The Dirty Secret Behind Applicant Tracking Systems: Qualified Candidates Need Not Apply

Posted by : Barbara Safani No Comments

I recently walked a client through a company's applicant tracking system and it was an unbelievably painful experience. Companies have made the barriers to entry so difficult that it is amazing that they receive the thousands of applications that they do. It is not unusual for the upload process for...

Job Search and the Art of Defying Gravity

Posted by : Barbara Safani 3 Comments

My daughter is addicted to the musical comedy Glee and I've started to become a fan myself. Last week, two students on the show competed in the school's first "Diva-off" and the competition required that they sing the song Defying Gravity from the Broadway show Wicked. Since watching the show, I can...

LinkUp: A Great Place to Hook Up With Employers

Posted by : Barbara Safani No Comments

Recently I talked to G.L. Hoffman, Chairman of  LinkUp.com, a site that aggregates and publishes only jobs listed on corporate web sites from thousands of companies around the U.S. LinkUp came about because of a team of developers and marketers who  understood what the market, i.e. the job seeker...

Why Most Job Postings are Useless

Posted by : Barbara Safani 3 Comments

I know there is a lot of career advice out there that suggests creating a cover letter that matches the job posting you are applying to as closely as possible. And while I agree with this in theory, the reality is that most job postings are useless and give very limited information about the positio...

Getting Hired When You Don’t Have a College Degree

Posted by : Barbara Safani 8 Comments

When I was in high school I assumed everyone went to college. My brothers were both away at Ivy League schools at the time and just about all of my friends were busy prepping for the SATs and visiting college campuses. But one good friend at the time told me he didn't think he was going to go to col...

Jobvue: A New Take on Job Boards

Posted by : Barbara Safani No Comments

Last week I interviewed Lance Reed, Senior Manager of Jobvue, to learn more about this job posting board with some interesting twists. What makes Jobvue different from other job boards? " What makes Jobvue different is the features and pricing strategy we offer. Our service is free to both job see...

The No Complaining Rule for Job Seekers

Posted by : Barbara Safani No Comments

I just finished reading Jon Gordon's book The No Complaining Rule. According to Jon, people complain either because they feel fearful and helpless or because it has become a habit. He goes on to state that "Complaining can be a gift if we use it correctly. Once we know what we don't like, we can d...