When I was a corporate recruiter, I loved working with the candidates and finding work they would love. I also loved working with the hiring managers and finding people that would be an asset to their team and the organization. It is not an easy job, though. Understanding what they do and why they do it helps each candidate make that vital connection with a recruiter. That connection can be essential to get your resume in front of the hiring manager.

What this means is that all effort is not created equal. The application of this as a job seeker is that not all activities are created equal. To be the most effective, you have to identify the activities that are likely to give you the most return on investment, that 20%, and put 80% of your effort behind them.

Career Path Insights helps LinkedIn users to map their current skills to potential jobs. This is a great tool to help those who want to make a career pivot or move up within their profession.

Q.) I have been told that I am overqualified and so have not yet been hired anywhere. I am willing to take a pay cut, so wouldn't I be a bargain to an employer with my experience?

Career coaches talk a lot about value propositions. But it is a concept that confuses many people. So the admonition to make your value proposition into a compelling story feels to many like career coaches are speaking a foreign language. How can I do that when I don't even know what a value proposition is?

Interviewers have a reason why they ask a particular question. It is crucial for the person being interviewed to understand this. If you know the motivation behind a question, you can have a better strategy for answering it.

While having a visually appealing resume does not guarantee that you will advance in the recruiting process, it certainly gives additional clues about your care in putting together this important document - it speaks to your professionalism and attention to detail.

Stories are just another avenue to build personal connections and to promote yourself. As a job seeker, it gives you additional visibility. It also may allow you to share more about the personal side of yourself.

Make sure that when you look for a job, you think through before you apply or network with others, what are the "must-haves" for you. The "must-haves" will help you to be proactive and know the types of firms you want to target, but it will also keep you from being swept off your feet by an opportunity that is too good to be true.