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career fair

Your Career Q&A

Best-selling author Martin Yate, a career coach and former HR professional, answers common reader questions about how to further your career in HR.

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  2. Workplace News & Trends
  3. Your Career Q&A
A man working on a laptop in a library.
Applying for Jobs Before Graduation

This week's column looks into how college students can learn to develop the skills employers are looking for.

A business woman is using a calculator on a desk.
Changing Careers from Finance to HR

Professionals with finance backgrounds bring important and rare skills to HR, but there are a few gaps in their learning that they'll need to fill. Columnist Martin Yate gives advice on how to make the switch from finance to HR.

A woman in glasses is using a laptop at a table.
8 Behavioral Skills for Increased Job Security

There are eight behavioral skills we all need on the job. Known as transferable or soft skills, they are based on a sequence of learnable behaviors that increase your ability to deliver superior performance no matter your area of expertise.

A group of business people shaking hands at a meeting.
How to Approach a Company That's Not Actively Hiring

Interested in a company that's not actively hiring for the position you want? Here's how to reach out and introduce yourself. Columnist Martin Yate shows jobseekers how to find and talk to decision-makers.

A woman looking up at money falling from the sky.
How to Determine What Your Asking Salary Should Be

Generally, when an interviewer raises the question of money, it means that the offer is yours to lose. Here's a three-part question to help you determine your optimal asking salary.

A woman giving a presentation in front of a group of people.
How to Explain HR to Managers

Want to help managers understand how HR roles help the company? Create a simple presentation showing how an HR business partner and an HR generalist each help the company's managers do their jobs. Here is some sample language to get you started. You ca...

Three people sitting in an office talking to each other.
HR Business Partner or HR Director?

Ever wondered what the difference is between an HR business partner and an HR director? How does an HR manager fit in? Columnist Martin Yate breaks down the typical responsibilities of each HR role in this week's career advice column.

A job application on a desk with a cup of coffee.
The Importance of Written Communication Skills

Communication is one of the most important soft skills that help us reach our full professional capacity and earning potential. These quick fixes for effective written communication will supercharge your resume, business communications and cover letters.

A man and woman talking at a desk in an office.
Take Charge of Your Job Interview

Ever have a job interview where the hiring manager dominated the interaction and asked almost no questions? Make sure you are ready to turn the interview to your advantage next time, writes career columnist Martin Yate.

A group of people wearing face masks in an office.
Options After a Merger

What should you do when you hear through the grapevine that your job will soon be changing? Your company has been bought by a new organization, and you're told you'll soon have to travel more, work longer hours, or report to someone new. Career columnist

A group of business people sitting in a row.
Launch Yourself into HR

Looking for an HR job but can't seem to land one? It's time to review the industry in which you're searching, how you position yourself for that job in your resume and perhaps the way you may have handled yourself in any interviews, writes career columnis

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