Allison Cheston — Career Connector - Career

Six Essential Confidence Boosters to Nail that Interview — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

  So much about giving a great interview hinges on the level of confidence you bring. You come into the room energized and focused, your skill stories flow easily , and you click well with the interviewer. All is right with the world. Over the course of my 16 years gu

Mental Health Issues and the Interview — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

I sat down with my new client, a young woman in her late twenties, explaining that for our first meeting I would be interviewing her about her life – her background and education from early days, her work history in detail, her interests, and her relationships. I hoped that she would be as candid as

How To Research Roles During Covid — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

One of the things I work on with clients is role research, once we’ve identified one or two directions we think make sense. Especially now during Covid, my clients are having trouble conducting this kind of research because there are fewer job listings than there were pre-Covid. Typically we revie

Advice on the State of the Job Market — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

  I’m writing to you during a time filled with enormous stress and uncertainty – more than most of us have ever known in our lives. While we don’t know how long this situation will last, the best advice I’ve received revolves around maintaining much needed routines and doing our best to st

How To Get a Raise During Covid — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

Assuming your company has weathered the pandemic or has even benefited from it, now may be just the right time to ask for a raise. You may be overdue for an increase, your responsibilities may have increased, or you may have achieved a milestone to be celebrated. If any of this holds true for you, t

Getting A Job During Covid-19 Means Narrowing Your Sights — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

When I started working with Jenny, a 26-year old social media strategist, at the beginning of the year, we had no idea how much and how quickly the world would change. Post-graduation, Jenny had had two jobs using her social media skills, one volunteer and one for a non-profit, and she was eager to

The Job Market Is Hot! Is It Time to Make a Move? — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

Happy almost Fall! Here in New York it already feels like it as the temperature has dropped and the days have shortened. I don’t know about you, but I always regard Fall as a time of new beginnings with that “back to school” feel. It feels like the New Year and in the Hebrew calendar it is in fact t

Be a Virtual Volunteer to Help Your Career While Helping Others — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

It has never been a better time to volunteer your time. Not only is there record homelessness, highly visible to city dwellers like myself, but ordinary working people from all walks of life are having their lives turned upside down due to work shutdowns and other Covid-19 events outside their contr

How to Find an Internship in the Summer of Covid-19 — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

To My Faithful Readers: This is such a heartbreaking and difficult time we are living through and my heart goes out to all of you, whether you’ve been affected directly or indirectly by current events. I’m here to help you in any way I can, so please reach out to me with your questions and I’ll do

Get the Job Before You Reject the Job — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

In my practice guiding clients through launching and changing careers, I've noticed a trend. Candidates are neglecting to apply to jobs that don't fulfill their exact requirements. I noticed this happening both during the darkest days of Covid and also now as the job market picks up, and I think it’

Engineer Your Career, from College to Job to Further Education — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

Should I Flag My Disability with Employers? — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

Many of my clients struggle with their mental health , a learning disability, or both, issues that go beyond the usual job search stressors. And in today’s rolling post-Covid environment, it’s more the norm than not. I have frequently debated with clients whether to disclose a challenge upfront, a

The Truth About That Dream Job — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

A number of years ago I wrote a post about the fallacy of the “dream job.” I’ve always argued that the hope of getting a job that ticks every box and fulfills your dreams is unrealistic at best and damaging at worst. It’s a fallacy that has kept many young adults stuck in the assumption that they mu

How to Make a Mid-Career Change During Covid — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

Twenty years ago, Karen D. parlayed an early interest in art and photography into a career in retail merchandising. Organized and collaborative, she excelled in project management and enjoyed a close relationship with product development teams -- setting price points, negotiating with factories, and

Tell Me About Yourself: Examples of Narratives That Work — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

Telling the Story of YOU should be a great experience. It should make you feel like you’ve just had a 5-mile run or a great cup of coffee, or both. Instead, if it feels tortured, nervous-making or rambling, just imagine how the listener feels.

Finding Your Career in the Unconventional — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

We're in an exciting moment where people can forge careers from their backgrounds and interests, in ways they could not have anticipated. Here's an example of one woman's path.

Tell Me About Yourself: Talk Your Skills Up in an Interview — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

Most interviews are in a behavioral format, meaning the interviewer not only wants you to share that you have a particular skill, they want to hear about how you used that skill in past jobs. Practicing your skill story ahead of time will allow you to share it strategically, building it seamlessly into The Story of YOU.

What To Do If You Get Fired — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

Most people get fired at some point in their careers and it’s not the end of the world, even though it might feel that way at the time. Here’s concrete, step by step advice to get you back on track if the worst happens.

Your Post-College Job Search May Take Longer Than You Think — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

Last winter I had five college senior clients all seeking their first job, some with great trepidation. Of the five, I was least concerned about an outgoing, socially adept and directed Trinity College psych major who knew for sure she wanted to go into advertising. Sadie Cooper had been very strategic throughout her college summers and had several internships under her belt, including one in advertising. She and I both assumed she would graduate with a good job. Here is the story of Sadie’s career twists and turns and, ultimately, happy ending.

Why Your College Grad Can’t Find a Job in 2018 — Allison Cheston, Career Connector

It’s Summer 2018 and the unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been in years. Arguably it’s a candidate’s market. And yet, many new and recent college grads are still unemployed. How can that be?