Articles

This is an archive of articles I have written for company newsletters going back to 2004. The articles are organized into subject matter: Resumes, Interviews, etc.  I included the year each article was published so readers can put the article into perspective based on the economic climate of the time.  I hope you find these useful.  Be sure to also see my blog JobTipsForGeeks, where you will find more information to help your career.

Career Choices

A Dose of Reality (Jan 10)
At A Career Crossroads – Management vs Staying Technical (Feb 10)
At A Career Crossroads – Part II (Mar 10)
Big vs Small Companies in the Post Dot Com Era – Which is Best For You (and how open source levels the field) (Feb 07)
How to Make Your Java Career Recession-Proof (March 08)
I Think (that I’m an architect), Therefore I Am (an architect) – Common Misconceptions About Role When Changing Companies (Aug 06)
Making Solid Career Choices (July 05)
Red Flags – When Is It Time To Move On? (June 07)
Worth And Marketability, And How Do You Know? (June 10)

Resumes

Resume Length – The Long And Short Of It (Nov 04)
Sorry But Your Resume Stinks – Here’s Why (Apr 10)
Spring Cleaning Your Resume (May 07)
The Buzz On Buzzwords – Don’t Overdo It (May 05)

Interviews

Best Questions To Ask as an Interviewer and When To Ask Them (May 10)
Fools!  Do Not Attempt This In Interviews (Apr 07)
“I Come In Peace” – Best Ways to Avoid Threatening an Interviewer
Interview Checklist (Dec 04)
Interviewing The Company (May 05)
The Art of the Phone Screen (Jan 05)

Job Searches

How Much Do You Really Know About Work With Recruiters (Jan 06)
Seasonal Job Searches – Why Is Late Fall A Great Time to Look For Jobs? (Sep 08)
Summer Job Searches – Pros and Cons (Aug 10)
Tips for the Active Job Seeker – Getting Started (Feb 05)

Education/Certification/Skills Development

Become a Better Java Programmer – Learn Something Else (June 09)
Certification vs Experience – A Recruiter’s Perspective (Apr 06)
Take Control of Your Career While Working in a Limited Technical Environment (Sep 06)
Java Keeps Changing But I Stay the Same – How to Keep Up to Speed With Java? (Sep 05)
Let’s Hold a Book Burning (March 09)
The Future – Polyglot Programmers (March 12)

Unsorted

A Job Hopper’s Guide to the Galaxy (July ’07)
And the Candidates Are… (Sep ’08)
Job Dissatisfaction in a Down Economy – Causes and Cures
Nine Things That Scare Potential New Employers (Oct ’06)
The Intangibles – Why Your Tech Skills Sometimes Aren’t Enough (Aug ’08)
Things That Scare Recruiters (Oct ’09)
What Every Manager Doesn’t Want (May ’08)
What It Takes To Be A Contractor From Head To Toe (May ’08)
Will You Be Ready (Jul ’09)