How to REALLY get a GREAT JOB

World (or job search) destruction by accident

bryandilts — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:45:00 +0000

The most likely way for the world to be destroyed, most experts agree, is by accident. That’s where we come in, we’re computer professionals. We cause accidents. (Nathaniel Borenstein)

Call or email?

I have seen a job lost by a single email. Instead of picking up the phone, the candidate decided to ask a bunch of delicate [...]

How to get to sleep at night

bryandilts — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:40:43 +0000

Tense because of work and your job search? The comments on this article list a lot of real ways people get to sleep.

My most effective way to get to sleep is to count to 2. In my head I lie down and count 1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2….. until I fall asleep. If I count any higher it takes [...]

Why would your boss think you are as bad as a cheating husband?

bryandilts — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:27:21 +0000

This may be counter-intuitive, but when you try to leave your job, your boss looks at YOU as the cheating husband. Your boss sees YOU as the betrayer no matter how many times he has failed to follow up on his promises. He may have not given you any raises in 4 years, but he [...]

How to turn your dishwasher into a snowplow

bryandilts — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:00:42 +0000

You turn your dishwasher into a snowplow with the same three steps that you rise to the next level in your career. Don’t worry, I will tell you how in a minute.

First, you need the right equipment. Buy the hardware and get the training. Do you need a hammer or a computer? Buy it. Get [...]

Read job ads if you are NOT job hunting

bryandilts — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:00:17 +0000

People call me and ask, “What is the hottest job in my field? What is the next BIG thing?” I tell them how to find out for themselves.

The trouble with your career may be that you are stuck in a backwater position with no chance to see what is new. You might say:

You can’t be [...]

8 steps to start a salary bidding war

bryandilts — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:00:26 +0000

$80,000.

No, $82,500 plus free healthcare.

We’ll pay $85,400 plus healthcare plus 401k matching.

Recruiters hate it. Job hunters love it. I’m insane for telling you about it.

2 or 3 simultaneous job offers can be exciting and pay well. How do you get people making offers to keep raising the salary and benefits? Luck is only part of [...]

Avoid big IT project failure

bryandilts — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:20:16 +0000

1/3 of all huge projects never get finished. 1/3 of all huge projects cost several times more than planned and are months or years late getting implemented.

Here are 5 really important ideas.

1 good, and 3 bad jokes for interviews

bryandilts — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:00:55 +0000

I cannot call to mind a single instance where I have been irreverent, except toward the things which were sacred to other people. (Mark Twain)

I admit it. This is my biggest problem. I make a jokes in interviews. I’m irreverent. These jokes really have been used in interviews.

Q. When do you like to arrive at [...]

7 interview tricks to be clean and undistracting

bryandilts — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:00:25 +0000

There is nothing like being trapped in a small, poorly ventilated interview room with a noisome, pungent candidate (or interviewer).

One guy I worked with….. smelled…. funny. Another always wore each white dress shirts for 4 days. A woman I worked with had a mouthwash she used at lunch with a bouquet like bourbon (hmmm). I [...]

5 brave interview questions for Eagles to ask

bryandilts — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:00:36 +0000

I have been asked to find people for the ultimate bad situation. For example a job had 4 bosses in 1 year – each one fired. 7 coworkers had quit in that same year.

I asked the difficult questions, and then refused to place someone in that job. However, I have placed people in difficult situations [...]