Most people get fired at some point in their careers and it’s not the end of the world, even though it might feel that way at the time. Here’s concrete, step by step advice to get you back on track if the worst happens.

Most interviews are in a behavioral format, meaning the interviewer not only wants you to share that you have a particular skill, they want to hear about how you used that skill in past jobs. Practicing your skill story ahead of time will allow you to share it strategically, building it seamlessly into The Story of YOU.

It’s Summer 2018 and the unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been in years. Arguably it’s a candidate’s market. And yet, many new and recent college grads are still unemployed. How can that be?

Last time we discussed the basic principles behind engaging listeners with your story. Today we are going to get downright specific – I’m going to share specific instructions for creating narratives that work well to open doors for all types of job seekers. First, some general principles for developing your narrative.

Today my clients include five college seniors I’m helping to secure a post-graduate job. While they have been doing all the right things since January, it is taking time to get responses. For all you college seniors out there, here’s the advice I’m sharing with my clients in real time:

Over the years there’s been loads written about the value of “informational interviews,” the meetings you, the job-seeker, procure to find out more about an organization you’re interested in, while sort of pretending you’re not actually interested in a job there. These “interviews,” constitute a tricky dance between candidates and prospective employers, prompting many candidates to just throw in the towel and avoid them altogether. But that’s a mistake.