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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.

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Long Distance Interviewing

Dear Deb, I read your article on Skype interviews.  I had a phone interview with an HR manager last week. I am interviewing via Skype with the hiring manager in a few days. I live in Denver.   They are in Boston. How many distance interviews will they conduct before they ask me to visit their…

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Résumé Help: 90% Fluff, 10% Substance

If a résumé profile contains a lot of fluff, it will distract the reader from the candidate’s real message.  In the case of today’s résumé, if we delete the fluff, we have very little left.  The first step in repairing this résumé is to cut the clichés, unnecessary adjectives, and under-valued information.   “Proven track record…

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Résumé Help: What Value Do You Bring?

The hiring manager has one major question. What value do you bring? You have but a few seconds to deliver that answer via examples on your résumé. The hiring manager is not interested in a long list of general tasks.  This résumé is a list of very vague, and in some cases, incomprehensible bullet points. None…

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Wear a Suit in a Skype Interview?

Hi Debra, If I have a job interview on Skype on a Sat. morning, do I really need to wear a suit?  Could I just wear a nice shirt?  It seems very phony to get up at 8am on a Sat. and put on a suit.  This is for a programming position. Even when I…

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Mastering the Interview Part 4: The Final Round

You received news that you are a finalist for the position you have been coveting for months.  All that work and preparation has been worthwhile.  Now the heat is on.  It’s you and possibly one or two finalists. The final round is different from previous rounds of interviews. In this round, the hiring committee (or…

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Mastering the Interview Part 3: Face to Face Interview

Your résumé survived the screening, you made it through the Skype interview, and now you have a face-to-face interview. You think to yourself, “This should be easy, I know that I am qualified.”  If it’s so easy, then why is the face-to-face interview such a nerve-racking experience? In part three of the Master the Interview series,…

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Résumé Help: Skip the Rudimentary Skills

Today’s candidate, Madison, is a manager with more than 15 years of experience directing teams and leading national initiatives.  Before I got to know Madison personally, I read her résumé.  It does not depict her accomplishments or the special skills she offers her target employer. Because her issue is so common, we’re reviewing part of…

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Mastering the Interview Part 2: Skype & Distance Interviewing

In today’s environment, your next job opportunity may be downtown or around the world. The market is rich with candidates and employers have the luxury of interviewing a variety of candidates before making a decision. The barriers to identifying dozens of candidates from Peoria to Punjab have been torn down via distance interviewing campaigns. In…

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