Gordon Walter's Article in Careers

611 Make Best Impression In Job Search Meetings
In the job search process, you are representing a salable product: YOU. The way in which you walk, speak and appear makes an impression. What is your body language saying? Here are a few things to remember when greeting people.
Posted on Feb-11-2010

695 Be A Better Communicator
Though some people are born with natural ability to communicate, you can learn to be a better communicator with a little practice. This article has a random series of observations regarding good communicators and what you can do to be a better communicator.
Posted on Feb-10-2010

667 3 More Resume Writing Tips That Pay (Part 4)
Whether it was a misspelled word, the wrong prefix on a word, or fragmented sentence, many hiring managers have a zero tolerance when it comes to resume mistakes. Following are more writing tips for Professional Resumes and Executive Resumes inspired from things seen on people’s resumes during my career in human resources.
Posted on Jan-10-2010

1363 8 More Resume Writing Tips That Pay (Part 3)
In this economy and with many people to choose from, it can be a close call between finalists in awarding the job. Sometimes the final decision on selecting one candidate versus another can sometimes be based upon relatively minor points. One person was a little better and it made the difference between who got the job. Following are some more behaviors that are time-tested and can give you the edge in successfully winning the job search game.
Posted on Dec-27-2009

857 Five Things You Must Do Whether Working or Unemployed
Our society is made up of two groups of people: those with jobs and those without. Many people with jobs are greatly over-worked, and those without a job are struggling to find one. Here are 5 key actions that are vital to the ultimate success of people in each group.
Posted on Nov-26-2009

1260 Even More Behaviors for a Successful Job Search
In this economy and with many people to choose from, it can be a close call between finalists in awarding the job. Sometimes the final decision on selecting one candidate versus another can sometimes be based upon relatively minor points. One person was a little better and it made the difference between who got the job. Following are some more behaviors that are time-tested and can give you the edge in successfully winning the job search game.
Posted on Oct-31-2009

774 Still More Behaviors for a Successful Job Search
I have conducted hundreds of employment interviews for positions ranging from manufacturing shop floor to the executive level. After awhile you begin to notice that successful candidates did certain things that contributed to their positive outcome. Likewise, unsuccessful candidates had certain other actions in common which led to their not being chosen or did not help them. Following are some behaviors to keep in mind that should help maximize your potential for a successful outcome.
Posted on Oct-06-2009

703 More Behaviors for a Successful Job Search
Even for the coolest of people, looking for a job in the current economic conditions can be scary. You can easily feel like “just a number” out there with many others. What can you do to set yourself apart from the crowd? Following are some behaviors to keep in mind that can give you an edge in landing a new position. This article is the second in a series reviewing “must do” behaviors to be mastered in the interview process.
Posted on Oct-02-2009

920 Behaviors for a Successful Interview - Part 1
You are looking for a job. It is a long time since dealing with the trappings of the job search process and the uncertainty of where, when, what and how a job offer will come. This begins a review of “must do” behaviors to be mastered in the interview process.
Posted on Oct-01-2009

869 6 More Resume Writing Tips That Pay
I have seen many hundreds of resumes during my career in human resources. Very nice, competent, and well intending people sometimes sent resumes in which they made one or more “little” mistakes. How many resume mistakes does it take to prevent getting a job? Many hiring managers have a zero tolerance when it comes to such mistakes on a resume. Following are more resume writing tips inspired from things seen on people’s resumes.
Posted on Sep-29-2009

1066 6 Resume Writing Tips That Pay
Many people are their own worst enemy when it comes to writing a good resume. It does not matter if they have a wonderful background, impeccable credentials or fabulous experience if their resume contains misused words, the wrong word tense or is not easily readable. Following is a series of resume writing tips from things I have seen on some people’s resumes that drive me “crazy:”
Posted on Sep-16-2009

1114 How Are You Really Performing At Work?
You just had the annual review from your supervisor and everything was wonderful. Feedback given was high-level and scrubbed to avoid any ill feelings. But does it sound similar to what you were told last year? Is this feedback what you needed to hear? Will it help you meet career objectives? Will it help you keep your job in times of lay-off or industry downturn? How are you really perceived at work? What should you be doing to maximize your career potential?
Posted on Aug-28-2009

851 Appearance Matters At Job Interviews
When preparing for a job interview, whether with one person or an entire team of people, it is important to remember you are representing a salable product: YOU. The way in which you walk, speak and appear makes an impression. Here are some tips to make sure you make a great first impression.
Posted on Aug-27-2009

937 10 Transferable Skills For Job Searching
With national unemployment moving higher each passing month, candidates encounter significant competition for jobs. No matter what career field you are (or were) working in, there is undoubtedly knowledge and skill you possess that could appeal across many industries and fields. Do not limit yourself. Identify those skills and look for them at potential future employers. Following is a list of skill areas having broad application:
Posted on Aug-26-2009

810 Be Ready-Some Jobs Must Be Won At the Handshake
You have probably heard that many hiring managers claim they can tell in an interview if the candidate is right for his/her organization at “the handshake.” Alas, I suspect it is true. We must accept for the moment that some number of managers makes hiring decisions all too quickly, and now is the time to plot a strategy for beating them at their game.
Posted on Aug-25-2009

804 Your Resume Leadership Advantage
These days, most graduates from top business schools come with a great education, are well-versed in management theory and are current on business best practices. But one thing they sometimes do not to have is experience leading/managing people. Being able to exercise judgment and accomplish results through others is key. Highlighting experience in your resume is very important.
Posted on Aug-24-2009

927 Picture This: Candidates Dressing Correctly at Job Interviews
When preparing for a job interview, whether with one person or an entire team of people, it is important to remember you are representing a salable product: YOU. The way in which you walk, speak and appear makes an impression.
Posted on Jul-27-2009

819 Measuring Selection Effectiveness Is Key
Competition for talent in key positions is fierce, even in these difficult economic times. In the past, many organizations preferred the flexibility and informality of unmeasured hiring practices. This approach was satisfactory provided the practices were executed effectively and administered with consistency. Experience has proven that in many cases unmeasured hiring processes perpetuate themselves and result in misunderstanding, inefficiency, and hiring the wrong people.
Posted on Jul-27-2009

823 Finding the Best Professional Resume Writer
Job candidates in this economic recession are frequently turning to professional writers to create resumes that will attract the attention of employers. In today's labor market, a good resume should help you land the right interview, for the right job, to start work sooner rather than later. With selected industries experiencing major shake-ups, like automotive, financial services, banking, real estate, and others, many people are finding job search time required to find a new position is much
Posted on Jul-27-2009

945 Advice For New Managers – Communicate and Cast a Vision
Vision inspires and motivates worker to perform their best. It allows them to connect their smaller tasks to the greater mission of the company. New managers head straight for problems when they fail to communicate. Good communication is key an effective team and to realizing a vision.
Posted on Jul-01-2009

1278 Advice For New Managers – Build Your Team
Most new managers inherit a variety of employees, a few of whom perhaps they would not have chosen. Often, a new manager finds their “senior team” is less than they hoped for. If your assessments are negative, confront the dilemma of either staying with people who are less than what you need or making the necessary changes early in your tenure.
Posted on Jul-01-2009

1258 12 Best Practices for a Winning Cover Letter – Part 2
The cover letter is often an afterthought. A job candidate sees an ad in the paper or online and scrambles to get a resume in the organization’s possession. A well-written cover letter introduces you, prompts the reader to want to know more about you, and establishes your credentials. A good cover letter partners nicely with your resume and a strong networking process. In my previous article I listed the first six best practices for cover letter writing. Following is a list of the second six
Posted on Jun-17-2009

1215 12 Best Practices for a Winning Cover Letter – Part 1
The cover letter is often an afterthought. A job candidate sees an ad in the paper or online and scrambles to get a resume in the organization’s possession. A well-written cover letter introduces you, prompts the reader to want to know more about you, and establishes your credentials. A good cover letter partners nicely with your resume and a strong networking process. Following is a list of the first six best practices that your cover letter must and/or in some cases must not reflect.
Posted on Jun-17-2009

1247 Advice For New Managers – Do Not Be Afraid To Ask
Being a new manager can be a lonely proposition. Besides relationship issues, the new manager can feel big pressure to have all the answers. After all, isn’t this why you got the job? But new managers need to be willing to ask questions so they can make good, informed decisions and lead their team.
Posted on May-25-2009

1218 Resumes – Less is More
On the surface it would seem that resumes should be chock full of information. Especially if you have reached the executive level, a common trap that people fall into is to want to overwhelm them with breadth of your experience. However, keeping a resume short may be the difference between the resume being read or not.
Posted on May-25-2009