Ready or not, here it comes. 'Tis the season for Christmas parties! You have exchanged names with friends and coworkers and are preparing the assigned tokens of merriment to bring with you to the festivities.   Maybe this comes as glorious news for some of you who have been piecing together the right outfit for weeks and dream of holiday snacks and finger foods. Others, however, might be less than thrilled to extend their holiday cheer to anyone other than their recliner after a long day's work.   Regardless of your level of joy when walking into your next holiday party, keep in mind that you can mix a little business with pleasure. Parties are for fun and relaxing, but there is great potential for networking in the midst of it all.   Whether it is digging deeper within your current [...]

  Are you happy with your work? Passionate about what you do? We all have bad days, but maybe you’re having trouble differentiating between a bad day and a dead end.   Sadly, a large number of individuals are less than satisfied with their careers. They get into a rut of complacency and can’t seem to find their way out of it. Sometimes this season lasts for a few weeks or months before change is made, but with others it takes years to realize that something needs to be done. What was once exciting is now mundane.   So, what’s the solution to this predicament, you ask? Is it possible to find joy in what has become merely tolerable? There are some who need to take some time to reflect upon the fact that they are in the wrong career altogether. [...]

Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Two of the biggest shopping days of the year. The best deals are rolled out, and the most aggressive of shoppers are waiting at the doors or at their keyboards. The chase is on for the best brands and cheapest prices, and the whole experience is a sight to behold.   In the world of resume writing, what if such a killer deal was available all year round? For those who are out pounding the pavement in search of a new job, you are, no doubt, looking for someone who can help advance you to the next level. You dream of landing an interview with that company you’ve had your eye on for months, but you can’t get anyone to give your resume a second glance. This deal is for you.   Platinum Resumes offers our clients [...]

For those with a fresh degree, it is often intimidating to find your way out of the starting gate. You have the heart and the head knowledge, along with a splash of experience as an undergrad and intern. But, you find yourself wondering if your limited amount of experience is enough to land the job of your dreams. Is experience overrated or essential when it comes to your job search?   This is an important question to consider, and, as with anything, the answer will vary from company to company. There are some hiring managers that will not consider a candidate who does not have “X” amount of years of experience. However, there are many other companies that may hire someone who is lacking in experience yet possesses strong potential. These companies have found that pure will and determination will often [...]

"Be aggressive. Be, be aggressive." The words that bring us back. Back to the voices of cheering on the high school team on a Friday night. The call to fight harder and stronger against the opponent.   Let's allow that chant to ring in our ears again today. Except this time, the opponent is not another team but the job market, and we are being called to fight harder and stronger in the face of the present opposition.   Due to election season and all of the corresponding events and stories that have slammed our country and job market this year, many companies have been holding off on hiring and spending in this final quarter. The opportunities for being hired in your field are not as plentiful as they once were, and you have to be much more aggressive in your [...]

Post #4 - Complete the CIRCLE and Expect Serious Career Results   As we conclude our blog series today, we want to take a moment to offer one more bit of advice on how to make the most of your time spent on the hunt for a job. Whether you've been at it for months and months or have only just begun, there is no reason to further prolong your job search. Make today the day that you're going to get your ducks in a row and get serious about chasing your career dream!   Regardless of what type of job you are seeking or where you plan to fall on the salary scale, the job search basics still apply. There are a few key items that should be highest on your checklist, the main ingredients for stirring up the greatest [...]

Post #3 – Establishing the Right Timeline and Checklist for Your Current Job Search   When you are thrown into a hot pursuit of your next job, it is sometimes without much of a heads up. Although some job seekers out there had a strategic plan in mind when they left their current job to find something better, many hardworking men and women find themselves without a job and without a plan to find another. Days can turn into months, and confidence and resilience will be challenged.   The answer to the dilemma is to establish a timeline and checklist for yourself the moment that you find yourself without a job, if not before. Few of us are locked into jobs that we know we’ll have for a decade down the road. It’s never a bad idea to entertain the possibility [...]

Post #2 – Six Crucial Components that Define a Premiere Job Candidate   As we discussed last week, it is extremely important to take your job search efforts seriously and consult credible sources rather than going with the first tidbit of advice you happen to come across on social media. In our present day and time, we are fortunate to have great information at our very eager and impatient fingertips. But, when a job candidate is seeking wisdom, choosing quality over quantity is the key.   This week we want to point out six primary areas of focus in which any serious job candidate will want to excel. These “six ‘Qs’”, as defined by The Washington Post, are the targeted components that help to separate the men from the boys, if you will, when it comes to weeding out potential employees. [...]

  Blog #1 - Professional Advice that Every Job Seeker Needs to Hear   We could spend all day creating various sets of lists. The top five reasons you should do blah blah blah. The top ten results you’ll see if you do such and such. The three ways to reach the top by attempting to accomplish this or that.   There are many great opinions and guidelines out there, and the endless possibilities that Google places at our fingertips are more than enough to give us job seekers some motivation and food for thought. Many have walked before us on a similar path and offer their tips and tricks for how to climb the ladder of success in the way that they have.   However, there is a weeding process that must be consistently in place, as we’ve all learned [...]

You feel ready. After all, this isn’t your first rodeo. You’ve got half a dozen job interviews under your belt by now. You know what not to wear, what fragrances and flashy pieces of jewelry to avoid. You’ve got a firm grip on your strengths and weaknesses and feel ready to conquer just about any question that comes to pass.   However, sometimes it is the more subtle questions that carry the most weight. The sneaky opportunity that the hiring manager may take to determine what exactly you can offer the company. After all, this interview is less about you than you may realize. Your strengths, weaknesses, assets, and former glories are but a glimpse as to the promise you bring as a potential employee.   “Why Should I Hire You?” This is the question that seems as though it would [...]