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If Your Job Search Routine Doesn't
Work, Change It
Wednesday, September 19,
2007
We received a few enquiries from our readers asking why they have
difficulty landing a job. Some have difficulty getting interviews;
some get interviews but can't seem to close the deal.
A job search should not be "routine." It's a competitive process.
You're competing against others for the opening. Each job
application is a competition. The prize? The job offer.
If your job search seems to go nowhere, look at what you did and try
to figure out what you did wrong. Once you've figured that out,
change and improve. Don't repeat what doesn't work. Also, job
hunting can be a difficult process on your morale. Stay upbeat,
believe in yourself, and never give up.
4 Guerrilla Job Search Tips (By Kevin
Donlin)
Thursday, September 13, 2007
I interviewed David Perry, an accomplished recruiter, author of
"Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters," and my partner in
"inplacement" training for displaced employees, to find new,
unconventional ways for you to find a job.
David's tips follow. They're as effective as they are interesting,
so pick at least one and take action today ...
1) Send an "Over-qualified" Letter
Yes, that's right, tell employers you are OVER-qualified for their
job opening. This will surely get their attention.
There Is a Secret Out There...
Tuesday,
September 11, 2007
Steve Tobak wrote an article titled: "The Secret to Finding a Great
Job" in which he discusses some basic rules to finding a "good"
job. What drew our attention to this article was the title. The
article is not about secrets to finding a "job," but secrets to
finding a "great job."
That's the key.
Most job seekers just worry about finding a job... but what's next?
You're unhappy, regret your decision, and look for a new job?
Tobak categorizes the rules to finding a great job under 5 headings:
- Know What You're After
- Actively Manage the Process
- Use Your Network to Get an Inside Track
- Avoid Time-Wasters
- Push the Envelope
The Secret to Finding a Great Job,
CNET
U.S. Federal Government About to Go on
a Hiring Spree
Friday, July 27, 2007
According to a new study by the Partnership for Public Service, a
non-profit organization, 193,000 federal jobs will open between now
and 2009. Most of the hiring is attributed to the aging workforce
and the war on terror. The job openings span across a wide range of
interests and skills and are located not only in Washington, D.C.,
but across the country.
Job Search from a Golfer's Perspective
Tuesday,
July 24, 2007
Rich Heintz drew a parallel between playing golf and job hunting.
The rules to success are the same, whether you are playing a sport,
looking for a job, or aiming to start a business:
- "Take time to get in the swing of things."
- "Visualize success."
- "Keep your eyes on the ball."
- "Follow through."
- "Follow the rules of etiquette."
- "Relax your grip."
- "Use spin to your advantage."
- "Choose a coach carefully."
- "Forget the competition."
- "Develop a thick skin."
- "Never quit."
- "Concentrate."
Go for
the Green, California Job Journal
Your Job Search Is Heading Towards a
Dead End?
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
We've all experienced our share of misery in life. Yet,
being desperate will not get us anywhere when looking for a job.
Penelope Trunk gives 6 tips to get job seekers back on the right
track:
- Check Your Attitude: Your wallet does not reflect the
person that you are. Remain positive.
- Check Your Focus: Are you applying to the right
openings? Is your resume targeted enough? Step back and see what
you need to do differently.
- Check Your Pace: Reach out, network, do things... It's
very easy to get lazy. Yet, that won't lead you anywhere.
- Check Your Personal Life: Protect your "home base."
Stay connected to people who care about you and don't neglect them.
- Check Your Spending: Without money, how can you job
hunt? You don't want to be forced to accept a job that you don't
want because you ran out of money.
- Turn Off the TV and Read: Keep your brain stimulated.
BRAZEN
CAREERIST: 6 Ways to Spark Your Job Search, California Job Journal
Just Got Fired? Get Back on Your Feet
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
For those who received the pink slip, Dana Knight suggests five ways
to get back into the workforce:
- Figure out why you were let go. Downsizing, conflict, ...?
- Reassess your situation. Did you like what you were doing? Now
might be a good time to envisage a career change.
- Use all the resources available to hunt for a new job (connect
back with your network).
- Stay positive and avoid dwelling on the negative side of
things. Being negative won't help you get out of your precarious
situation.
- Go job searching: it is now your "full-time job."
Five Ways to Get Back on Your Feet, The Enquirer
Is Cosmetic Surgery the Solution to
Fight the Age Bias?
Saturday, March 17, 2007
In an unscientific poll ran on Monster.ca for three weeks in January
and February, 47 percent of respondents answered "yes, definitively"
to this question: "Do you think having plastic surgery or cosmetic
dental work would help your career?" (4,440 people participated in
the survey).
The problem that many older job seekers are facing is a
disconnect with some HR professionals who they feel have a bias
against their age. The solution, however, may not reside in
cosmetic surgery, but in "connecting" with other age groups such as
wearing more trendy clothes and getting rid of suits bought in the
70s. Other suggestions include being interested in pop culture or
bringing a laptop or blackberry to interviews (to show that you are
tech savvy).
When the System Fails to Protect the
Vulnerable
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Most Western countries have enacted laws to ensure a minimum level
of protection for workers. The problem, however, is that those laws
only protect "employees" and not "independent contractors." As
related in an article by the Toronto Star, an increasing number of
companies are using this distinction to their advantage.
Following are few examples cited in the Toronto Star article:
- a deliveryman employed as a "contract driver" works 10 hours
straight without receiving overtime pay; or
- a home-based "self-employed" worker on 24-hour shifts looking
after a man with Alzheimer's disease is not entitled to minimum
wage.
The article also goes in detail into the misadventure of a new
immigrant from Indonesia who fell for a "Be Your Own Boss Scheme." For
the full details on this story please go to the Toronto Star.
Contract Job
Workers Left Without Hope, Toronto Star
Review of DiversityJobsNetwork.com -
Online Job Board
Tuesday, February 27,
2007
Sponsored Post: Did you know that, according to The U.S.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:
- 29.2% of U.S. workers are minorities?
- 14.4% of managers in the U.S. are African Americans?
- 4.3% of workers in the U.S. are Asian/Pacific Islanders?
The above statistics are mentioned on the home page of Diversity
Jobs, an online job board part of the Beyond Network. Diversity
Jobs was established to connect job seekers and employers who are
open to having a diverse workforce.
Diversity Jobs allows job seekers to post their resumes online and
to search job listings shared by all the members of the Beyond
Network. In addition to giving job seekers access to job search
tools, Diversity Jobs also has a complete resources section, which
makes it a complete career portal.
The Beyond Network differentiates itself from other major online job
boards because it is structured as a partnership of smaller "niche"
sites (national, regional, and industry-specific) as opposed to one
major "central" site. The aggregation of all the job listings from
the various sites makes the Beyond Network one of the major players
in the online recruitment industry in the United States (top 10).
Following is a link leading to the site:
DiversityJobsNetwork.com.
* A note for employers, the rates charged by members of the Beyond
Network are more reasonable than those of the other major job
boards.
Who Do You Know?
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
According to a survey released by Hudson, a staffing company, 73% of
managers said that their company looked internally for
job candidates before considering outsiders. Managers considered
the following as the top three ways to find qualified candidates:
- Look at the internal pool of candidates (40%).
- Consider employee referrals (24%).
- Consider personal recommendations (20%).
Not surprisingly, 28% of workers and 33% of managers revealed that
they secured their position through networking. Among those earning
between $75,000 and $100,000, the percentage of those who got their job
through networking jumped to 39%.
As Steve Wolfe, senior vice-president of Hudson North America noted,
although the Internet makes it easy to reply to online job postings,
easy does not necessarily mean effective.
Job Hunting Still Comes Down to Who You Know, E-Week Channel Insider
Moving Past Our Inner Barriers
Wednesday, February 14,
2007
Life is about making choices. As a French philosopher once said,
the choices that we make define the person that we are.
Moving forward is not always easy, especially when everything seems
to go against you. Yet, the other alternative is to stagnate.
Being out of a job is like being stranded in the desert. Don't
expect someone to come and rescue you. The odds that that will
happen are close to nonexistent.
When you are alone in the desert, the only person you can count on
is yourself. Don't give up on yourself. Make the choice to move
forward and don't come up with excuses for your own weaknesses.
Revert back to your inner strength. Hope, courage, and conviction
will show you a better future.
Job Hunting While at Work - An Ethical
Dilemma?
Sunday,
January 28, 2007
The New York Times has an article on the ups and downs of looking
for jobs during work hours. Nowadays, with many employees working
50 to 60 hours weekly, that is the only alternative for many, who
feel they are too tired when they come home to apply for jobs.
Where should we draw the line however? What is acceptable and what
isn't?
Personal ethics is often about persuading ourselves that what we are
doing is right... The problem, however, is that the ability to
persuade ourselves is pointless as what we need is the ability to
persuade others that what we are doing is right... and there is no way
we can convince our current employer that looking for a better
opportunity elsewhere during work hours is "right"! So, if you
decide to look for a better future (or what you hope will be a
better future) while at work, do it at your own risk. Since many
employers now monitor their employees' e-mails, is the risk/reward
ratio worth it?
Eight Reminders When Applying for Jobs
Online
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
According to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management,
approximately 86 percent of companies use the Internet to post
jobs. In that regard, Christine Rexrode suggests eight tips to
consider:
- Be flexible and keep an open mind in terms of "position titles."
- Verify if the job posting is valid before applying.
- Beware of ads that don't show who the employer is (you don't
want to "re-apply" to your current employer).
- Don't limit yourself to major job boards. Look into local ones
also.
- Look for specialized job boards in your field of expertise.
- Follow instructions in terms of how to apply for openings.
- Go beyond online networking sites. They might help you find
friends or business partners, but they will probably not help you
find jobs.
- Leave your computer aside and face the real world.
Eight Things You Should Know about Online Job Searches, STLToday.com
Loyalty Is Still Valued by Many
Employers
Monday, November 13, 2006
Employers normally don't like to recruit unless they have to because
they'd rather spend their time and energy conducting their
businesses and making more profits. Therefore, when they receive
applications from candidates that can't sit still, they don't like
that.
According to a recent survey from Robert Half Finance & Accounting,
90% of CFOs (Chief Financial Officers) considered the length of time
a candidate has spent with a previous employer to be a very
important factor. In that regard, Max Messmer, Chairman and Chief
Executive of Robert Half, stated: "Holding too many positions in
rapid succession and without signs of professional advancement can
be a red flag for employers. Hiring managers place a high value on
employee loyalty, in part because it is so difficult to replace top
performers."
In light of the above, you may want to consider "internal
opportunities" before looking somewhere else.
Back to the Basics: 10 Tips to Get You
Started in Your Job Search
Sunday,
October 29, 2006
BostonWorks.com suggests 10 ways to improve your job search. Here
they are:
- Cold call recruiters (but make sure to do it the right way).
- Ask your references to make the first move in contacting hiring
managers as opposed to adopting the usual "passive stance."
- Be organized.
- Work for temp agencies with the hope of landing a full-time job.
- Use online social networking sites.
- Date or befriend someone with a network.
- Use snail mail to avoid the "junk e-mail trap."
- Write a blog.
- If you don't have time or inspiration, comment on blogs related
to your field of expertise.
- Be nice.
Ten Tips to Help You Find Work, BostonWorks.com
Now That You're Ready to Leave, They
Suddenly Want You
Friday, October 06, 2006
Dissatisfied with your job for a while, you have decided to look for
another position and have just been offered something. You schedule
a meeting with your boss and he or she suddenly tells you that you
are an "asset" and counteroffers.
What should you do?
Think twice before accepting and consider the following:
- Is your boss offering you something that goes to the core of
what you really want?
- If you accept your boss' counteroffer, will your co-workers be
jealous?
- Why did it take your resignation to get a reaction from your
boss?
- Is the "trust" connection between you and your boss now broken?
One thing you should do in order to avoid having to answer the above
difficult questions is to talk it through with your superior before
looking for another job. If after a thorough assessment of the
situation you feel there is no future for you at your current workplace,
leave. If you are still unsure about that, you might want to make that
clear before applying somewhere else.
You're Quitting the Job, but Now the Boss Wants You,
TheIthacaJournal.com
Key Issues to Reflect Upon When
Beginning Your Job Search
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Sherrie Dvorak, Lead Recruiter with Frontline Source Group, offered
advice for people considering changing jobs or entering the job
market. Her comments are interesting in the fact that she
focuses on what jobs to choose instead of jumping right away to the
next step:
- Reflect on what you want to do. What are you good at and what
do you enjoy doing? Do you want to leverage your education, enhance
one set of skills that you have, or add to your portfolio? By
taking note of these things, it will avoid getting you in a job that
you will end up despising.
- Consider what motivates you and look for opportunities that will
allow you to stay motivated as you wake up in the morning to go to
work. Without this key ingredient, you will become disillusioned
with the job and will adopt the type of "I don't care attitude."
This definitely won't be good for you, nor will your employer like
it.
- Do not overlook your work location. Commuting to work may not
be something you enjoy and could become a drag over the long run.
Some people who otherwise loved that they did actually felt they had
to quit their jobs just because of this issue.
- Lastly, think about the people you enjoy working with. When
attending interviews, take note of the people that you see or meet.
You will be spending a lot of time with those people, so if
there is no fit, it is reason enough for you to say "no."
As Dvorak stated: "Before you ever begin your job search, the most
important thing you can do for yourself is to look out for yourself."
She added: "Keep these 4 major points in mind before jumping into your
next job and you will find yourself in a happier job life. If you don't
look out for these factors, it's doubtful that anyone else ever will. So
keep your options open and shoot for what is your current dream job. It
is, afterall, a candidates' market. Take the job you want!"
Things That Are Key to Know
Before You Begin Your Job Search, PR Leap
The Hidden Job Market
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Unless job seekers know about a particular job opening, it is hidden
from them. A lot of talk regarding uncovering the hidden job market
relates to networking, as many openings are not posted. Also, even
though employers may have a need, they may not get their minds to it
until they see a fit or there is some kind of impetus pushing them
to seek additional help.
Aside from networking, however, another way to search the hidden job
market is to use "job search engines." They operate in the same way
as the regular search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN,
except that they specialize in job postings. WorkBloom has an
Indeed Search Box at the top of every page in that
regard. Get in the habit of using it.
Being in the Right State of Mind
Saturday, June 17, 2006
When people look for jobs, they often focus on details like browsing
the Web for openings, networking, or finding tricks to effectively
write their applications.
To take the example of sports, finding a job is like training for a
competition. As part of the training, athletes lift weights, get in
shape, and practice a lot... but they do something extra as part of
their training that is now widely recognized as essential in
sports... They not only train their bodies, but also their minds.
The idea? Unless you are in the right state of mind, you won't win
the competition because to compete and to win requires commitment
and dedication.
Same thing for the job search. Keep things in perspective. Take
some time to yourself to reflect and build your internal strength
because the real strength is that of the mind, which will eventually
translate to the body.
Suppressing Your Negative Emotions
While Searching for a Job
Sunday,
June 11, 2006
Marty Nemko wrote an interesting article about suppressing one's
negative emotions when job hunting. This advice goes against the
popular saying that exhorts people to let their anger out.
Nemko gave the following explanation: "Key to a successful job
search is to not let it out. It's the opposite: to have zero
tolerance for any negative emotion. That may sound hard-hearted, but
I've found that every moment of negativity pushes you further down
the misery pit, which makes it even harder to climb out and make
progress toward landing a job."
The idea, and a very interesting one indeed, is that the more you
let your anger get over you, the more difficult it will be to
overcome that anger eventually. Transposing that proposition to the
job search context, if you cultivate negative emotions, it will show
in the way you draft your applications and the way you present
yourself at interviews.
According to Nemko, the second you feel a negative emotion (like a
job rejection), go on something else. Don't let anger drain your
job search.
Biggest Job Search Mishaps Revealed
Tuesday,
May 23, 2006
A survey conducted by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service
specializing in the placement of highly skilled administrative
professionals, recounted the biggest job search blunders office
professionals heard or witnessed firsthand. Some of the most
frequent responses referred to candidates overselling or
underselling themselves, not researching the company, complaining
about former employers, and treating clerical staff poorly.
Following is a list of major mistakes that have been made by
jobseekers (taken directly from the press release):
- "Someone interviewed for a position and was not given the job.
But he showed up anyway, saying, 'Here I am!'"
- "Someone tried to bribe me during the interview. She really
wanted the job and asked how much she could pay me for it."
- "An applicant came in with his recruiter and had the recruiter
answer the questions."
- "A job seeker didn't hang up the phone after calling about a
job. I overheard everything he said, and it wasn't good."
- "One gentleman submitted a resume that contained misspelled
words and an orange juice stain."
- "I interviewed someone who had a jawbreaker in her mouth during
the entire interview."
- "When asked what he had been doing while unemployed, the
applicant said, 'Staying home and watching TV.'"
- "I interviewed a person who was only interested in the benefits
and salary, and not the details and responsibilities of the job. He
had a 'What's in it for me?' attitude."
- "One woman immediately described her faults to the interviewer
and mentioned days she would need to take off."
- "Applicants have shown up in torn shirts, blue jeans and flip
flops."
- "During an interview, when asked what his greatest faults were,
an applicant gave too many answers. He kept going and going and
going."
- "A job seeker wrote on her application, 'My boss was a jerk so I
quit.'"
"Did
I Just Say That?": Survey Reveals Biggest Job Search Mishaps, Yahoo!
Finance
Five In-Demand Areas
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
CNN listed 5 areas that will be in demand:
- Accounting
- Sales and marketing
- Legal
- Technology
- Manufacturing and engineering
By the way, "in demand" means "better pay". But at the end of the
day, you should do what you like.
Five Careers: Big
Demand, Big Pay, KSBI-TV 52
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