it is easier to find a job when you have a job. What if you have been searching for new a job while continuing to work but have found it especially challenging? When is it a good idea to leave your job and just concentrate on finding the next opportunity?

After a long job search, it is hard to resist the temptation to tell everyone we know that we are now gainfully employed. It has most likely been a stressful time and we want to tell those who have helped us (or perhaps pressured us) in finding employment.

any job seekers treat their job search as a full time job. They wake up in the morning, check email, search for jobs listings, make follow up calls and write cover letters between the hours of 9-5. This determination is necessary for finding the next opportunity but it is important not to forgot to do things for yourself in order to relieve stress and anxiety during a potentially difficulty time.