Show Them, You Are Worth It – Job Hunting | EmploymentDigest.net

Every job interview is different and should be approached with the attitude of I am going to show them I am worth it. In essence, we have to become salesmen and women, showing the prospective employer how good we are and what we can do for them.

Stop wasting your time reading novels on “How to get your dream job“. If it was as easy as they say, then why does not everyone have their dream job? We all have qualifications for jobs that are out there and available right now. Why not look at what your good at and start from there.

The first impression you make is the most important one. With that being said, take a look at your resume’. An unwritten rule is to keep it simple without leaving out important details. Keep it to one page and always include a cover letter. You may want to do a couple different styles of resume’. If you do this, though, make sure you have the same information on both. By doing this you can decide which to send out for different position.

Do not be afraid to pat yourself on the back. Your prospective employer has never met you and knows nothing about you, other than what is on a piece of paper in front of them. Let them know what you are good at and compliments or awards you have received for your work. Being confident is different than being arrogant, so be careful not to over do it.

During an interview you will have the ability to further explain you qualities that would be a great asset for this company. Keep in mind; you do not need to tell them everything you have done that, in your mind, is great. You do not want to come across as arrogant. Before the interview, pick out a few different things that you are good at and highlight those as key factors. Be professional without sounding too uptight. If this does not come naturally, practice it.

When preparing for an interview, it never hurts to have examples of your work handy. You may not need them, but take them, just in case the interviewer asks to see some examples of your work.

One aspect in a person every employer looks for is a good work ethic. Be prepared to look them in the eye and tell them about yours. This shows the employer that you are confident in your work, mean what you say and that you are worth it!

Looking for work is usually an overwhelming task. With all the competition quantity generally must be coupled with value to reach a goal. Take a look at Lowes Jobs for valuable ideas. Getting reliable direction saves your time searching for what can work in having to look at what doesn’t. By receiving solid help probably will enhance your chances in separating yourself from the opposition.

By Timothy Mason: The employment marketplace is forever shifting and the individuals who are able to change the fastest often will be the ones that have the primary choice in the best opportunities. Through the accessibility of information and the upgrades in computer, looking for employment is not what it used to be. The game has changed in a big way and currently people must not only be able to deliver a total package of capabilities and understanding for the profession but have got to also master extra expertise to even get an meeting for the profession you want.

via employmentdigest.net

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Top 5 This Week | Brand-Yourself.com Blog

Here are the Top 5 This Week – @andywergedal

Technology has changed the face of the job search forever. It is not enough to have good grades and graduate from a good school. Today, you need to know about email, social networking and personal branding. Check out these articles for some inspiration on how to get the edge over your competition and land the job you want.

The Top 5 This Week

1. Is Your Morning Routine Hurting Your Career? –
[Moving On Up]

All the free salary surveys and other salary information you’ll need in 2010.

2. Facebook: The Untapped Job Board –
[Great Resumes Fast]

Most of what you hear about facebook while looking for a job involves keeping your information as private as possible from potential employers. While this is good advice, Facebook can also be a valuable tool in your job search, as many smaller companies post their job ads on their Facebook pages.

3. Don’t Send A Thank You Note After the Interview – Send an E-mail –
[Great Resumes Fast]

The era of the thank you note after a job interview is over. Well, not the actual “thank you,” just the delivery system. It’s critically important that you thank the interviewer for the opportunity, but it’s also critically important that you get it to him within 24 hours. And a handwritten, snail-mailed note just won’t do that. Send an email.

4. 7 Ways to Start Building Your Personal Brand for Free –
[Personal Branding Blog]

The Internet offers you numerous free ways to demonstrate your subject area expertise, set yourself apart from your competition, and build your online visibility. There are several ways you can take small steps today that represents investments you can build on later, developing a major competitive advantage relative over your peers.

5. 3 Ways to Ease Writers Block When Completing Federal Applications –
[Career Realism]

If you are applying for similar types of positions, which you should be doing, here are some tips to make it easier for you to ease your writers block and answer the questions with impact and relevance.

Photo Credit

I’ve been branded a professional encourager and a diplomatic pessimist. (I’m not sure how those work together). Check out my editorial posting on 40×50.com and on twitter @andywergedal… I have a passion for helping people find jobs.

via blog.brand-yourself.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

10 ways to get out of meetings - Career blog - Position Ignition - taking you to the next step in your career

We all know how dull and boring some work meetings can be. The managers inevitably sit there droning on about targets, whilst everyone else doodles on their notepads and tries to pretend they aren’t eating all the biscuits. If you’ve got a dreaded meeting coming up and you just can’t face it, here are some ‘fun’ ways to get out of it. We say ‘fun’ because we don’t actually want you to take this seriously as career advice, especially not #2 and #6!

1. School emergency-Get a friend to call you just before the meeting and pretend that it’s your son’s school asking you to come and collect him because he’s taken ill. When your boss points out you don’t have any children, just mention something about only finding your long lost, school age son last week and then rush out the door before your boss can reply.

2. I feel faint-Here’s how to pull a sickie that everyone will believe. Don’t eat for a few days before the meeting. By the day of the meeting, you’ll literally be ready to faint. When you do faint, make sure it’s right in front of your boss so he’ll understand how ‘ill’ you are and send you home straight away.

3. Where are the chairs?-Before the meeting starts, slip into the meeting room, take all the chairs out and hide them. When everyone comes in for the meeting, there’ll be nowhere to sit! Oh well, better cancel the meeting…

4. Oooh, me back-When lifting a ‘heavy’ box, scream out in pain and drop the box. When everyone comes running, make sure you’re writhing around the floor in ‘agony’ screaming ‘my back!’, ‘my back!’ With a ‘back injury’ that bad, there’s no way you can sit through the meeting now.

5. I thought it was in the pub-Instead of going to the meeting, go to the pub instead. Don’t come back to work until you’re sure the meeting will be finished. When everyone asks you why you weren’t at the meeting, say that you thought it was in the pub and waited ages for everyone to turn up.

6. Jump out the window-Sometimes the best escape route is the most direct. Though perhaps only try this one if the office is on the ground floor. You wouldn’t want to breach any Health & Safety rules now, would you?

7. Eh, what?-Just before the meeting, when someone starts talking to you, pretend you can’t hear a word they’re saying. Uh oh, it seems like you’ve gone temporarily deaf and there’ll be no point you sitting in on the meeting. Of course, you’ll miraculously ‘regain’ your hearing as soon as everyone else comes out of the meeting.

8. Store cupboard-here’s an easy one: simply hide in the store cupboard for the whole of the meeting.

9. Raise the alarm-If you’re feeling generous and want to help the whole team skip the meeting, break the fire alarm glass. By the time everyone’s filed out for the roll call and the fire brigade have turned up to check everything out, it’ll be too late to start the meeting.

10. Get married-What better excuse for missing a meeting than your own wedding? Arrange to get married at the same time as your meeting and your boss won’t dare ask you to miss your own wedding. What if you don’t have anyone to get married to? Find a work colleague who wants to miss the meeting as much as you do and get married to one another!

Ok, some of these are a little drastic, so if you’re seriously considering any of them, you must really hate meetings! If you hate them that much, it’s an issue you need to address. Ask yourself what it is about them you don’t like. If you find it challenging to contribute anything to them, to make presentations or to take meeting minutes, there a number of ways to resolve this. We can help you with building career skills such as communication skills and giving presentations. You could ask your boss to send you on one of the minute taking courses available, or to help you with skills training in general. However, if you hate your job as a whole, and not just the meetings, consider making different types of changes to your role. You may even come to the conclusion that a career change s right for you. Whatever the reason for your aversion to meetings, it’s time to face up to it and work out a solution, unless you want to be jumping out of windows for the rest of your career!

via positionignition.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

It’s Quality, Not Just Quantity That Gets You Hired | CareerAlley

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” – Mark Twain

Author Byline: Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter.
Author Website: http://www.greatresumesfast.com

Over the last few years, I’ve heard a lot of very intelligent job seekers casually remark that they had sent out hundreds of resumes while looking for a job. These people firmly believed that job searching was entirely a numbers game, so the more resumes they sent out, the more likely they were to be hired.

Unfortunately, these job seekers were flawed in their thinking—and were generally not getting any hits from their resumes. While it’s true that you have to be actively applying for jobs in order to get one, it’s also true that sending a generalized resume out to dozens of openings for which you’re only peripherally qualified is a huge waste of time. Job searching is time consuming for everyone, and it can be especially challenging for those who are already working full-time. If you only have three hours per week that you can devote to job searches, chances are that you’ll fare better spending one hour each on three well-targeted applications rather than taking 15 minutes each to submit a dozen resumes.

Competition is stiff for every single job out there. Just last week I was talking to someone who had received 300 applications for an administrative position. Many of the applicants had graduate degrees but were unable to find work suitable to their advanced qualifications. Faced with that kind of odds, a general resume will almost always go directly into the discard pile. Your challenge as a job seeker is to produce a cover letter and resume that truly stand out to the hiring manager for each job you pursue. The simple truth is that doing this requires spending a significant amount of time on every application you submit.

One of the greatest advantages to hiring a professional resume writer is the amount of time it saves you in your job search. A skilled writer will spend some time learning about who you are as a person and a candidate. He will then create documents that require minimal changes each time you apply for a job. By hiring a professional, you’re better able to play the numbers game by submitting a greater number of high quality applications; as a result, you make the best use of your valuable time. It’s the quality of your job applications—not the quantity—that will ultimately get you hired.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Good luck in your search.

via careeralley.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Degrees and Expectations | Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

As recent college graduates hit the job market, and time goes by for some of them without any prospects, I often hear the expressions of “shock and awe” that they spent four or more years earning a degree and now they can’t seem to find a job! For many, they are surprised that they are not being considered for jobs when they thought that coveted sheepskin was the ticket to success and prosperity. What happened?

Certainly there are many varying opinions on this topic, however, as I observe the job market in today’s economy, as well as in boom times, the issue is often clear to me.

For some, it’s simply a function of the current economy. For some, it’s a matter of approaching their job search more diligently, professionally, and wisely. However, for others, it’s a matter of having spent their time and money on a degree that makes them virtually unmarketable!

As someone’s career progresses, the fact that they have a degree, any degree, often continues to be important to open doors to new opportunities. However, after a while, what discipline the degree was in becomes less and less relevant compared to the actual work experience obtained (with obvious exceptions in certain fields like medicine).

As a new grad, however, the job seekers’ major has everything to do with their likelihood of being considered for a job. Without a significant relevant work history, the degree is the only indicator of whether someone is qualified and prepared to do a specific job.

I often encounter young men or women who graduated with a degree in African Studies, Russian Literature, Political Science, or another academic endeavor that may have been of interest to them, however, generate little or no interest outside of academia. If they are interested in pursuing a career in academia, in government, or in politics there may be potential, yet few opportunities. However, very often graduates from those, or similar, majors are trying to pursue opportunities in business and are surprised when they are not gaining traction in their search.

I am a strong proponent of education. If someone chooses to gain an education in a subject that may not be marketable for the sake of that education in and of itself, or for their own enjoyment and betterment, I’m supportive of it if they are able to afford it without tax subsidies. If they are pursuing such a degree without the expectation of it qualifying them for a wide variety of careers, they are pursuing their degree with a realistic perspective.

Many students enter college with a clear goal of the type of career they would like to pursue and so pursue a relevant degree. Perhaps it’s in medicine, engineering, computer science, accounting, finance, marketing, teaching, or many others. In many cases, however, when students enter college, they have no idea what their goals or career interests are. So they pursue a degree program that may be of interest to them academically, however, without giving thought to what the resulting marketability of that degree may be.

When in doubt of the type of specific career one hopes to ultimately pursue, it is much more fruitful to pursue a degree that may be more applicable in the mainstream job market. Perhaps a degree in Business Administration, Math, or Communications. Each of those programs are more generalized, however, much more accepted as useful in a business environment.

Once someone has a few years of work experience in a particular field, the degree they once gained is less relevant. However, in order to get that first, or second job after graduation the specific major is critically important. With college costs continuing to rise so much faster than inflation, it does not seem wise to spend many tens of thousands of dollars or more on a piece of paper that may be of interest, however, cannot help you gain an income when you need one.

If you are making a post-secondary education decision, make sure your degree is capable of helping you achieve your expectations, or your expectations are appropriate for your degree!

---

Author:

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.

via careerrocketeer.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

How do I turn interviews into job offers? - Career blog - Position Ignition - taking you to the next step in your career

Q.   - I’ve had four interviews recently for a few different positions, but I haven’t heard back from any of them. I’m getting desperate – how do I make it past the interview stage?

H.L., Stoke-on-Trent

A. - This topic comes up again and again – what’s going wrong is that you need to better understand who you are going to see. Different interviewers want different things:

Recruitment Consultants

Recruitment consultants work on behalf of the employer. It’s their job to weed out inappropriate candidates and to compile a shortlist of candidates to send to their client (the employer) as soon as possible. Remember: 1) the recruiter is working to a strict deadline, and 2) the recruiter is evaluating if you fit the brief and if they think that the client will like you. Make their job easy by making yourself readily available for interview and ensure that they can tick all the job requirements quickly and easily. Recruitment consultants won’t put you on a shortlist if they think you might pull out at a later stage so be 100% positive about the role.

Public Sector Interviews

For public sector roles, there’ll be a fixed, openly-communicated timetable and a very structured process in the form of competency-based interviews. There’s no advantage to getting your application in early or being the first person interviewed. Competency-based interviews require a different mindset. Forget your CV; it’s all about providing evidence supporting a long list of ‘competencies’ specific to the job. These include hard skills (e.g. qualifications) as well as soft skills (e.g. multicultural sensitivity, flexibility and leadership).You must provide evidence for each and every competency. Find out what the required competencies are and have a prepared example for each one. Use the STAR technique – Situation, Task, Action, Result.

Large Corporations

Get your tailored CV and cover letter in there fast (either through a recruiter or directly) so that your application is one of the first they see. If they see someone good, large corporations will often fast track them through the process. You’re likely to have two or more interviews – the first with Human Resources, the second with a line manager. HR will have read your CV in detail and have a set of standard interview questions. Quite often, the line manager won’t have had time to prepare so the second interview may be less structured. You might be asked to go through your CV again – do it enthusiastically and know the information you want to communicate. Never underestimate your CV as a support tool – if it’s good, it can answer any question the interviewer throws at you.

Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

SME interviews are unpredictable – be ready for anything. You might be expecting to meet the Operations Manager but the MD could also pop in for a chat. You might get a test dropped on you at the last minute. You might even end up being offered a job at the first interview. You’re more likely to be interviewed by line managers, so technical skills and team fit are critical. It’s your job to build trust quickly and create a rapport. SMEs tend to hire on instinct, so if your personality wins them over then you’re a shoo-in.

Of course, there’s a lot more to interview success but I don’t have room to cover it all here. To really get an edge in interviews contact us to talk to a real career expert (meet the team) who can give you mock interview practise, get you prepared for the real thing.

Author: The Career Insider from Workthing+

via positionignition.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Career Advice from Career Expert J.T. O’Donnell : CAREEREALISM

By CAREEREALISM Founder, J.T. O’Donnell

I don’t need to cite statistics that prove senior management teams in corporate America have far more men in them than women. In fact, most of us, at some point, have heard the term, “Old Boys Club,” used to describe the way a company’s professional advancement works at the highest level. What I do want to talk about is the debate around the idea , in spite of proof it works for men, women can’t seem to get their act together and form power groups of their own.

A  Dirty Little Secret – Women Like to Tear Each Other Down

MSNBC career columnist, Eve Tahmincioglu wrote this very insightful piece called, “Women Still Reluctant to Help Each Other.” In it, studies and expert interviews indicate things like jealousy and lack of time are making the development of an equally valuable, “Old Girls Club,” pretty challenging. The biggest shocker to me? Men are better mentors than women. It appears they do a more effective job because:

A) They have greater experience mentoring and being mentored in their careers.
B) They have more confidence in their ability to provide value as a mentor.

Wow! That hurts to hear. I guess I was lucky. Early on in my career, I got hired by a company with a large, strong group of women mentors. The HR department had 16 people in it; 15 women and 1 token guy. The head of HR was a very confident and charismatic woman. Ironically, I remember feeling nervous when I accepted the job offer about being part of a predominantly female team for the same reasons outlined in Tahminciogul’s article – I thought they’d be petty and mean. I was wrong! To this day, it’s the most supportive team environment I’ve ever been in. Truth is told, I’m still very close to many of my colleagues from that job, Yep, I’ll admit it: I’m part of a top-notch “Old Girls Club.”

McGraw-Hill Gets the Benefits of an “Old Girls Club”

In 2003, a small group of senior women – Connie Bennett, Sari Factor, Michelle Ferguson and Vickie Tillman – found themselves talking about what women need to succeed in corporate America and wanting to make a difference for women where they all worked: The McGraw-Hill Companies. From that initial conversation, and countless hours of hard work, the Women’s Initiative for Networking and Success (WINS) was born. (They even convinced the male-dominated executive team to fund the effort!) As a result, the program has exploded and now boasts over 24 chapters and 3,676 members worldwide.

Last month, I was invited to attend the WINS leadership conference in NYC. They gave me an award for my work with their Dubuque, IA chapter that included a $5,000 donation to my favorite charity, the Make-A-Wish Foundation. (A special congrats to Iowa co-chairs, Jill Meloy and Lisa Gottschalk. Their chapter won the WINS excellence award two years in a row!)  At the podium, I turned to face a room of 100+ professional women – all smiling members of this widely successful program. I was so overcome by the moment, I started to cry. How girly, huh? And yet, I don’t think I would have shed tears if it was a room full of men, or even a mixed crowd. I also don’t think I would have gotten weepy if I had sensed they were the kind of women that like to knock each other down. I already knew from working with the Iowa chapter they were sincere in their desire to see women succeed professionally. It was an “Old Girls Club” environment at its best!

Enjoying this article? You could get the best career advice daily by subscribing to us via e-mail!

|

The Secret to Success? As the Song Goes…R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I spent the next two days observing conference workshops and meeting WINS members from all over the country. One thing was clear: These women respected the WINS program and its ability to help them move up in the company. They had powerful guest speakers that included the Governor of New Jersey, Christine Todd Whitman, and NY Times CEO, Janet Robinson. They openly discussed why women avoid leadership roles for reasons like fear of failing, or the impact it might have on their relationships and family lives. In short, they bonded like crazy and left confident in their ability to succeed.

Not every company can start a program like McGraw-Hill’s WINS, but every female who wants to advance their career can try to find a local women’s professional group and get active in it. If you can’t find one, then join one on-line. Better still, create your own. And, as you get more involved, remember this secret to success: Powerful “Old Girls Networks” have members who sincerely respect and embrace the concept of women helping other women. They act as role models – which reminds me, I get to end this piece with some good news. Modeling the way should be easy for us ladies.

Why? As it turns out, being good role models in the workplace is something Tahmincioglu’s research says us females are actually better at than men!

I’d love our reader’s thoughts and experiences (good and bad) with this.

Tell us your stories by posting them below. Are women helping women where you work? And, for any of you men reading, what’s your take? Do you see women helping or hurting each others’ careers at your office?

Did you enjoy this article? You can read more articles by this expert here. Also, check out all of our free webinars!

The photo for this article is provided by Shutterstock.

via careerealism.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal