My entire life, I just needed to know. I’d never let myself wonder. How great could I be? The not knowing would just kill me. A regret I’d never let myself live with. Ever feel this way? Ever wonder how good you could be at something if you let yourself be? If you—literally—gave it your all? After going through my entire career (eh, life) all-out w…

I realize it’s mid-November and the Christmas décor has already draped many stores for an entire month, but your career doesn’t take a holiday (nor do I). Today, I’m serving up a major lesson on why now is literally THE BEST time to job search. You’re at the start line of a 3-month hiring frenzy. It doesn’t matter whether the year is 2005, 2010, 20…

In my lifetime, I’ve prepared, oh, conservatively, about a bajillion job candidates for their interviews. Most are so worried about the wrong stuff. Most prepare backwards. They think What questions will I be asked? I need to come up with a good answer for [insert the dumb ones here about disagreements and conflicts and weaknesses, etc.]. Uh, no. A…

Who doesn’t want to sound more accomplished? Amiright?!?! More accomplished = more attractive to potential employers. I’m not talkin’ “accomplished “in the “overqualified” sorta way. I wouldn’t run that risk. I’m talkin’ “accomplished” in the I’m-smarter, more-knowledgeable, performed-more-repetitions, solved-more-problems, achieved-more-goals sort…

It hurts me when I see people make a mistake. It practically kills me when I see them repeating—on purpose—the same mistake. I’ve made lots of mistakes, so please don’t think I think I’m a know-it-all. I don’t judge anyone because they made different mistakes than I did. We’re all different and have walked different paths, experienced different thi…

The job market is tricky these days. It’s always confusing for some, but nowadays it seems like it’s unknown for all. Good news. Your favorite career coach has yet another timeless lesson on steps you should ALWAYS be taking to protect yourself, your career, your family, friends, neighbors, and everything else connected to you! Yes, there’s A LOT r…

If you’re struggling in your job search, you’re in luck today! I’ve got 10 big tips to help you ignite your results. They’re not your run-of-the-mill-tips and you can’t get them anywhere else. I know this to be true because I’m the only person on the planet who wrote The Zebra Code: A Step-By-Step Guide to Mastering Career Skills That Make You a St…

I have a new podcast this morning titled How to Tell a Story That Wows the Interviewer | A Job Seeker Case Study because, well, it wows the interviewer and it’s a real-life example from someone I coached (hence the case study part). It’ll be the best 11 minutes and 13 seconds you spend all week if you’re in job-search mode next to the few hours you…

I spent more time coming up with complete title of The Zebra Code: A Step-By-Step Guide to Mastering Career Skills That Make You a Standout Professional than writing the entire book. 7 months for the title. 6 months to write the entire book (really 5, because I spent a month polishing). True story. Why? I wanted to get in… Something unique (and avo…

I’ve changed careers twice, which basically means I’ve got it down to a science. It’s absolutely brutal. You deserve the truth. How brutal? This picture of my office popped up in my “memories” on my phone. It's from August 25, 2015, a shade over 9 years ago. 3:43 in the AM. I was knocking off for the evening so I could catch an hour or two of shut-…

What would you give to be happier in your job? In your office? In your career? Would you give 25 minutes and 52 seconds? If you’re willing to do just that, you’ll learn exactly what I’d do. Warning: I’m not going to say anything to you like smile, have a better attitude, or blah blah blah. I wouldn’t insult you with that trite stuff. I’ll get you f…

Have you been struggling to get your career to the next level? Maybe you’re awesome at your trade. Maybe you are well networked in your company. Mayyyybe you’re even the go-to person that seems to be able to fix everyone’s “problems.” So, why is awesome you not getting awesomely ahead? It’s one thing to be great at your job. It’s entirely another t…

Ever been snookered by a fake job? I mean, if you know you have? You might have been hoodwinked and didn’t even know it. Perhaps you applied and silence. I glanced over a survey from Resume Builder very recently (not a site I recommend, but they ran the survey so what the hey?). A few key findings... 40% of companies posted a fake job listing this …

Asking questions in a job interview is so important. I know I’m stating the obvious, but just because something is obvious doesn’t mean people know how to do it—well! Today, I’m gonna give you a triple-header of high-quality questions. But, because I’m me and you’re you and you deserve more, I’m not just going to tell you what questions to ask. Jus…

Have you ever heard me speak of THE GREAT 8?!?! As in, like, how could you not have unless this is the first email you’ve ever opened from me? The GREAT 8 are the major accomplishments employers shoot for. Don’t sprain your brain: 1) revenue generation, 2) market awareness, 3) customer attraction, 4) customer happiness, 5) corporate growth, 6) empl…

Have you ever been in a position where you were asked to sketch out your dream role? Perhaps during an interview, or maybe in a casual informational chat, where it seemed like the company was just intrigued by your background and potential? Imagine this: You walk into an interview, or maybe even a discussion with your boss, and instead of being han…

Are you exhausted from trying to figure out the best way to say what you want to say in a job interview? As in, which method do I use? Why do I have to speak interview-speak instead of normal, human-speak? Why is the company telling me I have to use the STAR technique? What the hey is the STAR technique? Wait, now that I think of it, Coach Andy tel…

Do you wish your LinkedIn inbox was flooded with messages from recruiters fawning all over you? Would you settle for a few each week? Seeing nothing? Well, you need to know what drives them to you. I might not know how to get the YouTube algorithm to send people my way, but I do know how recruiters filter their LinkedIn searches. I know that becaus…

Feel like your resume is vanishing into a black hole when you apply for jobs? You're not alone. Most job seekers experience the deafening silence of applicant trashing systems that seem to swallow resumes whole. But what if I told you there's a better way? It’s not just another job search strategy. It’s a revolution in how you connect with potentia…

Today, you get a podcast on The Job Interview Formula Guaranteed to Get You Hired (CAAR). It’s titled that because, well, it’s an actual formula, which, if you use it, I pinky swear, you’ll get hired. It literally, IMHO, is one of, if not, THE, very best podcasts I’ve created on how to answer questions—like ANY question—in a job interview. I cover …

Is it détente or mutual destruction? I’m not sure, but AI will change the game for employers and employees, especially in the hiring process. Someone asked me a few weeks ago about my thoughts on the recent Wall Street Journal article titled You’re Fighting AI with AI: Bots Are Breaking the Hiring Process. Here’s what I had to say. I hope, as alway…

Here’s a line straight out of The Zebra Code… “Always remember, your success, in anything, will have more to do with where you place your attention than your ability.” There are no truer words when it comes to your job search. Most people think their history matters. (Not really.) Others think their skills matter. (Not if you keep talking about the…

Are you getting paid what you’re worth? That was actually a trick question because there’s absolutely no way for you to know exactly what you’re worth. You’re worth is dependent on what someone else is willing to pay for you at this exact moment in time. You are like a stock, a house, or anything else whose value is determined by someone else’s des…

If you don’t have recruiters and hiring officials and other important people in-boxing you on a daily basis, this podcast is for you! Checkout 7 Must-Know LinkedIn Tips That Get You Noticed to get yourself the right profile and professional brand that attracts employers and recruiters and potential colleagues! If you'd like to build a great career …

Coming to you today with a wonderful podcast on 4 essentials assets every job seeker must have. I’m continuing my discussion from Friday’s podcast when I covered how AI will affect the 2024 job market. I want you to be prepared for everything! Now, when it comes to the assets, you have a resume don’t you? That’s one of the four, but the least impor…

Enjoy this podcast on How AI Will Affect the 2024 Job Market. Run time = 10:18. It’s intense. And awesome. While I claim I cannot predict the future, I do have this incredible knack for seeing around corners. If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check ou…

I want to thank you for reading this line. I know if you just did, you must have some level of faith in me as your coach. Or, at a minimum, think I have something to offer to help you improve your career. So, again, thank for that and your attention in general. Today, I want to share some powerful perspectives with you. I genuinely believe, if you …

I get this one a lot. "Coach, I’m getting stock [or RSUs, ISOs, PIUs, Phantom, etc. etc.] as part of my compensation package. How do I value this? How do I gauge what the right amount is?" FYI…that’s Restricted Stock Units, Incentive Stock Options, Profit Interest Units, Phantom Stock (yes, it’s a thing) and several other variations of stock-ish ty…

Today, I’m running through the “You’re overqualified,” scenario which, unfortunately, all-too-many job seekers hear. I mean, if they think this, why are they even talking to you? It’s a veiled concern about your fit or salary or whatever. We all know it. But, does that mean we need to throw in the towel? You know I’m all about the art of the possib…

Coming at you today with a full-on lesson on career-building moves. 10 of them. This is an Andy-filled-smorgasbord of tips, tactics, strategies, and other not-easily-classifiable magic tricks to help you get ahead, stay ahead, and basically enjoy your career and life. It’s not a shorty. It’s not a shorty because no short cut ever gave you what you …

Every week, I meet individually with 15-18 people to help them with their job searches, interviews, and salary negotiations. Inevitably, I get questions such as… “Coach, I had this interview. The recruiter talked the entire time. Didn’t ask me a single question. What should I have done?” “Andy, the interviewer started the interview with ‘What quest…

Many want it. The good life. The few. They want the great life. The rest. What’s left. You guessed it. They pursue heights so high most people dismiss them as unattainable. Whichever group you’re in, I know you’ll eventually pursue some personal Mount Everest. You know the one I’m talking about. The one that, somewhere along the climb, makes you qu…

Today, I’m dropping one of those podcasts that was impossible to title properly to encapsulate the full impact of the resume writing and interviewing tips and the relationship between the two. It teaches how your résumé affects what questions a job interviewer will ask you. You’ll also be able to immediately detect, based on the questions the inter…

I spent every single day between December 3rd, 2022 and May 30th, 2023 working on something that really matters me—writing a book that’ll help you achieve a level of career attainment and satisfaction that matches your abilities. Of course, you didn’t know I was doing that. And, you won’t be able to hold my little beauty until August 6, 2024. (You …

Do you get exhausted trying to think about every question a job interviewer could ask? And preparing your interview responses? And trying to remember everything? Only to clam up or forget or sound like a robot? There is a better way… To make your interview stories powerful. To reduce your prep time. To not forgetting. I’ve got THE 5 steps I’d take.…

It’s still January, which means technically I’m trending if I talk about goal setting. Are you achieving yours? Goals that is? I’m not really a goal-setter per se, as much as I strive to be an accomplish-er. And, I guess now that I’ve written that previous sentence and am too lazy to go back and change it, I’ll just correct it here... I have never …

Today, I’m decoding job descriptions. If you’re wondering what that entails, that’s me doing some Andy x-ray vision and taking a run at predicting the future (interview, salary negotiation, etc.) simply by seeing a job description. I can even go backwards with what your resume should say. I’m an all-directions kinda guy that way. This is one of tho…

Today, we’re talking how to prove your value to employers. Easiest way to do that is to show them how you can help them achieve their goals. To do that, you need to know what their goals are. Good news for you is I’m old and wise and have lots of employer tread on my tires. Serving it up today. If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewar…

Lemme ask ya. Is there anything more confusing than job titles when it comes to job searching and your career planning? I think not. Have you ever wondered… Do job titles matter? Does anyone care? How do I explain my title when no one outside my company knows what system engineer III means? Should I apply for lower-level titles to increase my chanc…

Happy New Year! Let’s start the New Year with a BANG! Shall we? Full-fledged job search podcast today. 5 major tips (which actually means 18 tips by Andy math) on how to ramp up your job search results in 2024! I’m covering a major doozy from what I consider to be the 5 big phases on an effective search. Inside, I hit getting your requirements in o…

Happy Tuesday. You know what makes me sad? Podcast video titles. Lemme tell ya why. I have a podcast for you today. It’s a beauty (I think). I needed to attach a title to it because that’s a law in podcastland. I really wish I had unlimited characters and could give you a full brief about what’s in store for you when you click that link. The title …

“An object in motion is easier to redirect than a stationary one.” I’m sure I made up that quote sometime in my teens during one of my endless semesters of physics. I’m sure I’m not the first person to have that thought. I’m also sure it’s the end of the year. That means many job-seekers are either tired of searching or hesitating or reluctant to g…

I know job searching stinks. But, it’s a gift. You don’t need to agree with me at this moment. I know, however, someday, you will look back and know exactly why it had to happen THAT way. Until you know the answer to that previous statement, I have something to tide you over. It’s a life lesson, job searching, and a bunch of other things all rolled…

Money today. Inside, I’ve got a sweet video on the economic state of affairs and 3 glorious tips on how to get a pay raise. You can use these with your current employer or new employer. I’m not partial. I just care about you getting lots of dinero. I cover how to assess your future value based on your current trajectory, picking up additional respo…

Enjoy this podcast with salary negotiation tips for independent contractors. The tips work for everyone, but you know me. I like to make sure everyone is covered and contractors are just as near-and-dear to me as employees who are “full-timers.” If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places wh…

I wanted to bring you a nice, tight, powerful, perspective-filled video on how to approach a situation when an employer gives you a job offer below the advertised salary range. You might be thinking what gives? That is certainly one way to look at it. Not the only way of course. What happened? Any of a number of things. What can you do? Any of a nu…

Expected salary is ridiculous. Budgeted salary…sillier still. Just like advertised salary, unadvertised salary, and the-salary-we-hope-to-pay salary. How do I know this? Let’s see... Negotiated over 600 employment agreements and salaries as an executive recruiter. Wait. There’s more. Of the more-than 3,000 people I’ve personally coached as an inter…

Salary negotiation is tough stuff. Let's keep this simple. Here's a breakdown of the questions I answered and exactly when I answered them. Enjoy! 00:00:41 How to fill in salary expectation in the ATS (online job application)? 00:03:10 How to answer a recruiter who keeps pushing for an expected salary number? 00:06:30 What to tell a recruiter who's…

Sometimes you (think you’ve) hit a wall. There’s a person you’re speaking to and they just don’t want to pay you any more salary. Before you come to my Live Office Hours show and ask me what to do, I want you to ask yourself a question… “Can this person actually approve more compensation for me?” Essentially, is this someone who can say “No,” but c…

I’ve seen a lot of unhappy people in my day. Some happy ones of course. Some. Not enough. I’ll add to my pile a boat-load of indifferent people. These round-about numbers make me sad. If you’re indifferent or unhappy, I’d like to help you get happy. Let’s do that in today’s talk. That’s what today’s lesson is. A little talk. It’s not an 8-stepper w…