The Interview Edge

So Long, Farewell

I started writing this blog in August 2008. Nearly two years and 500+ posts later, a lot has changed – but on many levels, many things remain the same.

We saw Lehman Brothers fail, watched massive government spending in the form of TARP, bailouts and stimulus, and endured massive unemployment.

Sadly, unemployment is still sky-high – and it’s pretty clear that the economy (and therefore the job market) are languishing.

The singers who’ve been waiting in the wings to break into a chorus of “Happy Days Are Here Again” are still cooling their heels.

It ain’t over.

If you’ve read this for any length of time, one lesson I hope you’ve taken away is the fact that your career is your responsibility. It’s up to you to chart your professional course, and it’s up to you to create your own opportunities – not Washington, not your boss, not some guy in a white hat riding in to save the day.

And that’s okay.

You’re the one you can count on to always have your best interests at heart.

You’re in the best position to create opportunities for yourself.

You are the guy or gal in the white hat…and you will save the day.

As I retire this blog, I thank you for reading – and hope you’ve been able to take away some useful information.

Here’s to your success!

Small Businesses are Bearish: What That Means For You

The National Small Business Association this week published its mid-year economic report. If you'd like to peer into the future regarding job opportunities, this is a good place to look - because small businesses are the engine that drive the U.S. economy: more net new jobs come from small business than anywhere else.

A few factoids from the NSBA will underscore why you should care about the well-being of American small businesses:

• Small employers make up 99.7 of all employer firms
• One in two private-sector workers are employed by or own a small business
• Firms with 500 or less employees created 64% of net new jobs between 1993 and Q2 2008

As goes small business in America - so goes employment.

More About Those Privacy Settings

I wrote the other day about the fact that it's prudent to post with caution - whether it's a blog, comments about a newspaper article, Twitter, or Facebook. In the latter case, getting too comfortable with the protection you think you're getting from privacy settings is an especially bad idea.

All it takes is one person sharing what you posted, and suddenly that network you thought was closed...isn't.

Write as if someone (like a potential hiring manger or your current boss) could be looking over your shoulder. What you post can have ramifications on your career.

On the subject of those privacy settings, MSNBC.com is reporting today that the personal details of 100 million Facebook users have been collected and published online in a downloadable file. Bye, bye, privacy. That stuff is out there and has already been accessed by several thousand people, according to online security consultant Ron Bowes.

You can read the entire article here.

How Much Should You Tell That Recruiter?

You’ve been contacted by a recruiter with whom you’ve not previously spoken about an opportunity that’s peaked your interest.

How much information should you be ready to share?

If you’ve asked the right questions and feel you’re dealing with a reputable individual, then you must be prepared to entrust him with a certain level of confidentiality.

In order to determine the viability of your candidacy, the recruiter needs to know a few basic facts about you. One of those is the salary you’re currently earning.

If you’re unwilling to discuss your compensation, then you shouldn’t be dealing with a recruiter. This isn’t the time to be cagey.