Social Networking Sites… You might have heard about it day in and day out. Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, LinkedIn (There is a lot of debate going on about it being a professionals networking or Social Networking
site). The reason for getting into this topic was to understand from
the end users about its impact on the Recruitment process. (Today’s)
The question that I always wanted to know from the Recruitment Guru’s out there was “Impact of Social Networking Sites in today’s Recruitment process!
There was an encouraging response from the professionals; they too were keen to know about the actual impact of these sites. In my previous blog there was a special mention about Job Portals going social!!
Naukri.com has come up with an option to post jobs directly on my
social / professional networking sites. This was a huge step forward
(in the right direction), as this will help the recruiters to tap the
resources having presence in the Social networking world out there.
Following data was collected from an online poll on LinkedIn, 350 respondents were part of this poll (HR professionals).
Here are the results:
LinkedIn Poll
59% say Plays an important role
28% say at an early stage
11% say not much of an Impact
Well, what does this mean? Can we conclude that it’s a win win situation for the recruiters / hiring managers? Or can we still say that it’s got a huge potential, but it still needs to be tested. Most
of the Hiring managers would like to have an ROI for these sites. Is
that possible?
Social Networking sites have created a place in the Recruiting world. It will be interesting to see the real share in the hiring process.
I’ve had a few conversations recently with a wide range of individuals about resumes and cover letters, and I was finding a common theme: whatever the career services people at their school taught them is not really in line with what businesses are looking for today.
To be clear, this is not a knock or insult to the university/college career services department. They have an enormous value to many students (the ones that actually take the time to seek their input and guidance, anyway). I am looking to provide further insight into and clarification about a few key issues.
Having said that, I think there are a few areas they miss, or do not stress enough. The resume and cover letter are about you, but are not just about you. They are about how you are the best candidate to help the company. It’s about making a match!
Cover Letter
Resume
As you can see, value is the critical thread for both the cover letter and the resume. However, value is most important to the company to which you are applying. Express your personal interest and why you are the right person for the job but always focus on how you will make the company better.
Image credit goes to MinorityJobs.net
—
Keith McIlvaine manages the recruiting social media strategy for a Fortune 500 company and is an avid networker. He is a social media advisor, coach, speaker, blogger and an all around fanatic. Connect with Keith on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. (The statements posted on this site are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer)
Your application and resume pleased the prospective employer and he has asked you to come in for an interview. You are confident that the interview will be a success except for one concern. What do you wear? You know from experience that first impressions are of the utmost importance. First impressions start with how a person looks. I have read somewhere that a first impression takes under thirty seconds to make.
What you wear to an interview is largely based on the position, the company’s preference, and your wardrobe. Dressing formally can give the impression of being rigid and uncomfortable if it is not what you are used to wearing. Dressing too casually can give the impression of laziness and that you really do not want the job.
Call or visit with an employee about the dress code and how strict the policy is. If it is not possible to get this information, then the best choice is business casual. Make sure the clothes are clean and ironed. Dress slacks and a button up shirt would be fine. Again, this would depend on the type of company it is. If you are applying at a lawyer’s office, you might consider wearing a suit and tie. Remember to use common sense. If you do not look good in green then do not wear green.
Always: – Be clean and tidy. Make sure your hair is appropriate for the position. – Many people are sensitive to scents so do not wear a perfume or cologne. Try to use unscented or lightly scented antiperspirant. People tend to sweat when they are nervous. – Cover as many tattoos as possible and remove facial piercings, including inside the mouth.
MEN: – Wear trousers with a button up shirt that has a collar. A sport jacket may also fit the bill. – Wear neutral colors such as tan, brown, or grey. – Even if you do not wear a sport jacket, you should wear a tie. – Black leather shoes are best. Cleaned and polished, of course. – Hands should be very clean with neatly trimmed nails. – Make sure your mouth is clean and breath is fresh.
WOMEN: – Wear a ladies business suit or a dress with a jacket. There is no need to show cleavage. – Wear neutral colors like tan, navy blue, grey, or burgundy. – Being stylish is okay but do not try to dress better than the position calls for. – Avoid tight revealing clothing, it shows disrespect for yourself and for those around you. – If painting your nails, stick to tasteful colors. If your kid sister likes the color then choose something else.
When choosing clothing, it is best to pick pieces that can be mixed and matched. This will give you more choices with fewer pieces. Once you have gotten the job you should gradually add appropriate clothing to your wardrobe. You would not want a promotion to pass you by because you did not look the part.
Searching for work is usually an overwhelming undertaking. With all the competition quantity usually needs to be coupled with quality to hit the goal. Take a look at Lowes employment for practical options as well as Lowes job application. Having sound information avoids wasting your time searching for what may work through having to look through what does not. Getting solid direction often will boost one’s chances of separating yourself from the competition.
The employment marketplace is always changing and the people who are able to change the quickest will be the people that get first pick in the greatest opportunities. Through the accessibility of information and the advancements in technology, searching for a job is not what it was.
By Timothy Mason. The rules have changed in a huge way and at the moment you have got to not only manage to deliver a total package of expertise and experience for the occupation but have got to also master supplementary expertise to even secure an job interview for the profession you want.
It would be safe to say that most of us value the connections we have in our personal networks. That’s why we make them in the first place, right? Some people have even attempted to put a monetary value on them. But take a minute to think about it. Do you appreciate the quality of your connections, or is it the quantity? Maybe you have thousands of connections and can send out a quick ping to the group and get many responses. That is one aspect of the power of social media! Or you could be focused in on a tiny niche, with less than a hundred contacts, but they are worth gold, each one of them.
Before we go any further, let me explain what I mean by “personal network.” For the sake of this post, let’s take it in the context of an online personal network. This may consist of your Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections, or those whom you follow on Twitter.
Now imagine what you would do if that entire personal network that you took some serious time to build it up, just, disappeared? Sound like a scary scenario? It might be, depending on how you look at it. The value of a personal network can be hard to put a tag on.
I just did something that may surprise many of you. I just set my social online personal network back to zero (yes, 0), and did it on purpose!
Here are my reasons for doing what some would call a bad move:
For posterity:
Although I focused a large portion of the post on my experience, and why I did it, I’d like to focus it back on you, the reader. You may be thinking a few things right now, but if you can take away anything take this. The value of your personal network is what you can offer to it. I am confident that I will rebuild my personal network even stronger than before, meeting new contacts along the way. I know this, because I am focused on adding value to it through quality over quantity.
Question: What can you do, today, to add value to your personal network?
About the Author: Mark is content with chinking away on the process of re-building his online personal network. He enjoys conversing on Twitter and growing and adding value to his network on LinkedIn. Mark likes how links come across in his Facebook news feed.
In a business world of shrinking hierarchies and individual contributors, one of the toughest challenges for the high-achiever is learning to lead without authority. In my years in the workforce, I’ve been responsible for several large, multi-departmental initiatives with only a few direct reports to engage. Here’s what I’ve learned through my own experiences:
It’s hard to be critical of someone earnest, and if you infuse your communication with a genuine sense of excitement about the challenge ahead, your colleagues will naturally want to follow your lead. Show them – through your behavior – why you got into this field in the first place, and what your experiences (good and bad) have shown you about what needs to be done next.
It’s bad enough when your boss has an ego that needs some serious downsizing, but it’s even less appealing when someone without power thinks too highly of himself. The manner and content of your communication must demonstrate that you are pursuing this approach because it’s the right thing to do for the organization, not because you will receive personal credit or rewards.
There is no shortage of psychology and business research out there showing that people like to work with individuals they like and to whom they can relate. Before you attempt to lead your colleagues, get to them know first. Spend time with them outside the office and show sincere interest in their personal and professional lives.
Your colleagues will be more likely to come on board if you make it clear to them why your idea’s success is tangibly tied to their own. Take steps to understand the pain your colleagues are facing (an inefficient process, etc.) and create solutions that will make everyone’s lives easier.
Since you don’t have official authority, don’t get caught up in acting like you do. Use your expertise to guide and support your colleagues, but release the need to micromanage every aspect of a project. If you share your ideas and then allow your co-workers to take partial ownership of their implementation, they will gradually put more trust in you and the approach.
This post was originally published on Intuit's Quickbase blog.
1. You are bored out of your mind
You can do your job fine and actually do it pretty well but the fact is that it just isn't interesting to you any more! There is no passion, no motivation, no inspiration in the role. Nothing new really happens and you could do it in your sleep. Perhaps it is time to move on?
2. Your boss or manager has no idea what you do
Too many times is this the case that a manager or boss has no clue what you or the other team members are actually doing or what you are capable of. You will have annual reviews in which you do not receive any decent feedback or recognition for the good work and achievements that you have done. Is your boss too busy doing their own thing to notice the great work you are doing? Do they actually care about you at all? Is this the sign of a good manager?
3. You have gone as high as you can go
Have you reached a ceiling at this company? Will it be another X (too many to wait) years before the next promotion? When you have reached a stand still it is completely understandable to be de-motivated. Without any goals within reach or forward movement there can seem to be little point in continuing. When we feel like we have reached a block career-wise, many of us try to make adjustments to clear the block – find new momentum, new opportunities, new drives and options to enable us to progress. If we do not – we can get frustrated, bored or even depressed.
4. There is no reason, meaning or point to it
Doing a job that your heart isn't in can be very unsatisfying. You might be the best person in the world at doing your job but if it isn't purposeful, meaning and aligned with what you are all about – it will feel pointless. By 'what you are all about' – I mean, what you are really passionate about, what you care about, what you value and what you will find rewarding and purposeful work-wise.
5. It stops you doing what you really want to
If you have chosen to do a job that you aren't really passionate about or interested in – there is most likely something else that you would rather be doing. This is probably something pretty different to your current role and because your current job is taking up all of your energy, effort and time – you have probably grown to resent it and hence 'hate your work'. Given that we spend so many hours of our lives 'working', if we don't enjoy our careers and we would rather be doing something completely different – we are going to feel very frustrated and annoyed at ourselves and or the world for it being this way! So – why not take control of your career and make the changes necessary to do what you actually want to do.
The above summarise just a few reasons why you may hate your job. There are of course several reasons why you may hate your job and each person will have their own distinct set of feelings and reasoning behind it. However, what you might like to take away from this is that if you are in a job that you greatly dislike – you don't need to put up with it! Yes – even in this recession – there are alternatives and better options that will work better for you if you are willing to invest the time, energy and effort in getting it. If you want the perfect or dream job handed to you on a plate then forget it. If you are willing to get clear about the type of job, industry, role that is right for you and that you would find rewarding – then you have every chance in making that career happen. It's what we do everyday with numerous individuals. The results are amazing!
Author: Nisa Chitakasem - Founder of Position Ignition - taking you to the next step in your career
If affirmations aren't your thing, you've come to the right post.
Because even though I've used the word "attraction" in this post's title, and I'm convinced that we can do a lot to attract the kinds of people and situations we want in our lives, there are more effective ways of attracting what we want than simply repeating, "I welcome the abundance of perfect job offers" to yourself in the mirror every morning.
You need to know what value you provide to an employer, envision your ideal job and take steps to make yourself attractive to your ideal organization.
Stacey Hall and Jan Brogniez's book, Attracting Perfect Customers: The Power of Strategic Synchronicity, is one I turn to weekly as I develop and grow my own business. I have a business, and the business depends on customers. Every business owner has to figure out where those customers are going to come from.
The tactic of running around, chasing after customers wasn't working too well for me. Imagine that. When I read this book, which was introduced to me by coach extraordinaire, Molly Gordon, I began to think about attracting perfect customers. I created something called a strategic attraction plan. And this changed my business entirely.
OK, so what does this have to do with you and your perfect job?
Everything. You can create a strategic attraction plan to attract perfect customers, a perfect job, mate, perfect vendors, business partners, or whoever. It's not magic, but is a fresh way to look at marketing or job seeking.
The book has all the details, but here are a few highlights:
This metaphor is about knowing who you are - in the case of being a job seeker, knowing your value proposition - and not trying to be what you think everyone else wants you to be. Focus is attractive, diffuseness is not.
Paring the process down quite a bit, your strategic attraction plan is the result of:
Creating a strategic attraction plan for a job search requires that you know yourself well, that you can imagine an ideal environment for you, and that you understand what you can do to make yourself more attractive to your perfect employer.
Just getting to the point of writing the plan takes a lot of thought and exploration! But it helps you become the lighthouse, someone your ideal employer will recognize as a great fit for their needs. Having a plan also positions you to recognize opportunities as they come along. Long-hoped-for synchronicity often ensues.
If you've done reading on personal branding, you recognize how closely tied the strategic attraction plan is to developing your personal brand. (Check out the 1997 Tom Peters article that started it all for more information). Dan Schawbel, among many others, is at the forefront of personal branding evangelism today.
An oldie-but-goodie post from entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki directly addresses the kind of problems the military has with complex PowerPoint decks—boring read-throughs stuffed with too much on-screen text. His parameters for preventing audience paralysis is dubbed the 10/20/30 rule.
Photo by alice_c.
Kawasaki, who we have no doubt has sat through his share of boring pitches, suggests that most people can only appreciate about 10 explanatory slides at most, and that's only if each slide speaks directly to solving a problem or a key aspect of something to learn. The 20 is a time limit—you may have an hour, but between setup, late-coming viewers, and the very important Q&A section, you'll want to limit yourself to 20 minutes.
The 30 means 30-point fonts—a smart creative constraint, and one that directly speaks to the U.S. military's nightmare slides.
The reason people use a small font is twofold: first, that they don't know their material well enough; second, they think that more text is more convincing. Total bozosity. Force yourself to use no font smaller than thirty points. I guarantee it will make your presentations better because it requires you to find the most salient points and to know how to explain them well. If "thirty points," is too dogmatic, the I offer you an algorithm: find out the age of the oldest person in your audience and divide it by two. That's your optimal font size.
ReadWriteWeb also points to Alexei Kapterev's manifesto Death by PowerPoint, itself a very good presentation that we've previously posted. What constraints do you put on yourself to ensure your own presentations don't turn your audience into very, very diligent email checkers?
Send an email to Kevin Purdy, the author of this post, at kevin@lifehacker.com.
“I’m an Electrical Engineer, I go to a job networking meeting and ask for contacts at one of my target companies, and someone gives me the name and contact information for an Accountant! What good is that???”
Or…
“I already know someone at ‘XYZ Company’, I don’t need anymore contacts there.”
Leading job networking groups and teaching job search classes, I get the same kinds of questions or comments all the time.
What good does a company contact do you if it’s not the hiring manager for the kind of job you want? And, why should you pursue multiple contacts at a company you are targeting? Because the more information you gain, and the more allies you develop, the better your chances of gaining an interview and a job!
When networking for contacts in your job search, any contact can be a great asset to you. Also, pursuing multiple contacts in the organization can boost your exposure when you need it. There is a great deal of value to those introductions and names. They can each be sources of company information, help in navigating the organization, guides to help you get to the best person, and resources in helping you assess the company’s fit for you.
If you are an “Electrical Engineer”, and connect with an “Accountant” at the company you are pursuing, you can ask any of those kinds of questions. Be concise, be professional, be upbeat, and be humble. Ask them things like:
“I realize you’re not involved with the type of role I’m pursuing at ‘XYZ Company’, however, I’m hoping you might be able to point me to the best person to talk to about the ‘Electrical Engineer’ position.”
“Knowing the company as you do, however, pursuing an opportunity like I am and hoping not to get lost in the sea of other applicants going through the normal HR process, how would you recommend I get noticed or find the right person to talk to for that position?”
“As I pursue opportunities in the organization, I’m hoping you can help me get a better understanding of the corporate culture and what priorities are for the company.”
“I have an interview scheduled in the next few days, and I’m hoping you may be able to help me be better prepared. I hope to go beyond what most others would do. Is there any general advice could you provide that would help me excel?”
”Could I ask for your consideration in sharing my resume with someone in the functional area I’m pursuing?”
“Even though I have connected with the ‘Engineering Manager’, I’m hoping to gain more knowledge and understanding of the organization from others as well. Could I ask you a few questions?”
Those questions and others can provide you a great deal of insight and help from any contact within the organization… and sometimes your best information comes from the least likely sources.
In today’s job market, you generally find that most people are willing to help in some way. If you ask in a professional and unassuming way, you will often get the guidance you seek.
Don’t regard any contact as not ‘valuable’ to you, and don’t get discouraged with some ‘dry wells’. Follow up with every contact you receive and your progress will accelerate.
Harry Urschel has over 20 years experience as a technology recruiter in Minnesota. He currently operates as e-Executives, writes a blog for Job Seekers called The Wise Job Search, and can be found on Twitter as @eExecutives.
When you’re looking for a job, the importance of networking cannot be emphasized enough. Having a network of contacts is vital to ensuring your job hunt success. Yes, it’s imperative to study hard while you’re in school and do well within your field of study, but the old saying holds true: It’s not what you know, it’s about who you know that counts.
Who you know could bring about some new life-changing possibilities for you – and a job opportunity could be one. That’s why you need to make sure you’re meeting as many people as possible and focusing on building quality relationships with them. And, you always need to continue building your contact base – even after you’ve been working for 30 years. Social networking is great, and it’s definitely a must, but doing a little networking in person also never hurts. So, what are some basic tips to ensure your networking works for you?
Meet in person. Regardless of what type of networking you do, there’s still no substitute for meeting a person face-to-face and shaking hands. A direct meeting helps leave more of a lasting impression of who you are.
Start going to professional meetings. There are many professional organizations within your field of interest. Usually, they have regular meetings once a month and charge a small fee to attendees. But, it’s often worth the investment! This is a great place for you to meet several people at once and gain some new knowledge, since many of these meetings bring in guest presenters to broaden your skills. If you are unsure what professional meetings are available in your city, contact your local chamber of commerce to find out which organizations can benefit you.
Be prepared at all times. To ensure you put your best foot forward and present a great first impression, always have business cards and your résumé on hand with all of your contact information. In addition, have an elevator speech prepared. Be able to identify your skills and the type of job you’re looking for. Also, don’t avoid bragging about yourself a little. This is your chance to tell why you’d be a great employee. The goal is to show your networking contact how polished and confident you are – but just be sure to not come across as too confident because that can make you look arrogant.
Follow-up with contacts. Your networking’s not over just because the networking event ended. You have to continue building relationships with the professionals you meet. Send a quick e-mail or mail a note after the meeting to let key contacts know how glad you were to meet them. This will give potential employers a chance to respond back to you, helping open the door for more communication down the road.
Online networking. Be sure to have an online presence when it comes to networking. Create profiles on sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and add the professional contacts you know. Networking is most effective when you combine both face-to-face and online options. After you meet someone in person, send them a friend request on Facebook, add them as a connection on LinkedIn, or follow them on Twitter. Just, be aware of what your social networks reveal about you and make sure you project the same impression online that you do in person.
Networking is a great way to get your foot in the door when you’re looking for work. Building a broad range of connections is a good idea – but just remember to build relationships with those contacts! Doing so takes time, but the end result is well worth the effort because the top way that people find a job is through a referral. So, get started today!
The idea of brand management is growing and gaining momentum among the corporate and professional communities. Over the last two weeks I have given three presentations on the topic to business and HR professionals as well as job seekers, and received almost a dozen emails and phone calls. Bottom line is that your reputation is everywhere and online is no different.
Just last week, Ad Week released a monetary dollar figure attached to Facebook Fan (now “Like”) Pages. Based on Virtue’s research of their own clients, they determined the average value of a Fan is $3.60. This is the first ROI evaluation I have found that places a value squarely on a personal network. Finally, your friends are worth something!
Having a strong online brand and presence is essential to your future success in the workforce. I believe that over the next 12 months, job seekers will begin to be evaluated based on more than just their education and work experience. Social media and networking presence is really becoming that important. Some companies are already considering social media factors in their hiring decisions, including Best Buy who requires 250 Twitter followers to be considered for their social media positions.
Since reputation and the perception by contacts, clients, co-workers, and companies are so important, your online brand should be closely monitored so that you can quickly and immediately be alerted to any negative comments or perceptions. This will allow you to take action to clarify comments, concerns, or misrepresentations expressed or implied by others before they get out of control and permanently damage your brand. It can be a daunting task, but these tools are here to help:
Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is known as @Blogging4Jobs on Twitter, is a published author of “Tweet This! Twitter for Business” and is a leading HR blogger and new media strategist. Jessica is a subject matter expert and provides insights in the areas of HR, recruiting, and new media consultancy with her company, Xceptional HR. Her newest project isTexting4Jobs, a text based job board platform recently launched in Oklahoma.
Photo Credit Fazianbaloch.
Today’s post may well be another installment from the Harvey MacKay School of Obvious Things but it never hurts to be repetitive.
Most of us don’t have much experience in interviewing for jobs. We just don’t do it very often. Contrast that with the hiring managers who interview dozens of candidates. Some HR and hiring managers have some gotcha questions designed to knock you out of consideration early.
Here are some ‘gotcha’ questions I have heard:
What accomplishment are you most proud of at your last job? Candidate answer: “I was a whistle-blower at my last job and exposed some wrong doing, and got a couple of people fired.” Hmmm, nope, find another accomplishment and talk about that one. We admire whistle-blowers perhaps, but probably won’t go out of our way to hire one.
Where do you see yourself in 2 years? Candidate answer: “By then I’d like to be running my own business.”This might be factually correct and a dream of yours but few companies want to invest in your training and hiring when they know you are planning to leave. Think.
Do you have any questions of me about the job or the company? Candidate answer: “No, not at this time, I did not have time to do any research or look at your website, so I don’t know anything about your company.”Seriously? Always come prepared with a couple of pertinent questions about the company, its products or services. You would shocked at the number of candidates who do not even do this. You can find specifics by using a job search engine like LinkUp.com
As an employer, I am always looking for the right talent for my team, and one of the most important traits I look for in my employees is that they have a proactive approach to life and work. For me it is not only important that the people I work with are proactive, but also that their personal brands tell the people around them that they are proactive. So, why is this?
A proactive person takes initiative and asks herself “How can I do this?” rather than “Will I be able to do this?”. This might seem like a small difference, but let´s look at an example of how this can make a huge different:
Anna is working on a project and encounters some problems. If she is reactive she will in the best case turn to a colleague to get help to solve the problem in a way that has already been done, over and over again. If she is proactive, she could try to find a novel way to solve the problem, one that has never been tried before but might yield better results than the traditional method. If she still is in doubt, she might make a list of suggestion of which different ways one can approach the problem before presenting it to the colleague or manager and asking for advice.
A study by Time magazine found that employees on average just got 11 minutes of efficient work done before being distracted by an e-mail, phone call or verbal interruption from a manager or colleague. These interruptions counts for 2.1 hours of every working day, including the time to recover the train of thought following an interruption. According to the study, it took an average of 25 minutes to return to a task after being disturbed.
Another part of being proactive is anticipating a client’s needs before they even realize what exactly it is they need. An exceptional employee keeps her eye on industry trends, the calendar and the clients’ competitors to bring ideas or services to the client before they request them. Being proactive could also include imagining new ideas and solutions for the client, the co-workers and the managers.
As an employer that has my team working close to the clients, it is very important that we can anticipate and act (not react) to what will come, and also show that we are proactive people, taking responsibility for our work and the outcome of what we do.
Are you proactive, and do you communicate that you are responsible for the results and outcomes of your work?
Ola Rynge is an entrepreneur with a passion for the personal development side of personal branding (covered in this blog) as well as the application of personal branding and social media for entrepreneurs and small businesses (covered in The Rynge Blog).His company, The Rynge Group specializes in market oriented small business and idea development, including social media strategies and implementations.
Meant to assist a wide-ranging target market of people looking for work, policy creators and agency management, Where the Jobs Are identifies nearly 273,000 mission-critical employment opportunities which will be available in the us government from October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2012.
Here is where you can go for a more detailed breakdown of exactly hiring projections in each area.
The job opportunities include many professions, are in cities all over the US and abroad, and have recently been described by the government agencies as essential to performing their service to the American people.
This specific employment survey, carried out by the Partnership for Public Service with support from Aon and Monster Government Solutions, includes 35 federal agencies employing at least 1,000 full-time, permanent employees. Every one of the survey participants with the exception of the Government Accountability Office, a congressional organization, is in the executive branch.
In order to better advise potential job seekers regarding available opportunities, Where the Jobs Are summarizes the occupational categories where hiring will take place, identifies the employing agencies, and projects how many jobs that needs to be filled in every classification.
Additionally, each agency is profiled with details on its mission, staff demographics, hiring priorities and selection plans, work and retention bonuses. The particular “For Job Seekers” section also gives basic details and resources to assist prospective candidates seek out federal government careers.
The study may also be incredibly helpful to agencies, supplying supervisors with a wide-ranging viewpoint on government-wide hiring requirements in addition to appropriate details which will improve their own workforce planning for mission-critical careers.
More to the point, the questionnaire provides an opportunity for agencies with comparable hiring needs to pool their particular resources and come together in the recruitment, intake and education of new employees.
The official job search site for working for the US Government is USAJobs. USAJOBS is the Federal Government’s official one-stop source for Federal jobs and employment information.
If you have managed to secure a job interview then you need to start doing some serious preparation. With unemployment levels sky high the chances are there are a good number of competing applicants and you need to do all you can to set yourself apart from them. You need to start focusing on your career history to date and importantly all the key achievements and milestones you have reached.
Think about the things you have done well in your previous roles. Perhaps you secured a major new client, or brought about a cost saving initiative. You may have been praised by a line manager for good customer service or have perhaps been recognised for outstanding attendance levels. It’s things like this that you need to bring to the attention of the interviewer, but be careful how you do it. There is a fine line between bragging and selling. You need to sell yourself, that’s for sure. But avoid bragging or you will come across as insincere or even arrogant. Your achievements should also be truthful and importantly, believable. Do not exaggerate figures that can be easily checked. It is amazing how many job applicants make extraordinary claims about things they have done in previous jobs. The reality is that if they had stuck to the facts, rather than embellishing them, they would have had a far greater chance of success.
Try and make a note of your key achievements, and set a limit of around three. Three will be plenty to discuss and again is much more believable than a long list. When considering these achievements prepare the following:
- A list of 3 key achievements
- A list of 3 key sills
- 3 things you think you are good (or even great) at
- 3 things that you are proud of.
By working through this list and speaking about it out loud before the interview, perhaps with a friend or family member, you will start to feel confident and comfortable talking about these things. Remember, the interviewer more than likely does not know you and they will never know about what you have achieved (and therefore what you can bring to their company) without you telling them. Just remember to Sell, not Brag!
Author Lindsey Watson is a Webmaster of a wide variety of online specialty shops including a very popular site with advice on finding great Jobs Vacancies. Visit http://www.jobsvacancies.org today.
A purple squirrel is a C#, SQL, and ASP.net developer, who has financial markets experience, and speaks German. His brother (also a purple squirrel) is a Financial Analyst with SAP FICO, Hyperion, Excel Macro, and VBA skills, Pharma experience, and has done some market research.
As you can see, purple squirrels are hard to find, which is one reason they are so valuable to companies and recruiters.
5 ways to successfully transform yourself into a Purple Squirrel:
The average job search in the U.S. is 4-6 months and slightly shorter in Canada. Dismaying statistics.
Keeping up your motivation to spend another day gathering leads, making contacts and polishing your hiring package can be daunting, never mind the constant rejection. Do yourself a favour. Be kind to yourself in this competitive job market and don't abandon your search altogether.
However, here are some quick strategies to stay motivated and competitve:
1. Focus on what is going well rather than not well. As a career coach who is certified in solution-focused interviewing and counselling, I really believe in seeing the positive in any situation. "Solution-talk" is replete with positivity. For our purposes, this means really identifying your successes, however small. Did you make another cold call in person today? Did you persuade a decision maker or influential person to set an informational interview with you in the next week? Did you step out of your comfort zone to try something completely different in your job search, as in using the telephone or tapping into the hidden job market strategically?
These are all small successes which add up to dividends in your job search. Write them down. Post them on your fridge. Celebrate and revisit those small successes for a later day.
2. If you are losing motivation, ask yourself, "Is my self-talk preventing me from reaching my goals?" Self-talk refers to the endless ream of messages that may consume your brain and drive negative behaviour. Self-talk can be positive or negative. It's simply your choice.
Replace your "old" self-talk (negative self-defeating beliefs?) with "new self-talk," Talk back to yourself positively. Despite the evidence and commonality of a long job search these days, be honest with yourself in evaluating your job search activities. Is your negative self-talk valid? Are you negative beliefs reflecting the whole picture of what's going on during your job search?
3. Ask yourself," What do I need to change to move forward in my job search? How important is change? Identify any roadblocks you may have and replace them with possible solutions.
4. Focus on achieving your goals. Motivational speaker and multi-millionaire Brian Tracy emailed me an article today on seven goal-setting questions we need to ask ourselves repeatedly. In my opinion, one of them was particularly meaningful to a successful job search:
"What have you always wanted to do, but been afraid to attempt? Fear is a common emotion to experience in a job search, especially a prolonged one. (Just today a client admitted only at the end of our first meeting that she was afraid. Very common). This question helps you see more clearly where your fears could be blocking you from doing what you really want to do. "
What's my favourite goal-setting question of all time?
"What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" Wow, a powerful question that elicits so many possibilities. And that what staying motivated means in a job search. Envisioning possibilities of what MORE you could do to maintain your energy level and pursue your job search.
5. Kick your BUT's (roadblocks again)
Has your brain pumped produced this negative self-talk:" I want to work BUT...."
Replace that statement with "I want to work AND...."
Perhaps earn more money, have more responsibility or gain credibility in your industry or chosen field.
Remember, unemployment is temporary. Maintaining your motivational level can be a permanent strategy in your personal and professional life.
Melissa Martin, bilingual career coach and ebook author, How to use social media in your job search
Follow me on Twitter @ravingredhead or on Facebook: melissacynthiamartin
Georgina earlier today detailed the method she uses to find new contacts on Twitter, but if that doesn’t suit you — perhaps you’re looking for something a bit more automated — there’s 99Tribes, a fun “discovery engine” for people on Twitter. The idea behind the service is that you can expand your own “tribe” by finding people with similar interests and following them.
Start by entering a term into the site’s large search box (suggested terms pop up as you type) — hit enter and it returns a list of Twitter users who match your result. Hovering your mouse pointer over a user will display their bio information and number of followers, while clicking on a user takes you to their Twitter page.
If that was all there was to it, 99Tribes would be no more interesting than any of the many other Twitter directories that are available. But you can refine your search further, by adding filters to it. Down the left-hand side of the search results page, 99Tribes lists filters that you can use to find the people with interests who most closely match your own. For example, you could start a search with “tech,” then refine it to specify people who are interested in “tech,” “apple” and “iphone.” The results are dynamic, so you can keep adding filters until you find a group of people (a “tribe”) who closely match your interests.
The search part of the app is great — it’s quite a fun way to look for new people to follow on Twitter, clicking on different filters and seeing who pops up. However, there are aspects of the app that I don’t like. In order to add yourself to the directory, you need to grant 99Tribes read and write access to your Twitter account, then tag yourself with up to five interests. It’s unclear to me why it needs that access in order to add you to the directory. Plus, once you’ve joined, it sends out a tweet from your account without asking — a practice that I find objectionable, as I don’t like spamming my friends.
To be truly useful, 99Tribes will need to increase the number of users it has in its directory, as the search results are still somewhat limited. And annoying users by sending out tweets without asking them isn’t going to help. If, like me, you don’t like the idea of granting 99Tribes access to your account, I recommend sticking with the search part of the app, and not adding yourself to the directory.
How do you find new people to follow on Twitter?
Most people, when interviewing for a new job, forget the process is supposed to be a 2-way street.
It’s as important for you, as a candidate, to determine if the job, the company, the culture, and the work environment is right for you as it is for the company to determine if you’re right for them. You do yourself no favors by accepting an offer for a job that is not a good fit. It will make you miserable, your employer dissatisfied, and likely not end well.
In order to make a rational judgment as to the fit, you must have your criteria figured out in advance. Very often, when you’re in the middle of an evaluation process, it’s easy to rationalize all the things that don’t feel right to you because you want a job, any job, so much. Having a list of criteria that you created before you’re in the heat of the process helps you tremendously in determining if this role is a match, or not.
Then, it’s up to you to ask the questions, and do the digging necessary to see how well the position and the organization matches your list. No one, no company, and no position will ever be perfect. However, you will be much more aware of what fits and what doesn’t, and make wiser choices.
Possibly, due to your financial situation, you may need to take an offer you know is not a great match for you in order to pay the bills. However, in that situation, at least you are going in with your eyes wide open instead of deceiving yourself into believing you’re taking your dream job and find you’re disappointed later. Most people want to believe that any new job they take is the ‘perfect’ job for them. Know if that’s the case for you before you jump in.
So how do you determine the fit?
First, create your list.
Take the time to truly determine the things important to you…
- What kind of physical work environment suits you best?
- What characteristics are important to you in a Manager / Supervisor?
- What management style enables you to do your best work?
- Do you thrive on office politics or whither in a highly political environment?
- What are your true “values” in your job or environment?
- Do you work better as an individual contributor or as part of a team?
- Are you looking for mentorship or an opportunity to be a mentor?
- Are you ready to step up to new responsibilities or still need time to develop?
- How far are you willing to commute to work each day?
- Do you work best in a very structured environment, or with a great deal of freedom?
- Are you looking for an opportunity to be creative, or work within established guidelines?
- Do you like the buzz of a downtown position, or like outlying locations better?
- Do you prefer an environment that allows you to build relationships easily?
- Do you prefer an environment where people tend to keep to themselves?
- Do you prefer a role with a lot of contact with others, or one where you work on your own?
- Do you want to work for a company that is socially responsible, or meaningful in some way?
These, and many other questions help you craft an ideal for your personality, work styles, and preferences. Once you have your criteria, you can be much more deliberate in the interview process.
Interviewers respect and expect questions that seek out answers to those kinds of questions. A good hiring manager will appreciate your desire to determine the fit for you as much as they are determining your fit for them. They want a good match… from both perspectives.
Throughout the process, ask questions at appropriate times like…
- Describe the group I would be working with?
- How would you gage if someone has been successful in this role 6 months into it?
- Where do you see someone successful in this role going next?
- What personality characteristics tend to be most rewarded in this organization?
- What’s the difference between successful people here and ones that only get by?
- Would you say this is a very structured environment or not… can you give me examples?
- What, if any, leadership traits are you looking for in this role?
- How would you describe the company’s values?
- What do you enjoy most about working here?
- What surprised you most after you started working here?
- Tell me about your own path in the company.
…and many others.
Depending on your personal criteria, your questions will vary based on what’s important to you.
Asking these questions throughout the process has multiple benefits…
- They provide the answers you need to make an informed decision.
- It distinguishes you from other candidates that don’t ask those introspective questions.
- It shows you are thoughtful and gather good information in your process.
- It shows you’re not just desperately seeking any new job.
- It shows a sincere interest in knowing about the company, the role, and the people.
These are all good reasons to make sure you’re interviewing the interviewer as much as they are interviewing you!
1.) The first thing you should not overlook when submitting your resume is to include a keyword summary. This lets you add keywords that may be used by the searcher even if those same words are not found specifically in your resume. Be sure to separate each keyword with a comma.
2.) Just providing a keyword summary is not enough. Having a keyword loaded “Qualification Summary” at the beginning of your resume creates a visually stunning document in addition to making your resume database search friendly.
3.) Use your industry’s most preferable search terms. Get keyword hints from the job itself. You will find that each employer may use certain keywords to explain the position that they are hiring for in the job description. Use those words to your advantage when compiling keywords for your resume.
4.) Fill your resume with top keyword titles. These titles should also expose valuable keywords to search engines.
5.) Lastly, spell out exactly what you are looking for from your future employer. If you plan on working in Colorado, type the entire word: Colorado. Don’t use abbreviations in your resume.
If you aren’t getting a call to interview with a recruiter or hiring manager, use these basic tips to optimize your resume for database searches.
By Cass Fisher. Remember to specifically gear your resume towards the features of your next position.
I was reading your article about Fighting the Overqualified Label: 10 Tactics for a Successful Job Search. I wanted to ask a question that pertains to my situation. I was a director at a major healthcare organization until 2008, when I was outplaced due to an organizational downsizing. At the beginning of 2009, my dad took very ill, so I went to care for him (leaving the state) until his passing in late summer. I began looking for a position within my area of expertise. My challenge is that I made in the upper $80s as a salary, looking to stay within the area where I live, and feel that whatever I apply for, looks like they cannot afford me, or I am overqualified. My question is how can I get noticed?
The Career Doctor responds:
I think you may face multiple challenges. You are limiting yourself to a specific and limited geographic area, you were downsized, and you have been out of work. What kind of jobs and in what industries are you looking? Was healthcare a passion — or was the job of directing it your passion?
The first thing you need to do is deal with the gap. Have you been doing any kind of consulting or volunteering? Taken any classes? Because we are talking two years here, you want to show that you have been still active at some level. If you have not done any of these things, now is the time to do so.
The second thing is to evaluate the types of jobs, companies, and industries that interest you. Since you are looking at a specific geographic area, this should be an easy task. While doing so, you should be reconnecting and building your network. At this level, your network is crucial to getting good job leads. I would also suggest talking with at least one executive recruiter who specializes in your geographic area.
The third thing is to work on your job-search techniques. Your resume will need work, and because you are open to mid-level positions as well as senior positions, you should work on your interviewing skills as well. You should appear open to opportunities, but not desperate.
1. You dream about your project deadlines
If you are dreaming about your work this is a sign that your work is really starting to take over your life. You are beginning to eat, sleep and breathe work and it could lead to a downwards spiral. Being focused and truly interested and passionate about your work is great but there needs to be a good balance for you to have a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. To only think about work and for it to be constantly on your mind can be a sign of real stress whereby work maybe invading your personal life. Think about your work life balance and if it is really working for you.
2. Your only friends are your work colleagues
If you stop and think about who you see everyday and socialise with – is it mostly your friends from work? Is this a good sign? What happened to everyone else? Enough said!
3. Your personal number is your work number
So let's see – your personal number has become your work number. So that means that most of your phone calls are all related to work. Does this sound familiar? Does this sound right? Perhaps it is time to divide up your personal and work calls again and make a bit of personal space and time for you.
4. Your work email is your only email address
Work work work and no play makes you a rather dull boy or girl! What happened to those personal emails to friends and family. Don't you care what they are up to? Work is important for sure but again – similar to the work and personal phone scenario – if you make some time for your own personal life – you may come to appreciate and value these aspects of your world more.
5. You've forgotten what it is like to cook
So if you're working late everyday I'm guessing that food doesn't feature as a top priority for you. Therefore I'm guessing there's some ready meals, some take-aways, lots of eating out and going for quick, easy options. Is this the best lifestyle for you? Is it healthy? Do you miss your mama's cooking?
If work is taking over your life it might be time to re-evaluate what you're doing. If you love your job and it's really what you are passionate about then great! Otherwise – it might end up making you feel pretty burnt out, tired and frustrated. If it's taking time away from other things – you might regret it later on as there are typically a whole host of activities and people that bring fulfilment, joy and meaning to our every day lives.
Author: Nisa Chitakasem - Founder of Position Ignition - taking you to the next step in your career
Until recently, job searching was fairly simple. You scanned the classified pages of your local newspaper. You chatted with family, friends, acquaintances, and you asked for recommendations. When you found a lead, you mailed in a resume and cover letter, crossed your fingers, and waited for the phone to ring.
To put it mildly, things have changed. Most job opportunities aren't listed in the classified pages anymore. Your cookie-cutter resume and cover letters no longer cut it. And on top of all that, today's job market is tough, the worst since the Great Depression.
The old places people used to look for jobs, like newspaper ads, are dying. Even the online employment sites you might know about, like Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com or HotJobs, are a dead end for most people. Here's why:
-- The job often doesn't exist. The job listings at these big-name employment sites are stale. They're often copied directly from company Web sites or internal applicant tracking systems, which are chronically out-of-date. Worse, many employers post phantom jobs at these sites, simply to harvest resumes and fill their applicant database. Employers perpetuate this jobs treadmill because it's cheaper than hosting job fairs or hiring recruiters. And the Web sites are happy to play along, because the more job listings they have, the more visitors click through their pages, and the more they can charge in advertising and listing fees. But for you, this jobs merry-go-round is a colossal waste of time and energy.
-- The better the job, the more likely you'll be lost in the clutter. Nowadays, a typical job posting can attract hundreds or thousands of resumes. Company recruiters, buried under an avalanche of e-mails and resumes, often miss the best-qualified and experienced applicants.
More than ever, you've got to network to find a job or promotion. And for a growing number of people, that means using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social-networking tools.
Although these new job-search tools are mostly free, they can be wonderfully effective. You'll have early notice of unadvertised job opportunities, and direct access to the hiring decision-makers.
Even if you don't find your next job on Twitter, LinkedIn, or some other networking site, using these tools can boost your image to potential employers. Most employers now use social networking sites to help screen job candidates, according to a recent survey of 2,600 hiring managers by CareerBuilder. Of those who conduct online background checks of job candidates, 29 percent use Facebook, 26 percent use LinkedIn, and 21 percent use MySpace. About one in 10 employers search blogs, and 7 percent follow candidates on Twitter.
Unlike submitting your resume to a jobs listing site where your application often falls into a black hole, the profile you establish on social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter can enhance your career in two major ways. "First, you can highlight your career achievements and the attributes that single you out as the best candidate for a job," says Andy Beal, co-author of Radically Transparent: Monitoring & Managing Reputations Online. "Second, these profiles can also rank well in a Google search for your name. Should a potential employer decide to include Google results as part of its background check, they'll discover the content that you carefully constructed to portray yourself in a positive light."
In the old days, you had firm control of your introduction to prospective employers. You wrote the resume and cover letter, and provided your references. Of course, you included only the things that made you look good. But today, employers can get lots more information about you by searching the Internet. If you've never sat down and looked at what information is out there, it's time to start.
Let's take a peek at your online image, as seen through the eyes of a prospective employer. What will they see when they Google your name?
On your Web browser, type your name, city of residence, and perhaps your line of work into the search box at Google.com. Are you among the first results, or is the result someone else with the same name? What details about you are available? Being at the top of the search results can be a good thing, or it might be bad, depending on what shows up.
Does your name appear as a speaker at a professional event? Have you won an award? Were you mentioned in a class reunion? That's good. On the other hand, does your name lead to a Facebook page, where potential employers can view embarrassing photos of you drinking beer at a friend's party? Not so good.
Now, put yourself in an employer's shoes, someone who has received your cover letter and resume, but wants to learn more about you before scheduling an interview. He or she might perform an online search to see what information about you is available. Do you want this potential employer to see your Facebook profile? Your Twitter account? If so, make sure you've set your privacy settings to allow public viewing. Of course, this will allow prospective employers to see the same information as everyone else–the good, the bad, and the ugly.
An article on resumes recently hit my inbox. It started with "The purpose of a resume is to land an interview. Nothing more, nothing less." I couldn't disagree more. Resumes serve a greater purpose than "getting your foot in the door." A carefully composed resume will not only nail each requirement stated in the job announcement, it will encompass the unpublished information learned through networking or conducting informational interviews. The process of researching and collecting the appropriate data for your resume does more than catch someone's eye. It is one of the most important steps in preparing you for an interview. After all, getting in the door is not your final goal. Getting the offer is.
It has been said that a crafty, eye-catching resume is all that is needed to get your foot in the door for an interview. That may be so. Then what? How many times have you heard of a person having interview after interview, but never receives any offers? There is likely to be a good reason for that, and there is a good chance it can be tracked all the way back to their resume.
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