Liz Ryan

We work for a lot of reasons, and one of the biggest reasons is money! Your job has to pay you enough to live on and pay what your talent and experience are worth. However, the right job gives you more than a paycheck. Your job can give you valuable…

January is the perfect time to take stock of your career and see whether you’re getting what you need from your current work situation. Here’s our ten-point Career Check-Up Quiz. Answer each question with a YES or NO answer and keep track of the…

It would be awful if your job search were being hindered by something in your resume — something that might scare employers away. It is hard to read your own resume with a critical eye. You know yourself too well. It's hard to get perspective on your…

You can fill out online job applications for months without ever getting a reply from an employer. It's disheartening. In my experience, online job applications are the worst channel for a job-seeker to rely on. You can reach your own department…

Most people don't like their resumes. I don't blame them! Most resumes are weak. They are boring, and they all sound alike. Most resumes are lame because they are written in an awful language that's only used for resumes and company policy memos. I…

Mid-September is the perfect time to pull out your resume and get it in shape for 2018. Whether you plan to job-hunt next year or not, an annual resume update is a very good idea. You are the CEO of your career. Your resume is your presentation to…

Dear Liz, I hate the way my resume sounds, but I don't know how to fix it. Watch on Forbes: I agree with you that it's not appropriate, professional or even polite to brag about yourself in a resume or LinkedIn profile, but how else can I let…

The first half of 2017 is behind us. That's a milestone to stop and notice! There is still plenty of time in 2017 to accomplish what you want to accomplish, but there is no time to waste! I recommend that you pull out your resume this weekend and…

Dear Liz, I graduated with my MBA in December and was lucky enough to get hired in February. I'm excited about my job, which is going well so far. Little by little I'm learning the job description. I feel more confident every week. I want to use this…

Dear Liz, You talk about the Hidden Job Market. I've been hearing that term for a few years but I don't really know what it means. What is the Hidden Job Market, and how do I get into it? I've been filling out online job applications for months now…

Dear Liz, I am excited because I have a high-stakes job interview coming up. It's pretty close to my dream job, at least from the job description the recruiter sent me. If I get this job it will be my first six-figure job. What do I need to know…

Most of us play a character at work. We try to be authentic, but it's just too hard to maintain it. How can you say what you really feel at work when you are constantly being judged and evaluated there? Your boss is listening to everything you say.…

Dear Liz, I had a great job interview two weeks ago. The interviewer "Marc" is not the department manager, but Marc will make the decision about which candidates get to meet the hiring manager "Alison" in the next round of interviews. He told me that…

Dear Liz, Right now the Summary at the top of my resume says "I'm a hard-working, experienced Product Manager with powerful insights that will grow your brand." Is this the right kind of thing to say in a Human-Voiced Resume? Thanks for your…

Dear Liz, I'm having a hard time updating my LinkedIn profile. I have great skills (in my opinion) but most of my experience is with tools and technology that are also very common. Part of me wants to stand out, but a lot of my friends have told me…

Dear Liz, I am job-hunting. I don't mind going on job interviews. I usually feel like I do pretty well, but I have trouble with the question "What's your greatest strength?" I don't like talking about myself. I hate to brag. I can just imagine that…

Dear Liz, I am not job-hunting but I'm on full alert because there are changes coming in my company. Our CEO left last year under a cloud, and it's taken the Board forever to appoint a new CEO. The interim CEO doesn't get along with the VPs, and…

A Pain Letter is like a cover letter, but it is much more powerful than a cover letter is. A Pain Letter doesn't talk about you, the way a traditional cover letter does. It talks about the letter's recipient, instead -- your hiring manager. Your…

Job-hunting is a lot like dating. When you're job-hunting or when you're dating, you don't want to come from the place "Please, like me -- I beg you!" You can't be needy as a job-seeker or a person on the dating scene. It is a losing strategy in both…

Dear Liz, I've been a manager for almost two years but I still struggle with hiring decisions, even though I've hired eleven people so far. I lead a customer service team. I'm happy about the eleven hiring decisions I've made, for the most…