Find Your Dream Job: Insider Tips for Finding Work, Advancing your Career, and Loving Your Job

In the past, hiring managers using a telephone to solicit feedback from job references yielded a low, 50% return rate. Today, online reference tools and surveys boast a reference return rate of 85-90%! For job seekers, this makes furnishing quality referrals to potential employers a necessity. “Feedback is accumulated by various ways,” says guest expert, Ray Bixler. Metrics evaluated by employers...

The “glass ceiling” is a concept that a woman who tries to progress in her career may only reach a mid-level position, says guest expert Elisa Doucette. The phrase, “glass ceiling,” denotes that a woman is able to see men, through a pane of glass, in positions above her own, but she is not able to break the glass, to reach a higher level in the organization.  Elisa says corporations have adopted a...

On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, the Mac's List team, Mac Prichard, Ben Forstag, and Jenna Forstrom talk about the single biggest mistake most job seekers make. They spend too much time and energy on job boards! Job boards can be a great resource. But did you know, 8 out of 10 jobs never make it on a job board?  That's employers prefer to hire candidates they already know and trust.  ...

The days of working for the same company for 30-years and retiring with a full pension are a thing of the past. Today, people have a powerful sense they need to consistently consider what their next career or job change will be. There are even employees who are worried about what hiring managers will think about a long stint at just one company. Guest expert New York Times Columnist, Rob Walker, s...

Did you just land an interview? Congratulations! Now, it’s time to prepare. The interview stage is the time to show an organization how you will fit into the culture and how you can solve a company’s problems. It is the first time the organization will see you, hear your voice and get an impression, so make it impactful. Guest expert, Caroline Dowd-Higgins, shares her professional tips on how to l...

On an earlier podcast, guest expert, Hannah Morgan, spoke about how to nail your next phone interview.  While wrapping up the interview, she suggested informing the hiring manager you are still interested in the role and asking the question, "Would you think of any reason why I wouldn't be moved forward in this process?"  We thought this was a great question, that required a little more in depth c...

If you are between jobs you may find yourself with an abundance of unstructured time on your hands. Trying to make the most out of your day will be frustrating if you don’t know how to effectively manage your time. Guest expert, Matt Kepnes, aka Nomadic Matt, shares his tips and processes for accomplishing large and small tasks, even if you are on the road. Creating artificial constructs within yo...

Employers may use phone interviews to save time, get a sense of an applicant’s personality and test their skill level. This phone screening saves an employer time allowing them to weed out those who may not have essential skills needed for the open position. Job applicants do not always know when a hiring manager or recruiter will be calling to conduct an interview. If you are caught unprepared or...

On August 30, 2016 Mac Prichard, founder and publisher of Mac’s List, talked with Angela Copeland , career coach and founder of Coaching Copeland , a website that has been helping job seekers for over 10 years.  On top of that, Copeland is a Career Corner newspaper columnist and author of " Breaking the Rules & Getting the Job ."  She also runs Copeland Coaching Podcast, where she interviewed...

Do you have a personal website, a personal business card or a folder of compliments you have received? If not, you should, says this week’s guest expert, Michelle Ward of When I Grow Up Coach. A person is more than their current job title. And often, personal projects and hobbies tell more of your story than your job description does. If you want to stay in the driver’s seat of your career, you sh...

If the purpose of networking is to build relationships, then why would you only network when you are job hunting? Guest expert, Angela Copeland says it takes time for someone to get to know you, so start networking now. If you are unsure of  where to find information about networking events, Angela suggests to look online for associations or groups in your field of work, contact the local Chamber...

On July 14, 2016 Mac Prichard, founder and publisher of Mac’s List, talked with Terry Starbucker , cofounder and publisher of Built Oregon , a monthly online magazine that serves to tell Oregon entrepreneurial stories.  Built Oregon also has a podcast called, Making Oregon , this podcast brings you Built Oregon conversations with innovators, makers, doers, disruptors, foodies, dreamers, and ground...

There is a structure or blueprint to being a successful person but there is no perfect formula. The design differs for everyone, as guest expert Don Hutcheson explains. It is necessary to dig into who you are and what you are supposed to be doing before attempting to be successful at any one thing. The first quality all successful people have in common is they take full responsibility for their ow...

Did you know 90% of women who opt out of the workforce will return at some point? The most common reason women decide to opt out is to take care of their children, and in the case of the Generation X-ers to care for elderly parents. While most companies are keenly aware of the necessities of a family, a woman  who is planning to take a career break should plan for her future. Guest expert, Jennife...

On July 14, 2016, Ben Forstag published a blog post on Mac’s List, “ Why Employers Don’t Include Salaries in their Job Posts (and What You Can Do About It) .” This sparked a lengthy and lively discussion in the comments section. We decided to continue the conversation on this week’s Find Your Dream Job podcast.  Mac, Ben and Jenna discuss why employers don’t post a salary range in a job posts and...

Keeping a record of career accomplishments is an employee’s own responsibility. If a manager is accountable for ten people, they may not remember the special thing one team member did ten months ago. A person can make it easier on themselves and on their manager by keeping track of their accomplishments, and by letting managers know, specifically, what those accomplishments are. This becomes a pow...

Does your manager fail to notice your accomplishments at evaluation time? If so, it is because “managers are busy” says salary negotiation expert Josh Doody. In addition to managing people, managers are also responsible for running the business and making a profit. Many companies only consider giving employees raises during a focal or anniversary period which can be the most politically challengin...

On this bonus episode of Find Your Dream Job, Jenny Foss, owner of JobJenny.com shares her tips for how to touch base with potential employers (without being a pest) after you’ve had your initial interview.   She reads “The Best Ways to Follow Up After The Interview”, her contribution to our book,  Land Your Dream Job in Portland (and Beyond) . Here are Jenny’s top tips to stay top-of-mind with em...

Did you know that your body language is responsible for 60% of your communications and that first impressions are nonverbal? Vanessa Van Edwards, from Science of People, shares some best practices for acing a job interview based on her team’s scientific research.     Body language research shows us that the first thing an interviewer sees is called a ‘glance test.’ Humans used to use this first gl...

It pays off to prepare yourself before asking an employer to make your job virtual. Most employers will want to know what’s in it for them before allowing an employee to work from home full-time. A professional way to address your employer’s possible questions and concerns is to make a list of the objections you think they will have, and then build a mini business case around each issue. Showing a...

On February 4, 2016, the New York Times published an article, “ Walt Bettinger of Charles Schwab: You’ve Got to Open Up to Move Up ,” in which the CEO revealed a very interesting interview tactic. Before hiring an executive-level candidate, Bettinger takes them out to breakfast. The trick? He pre-arranges for the restaurant to mess up the food order so he can see how the candidate reacts. What wou...

Do you know how to get a job you love? It’s OK if you don’t. Most people do not believe it is even possible. A traditional job search includes scouring job postings and identifying with skills an employer is looking for. Today’s conversation turns the table on tradition and encourages job seekers to first identify and then search for a job they will love. Guest, Scott Barlow uses putting a puzzle...

Networking events can be, for an introvert, a worst case scenario. This is why introverts need to be prepared, strategic and have a clear goal of what they want to accomplish before attending a conference or event. Today’s guest expert, Trina Isakson says that introverts gain energy from being alone and a common misconception is to think of introverts as socially awkward or shy. In business today,...

Freelance writer, Jen Violi , shares how to make genuine connections in Oregon - or anywhere. Even if networking makes you queasy, you can make connections with others on a personal and professional level.  We say this at Mac's List all the time, 80% of jobs are never posted, so chances are you're next dream job will be found by networking with someone in your field.   Check out Jen's simple tips...

A job loss due to layoffs or conflicting interests can be a shock to our system. A person may feel thrilled to be apart from their previous employer at first but a flood of emotions generally follows shortly after. Today’s guest, Career Coach Marsha Warner, shares tips and techniques to transform your first days of unemployment. If you find yourself in this situation Marsha advises: Don’t start to...