While some industries continue to see sharp declines in job losses, other industries have remained strong during the recession, and some have even started to bounce back.
According to a recent report released by Beyond.com, Inc., a network of online communities for niche careers, healthcare and information technology are two industries that continue to add jobs at a steady pace. Their third quarter Career Trend Report for 2009 also indicated that sales, sales management, manufacturing, and production industries experienced slight increases in job gains in the third quarter of 2009, while professional services including accounting, finance, engineering, and architecture are experiencing declines in job loss.
For those looking for employment opportunities or looking to change careers, it’s important to market yourself, tailor your résumé to reflect the industry and the job you’re applying for, and research the company before the interview. There are several ways to make sure your résumé is top of mind when decision makers are sifting through piles of applicants.
Knowing what industries are hiring is important when looking for a job or making a career change. Once you have an idea of what areas are expanding, tailoring your résumé and making the right decisions on how you prepare can influence the hiring manager’s decision on whether or not you get the job.
As the economy continues to improve, experts are saying that the recession is coming to a close. This great news comes at a wonderful time – as companies and individuals are setting goals and making plans for 2010. So, we wanted to know how people were feeling about their pocket book outlook. In our latest reader poll, we asked “Do you think you’ll be making more money a year from now.”
Our readers were split nearly down the middle, but the positive outlook won out in the end!
To be exact, just over 291 people – 50% of our 578 respondents – replied yes. The rest, 287, were a no. The poll ran from October 5-October 30.
As the signs of a positive recovery continue to increase, what else are you thinking about for this upcoming year? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
With online networking websites continuing to grow at rapid speeds, doesn’t it sometimes seem that you have more friends/connections online than you know in real life? There’s that coworker you met very briefly at the companywide meeting. Another random person you met at the baseball game who has a LinkedIn account and works in your industry. Your sister’s best friend, her boyfriend, and his cousin. That guy who used to sit alone in your American History class in high school. This list goes on and on. Your online network could grow to hundreds of thousands of people, but would this allow for effective networking and relationship building?
Building a large network of connections is a good thing, and yes, that’s the purpose of most social media tools. But, it’s important to remember to be conscious of what information you do and do not post on your profile when using social media sites. Some sites, such as Facebook, are more heavily focused on socializing and staying connected to your friends. But did you know that many employers are hopping on the social media bandwagon too?
You never know who will see what you post online. It always seems there is someone who knows someone who knows you.To help you with your social media, here are a few basic rules to follow.
Learn about privacy settings. The first rule for using any social media site is to know what the privacy settings are. You might want to set your profile so that it can only be viewed by your friends. This way, once you have approved someone to be a friend, only then can they have access to your information and pictures. If they’re not a friend, they can’t access any information from you. This gives you some control over who sees your profile and who doesn’t.
After-hour pictures. Yes, everyone has a personal life outside of work, and what you do in your free time is your choice. But, realize that if you post party pictures, a co-worker or someone who interviewed you for a job might be able to see those photos. Another thing to keep in mind is that your friends can post things on your profile. On some sites like Facebook, friends can tag photos of you, so just make sure to do check-ups on your site to see what others might have posted about you. Remember that your networking profiles are a reflection of you, so use your best judgment when it comes to the featured content.
Spell check. Even if you are not a journalist or in a communication-related field, make sure you don’t have a lot of misspelled words on your profiles. Typos and misspellings could communicate a careless attitude or sloppiness – two things you don’t want to convey in the professional world.
Social media can be a great tool for staying connected, learning new industry tips, and showing that you are up-to-speed on current trends. In the digital age, personal and professional can overlap. So, use these tips to make sure you maintain a balanced online image. It’s always a good idea to put your best foot forward by always being professional, even in your personal life. To learn more, view our guide on social media for business leaders.
So, you think every one of your friends has an exciting job except for you. Feelings of envy, jealousy, or maybe even resentment can cloud your mind and cause you to doubt your feelings about your own job. Maybe it’s their company credit card that pays for all those so-called “networking dinners,” business trips to exotic places like Europe, the Bahamas, or New York City – hey, that’s exotic for some people – or invitations to all the upscale parties with very important people in the industry. While at your typical 8-5 job, the biggest perk is getting a pat on the back for a job well done.
If you sit around wondering how you can find a glamorous job, you may start to dwell on all the negative aspects of your job and completely overlook why you got into your profession in the first place. You begin to forget about the positive attributes your employer or position offers, which can take a toll on your work, attitude, and relationships. There is a fine line between admiration and jealousy, so before you become too envious of a friend’s job, keep the following in mind.
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. You’ve heard this expression a time or two, and it couldn’t be more true in this scenario. A job that might have the perks of travel, flashy dinners, or high profile parties could also correlate into long hours at the office, very few weekends off, and hardly any time for friends and family. People often look at other jobs and think about how much better they sound than their own jobs, but the truth is every job has its pros and cons.
Find the good in your job. Instead of thinking about all the negative aspects of your job, focus on what drew you to your job in the first place. Think about your relationships with co-workers, paid vacation time, or the time you’re able to spend away from work to be with your friends or family. Sometimes, the perks of a so-called glamorous job don’t outweigh the benefits of a traditional job.
So many of us focus on the things that we don’t have that we forget to be thankful for the things we do have. So, the next time you start feeling jealous of your friends’ jobs, stop comparing their careers with your own because they probably have things they dislike about their job as well.
Webster’s dictionary defines identity as, “the state or fact of being a specific person or thing; individuality; or the state of being as described.” Think of the things related to your profession that you excel at. Are you a PR professional, a budding scientist, or a math guru? What is your career identity? Now, what is my online career identity?
According to an article on CareerBuilder, four out of five hiring managers search for job applicants online in an attempt to learn more about that person. This same article also states that anyone, regardless of where you are in your working career, should have a strong online identity. How do you do this?
1. Identify How and Where You Want to Brand Yourself
With today’s social media, you have many avenues in which you can build your online identity. However, don’t try to build your brand on every site. Be specific, and look for those sites that relate to your industry and profession. If you’re an engineer, it won’t do you any good to be a member of Greatest Chef’s of the World.com. Also, if you’re on 100 different social media networking sites, it might send the wrong impression that you don’t understand social networking or that you have too much time on your hands. Keep things relevant to you and your abilities.
2. Create Personal Social Networking Accounts
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Myspace. This list can go on and on. These sites aren’t just for social purposes. They can help enhance your career. On these sites, you can list your interests, education, and employment information. They also allow you to make connections with others in your industry and communicate with each other. You can also update your status which is blasted out to all your connections, keeping them updated about what you’re doing.
These are great tools for sharing information about your industry, learning new skills, and building relationships. But, be careful and keep things professional even though these are social networking sites. One small mistake could ruin the positive image you’re trying to build.
3. Blog
Somewhere online you can find blogs specifically related to your industry or that provide information that interests you. Today, many online business newsletters are in a blog format. Someone posts an announcement or article and you are able to make provide feedback. Take advantage of this and write comments back on those postings. Not only are you sharing your knowledge and building your credibility, but it also gets your name out there to others who are reading the blog. You’re identifying yourself and your expertise.
Social media is ever growing and it changes quickly. Sign up to receive publications from your industry to stay aware of what things are happening in your career field and learn how these types of communication can be applied. When it comes to your career, don’t forget that your number one asset is you. How do you want to be branded?
Creating goals is a great way to keep yourself motivated, focused, and progressing throughout the year. As we approach the close of the year, goal-setting is a hot topic, especially in business. But you can set goals for yourself any time of year, for any reason. To get started, determine the areas you want to set goals in.
1) Select Goal Types.
Personal – As the most common type of goals, these may focus on personal enrichment activities, health and fitness objectives, hobbies, spiritual enrichment, etc. Though the new year is a popular time to set these goals, creating short-to-mid-term , measurable personal goals may be more realistic and help you get the results you want.
Job Search – Looking for a job? The job search can be a long and daunting process, so create weekly and monthly goals to keep yourself on track.
Work – Want to really enjoy your work? Create goals for yourself so you can enjoy the feeling of continual success as you accomplish your daily tasks.
Career – Want to move up in your career or even switch fields? Career goals can be mid-to long- term and help you advance in your profession.
Networking – Whether in social media or in person, creating networking goals can help you expand your network and deepening relationships with important contacts.
Education – Want to pursue a degree, vocational training, or apprenticeship? Educational goals are critical because they can help you make important decisions on coursework, programs, conferences and even career choices.
Once you’ve selected the areas you want to create goals for, use the SMART goals formula to set goals that will help you progress. This formula is a time-tested way to create goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based.
Specific – Make sure your goals are clear and well-defined. For example, instead of creating a health goal such as “work out more,” create a goal: “to exercise twice a week.”
Measurable – How will you know if you’re accomplishing your goals? Make them measurable from the get-go! The goal “ to exercise twice a week” is something you can measure, as long as you can count to two! Let’s try a more complex goal, like an educational process. Instead of “to obtain a college diploma,” which is very vague, “complete 20 hours of coursework towards my bachelor’s degree this year, is something you can check to ensure progress as time goes by.
Achievable – You don’t want to set your goals so high you can’t reach them. On the other hand, you don’t want to set them so low they don’t mean much. So, make sure you are taking into account personal, financial, and other factors. Make your goals something you can accomplish through diligent effort.
Relevant – This may seem like an odd component of a good goal, but especially when it comes to your work life, it’s important to have relevant goals. For example, if you want to become a manager, setting a goal to get a degree in philosophy might not be the best idea. So, make sure your goals are something relevant to you.
Time-based – Goals that have no deadline are little more than talk. That’s because without deadlines, you’ll find yourself procrastinating on your progress. Timelines are one of the most important parts of goal-setting, but it’s the thing most people leave out of the process. So, give your goals deadlines and stick to them!
The final step in the goal-setting process is to write your goals down, share them with someone who can hold you accountable, and measure your progress. Also share your goal deadlines with a friend, colleague, family-member, or other trusted person. Have them follow up with you on your timeline to help keep you on track!
Are you setting goals for this month? Are you already planning goals for next year? Share your thoughts on goals in the comments section, and feel free to share a goal with us there, too!
With the national unemployment rate reaching 9.8% in September, competition in the job market feels fiercer than high school cheerleading tryouts. With all that opposition, it’s important to stand out from the crowd. But, standing too far out can be risky business. So, before you resort to a showy song and dance routine (unless of course your next interview is on Broadway, in which case, break a leg) or any of these three job search tactics, make sure you weigh the risks so you don’t set yourself too far apart in your next interview and risk losing the job.
1. The unconventional résumé. Non-traditional résumés like website portfolios, podcasts and video résumés might be the wave of the future, but not every business or industry is suited for them. So, whatever résumé form you choose to submit, make sure it’s smart, relevant, and effective with your industry and audience when you interview. If you do use an unconventional résumé, consider pairing it with a traditional one for more conservative fields.
2. The statement wardrobe choice. First impressions are made within three to five seconds, so what you wear says a lot about who you are. A Lady Gaga-sense of style may win you rave reviews at fashion week, but professional dress is more appropriate for most interviews (unless you’re applying for a job as a stylist). While you should always be yourself, be a toned-down version of you in the interview, especially if you’re the type to rock fuchsia pumps or a yellow bow tie. Before your interview, learn about the company culture and atmosphere to determine how you should dress.
3. The overly confident boaster. Confidence allows potential employers to see your ability, enthusiasm, and drive. It’s important to present your past experiences and accomplishments with assurance. But, when you discuss your successes and achievements, be sure to give specific and quantifiable examples. And, back your examples with solid references who will do the talking for you. You run the risk of seeming pretentious and arrogant if you give only vague statements of your triumphs.
When you’re looking for a job, consider each risk carefully. Of course you need to stand out, but in the right way. Be brave by being you in a way that demonstrates your skills, attitude, and character. A sincere job applicant can be the diamond in the rough that employers are looking for.
On the minds of many individuals is whether or not they will see an increase in their salary in the next year. With a new year just around the corner and hope for the economy on the rise, the future looks brighter. So what about your future?