Talentboom Blog
You asked us
Posted December 9th, 2010 by EllenWhether you’re in a job and thinking about getting a new one, or have been looking for a little while, no one needs to tell you that it’s tough out there. Time was, you checked the job ads, sent out a resume and got an interview – in many cases, if you presented well, you [...]
Don’t let lack of education hold you back
Posted September 6th, 2010 by EllenIn my current contract, I work beside Brenda, a woman whose work ethic is on a par with my own. She is kind and considerate of clients on the phone, a diligent problem-solver, spends hours coaching junior employees and works nearly as long hours as I do! Sadly, Brenda also suffers from the same debilitating [...]
Making connections…the old-fashioned way
Posted August 25th, 2010 by EllenThe one sure way I know it’s summer is the roads. People are on vacation and although traffic in Toronto never seems to get much lighter, I do notice an easing up. As a frequent commuter, I’m a traffic-watcher and have devised various tricks and strategies for beating the rush. Like all good strategies, they’re [...]
How to deal with the tough questions
Posted July 14th, 2010 by EllenWe’ve all reached the same stage in a job interview. Things are swimming along, you feel like the interviewer is impressed with your background, and you’ve settled into a relaxed and free-flowing conversation. Then the bubble bursts when the inevitable question comes: “And what are your salary expectations for this position?” You swallow hard and [...]
Don’t let pride get in the way
Posted June 1st, 2010 by EllenMy husband is a lawyer, but not the big-firm, wealthy kind of lawyer. He has his own practice and in his 20+ years of working with families going through divorce, people with a personal injury, and feuding neighbours, he has frequently not billed at all or settled for a fraction of what he’s owed. He [...]
Write a résumé that gets results
Posted April 2nd, 2010 by EllenIn this age of web marketing and social networking, many people believe that finding a good job is just a matter of making the right online connections. There is some truth in that – the web is a powerful tool and a wonderful device for seeking out new people, organizations and opportunities. The web has [...]
Contracts aren’t such a bad thing
Posted February 12th, 2010 by EllenIn tough economic times, companies are hesitant to invest in full-time employees. They meet their workforce requirements with temporary employees and that trend has been accentuated during our recent downturn. One temporary staffing agency, Manpower, says its business rose 10% to 15% in the last quarter and another, Nelson Staffing, says temporary placements have climbed [...]
Don’t be a Tiger
Posted December 27th, 2009 by EllenLast month Accenture dropped Tiger Woods as the symbol of its High Performance Business strategy, the first major sponsor to decisively drop the disgraced golf superstar. When the sponsorship deal was signed six years ago, Accenture’s chairman and CEO had said, “Tiger Woods’ strength, mastery, discipline and relentless focus on winning are universally recognized qualities [...]
What you wear does count
Posted November 23rd, 2009 by EllenOne of my tasks while working in philanthropy at Hewlett Packard was assisting with a Christmas gift drop to underprivileged kids in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto. While chatting with the woman leading the drop, I commented on how nicely dressed she was, a fact made more noticeable by how sloppily dressed our colleagues were. [...]