Free Webinar: Career Strategies For Residents of Puerto Rico & The U.S.V.I. Seeking Employment In The Continental U.S.

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Are you or a loved one a resident of Puerto Rico or the United States Virgin Islands, been impacted by Hurricane Maria, and  looking for work in the Continental United States? Please join Scott Singer, President of Insider Career Strategies and Rodney Apple, President of SCM Talent Group, for this free webinar workshop:

★★★ Career Strategies for Residents of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Seeking Employment in the Continental U.S. ★★★

This webinar will take place on Wednesday, December 6, 2017 at 2 p.m. Eastern time. You'll learn:

►Important information about work authorization, the job market, and language skills.

►How a resume is used and reviewed by employers – and how to prepare and "localize" it for the local market to increase your chances of getting an interview.

►The most popular job postings sites and tools, and the best ways to apply for positions.

►How LinkedIn fits into your job search strategy, and what you need to do to boost your profile.

This webinar is completely free of charge, friends and families of job seekers are also welcome to attend, and all presentation materials will be freely shared with all attendees. The link to register is https://scmtalent.clickmeeting.com/career-strategies-usvi-puerto-rico/register. Registration is limited to the first 100 attendees; however, if there is sufficient demand, we will schedule additional webinars.

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Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Insider Career Strategies Wishes You A Happy Thanksgiving!

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I have a confession. I don't particularly enjoy eating turkey – in my opinion it's not very tasty, and roasting a whole turkey leaves your kitchen smelling for days. The grease gets everywhere. And just look at that bird - it's got a face that only a mother could love.

On the other hand, I love Thanksgiving, which we Americans commemorate by getting together with friends and family, eating lots of great foods other than turkey, and watching football (my wife is from Detroit, so catching the Lions is a must). And while it sounds trite, it's also a great time to reflect upon and give thanks for all the good things in our lives.

Although work is a major part of our lives, for many individuals Thanksgiving offers a professional respite. For better or for worse, many people take vacations from Thanksgiving until January 2, so if you're on the hunt for a new career opportunity this is generally the time when hiring managers aren't in the office and when many accounting departments put in place hiring freezes to tighten the P&L for Q4. In other words, if you get called for an interview or are extended a job offer during late November or December, you're the exception. But don't be surprised if you don't get many calls during the end of the year.

That said, if you're looking for a job, this is a fantastic time to polish up your resume and LinkedIn profile in preparation for the new year when hiring typically opens back up. And don't hesitate to apply for positions right now. There are also fewer people applying since they're in holiday mode, so the competition is a little bit lighter. And if a company really, really needs to fill a job, you will get a call – holidays or not.

And for those of you with retail, service, or other positions who are required to leave Thanksgiving dinner early to head to work, you have my heartfelt sympathy.

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Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Fantastic Ways To Screw Up A Job Interview

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Back in my recruiting days, I once had a hiring manager say to me about people he interviewed for jobs: "If it's not 'yes,' it's 'no.'"

In other words, unless the candidate made a truly great impression during the interview, they probably weren't getting the job. And trust me, it's really, really easy to introduce doubt about a candidate into the process. Managers are always looking for reasons to say 'no' - because it's a lot easier than taking a risk on somebody who's less than perfect. It's not fair, but it's reality. Here are some fantastic ways I've personally seen interviewees sabotage their chances.

• Showing up late.
   

• Leaving your cell phone on – and it rings during the interview. Extra points for stopping the interview to answer it.
   

• Checking your phone's messages during the interview.
   

• Being visibly sick during the interview. Seriously, reschedule the interview; you won't impress anyone with your dedication, and you may gross them out by coughing on them.
   

• Sending "thank you" notes afterward to some interviewers and not others.
   

• Asking no questions during the interview. You'll appear bored.
   

• Asking stupid questions. Yes, there is such a thing as a stupid question. Especially dull, obviously improvised questions which clearly illustrate you didn't prepare.
   

• Bringing up salary before they do.
   

• Swearing. This isn't limited to the 7 words you can't say on television. If you wouldn't say it in front of your sweet, old grandmother, don't say it in the interview.
   

• Not dressing up for the interview. Business casual usually applies after you've gotten the job.
   

• Taking bathroom breaks during the interview. Repeatedly.
   

• Calling the interviewer "dude."
   

• Behaving nicely to the hiring manager, and rude to Human Resources.
   

• Giving varying answers to different interviewers asking the same interview question. Trust me, they'll compare notes.
   

• Having bad breath. It's a bad idea to eat a tuna fish sandwich with onions just before your meeting. Oh, and remember to use deodorant, too.
   

• Hitting on an interviewer.
   

• Lying. Probing questions can flesh out dishonest information pretty quickly.
   

• Badmouthing your current or former employer.

I'm sure I'm missing a few beauties. Feel free to send me your favorite examples – if I get enough, I'll include them in a future article!

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Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.