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You may not have been on one (or even heard the term before), but an informational interview can be your ace in the hole during the job seeking process. At its core, an informational interview is a casual conversation between a job seeker and somebody who works at a company they’re interested in designed to help them gather intel on what it’s like working at the company and what opportunities they have available. But don’t let the name fool you — informational interviews can do much more for you than just provide you with information. If you play your cards right, an informational interview can help get your foot in the door of the company you’ve got your eye on and eventually, may even help you land a job. Interested, but don’t know where to start? Leverage this three-part strategy. I. Reach Out It’s always nice if you already know somebody who works at the company, but if you don’t, getting in touch via email or social media is perfectly acceptable. Career Coach Angela Copeland recommends keeping the following points in mind when you first reach out to inquire about an informational interview: Keep it brief and simple — make

When the patience is low and the stress is high, when you want to smile but you also just want to cry, you may let unprofessional words and phrases slip out. We’ve all been there. Work can be challenging. And juggling coworkers and bosses can sometimes seem like climbing up a downward-moving escalator. It’s in these moments, that you must keep your cool. Whether you need a woo-sah moment or need to head to the onsite gym to sweat it out, try your hardest to maintain a calm, collected disposition at work. I recently read “Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job” by Lynn Taylor and it opened my eyes to the words and behaviors that are downright dangerous to a career. It inspired me to come up with the 8 things to never say in a meeting. Banish these phrases before it costs you your brand. 1. Bigly Sure, a certain someone is tossing this word around left and right, but don’t drop this during your next staff meeting. “Having good language skills is crucial not only to effective communication and trust – but your career, too,” writes Taylor.  “So it’s worthwhile

Short answer: yes. If you’re on the job hunt, you have probably seen many postings that you almost meet the requirements for, but you’re not quite there. Alternatively, you might be fresh out of college or looking to make a complete career change, in which case you likely don’t technically qualify for any of the jobs you’re looking at.  But chances are, you’ve heard of people winning jobs they’re not fully qualified for on paper. In fact, you’ve likely encountered this personally if you’ve already been out in the workplace. That’s because more than ever, employers are looking for potential rather than exact match, which means there are jobs that you may seem “underqualified” for that you absolutely should take the time to apply for. That being said, there’s a difference between underqualified and unqualified. Here’s how to tell the difference. You’re Almost What They’re Looking For Ask yourself: Are you an 85 percent match for the position or a 10 percent match? “If it’s a 10 percent match for skills and experience, don’t bother,” says Jessica Holbrook Hernandez, President and CEO of Great Resumes Fast . You’ll be wasting both your time and the recruiter or hiring manager’s time. Although,

The job search process is tiring. Not only does it take a lot of time, it can wear you out putting your self-worth on the line every time you apply for a job, only to be rejected. When you’ve been searching for months, it can seem like there’s just no available jobs out there for you. What if you didn’t have to do this all on your own? That’s where staffing agencies come in.  A staffing agency works on behalf of a company to find temporary employees for positions the company needs filled immediately. The agency is responsible for posting jobs, vetting candidates, and eventually hiring employees. Staffing agencies can be your golden ticket to employment. Here’s why: 1. You can work temporarily while still job searching. Even if you don’t see the position you hold during a temporary job as your life’s calling, it can provide a valuable source of income while you continue the search for your dream job. “Besides helping pay the rent, temporary gigs in your chosen field are a good way to enter the market and make a name for yourself before you commit to an employer,” says Karla L. Miller, author of the Washington

Recruiters are constantly searching for amazing candidates to fill the millions of open jobs in the U.S. And the search can be hard! After all, reading thousands of resumes and talking to potential candidates about a particular role can be time-consuming. So why not make it easier for recruiters to find and hire you? How do you do that, you ask? By being the most informed candidate possible. Sure, skills and experience matter, but according to HR insiders, a candidate who is knowledgeable about the company and is highly engaged is a must-hire. Your goal as a job seeker should be to stand out from the crowd for all of the right reasons, and at all of the pivotal moments, from application to negotiation and, ultimately, on the job. One employer said, “An informed candidate is someone that knows about the company — that’s done research and that has read the job description, [who] understands the opening so that when you’re contacting them, they’re essentially meeting you half way. It also shows me that that person is motivated because they are doing the work they need to do.” With a depth of information that job seekers can’t find anywhere else, Glassdoor is the