Contributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

I recently returned to the States after 7 years of living and working as an in-house attorney in Japan. (I am fluent in Japanese.) U.S. employers seem to be thrown off by the fact that my resume/experience is very Japan-heavy. How should I address a language expertise/long experience in a country other than the States if I don’t want to be limited by that in the job search?

This question is really about framing what you have done in the context of what you want to do. A specific skill or experience does not necessarily limit you. It may give the recruiter a predisposition, but that is up to you to change. The questioner is responsible for translating her Japan experience to whatever she wants to do. She cannot assume that the recruiter should understand the value of the experience in and of itself or that the recruiter will know how to translate the experience to the job at hand.

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Contributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

When recruiters want to speak via phone, does this mean they are not really interested?

Phone interviews are not a sign of lack of interest. In fact, they are a key part of the job search process, and ignoring the importance of phone skills is a common job search mistake. As a recruiter, most of my general interviews are via phone. Some recruiters use a phone screen for every search and reserve live meetings for finalists only. Furthermore, a lot of recruiting process work is via telephone: either you or your potential employer is leaving a message to schedule an interview or to check status. Although the term “telephone tag” recalls a childhood game, do not take phone interactions lightly.

Here are some telephone tips: Read more

Contributed by: Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

What is the best answer to the strength and weakness interview question?

I got this exact question after a workshop I recently led. Other than his name and industry background, I had no other information. Yet, he fully expected me to come up with answers to very personal interview questions.

Actually, I am asked this question so much I almost expect it after every workshop I give. It seems that many jobseekers out there are looking for the magic bullet answers that will get them past the interview to the offer stage.

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Contributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

Between interviews, networking, researching companies, canvassing job boards, and following up with recruiters, a job search takes as much time as my job. I feel like I need to quit before I start looking. Yet, traditional advice says the best time to look is when you’re employed. How am I supposed to fit a job search into my schedule?

Recruiters and employers prefer the currently employed, even if you have a perfectly good reason to be unemployed. You are in-the-know. You have access to competitor information. You have an existing network that can be tapped for candidate referrals for the recruiter and/or new business for the employer. Therefore, quitting is an absolute last resort. Besides, if you have to quit to take on a job search, then what would you do if a special work project arose or a promotion came up that required increased responsibility?

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Contributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart

This question came up at a recent coaching session with a new client: My last job has a title that sounds much more administrative than the actual job. How do I accurately list the title on my resume without pigeonholing myself into administrative jobs with a similar title?

There are few jobseekers who can get a job on the strength of their resume alone. Someone who is working at a brand name company and wants to transition to a competitor in the same function is an example of a jobseeker that can probably get hits from her resume alone.

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