Blog
Debra Wheatman, President of Careers Done Write, provides expert insight to the job search process that puts your career in gear with tips for interviewing, networking, job search strategies and how to create a winning resume and cover letter.
Transferable Skills
Hi Deb: I am a somewhat recent college graduate, having completed my degree in marketing three years ago. While I was going to school, I worked part-time at a local retailer. After I completed my degree, I was promoted to assistant store manager, and have been in that role for about 2 ½ years now.…
Are you limiting your options by geography?
No one enjoys a daily commute to a job. If you’re in your car, you’re probably sitting in traffic, wasting time that could be otherwise spent on something productive. If you take public transportation, you are at the mercy of their timetables, the delays, and schedule changes, as well as having to share your space…
Get ahead by knowing when to quit
We have all heard the adage that winners don’t quit. Quitting is for, well, quitters! Sure, it’s not good practice to give up on something simply because it’s difficult, or because you haven’t had immediate success. But what about strategic quitting? Strategic quitting is the practice of using quitting to your advantage and knowing and…
Has Your Resume Become Stale?
Are you sending out multiple resumes yet getting no response? Are you applying to positions for which you meet the qualifications, but you’re still not getting requests for interviews? It could be that your resume has gone stale. Just as you’re not looking for a job today using the same techniques and tactics that you…
Not Getting Interviews? It Could Be Your Resume.
I talk to clients all the time about why they are not getting interviews. Almost invariably, they will insist that there is nothing wrong with their resume. Then I look; in nearly all cases, I see a problem. Remember, when your resume is in front of an actual human being, you have only about 12…
Bad Credit and Background Checks
You know that job searching, particularly when unemployed, can be a long, slow, painful process. Imagine that you’ve been out of work for more than a year, and you’ve finally received a verbal offer, which is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. You start to sweat. . .you’re worried because your once-stellar…
Great interview. No offer.
Dear Deb: I’m extremely frustrated. Over the last three weeks, I had a series of very successful interviews with a company that is a major player in my industry. They even flew me out to the west coast to meet the development team I would be working with. Before traveling out to the west…
Handling Behavioral Interview Questions
There is a pervasive myth out there among job candidates that the interview is about you. It should be easy to go in and talk about yourself, your achievements, your vision. Make no mistake. The interview isnât about you at all. It's about the business pain that the hiring manager and company have. The hiring…
Must job searching be a full-time job?
At some point in their careers, many people will find themselves on the wrong side of a conversation with HR and will be victims of a layoff. This is a traumatic event, to be sure, and friends and family are likely to offer some well-meaning, but misguided, advice. One such piece of worn out advice…
Maximize Your Job Search
Most people today have used job sites to land a careerâtheyâre the place to find the most up-to-date and relevant positions available. However, all job sites have their own strengths and weaknessesâand one can often find themselves overwhelmed with the number of actual sites, job boards, and countless postings. The best sites can help you…