Memorial Day- not just any other Holiday

It was my usual last minute Supermarket dash this weekend.  Burgers, check.  Hot dogs, check. Buns for both, check.  World War II veteran in aisle 5, wow! I consider myself a very patriotic and respectful citizen and I hold the women and men of our armed forces in the highest of regards.  But looking at this gentleman pushing his cart down the aisle made me stop short.   I looked at this man and knew for some reason seeing him should not go unnoticed.  In all the rush to make sure we have everything for the three day weekend I had forgotten precisely “why” we are off today.  At that moment I promised myself I would sit down on Sunday night and do some homework.  This is what I learned……

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

There were 16 million Veterans of World War II of which 2 million are still with us today.  It is estimated that 900 of these Veterans pass each and every day.

Of the 2.32 million men and women who served in the first Gulf War, Desert Storm and Desert Shield, about 3 percent -- approximately 70,000 -- have died.

Today we have roughly 1.5 million men and women in active duty which includes all 4 branches of the military and the Coast Guard.

It’s important for all of us to take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices so many have made for us to enjoy our freedom.

Thanks to all the Men and Women and their families who have served this Country.

So what’s in an email address? ….Only Your Future!

You finally hear about the “dream job” you have been waiting for!  You fine tune the resume, add your most current experience and off the resume goes right into the inbox of the hiring manager.  You have the credentials, you are at the appropriate salary range and you even work for a similar company.  You are confident that the phone will ring immediately or at the very least you should get a “We’re Interested!” email.  A few days pass, you hear nothing.  Then the weekend comes and goes and still nothing! A few more days goes by, you follow up, leave a message, send an email, still nothing.  A few more days pass and finally the email arrives and it says…….”We’re Not Interested”.

What went wrong?  Maybe they mixed me up with someone else?  This can’t be!

I have seen this so many times that I truly can’t believe it still happens.  I receive a great resume with the email address Masteroftheuniverse@yahoo.com  or Partyanimal2011@gmail.com.  You get the picture.  Over the years I have seen highly qualified people be judged by their email addresses. Which is unfortunate because sometimes they never get to interview for the position they truly deserve.

So let’s solve this problem quickly.  Sign up for a free email account and create an email just for your professional correspondence.  This way you can still be He-Man (or woman) to all your friends but be “Susie908 or Bob515” during business hours!

Interview Techniques- Are You Prepared?

All too often, a candidate is asked a simple opening question, “So what do you know about us?” This question seems harmless on the outside but is really the opening salvo to a much deeper question- Are you serious about this job? Or did you take the time to prepare?  If answered incorrectly, the interview will take the turn of where you are constantly on the defensive and you will feel the need to defend your experience and credentials. This is bad.  My advice is simple-Do your Homework!!  If you answer “No” to any of the following- it’s time to adjust your Job search preparation.  Here are a few questions that you should have the answers to before you sit down for any interview:

Ø  Have you visited the employer’s website?

Ø  Do you have an updated Job description?

Ø  Is this position a confidential search?

Ø  Do you know why the position is open? (This is a must)

Ø  Why was your background selected?

Ø  What is the most important skill-set needed to succeed in this position?

Ø  Do they know your Salary History?

Ø  Can you clearly articulate why you are looking for a new position? (“I am looking to grow” or “I want a better opportunity is not acceptable!)

These are must knows before any interview.  If you have any further questions/comments please email me at blogger@engagestaff.com