From: Kevin Donlin

Despite the rotten employment news -- Have you heard? We're in a recession -- there are jobs to be had.

In fact, your next job might walk right into the room today or come disguised as a position you don't really want.

How can this be?

Read on to learn how two people found work recently by doing simple, unusual things that you can do, too …

1) Open Your Eyes

Kathryn Valentine delivers talks to secondary students on such life skills as budgeting, resume writing, and job interviewing, as a High School Presenter for Heald College in Concord, Calif.

How did she get this job? It walked into the room. Literally.

"I was working at a nearby high school and looking for something different. Because I worked in a career center, I was the one who scheduled presenters to come to our campus. The Heald College rep came in and said to me, ‘This is my last day.'"

After discussing the specifics of the job, Valentine let a few days go by, then called to express interest in applying. "She told me to send her a resume, which I did, and said she would pass it on to her boss," says Valentine.

She didn't stop there, however. Valentine turned one personal connection into several at her potential employer, which give her an edge over other candidates.

"I found out who my potential bosses would be and emailed them about the position. I got this information by researching the school and talking to the former employee, who gave me names of people I should talk to," says Valentine.

It worked. Valentine was hired in September 2008 for the position she now holds, replacing the woman who walked into her classroom.

Here are two takeaway lessons from Valentine's success:

• Keep your eyes open for job leads, because they're everywhere.

• Turn one contact at employers into many.

The more people at an employer who know you want to work there, the better your chances are.

To that end, ask this question of every potential co-worker you meet: "If you were me, who else would you talk to?" Then, take names and start making phone calls.

2) Open Your Mind

Jennifer Perkins, a jewelry designer from Clawson, Mich., was hired for a position that didn't exist -- it was created for her after she interviewed for … a different job.

She found a job posted online by a small business, and applied even though she felt overqualified, because the employer looked interesting.

"The job posting was for a Jewelry Knotter. I didn't know how to do it, even though I have a degree in a related field," says Perkins.

But she applied anyway for the position at Marlaina Stone, in Royal Oak, Mich., knowing that, once she got her foot in the door, the employer would see that she had valuable skills in other areas.

What happened next?

"I got a phone call and went in talk with them about my experience. I had owned a jewelry company and I had basically done everything connected with the business. Fortunately, they were open-minded enough to realize that, even though I couldn't do the job that was posted, I had skills they could utilize, so they made a position for me," says Perkins.

What's more impressive is that Perkins was hired in February 2009 (amid the worst job market in more than 20 years), in Michigan (with the highest unemployment rate in America).

While I don't recommend you apply for jobs you're not qualified for -- it can backfire -- Perkins was right to assume her experience would interest the employer. She took a calculated risk, and it paid off.

Here are two takeaway lessons from Perkins' success:

• Focus most of your efforts on small businesses, with fewer than 500 employees.

Why? They create up to 80% of new jobs in the U.S. economy, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration (and all the anecdotal evidence I've seen since 1996).

Also, small employers typically make hiring decisions faster than Fortune 500 firms, which may force you to run the gauntlet through an HR department bent on screening out hundreds of applicants for every one or two they let through to the interview.

• When you interview at a small business, know that you're probably talking to the owner.

From: Christina Archer is the Director of Healthcare Recruiting with AgentHR's Columbus, Ohio office

It doesn't matter what industry you are in, or what job you do, when you're trying to land your next job, you have to have a competitive mindset to win the job offer.  You've probably heard or read about the different things you are supposed to do when meeting with a prospective employer.  Let's turn our focus from what you should do, to what you should never do during a telephone, online meeting, or face to face interview.

1.  Do not be late for your appointment.

This shows the employer that you are not reliable from the get-go.  Instead, be sure to arrive at least fifteen minutes early, and check in with the front desk or receptionist to let them know of your presence.  In the event the time passes, and you have not been called in for your meeting, go back to the individual you checked in with, to ensure they actually informed the interviewer you are there.

2.  Do not leave extra copies of your resume in the car.

I suggest having a minimum of three copies of your resume prepared on high quality paper available at every interview.  In the event the hiring manager calls in a colleague for you to meet as part of the interview process, or has an additional manager sit in on the interview, you are prepared to shake hands and bring them "into the loop."  This makes you, as the candidate, look prepared.

3.  Do not be afraid to ask thoughtful, intelligent, and deliberate questions during an interview.

In fact, it is recommended that you work with your career coach or recruiter to create a list of at least ten questions that show you have researched the opportunity with this company, and further illustrate your competency and ability to perform the position in which you are applying.  Keep in mind, you never want to ask questions that are easily answered on the company's website, or is general public knowledge. 

4.  Do not avoid eye contact throughout the interview.

Consider your meeting with the hiring manager to be a performance.  The truth of the matter is you are attempting to out-perform other applicants and prospective hires for the same position.  If you put yourself in the shoes of the employer, you quickly realize how important behavior and body language is to the interview outcome.  By maintaining eye contact with the people you are speaking with, you show that you are confident, and capable of performing the job in which they are hiring for.

5.  NEVER discuss money or benefits during your meeting.

If you want to ensure you do not get an opportunity with the company you are applying with, try to bring up compensation.  The hiring manager is meeting with you to determine whether or not you are a good fit for the position, and their organization.  To discuss money shows your ignorance of the hiring process, and shows a lack of professionalism.  The purpose of the interview is for you to articulate to the company what you can do for them.  Compensation should not ever enter the conversation until an offer has been made.  This is where the salary negotiation process begins.

It is critical to know what not to say during a job interview.  While preparation is always key to a good interview, each candidate should realize that they are competing for the same position against formidable opponents.  To ensure your best performance during the interview, be sure to think about what the employer is actually looking for, and show them how you can best fit that requirement.

Christina Archer is the Director of Recruiting with AgentHR, in the Columbus, Ohio office.  Christina specializes in the contract, temp to hire, and direct hire of healthcare professionals at hospitals and medical facilities across the United States. Christina is the group manager of "The R.N. Network" on LinkedIn, and offers job seekers unique tools, articles, and resources on her blog.  (I-Careersearch.com)  Whether you are a hiring manager looking for a long-term recruiting strategy that will save you time and money, or a job candidate who is looking for the professional representation necessary to remain competitive in today's employment market, visit Christina's website for more information, at http://www.agenthr.com/carcher

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.

While Be Your Own Headhunter is under going a facelift this is how to stay in touch with upcoming seminars:

• MN Headhunter RSS Feed
• MN Headhunter RSS Via EMail
• MN Headhunter Newsletter

All presentations are 60-90 minutes with a Q&A that follows.

If you are a Twitter user and would like to provide immediate feedback during a presentation add #BYOH to your comments and suggestions. I will follow up with you on Twitter after the presentation.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are unable to attend the sessions during these times (or are seeing this post after sessions have been held) either click MN Headhunter Blog or Be Your Own Headhunter where you will find a calendar of upcoming events or register anyway so you can get the slides via email.

June 23rd, 3 PM CDT

Job Search Toolkit - Be Your Own Headhunter

This is for those in a job search or those thinking either by choice or force they will be doing one soon. Topics to be covered include:

• To plan your job search
• How to market yourself
• Ways to ask for referrals and advice
• Where to find the hidden job market
• Where to research companies
• How to find contact names and email addresses
• Tips on using email and phone for contacting and follow up

To register click Job Search Toolkit - Be Your Own Headhunter

June 24th, 3 PM CDT

LinkedIn A to Z - Use LinkedIn Like A Headhunter

Whether you are using LinkedIn as a job seeker, recruiter, sales person or for general networking purposes this presentation will show you how to:

• Create and optimize your profile
• Create your personal URL
• Connect with and expand your network
• Find and participate in groups
• Research companies
• Use Google to see all of LinkedIn, not just your 3 degrees
• Write and ask for recommendations
• Participate in Questions and Answers
• Search for names using keywords, title, company, skill set and location
• Avoid pitfalls

To register click LinkedIn A to Z - Use LinkedIn Like A Headhunter

June 25th, 3 PM CDT

Using Social Media For Networking, Lead Generation And Job Search

For those of us who write a blog and/or have profiles on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Ning groups we often use these site to communicate with friends, coworkers and family but until recently very few thought of them as opportunities to network, for lead generation, find jobs and consulting opportunities.

I will walk through the use of blogs, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Ning groups showing ways one can:

• Optimize profiles with keywords, locations, etc
• Use the site to search others
• Join and create groups
• Overtly and covertly say you are networking, looking for customers, jobs or consulting gigs
• Show what you are working on and prove expertise
• Engage in a regional, local and industry conversation
• Connect and network prior to and after industry events

To register click Using Social Media For Networking, Lead Generation And Job Search

While Be Your Own Headhunter is under going a facelift this is how to stay in touch with upcoming seminars:

• MN Headhunter RSS Feed
• MN Headhunter RSS Via EMail
• MN Headhunter Newsletter

All presentations are 60-90 minutes with a Q&A that follows.

If you are a Twitter user and would like to provide immediate feedback during a presentation add #BYOH to your comments and suggestions. I will follow up with you on Twitter after the presentation.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are unable to attend the sessions during these times (or are seeing this post after sessions have been held) either click MN Headhunter Blog or Be Your Own Headhunter where you will find a calendar of upcoming events or register anyway so you can get the slides via email.

June 16th, 3 PM CDT

Job Search Toolkit - Be Your Own Headhunter

This is for those in a job search or those thinking either by choice or force they will be doing one soon. Topics to be covered include:

• To plan your job search
• How to market yourself
• Ways to ask for referrals and advice
• Where to find the hidden job market
• Where to research companies
• How to find contact names and email addresses
• Tips on using email and phone for contacting and follow up

To register click Job Search Toolkit - Be Your Own Headhunter

June 18th, 3 PM CDT

LinkedIn A to Z - Use LinkedIn Like A Headhunter

Whether you are using LinkedIn as a job seeker, recruiter, sales person or for general networking purposes this presentation will show you how to:

• Create and optimize your profile
• Create your personal URL
• Connect with and expand your network
• Find and participate in groups
• Research companies
• Use Google to see all of LinkedIn, not just your 3 degrees
• Write and ask for recommendations
• Participate in Questions and Answers
• Search for names using keywords, title, company, skill set and location
• Avoid pitfalls

To register click LinkedIn A to Z - Use LinkedIn Like A Headhunter

June 19th, 1 PM CDT

Using Social Media For Networking, Lead Generation And Job Search

For those of us who write a blog and/or have profiles on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Ning groups we often use these site to communicate with friends, coworkers and family but until recently very few thought of them as opportunities to network, for lead generation, find jobs and consulting opportunities.

I will walk through the use of blogs, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Ning groups showing ways one can:

• Optimize profiles with keywords, locations, etc
• Use the site to search others
• Join and create groups
• Overtly and covertly say you are networking, looking for customers, jobs or consulting gigs
• Show what you are working on and prove expertise
• Engage in a regional, local and industry conversation
• Connect and network prior to and after industry events

To register click Using Social Media For Networking, Lead Generation And Job Search

From: CareerAlley

If you think that it feels like there are an endless number of job search boards, you are not alone. While they are not endless, there are way too many. Of course, not every job board is for everyone (and not every job board is worth the time). That being said, job boards should be a regular part of your job search for several reasons. The obvious one is job search, the less obvious is that that job boards are where both employers and recruiters look for candidates.

• Onlyconstructionjobs.com - Okay, you've probably guess the focus of this job board, but it is probably a little broader than you would think. The main page is split between job seekers (left hand side) and employers (right hand side). The far right hand side of the page has featured jobs. The site has free registration, click on post your resume to join or search jobs. There are over 1,000 employers registered on the site and, according to the site, more than 57,000 jobs. You must register to search, but it is free.
• Freecareersearch.com - Free career search (most of them are) and featured articles and jobs. The site lists the top ten "in-demand" jobs for 2009 on the right hand side. It's hard to tell if this is a scam site or not. You must fill in basic information (including an email address) and you are then emailed information for your search (I did not try this).
• Jobdig.com - "Because everyone should dig their job" is the tag line on this site (how about "because everyone should be able to get a job"). The main page shows a map of the US where you can click to get a quick search of jobs in that state which can further be refined by keyword. Below the map is a "browse by job type" listing. To the right of the map are links for job seeking advise and career advice while to the far right is a listing of top jobs. The far left has links for Jobseekers (search jobs, resume builder, etc.) followed by career advice and online tools. The Event Calendar is a very good source for career fairs. There are also assessment tests, videos, articles and advise.
• Topechelonnetwork.com - To Echelon Network is a different type of resource, it is a network of recruiters. From the main page, you can add your resume, find a recruiter, search for jobs and read related articles. Clicking on job search returns a listing of all jobs with a detailed description of each job. From this page you can submit your resume, apply for jobs, create job alerts and look at featured jobs.
• Financialjobnetwork.com - The Financial Job Network is a global search site which is focused on (obviously) the financial services industry. As with most job search boards, you can register and submit your resume. The main page has tabs at the top to register, search jobs, review you resumes and more. The middle of the page lists financial job functions for targeted search followed by the same links as the tabs at top. Clicking on directories links to a page where you can also review events. Click on jobs to search job opportunities (click search from this page to view a traditional search screen).

From: Lorraine Russo

As we've mentioned here before, about 80% of jobs are never advertised, so consider adding another useful tool to your job search toolbox: Trade Shows and Industry Association gatherings.

One of the best activities for locating unadvertised or hidden jobs is attending industry- or product-related trade shows. Because only 20% or so of jobs appear on the boards or a company web site, get a leg up on your competition and go after the 80% of jobs that few others are looking for.

Also, the Conference Board reports that "in April, there were 2.4 advertised vacancies posted online for every 100 persons in the labor force, down from a high of 2.9 in April 2007."

In fact, CareerXroads recently conducted a study that concluded "12.3 percent of external hires come through job boards." Take a look at the following "Sources of Hire" breakdown that came out of that study.

CareerXroads Sources of Hire

Some of their key findings include:

[Companies'] desire to reduce hires (and associated costs) attributed to third-party recruiters, newspapers and job boards, while increasing tactics connected to social networks and search engine marketing to how important referrals are to recruiting."

Yahoo! has an impressive list of conventions and trade shows here. By drilling down in each category, you can locate the events of interest to you and make plans to mingle with your peers. This will help you accomplish a number of things:

• The first is obvious: networking. (or, as we called it in the old days, "bump & howdy").
• Ensure that you are keeping up with changes and trends in your respective industry or niche. In many cases, general admission is free or fairly inexpensive. Be sure to check on the admission policy beforehand. Fees may also be tax deductible, so be sure to see if they qualify.
• Attending these shows will give you a good idea of the companies that may be hiring. If a company is in a position to rent booth space at these shows (which is not inexpensive), chances are good that you may be able to uncover a goldmine of hidden opportunities.
• See if you can correlate the attendee roster (these are usually online) to a company's new or expanded marketing efforts. This, too, may indicate that a company has the budget to hire for certain market segments.

Research, research, research! Once you have a handle on the companies you plan to visit, store some fast facts and figures in your head so that when you meet with the reps at the show, you can show some credible knowledge and make the logical connection between your skillset and their needs. This will help you prepare your Elevator Pitch (see below). –

Check LinkedIn or other networking sites to see if you know or can be linked to employees of the companies attending the shows.

Plan to spend a full day at each show, and bring plenty of business cards. Make sure your biz cards reflect your LinkedIn or Facebook IDs along with a professional-sounding email address (rather than something like bigbubba@bubba.com).

Most importantly, be prepared to recite your 30-second elevator pitch. While you won't be asking outright about job opportunities, you will be telling your industry peers (and potential future co-workers) who you are and what you do...in 30 seconds or less. Don't have a stopwatch? Light a match. If your fingers start to burn before you're done, you've gone over 30 seconds.

So, make plans to get out of the house and move away from your PC! While "social networking" is indeed beneficial, nothing beats the old-fashioned bump 'n howdy.

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.

From: Lorraine Russo

Once I learned how to answer the questions that follow AND the manner in which they should be answered, I received job offers after every interview I went on!

As well, you will be able to provide your answers in a comfortable, natural, and relaxed manner. This is because:

• You have been role-playing until you've reached a firm comfort level.
• You know the questions.
• You have the answers.

So let's review the questions and answers. Note that the answers provided here are intended only as a guide, so you need to work on customizing your own answers to these questions.

QUESTION 1: Tell me about yourself.

This is a confusing question for many people. Some have asked themselves, "Why is she asking me this question? It's all in my resume, isn't it?" Actually, it's not all in your resume--it's in you, and the interviewer wants to hear it directly from you. Your response should be a four or five sentence statement that summarizes your professional and/or educational background. Some people have never been able to decide if an interviewer wants to hear about their personal or professional side, so let's solve this mystery right now: This is a skills and abilities question; no more, no less.

Bottom line: the interviewer wants to know what value you will bring to the company. Remember, the purpose of an interview is to determine what you can do for the company, NOT what the company can do for you!

1. Stop talking
2. Smile
3. Keep your hands in your lap
4. Look to the interviewer for the next question.

"I am an accountant with over ten years experience. I graduated from ABC College with a degree in Accounting in 1978. Since then, I have held four jobs, each with increasing levels of responsibility. I have also worked in both manufacturing and service organizations, thus rounding out my experience as an accountant."

"I am an administrative assistant with seven years of experience in small- to mid-sized firms. I have reported to various levels within these organizations, ranging from the executive vice-president to manager level. My skills include the ability to work with all levels of people in the organization, as well as using personal computers for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation materials. I also enjoy learning new software packages. I feel one of my strong points is the ability to handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment."

"I recently graduated from ABC College with a degree in Business Administration and a 3.5 grade average. My goal is to obtain a position that will allow me to develop and refine skills that I learned both in college and my various part-time jobs. I've worked in retail and in office settings, and am now ready to begin a full-time career with a company like XXX Company."

Once you've developed a response, be prepared to give examples that support your opening statement.

QUESTION 2: What were your responsibilities?

When answering this question, try to present yourself in a broad, general way. During your interview preparation, you should have identified about six responsibilities from your current or former position, which you should then summarize during the interview. Do not give in to the temptation to go into great detail about what you did. Talk about what you were responsible for.

You might want to begin your answer by saying:

 "I was/am responsible for the management of the accounting department at ABC Company, supervising personnel and processes in order to accomplish corporate objectives, etc."

Keep your answer at a high level--no details are needed at this point. Another way to answer this question:

"I was responsible for providing administrative support to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the sales department. I ensured the timely preparation of presentation materials, proposals, and all related documents. I was also responsible for maintaining travel schedules for the sales and marketing personnel in the department."

"I held various jobs during my four years of college. While working at ABC Company as a summer intern, I worked in the marketing department helping the director create new marketing materials for the sales department. This included coordinating the work of the copy writers and the artists to ensure that the marketing materials were done on time."

QUESTION 3: What are you looking for?

This question should receive a fairly general answer. Try to limit your answer to one (but no more than two) sentences. Use a summary of the attributes you identified during your preparation sessions. Be prepared to discuss your short-term (1-3 years) and long-term (3-5 years) goals. You may want to say something that is vague yet satisfying to the interviewer, such as:

"I am looking for a position that will allow me to use my experience in the ______ field, including xxx and xxx. I am also ready to take on increased responsibilities in a management capacity when the opportunity arises. I am eager to work in a company that can provide the opportunity for professional growth."

"I am looking for the opportunity to take on new and challenging assignments that offer the potential for growth within an organization such as yours. I had been an administrative assistant for seven years and am ready to move to the next level."

"I'm looking for a company that will look at my studies and part-time work as the basis for hiring me as an entry-level employee. I'm hoping to further develop my skills in the marketing field with the hopes of moving through the ranks of the organization."

>>A good interviewer will ask follow-up questions. Regardless of your answer, be prepared to state what you're looking for. If you say you're ready to move on to the next level, be prepared to describe that next level.

QUESTION 4: What don't you do very well?

This is a question that makes most people go weak in the knees during an interview. Interviewers commonly employ this question for a number of reasons:

• To see how well you think on your feet
• To detect any negativism about yourself or former employers.

This is also a way for the interviewer to obtain your honest appraisal of your abilities. There is a very simple and easy way to handle this question: candidly and honestly. While you should not throw caution to the wind when you give your answer, your interview preparation session will have given you ample opportunity to develop a terrific response. No one is perfect; we all have strengths and weaknesses.

If the interviewer were to ask about your strengths, you wouldn't hesitate to answer, right? On the other hand, if you were asked a question that, on the surface, asks that you "incriminate" yourself, you would hesitate to answer it, and your hesitation will probably be evident during the interview. The trick here is to turn a negative into a positive. Here's how: Let's say you truly despise repetitive and boring work. Obviously, you can't say this during an interview, but you can be honest when you say:

"If I had to do the same or routine thing all day it would be difficult."

"I am a people person. I like to work with people. If I couldn't, it would be difficult."

On the surface, these sound negative, but you have turned them into a positive. It is imperative that you develop an honest answer to this question before the interview, as it will come up in one form or another. Do not be tempted to tell the interviewer that there is nothing you do not do well, because no such person exists!

QUESTION 5: What are your accomplishments?

Now is the time for you to brag a little! Tell the interviewer about situations in which you did well and events that relate to the position for which you are applying. In order to brag effectively, do the following during the interview: 1. State the problem 2. Explain how you handled it 3. Describe the results (i.e., cost savings, automation, increased sales, etc.)

We will cover behavioral interviewing in a future article, but the advice here follows the S.A.R. guideline that is taught to hiring managers and other interviewers so that they can understand how you behaved in certain situations.

Some believe that past behavior is predictive of future behavior, so many interviewers will try to extract behavioral examples from you that ask you to describe specific: - Situation(s) - Action(s) - Result(s) You should have at least six examples ready. Use these to back up your skills and abilities statements. Be sure you have sufficiently rehearsed these six examples during your role-playing sessions, as they will come in handy during the interview. Here are some sample responses to this question:

"Our accounting system was antiquated and required updating to reflect new business and customer needs. I researched this problem and recommended the implementation of an enhanced, fully automated accounting system. The result of this was a savings of $250,000 per year, more timely and accurate management reporting, and a reduction in our accounting staff."

"When I accepted the position at ABC Company, there was no centralized filing system. Trying to find important documents was nearly impossible. I identified the problems with the current filing system, and put in place a new, more efficient system so that document retrieval became faster and easier."

"Even though I only worked part time at the video store, I recognized that some videos were being released to customers without their names and telephone numbers being logged. I suggested a change in the rental procedure that was adopted by the store owner. Now, all video rentals are properly logged in and out."

Be sure to redact any confidential or proprietary information from any company document you submit.

QUESTION 6: What are your salary requirements?

Answering the salary question at this stage of the interviewing process can be dangerous; however, you must answer if asked, and your answer must be an honest one. Most advice you hear or read will tell you to avoid answering this question whenever possible. But, by avoiding it, you may cause your interviewer to think that you are hiding something or not being honest about your earnings. Our suggestion is to answer in one of the following ways:

"I'd like a salary that reflects the responsibilities of the position. My current salary range is low- to mid- $30's."

"At this point, salary is not an issue for me. I'm more concerned with the position and the opportunity to learn".

You may then feel free to inquire if your salary requirements are within the company's range. Do not feel obligated to justify or apologize for your current salary! Do not offer to take a cut in pay unless asked, and only you truly mean it. This could be appropriate if you are changing careers or looking for less responsibility. If you want an increase in pay, simply tell the interviewer and be prepared to explain why you think you deserve it. If you find that your and the company's numbers are far apart, offer to wait on a six month review, or something close to that. Do not let money become an issue on the first interview, because you may not get a second one!

QUESTION 7: What is your reason for leaving your current/former employer?

Be as honest as you can here. If your company has relocated, say so. If you were downsized, right-sized, or outsourced, just say so. But say so in a positive light. Remember, NEVER, EVER say anything negative about your former employer or former co-workers!! If you were terminated, practice your response carefully. You might respond in the following manner:

"Things at ABC Company did not work out well for me. It was not a good match, and I decided to move on/switch gears/etc.".

"ABC Company was experiencing financial difficulties and, as a result, laid off 20% of its workforce. My position was eliminated."

"ABC is a small company with limited opportunities for advancement. While I have thoroughly enjoyed my work there, I decided it was time to move on in order to advance."

Summary You should write down and continue to edit and refine your answers to these questions. As you continue to interview, you will learn what works and what doesn't. As you role play, you may find that that an answer has opened up a series of additional, unexpected questions.

A good role-playing buddy will ask you follow-up questions, such as - What do you mean by that? Why was your last employer not a good match? - How do you define career growth? Would you be happy with a lateral move? - Do you think our company can give you what you're looking for? Why? - Can you give me an example of how you handled that?

In all cases, you may need to either revise your original responses or develop answers to the follow-up questions. Continue to review your answers after each role playing session. And when you find yourself waiting in your car because you've arrived early for your interview, re-read them-and keep smiling!

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

It is important to note that the Challenger, Gray and Christmas survey is of announced layoffs and not all layoffs. I point to this survey frequently because it shows trends and as we all try and figure out what is going with the labor market one more bit of data to take a look at.

The trend we see here as with other data that is coming out is we are at or likely have seen the worst of the jobs reports although here we see comments (and I agree) that we are not coming out of this as fast as some think or would like to hope.

Is this “good news”? I prefer not as bad news.

So to the trends...

• 111,182 announced layoffs in May is lowest level since 95,094 in September 2008
• 132,590 job cuts in April 2009
• 150,411 job cuts in March 2009
• 241,749 job cuts in January 2009
• 103,522 job cuts in May 2008

So far job cuts through:

• May 2009 822,282
• May 2008 394,193

A quote from CEO John Challenger:

“This decline in job cuts could be short-lived,” Challenger said. “The second quarter is typically the lowest quarter of the year when it comes to job cuts. Corporate downsizing may continue to remain slow during the summer months, but if the past is any indication, we could see the pace accelerate again in the latter half of the third quarter through the end of the year."

Here is an interview from CNBC:

Click Employment & Economic Statistics for more posts on the topic and MN Headhunter for the latest blog posts.

April 2009 saw 9,500 jobs eliminated in Minnesota and the Unemployment Rate drop to 8.1% from 8.2% The U.S. rate was 8.9%

The number of jobs gained/lost the past 12 months (year over year) is -90,200 for April. For March it was -98,100.

18,900 jobs were lost in March so the April 9,500 is a sign to many that while job losses will continue that maybe we have experienced the worst of it here in Minnesota including this quote:

“This month’s drop in the unemployment rate and slowing rate of job loss are encouraging and may be early signs that our economy is poised for recovery,” said DEED Commissioner Dan McElroy. “But we remain concerned about the economy and expect continued challenges in the months ahead.”

Here is a graph that show employment growth for the past six years:

Job Gains for April 2009:

• 4,700 Education and Health Services
• 1,200 Leisure and Hospitality

Job Losses for April 2009:

• -5,900 Professional and Business Services
• -2,400 Manufacturing
• -2,000 Transportation and Utilities
• -2,000 Financial Activities
• -900 Construction
• -700 Information
• -600 Other Services
• -500 Government
• -400 Logging and Mining

Source: Current Employment Statistics (MN DEED/BLS).

Click Employment & Economic Statistics for more posts on the topic and MN Headhunter for the latest blog posts.

From: CareerAlley

Network, Network, Network - the most important three words in job search. I don't really know the real statistics on the percentage of jobs filled through networking. And, although you will see various percentages published all over the Internet, I'm not sure that anyone really knows the percentage of jobs filled through contacts versus any other source. Is Networking the most important source? Probably.

Today I will list a few links from my network and provide additional comments links to remind you what you should be doing with your network. Thanks to a reader for providing the following two links:

• Verizon - We all know this company, and their career site leads with a basic search box. They have tabs at the top for Careers, Search Jobs, Resume Account, Events, College and more. The Events link provides a list of recruiting events in your area while the College link provides information on internships and Development programs. You can create an account and load your resume. The Search Jobs link is a basic search where you can search by location and Job Title. There were 198 job opportunities when I checked the site.
• Which Internet resources REALLY are helpful? - This link leads to Montclair State University's Center for Career Services. It does not matter whether or not you are (or have) attended Montclair State, you can still review their career site. This particular link provides a list of Internet resources for your jobs search. Many of these have been listed here, but many have not. Definitely worth a look.
• Unemployed? Your New Job: Find a Job! - This post, from Secrets of the Job hunt and written by Darlene McDaniel is a great article and is worth a read. The third point (network, network, network) seems to be a fairly widely used phrase (must be some truth to it).
• Networking & Support Groups - I've mentioned several times in many posts what a great resource The Riley Guide is and this link regarding Networking is a great example. The article provides a vast number of networking groups, many of which should help in your pursuit of a job.
• Networking - Make Business Contacts - This list, provided by the Washington Post, provides a list of Networking groups. There is also a link to the left-hand side of the page which lists top jobs posted on the Washington Post's website. There were 34 top job opportunities listed when I checked the site.

• Senior Systems Analyst | Full Time Job | University of St. Thomas
• Data Management Organization-Lead Data Manager | Full Time Job | Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging
• MIS Technician | Full Time Job | YWCA of Minneapolis
• Help Desk Specialist | Full Time Job | PATH, Inc

Click weekly newsletter to receive the Wednesday message of nonprofit needs, IT jobs I am recruiting for, recruiter jobs, and most popular blog posts of the week.

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Minnesota

Minnesota

yyyyeeeeaaAAAAHHHH!!!!! Gophers

Rah!!!

OK, it has been a really long time since I posted anything about Minnesota Golden Gopher Football here. When I started this blog 4+ years ago Gopher football was a part of it but for some it was annoying. Especially after then Head Coach Glen Mason was fired and through the hiring of current Head Coach Tim Brewster.

I blogged more about the head coach job search than my day job.

So I started Gopher The Roses and put content there instead. Problem is, it is really hard to publish two blogs. And once I had the www.GopherFootballBlog.com domain and a site up I felt it needed to be done right. But time has not been on my side.

I am debating posting Gopher football stuff here again. Not with the same regularity as before but a way to get some cool stuff on the Internet without the weight of another blog.

For now I will cross post some material and see how it goes.

For regular readers of MN Headhunter if you get annoyed, let me know.

So my first post is going to about the new TCF Bank Stadium, finally we are back on campus. Kickoff is September 12^th, 6 pm against the Air Force. Sounds like we will have a sweet fly over prior to the game.

At some other point I may talk about what game day may be like, volunteering on the tailgate committee (still wondering why we never did a “practice” tailgate) and what it was like waiting for my time to pick seats.

But for now enjoy this video showing a mostly complete interior of the new TCF Bank Stadium.

Go Gophers!!!

Click Gopher Football for other related posts and MN Headhunter for latest blog posts.

From: Amit Puri is the Managing Consultant at Sandbox Advisors. He has over 10 years of business and HR related experience, with companies such as Bain & Co, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. Sandbox Advisors is based in Singapore and provides career management and HR consulting services in Asia.

Two trends have changed the world of work in many ways. The first is the shift towards a knowledge based economy that many countries are seeing and the second is global connectivity, interdependence and integration. The new career context that is emerging as a result of these trends has given rise to the terms - Protean and Boundaryless careers.

Protean careers

Companies are operating in a more complex (knowledge-based/global) environment, which is constantly changing. They need to be flexible and nimble in order to stay in business and hence many companies have given-up the idea of keeping employees for a lifetime. By doing, so they have transferred the responsibility and risk of managing careers to the individual. So in order to survive this change, individuals need to become more self-reliant in managing their careers. This means knowing what they want from their careers, developing the skills/knowledge/network that is necessary to achieve their goals and being able to ‘change with change’.

Hence the term Protean career, the origin of of which comes from Proteus, a Greek sea-god who could change in form as the situation demanded. A more formal definition is provided below:

“The protean career is driven by the person, not the organization, based on individually defined goals, encompassing the whole life space, and being driven by psychological success (rather than) objective measures of success such as pay, rank or power. It is a career in which the person is (1) values driven in the sense that the individual’s personal values provide the guidance and measure of success for the individual’s career, and (2) self-directed in personal career management—having the ability to be adaptive in performance and learning demands.”

Boundaryless careers

Another result of these changes is the move towards more ‘boundaryless’ careers, which involve a sequence of job opportunities that go beyond single employment settings. It involves the breaking down of traditional boundaries (for example job boundaries of specialist functions and skills), organisational careers which progress independently of well trodden career paths and the social boundaries separating work and family roles.

The concepts of protean and boundaryless careers are still developing and there are many factors such (for example social/cultural beliefs and economic status) which impact their adoptability/implementation. Nevertheless, they are important concepts/developments and have implications that should be considered.

Implications for organisations: If you want to retain the best people make sure you provide them with the resources/opportunities necessary for managing their career, either within or outside your firm. Why outside your firm? Because they will not stick on, if you are not providing them with development opportunities that enhance their marketability.

Implications for individuals: While the current recession will be a dampener for a bit, never has there been a time when you could pursue what you really want, to such an extent. Take advantage of this and in case you are not doing so already, start taking charge of your own career.

 
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.

I get this question regularly from new users to Twitter. I don’t put a lot of weight on the rankings on these lists (including my appearance on them) but they are a good place to start.

Note that you see Minneapolis and not St. Paul or Twin Cities. Most directories recognize Minneapolis as “the city” when they mean both. Some folks in St. Paul are being creative and in their Bio saying, “St. Paul not Minneapolis” and are getting listed in the Minneapolis directories.

To my friends across the river, no I am not trying to be a snob. I am just going with the crowd:

• Minneapolis on Twitter Grader
• Minneapolis on Twitterholic
• Minneapolis on Twellow
• Minneapolis on WeFollow
• Minneapolis on LocalTweeps

Real time Tweets by location:

• Minneapolis on CityTweets
• Nearby Tweets (add Minneapolis or 55401 to the search)

Most directories or lists rank by followers and that can (is) a mistake. It is not about how many people follow someone but what comes out of the interaction, communication and relationship.

If you find someone you know or like to follow, dig through who follows them and who they follow. Surely you will find some more cool people to get to know.

If I missed a site or you have a favorite directory (there are a lot to list) add it in the comment section.
 

For more posts like this click Social Media, for recent blog posts click MN Headhunter and click Be Your Own Headhunter for seminars on Social Media, LinkedIn, Job Search, Recruiter and more topics.

While Be Your Own Headhunter is under going a facelift this is how to stay in touch with upcoming seminars:

• MN Headhunter RSS Feed
• MN Headhunter RSS Via EMail
• MN Headhunter Newsletter

All presentations are 60-90 minutes with a Q&A that follows.

If you are a Twitter user and would like to provide immediate feedback during a presentation add #BYOH to your comments and suggestions. I will follow up with you on Twitter after the presentation.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are unable to attend the sessions during these times either click MN Headhunter Blog or Be Your Own Headhunter where you will find a calendar of events or register anyway so you can get the slides via email.

June 9th, 3 PM CDT

Job Search Toolkit - Be Your Own Headhunter

This is for those in a job search or those thinking either by choice or force they will be doing one soon. Topics to be covered include:

• To plan your job search
• How to market yourself
• Ways to ask for referrals and advice
• Where to find the hidden job market
• Where to research companies
• How to find contact names and email addresses
• Tips on using email and phone for contacting and follow up

To register click Job Search Toolkit - Be Your Own Headhunter

June 10th, 3 PM CDT

LinkedIn A to Z - Use LinkedIn Like A Headhunter

Whether you are using LinkedIn as a job seeker, recruiter, sales person or for general networking purposes this presentation will show you how to:

• Create and optimize your profile
• Create your personal URL
• Connect with and expand your network
• Find and participate in groups
• Research companies
• Use Google to see all of LinkedIn, not just your 3 degrees
• Write and ask for recommendations
• Participate in Questions and Answers
• Search for names using keywords, title, company, skill set and location
• Avoid pitfalls

To register click LinkedIn A to Z - Use LinkedIn Like A Headhunter

June 11th, 3 PM CDT

Using Social Media For Networking, Lead Generation And Job Search

For those of us who write a blog and/or have profiles on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Ning groups we often use these site to communicate with friends, coworkers and family but until recently very few thought of them as opportunities to network, for lead generation, find jobs and consulting opportunities.

I will walk through the use of blogs, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Ning groups showing ways one can:

• Optimize profiles with keywords, locations, etc
• Use the site to search others
• Join and create groups
• Overtly and covertly say you are networking, looking for customers, jobs or consulting gigs
• Show what you are working on and prove expertise
• Engage in a regional, local and industry conversation
• Connect and network prior to and after industry events

To register click Using Social Media For Networking, Lead Generation And Job Search

From: Kevin Donlin

It's been said that the best new ideas are the best old ideas.

Put another way, there's no need to reinvent the wheel in your job search if others before you have found ways to succeed.

What if I told you there was a success "system," invented by Benjamin Franklin in the 1730s, that helped create millionaires in the 1930s, when unemployment stood at 25%?

Do you think it might help you find a job faster today, with unemployment at less than 9%?

If you're interested, I'll describe this system, which can make sure you stay on track and do more of the right things each day, getting you hired faster for the job you want.

You'll need two items: a small notebook and a pencil. An Excel spreadsheet is a very helpful third component, but don't let the lack of one stop you from getting started.

What are you going to do?

Track, analyze, and improve how you spend your time every working day.

Because your time is your life. Do the right things with your time, and you'll get the right results in your life. In your case, the result you seek is a new job.

Here are the 5 simple steps to this ingenious system …

1) Carry a small pocket notebook around from the time you wake up until you stop your job-search efforts in the evening. 

2) Record how you spend your time in increments of 5 minutes.

Examples:

• 6:00-6:25 Wake, exercise
• 6:25-6:45 Breakfast
• 6:45-7:00 Shower
• 7:00-7:30 Watch TV news
• 7:30-8:10 Answer emails
• 8:10-9:30 Search online for job listings

3) Each evening, add up the minutes you spent on each activity and organize them into three categories: Productive, Personal, and Wasted. Productive time is anything that produces job leads.

Examples: calling friends to network, meeting other job seekers to help each other, interviewing employees of your target employer to learn about the corporate culture, etc.

Personal time is anything spent on yourself and not your job search.

Examples: eating, running errands, exercise breaks, etc.

Wasted time is anything that served no useful purpose.

Examples: checking sports scores, idle chatter, checking email every 15 minutes, etc.

Add up your time in these three areas on a sheet of paper or use an Excel spreadsheet. 

4) At the end of the week, analyze your efforts. Here's where you'll get insights that can change your life.

Example: When I first tracked my time, I found I had spent 360 minutes in one week reading and answering email. That works out to 24 hours -- one full day of life -- every month pecking away at email. Unacceptable.

So I resolved to check email only twice a day. And I easily cut that time down to 240 minutes, saving two hours a week and 8 hours per month. Better.

But I never would have known where I was wasting time had I not tracked each day in detail.

Tip: After speaking to thousands of job seekers over the years, here's where you're probably wasting time each day:

• Checking email several times an hour. Twice a day is enough -- morning and late afternoon. Anyone who really wants to reach you will call.
• Doing personal errands or chores. Running to the store for milk or mowing the lawn won't get you hired. Only meeting with hiring authorities will get you hired.
• Failure to network. Networking is like exercise: You have to do it every day to produce results. Block off at least two hours a day for calling people and being useful to them while reminding them of your job search. 

5) Finally, commit to taking more productive actions each day, fewer personal ones, and none at all that are wasteful. Will you succeed perfectly? No. Will you improve simply by observing your efforts? Yes. 

This system has its roots in "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin," in which Franklin described tracking his time daily in a notebook, with the goal of adopting 13 virtues as new habits.

You'll also find a variant of it in chapters 3 and 19 of "The Success System That Never Fails," by W. Clement Stone, who started amassing a fortune selling life insurance during the Great Depression.

Now. If scribbling in a notebook every few minutes and reviewing your day every evening seems onerous, don't worry. It gets easier as you go, thanks to this fact of physics: It takes more energy to overcome inertia and get moving from a standstill (your old habits) than to maintain that movement (your new habit of tracking time).

Try this system for 21 days. You will be pleasantly shocked at how much more efficient you become in all that you do, starting with your job search.
 

From: CareerAlley

In your quest for a new job, you really do need to manage your time and ensure you use several methods of search. Everyone has their own view as to what works best but using only one or two avenues of search is not the best use of your time. You need to have a mix of job search boards, company career sites, recruiters and, of course, networking (including social networks like LinkedIn).

• Datafrenzy.com - "Search, Apply, and Get the Job" is this search site's tag line (it should be so easy). The candidate page is very clean, with featured companies listed down the left hand side of the page and tabs at the top. The tabs cover Search Jobs, Company Search, Login and sign up. When I checked the site had over 200,000 jobs listed. The main page also had the job search engine which is somewhat limited in the filter fields but certainly has all of the major filters. Search by Company has a very comprehensive list, with an alphabet selection field at the top and companies listed on the main page in alphabetical order.
• Brokerhunter.com - This job search board specializes in financial services. The main page has a map of the US to search by location. There are tabs below the map to search by position as well. You can register on the site as well. Below the map there are tabs for Featured Jobs and Featured Companies. You can use the About Firms link to find out more about specific firms and you can search firms by location. Overall, the site is well put together with a broad range of options for search and filtering.
• Bankjobs.com - As the name implies, this job search board focuses on the banking industry and yes, there are jobs out there. The main page has a tab for Job Seekers and Featured Jobs. You can register and post your resume, view job seeker links and review the job seeker guide. The Search Jobs link under the Job Seeker tab links to the main search page with a typical search engine. When I checked there were in excess of 300 jobs.
• Getthejob.com - This site is a mix of a job search board and a social network for job seekers. The main page has quite a few tabs at the top: Browse Locations, Companies, Categories, People, Education and Job search. Below the tabs is a list of cities (for city search) and below that is a simple search box with two filters (location and jobs description). Browsing categories follow directly below and to the right of this are top rated jobs and connect with new members. You can also learn about employers. Doing a simple search on NY returned over 36,000 opportunities, 1,400 companies and 8,600 members.
• BankJobbing.com - Okay, not a search board. This site is "the network for all bank employees and is "the first social network for bankers". The main page includes blog posts that are topical around job search. You can register and create your own page, see videos, join the forum, join groups and see all of the blogs. Certainly allows you to expand your networking while focusing on your industry.

Good luck in your job search.

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.

UPDATED: 

- Check out Jim Durbin’s blog post Peter Weddle Owes A Lot Of People Apologies

OK, before I go on a rant a few disclaimers:

• I have never met Peter Weddle
• I respect Peter Weddle
• I am responding to his blog post with a blog post rather than comment there as I have a lot to say.
• I am responding because for someone who is highly respected in our industry to have this opinion and state it so strongly it needs a rebuttal

Wednesday Peter Weddle posted The Great SCAM in Recruiting on his WorkStrong blog. I had copied and pasted his post below but took it out. Read his post, see my reply below:

Name the scammers (pundits and trainers). I am guessing I am one of them. I am an “evangelist” of using Social Media, networking sites and LinkedIn to find candidates. I have been using these tools for a “long time” and they are responsible for at least 35% of my 2008 revenue.

That Peter does not think LinkedIn is a source of candidates has me troubled and confused. And rather than be overly sarcastic or otherwise say something in appropriate I will move on...

I agree with Peter about Millennials and their use of social media. For the most part they are using it as a communications tool. Oh wait, that is what social media is, a communications tool.

I am not aware how much time Peter spends on a college campus but since I am on the University of Minnesota campus 2-3 times per month working with or mentoring college students I get why there is a separation from how they use it, how I personally use it and how I professionally use it.

Most never considered it a networking, internship or job finding tool until the recession. They share comments, photos, and events but it is not a far of a leap to job search as he seems to think. Conversations on social network sites on job, internship and career topics have increased significantly the past 18 months. Social networks are after all a window to what is going on.

It does not surprise me that they say job boards, company career pages and networking are how they will find a job. This is how they have been taught to find a job. That does not mean social media cannot be used. Many do. Many more are finding out it works.

But Peter gives one side of the story. Consider the CareerXroads 8^th Annual Source of Hire Study. Scroll down to page 14-15 and see what these companies reported as their source of hire.

Just because the college kids say they think they are going to get a job through a tool (those are some high percentages) does not mean that is in reality how they will find their job. Worse, because they say that is how they believe they will then recruiters should be there for them? We already have been and most agree that job boards are not the awesome tool they used to be. Still “a good one” but not “the one”.

I would like to see Peter’s cross-generational numbers from his survey. I would also like to see what profession or job titles the respondents have. I ask because it matters. I could put a survey on my blog, Minnesota Recruiters or the Minneapolis & St. Paul Social Media Breakfast site and have numbers on the other end of the spectrum.

This is why I hate statistics. Numbers tell the truth and can lie at the same time and of course it depends on who is using them. I am not saying Peter has an agenda but (and maybe I am taking his post personal and thus have clouded judgment) his post seems more than just trying to shine a light on a topic.

Regarding Peter’s takeaways:

Beware the hype. I agree. Experiment to see if your potential candidate pool is using these sites. If you are recruiting marketing, PR, Social Media or IT you should depending on the size of your city/region have a large enough pool to work with. If you are in a smaller town or are sourcing candidates in legal, medical, administrative types of roles I agree with Peter, it may take a while.

I agree with Peter that social networking sites are different than traditional recruiting methods. Social networking sites are social, this is a far cry from the traditional old school method of post and pray on a job board.

Where I believe he is wrong is when he says these are not “talent markets”. Of course they are. He just has a definition than I have. If I am recruiting IT people in Minneapolis and IT people in Minneapolis are on these sites of course this is a market to use. The difference is I am going to them versus waiting for them to come to my site or ad on a job board. I would rather be proactive than reactive.

Peter either has not researched or dismisses the results that recruiters have had using these tools. I know of some corporate recruiters who are teaching their colleagues how to use these tools would take great offense if they were told they were teaching a “SCAM”.

He says in a comment that the success a commenter had is rare. Really? Peter come to Minneapolis and I will introduce you to corporate, consulting and search firm recruiters who have success. Maybe you need to either hang around a different or a larger pool of recruiters.

What I find interesting that he says 2014 these sites may work. What will change between now and then to make them viable in his eyes?

My last counterpoint is this, if there was ever a time for a recruiter to use these sites to develop relationships with folks it is now. Most people are open to career chat because one way or another they are thinking about it.

Let’s say Peter is right with his 2014 prediction and let’s say the economy is humming along with lots of jobs available is it not a little late to get in the game? What I mean is, that is being reactive. Why not have pre-established relationships? Why not have a passive candidate or talent pool in place?

What I find most ironic about this comments is his last bit of advice, “Learn how to write job postings...” is crazy. That is old news and old advice.

I do believe that a recruiter needs many different tools to use and in part this depends on who one recruits, in what industry and what area of the country. So Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, cold calls, networking, attending and/or sponsoring events, email, blog, RSS Feeds, optimized job ads and whatever else have been missed in my list need to be included.

To use the word SCAM in relation to teaching/training this material is about as silly as suggesting to learn to write a better job ad.

I guess I expected more from him.

Metrics, metrics, metrics. I have to say this is the most boring conversation to have. So I am going to keep this short.

I have been asked what kind of metrics/stats I have for the URL shortener I use on Twitter, Cligs.

Before giving some numbers I want to say that I post stuff that I find interesting. It may be something from my blog, another blog or a site like MSNBC or ESPN. So while I tend to focus on recruiter, HR, career stuff there is also a dose of politics, sports, economics, etc.

And while I do link to stuff I hope my Twitter followers find interesting I do not think ahead of time, “I wonder if they will like this.” I hope they do but I am not posting specifically for the audience.

Last note, I do not link to all of my blog posts simply because my goal is not to be on Twitter and have it just be about me. Lots of folks have good material that should be seen.

The following numbers are for links I have posted on Twitter since April 1:

• 1-10: 1
• 11-30: 11
• 31-50: 26
• 51-75: 11
• 76-100: 2

Those 100+:

• 104
• 125
• 130
• 144
• 150
• 271

And these for my Be Your Own Headhunter Seminars but note that the cli.gs is also used on LinkedIn groups so not all of these came just from Twitter:

• 181
• 308
• 390
• 399
• 402
• 446
• 478

While I think about it, I use TweetDeck and about 25% of what I put on Twitter I also put on my Facebook profile.

Note that these numbers include clicks from bots and other related spiders like things.

I hope that others will post their numbers or leave comments below. I am curious about what others are seeing with their links.

From: Amit Puri is the Managing Consultant at Sandbox Advisors. He has over 10 years of business and HR related experience, with companies such as Bain & Co, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. Sandbox Advisors is based in Singapore and provides career management and HR consulting services in Asia.

We asked a few recruiters what they like and what their pet peeves are, when it comes to resumes. Here’s what they had to say.

What they look for in a resume:

• “It has to do with whether the person has progressive career development along the way. Is there career growth, what type of projects and assignments did they handle. Will they fit the job they are applying for”
• “Appearance – should be sharp, readable, easy to skim, clean and no gaps”
• “If the content tells me quickly – “What makes this person stand out”
• “Does the candidate match the title, functional area and industry for the job in questions. It might be directly or peripherally, i.e. a related industry or function but should not be too far off. Then I will look for some sort of continuity in the resume”
• “What I look for is a summary of qualifications or key skills. I then look to see if there has been a progression in terms of taking on responsibility. I also like to see resumes that are customised to the job – what results and responsibilities do they have which are relevant for the job.”
• “I like to see a chronological resume. It just follows progression better and is easier to use”
• “Is there a basic match between the candidate and the job specification. The candidate doesn’t have to meet all criteria exactly but some basic things like language requirement must be met. People often ignore even such a basic requirement and apply anyway”

What their pet peeves are:

• “The functional resume. From a recruiters perspective we are typically trained to throw out the functional resume. Its just more work because we then need to look for an explain the gaps. If you’re using functional its needs to be presented very well”
• “The functional resume is fine but I like the chronological resume. It clearly shows me dates, data/facts, numbers, progression and results in proper order”
• “Spelling mistakes and other grammatical errors”
• “Too much information, provided in paragraph format which I can’t decipher. I just won’t waste my time with it”
• “Not enough white space on the resume”
• “Listing too many hobbies. Bragging too much, mentioning salary expectations, too much or too little information”
• “Not telling me anything about the company the worked for. I don’t know what ABC company on their resume does”
• “Just listing a bunch of accomplishments without any results or context.” For example – “Implemented an ERP system”
• “Attaching a cover letter without showing any knowledge of the company they are applying to and why they are a good fit for the job”
• “I want a cover letter. No cover letter -> no interview”
• “Not providing a link between what you state in your cover letter & what is included in your resume”
• “I like to see resumes customised to the company/job”
• “Generic resumes are of little value, as compared to a resumes which provide information targeted to the job”

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.

While Be Your Own Headhunter is under going a facelift this is how to stay in touch with upcoming seminars:

• MN Headhunter RSS Feed
• MN Headhunter RSS Via EMail
• MN Headhunter Newsletter

All presentations are 60-90 minutes with a Q&A that follows.

If you are a Twitter user and would like to provide immediate feedback during a presentation add #BYOH to your comments and suggestions. I will follow up with you on Twitter after the presentation.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are unable to attend the sessions during these times either click MN Headhunter Blog or Be Your Own Headhunter where you will find a calendar of events or register anyway so you can get the slides via email.

June 2nd, 3 PM CDT

Job Search Toolkit - Be Your Own Headhunter

This is for those in a job search or those thinking either by choice or force they will be doing one soon. Topics to be covered include:

• To plan your job search
• How to market yourself
• Ways to ask for referrals and advice
• Where to find the hidden job market
• Where to research companies
• How to find contact names and email addresses
• Tips on using email and phone for contacting and follow up

To register click Job Search Toolkit - Be Your Own Headhunter

June 3rd, 3 PM CDT

LinkedIn A to Z - Use LinkedIn Like A Headhunter

Whether you are using LinkedIn as a job seeker, recruiter, sales person or for general networking purposes this presentation will show you how to:

• Create and optimize your profile
• Create your personal URL
• Connect with and expand your network
• Find and participate in groups
• Research companies
• Use Google to see all of LinkedIn, not just your 3 degrees
• Write and ask for recommendations
• Participate in Questions and Answers
• Search for names using keywords, title, company, skill set and location
• Avoid pitfalls

To register click LinkedIn A to Z - Use LinkedIn Like A Headhunter

June 4th, 3 PM CDT

Using Social Media For Networking, Lead Generation And Job Search

For those of us who write a blog and/or have profiles on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Ning groups we often use these site to communicate with friends, coworkers and family but until recently very few thought of them as opportunities to network, for lead generation, find jobs and consulting opportunities.

I will walk through the use of blogs, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Ning groups showing ways one can:

• Optimize profiles with keywords, locations, etc
• Use the site to search others
• Join and create groups
• Overtly and covertly say you are networking, looking for customers, jobs or consulting gigs
• Show what you are working on and prove expertise
• Engage in a regional, local and industry conversation
• Connect and network prior to and after industry events

To register click Using Social Media For Networking, Lead Generation And Job Search

From: Peggy McKee, The Medical Sales Recruiter

Here are 10 of my best tips to help you have a great interview and get the job you want in medical sales, laboratory sales, clinical diagnostics sales, research laboratory sales, hospital equipment sales, imaging sales, medical device sales, pathology sales, pharmaceutical sales, DNA products sales, and biotechnology sales:

10.  Dress appropriately and watch your language.

9.  Do your homework on the company and what they are looking for before you get there.

8.  Have questions of your own to ask.

7.  Know how to close the interview and ask for the job.

6.  Remember that it’s a conversation.

5.  Know what to say if it turns out to be a behavioral interview.

4.  Know what to do when the money question comes up.

3.  Bring your brag book.

2.  Bring your 30-60-90-day sales plan.  It’s a sure-fire way to impress hiring managers.

1.  Before you go, visit with your medical sales recruiter for custom consulting and individual advice.

From: Mary Gormandy White, M.A., SPHR

As a business owner, one of the most important things you can do to boost your business and improve your professional skills and knowledge is to take the time to keep up with the latest business literature.

As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to feel like the challenges you face every day are unique to your situation. However, it is very likely that other professionals have faced, and overcome, many of the same challenges. There are so many great publications geared toward helping entrepreneurs just like you learn to deal with the day-to-day personal and professional challenges they face. Time you spend keeping yourself current with business literature is definitely time well spent. It is an investment in your business and in yourself.

Whatever your challenges are, you are likely to find great business publications, authored by successful professionals and consultants, that can provide valuable insight into dealing with whatever business challenges you are facing at any given time.

Suggested Topics Include:
The following list represents just a few of the many types of business literature that can help you hone your professional skills.

Business Networking: Books such as Million Dollar Networking and Nonstop Networking by Andrea Nierenberg provide great ideas for improving your business by learning to expand your network of business contacts.

Conflict Management: When you own or manage a business, dealing with conflict is an inevitable part of your job. Books such as the national bestseller Crucial Confrontations, written by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler, provide sound guidance for learning how to deal effectively with conflict.

Entrepreneurship: Dive Right In, the Sharks Won’t Bite by Jane Wesman is a great resource for those who are in the process of starting a new business, as well as for those who want to continue to improve their existing businesses.

Hiring Employees: Every time business owners are faced with adding a new employee, they wish they knew more about how to make the best choices from among the pool of applicants. Hire With Your Head by Lou Adler provides invaluable information about how to build great teams by using performance based hiring strategies.

Public Speaking: Does the thought of speaking in front of a group of people make you nervous or even terrify you? As a business owner, cultivating powerful presentation skills can be an excellent way to promote your business in your community and via the media. Publications like The Confident Speaker by Harrison Monarth and Larina Kase can help you learn how to overcome your public speaking fears.

Tip for Fitting Business Reading Into Your Busy Schedule
Entrepreneurs are notorious for taking care of everything and everyone except themselves. Most entrepreneurs will benefit greatly from making the time to focus on their own physical and mental well being, and most are also adept at multi-tasking. Since you’re probably already very good at juggling multiple tasks, why not put some of that  ability to work for yourself? It’s fairly simple to combine the exercise your body needs with acquiring knowledge that can help you lead your business in an even more successful direction.

Get a treadmill or elliptical trainer, and set aside thirty minutes each day for yourself. While you are exercising, listen to the latest business books on your MP3 player, or read if you are coordinated enough to handle a book and the exercise equipment at the same time. Your health and your stress levels are likely to improve dramatically, and you will be maximizing the use of your time!

While Be Your Own Headhunter is under going a facelift this is how to stay in touch with upcoming seminars:

• MN Headhunter RSS Feed
• MN Headhunter RSS Via EMail
• MN Headhunter Newsletter

All presentations are 60 minutes with a Q&A that follows.

If you are a Twitter user and would like to provide immediate feedback during a presentation add #BYOH to your comments and suggestions. I will follow up with you on Twitter after the presentation.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are unable to attend the sessions during these times either click MN Headhunter Blog or Be Your Own Headhunter where you will find a calendar of events or register anyway so you can get the slides via email.

May 27th, 12 PM CDT

Job Search Toolkit - Be Your Own Headhunter

This is for those in a job search or those thinking either by choice or force they will be doing one soon. Topics to be covered include:

• To plan your job search
• How to market yourself
• Ways to ask for referrals and advice
• Where to find the hidden job market
• Where to research companies
• How to find contact names and email addresses
• Tips on using email and phone for contacting and follow up

To register click Job Search Toolkit - Be Your Own Headhunter

May 28th, 12 PM CDT

LinkedIn A to Z - Use LinkedIn Like A Headhunter

Whether you are using LinkedIn as a job seeker, recruiter, sales person or for general networking purposes this presentation will show you how to:

• Create and optimize your profile
• Create your personal URL
• Connect with and expand your network
• Find and participate in groups
• Research companies
• Use Google to see all of LinkedIn, not just your 3 degrees
• Write and ask for recommendations
• Participate in Questions and Answers
• Search for names using keywords, title, company, skill set and location
• Avoid pitfalls

To register click LinkedIn A to Z - Use LinkedIn Like A Headhunter

May 29th, 12 PM CDT

Using Social Media For Networking, Lead Generation And Job Search

For those of us who write a blog and/or have profiles on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Ning groups we often use these site to communicate with friends, coworkers and family but until recently very few thought of them as opportunities to network, for lead generation, find jobs and consulting opportunities.

I will walk through the use of blogs, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Ning groups showing ways one can:

• Optimize profiles with keywords, locations, etc
• Use the site to search others
• Join and create groups
• Overtly and covertly say you are networking, looking for customers, jobs or consulting gigs
• Show what you are working on and prove expertise
• Engage in a regional, local and industry conversation
• Connect and network prior to and after industry events

To register click Using Social Media For Networking, Lead Generation And Job Search

While Be Your Own Headhunter is under going a facelift this is how to stay in touch with upcoming seminars:

• MN Headhunter RSS Feed
• MN Headhunter RSS Via EMail
• MN Headhunter Newsletter

All presentations are 60 minutes with a Q&A that follows.

If you are a Twitter user and would like to provide immediate feedback during a presentation add #BYOH to your comments and suggestions. I will follow up with you on Twitter after the presentation.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are unable to attend the sessions during these times either click MN Headhunter Blog or Be Your Own Headhunter where you will find a calendar of events or register anyway so you can get the slides via email.

May 19th, 3 PM CDT

Job Search Toolkit - Be Your Own Headhunter

This is for those in a job search or those thinking either by choice or force they will be doing one soon. Topics to be covered include:

• To plan your job search
• How to market yourself
• Ways to ask for referrals and advice
• Where to find the hidden job market
• Where to research companies
• How to find contact names and email addresses
• Tips on using email and phone for contacting and follow up

To register click Job Search Toolkit - Be Your Own Headhunter

May 20th, 3 PM CDT

LinkedIn A to Z - Use LinkedIn Like A Headhunter

Whether you are using LinkedIn as a job seeker, recruiter, sales person or for general networking purposes this presentation will show you how to:

• Create and optimize your profile
• Create your personal URL
• Connect with and expand your network
• Find and participate in groups
• Research companies
• Use Google to see all of LinkedIn, not just your 3 degrees
• Write and ask for recommendations
• Participate in Questions and Answers
• Search for names using keywords, title, company, skill set and location
• Avoid pitfalls

To register click LinkedIn A to Z - Use LinkedIn Like A Headhunter

May 21st, 3 PM CDT

Using Social Media For Networking, Lead Generation And Job Search

For those of us who write a blog and/or have profiles on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Ning groups we often use these site to communicate with friends, coworkers and family but until recently very few thought of them as opportunities to network, for lead generation, find jobs and consulting opportunities.

I will walk through the use of blogs, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Ning groups showing ways one can:

• Optimize profiles with keywords, locations, etc
• Use the site to search others
• Join and create groups
• Overtly and covertly say you are networking, looking for customers, jobs or consulting gigs
• Show what you are working on and prove expertise
• Engage in a regional, local and industry conversation
• Connect and network prior to and after industry events

To register click Using Social Media For Networking, Lead Generation And Job Search

From: Techruiter

Today I experienced my very first unemployment insurance hearing. I was representing my company against a claim made by one of my former consultants.  The following document is a must read for anyone looking to file for unemployment. It is essential that both employers and employees understand just how vague the law delineates why someone may or may not file for unemployment.

See this PDF: Massachusetts Unemployment Insurance

Essentially, if you quit, get fired, or refuse a job you cannot file a claim. However, termination is a thorny issue and even quitting can be viewed from various angles differently.

If your claim is challenged by your former employer you will have an opportunity to present your case at a hearing. The reason the employer is interested in having those benefits denied to you is that their unemployment contribution to the Massachusetts unemployment fund is directly related to how many employees file for unemployment and how much they collect.

See this lnk: 6. Financing Unemployment Insurance

For this reason, your former employer may send a representative to present their side of the story. The hearing takes about an hour depending on the circumstances as a Massachusetts Division of Unemployment agent gathers your testimony under oath. I suggest not lying under oath whether you are the employer or the claimant.

If the employer succeeds in challenging your claim, you will be liable for all the money the State of Massachusetts paid you over those months. You may also be persecuted for fraud, although I suspect this rarely happens since employment law is designed to protect the claimant rather than cause additional pain.

On the other hand, if the employer does not show up within 10 minutes of the hearings official start, the case is decided in your favor by default. I saw a very happy claimant when he was informed that the employer had not shown up. Whether his claim was legitimate or not become irrelevant in the eyes of the Massachusetts once the employer defaulted on the hearing.

Whether you file or not is completely up to you. Know your rights, but also beware of the employer challenge and Massachusetts State Law about fraud. After the hearing, I have no idea which way the agent will decide.

My friend is very talented and well connected but lazy when it comes to staying in touch with people. He has always has been but always had been able to get a new gig within 2 weeks of the previous one ending. With the market being good he would treat the 2 weeks as a vacation or a chance to do other things.

We knew his contract was coming to a close at the end of November after a 16 month run.

He kept saying, “Dude, I do not have the time or energy. I do not have time to attend industry events and my LinkedIn profile looks fine.”

He was right about his LinkedIn profile. It was and is still fine. But the issue with the logic is saying you are on LinkedIn and using LinkedIn, two very different things.

Even with the market slowing down he would have been able to get his next gig. He is that good. But then the slow down became a stall.

And then he started marketing himself AFTER his gig ended and slots were filled. Projects were planned and staffed. He found himself on the outside looking in.

One of our friends said, “I thought you would be at XYZ until after the 1^st of the year, why did you not say anything? You know we would have taken you on.”

So what did he lose? A lot:

15 weeks x 40 hours = 600 hours

600 hours x $80 an hour = $48,000

Here is the moral to the story, you need to manage your career the way you manage maintenance on your car, doctor check ups and your next family vacation.

Do not have time to manage your career?

You cannot afford not to.

I Love You

Ignite is an event with a variety of topics (some serious most not so much) with each presentation 20 slides and 5 minutes in length.

Mykl Roventine did a presentation on “Bad Fonts”. I do not have a clue what font is best or worst to use but Mykl certainly has made it so I know to not ever use Comic Sans.

Here is his presentation:

The Ignite Minneapolis site says they may be doing another event mid to late June. I am going to submit an idea on doing a job search but this one will be much more fun than what I usually do.

And they are looking for sponsors so if want to reach the crossroads of the Minnesota marketing, PR, Social Media and tech community this is money well spent.