General Career Advice

1. A first impression is made in less than 30 seconds.

2. Want to boost your charisma? Focus on energy and optimism.

3. “You’re always an employee, you’re always representing your company, and you’re always representing yourself.”

4. Rule #1 for dealing with bad bosses: It’s okay to question authority.

5. No matter where your stress is coming from, it’s not doing you any good—until you learn how to address it.

6. Some of the world’s most successful leaders regularly express all manner of emotions, including anger.

7. Work isn’t always about the larger picture; sometimes, it’s about the brown M&Ms.

8. Want to get ahead at work? The first step is gaining a loyal following.

9. If you look really closely, most overnight successes took a long time.

10. A job, even a great job or a fantastic career, doesn’t give your life meaning, at least not by itself.

​

Work Relationships

11. “I’ve been reminded time and again just how far being a little nicer can go in business—and in life.”

12. To really influence others, listen more than you talk.

13. Every person you meet is a potential door to a new opportunity—personally or professionally.

14. Someone in a support role—an assistant, an intern—could be the best networking contact ever.

15. Only woman on the team? Get used to establishing dominance over and over again.

16. When pitching to your boss, look at the cost-benefit analysis from his or her perspective.

17. Your soft skills—like getting along with team members and being generally pleasant—aren’t an optional add-on.

18. Wise words from a boss: “You’ve got to stop apologizing.”

19. To be seen as a leader, you must know how to manage changing environments.

20. Don’t do every single thing your mentor advises: Sheryl Sandberg didn’t, and it paid off.

Finding a Job

21. People who master the job hunt build up the psychological know-how to get through a sometimes soul-crushing process.

22. When it comes to searching for open positions online, big job boards aren’t the answer anymore.

23. The first step after getting laid off: Mourn the loss and move on.

24. Love the job you have? Good—keep looking at other jobs anyway.

25. Fun fact: Hiring managers couldn’t care less where you went to college.

26. A tip for getting a job before graduation: Have a resume or cover letter party with your friends.

27. Mistaking a recruiter as your career confidante can mean the difference between getting a position and hitting a dead end.

28. To see which startups have recently raised money (and, um, will be hiring ASAP), follow @vcdeals.

29. To avoid bias in your job hunt, hold off on reading company reviews until you snag an interview.

30. Sending in your resume on Monday can up your chances of landing the job.

Resumes

31. Dear job seekers: Don’t write about your quirky hobbies on your resume.

32. Your resume should get very specific when giving your accomplishments. Talk facts, figures, and numbers.

33. Want a better resume? Create a “brag” folder in your inbox.

34. If you want to tell someone—or the world—who you really are, your resume will never be enough.

35. When first reading your resume, ignore typos and think about the overall message your resume is sending.

36. “Led,” “handled,” “managed.” Just a few words not to use on your resume.

37. With so little space and so much awesome to share, it’s critical to get picky with the words you use on your resume.

38. The story your resume tells about why you’re perfect for a position is more important than your resume’s length.

39. 95% of large companies use resume tracking systems—and knowing how to beat them makes a difference.

40. Using an interactive and creative resume can be a great move for certain job positions.

Cover Letters

41. In your cover letter, employers don’t only want to hear about you. They want to hear about themselves, too.

42. The secret to writing a great cover letter: Pretend that the person you’re writing to already loves and respects you.

43. Think of getting to know a company like getting to know a person. What is he or she like? Quirky? Serious? Snarky?

44. To help with your cover letter jitters, just imagine you’re writing an email to the hiring manager.

45. Your cover letter is meant to complement your resume—not reiterate it.

46. Creepy pick-up lines don’t work in bars. They also don’t work in cover letters.

47. Leave that phrase “To Whom it May Concern” out of your cover letter. Now.

48. A salesy tone in a cover letter can overshadow your solid qualifications and make you seem pompous and aggressive.

49. “I won’t pretend your company’s mission is my passion…” started the worst cover letter ever.

50. Not quite qualified for the job? Don’t apologize for it in your cover letter.

Interviewing

51. The first thing to research about a company pre-interview: what makes it special compared to competitors.

52. What to bring to an interview: Three copies of your resume, a few of your best work samples, and a notepad and pen.

53. Read the fine print of a job description. It’ll prevent huge complications later on.

54. Saying perfectionism is your greatest weakness can seem like a cliché. Get more creative and authentic.

55. During your next phone interview, do some power poses, stand, and smile—even if no one can see you.

56. In your Skype interview, pick colors that make you pop specifically on video.

57. Look interested: 67% of hiring managers said they rejected a candidate based on a lack of eye contact.

58. Just because you stumbled across your future boss’ vacation photos online, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to mention them.

59. Write a thank-you email and a handwritten card. Hey, it can’t hurt!

60. If you’re following up post-interview, be polite and humble (and avoid sounding passive-aggressive).

Management

61. Companies that have thought about their culture have 17% higher profit growth than those who didn’t.

62. Billions of dollars are wasted every year from pointless meetings.

63. 47% of new employees want big projects right away. How are you treating new hires?

64. Great advice when interviewing a potential new hire: After a candidate has answered a question, pause.

65. Before you decide whom to delegate a task to, make sure you know what you’re delegating.

66. Want to be a more effective manager? Make sure you’re not making promises you can’t keep.

67. With younger employees, make sure you do non-work check-ins every once in a while.

68. The first step to a successful virtual employee operation is making sure everyone has the same technology.

69. Unsure how to handle employee feedback? Take a breath, swallow your pride, and listen.

70. Want to be like Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh? Be open, honest, and fair with your employees.

Productivity

71. The most productive people in the world manage their energy, not just their time.

72. Either you run the day, or the day runs you.

73. Have a minute to spare and want to be productive? Spend it deleting an app that distracts you.

74. Studies show that self-imposed deadlines are least effective when trying to get things done.

75. Learning how to sync all of the to-do lists from your electronic devices can make you way more productive.

76. Changing a couple of the websites you use in the office can make a huge difference in your work life.

77. Fact: Having white space in the office can boost team productivity.

78. You can slash the amount of time you spend answering emails by using auto-texts on your phone.

79. Hitting the snooze button in the morning can actually help you wake up faster.

80. A poorly designed office could be crushing your creativity and productivity.

Communication

81. Acing your next presentation could be as simple as a strategically placed pause.

82. Don’t reinvent the wheel: Many emails you need to send have been written already by people in similar situations.

83. Synergy? Disruption? Corporate culture? Your favorite business buzzwords could say a lot about you and how you work.

84. Dealing with an angry customer? Simply saying the caller’s name can make a huge difference in attitude.

85. Interacting with someone you admire on Twitter starts with finding common ground.

86. Want to stop choking under pressure? It all has to do with training the prefrontal cortex properly.

87. The average office worker receives 110 emails per day and spends 13 hours per week writing and responding to them.

88. Rule #1 of conference calls: Make sure you figure out beforehand who is calling whom.

89. Ceasing to fear public speaking takes time, practice, and coming up with a plan.

90. Sharing when you don’t know something could actually help you take a huge leap forward in your career.

Social Media and Blogging

91. No matter what field you’re in, Instagram is a great way to find creativity and inspiration.

92. Want to get noticed by recruiters? Build a personal website.

93. Your LinkedIn summary should be around 3-5 short paragraphs, with a bulleted section in the middle.

94. LinkedIn’s 120-character headline limit is a prime piece of marketing real estate (marketing for yourself, that is).

95. Don’t be afraid to ask your LinkedIn recommenders to focus on a certain aspect of your character.

96. Writing “Following Up from Today’s Event” instead of “Following Up” in a LinkedIn message title may get a response.

97. Even if you’re not job-hunting, post one article on your LinkedIn feed each week.

98. Follow company Twitter accounts to get an early heads up on job openings.

99. Want to stand out to hiring managers? Create a 140-character resume.

100. The easiest way to stalk your contacts and see what they’re up to online? Newsle.

Bonus

101. The best place to get career and job search advice every day? VANRATH.