In this career exploration brainstorm, we encourage you to think expansively about possible career paths, and then create the ideal career short list for you!
Helpful Articles
Home → Helpful Articles
Welcome to our Helpful Articles page! The posts below are packed with current information to help you navigate the job search process, or find your ideal career match. Just click the topics most relevant to where you’re at in your search, and browse our growing resource of articles! We’re also available for when you get stuck, so schedule an Exploratory Call to talk with us about how we can help.
Our team of career experts draws from a deep well of knowledge in career counseling. We keep up with the latest technology and assessment tools, and we have experience helping thousands of our clients navigate their job search and career transitions successfully. Read the articles for plenty of excellent advice, and get in touch with us for career coaching tailored just for you, exactly where you are in the process.
"The only joy in the world is to begin."
Career Exploration
find the right path
Check out the Career Exploration articles below if you’re looking for a new career direction. Explore how your values, skills and interests line up with potential career options. When you feel stuck, we can work with you one-on-one to help you find a new career path that provides long term financial security and meaning.
Is It Time for a New Career Path?
A career expert’s reflection on how to start assessing your career options.
The 6 Best Career Exploration Websites to Narrow Down your Job Search
Discover these Career Exploration Websites and find job titles, requirements, salary range, and the market outlook for the most promising career paths!
Taking Your Skills Inventory: Self-Assessment Time
Take our skills inventory assessment! Find out which important skills you already have; need to build; and want to use in your next job.
The Big 5 Personality Traits: Get to Know Yourself to Find a Better Career Path
The Big 5 personality model is a tool to help you gain emotional insight about your core personality traits and find the best career match for you!
Crack The Holland Code and Unlock Your Career Aspirations
The Holland Code is arguably the most practical personality typology for job search. Crack the Code, and unlock your best career path matches.
7 Ways to Make Money for Your Career Change and Still Pay the Bills
Changing careers is a full-time job in itself, on top of just paying the bills. Here’s 7 great ways to make money during your transition to a new...
Getting Clear on Your Career Path: Discerning Your Interests and Passions
Decide whether you should pursue a practical career or a passionate calling with our career interest assessment.
6 Factors that Impact Your Career Change Time Frame
Here are the practical and emotional factors that can impact your job search, with room for serendipity and the unexpected!
7 Expert-Backed Research Tips to Find the Right Career
Here’s 7 of our best tips to take your career exploration from brainstorm to organized search. Narrow down job titles, tap your network, and find the right research...
How to Decide On a Career Path
Deciding on a career path can feel overwhelming, but with clear objectives, solid self-assessment, and a healthy trust of your gut instincts, you can do this thing!
Using a Career Decision Matrix to Overcome Information Overload
A career decision matrix is a tool that can help you organize your thoughts to make even the most complicated career decisions.
Finding a Government Job in Portland, Oregon, and Nationwide
Government careers offer great job security, benefits, and training. Here’s your complete guide to finding government jobs in Portland and Nationwide.
Your Career Values Assessment
So often, our careers seem to be at odds with our core values. This career values exercise gives you permission to think outside the cubicle and find work...
What Does Your MBTI Personality Type Actually Mean for Your Career?
Find out your Myers-Briggs personality type with our assessment and learn what it means (or doesn’t mean) for your work life!
Job Search
go get it
The articles below will help you navigate your job search. This is where you’ll find our best tips on using LinkedIn and social media to boost your profile, how to utilize online job boards, and how to target the right companies to work for. If you want more in-depth help with your job search, get in touch with us!
LinkedIn For Job Search: 10 Powerful Tips To Find Your Next Job
Optimize your LinkedIn profile to wage an effective job search—without your current boss finding out.
Nonprofit Career Resources in Portland, Oregon, and Beyond
Bookmark this Nonprofit Career Resources page! This is your go-to for job search and career exploration for nonprofit jobs in Portland, Oregon, and beyond.
The Best Job Boards in Portland OR and Beyond, and How to Use Them
Learn how to use job boards in Portland and beyond to find job listings that match your criteria for your ideal local or remote job!
How to Game Your Job Search Over 50
Ageism in hiring is real, so you’ve got to game it out. Here are the tools you need to find age-friendly employers and age-proof your LinkedIn, resume, and interviews.
Portland for Creatives
Learn different ways to approach a creative career and make a living as an artist in Portland, Oregon.
How to Create Your Own Internship
Getting hired in a new field is so hard when you don’t meet the job requirements yet. Create your own internship, and gain the experience you need!
The 6 Best Social Media Platforms for Job Seekers — and How To Use Them
Learn about the best social media platforms for job seekers and how to use them to network, explore careers and industries, and find jobs.
The Best-Kept Secrets For How to Find Your Next Job and Get Hired Using Twitter
Advance your career with these best-kept secrets on using Twitter for job search to help you find and land your next job.
How to Choose a Company to Work For to Level-Up Your Career Satisfaction
Our personality, values, and interests can lead us to the right career. Find the right employer match, and boost your career satisfaction.
How to Avoid These 6 Job Search Procrastination Triggers
Learn how to avoid these six job search procrastination pitfalls with expert tips and advice from our career counseling team.
6 Recruiter-Approved Tips to Maximize Facebook for Job Search
Don’t overlook the value of Facebook for job search! Use these 6 recruiter-approved tips to maximize your networking on Facebook and find the right job.
How to Search for Your Next Job Online
Wage a more organized and strategic online job search with these tips from our career experts.
How to Find Remote Jobs: The Insider’s Guide to Your Next Remote Job Search
Is remote work right for you? We reveal the best remote job boards and share insider tips for how to find remote jobs.
Quickly Improve Your LinkedIn Profile with These 11 Tips
Improve your LinkedIn profile with these 11 quick tips! Set your timer for 15 minutes, and make these changes to maximize your job search potential on LinkedIn.
Sustainability Career Resources and Green Jobs
So you want to break into sustainability and the green economy? Here’s our list of the best green job resources in Portland, Oregon and beyond.
How To Recruit Recruiters with Your LinkedIn Profile
Jumpstart your networking efforts with these 11 expert tips to create a LinkedIn profile that really stands out.
Resumes &
Letters
Present yourself
Writing effective resumes and cover letters is the key to get you in the door for a job interview. The posts below will help you upgrade your resumes and letters to present yourself as the right candidate for the job. If you need more guidance, our Resume and Cover Letter expert, Joanie Donnelly, will work with you to create your best application materials.
George Santos’s Resume: Don’t Try This at Home
Representative George Santos teaches us how NOT to write a resume. First lesson: don’t lie through your teeth!
Accomplishment Statements: A Powerful Way to Tell Your Career Story
Accomplishment statements power-up your the skills and experiences in your resume. Impress your potential employer with your brilliant accomplishments!
Your ATS-Friendly Resume Must Have These 5 Components
Use these 5 ATS-friendly resume tips to beat applicant tracking systems! Don’t miss out on your dream job on a technicality!
A Portland Career’s Complete Guide to Writing a Winning Resume
This guide to resume writing is packed with successful resume examples and the most up-to-date strategies to write a resume that’ll win you the job interview.
How to Write a Kickass Cover Letter with These 11 Essential Elements
Learn how to write your best cover letter with these 11 essential elements. Make a great first impression on your prospective employer, and land that interview!
How To Identify Resume Keywords for Your Next Job Application
You need to know how to identify and incorporate resume keywords to write a winning resume that will beat applicant tracking systems (ATS). Here’s how.
Plan Your Resume and Land the Job
Plan your resume to showcase your most relevant skills and experience right up front to catch the eye of recruiters and ATS software.
Interviewing
Prepare for it
Make your next job interview a successful one. Explore our posts below to find out how to best prepare for the interview, how to deal with tough questions, and how to frankly address your weaknesses while emphasizing your strengths. If you’re still nervous about interviewing, or you’re getting interviews but not getting job offers, get in touch with us, and we’ll help you prepare.
The 25 (plus 10!) Most Common Job Interview Questions
Nail your next job interview by preparing for these 25 (plus 10!) most common interview questions.
Answering Tough and Weird Interview Questions
Interview questions can sometimes come way outta left field. It’s a good idea to prepare for the more difficult or just plain weird interview questions you might get asked.
How to Prepare for Your Next Job Interview: The Career Expert’s Guide
Get insider interview tips that’ll help you nail the job interview and land your dream job!
The CAR Interview Method Brings Your Accomplishments to Life
Use the CAR method to tackle interview questions. Vividly illustrate your accomplishments and impress hiring managers!
When and How To Say Thank You after Your Interview
Thank you notes never go out of style! Here’s what to include in a thank you note or email after the job interview.
The Best Interview Questions You Should Ask at Your Next Job Interview
Flip the script! Prepare to ask great questions in your job interview, and show your potential employer you’re the ideal candidate for the job.
Interviewing As An Overqualified Candidate: Let’s Debunk Some Myths
“Overqualified” just means “well-qualified.” Let’s debunk the myths about overqualified candidates and reframe your career story!
How to Ace the “Greatest Weakness” Question in Your Next Job Interview
Learn how to best answer the “tell me about your greatest weakness” question in your next job interview with expert strategies and sample answers.
Advanced Job Interview Tips: Know Your Answer and How You’ll Say It
The best job interview tip: prepare! Confident tone, eye contact, and answers to common interview questions are all skills you can, and should, practice!
Virtual Job Interviews: Master the Art of Zooming It In!
Most employers now conduct virtual job interviews. Master these remote interview skills with tips from our career experts!
Networking
Work your connections
“Networking” doesn’t have to be a dirty word. Click on any article below, and we’ll show you how to use LinkedIn effectively, connect with people you already like, and make new connections, in your own style. Networking is often the key to finding the right job fit for you. When you want help optimizing your LinkedIn, or creating a networking action plan, we’re here for you.
Expert tips for networking in Portland, Oregon (even if you don’t like networking)
Reframe your relationship with networking and get expert-backed tips on how to do it right in the greater Portland area.
How to Get Great References for Your Next Job Search
Prep your references ahead of time to give the professional recommendations that will get you hired. Nope—it’s not too pushy!
23 Informational Interview Questions and a Networking Process that Works
Demystify your desired job, career path, and industry with these 23 illuminating informational interview questions and a proven networking process.
I’m Looking for a New Job: What Do I Do about Bad Job References?
Bad job references? We’ve been there, too. Here’s how to normalize the problem, ease your worries, and proactively address it to land the job offer.
Find the Networking Style and Tools that Work for You
Find the networking style that works for your personality. Read more to learn how to use LinkedIn, create an elevator pitch, and organize your networking contacts.
How to Network on LinkedIn Like a Pro
LinkedIn isn’t just a glorified resume or a simple social platform. Wield the power of LinkedIn to meaningfully grow your professional network.
How to Craft an Elevator Pitch: the Secret to Successful Networking
Develop a great elevator pitch as a job seeker, and get more out of the dreaded art of networking.
Negotiation
Ask for what you want
Asking for the salary and compensation you want can be nerve-racking, but after a job offer is extended, 90% of job applicants who ask for better compensation get it. Read our posts below about asking for what you deserve, and if you need more support, we’re here to help.
Ask and You Shall Receive: How to Negotiate A Job Offer
Don’t be afraid to negotiate a sub-optimal job offer. Here are expert-backed tips to help you secure the compensation and terms you deserve.
The Top 5 Salary Research Strategies To Get You Paid What You Deserve
Learn how research the right salary ranges for your target job, and negotiate the compensation you deserve.
How To Evaluate A Job Offer That Is Right For You
If you’re unsure if you should accept a job offer, take our “6 P’s” assessment to help you make the decision.
Career Growth
Thrive where you are
Explore our articles below to help you overcome career challenges, expand your skills, and become the professional you want to be in today’s job market. If you need guidance anywhere on your career path, we’re here to support your growth. Get in touch for individualized coaching.
What’s the difference between a job, a career, and a calling?
Job vs. career: even the most basic of human endeavors can lead us to search for a deeper sense of meaning. The difference might not be so binary after all.
How to Prepare for a Fulfilling Career: Identifying and Overcoming Career Barriers
Discover how to overcome your internal and external barriers to finding the right career for you!
How to Get the Education You Need to Further Your Career
Education and certification costs are absurd! Here are 5 great ways to finance your education so you can move forward in your career.
How Strategic Volunteering Can Help You Find a Job You Love
Kickstart your career exploration with some strategic volunteering in fields that align with your values and interests!
Career Trends 2023: What Will Impact the Job Market in the Coming Year
Career trends in 2023 are shaping up: read about the impacts of recession fears, tech layoffs, and COVID recovery on the job market today.
The Job Seeker’s Checklist: Your Career Development Toolkit
Use this checklist to build your career development toolkit! It contains the practical, technology, spiritual and emotional tools you’ll need to be more effective in your career search.
The Tech and Social Media Skills You Need as a Job Seeker or Career Explorer
Resistance is futile! Get comfortable with workplace tech and make it part of your career development plan!
Self-Employment
Work on your terms
If you’ve always dreamed of being your own boss, the temptation freelance or start your own company might be strong. But is it right for your style of work, your ability to self-motivate, or your need for structure and stability? Here are some articles to help you define whether self-employment might be a good fit for you. And, if you need help making this decision, we’re here.
Should I Quit My Full-Time Job to Freelance?
How do you know when and IF quitting your job is best for you? Here are steps to take before quitting, how to quit, resources, and stories from those who...
Should You Be Self-Employed?
Self-employment isn’t for everyone. Take our assessment to find out if you can thrive being in business on your own.
Target Better Business Ideas by Weeding Out the Bad Ones!
If you’ve got the entrepreneurial spirit, brainstorming business ideas is the first step. Let your creative ideas flow with these helpful tools.
Self-Care
your well-being is important
Searching for a job or making a career transition can be one of the most stressful things we do. Our team includes a deep bench with therapeutic knowledge and care about how to stay grounded on your career journey. Explore our posts below about how to care for yourself during this process, and get in touch with us for support tailored for you.
How to Avoid These 10 Common Job Search Mistakes
How to avoid these 10 common job search mistakes and preserve your energy for the long haul of looking for a new role or career.
Reduce Negative Self-Talk
There are some ways of thinking and talking to yourself that are helpful…and others that are not. Here’s how to turn down the volume on negative self-talk.
Job Rejection: We Got you. How to Cope, Respond, and Rebound
How to respond when you didn’t get the job. Learn how to move forward and capture this opportunity to grow professionally.
Building Faith, Nature, and Mindfulness into Your Job Search
Faith, nature, and mindfulness can benefit your job search: discern your calling, celebrate your gifts, and accept the uncertainties in the process.
