By admin, on November 26th, 2012  Guest Author: John Feldmann is a Sourcing Analyst for Insperity Recruiting Services, specializing in employment branding and advertising.
Website: http://twitter.com/john_feldmann
Every year, thousands of new college grads emerge from academia, filled with optimism, ready to enter the next stage of their lives. But the first step is often the hardest – finding a job, or better yet, a career. The task of finding a job is a full-time job in itself, and how are you supposed to know the dos and don’ts of job hunting if you’ve never actually done it? Alright, so you worked as a lifeguard last summer, and sold jeans at The Gap during high school. But now, you’re looking for a career – a job that will support you, pay off your student loans, act as the first step to reaching your professional goals, and ideally, draw upon the knowledge and education you acquired in school.
Several years ago, long before I began working for my present employer, I went through a period of unemployment. I spent every day searching the internet job boards for positions for which I might be a good fit, and sending personalized cover letters and resumes tailored to each position. But as months went by, I got little or no response, and as my frustration grew, my standards continued to lower with regard to required qualifications and salary.
At about this same time, a close friend of mine had just graduated and was also looking for a job. Within a few weeks of searching, he was able to obtain a number of interviews and eventually a job offer. I told him about how much trouble I had been having even getting a response from my applications and resume submissions. When I asked him how he had gotten a response so quickly, he responded by asking, “How many resumes are you sending out a day?” I responded by telling him I send out three or four a day, and only for jobs for which I know I’m qualified. His response was quite surprising. “Well, there’s your problem. I send out at least 80 resumes a day.”
Recruiters are all too familiar with this practice – it’s the “spray and pray” application technique. Even if blindfolded, if you throw enough darts at a dartboard, you’re bound to hit the bullseye eventually. Now that I have been employed in the recruiting industry for several years, I know what a turn-off this method of application is for employers. In fact, I have counseled many job seekers to not submit resumes through mass e-mails, but rather to be selective. However, I can’t deny the results that my friend got from his application method. I spent several more months sending out resumes before finding work, whereas he spent those months collecting paychecks at his new job. Ultimately, the job he found was not ideal for him, but it did lead to other opportunities and served as a stepping stone to another job for which he was better suited.
The moral of the story is this – when job hunting, especially if this is your first venture into the working world, you will receive plenty of advice on what to do, and what not to do. But there is no absolute right or wrong. It is easy for those of us who are currently employed to “armchair quarterback” your job search strategy, and those of us in the recruiting industry can tell you what hiring managers and recruiters prefer to see, and what will most likely get you disqualified. But the truth is, what works for one job seeker may not work for another, and vice versa.
Continue reading The Toughest Job of All – Finding a Job »
By admin, on May 12th, 2012 Guest Author: Carole Martin
Guest Website: http://www.interviewcoach.com
1. Be able to explain why you have decided that now is the time for you to return to the work force – why now? Have a convincing statement about your goals or intentions of staying in the work force after being away for a period of time – this is best done by scripting and practicing your answer so that you feel confident saying it in the interview.
2. Make sure that you are up-to-date on changes that have occurred in your field in your absence. This may entail taking a brush up class or course. It is important that you be able to show that you can “hit the ground running,” particularly with so many candidates to choose from in this economy.
Continue reading Returning to the workforce after an extended absence. Interview Tips From The Interview Coach, Carole Martin »
By admin, on January 27th, 2009 
The unfortunate reality of the current job market is that it is exceedingly difficult to find full time employment, especially employment that is related to your field of interest. However, if you’re willing to remain flexible, you’ll likely find yourself far more employable when the job market finally makes a turn for the better. Here are some suggestions for ways to stay flexible.
Continue reading Flexibility = key to staying employable »
By admin, on December 19th, 2008 If you are planning to re-enter the job market after any significant absence, the task may feel rather daunting. The following are some suggestions to help make your return to the job market a bit smoother.
Keep your skills current:
If you plan on returning to the same field from which you had taken your leave, do your best to keep your industry specific skills (or “knowledge skills”) intact. Depending on your industry, this is not always the easiest thing to do, but think of creative ways to exercise your industry-specific muscles. If you were a sales person, for example, try to stay current on the latest innovations to the products or services you sold by researching the products on the web, or requesting merchandise catalogs from vendors. If your profession requires specialized equipment or tools to which you do not have access while you are on leave, perhaps you can request spec sheets or instruction manuals that will help you stay on top of any changes that may have impacted these specialized tools. Faculty at local technical colleges or universities may also be willing to give you a brief tutorial or refresher on using certain pieces of equipment or specialized software, especially if you are an alum or former student of the institution.
Whether you plan to return to your previous field or to change fields, make sure your transferable skills are strong. Transferable skills would include problem solving, critical thinking, organizing, planning, communicating – the skills you develop or hone in one setting but can transfer to another setting. Different than your knowledge skills, which are typically industry specific (even job specific), transferable skills can benefit you in any and all work (and non-work) environments. An excellent feature of transferable skills is that you don’t necessarily have to be working to keep these skills strong. Here are a few examples:
- If you are a parent of a school age child, volunteering to coordinate parent involvement at your child’s school will give you the chance to maintain your organizing, planning, and communication skills.
- Want to use your problem solving and critical thinking skills? Consider getting involved in a leadership position within your community.
- If you have special interests, such as music, fitness, environmental issues, or animal rights, look for ways to improve your skills while pursuing your interests.
- If possible, try to come up with creative ways to bolster your skill set while also supporting your local or professional communities – begin writing a blog about the field, become a member of a committee at your church, coach a local sports team, update a small business’ website. If it is an organization or project for which you are passionate, you’ll likely enjoy the experience much more, and as a result, the service you provide will be of a higher quality. (I don’t recommend volunteering or performing service projects just for the sake of padding your resume.)
Make time for networking:
Networking is important in every type of job market, but it is especially vital in the current one. If you are re-entering your previous industry, do your best to start reconnecting with your industry contacts several months before you begin your job search. Alumni groups coordinated by your school can be useful resources. If you’re involved in any social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook, be sure to “connect” or “friend” your network. Join groups related to your field on these sites and then become an active contributor to the groups by leaving comments, asking questions, and letting people know what type of employment you will be looking for. While you may be looking to re-enter the job market, don’t forget that you also have knowledge, experience and skills that may be useful to fellow job seekers/changers. Be open to helping others by sharing your contacts, giving informational interviews, or offering advise about the field.
If you will be changing career fields, aside from the suggestions above, look into memberships in professional associations (try International Directory for Professional Associations or Weddles Association Directory) for your new field. Contact the president of your local chapter for an information interview. Individuals who hold officer positions in professional associations are typically very enthusiastic about the field and are often interested in helping new professionals establish their careers. Conduct additional information interviews with several industry professionals, remembering to ask for 1-2 more contacts in the process.
Again, remember that networking is a two-way street. Think of ways you can give back to your professional community and always be prepared to lend a hand to others seeking entry into the field.
Stay organized:
Keep a notebook where you write down all of your skills and accomplishments. Keep information such as the name of the project or the title of your position, and name of organization. Also note specific tasks you completed, quantifying or qualifying your statements whenever possible. List the results of your efforts. Here are a couple of examples:
Volunteer Coordinator – Main St. Elementary (2008): coordinated 32 parent volunteers for 5 field trips and 1 bake sale. Prepared sign-up sheets for parents. Wrote email reminders for each event. Coordinated with teachers. Helped raise over $300 from bake sale to purchase new gym equipment.
President of Finance Council – Trinity Church (2006-2008): lead 6-member council for two years. Identified church’s financial needs, examined spending practices, allocated funds, reviewed vendors, participated in voting on large-expenditure decisions. During my tenure as president, church came in under budget for the first time in 17 years.
If you think the above examples seem reminiscent of resume statements, you’re right. Your notebook will act as a storehouse of information that may eventually make its way into your resume. At the very least, the contents of your notebook will help you remember the activities in which you were involved and the skills you developed so that you can better articulate these in future interviews.
Keep your contacts organized. Whether you store your contacts on your phone, PDA or online, or you collect business cards and write your contacts down in a book, make sure you are tracking and dating the interactions you make. Include a summary of the interaction and any actions that need to be taken. For example, if Anne Williams suggests that you send her a resume, record it down as an action item. Also note the date when you’ve completed the action. Make sure you follow up with your contacts with a thank you note if they have provided you with some information, their time, new contacts or job leads. Remember to note down if you’ve given a resume or any other materials to a contact. If you update your resume in the future, it will be helpful for you to know to whom specific documents have been sent.
|
A sample text widget
Etiam pulvinar consectetur dolor sed malesuada. Ut convallis
euismod dolor nec pretium. Nunc ut tristique massa.
Nam sodales mi vitae dolor ullamcorper et vulputate enim accumsan.
Morbi orci magna, tincidunt vitae molestie nec, molestie at mi. Nulla nulla lorem,
suscipit in posuere in, interdum non magna.
|
|
