Heather Eagar.com

Most people think constructive criticism is when people say both good and bad things about whatever it is they’re talking about. They may start out, “This is great, but…” You know how it goes.

So my question to you is: how do you handle constructive criticism during an interview? There are a couple of ways this could go. For example, the interviewer states, “You’re very well-qualified in all the necessary areas but you have minimal sales experience.” Your comeback? “While I might not have a lot of direct sales experience, I do have many years in marketing which has always worked right along side of sales in creating plans and objectives.”

But here is the key that a lot of job seekers might not think about: get special training, if necessary. If you’re job hunting and you’re finding a lot of jobs require a skill or certification you don’t have, find a training class for it. While you’re interviewing, when the subject comes up, you can inform them that you are in the process of acquiring that skill. That shows great initiative by you and employers love that.

So if you are faced with constructive criticism, use it to your advantage. Even if you lost out on that particular job, you now have an idea of what you may need to succeed in your job search.

Something really interesting happened that made me have to post about. I’m going to give an example on how you should not approach somebody for a job.

Not too long ago, this woman started emailing and telling me about all these things ‘wrong’ with my business and how she could come in make everything better. She sent me a couple of emails like this, insulting me and how, with her help, all these ‘issues’ would go away.

Even if I was looking to hire someone, I would never hire this woman. Why? Because she’s insulted me with every email she’s sent.

Don’t make the same mistake in your job search. When you talk to an employer, don’t say how awful you think the company is run. Merely state how you can make things better. This is not a difficult thing to do. Every company knows that each employee goes in there hoping to change things for the better. No company is perfect. But you need to state your ‘vision’ in an upbeat and positive way that will make the employer want to listen to you.

Do not be overly confident and act like you know it all. Trust me, you don’t. If you act like you know more that the person interviewing you, (unless it is situation where you are expected to know more), then the interviewer will be put off and you will be shown the door. Instead, show them why they need to hire you in an uplifting sort of way.

Think about it for a minute. If you were working on a project for a year and you were interviewing a job seeker to work for you, would you want them to come in and say that the project is being mismanaged and they need someone to come and clean up the mess? Don’t think so.

Yes, you should always do your homework before you interview. That is not the issue. It’s about your attitude. And besides, if the company is in such disarray, you wouldn’t want to work there anyway, right?

Working Mother has put out their annual list of the 100 Best Companies for Women. You can view the list here.

Employers are starting to be more flexible by offering on-site childcare, flextime, job sharing and paid maternity leave. Unfortunately, the majority of companies still are not offering these benefits.

When mothers are researching companies and interviewing for new jobs, they need to find out what the work culture is like. Are they family friendly? Do they believe in a work-life balance?

Figure out what you want and what is most important to you in your career. Some companies are at least trying to be more flexible with hours and benefits…make sure you try to get what you want. Find out as much as you can about the company’s benefits and policies before your interview so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

I have said this many times before but many of you still don’t believe me: You really can enjoy what you do for a living. It is possible and all you have to do is know where to look.

There is a great job board for all you sports lovers out there called . They have thousands of jobs postings for entry level, all the way up to executive. And for you college students, they have internships as well. Search for jobs, post your resume and even get contact information for companies…all to help you get a job in sports.

If you’re not working in the sports industry currently, it definitely doesn’t mean that you can’t start. Do your research on some companies that you find and see what you have to do to make yourself marketable in the industry.

So check it out, Sports Fans. Your next job might just be doing something you never thought you’d be able to do for a living…and actually get paid for it

I came across an interesting entry on For Job Seekers Blog about how there are no perfect answers to questions you may be asked during different kinds of interviews. And you know what? He has got a great point.

Yes, interview preparation is vital. You should practice what you want to say to different questions. However, you don’t want to ‘memorize’ your asnwers in that you sound like a robot to the interviewer. That will be a complete turnoff immediately.

So read up on interview articles. You can find some on Nothing but Interviews. There are lots of different tips out there that you should read and practice. Don’t think you know everything. There just might be something out there that you have not thought of before.

Now, I review a lot of career products but you’ll see that I don’t have a recommendation for a good interview one. I haven’t really found one that provides any information that isn’t found freely on the Internet. However, there is one that is coming out in January that gives job seekers a HUGE edge in landing jobs. I know, January is a few months away (hopefully you’ll have a new job by then!) but I’ll be sure to keep you in the loop. And if I come across any other ones along the way, I’ll be sure to pass them onto you.

That’s a simple one, right? Well, not in all cases. How you dress depends on a couple of factors, including the position you’re seeking and the company’s culture that you’re interviewing at.

If you’re interivewing for a position that is an executive level, most of the time you will want to wear a suit - men and women. Yes, there are some companies that are very casual. For example, about 5 years ago or so I was in the building where Ambercrombie & Fitch’s headquaters were and the employees were walking around in shorts and flip flops. I don’t know if that’s still their dress code but if an executive walked in wearing a suit back then, he would feel grossly overdressed.

That’s a pretty extreme example, of course, but realize you want to feel comfortable as much as you want the person interviewing you to feel comfortable. Dress a little ‘better’ than you think your interviewer will dress. Do your company research - the company website is a great place to find this info out.

And remember to wear something you feel good in. If you’re always scratching or situating your clothes, it’s not going to make a great impression.

For more interviewing tips, go to: http://www.NothingButInterviews.com

Federal resume writing can be very difficult. There are so many ins and outs…where to start?

I wanted to point you to a page here that has resume writing services that specialize in this special type of writing. If you need a federal resume, KSA or other related federal job search document, this is a must go to page: Federal Resumes. You’ll also get a link to my article that is published on About.com.

If you are searching for a job with the government, you might have a little more difficulty in obtaining one than the general public. This is not always the case but it can be sometimes. With all the different criteria, you really need to make sure your resume package reaches out to your reader and gives them all the information they need to make a decision.

Remember, if something is not exactly correct and the employer has to guess as to what the answer may be, you can pretty much kiss that job goodbye.

This can be a tricky situation. In an ideal world, most likely you don’t want your boss to know that you’re searching for a new job.  But what if he found out anyway?

It really depends on the relationship that you have with your boss. Are you friends? Do you feel comfortable with him enough that you can talk about it? Is he discontent in his own job so you know he may be a little envious? If so, you may choose to tell him that you’re keeping your options open, that you’re actively looking , or even interviewing for jobs.

Then again, if you don’t have that trust, that kind of close relationship with your boss, it’s best to keep your aspirations quiet.  You can minimize it by saying that you were just testing the waters, keeping your eyes open, they approached you…that sort of thing. Explain that you aren’t unhappy with your job but you came across something interesting and wanted to investigate it a little further. You know your boss best so you have to say what will work with him in particular. You don’t want him to start constantly wondering if you’ll be turning in your notice.

As a rule, you have to be very careful about who who you tell you’re searching for a new job. Even your colleagues can use the information against you. For instance, if you’re up for a promotion against a co-worker, they might mention the fact that you won’t be around for long anyway since you’re looking for a new job.

Even though you may be excited about your job prospects, refrain from telling everyone the news. It’s better to be safe than sorry while searching for a new job. You don’t want to count your chickens, so to speak, before you have an offer in hand. And even then, not until you have the offer that you want

I received a nice email the other day from a gentleman who is relocating to a new state. He’s been hunting for a new job but has had no success. He wanted to know what he could do to speed up his job search and any tips or resources I knew about to help him.

My advice included the following:

- Go to ResumeLines’ Career Resources and see if any of those job boards are of interest.

- Also, you can get a free one-on-one phone resume consulation to make sure that you’re on the right track there. Relocating can be tricky and has to be communicated correctly.

- Check out a relocation cover letter sample to see how you can mention your move to your potential employer

You see, many times people don’t realize how difficult it is to obtain a job when you don’t live in the state that the new job resides in. If the company was relocating you, it would actually be easier because they would arrange for your flight, hotel, etc.

However, if you’re the one initiating the move, you have to be ready to go out of your way to accommodate the company. There’s a chance that you will have to pay for your own travel expenses. You’ll probably have to take time off from your current job as well, so be sure you have enough vacation days built up.

It is definitely not impossible to find a job while relocating. You do have to be more deligent so follow up is critical too. Pick up the phone and talk to someone. You might just be able to arrange a face-to-face meeting that will suit both of your schedules. 

Freelance work can be incredibly rewarding. If you’ve ever even thought about being your own boss, you might just be surprised by how many opportunities there are out there for you.

A lot of people are scammed by jobs offering tons of money with little work and no experience. Well, I can assure you - if you see something like that, you might as well keep on looking. Companies like that are getting rich off of these scams.

However, there really is legitimate work that you an do out of the comfort of your home, if that’s your desire. Whether you’re a writer or web designer or knowledgeable in data entry to transcription, there are freelance jobs out there for you.

A great place to start is Freelance Work Exchange. What’s great about this website is that for under $3, you get a 7-day trial to see if any of the jobs posted fit your skills and experience. It’s really a great chance to test the waters without committing to anything. If it doesn’t suit you, then don’t continue your subscription and move on to something else. I’ll have more ideas for you in the coming months.

If you want to honestly get a job where you can work in your jammies and at any hour of any day, freelancing might just be the job for you.