Beyond the obvious impact on individual health COVID-19 has had, it is also impacting the economy in various ways. Some industries are seeing a surge in demand (medical supplies, distribution, etc.), but most are experiencing a decline. One study found that nearly 1 In 5 households has lost work or had hours reduced since the outbreak of COVID-19. This is a daunting statistic and by […]

The unemployment rate across the country currently sits at 4.8%. However, here in Chicago, that rate is more than 1% higher at 5.9%[1]. This means more applicants for every job, stronger competition, and more obstacles to overcome in landing a job. This means that it is even more important for an unemployed job seeker to […]

Skills recruiters conduct phone screenings of many candidates before meeting with them in person. While we do provide an overview of the position/client and answer any questions you may have, what we are really looking to understand during that phone call is: 1) who you are and why you’re interested in the position with this […]

During any job interview, you may be asked what we call “behavioral based interview questions”. You’ve probably always wondered, “Why are they asking me these types of questions? How should I answer them?” Don’t worry, in this post I’ll explain why these questions are so important and share a simple, Skills-approved method for answering them, […]

You’ve fully prepared for your job interview by researching the company, practicing common interview questions, thinking of your best professional experiences to share, and gathering what you need to bring with you. Now, it’s interview day, your time shine by putting everything you’ve prepped into practice. In this post, I share with you what to […]

Almost every interview will end with an opportunity for you to ask your questions. You should always have questions ready that show you are prepared and understand the position. This will further convince the hiring manager that 1) you want the job; 2) you care about the company; and 3) you are eager to learn […]

At this point, you should have a good understanding of what behavioral based interviewing is and why it is so important to practice before your job interview. You should also know that you need to always provide specific examples of past experiences when answering these types of questions, and the best way to structure and […]

So you’ve decided to go job shopping. Seriously this time. Applying to new jobs should be fun. A few clicks here and there for just a couple jobs is fairly easy to manage. However, how do you manage dozens of applications at once? Before you begin your job search, here are five of my favorite […]

Walking into a library in 2017 may feel odd because everything is online now, right? Wrong. Local libraries are still an integral part of neighborhoods, and their capabilities and resources have grown over the years to accommodate the changing needs of those they serve. Several of these resources are distinctly focused on jobs, applying to […]