Category Archives: The Art of Finding Work

5 Traits the ‘Best Candidates’ Display

Today’s job market is a seductive dance, where talent is getting lost in the fog of red tape and endless applications. (I’m a fan of Norman Mailer’s prose.) The 2025 job market is a dumpster fire; therefore, I’ve been receiving more emails asking for job search advice, which most often can be summarized as: Job search norms from… Read More »

Job Seekers: Are You Answering the ‘So What’ Question? 

LinkedIn—officially launched on May 5, 2003—began with good intentions. Today, it’s an endless stream of “I’m a victim!” and employer-bashing posts by frustrated job seekers. When I look at the poster’s LinkedIn profile, I inevitably notice that it lacks quantifiable figures to demonstrate the impact the individual had on their previous employer’s business. When I see a profile… Read More »

Make It Easy for Employers to See Value in Hiring You

Most job seekers struggle with the essence of job searching: selling themselves. Don’t kid yourself; a job search is essentially a sales process, and interviews are sales meetings. Reflecting on the jobs I interviewed for but didn’t land, I realize it was because my interviewers didn’t see me as providing compelling value to their business or, if I… Read More »

The Trade-Off with Subscriber-Centric Journalism

I write a Substack newsletter called The Art of Finding Work, offering pragmatic job search advice which currently has over 23,500 subscribers; therefore, I have a vested interest in the monetization of content provided via a subscription-based model and why Substack’s current street-level ads announcing “Media isn’t dead. It’s on Substack.” immediately caught my attention. Substack’s appeal isn’t… Read More »

Is the World Entitled to the US Market?

Most countries covet the American market, driven by insatiable consumerism. No country, however, is entitled to free access to another country’s market; hence, tariffs are akin to the price of admission. Trump increasing the price of admission to the world’s largest consumer market is a protectionist move that anticipates the cost of importing goods into the US will… Read More »

The Endless #OpenToWork Banner Debate is Tiring

A straightforward belief: A person’s results speak for themselves. Making excuses for being a “victim of,” “not having the same advantages as,” or blaming your parents, the government, and the stars not being aligned doesn’t change this. A person’s results are influenced by how they respond to their circumstances, their actions—playing the hand they’re dealt—and the amount of… Read More »

The Employer is the Customer

A job seeker’s mindset determines their job search success. A crucial mindset shift job seekers should adopt to improve their chances of job search success is recognizing that, in the context of their job search, employers are customers—potential customers looking to purchase skills and time. Consider the similarity between an employer paying employees, freelancers, and contractors to accomplish… Read More »

The Timing of Your Questions During an Interview Is Everything!

Most interviewers appreciate candidates who come prepared with thoughtful questions. However, while your questions are important, the strategic timing of when you ask them is more crucial. You’ve likely heard, “Timing is everything.” This is especially true in interviews. Asking about work-life balance too early—during the initial (introductory) or second interview—can lead to elimination. Sure, work-life balance matters,… Read More »