Top 10 Job Hunting Tricks

More job hunt techniques that can lead to success

By Julie Kramer for melissacooley.com

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1. Create a website and/or online portfolio for yourself.

More things will come up on you when your name is Googled by potential employers, plus it will be a good place to direct people on Twitter or LinkedIn to learn more information about you. (Of course, Google yourself every now and then to make sure that nothing you would not want them to see is out there.)

And it is OK if you do not know how to design a website. There are tons of easy-to-use websites out there that do the hard work for you. For example:

wordpress.com
extendr.com
shownd.com
carbonmade.com
vfolio.com
wix.com

You just have to enter in your information!

2. Put yourself out there.

The more places you have online presence, the more likely the right people might find you. Create profiles and post your resume on the main job sites, like Monster, HotJobs, CareerBuilder. But be careful of the scams!

Also, get involved with other job and networking sites like VisualCV or others that relate to your industry or geographic region. One great site I found is BigShoesNetwork, which posts tons of great marketing and graphic design-related jobs in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

Your area’s newspaper, broadcast news, and industry organization websites usually offer local job postings, too! With marketing being a focus in my case, I look to my local chapter of the Business Marketing Association to see the positions they have listed.

3. Make a brand for yourself.

One way to do this would be to design a personal logo. If you are not very artistically inclined, a simple logo idea would be to download a neat font from a free font site like www.dafont.com and use the new font to type your name or initials. Play around with colors, too!

Also, take a professional photo of yourself to post online, and carry the two throughout your online profiles, your Twitter account, LinkedIn, and even your business cards. Yes, business cards! Design your own business card with your new logo on it. Again, if you need help, try one of the many free business card template sites out there, such as www.businesscardland.com.

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7 Words That Make Your Resume Irresistible

A great resume's ingredients

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Make no mistake about it, writing an effective resume has to be a highly individualized matter, since no two people are alike. Nevertheless, it is such a constricted and standardized format, that we resume writers find ourselves adopting certain phrases or words that each of us tends to prefer and that in fact help our clients get jobs. Every resume writer has his or her own list. Here is mine:

1. "$3,000,000" (vs. "$3M") - To a skimmer's eye, "$3M" looks like three dollars. If you are dealing with big numbers and write out all the zeros, the employer's eye will find it anywhere on the page, no matter how fast they are skimming through your resume.

2. "Created a database for..." (vs. "Developed a database for...") - "Developed" is an overused and nondescriptive word. Often databases, procedures, lists, or whatever other job activity you are writing about is something you actually put together (even if you used a standard software program to do it, for example). "Created" is closer to the truth and is certainly much more impressive on your resume.


3. "Applied xyz methods..." (vs. "Learned xyz methods....") - Many job seekers list important skills or knowledge that they learned on a job on their resume. But that isn't going to impress a potential employer. The potential employer wants to know if you actually used those skills. How and where you learned them is immaterial.

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Job Interview ANTICS: What HR Is Really Asking

Job interview secrets you don't know

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OK, you’ve made it past the initial resume screening and now have a job interview. It could be in person or on the phone. (More and more interviews are on the phone now, and I’ve heard of Skype interviews also – better dress up for that one!)

The point of an interview is to explore two main things:

1. Do you really know what you’re doing, or “is that stuff on the resume real?”

There’s a lot of BS in some resumes and interviewers will ask pointed questions to determine if you actually have the skills and experience you claim to have.

Questions about this could be:

• Tell me about this accomplishment. How did you do it?
• Why did you decide to go into this field?
• How did you make the transition from this job to the next?
• What is your greatest strength?
• How do you manage people?
• Tell me about a project you managed/a plan you developed and implemented/a team you worked on/a goal you achieved.

Be prepared with stories about what you’ve done in the past, to illustrate a key message you want to deliver about the reasons you are successful, the skills you have and want to use again, the way you work with others, and the value you will bring to your next employer.

2. Will you be the “right fit” for our culture and can you really help us reach our company goals?

Interviewers want to know how you think, how you approach and solve problems, and your attitudes toward colleagues and customers – internal and external.

Job interview questions about this will focus on your behavior and attitudes, and attempt to discover your values and work ethic. Sample questions could be:

• Here’s a scenario or problem we face at this organization…how you would go about dealing with it.
• Tell me about your greatest challenge at work and how you addressed it successfully.
• How would you deal with someone on your team who isn’t pulling their weight?
• What failures have you had and how did you deal with them?
• Tell me what you would do in your first 90 days here and why.
• What do you like to do in your off-time and why?

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7 Reasons Why a Potential Employer Won't Read your Resume, and What to Do About it

Resume ignored? Find out why

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When you write your resume (with or without advice and professional help), who is your target audience? Who are you trying to satisfy?

First of all, you’re not writing your resume to satisfy yourself. For that matter, you’re not writing it to satisfy any “expert” – the author of the resume book you just read, or the recruiter you’re working with, or your career guidance counselor, or your cousin Fred who is a human resources manager, or even a professional resume writer.

You are writing your resume for a particular kind of reader: a potential employer. And if you’re like most of us, you make some very, very optimistic assumptions about that reader. You are certain that your reader is eager to find the best person for the job. Your reader, you are sure, is going to read the important things in your resume, and his or her eye will be drawn to all of those clever formatting tricks you’ve used (columns, underlining, different fonts, boldfacing, italics, strong verbs, skills, numbers, results, etc.).

But you’d better take off the rose-colored glasses. Your resume has a better than 98% chance of ending up in the garbage can (real or virtual).

Here are 7 characteristics of the psychology of the typical resume reader:

1. Resume readers are some of the smartest and most skeptical readers in the world. They know that at least half of what they read consists of lies, exaggerations, half-truths, and semantic and formatting “tricks.” They don’t accept anything at face value. Remember, the typical resume reader sees literally thousands; they know every trick in the book by now.

2. Most readers are in a bad mood, not a happy mood of eager expectancy. They’ve got 300 resumes to read, and nobody is giving them an extra penny to carefully peruse each one. They are rushed for time, annoyed at having to read yet another resume, and hostile rather than sympathetic. Reading yet another resume is a burden that is keeping them from their attention to what they consider much, much more important matters.

3. Therefore, the typical resume reader is looking for a quick and convincing reason to throw out yours. Some will even discard it if they don’t like the envelope or the way the email looks. Some will read only the resume and not the cover letter, or vice-versa. And they are unwilling to open up a zip file. You know how annoying it is to get an email that requires you to open up several files? For the resume reader, it is triply annoying.

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Common Job Networking Myths - don't believe them!

Fact or fiction? Job seekers must decide

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Myth #1: Networking means you're looking to use people to achieve selfish goals, or opportunistically ask people for help.

REALITY: The definition of the word network according to The Oxford Dictionary:

nétwerk n. & v. a group of people who exchange information, contacts, and experience for professional or social purposes.

Therefore, networking can be defined as one’s efforts to create this group, and of course it can be done honestly and considerately.

You take people as far as they will go, not as far as you would like them to go.

• Jeanette Rankin

Myth #2: You have to be a born networker or a natural at it.

REALITY: The skills needed to be an effective networker can be learned by anyone. Start by getting comfortable asking folks you meet, “So, what are you working on these days?” or, “What do you need help with right now?” Then, read the new book titled, “I’m at a Networking Event—Now What???” for more ways to further develop your networking muscle. (Yes, I'm the author.)

....relationships take time, getting to know folks requires patience, and people are generally cautious – if not fearful – of Johnny come lately that is asking, rather than giving.

• Jeremiah Owyang, Sr. Analyst at Forrester

Myth #3: You must have above average charisma to be a good networker.

REALITY: You merely need to be thoughtful, sincere and genuinely helpful. You get offered a job or opportunities from people who are trusting of you. There IS a hidden job market out there, but you have to be willing to be open and giving to be part of it.

To be successful, you have to be able to relate to people; they have to be satisfied with your personality to be able to do business with you and to build a relationship with mutual trust.

• George Ross

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Job Interview Questions: "Tell Me About Yourself"

Casual interview question or tricky scenario?

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Job interview questions can often be difficult, but most people seem to struggle with the ice-breaker: "Tell Me About Yourself." It is an open-ended, difficult job interview question, and one that every job seeker could use a few tips on how to approach. Essentially, it's just one hurdle in your job hunt you will need to overcome - so to learn how to respond to such an interview question with a clear, confident, and impressive answer, watch this video!




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 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OEZSfdn6Jc

Ten things your resume shouldn't have

Resume tricks that will backfire on you

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As a Certified Professional Résumé Writer, over the years I have come across many tacky résumé tricks that candidates use in a misguided effort to stand out. Most recruiters are on to these gimmicks. When you use these tricks, you may appear desperate, or worse yet, dishonest. Avoid them because they do not work and are bound to fail.

1- The Extensive Vocabulary Gimmick

Using big words and lengthy sentences will not help you sound important, especially if they are used incorrectly. Don't hide behind your vocabulary. Your résumé should be an easy read. When your résumé is not concise and direct, the reader gets uncomfortable. Use common words and clear sentences to put the focus on your background and abilities. Make sure to include effective keywords and phrases that you know the reader will be looking for, but stay away from industry-specific buzzwords that may get lost on your recruiter

2- The Case of the Missing Employment Dates

Eliminating your dates of employment to disguise career gaps will not work. Recruiters know that missing dates can only mean one of two things, either you are trying to hide a poor career history or you are just plain careless. Always include employment dates to pass the detailed résumé review. To extend the longevity of your résumé and minimize gaps, consider listing the year only, instead of month and year.

3- Hiding Behind a Functional Résumé

The functional, or ‘skills based’ résumé is designed so that your skills and relevant accomplishments are separated from your employment list and placed upfront. Many job seekers trying to minimize career issues such as gaps in employment use the functional format. If you use this technique, you can be sure a perceptive recruiter will go directly to your career history to try to find what you are hiding. In addition, these résumés tend to be disliked by many recruiters because it is difficult to connect where you did what you did. Avoid the functional format if you can. Whenever possible, use a reverse chronological format to keep your responsibilities and accomplishments under their respective job titles. If you must, use a combination of functional and reverse chronological that will strategically minimize your obstacles and meet your prospective employer’s needs.

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20 Ways to improve your job networking

What job seekers should know to mingle like pros

By Darcy Rezac, Judy Thomson and Gayle Hallgren-Rezac. www.workthepond.com

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Few people are born networkers; most of us have to work at it. Networking can be daunting to many, especially when you’re attending an event and you don’t know anyone. With a few tips and practice, networking can help you build your business connections, make new friends and connect people, and boost your confidence. BN360 members are encouraged to network as much as possible at our events!

1. A Better Way to Network:
The seminal secret of positive networking is ‘discovering what you can do for someone else’. It’s about opening a relationship, not closing a sale. When you network this way, it takes all the pressure off - guaranteed.

2. Become a Super Connector:
Great networkers enjoy connecting people. The secret of discovering what they can do for someone else is part of their DNA (Dynamic Networking Ability). When you find out what that something is, it’s not enough to think about it, they do it. ‘Work the Pond!’ calls this high level of awareness.

3. Treat Everyone Like Royalty:
Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and respect. Avoid rushing to rank your contacts in The Frog Chain. It makes life a whole lot easier than trying to figure who’s who. Besides, one person’s frog may be another person’s prince or princess.

4. The Gentle Art of Conversation:
A key quality of great networkers is their style of conversation. They are focused, listen carefully and are non-confrontational in their style. Some good Chinese advice: Do not remove a fly from your friend’s forehead with a hatchet.

5. Remember me?
Experienced networkers say ‘Nice to see you’ or ‘ Great to see you’. They know it works better than ‘Nice to meet you’. The latter greeting is problematic when that person may respond, ‘We’ve met before.’

6. The Power of Seven:
The minimum number of cards to carry at all times is seven. Most business or association functions have tables set for eight – you will have a card for everyone at your table. But bring more. Remember, you can never have too many cards, only too few. If you forget your cards? Go back and get them – they are that important.

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10 Ways to Screw Up an Interview

Job interview mistakes; learn them, avoid them

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Many books have been written on the interview process and the things that you need to do to in order to succeed in interviewing. When you have read one of these books, your head may be swimming with numerous hints and tips that you will try to execute in your next interview.

All that advice is well and good, but the thing all job seekers should strive for is simply not to screw up their job interview. If you manage to come through a job interview without messing up and damaging your chances you are going to be ahead of most of your competition. This article was originally written for private sector job seekers, so some of the ten items may not apply to federal interviews. Here are ten sure-fire ways to mess up in an interview.

1. Arrive late for the interview. The last thing you want to do is to show up late. An employer expects you to arrive timely for work; so showing up late for an interview really gets you off on the wrong foot. Some ways to avoid tardiness are:

• Getting complete instructions from the interviewer or the HR department. If possible ask them approximately how long it will take to drive (or take public transportation) to the interview site from where you will be coming. If it is a large company or plant, ask which building the interview is in and ask where you should park.
• If possible do a dry run, go to the interview site at the approximate time of day for which your interview is scheduled. This will give you a good idea of how long it will take.
• Give yourself at least a 15-minute cushion. It is far better to arrive early, than to arrive after your scheduled time.
• If all else fails (traffic jam, Presidential motorcade, act of God) call the interviewer to inform him or her that you will be late and the reasons for your lateness. Ask if they can still fit you in, or if you should reschedule.

2. Forget to perform a "Jam Check." If you have arrived with time to spare, you can use that time to double check your grooming. Head for the rest room and check yourself out in the mirror. Make sure your clothes are as they should be and check your hair and your teeth. Very few things will turn off an interviewer like spinach caught between your teeth.

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What Employers Are Looking for in a Recent Graduate

Showing employers your potential as a job candidate

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If you were an employer, what kind of people would you want to hire? Well, the perfect candidate of course! He or she would meet every aspect of the job description. Employers know, of course, that this isn’t realistic. People who have years of experience may either require a salary too high, may not have knowledge of the newest technologies, or may not possess a preferred business perspective. Reverse this and employers find that recent graduates don’t have important years of experience, professional knowledge, or highly developed skills. Employers realize they have to compromise and they usually expect to hire the person who best fits their needs with the intention of continuing to educate and mold them into the worker they desire. As a recent college graduate, you need to show employers that you’re providing them enough quality clay to work with to create that perfect mold.

Five Things Employers Desire from New College Graduates

Whether you’re on an IT job search or looking for jobs in healthcare, today’s employers want highly-skilled candidates. This is why your education (and how you enhance your education) is so important. The job market is currently flooded with experienced professionals and that is a challenge to new graduates with short resumes. So, why hire you?

• Today’s college students will often have a desired “global perspective.” As the business world changes, companies are increasingly working on an international level. This is especially true in financial jobs and careers in telecommunications. Therefore, studying abroad may be a wonderful resume booster. In addition, being bilingual is valued in many fields, especially healthcare. Showing your multi-cultural learning and experience is a bonus on any resume, at the very least it often allows for interesting conversational opportunities during interviews, making you more memorable as a candidate.

• Candidates with the newest technical knowledge are sought by employers. One of the positive acknowledgements made by people who have covered the topic of “millenials in the workplace” (Generation Y) is that today’s young employees have grown up with the latest technology at their fingertips and they often have a quicker grasp of new technologies than older candidates. Use this to your advantage. These skills are important to your resume, so be sure to highlight them. Research the field you intend to go into and see what technologies they are use and the skills they value. Take the right courses to meet these needs and if necessary find a means to fill any gaps your college education leaves.

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8 New Techniques to Land a Job

A better job search, a better chance

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If you're in the middle of a job search, there will no doubt be moments when you feel frustrated and fatigued. Despite submitting countless applications, your phone might not ring. You may interview for a job and never hear back from the company. Or you could be offered the position you sought, only to learn the compensation is much lower than you expected. Without question, pounding the proverbial pavement requires perseverance, patience and a positive outlook. The following are tips for enhancing your search and coping with the job-hunt blues.

1. Set goals.

When you're between jobs, you may miss the feeling of accomplishment derived from completing tasks and meeting objectives on a regular basis. Make up your own "to-do" list by setting daily or weekly targets for your job search. Give yourself firm deadlines and stick to them. Write notes, like "Send a tailored cover letter and résumé to XYZ Corp. by end of day" or "Thoroughly research 10 new companies in the next week." Meeting specific goals will boost your morale and add momentum to your search.

2. Find the right targets.

You could save time (and avoid frustration) by narrowing your focus. For example, instead of faxing a generic résumé to every company that is advertising an open position, develop targeted materials and send them to a small list of firms that are most appealing to you.

3. Seek expert assistance.

If you're sending scores of targeted résumés and cover letters and still aren't being called for interviews, contact a staffing or recruitment firm and ask for suggestions on how to improve your application materials. Staffing professionals can provide you with invaluable tips and feedback. It's their job to stay current on market conditions and hiring trends. They also can help you locate temporary positions that will allow you to keep working and earn money while you continue searching for full-time employment.

4. Get to work.

It's often said that getting a job is a job in itself. Take a 9-to-5 approach to your employment search. Be disciplined for a solid eight hours each day regardless of the time of year. A common misconception is that hiring grinds to a halt during the summer months and around the holidays due to vacation schedules. The truth, however, is that good companies are always looking for good people.

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Famous Resume Myths - Debunked!

Resume writing myths you may have heard, but should forget!

Reprinted with permission from wetfeet.com.

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There is no one best way to write a resume; there are no absolutes. Every career counselor and recruiter has his or her own take on resume writing. Even the formatting you use and the positions you list depend on the industry, the specific job, and your experience. But amid all the potentially conflicting opinions, there is some agreement on common resume myths.

1. Your resume must be only one page.

False. "Your resume should be as long as needed [in order] to get your concise message across with zip and punch," says Joyce Lain Kennedy, careers columnist and author of Resumes for Dummies. If your experience and background justifies two or more pages, so be it. Recent grads shouldn't go beyond one page, but senior executives with decades of experience will probably need at least two pages.

The rules are slightly different for resumes sent via e-mail. Laura Dominguez Chan, a Stanford University career counselor, says that in that instance, shorter is better for both cover letters and resumes.

2. Prospective employers don't read cover letters.

False. "Remember that anything you send is part of an image you're projecting," says Dominguez Chan. "If [nothing else,] your cover letter shows your writing skills…and if all the candidates [for the position] really are top notch, it could be the cover letter that lands you the job."

3. Resumes should include and describe your entire work history.

False. Your resume is a sales piece, a personal marketing tool. Take time to consider what skills the position requires. It’s likely that a part-time job you took for a few months isn't going to be relevant or impressive. Unless you need to cover a significant time gap, it’s wise to include only those jobs that will showcase your ability to excel in the position for which you’re applying.

Volunteer and other non-paid positions can be just as valuable as paid ones—especially if you’re a recent grad or are re-entering the workforce after an absence. Use your resume format to communicate volunteer work as experience.

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College Grads Lack Skills for Workplace?

Job seekers entering the real world without real skills?

Reprinted with permission of FayObserver.com



Grueling end-of-course tests, stressful finals and pomp and circumstance are over for this year's 3 million high school graduates across the country.

About 70 percent will go on to a two- or four-year college, while 30 percent will go directly into the job market. Many high school graduates who go to college also will hold a job. But does a high school diploma or proficiency on exams mean that graduates have the skills to succeed in the workplace?

A recent study by ACT, the renowned education testing and research organization, found that while school curriculum and tests are driven by state standards, those standards are not rigorous enough to ensure that students are ready for college or the work force. Furthermore, a study by a consortium of experts concluded that the future U.S. work force is woefully ill-prepared for the demands of the workplace.

The survey of more than 400 employers across the U.S. concluded that high school (and college) graduates need skills in the following areas to succeed in the workplace:

• Professional/work ethic
• Critical thinking/ problem solving
• Oral and written communication
• Team work/ collaboration

Yet, 70 percent of employers rated new entrants into the work force with high school diplomas as deficient in professional/work ethics as well as critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities. An astounding 81 percent of employers reported high school graduates deficient in written communication. Overall, more than 40 percent of the employers rated recent high school graduates as deficient in overall preparation for entry-level jobs.

Consequently, while proficiency in basic skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic is fundamental and should be attained prior to high school graduation, and while obtaining a diploma is certainly laudable, a diploma nonetheless does not guarantee success in the workplace. Far from it. In addition to knowing how to read, write and calculate, a high school student must possess the ability to apply those basic skills and knowledge to the real work environment.

The consortium study suggests that all stakeholders (business, educators and community members) should consider methods of enhancing workplace skills. Internships, summer jobs, work-study programs, job shadowing, mentoring, on-the-job training and other educational approaches that include real-world experiences or community involvement, provide opportunities for students to acquire basic knowledge and skills, while cultivating applied skills.

Indeed, the workplace is changing and demands a higher level of skill than ever before. The global economy and our national social and economic future depend on our ability to increase the percentage of students who are not only equipped with basic skills but who are equipped with the ability to parlay those skills into successful and productive work experiences.

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Job Interview Question: "Do You Have Any Questions?"

Easy job interview question? Think again

Reprinted with permission from jobbound.com.

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“Do you have any questions?” Finally, the interviewer has stopped spouting off questions, and he is curious to see what questions you may have. During the interview, the company is trying to get to know you, but you also are interviewing the company to see if it would be a good fit. Your questions are a great way to explore and see if it’s a nice match.

1. Have a couple questions – good questions. It doesn’t matter how many interviews you have at the same company or even with same person, you always want to have two or three (not fifteen) questions at the end of every interview. You should ask questions that will help you discover if this is the place where you want to be at least eight hours every day. Questions often fall into three camps: business-related, job-related, or personal. You should brainstorm a few before the interview. Here’s some samples to get your ideas flowing:

Business-Related Questions

How has you business been influenced by the shaky economy?
How does someone advance in this company?
Where do you see the company in ten years?

Has the recent merger had an impact on customer service?

Job-related questions

How would you describe the corporate culture?
What is the management style in this department?
What are some of the skills and abilities necessary for someone to succeed in this job?
What makes someone successful at this company?
How do you measure and determine success for this position?

Personal questions

Why did you decide to join this company?
What do you like most about working here?
What is the most challenging thing about working here?
If you could change one thing about the company, what would it be?
What do you consider your company’s strengths and weaknesses?
You should always have a few “soft” questions in your back pocket, if you find your inquisitive nature going dry at the end of an interview. It’s nice to have personal questions that you can ask anyone in any department or at any level, and it’s OK to ask different interviewers the same personal questions.

You never want to ask obvious questions that you can find out from the job description or the web site such as “Who are your clients?” or “Where are your offices located?”

Also, don’t ask the salary question during the interview. You wait to ask those questions once you have received the job offer.

2. Pay attention to the answer and ask a follow up question. A great question and answer session and conversation at the end of your interview can leave a lasting impression.

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Resume Ignored By Online Application Sites? Here's Why.

Is your resume standing out in the pile?

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You’ve filled out hundreds of online job applications, and have never heard from an employer. You are beginning to feel rejected, unloved and unappreciated. Why doesn’t anyone call back? The reason may be in your resume and you haven’t noticed it.

I'm going to start with the assumption that your resume is neat, truthful, printed in a simple font, no smaller than 11 points, no more than two pages covering the last 10 years, and that it is spell-checked and proofread. No “manger” for “manager,” no “it’s” when it should be “its.”

There are two areas that will get your resume ignored–fast. One of them is the “Objective” statement. Anything vague gets you rejected. “I’m looking for an exciting job to advance my career,” is an example of a sinker. So is “Powerful executive with 20 years of increasing responsibility available for lateral applications of bricks-and-clicks viral e-marketing,” or anything else that looks like it comes from a jargon generator.

The objective is not a PR statement–the purpose is to get you hired. You will need a new one for every job you apply to. Hate the idea? Then get used to longer unemployment.

Your resume is being scanned for key words every time you submit it. If you don’t have the right key words, your resume will be shot into the shredder. What are the magic key words? Read the ad. The job description contains the key words. That’s why you need to change your objective for each job. Because the key words change. Look for nouns (titles, duties, responsibilities), not verbs (action words). You’ve probably been taught to create a “results oriented” resume. They don’t work anymore. Everyone “generated top results,” “managed profitability” and “won industry-wide awards,” and the scanner is not interested.

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How to Use LinkedIn to Get a Job

10 ways to use LinkedIn like the job search tool it is

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In today’s electronic age, LinkedIn is an essential tool for all job seekers. Because the site is an online network for over 8.5 million experienced professionals, many hiring managers and recruiters scour LinkedIn profiles to find top quality candidates.

If you’re an active job seeker you must join LinkedIn and learn the many ways the site can enhance your job search or career.

Here are 10 tips to help you enhance your job search using LinkedIn:

1. Complete your profile thoroughly. Think of your LinkedIn profile as your executive bio and complete your profile thoroughly. Often when clients tell me they’ve completed their profile and I go look at it, it’s rarely complete. This is what I mean by complete:

• Include your picture as it allows for a deeper sense of connection to you and should be part of your brand on all social networking sites.
• List your education, past employers, professional affiliations, awards, and keywords related to your jobs and activities. Some people advise to include employment only up to ten years ago. That is often good advice, not always. I’ve been a career coach for 10 years and previously I was an executive search consultant and recruiter. Letting people know I spent many years helping people to land jobs adds to my credibility as a career coach. See http://www.linkedin.com/in/minosullivan. Use your best judgement on this one.
• Contact past supervisors, peers and subordinates for recommendations. Also include recommendations from customers, clients and colleagues. Hiring managers and recruiters regularly check recommendations to vet potential candidates.

• Create a descriptive headline (under your name). The generic title “Corporate Attorney” will not inspire many, but IPO Specialist will certainly attract those seeking to take their companies public. Make sure your headline is something your target audience is looking for.

2. Build your network. Build your network to increase the likelihood that your profile will come up at the top of the list when hiring managers/recruiters are looking for candidates. Invite five people a day, every day, to join your network and you’ll be amazed at the results. If you’re VP Marketing, you don’t want to show up on page 10 when people are looking for marketing pros. You want to be on page 1. The more contacts you have the higher you’ll be.

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Top 100 Niche Job Sites

Job boards and job search engines you may have missed

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There are tons of job sites out there, but often during your job search on them you fill find few within a very particular job field or industry. If you want to get a job in a niche industry, it's even harder. So take a look at the Top 100 Niche Job Sites list here so you can spend more time on effective job boards and land the job you want today.

 accounting
• accountingjobstoday
• careerbank.com owned by OnTargetJobs.com
• jobsinthemoney.com owned by Dice.com

administrative
• bizjournals.com
• net-temps.com

advertising
• marketingjobs.com
• talentzoo.com

art
• artjob.org
• artsusa.org

attorney
• lawjobs.com

automotive
• autojobs.com
• automotivejobsonline.com
• needtechs.com

bank
• bankjobs.com
• careerbank.com owned by OnTargetJobs.com
• jobsinthemoney.com owned by Dice.com

callcenter
• callcenterjobs.com

clerical
• net-temps.com

college
• aftercollege.com
• collegegrad.com
• collegerecruiter.com
• universityjobs.com

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10 Resume Sins to Avoid

Resume blunders you should never make

Reprinted with permission from ERE Media.

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1. Using MS Word “Resume Templates” for creating the resume.

For many, the first source of resume assistance in this day and age of the Personal Computer complete with Microsoft Office Suite is usually the “Resume Templates” found within MS Word. Sadly, while these templates result in fine looking printed resumes they achieve the worst possible results for electronic resumes. Bill Gates is not who you should be relying on for creating your resume. He has never had to even interview for a job in decades. Trust us, don’t use MS Word templates and instead create the resume from scratch using the template as a guide only.

If you are planning on sending your resume as an MS Word attachment, chances are software of some sort (referred to as Applicant Tracking Software or ATS) will be scanning your resume before a human ever sees it. The excessive usage of stylesheets, formatting, tables and cells that are part and parcel of the prefabricated template … among many other problems … will almost assuredly result in your resume causing a hiccup and getting belched out of a company’s tracking system.

2. Not adhering to the traditional reverse chronological format.

What all hiring managers care most about is your current or most recent one or two positions. As one reads back into your past they become less interested about jobs you held 10 or more years ago as they are mostly interested in what you have done during the past five years or so. You should always list the most recent job first, and your very first or earliest position down at the bottom or toward the end of the resume. Functional resumes are seen as a cover-up for gaps that doesn’t fool anyone except those candidates that insist on using them.

The two main resume formats are:
- Chronological
- Functional

There’s also the European “CV” version.

- Curriculum Vitae

Vitae, also known as curricula vitae or c.v., are documents that detail your academic and professional accomplishments. Vitae are more comprehensive documents than resumes. They are most often used for academic or research positions. This format type is used mainly by PhD’s, professors, research or engineering scientists who are expected to provide pages of manuscripts, books, articles, and journal features they’ve written during their lifetime. While resumes are rarely more than one or two pages long, vitae can be many pages in length. Fewer than 10% of the population will have a C.V. type resume.

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Campus Career Centers Struggling

Why it's tough to be a campus carer center today

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It doesn’t take much looking around online to see colleges and their career centers are taking some heat right now. Just last week, marketing guru and thought-leader, Seth Godin, wrote this intense blog post about the ‘coming melt-down of higher education.’

Not to mention, there are some sobering job search statistics students (and their tuition-paying parents) are only now coming to realize.

FACT: College & University Customers Aren’t Happy

Many schools are being heavily criticized for turning out students both in debt and unprepared to build their careers. Interestingly, a survey we conducted over the last year showed a clear disconnect between students and their campus career centers (FYI – Attend the webinar listed below to get access to the survey data). Moreover, I regularly hear from students who feel their college’s career center isn’t effective. I’ve even had one graduate tell me she will never, ever give any money to her alma mater, an Ivy League school, because she feels she over-paid for her degree. With this growing sentiment, colleges (and more importantly, their career center staff) will face increased resentment and criticism. To sum it up, the customers of the college and university system aren’t too happy – and they are forming an angry mob.

Uninformed = Misguided Blame

Unfortunately, to a certain degree, the blame is getting placed on the wrong party. Many people don’t realize campus career centers work on tight budgets and lean staffs. For some, hosting job fairs and charging employers to attend was their largest stream of income. Now, thanks to the recession, this source has weakened, resulting in a dramatic decrease in available funds for up-to-date tools and resources that could help their students. And, let’s not forget all those unemployed alumni who are now banging on their doors too. In short, campus career centers have more people to help, and less money to do it.

QUESTION: How do you fight back when:

• Your image is tarnished.
• Your clients are in desperate need of help.
• You don’t have the funds to fix it.


Like any business short on money and resources, I believe campus career centers can identify and leverage their unique currency to upgrade their offerings and stature. In fact, I predict the colleges and universities who see this as an opportunity will actually be able to take advantage of the situation.

Was this article useful to you? If so, subscribe to the free New Grad Life Newsletter to get more great articles!



Source: http://www.careerealism.com/yikes-tough-campus-career-center-today/
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tomasfano/2742760510/

Answering The Top 5 Tough Job Interview Questions

Hard job interview questions, examined

This post was reprinted with permission from http://employmentdigest.net

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The telephone rings and you have been invited to an interview. You are excited and nervous at the same time. Your mind starts to work in overdrive and you become worried that you will not be able to answer the questions. What do I do now? What questions will they ask me?

There are many questions that can be asked in an interview but some questions are more popular than others or are variations on the following top 5 tough interview questions. If you think about the questions themselves they are not hard but rather need some thought and research. There are no right and wrong answers rather your strengths and abilities need to be marketed to your prospective employer and this is your golden opportunity to be the most successful applicant.

1. How would you describe yourself? This is your opportunity to demonstrate your strength and abilities. Depending on who is asking the question you may need to adapt your responses. If the person asking the question is a human resources manager their views and expectations would be different from a senior vice president. To answer this question focus on what the questioner wants in an employee. Senior leadership want people who are self starters, who look for better ways of achieving results, are capable and responsible. While a human resources manager will focus more on your personal characteristics and ability to work with others. Talk about yourself and your personal attributes and relate them to your accomplishments in previous roles.

2. What are your goals and aspirations? The interviewer is interested in your career direction rather than your desire or dream to become an astronaut. Focus on your career expectations and where you want to be in five years time. What personal goals do you set yourself that will make you a better employee? Consider what you like to do outside of work that can make a valid contribution as a valuable employee.

3. Why do you think you would be right for this role? This question requires some thought and preparation. What are the goals, direction and mission of the company? An employer is looking for an employee who has similar ideas, goals and motivation as the company. Research the company; look at the website, product brochures and what they do in the community. From this information you will be able to craft a response that is compatible and in alignment with the corporate direction and values. Other useful sources of information are current employees, newspapers and magazine articles.

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Top 5 Resume Myths

Writing the right resume

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From screening job applications to conducting interviews, hiring practices have undergone a dramatic transformation over the past decade. Despite all the changes, common resume myths continue to plague job search practices at all levels. The article attempts to debunk some of these myths.

Myth 1: It's all about the number of pages

The one-page rule is probably the most common myth about a resume. Candidates, even senior executives, use microscopic fonts, leave off important information, use 0.1 inch margins, and resort to a myriad of unhealthy practices -- all in an attempt to restrict their resume to just one page.

Many well-meaning college counselors advise their students to be concise and limit their resume to one page. That was important when you were a student with little or no experience, but why subscribe to the same wisdom after rising to the ranks of a senior executive?

There is an opposing viewpoint. Some job seekers mistakenly believe that if they can somehow balloon their resumes to four or five pages, they will probably be considered for higher-paying positions. What? Will someone offer me $250,000 simply because my resume is ten pages and redundant to the point of boredom?

Content rules. The quality of experience should influence the length of the resume, not hearsay. If you have held only one job, then don’t try to create a five-page resume, but if your background merits a lengthier resume then don’t use eight point fonts in a desperate attempt to fit everything on one page.

If you are too concerned about the length of your resume, consider creating a one- or two-page resume with additional pages serving as an appendix or addendum. I have done that for many researchers and academicians. The first few pages focused on their background, while their publications and presentations were presented as an appendix.

Myth 2: Make up that degree -- no one will know

Lying on a resume is the worst mistake a candidate can make. Even if you pass the background check (very unlikely considering how sophisticated background checks have become), a savvy employer will discover the deception within days, if not sooner.

Apart from the legal ramifications, we live in a professional world that is influenced by social media. At the touch of a button, HR managers across the country can discuss their experiences. Maintaining a good reputation is more important than ever.

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7 Phone Interview Tips That'll Make You Shine

Interview questions are tough - the phone interview makes them tougher

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In some cases, telephone interviews are a way for employers to “pre-screen” possible job candidates before they are granted an in-person interview. In other cases, employers will conduct the full interview over the phone. Whether you are required to go through a pre-screening or have already been given the interview, you must be more prepared than you would be for an in-person interview, even if you are allowed to interview in your PJ’s. Below are some telephone interview tips to keep in mind so your next phone interview is a success.

Telephone Interview Tips

1. Use a landline. You don’t want to risk having problems with cell phone service. It is irritating for employers to conduct interviews if the call breaks up frequently or is dropped completely. If you don’t have a land line at home, just make sure you are in an area with as much cell phone service as possible. Do what you can so the process runs as smooth as possible.

2. Keep your materials handy. In fact, lay everything out in front of you. This includes your resume, notes about your career objective (even if it isn’t included in your original cover letter it’s a good idea to have this out depending on the questions he will ask you), a pen and pad of paper for note-taking and anything else you think may be helpful during your interview. Because you won’t have to schlep into an office, you can have anything out in front of you to aid with your success.

3. Steer clear of distractions. Find a quiet place to interview and stay there! There shouldn’t be any noise in the background to distract you or your potential employer. However, it is understandable that this can be tricky if you have young children at home who need your attention. When you set up your interview appointment, try to schedule it for as precise a time or window as possible. That way, you are able to avoid possible distractions (ex.: your phone interview is between 4 and 4:30, so no one can have company over during that time, the kids are fed and occupied or a sitter will watch them, if need be.)

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What College Grads Want in a Job

Job expectations from new grads

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College graduates look for certain things when browsing prospective employers. To see what grads are hoping for in a job as well as in a company, watch the video below (you may just be surprised). Be sure to comment below with your thoughts!



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