College Grad Job Search Resources - What You Think | CareerAlley

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“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” – Robert McCloskey

It doesn’t always have to be about me, sometimes it can be about you too. I get lots of emails suggesting links that many of you think will appeal to CareerAlley readers. I generally collect these until I have enough that is worth a dedicated post and today is your lucky day. So thanks to all of you who have submitted your ideas and please keep them coming!

  • 10 Worst Work-Study Jobs in College – Obviously with the college student in mind and, at first glance you might not think there is any relevance, but think again. Having jobs while you are in college has an impact on how easy it will be for you to find a job when you get out. If you must work (and most of us must), try to avoid the worst jobs. This article, posted on Bestcollegesonline.net, provides a fairly extensive list of which jobs to avoid.
  • Different Jobs in a Fire Department – Another article for those considering careers, this one is all about working in a Fire Department. There are lots of jobs you can consider – from Search and Rescue to Disaster Management, this article is worth a read if this is one of your career choices. There are additional resources on the left hand side of the page.
  • 3 (Loving) Ways to Get Your Kids Out of the Basement – Okay, not really sure this is just for parents. It really wouldn’t hurt if you are a recent grad (with out a job yet) to read this as well. Why? The article is all about transition and, in case you haven’t noticed, that is exactly what recent grads go through as they transition to the job world. So, not only is this great advice for you, but you might want to forward the link to your parents as well. Don’t forget the Job Search tab at the top of the page.
  • Ten Top Secret Job Search Tips – Not sure I exactly agree, but like I said, it is not always about me. Some of these are good tips, but I’m not sure these tips by themselves will help you find a job. Nevertheless, this article, posted on Jobs.AOL.com, takes a slightly different approach. Tips like Write and Exercise are an interesting slant. As interesting as the article are the comments to the article (which did make me think twice about this review).

Good luck in your search.

via careeralley.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Marketing Headhunter.com: JOB SEARCH TIPS: "Man Lands Job for $6"

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BOSTON, MA - Copywriting master, Alan Rosenspan, devoted an entire newsletter to finding a job in this difficult economy, but this story is really amazing. According to Alan, ...

"Alec Brownstein is a copywriter who wanted to gain the attention of five Creative Directors in different advertising agencies. He could have sent them samples. He could have sent his resume or a clever cover letter. But Bronstein was much more creative than that.

So he used Google – and it cost him a grand total of six dollars. Brownstein bought ads on the names of the five creative directors he wanted to work for on Google. Since these are very lightly trafficked pages, the ads cost him as little as 15 cents each.

Whenever someone Googled one of the creative directors' names, a personal message appeared at the top of the page: "Hey, [creative director's name]: Googling yourself is a lot of fun. Hiring me is fun, too"

The ad also included a link to Brownstein’s website. Brownstein knew that these creative directors would Google themselves sooner or later - and then they’d see his name and ad.

Within two months, he got phone calls from four out of five of the directors - and two job offers!  Today, he is a Senior Copywriter at the Young & Rubicam (Y&R) agency in New York."

via marketingheadhunter.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

College Grad Job Search Resources - What You Think | CareerAlley

Tags: /

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” – Robert McCloskey

It doesn’t always have to be about me, sometimes it can be about you too. I get lots of emails suggesting links that many of you think will appeal to CareerAlley readers. I generally collect these until I have enough that is worth a dedicated post and today is your lucky day. So thanks to all of you who have submitted your ideas and please keep them coming!

  • 10 Worst Work-Study Jobs in College – Obviously with the college student in mind and, at first glance you might not think there is any relevance, but think again. Having jobs while you are in college has an impact on how easy it will be for you to find a job when you get out. If you must work (and most of us must), try to avoid the worst jobs. This article, posted on Bestcollegesonline.net, provides a fairly extensive list of which jobs to avoid.
  • Different Jobs in a Fire Department – Another article for those considering careers, this one is all about working in a Fire Department. There are lots of jobs you can consider – from Search and Rescue to Disaster Management, this article is worth a read if this is one of your career choices. There are additional resources on the left hand side of the page.
  • 3 (Loving) Ways to Get Your Kids Out of the Basement – Okay, not really sure this is just for parents. It really wouldn’t hurt if you are a recent grad (with out a job yet) to read this as well. Why? The article is all about transition and, in case you haven’t noticed, that is exactly what recent grads go through as they transition to the job world. So, not only is this great advice for you, but you might want to forward the link to your parents as well. Don’t forget the Job Search tab at the top of the page.
  • Ten Top Secret Job Search Tips – Not sure I exactly agree, but like I said, it is not always about me. Some of these are good tips, but I’m not sure these tips by themselves will help you find a job. Nevertheless, this article, posted on Jobs.AOL.com, takes a slightly different approach. Tips like Write and Exercise are an interesting slant. As interesting as the article are the comments to the article (which did make me think twice about this review).

Good luck in your search.

via careeralley.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

A Visual Way To Highlight Job Search Keywords - jesseluna's posterous

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This video shows you how to better visualize the key aspects of  job by focusing on keywords.

 

When is this technique useful?

There are two main circumstances when this tip is useful:

1) Let's say you've identified ten good job opportunities and you have the full job descriptions. But only want to focus on one or two of the jobs.  This method of highlighting keywords, using Wordle.net as a visualization tool, will help you see the keywords better.  Once the key words are more apparent, you can use them to select the top two jobs and create your cover letters and shape your resume to focus on what's important.

Remember, the hiring manager created the job description so it is likely she will be looking for those keywords in cover letters to help her filter her stack of applications.

2) Yay! You received an interview and now you need to prepare for the interview.  By using this technique, you can zoom in on the most important job aspects and skills.  I used this technique before an interview and it highlighted a key technical skill.  I reviewed the technical skill before the interview (I wish I had prepared more) and was asked about it and was tested on it.

 

I hope the video is useful. If you like this video you can visit me at www.jesseluna.com and check out my other tech and social media videos.

 

(download)

via jesseluna.posterous.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

Finding Your Targets with LinkedIn | Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

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Anyone who’s been using LinkedIn for their job search for a while understands the great value it can be. It’s tremendous for creating a profile in order to be found, for finding contacts at companies you are pursuing, and for preparing for an interview by learning about your interviewer and others at the organization.

However, people often miss another way LinkedIn can be used to help them greatly in pursuing their job search with a more laser-like focus… finding and defining your target companies and positions!

In a job search, many people have difficulty articulating the type of position they are looking for, a title, or specific companies they are interested in pursuing. LinkedIn can be a terrific resource for researching roles and finding companies to pursue that may have those types of roles.

Here are some tips that may help…


Search keywords to find job titles! If you are looking for positions that might utilize skills you have, however, aren’t sure of all the roles out there that might use those skills… use the “Advanced Search” function of LinkedIn. In order to find positions where those skills are used, do a keyword search of those skills. Start broad and narrow your search if your results are overwhelming. Start without narrowing your location in order to get a broad swath of results.

The people that come up in your search are people with skills listed that you search. Browse through those results to see the job titles and types of roles those people do. Read how they describe their jobs to see which ones look appropriate, realistic, and interesting to you. That helps you begin to define the types of positions you would like to target.

Search titles to find companies! Once you’ve narrowed the titles of positions you are pursuing, you can find companies that have employees with those titles. Simply do a search, within your geographic area, or more broadly of those titles. The people that come up each currently work, or previously worked at companies that hire those backgrounds. You will likely find large companies, small and mid-size companies, companies that are well known, and companies you’ve likely never heard of. That helps you begin to define your target list of companies you may like to pursue.

Use combinations to narrow your search. If you are pursuing a broadly used title (i.e. Business Analyst), you will likely need to narrow your results by using combinations of keywords of skills, title, and location. Even then, depending on the number of connections you have, you may get hundreds or thousands of results. However, by scrolling through quickly, you should be able to find the relevant information you are looking for.

Use the contact names you find as well. The results you find will help you define the target jobs, titles, and companies you would like to pursue, and will also provide you potential contact names at those companies! Each of the people you find could be a good contact at their organization, and may be able to point you to the best contact for you to present your resume or “Elevator Speech”. You can find multiple ways to connect to them. You can find some help by reading “I got a contact name… how do I reach them?”

Pursuing specific companies whether they have a position open or not is often the best way to gain a new job rather than competing with the hoards that are all responding to job postings and ads. You can gain more insight and help to do it well here and here.

Defining your target positions and companies well, will help you become far more successful in your search. LinkedIn is an ideal tool to help you do it effectively.

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

Online Degrees Work for Working Professionals - Careers Articles

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online-degree-working-professionalEverywhere you look today, there are ads for online degree programs. Billboards, radio, TV, and even our computers are hit constantly with information about how easy it is to get your degree online. Established large universities such as The University of Maryland in College Park even offer online classes now.

So what can we learn from the rapid multiplying of online schools and degree programs such as DeVry, The University of Phoenix and Kaplan University? That there is definitely a market for these institutions, as evidenced by this Kaplan University ad that has been running on Google: "School too expensive? Earn a degree online in less time & save money.


What does an online degree student look like?

Who are these people getting their degrees online and why are they opting for this more modern educational format than the traditional chalkboard classrooms?

These students are people you know: the guy that lives next door, the girl in accounting, and the young mom you see at carpool everyday. The common link among these various types of students, and what draws them to the online world of education: time and money, just like the Kaplan University ad says. They seem to go hand-in-hand. If you work to make money to pay for things, you do not always have the luxury of NOT working to attend school full-time because you require an income; and at the same time, if you are working full-time, you do not always have the time necessary to attend school during the regular class day.


An Internet World

An ideal option: a new-age school that doesn't suck away all your time or all your money, but that still manages to give you the education that you want, need and desire in a slightly different, but equally effective format. The sacrifice: taking classes online that are taught at night or on the weekends. These online schools and universities are showing America that we are moving from Madonna's Material World to Obama's Internet World.


Dad, director of operations, and online degree candidate

Kevin Brandt's days are long and tiring. As a father of two young children living in Annandale, Va., and working full-time as the director of operations for Trusted Choice Inc., Brandt seldom finds himself with extra time on his hands. Yet, Brandt is among this growing group of Americans that are seeing the benefits to higher education and are taking the necessary steps to achieve their goals; he is making the time to work toward his Graduate Certificate in e-Marketing from the University's of Virginia's School of Continuing & Professional Studies, to benefit both his company and his own professional development.


Getting your employer's support

When Brandt decided to pursue a graduate degree, he says he "initiated the discussion with my employer." Brandt wanted to stay abreast of the current trends in the marketing world to "stay relevant" as an employee. He was confident that his employer would support his desire to pursue his education because "much of what I do on a daily basis is directly related to e-marketing," he notes.

Brandt was right. His employers saw how the furthering of Brandt's education would be a win-win for all and elected to cover the $6,000 cost of the two-year program. For this investment, Trusted Choice not only keeps Brandt as a full-time employee, but also reaps the benefits of everything that Brandt learns from his classes -- knowledge, information and skills.

"In return I bring back what I learned to my job and apply the academic aspect to the everyday work that I do for my company. It also increases our internal capabilities and makes us less reliant on outside consultants, which can more than offset the cost of the program," Brandt says. "In order to remain relevant in the competitive job market, a young professional needs to stay on top of his game. I obviously have a personal vested interest in maximizing my skills."


Choosing a school

When I asked Brandt how he choose the University of Virginia's program over all the other ones he looked at, he admitted that it was basically out of necessity. Brandt is an online student because he is also a victim of the time-money conundrum that so many Americans face. Sitting in a classroom all day and working toward a degree, even if it was only for one year, is just not an option for someone like Brandt.

The other factor that came into play while choosing a school was the name. The University of Virginia is an established, well-known institution with a reputable name -- aspects which Brandt feels will help to showcase his degree.

Brandt admits that completing the work for the degree and keeping up with the demands of classroom time are challenging, especially with all of his other work and personal responsibilities. Thursdays, his class night, have now become extra long for him, but he knows that in two years when he has his degree he will be happy. "I just want to learn to do a better job every day, which in turn hopefully opens doors down the road -- whether it is with my current employer or somewhere else."


Advice for students considering an online education

Here is Brandt's advice to others thinking of pursing an online degree: "Make sure you are committed. Online learning is different than a traditional in-class education, but don't mistake it for being easier. It has been more than 10 years since I stepped foot in a classroom -- virtual or not -- and the required commitment to either is the same. If you plan on investing your time and yours or someone else's money, make sure you are in it for the long haul."

And Brandt is living proof that, though not easy, pursuing an online degree while working full time can be done.

via jobs.aol.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal

3 Strategies for Displaced Workers » Blog | Great Resumes Fast

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As we all know, the recent economy has displaced a lot of workers from career paths on which they had been for many years.  At one time, my town had a lot of mortgage professionals; these days, my town has a lot of former mortgage professionals.  If you now find yourself in this situation, don’t be discouraged; there are several ways to move forward.

Find a similar position at a different company

If you enjoyed what you were doing and want to stick with it, you’ll need to make a list of target companies that are still hiring people who do what you do.  If you work in an industry that’s been particularly hard hit with layoffs recently, it’s especially important to include quantifiable achievements on your resume.  You’re going to be competing for a limited number of available jobs—along with a lot of other laid off candidates—so you’ll have to prove to employers that you’re the best thing around.

Transfer your skills to a similar position

Many workers with very specialized skills have found themselves out of work.  For instance, my friends in academia are often competing with hundreds of other candidates for one tenure track position.  However, professors can do much more than just teach.  Many work for institutions that have required them to become proficient in online learning platforms—skills which transfer easily to corporate training departments.  Professors with a science background can review scientific textbooks or research papers that require advanced, specialized knowledge.  Most people are qualified to do multiple jobs—you just have to create multiple resumes that highlight the skills and experience applicable to each position.

Turn a hobby or interest into your job

Some displaced workers face the difficult reality that their jobs have been outsourced overseas or that they will have to relocate in order to do similar work.  For many people, this crossroads can present an ideal time to start your own business.  Let’s say you’re a realtor hoping to start a career in photography.  Call up everyone you know and offer to take photos of their pets, their favorite beach, or their family members.  They’ll have wonderful photos, and you’ll have a portfolio with which to showcase your skills.  The key to taking your career in a very different direction is in proving to employers or potential customers that you have the chops to do the new job.

These are just a few of the possibilities for workers who find themselves displaced from their careers.  With the right strategy, it IS possible to move forward!

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that transform job searches into interviews and ultimately job offers. For more information about professional resume writing or to read more career and job search related articles visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com or call 1.800.991.5187.

via greatresumesfast.com

Posted via email from AndyWergedal