Recent Articles from John Heckers
How to turn a coffee into a job interview
It's a common fallacy that simply having a large network will obtain a job for you. It won't. You must be proactive in turning networking meetings into interviews or, at least, leads to interviews. Here are some essential tips.
The top 10 biggest job interview mistakes
Competition is fierce in the jungle of the employment world these days. If you want to get hired, you must do many things right and very few things wrong. Here are some of the common mistakes I see executives making and how to avoid them.
Best of ColoradoBiz: Nine ways to maximize your coffee meeting
Getting someone to agree to a coffee meeting is only the first step in obtaining leads. Your coffee meeting is an opportunity to build trust and exchange information. If you do it right, you will begin a long-term networking relationship. Make a major mistake, and all you get is some Starbucks and a lighter wallet. […]
Best of CoBiz: Killer executive interviews
I get lots of questions about executive interviews and tactics. Here are a few tips that have helped my clients. 1) Survive HR. Human resources is your enemy! I once had the CEO of a major insurance company point to a gun he had mounted behind his desk. He told me it was for HR, and […]
Best of CoBiz: Deadly dozen job search mistakes
Here are a few of the really stupid mistakes that job seekers make. Make sure you’re not making any of them. 1). Not answering your phone. It is very irritating to get voice mail all the time. It is especially irritating when a prospective employer or networking contact is trying to get a hold of...
Best of CoBiz: Eight signs it’s time to exit the corporate jungle
If you're not cut out for corporate America, don't think that you are stuck there just because you've been there. You're not stuck. You can get out. And, even if you're 55, 65 or 75, there is no time like the present. Of course, the sooner you do get out, the longer you'll actually enjoy going to...
Best of CoBiz: Top seven lessons business can learn from politics
Understand that, both in politics and the business world, it is a “gotcha” game. Skeletons, gaffes, indiscretions and so on need not ruin your career if they are handled deftly. Control the message and the spin, and your company will wind up with mostly great press and a good reputation.
Best of CoBiz: Seven spiritual barriers to finding a job
I’d like to go off the beaten path in this post. There are many reasons why people remain unemployed, some of which I have discussed elsewhere. But, in my previous article, I left out some of the most important reasons that people remain unemployed, and those are the spiritual reasons. Here are a few of […]
Best of CoBiz: Jobs for the future
I enjoy reading Tom Frey’s articles on jobs for the future. As usual, I’m sure he’s right on some things and not on others, but that is the fate of all prophets. Most people, though, are focused on their immediate future. Here is my take on the jobs winners and losers for the next 10 years. […]
Best of CoBiz: Eight reasons to be grateful this Thanksgiving
It is once again the time of year when our minds and hearts turn toward the things for which we are grateful. In this economy, it is sometimes difficult to find those things. Here are a few of the things to be grateful for in today’s America. 1). Freedom of speech. Yes, there are many […]
Best of CoBiz: Six good reasons to shun “corporate speak”
“We need to seamlessly engage 24/7 initiatives through best-of-breed actionable, client-facing items and proactively create 24/365 niche markets through backward-compatible, future-proof enterprise-wide e-services without turnkey systems.” Does the above sentence sound like something that you’ve heard in a meeting recently? Actually, it comes from an on-line random corporate jargon generator[...]
Best of CoBiz: Eight tips for speedy networking
David Mead wrote an excellent article with great points on how to build a good, organic network. I agree with him that his way is best – if you have years to spend building relationships. It is certainly the way I’ve built my network, and how I would hope that my clients maintain theirs after […]