By: Elizabeth Lowman

The question can strike fear in even the most confident candidate. Whether your answer is simple or complex, being asked to talk about it puts you on the spot, and it can be tricky to balance the truth while still painting yourself in the best possible light to your hopefully-soon-to-be employer.

But, it doesn’t have to be as painful as you might think.

Aside from wanting to know that you’re not a flake, your interviewer is asking this question to find out why you’re interested in the opening. So, there’s an art to formulating your response that’ll enable you sail through smoothly and come out ahead (even if the circumstances were a bit dicey!). Here’s how to craft an expert answer.

Be Honest
This should go without saying, but you absolutely have to be up front about your reason for leaving, particularly if you were terminated—a prospective employer can (and in many cases, will) call your references or your last supervisor. And if you’ve been let go, don’t panic: It doesn’t mean you’re out of the running. Your best bet is to chalk it up to a learning experience and showcase what you’ve gained from it. People are often able to overlook mistakes if you admit to them and prove that you’ve grown in the process.

Stay Positive
Even if you suffered under the wrath of a Devil Wears Prada-type of supervisor, do not rant about a previous boss or company during an interview. And if you think were laid off unfairly, you still don’t want to paint yourself as a victim. According to corporate recruiter Deborah Osbourn, it’s fine to say the job wasn’t a good fit, but be prepared to give some concrete reasons to back up that statement—for example, you want to work in a more team-oriented environment, or the position didn’t make the best use of your skill set.

Keep it Short
Once you’ve answered the question, there’s no need to keep elaborating. The longer you continue talking, the more likely you are to start opening up about things that aren’t necessary. Yes, your back-stabbing co-workers, the CEO’s anger management problem, and the company’s “creative” reporting practices are all good reasons to leave, but they’re not appropriate to share during an interview.

And if you’re leaving on good terms and are simply looking for a new challenge, that’s all you need to say on the matter. If the interviewer wants more information, she’ll ask you to expand.

Focus on the New Job
The best way to conclude your response is to spin it back to what’s most important—why you are interested in the job you’re interviewing for. “The person interviewing you wants to know that you want that job and will be interested in it for a while,” says Osbourn. “You would be surprised how many people are unable to clearly express their interest in the job.”

Highlight job duties for the new position that spark your interest (“in my last role, I didn’t have much opportunity to collaborate with other departments, so I’m excited about working on cross-functional teams here”). And definitely beware of citing any dislikes from previous jobs that are clearly defined in the job description for this role. Hated cold calling prospects? Be sure that’s not listed as a requirement before spouting off!

Remember, every question you’re asked is a chance to showcase your qualities, personality, and interest in the position. You’ve already passed the initial screen, and the interview is your time to shine. So when asked about your previous job, just keep your answer short, honest, and positive, and you’ll be on to the next question in no time (and hopefully, the job!).

By: Charles Purdy

Your resume needs an update — that is, if your resume is like that of most people, it’s not as good as it could be. The problem is language: Most resumes are a thicket of deadwood words and phrases — empty cliches, annoying jargon and recycled buzzwords. Recruiters, HR folks and hiring managers see these terms over and over again, and it makes them sad. 

Wouldn’t you rather make them happy? It’s time to start raking out your resume, starting with these (and similar) terms.

1. “Salary negotiable”

Yes, they know. If you’re wasting a precious line of your resume on this term, it looks as though you’re padding — that you’ve run out of things to talk about. If your salary is not negotiable, that would be somewhat unusual. (Still, don’t put that on your resume either.)

2. “References available by request”

See the preceding comment about unnecessary terms.

3. “Responsible for ______”

Reading this term, the recruiter can almost picture the C-average, uninspired employee mechanically fulfilling his job requirements — no more, no less. Having been responsible for something isn’t something you did — it’s something that happened to you. Turn phrases like “responsible for” into “managed,” “led” or other decisive, strong verbs.

4. “Experience working in ______”

Again, experience is something that happens to you — not something you achieve. Describe your background in terms of achievements.

5. “Problem-solving skills”

You know who else has problem-solving skills? Monkeys. Dogs. On your resume, stick to skills that require a human.

6. “Detail-oriented”

So, you pay attention to details. Well, so does everyone else. Don’t you have something unique to tell the hiring manager? Plus, putting this on your resume will make that accidental typo in your cover letter or resume all the more comical.

7. “Hardworking”

Have you ever heard the term “show — don’t tell”? This is where that might apply. Anyone can call himself a hard worker. It’s a lot more convincing if you describe situations in concrete detail in which your hard work benefited an employer.

8. “Team player”

See the preceding comment about showing instead of telling. There are very few jobs that don’t involve working with someone else. If you have relevant success stories about collaboration, put them on your resume. Talk about the kinds of teams you worked on, and how you succeeded.

9. “Proactive”

This is a completely deflated buzzword. Again, show rather than tell.

10. “Objective”

This term isn’t always verboten, but you should use it carefully. If your objective is to get the job you’ve applied for, there’s no need to spell that out on your resume with its own heading. A resume objective is usually better replaced by a career summary describing your background, achievements and what you have to offer an employer. An exception might be if you haven’t applied for a specific job and don’t have a lot of experience that speaks to the position you’d like to achieve.

Writer Unknown

#1.   What type of company do you work for if you have to resign before they give you fair market value for your skills.

#2.   Where is the money for the counter offer coming from?  Is it your next raise early?  (All companies have strict wage and salary guidelines which must be followed).

#3.   Your company will start looking for a new person at a lower salary price, immediately.  The wheels are in motion to replace you, ASAP.

#4.   You have now made your employer aware that you are unhappy.  From this day on, your loyalty will always be in question.

#5.   When promotion time comes around, your employer will remember who was loyal, and who wasn’t.

#6.   When times get tough, your employer will begin the cutback with you.

#7.   The same circumstances that now cause you to consider a change will repeat themselves in the future, even if you accept a counter offer.

#8.   Statistics show that if you accept a counter offer, the probability of voluntarily leaving in six months or being let go within one year is extremely high.  National statistics indicate that 89% accepting counter offers are gone in 6 months.

#9.   Accepting a counter offer is an insult to your intelligence and a blow to your personal pride, because you know that you were bought.

#10.  Once the word gets out, the relationship that you now enjoy with your co-workers will never be the same.  You will lose peer group acceptance, and forever be that defector who was brought back!

It’s counterintuitive, but counter-offers are almost always counterproductive for your career. I’m not talking about the give-and-take involved in a salary negotiation.  I mean the kind of counter-offer you might get when you announce you’re resigning to take another job. Sure, it’s an ego boost, but a backhanded one, when you think about it.  If you were so valuable all along, how come you had to quit to get your employer to recognize it?

That must be the case because they’ve made you a counter-offer.  It looks like you’re in the driver’s seat now. But you’re not.  You just think you are.

Confidential search: Associate Director Trade Marketing, Northeast (will relo)  10-15 years experience. Sales and Trade management experience. Must have directly managed people Food/Drug/Mass $160-$180k + 24% bonus (on plan), car, 401k, Benefits. I’ll be able to reveal company and exact locale in a week or two

Trade Marketing Analyst, NJ

Trade Marketing, NJ �
Trade Marketing Manager, Northern Cal.

Key Account Manager Delhaize, Ma. Looking for 3-5 years and willing to relo for career progression
Key Account Manager, Walgreens, Chicago “”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"
Key Account Manager, Target
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Market Research Manager- Market Analytics, NJ  Manage relationships and initiatives wit IRI, Nielsen. Must be able to hold their ground internally with senior sales and marketing team in providing rationale in the strategy they are looking to deploy . No direct reports but works with RB analyst and sales and marketing functions. Comp $110-$120’s + 15% Bonus (max 30%).

Customer Category Manager, Walmart  -
Customer Category Manager Drug, NJ
Customer Category Manager Target, MN 

Brand Manager- South Carolina

We like to show our top notch candidates appreciation as much as possible. In doing so we turn to Paskal and Lamour to help give our thanks.

The brainchild behind Paskal Lamour shirts came from none other than its namesake Mr. Paskal Lamour, who after arriving in New York from Paris couldn’t find a shirt that fit his slimmer frame well. Looking for business attire that would take him from day to night seemed impossible in the city that has everything. “Shirts were either too square, expensive, cheap feeling, or very boring and common,” says well-dressed Lamour. With the help of his partner Lindsay McGinn, a marketing professional, and close designer friend Laura Chenoweth, who is the brand’s creative visionary, a prototype line was born.

Paskal Lamour designs and distributes a hard-to-find well-fitting men’s shirt. Crafted with impeccable quality, and featuring signature details, each style is a statement piece. Constructed from 100% luxurious Egyptian cotton, the exquisite craftsmanship, colors and patterns are unmatched, especially for the price. Every one of our shirts embodies manly sophistication at its highest, from look to feel.

Having recently launched their Fall 2011 collection, lead creator Laura Chenoweth enthusiastically believes the new designs will be a big hit and that each style stays true to being the ultimate statement piece. “The number one comment we receive from our clients is how many compliments they get when wearing their Paskal Lamour shirt. I’m really looking forward to this collection garnering even more buzz, and certainly more attention to any guy sporting one”, says Chenoweth.

Our mission is to never compromise on quality, so in order to keep our costs low and pass the savings onto the consumer, we’re focused on developing an easy online shopping experience that will save you time and get your purchase to you quickly. We offer free shipping and a full refund if customers are not absolutely satisfied with their purchase.

Paskal Lamour is currently carried at exclusive boutiques across the North East and in California. Expect to see the brand available in many more locations soon. In 2012 look for Paskal Lamour ready-to-wear designs at Menswear Trade Shows across the US and Europe.

For more information visit www.plamour.com

By: Peter Vogt

Could you have resume-itis?

Resume-itis is “a mental condition where the job seeker assumes that all problems with their job search can easily be solved by changing a few words on their resume,” says Patricia Phillips, executive director of career management at the University of Rochester’s Simon Graduate School of Business.

Pennsylvania career consultant Ford Myers calls it something else: analysis paralysis. That’s a seemingly endless stream of resume feedback from well-intentioned friends, relatives and colleagues who provide opinions but rarely offer any expertise.

Fortunately, there is a quick, two-step cure for resume-itis/analysis paralysis: Limit the number of people critiquing your resume, and be smart about the people you choose. Here’s how to do both.

Quality Beats Quantity

Stetson University business communication professor Katharine Hansen helps many students and alums with their resumes. But perhaps none stands out more — for the wrong reasons — than the young grad who took analysis paralysis to new heights.

“It is not too much of an exaggeration to say that he brought me his resume 100 times for review,” says Hansen, author of several career-related books, including A Foot in the Door.

Turns out he was getting resume critiques from other professors at the same time, Hansen says. So the student would end up changing things Hansen had already fixed on another critiquer’s advice and then would bring his resume back to Hansen, who would once again point out trouble spots she’d addressed previously — or so she thought. “It was definitely counterproductive,” Hansen says.

Solution? Limit both the number of people critiquing your resume and the number of times they critique it, says Carly Drum, managing director of New York City executive search firm Drum Associates.

“I recommend having one individual who understands what you do critique the accomplishments and achievements you list on your resume,” Drum says. “From a knowledge standpoint, have this person critique whether the information flows and/or describes accurately what you do and the level that you are at.”

Then you can have your resume evaluated by someone who doesn’t really understand you or your skills but still has plenty of corporate experience. “He or she can look at your resume to see if it shows what you do and what type of position you’re looking for,” Drum says.

Seek True Expertise

One of the inherent problems in asking people to critique your resume is that all of them believe they’re qualified to do so. “Seemingly, it’s one of those ‘guy things’ — all men seem to think they know how to a) start a charcoal fire, b) score inside the 10 and c) write a resume,” says organizational psychologist Jim Hazen, president of Pennsylvania-based Applied Behavioral Insights.

Not true — on all counts. So when you want to have your resume critiqued, find someone, preferably in your chosen field, who knows what he’s talking about.

“A critique by an industry expert helps, especially if your skills fit into several categories,” says Carol Vellucci, assistant to the president for communications at Towson University and former director of the school’s career center.

For example, if you’re looking for a job as an advertising agency traffic manager, try to have your resume reviewed by someone in that role, Vellucci says.

Once you’ve had your resume evaluated by two or three knowledgeable people, it’s time to start sending it out to the critiquers who matter most: prospective employers.

“Ask a trusted source to critique your resume, then get going on your job search,” advises human resources consultant Roberta Chinsky Matuson, president of Massachusetts-based Human Resource Solutions and a former Monster contributor. “It’s about results, not perfection.”

By: Forbes.com
If you’ve been out of work for several months and aren’t getting any interviews–or you’re going on interviews but not getting any offers–you should adjust your approach to job-hunting. Here are seven basic steps to take.

Beef up your résumé.
Write a résumé with strong language that emphasizes results. Replace hackneyed expressions like “strong team player” and “possess organizational skills” with strong, active verbs that demonstrate results. Whenever possible, use numbers to indicate performance. Instead of saying “Managed a team of three” say “Managed a team of three employees who interacted with clients and had a 100% client retention rate over two years.”

Include keywords related to your skill set and background, since many big companies use computers to screen résumés for phrases like “analyst” or “financial modeling.” Have a friend double-check your résumé for spelling and grammatical errors, and always be honest. “You cannot succeed in this competitive market if your résumé isn’t 100% accurate,” says Connie Thanasoulis-Cerrachio, a career coach and former chief operating officer for Merrill Lynch Campus Recruiting.

Write a killer cover letter.
Write a one-page cover letter that makes a compelling case for why you should be hired. It shouldn’t be a regurgitation of your résumé. The introductory paragraph should state the position you’re applying for. The middle few paragraphs should highlight the critical three elements of the job description, explaining why you’re a good fit for the job. Use the hirer’s language. If the job ad says the candidate needs 10 years of experience using communication skills, describe how your communication skills brought in new business at a previous job.

Focus your job search.
Make a list of the companies where you’d most like to work, and use your personal network and sites like LinkedIn to find connections at each one.

Be smart about social media.
First, make sure that your online reputation is clean. Either set your Facebook settings so prospective employers can’t see your updates and photos, or choose to post information that presents you in a positive, professional light. Post your résumé and a good photo on LinkedIn.

Start a Twitter account that you use professionally, and follow human resources people at companies that interest you. Retweet what they write when it’s good, and comment on any interesting posts. After a few weeks of following them, send them a message directly, saying, “I’d love to talk about your company. It’s a place I’ve always wanted to work, and I’d love to hear about your experience there,” suggests Dan Schawbel, author Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success.

Ace your interview.
Learn as much as you can about the company and the position before you go in for an interview. Always prepare at least three smart questions in advance. In the actual interview, don’t be afraid to look eager. Be enthusiastic, and convince the hiring manager that you truly want the job. Don’t boast, but boldly state your accomplishments, and tell stories that illustrate your best qualities. Never badmouth a former boss, co-worker or company. Try to mirror the interviewer’s tone; if he or she is casual and friendly, try to loosen up.

Be prepared for common questions like “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” The key to answering the weakness part–and you should always have an answer–is to spin it in a positive light. You might say, “I’m not the strongest analytically, but I’ve been working on that, and when I put together a report, I always have someone check it.” “The interviewer wants to know that you’re self-aware and mature enough to talk about your weaknesses,” says Thanasoulis-Cerrachio. “You have to know how to describe a weakness the right way.”

Stay in the game.
Use the time between jobs to keep existing skills fresh and develop new ones. If you have the resources, take a class in a topic that’s relevant to your field. Volunteer or find freelance work through your network or on Craigslist. “The worst thing to do is go into an interview, and when they ask what you’ve been doing, you stare at them with a blank face,” says Schawbel.

Network, network, network.
Develop your network, and don’t be shy about broadcasting your job search. Ask your friends and contacts who they know and whether they can make introductions for you. Spin your situation in a positive light by telling people you’re excited to have new opportunities. Prepare a 15- to 30-second “elevator pitch” that summarizes your job experience and ambitions, and that you can use in social situations, like an alumni cocktail hour.

By: Mary Lorenz of CareerBuilder

Nearly 30 years later, Bananarama’s haunting words once again ring true: it truly is a cruel, cruel summer…

…at least it is for those employers who say their workplaces are suffering from a decrease in employee productivity right now.

According to CareerBuilder’s recent survey on employee productivity, one in four employers (26 percent) think workers are less productive in the summer and nearly half (45 percent) think workers at their organization are currently burned out on their jobs.

Turns out, the reason employees seem burned out is because they are. (Shocking, right?)

Of the nearly 5,300 employees surveyed, 77 percent say they are sometimes or always burned out in their jobs, and 43 percent say their stress levels on the job have increased over the last six months.

The rising stress could be a result of heavier workloads. Nearly half (46 percent) of employees reported an increase in their workloads in the last six months, while only eight percent said their workloads decreased.

As if feelings of burnout aren’t enough to distract workers, summer provides its own special recipe for productivity disaster: Nicer weather, vacation-fever, and kids being out of school led the list of reasons employers felt their workers were less productive.

Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder North America, says it’s no wonder workers are feeling burned out right now. In a statement for the press release, Rasmussen says:

“The recession produced consequences for not just those who were laid off, but also for the many employees who were asked to work harder as a result of leaner staffs. While getting more out of a smaller workforce is a sign of organizational agility during unpredictable times, it’s hard to see such yields in productivity holding forever. Headcount will be needed to meet increasing demands.”

4 Fast Fixes to Employee Burnout
While there’s no (legally available) magic pill to make employee burnout go away, you can help relieve some of their feelings by implementing a few of the following tactics.

1.If you love them, let them go. Encourage your employees to cash in their vacation time. Even if they can’t afford to leave town, taking a day or two off will help them refresh.
2.Add an “ish” to that clock in/clock out time. If it works for your company, be a little more flexible with letting workers come in later or leave earlier, or maybe work from home a few days a week, so long as they get their work done. Better yet, consider implementing “Summer Fridays” and letting your employees off at noon to let them enjoy a little extra weekend time.
3.Have class outside. Re-energizing your team could be as simple as taking a break from the routing and getting out of the office every once in a while. You might consider organizing an outing to a museum, baseball game, bowling alley or nearby restaurant for a team lunch or happy hour. In addition to boosting morale, out-of-office gatherings give co-workers a chance to mingle in a more relaxed environment, strengthening both business and personal relationships.
4.Adjust the A/C. Yep, you read that right. It may sounds simple-to-the-point-of-silly, but a recent survey shows extreme office temperatures can affect worker productivity. It may be hot outside, but that doesn’t mean the a/c has to go bull blast inside. Don’t ignore the a/c either, though. Smelly, sweaty and hot is a triple threat to productivity, if not the senses.

Hopefully the CPG industry doesn’t use this practice, utilizing funds to load inventory. I am sure that is the case with key measures in the P&L linked to inventory. However, I do remember back in the day in the consumer products industry. This is very funny…have a look