Finding the ideal job is no easy feat. And with the pandemic rapidly shifting the job market, landing the job of choice has gotten more complicated. This narrative couldn’t be more accurate for people like 26-year-old Elijah Wallace. An accomplished graduate of Northwestern University in Chicago, Wallace landed his first post-collegiate role with JP Morgan – staying there for about two years before venturing off to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors as the founder of a watch company. However, Wallace found out what many other start-up founders already know – entrepreneurial life is a real grind and hustle. With profits taking too long to come in from his business, Wallace started exploring the job market again. As many know, Wallace admits this search was definitely a “process.” “[Applying for jobs] was a full-time job in itself; I networked on LinkedIn every day and applied for 100 jobs in finance and received rejection after rejection,” according to Wallace, as reported by Metro. “I...

You’ve just landed a job interview, and you’re understandably excited. Suddenly, your stomach shifts with anxiety as you try to figure out what to do next. First, don’t panic. Follow these simple steps to nail that interview and walk away with a job offer. Do your homework Learn everything you can about your prospective employer. Review their product line and price points, read both employee and customer reviews on third-party sites, and read study any local industry analyses you can find.  You’ll not only be able to determine if this company is a good fit for you but sprinkling this kind of information into an interview can set you apart from other candidates. Dress appropriately Each business has its own workplace attire standards, which you should try to determine before your interview. You may want to wear something in line with what your prospective employer expects its staff to wear, but formal business attire is best when in doubt. Also, make sure your paperwork, such as your...

Though natural hairstyles are more popular these days, Black women who wear styles like curly afros, twists, or braids are less likely to get job interviews, reports CNN . A study — which has yet to be published — conducted by researchers from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business reports that participants deemed natural hairstyles as unprofessional. Researchers selected hundreds of people from various racial backgrounds to score potential job candidates for competence, professionalism, among other things. As a result, the findings show that Black women with natural hair scored lower for competence and professionalism compared to Black women with straight hair. In addition, Black women donning natural coifs had lower scores than white women with straight hair and curly hair. Despite companies’ recent efforts to “eradicate racism at systemic and structural levels,” researcher Ashleigh Shelby Rosette — a management professor and a senior associate dean — noted that many biases...

Nearly every job application requires a cover letter — a brief one to two-page document in which you make your case in writing as to why you are the best candidate for the job opening in question. Your cover letter allows you to provide context to your career trajectory thus far, provide concrete and detailed examples of your past success, and outline how your experience to date would add value to a prospective employer. A well-written cover letter can help you advance to the next stage of the job application process, while a poorly written one may end your chances of landing the job. But you can craft an engaging and persuasive cover letter by following these simple tips. Tailor your cover letter Many job candidates draft a single cover letter and use it for every job opening to which they apply. Experienced HR managers can quickly spot these generic cover letters — letters which call into question a job applicant’s desire to work for their company and, if hired, their willingness...