New Grad Life

5 Subliminal Tricks That Make an Employer Adore You

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Cormac) — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Speak in a job interview physically, not just verbally

By Landon Long

Okay, we know everyone adores you anyways, but even you Brad Pitts and Angelina Jolie’s can’t get everything you want on looks alone. Sure, some of that physical attraction counts, but what counts even more is your subliminal body language. Even if people don’t realize it, this is the thing that creates the vibes people love.

Here are 5 ways to get people hooked on you in one sitting.

1. Maintain Good Eye Contact

Eye Contact is huge. Imagine talking to someone who never looked at you, not even once. Rather, they scanned the room with their eyes: the walls, the floor, the ceiling—anything but you. Would you feel like they were listening? Even an unusually long look in the other direction would throw the whole conversation off.

Good eye contact establishes rapport. The listener should be giving more eye contact than the person speaking, as if receiving the information not simply by listening but through sight as well, which is sort of what is going on with all the body language involved.

Be careful, though, being too intense can have the opposite effect. Try to maintain good contact throughout about 70% of the conversation. Gentleman, the ladies are a lot better about making eye contact when listening, so if you’re having issues watch the way they do it. Many have it down to an art.

2. Posture: Not the Time to Practice Your Gangster Lean

A confident, able individual has good posture, and a slouch creates the impression that you are unorganized, unambitious, and undisciplined. Good posture says a lot about someone, so this is something you should work on long before you walk into an interview. Use posture exercises to learn how to master this skill.

Also, a good listener leans towards the speaker, as if trying to get closer. This is a temporary submissive gesture to ease the exchange of ideas. Don’t get so far up in their grill that they can diagnose your halitosis; just lean forward a bit as if making a conscious effort to hear their words.

When its your turn to speak, remain in a more neutral position. Don’t lean back as if you own the place or you might seem unnecessarily arrogant. Sit up straight and save the leaning for when you’re listening.

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How College Grads Can Thrive in Phone Interviews

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Aldridge) — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 07:05:00 +0000

How job seekers can overcome phone interviews easily

Phone interviews are becoming a common way for employers to screen potential employees during the hiring process. Unlike traditional, in-person job interviews, phone interviews are usually fairly short, require less preparation, and can even be outsourced by the employer if necessary. These features make phone interviewing an effective way to narrow down the list of candidates before scheduling in-person interviews. Unfortunately, many people are not comfortable conducting a conversation of that importance over the phone. If the prospect of a phone interview makes you nervous, these tips can help turn an awkward interview into a confidence-inspiring success.

Preparation is the Name of the Game

When preparing for a phone interview, don’t forget that not all recruiters and employers schedule them ahead of time. At any moment, a recruiter could stumble across your resume or an employer could decide to call you in regards to a recent application. Your chances for success in your job search will be greatly improved if you try to always expect the unexpected (especially during a job interview).

Keep Your Resume Near the Phone

Knowing that you could get a call from a recruiter or an employer at any moment, you should always keep a recent copy of your resume near the phone. That way, whether or not your phone interview is anticipated, you will have all the information you need right at your fingertips. Of course for a job interview, your resume is not the only resource you should keep handy.

Create a log for keeping track of the resumes you send out, recording each company, position title, contact name, date the position was applied for, and qualifications for the job. If you have a chance to research the company, make a file with that information, and keep it near the phone as well. Finally, you should always have access to a notepad and pen during a phone interview, so that you can write down the interviewer’s name, key questions he or she asked, and your responses.

Practice (and a Cheat Sheet) Makes Perfect

Just like with a traditional job interview, you should try to anticipate questions the interviewer might ask. If you have come up with examples and practiced your answers ahead of time, you will sound much more intelligent and confident in the interview. Moreover, since the interviewer cannot see you, there is nothing to stop you from referring to a “cheat sheet” – notes to help you remember your practiced answers, so that you never sound like you have been taken off guard.

When you practice your answers and put together your cheat sheet, you should think about job interview questions that are traditionally asked, such as:

• Tell me about yourself.
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Where do you see yourself in 1/5/10 years?
• What is your leadership style? Please give an example of a real situation.

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7 Reasons Why Your Job Networking Doesn't Work

noreply@blogger.com (New Grad Life) — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 07:01:00 +0000

Job networking's common pitfalls

This guest post was written by David Couper. You can find the original source article on selfgrowth.com

1. Not doing your research.

- Make sure you know who will help you and why. Understand your business and how it works. Research which are the companies that you want to work with and which are the ones that you don't. If you don’t you run the risk of blowing the job.
- I called someone without researching their company only to find that they didn't work in Europe like I thought they did. So my pitch about my European background was wasted.

2. Networking with the wrong people.

- A Career Fair may be a great place for some people looking for a job but not always. A lawyer I know wasted an afternoon meeting with fast-food providers looking for entry-level staff. She didn't want to learn to flip!
- If you are an actor the best place to get a job is hanging out with other actors but with buyers - producers and directors. Hang out for support but not for opportunities.
- Watch out for scams, opportunists and ne-er-do-wells. Don't pay for a networking opportunity unless you have checked it out and got some good feedback. Be smart!

3. Not being clear why you are there.

- Do you want information?
- Do you want names?
- Do you want job leads?
- Do you want to get free food?
Make sure you have a purpose and stick to it.

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Resume Tip: 5 Ways To Prevent Emailed Resumes From Getting Blocked as Spam

noreply@blogger.com (Brenda Mitchell) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Get your resume to their inbox

If you’re looking for work and creating a resume, you should not only carefully review the resume, but also consider some tactics to make sure your emailed resume isn’t getting lost in employers’ spam email filters.

If you’re on the hiring side of the desk, check for the same problem, which may be be preventing you from seeing the resumes of highly qualified candidates.

When this post was originally written in October 2004, the Wall Street Journal had just reported on this problem of the growing use of spam filtering technology and its potential interference with emailed resumes (excerpted here).

Spam-filtering technology has improved since then, while spammers have changed methods, so we’ve expanded, updated, and republished this post to help today’s jobseekers with the following resume tips.

1. When Creating a Resume, Avoid Problematic, “Spammy” Words.

According to this WSJ article, some good resumes are filtered out as spam due to the use of specific “bad” words common in spam:

The mere presence of words such as “free,” “expand,” “trial,” “mortgage,” or exclamation points or colored backgrounds — all of which might be used by resume writers as well as spammers — could trigger some filters.

The WSJ told the story of an applicant who had received his MBA degree magna cum laude. Who wouldn’t want to list that honor in their resume?
However, spam filters have a little problem with the word “cum,” because of its less honorable meaning, as this applicant learned when a company informed him that his resume had been deleted from its system because it contained an “obscenity.”

He fixed the problem: His resume now says he graduated with “high honors.”

Similarly, while creating a resume to be emailed, think about the words you use and whether you commonly see them in the spam you receive. Those “spammy” words may relate to:

◦ Types of products and services commonly marketed through spam (be careful if you’ve brokered mortgages or sold pharamaceuticals!).
◦ Sales pitch adjectives like “free” or “best.”

◦ Dollar amounts. It may be important to include on your resume how much your average sales were, how much you increased revenues, etc., but beware: dollar amounts are common to spam, either in prices or as part of the sales pitch (such as “make over $10,000 a month with Google”).

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Top 100 Niche Job Sites

noreply@blogger.com (Chad Bauer) — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Job boards and job search engines you may have missed

There are tons of job sites out there, but often during your job search on them you fill find few within a very particular job field or industry. If you want to get a job in a niche industry, it's even harder. So take a look at the Top 100 Niche Job Sites list here so you can spend more time on effective job boards and land the job you want today.

accounting
• accountingjobstoday
• careerbank.com owned by OnTargetJobs.com
• jobsinthemoney.com owned by Dice.com

administrative
• bizjournals.com
• net-temps.com

advertising
• marketingjobs.com
• talentzoo.com

art
• artjob.org
• artsusa.org

attorney
• lawjobs.com

automotive
• autojobs.com
• automotivejobsonline.com
• needtechs.com

bank
• bankjobs.com
• careerbank.com owned by OnTargetJobs.com
• jobsinthemoney.com owned by Dice.com

callcenter
• callcenterjobs.com

clerical
• net-temps.com

college
• aftercollege.com
• collegegrad.com
• collegerecruiter.com
• universityjobs.com

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5 Crazy Job Interview Tips That Work

noreply@blogger.com (New Grad Life) — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 07:09:00 +0000

Job interview tips you can't miss

Reprinted with permission from careerealism.com.

Preparing for an interview can be a nerve wracking experience. Fortunately, there are some ways to prep for it which will let you ace the interview. While these may seem like strange pre-interview routines, they actually do work and will help you to land the job of your dreams:

1. Look at Facebook

This is actually two strategies in one. First of all, check your Facebook profile out and make sure that your own profile is set to private and there are no embarrassing photos of you tagged on the site. If there are, untag yourself from those photos and ask your friends if they would please refrain from tagging you. If possible, get the photos taken down. Double check as well that status updates you’ve posted aren’t embarrassing. If they are, delete them.

While this won’t completely remove the record of those photos, it does make it harder to find. That in turn means if you ace the interview, your interviewer is less likely to find embarrassing material online which will make them think twice about calling you back for a second interview.

The second half of this technique is to find out the name of the person who will be interviewing you and look up their Facebook profile. Get as much information as you can about the person since this will be helpful to you to throw into the conversation when you are meeting with them. Showing an interest in something the person is interested in is a sure way to get yourself remembered out of the hundreds of interviews the hiring manager has to conduct.

2. Prepare a Folder to Fiddle With

Yeah, it sounds strange, but this is a great pre-interview technique that can come in handy. Often, you will be asked to wait for a few minutes before your interview. Most times, it’s just because the person interviewing you is busy or wants to make you feel as if you aren’t the most important person for them to meet. However, on occasion, this is actually a test. They will secretly observe you to see what you do when you are waiting to be interviewed. If you have a folder with your papers in it, you can spend the time appearing to organize yourself so you ace that test.

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10 Words To NEVER Use On Your Resume

noreply@blogger.com (New Grad Life) — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 07:44:00 +0000

Make your resume flawless

This article was reprinted with permission from http://resumeguru.us .

Here are 10 of the most overused, uber-cliché words you could ever use on a resume, cover letter or job application. Here’s why:

1) Ambitious: “If it were so, it was a grievous fault; and grievously hath Caesar answer’d it.” Ambition may be a wonderful thing for your career, but no one wants to hire someone who’s going to try to replace them or leave as soon as he gets a bit of training at the company’s expense.

2) Competent: If that’s the best you can say about your work performance maybe you ought to consider a new line of work, perhaps the Post Office. When the chips are down we want people who are awesome. Don’t tell us you’re competent, show us you’re amazing.

3) Creative: The last thing we need is more creative accountants. You’re trying to demonstrate business value. Creativity is neither measurable nor reliable. It can sometimes be turned into profit. In that case tell us how you did it and how much it was worth. Let us determine for ourselves how creative you are.

4) Efficient: So was Jack the Ripper. What we really want to know is how you’re efficiency is going to make us money.

5) Flexible: What are you, a contortionist? If by this you mean that you’re able to take on a number of different tasks then show us a range of what you can do. Better yet, show us the range of results you can get. If you mean that you can put your foot behind your head then show us that too, you’ll definitely get remembered.

6) Hard-working: We could say the same of a prisoner on a chain-gang. What an employer is looking for is results. If you achieve them by hard work or occasional bursts of brilliance doesn’t matter a whole lot. Merely working hard isn’t enough. For all we know you tend to do it at cross-purposes.

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The 10 Biggest Job Hunt Myths

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney Austin) — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Don't fall for these traps in your job search

There's more job search mythology being passed around than even the ancient Greeks could have imagined. Some of the most well-traveled and persistent myths are also the most dangerous ones -- because following this faux wisdom could sabotage your job search efforts.

Here are 10 of my favorite job-search myths, and the reality to replace each one.

MYTH: In your resume, you should talk about how you're great at everything.

Have you ever seen a job posting that said, "We want to hire someone who's good at everything"? Individual department managers get approval to hire people to perform certain specific duties. The last thing you want on your resume is a message that says, "I can do Sales, Marketing, Finance, Customer Service, or Manufacturing!" No one will believe you, and you won't be the best fit for any job, anywhere.

Reality: Use your resume to talk about how you're really strong in two or three areas. If you need more than one resume, so be it.

MYTH: The people who get jobs are the ones who apply for the most jobs

The people who actually get jobs are the ones who create thoughtful, targeted approaches to the jobs they're especially well suited for. Lobbing dozens of random resumes with boilerplate cover letters into inboxes across America doesn't help you.

Reality: Approach each job opportunity with a targeted letter and, if necessary, a customized resume that links your background and the job's requirements.

MYTH: The more information on your resume, the better!

Editing is an important business skill. If your resume includes the details for the jobs you held before 1990, your resume is too long. Two pages in an absolute max for non-academic resumes, and in those two pages you want to tell us the most important bits, not every task and duty you've ever been responsible for.

Reality: The best resumes are concise, pithy and specific. Less is more when it comes to describing your strengths and talents.

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What R.E.S.U.M.E Stands For

noreply@blogger.com (New Grad Life) — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Resume writing explained in a different way

We all know that a resume is basically a written summary of your skills, background, and experience related to a particular field – but what does the word “resume” actually stand for?

The truth is the word “resume” doesn’t actually stand for anything, but we thought it was a good idea to think of which words could best describe the process through which you can improve your resume. Read on to see what your resume is missing and what you can do to improve it.

Recognize

It’s important to first recognize the employer’s needs. Take a look at the job posting and highlight the most important parts; the job duties, responsibilities, and requirements. Keywords are very important to note here. If you’re not sure which keywords are important, search for a similar job posting and see which similar words you find. Reviewing the overall job description is another way to truly understand the purpose of the position – and if you can indeed serve that purpose.

Evaluate

Compare your resume to the job posting and see what differences and similarities exist. This is a good time to reflect upon your resume keyword-wise and see what you could change to grab the employer’s attention. Think about your qualifications as a job candidate and see if you really fit the position you are applying for. As job seekers get desperate they’ll often apply to jobs they aren’t qualified for and this not only frustrates the employer who has to go through hundreds of resumes, but it also makes a job seeker’s life more difficult with yet another rejection letter to read.

Strategize

Now that you know which particular keywords are relevant within the job duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and description, it’s time to form a strategy for your resume.

Take some time to write down all the major duties and responsibilities of the last position you held. As you’re writing them down, it should now be apparent which ones are relevant to the job you’re applying for. Write down a list of your accomplishments as well (professional or academic) and again note which ones would make sense to use for this particular job posting.

This process basically tailors your resume to the specific job you’re applying for - it makes you rethink exactly what you’re putting on your resume and whether or not you could be putting something more relevant that you hadn’t thought of before.

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50 Job Search Tips That Work

noreply@blogger.com (Chad Bauer) — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Get one job in many ways

Reprinted with permission from blog.hiredmyway.com.

It’s a tough job market out there.

It’s not uncommon for hundreds of resumes to flood a company for just one position. This means that it’s a buyer’s market for employers and you’ll need to bring your A-Game to stand out from the crowd.

Every day we work with employers and recruiters to find and hire serious job seekers. One advantage for you is that we’ve been able to compile the best tips from top companies and recruiters.

Here are 50 of the top job search tips and strategies that we’ve uncovered –

Preparation

1. Do Your Homework: Always research the organization prior to interviewing. Knowing some of the company’s successes and accolades, such as awards and charitable actions, shows that you have done your homework.
2. Have a Focused Plan: Create a list of companies that you will systematically contact. Prioritize companies that are a close match to your experience and skills.
3. Schedule Networking: Treat networking like a job. Fill your calendar with events and follow-up regularly.
4. Arrive 10 Minutes Before the Interview: Arriving early relieves the stress of possibly being late and demonstrates that you are responsible and dependable.
5. Professional Email: Don’t use your “party email” for follow-up. Get an email address that is simple and professional.

6. Get Business Cards: Make a point of asking for your contact’s business card. This will ensure that you have correct titles and spelling for follow-up.
7. Stay Updated: Set up Google Alerts for each of your top employment prospects. Review the latest news before your interview.
8. Practice Your Writing Skills: All professional positions require excellent writing skills. Take the time to upgrade yours.

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7 Job Interview Sins You Cannot Make

noreply@blogger.com (New Grad Life) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 07:20:00 +0000

Job interviews have a few more tricks to them thank you think

This post was originally written by Pete Leibman and was reprinted with permission from ncmahq.org.

1. You are not well-prepared.

The job is won or lost before the interview begins, based on your preparation.

2. You have not taken the steps necessary to control your anxiety.

-It's normal to be nervous in a job interview. While some people will naturally get more nervous than others, you can control and reduce your anxiety by being well-prepared, practicing ahead of time, looking your best, showing up early, and so on.

3. You are not professional at all times.

I won't list all the possible ways you could be unprofessional. Let's just say that you can blow your chances of getting hired in the first three seconds you meet someone. Make sure you have confident body language, your breath is fresh, and that you don't have any body odor or smell like smoke. Make sure you are nicely groomed. Turn your cell phone off before the interview. Don't say anything that could damage your chances. Don't volunteer more information than is needed. Never let your guard down. And...don't be weird! Seriously. One of my friends started her own business recently, and she told me of all sorts of bizarre ways that people showed up and acted in interviews. She said it was amazing how hard it was to find someone who was "normal."

4. You give the interviewer too much credit.

First of all, do not make the person interviewing you into some almighty king or queen. When I interviewed with an NBA team president as a college student, I talked to her like an equal, and she respected me for that. Secondly, do not assume the interviewer knows what he or she is doing. I conducted interviews for a previous employer and I had no training, and none of my colleagues did either! This happens more often than you might think, and more often than any employer will publicly admit. Lastly, do not assume the interviewer is familiar with your background. I once interviewed with a senior executive when I was in the process of leaving my job in the NBA. I showed up with a professional portfolio with the logo of the team I used to work for on it. The interviewer said, "Oh, are you a big fan of theirs or something?" I replied, "Well, yes, I work for the team." He said "Oh, wow, that must be very cool." The guy had clearly not even read my résumé or cover letter at all!

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"Related Experience" = Key for Landing a Job for New Grads

noreply@blogger.com (Angela Astley) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 07:03:00 +0000

How to show an employer how much of a strong job candidate you are

If you still have some time to go before you graduate, you have a perfect opportunity to make things easy on yourself when it comes time to look for your first "real" job. Just get some experience related to what you want to do when you graduate. This is a "no-brainer". Just do it. Nothing (not even a 4.0 GPA) will be more valuable to you as you start looking for that first professional position than some real-for-sure, hands-on, related experience. Even if you have to work for free, do it if you can . . . it'll pay off in the end. Here's how to do it.

Where Can I Get Related Experience?

• Internships and Co-op Experience - If you can get into an internship or co-op position related to what you want to do after you graduate, do it. Don't even think about it . . . just do it! If your school has a career center, they often can help you find these positions. If not, start looking on your own. Target companies in your field and apply to them for summer work. Don't expect to run the place and don't expect to make a pile of money. Do expect to gain some valuable experience worth its weight in gold on your resume when you graduate.

• Part-time Jobs - If you work part-time to support yourself in school, try to find jobs that are related to your field. For example, if your major is finance, try to find a part-time job as a bank teller. No, you might not make as much money as you would make in tips waiting tables at a classy restaurant, but if you can get by financially, do it. And even if you have to wait tables, maybe you can try to get involved in areas related to your career goal. For example, if your major is advertising or public relations, maybe you can offer to help with the restaurant's advertising and promotional efforts. If your major is computer science, maybe you can write a custom program that helps your boss run his business.

• Professors - Is your major chemistry? Volunteer to be a lab assistant to your chemistry professor. Yes, you're going to spend a lot of time washing laboratory glassware but you may get to watch or participate in some experiments or research along the way, too. And putting this experience on your resume shows that you like working in a lab, otherwise why would you have volunteered to work there when you didn't have to?

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Ignore The Economy, College Grads

noreply@blogger.com (New Grad Life) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 07:22:00 +0000

College grads, time to black out the negative news

“Half of college grads have jobs that don’t require diplomas,” “Half of all grads have moved back in with their parents,” “College grads face bleak job prospects” – okay, we get it. Times are tough, there’s no doubt about that at all. But how does it help you to keep reading day by day individual horror stories of struggling college grads?

The real thing is, as a college graduate, if you have a job now, you can still sympathize with those who are struggling – you probably went through that rough patch at one point in your life to get that very first job. There’s nothing wrong with being able to reminisce and relate.

Unfortunately, if you are a college graduate who does not have a job yet, you have to start questioning the effects of reading such dreadful stories on the regular. I’m not staying stick your head in the sand and ignore reality, because unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 4 years you probably know the job market isn’t that great now. The point is that you should really start to ignore – yes, ignore - the horrific headlines regarding what college graduates are going through right now. I mean it.

If you are willing to move to another city or state to land a job, then by all means do pay attention to the unemployment rates. If you have no intention of ever doing this then don’t concern yourself with places you don’t live in, whether better or worse.

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10 Signs Your Resume Needs Updating

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Aldridge) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 07:05:00 +0000

A resume tune-up

Reprinted with permission from http://theundercoverrecruiter.com

The dynamic job market of today keeps changing and what was required on a resume a few years ago could be the show stopper today. To roll with the punches the clever job seeker has to be flexible and prepared to adapt, this goes especially for your resume. Resumes are living documents and will change over time, just like you should. The devil is most often in the detail and are you confident that your resume will do you justice?

Signs that tell you it’s time for a little resume makeover:

1. The title is... Resume

Even if you use the fancy spelling and call it résumé, it's not going to do you any favors as recruiters and HR people look at 100s of resumes per day and yours won't stand out. In fact, in can be rather annoying for them as they have to change the titles themselves sometimes. Make the title your name and make sure the file name is your name as well.

2. It's one page only

Not sure who came up with this recommendation in the first place, I have friends who had a one page document for years. Your resume should obviously be concise and to the point but one page does make it look like there is a page missing and probably left in the printer. The rule of thumb is, the longer the career, the longer the resume so go ahead and fill out what you have done and if it lands at 2 full pages that is fine (as long as it’s relevant information).

3. You have included age, height, weight, and marital status

These personal details have no place in your resume, if it’s on your profile you might be accused of ageism and other unpleasant things. Make sure to remove.

4. You have a photo

A photo on a resume is a bit weird somehow, it comes across as the person is using their looks to secure a job. And most often the photo will not be great and therefore do more harm than good to an applicant. There are of course exceptions to this rule, in case you are in TV, modeling, entertainment etc you can get away with it. You will be told when a photo is required on a resume and by default it is not.

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Tricky interview questions to prepare for

A job interview is no easy task. In fact many job seekers have trouble with the same set of questions. To ease the process of interviewing, we've listed the Top 10 Hardest Job Interview Questions. Focus on these job interview questions, study them, learn them, research them, and ace your next job interview!

1. Why did you get fired/ terminated? - This question is tricky yet needs to be answered with full honesty. The interviewer would want to hear your honesty and your side of the story. Support your answer with a very good explanation. In case you get fired due to legal issues, explain that you were currently working on it and that it does not have anything to do with your performance. Your explanation in your answer is very important; it should be direct and should not contain intersections.

2. Tell me about problems you encountered with Supervisors- Another tricky question that will test how you worked with your superiors. I suggest not to be too honest in answering this question. For example, common observations such as being bossy, opinionated, authoritarian, or being a keen observer are the common traits of a Supervisor that are incorrectly used. Instead, cite a personal experience that you had encounter with a supervisor so that the interviewer would understand why it became your problem.

3. What Qualities do you look for in a boss? - Do not answer with the most common traits that a boss should possess like "being nice to employees" or a good leader. You should relate your answer with your work. For example “My ideal boss is someone who can make time to hear employees' opinions or ideas, and a boss who cares to listen and give fair his/her opinion with my work.”

4. As a professional, do you have any disappointments? - Cite the experience that really disappoints you, as you relay the story behind it make sure that you state something that you have learned after.

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Why a Roth IRA Is the Perfect Savings Account for Students

noreply@blogger.com (New Grad Life) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 07:02:00 +0000

A smart savings move for new grads

This guest post was written by Go Banking Rates, bringing you informative personal finance content and helpful tools, as well as the best interest rates on financial services nationwide.

With all of the concerns facing modern college students, retirement is rarely a topic of conversation. After all, you're probably wondering how to pay for four years or more of higher education, not save money you won't use for at least 40 years. However, retirement does come up once in a while and it's quite likely you've heard Roth IRAs mentioned at some point. So what are they and why do people keep talking about them?

A Roth IRA is a retirement account, true, but it's much more. It's a savings vehicle, emergency fund and tax reduction strategy all in one. Even better, it offers advantages to students and young people like yourself, for whom retirement may seem like a far-off idea.

Making the Most of Roth IRAs In College

Here's the main attraction of Roth IRAs: You put up to $5,000 per year into it now, let it accumulate interest and other earnings for the next several decades so it grows to be much bigger than the amount you put it. You take all the money out after you retire and you never pay taxes on the earnings from all those years.

That's right--the taxes on a lifetime of compounded interest, dividends and so forth are not just put off or taxed at a reduced rate. Your taxes on them will be exactly zero, as long as you play by the rules.

The Rules of a Roth

One thing a Roth IRA does not do is give you a tax deduction when you put money into it like a traditional IRA or 401(k). For most young people, that's no great loss; they're probably paying few, if any, income taxes yet. Besides, you enjoy tax-free withdrawals anyway.

But, you say, what if I need the money now? That's where Roth IRAs are really flexible. Say you make a contribution and next month your car needs a new transmission. As long as the due date for your tax return hasn't passed, you can take your contribution plus any earnings back out as if you never made it in the first place. You can also withdraw your contributions (not earnings on them) anytime without penalty. In that way, your Roth IRA also doubles as a safety net for emergencies.

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Top 3 Cover Letter Mistakes

noreply@blogger.com (Terrance Williams) — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Cover letter mistakes you're probably making

As a career coach and professional resume writer, I'm often asked "How important are cover letters to my job search?" My answer is, "It depends on how long you want to search for your next job." If you are in no hurry to get interviews, then don't worry about your cover letter.

The fact is I've never met a job searcher who wants to have a painfully slow job search. The whole point of sending out resumes is to get multiple interviews as quickly as possible. But many job seekers still unwittingly sabotage their efforts by using substandard cover letters. Instead of helping you, your cover letter may actually be hurting your job search.

For fast job search results, make sure to avoid these top three cover letter mistakes:

1. Not understanding the hiring motives of your audience
2. Repeating rather than introducing your resume

3. Overuse of the word "I"

1. Not understanding the hiring motives of your audience

There are three basic audiences that a job seeker sends his/her resume to: executive decision-makers, resume screeners, and third-party recruiters. Each of these groups has its own hiring motives.

   • Executive decision-makers are looking for candidates who will have a significant impact on bottom-line initiatives, such as time saved, income generated, revenue built, etc.
   • Resume screeners are searching for candidates who directly match the lists of qualifications in the job description.
   • Third-party recruiters are looking for selling points to help position you as a top candidate.

Knowing these hiring motives will help you craft your cover letter specifically to catch the attention of your particular hiring audience. By appealing directly to the reader, you are creating an immediate bond that will make you a stronger candidate.

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50 Tips To Get Your Resume Read

noreply@blogger.com (Terrance Williams) — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 07:10:00 +0000

Resume qualities that will land you an interview

Reprinted with permission from blog.hiredmyway.com.

So you’ve found a job posting for your dream position. Now what?

The job search can be a frustrating process, but it’s also a time full of possibility and potential. Each new listing is a chance for an exciting new opportunity. But once you’ve found a job that sounds like the perfect fit, how do you make sure your resume gets read? Our experienced team has seen thousands of resumes. We know what works…and what doesn’t. Here are 50 of our top resume tips.

Make a Great First Impression

1. Avoid fancy fonts. Prepare your resume in 10-point or 11-point Arial or Times Roman typeface.

2. Edit carefully. Then edit some more. Spelling or grammar can kill an otherwise strong resume. The ability to write well is expected, not seen as an extra perk.

3. Read backwards. This is a great editing trick that helps your eye catch errors.

4. Ask a friend. Another pair of eyes really helps here, so ask a friend to look it over and give you feedback.

5. Make things easy for HR. Human Resources people are overwhelmed with resumes, they take just a few seconds to skim each one. Grab their attention quickly by putting the most important information on the front page, then entice them to read more.

6. Get your resume in early. Establish yourself as a strong candidate early on, and you become the standard by which other applicants are measured.

7. Mix it up. A combination of paragraphs and bullet points is the best way to convey your experience. Start with a brief paragraph that outlines your responsibilities, followed by a bulleted list of specifics.

8. Keep it consistent. Make sure the layout, font, and margins of your resume match those of your cover letter.

9. Keep it simple. Don’t go overboard with underlining, italicizing and bolding. When used sparingly, it will highlight what’s really important.

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“All I Got From College Was A Piece Of Paper” - Wrong

noreply@blogger.com (New Grad Life) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 07:21:00 +0000

4 Things College Has Given You That You Forgot

Do you know where you hung that diploma that you got from college? Good. If not, find out, because it sure as hell cost you a lot of moolah (and countless hours studying) to obtain. The question remains, however, what else has college really given you except for that piece of paper? Give yourself a high five (try it with only one hand, if you can), because there’s plenty to be proud of, I say:

1. Organization

Balancing your studies, social life, family, extra-curricular activities/social clubs, a job, or anything else all at once while you’re young and still learning everything you can in this roller coaster ride we call life proves you developed organizational skills. Nothing gives you a better sense of organization than going through college. As you grew, matured, and learned from your mistakes, you learned to become more organized and as a result, more productive.

2. Discipline

There’s two ways to study in college: you either pull a lot of last-minute all-nighters or study at a nice, regular pace. If you were the all-nighter type who completely blacked out all distractions once they finally crammed their nose into their textbook, that’s discipline. If you were the student who liked to study at a regular pace (say, every other day), and divided your work accordingly, that’s called discipline as well. Lack of discipline would have your GPA drop faster than the speed of gravity. Okay, no more academic jokes – promise.

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Debunking Job Networking Myths for College Grads

noreply@blogger.com (Kevin Cormac) — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Common misconceptions about job networking

Myth #1: Networking is simply getting a job because you know someone.

The following is not a likely scenario:

You: I know Darren – he’s a big shot at Accenture. He said you’d give me a job.

Recruiting Director: Of course, I will. You’re hired. We’ll see you on Monday morning at 9:00. I’m assuming $200,000 will work for you as your new IT Specialist salary.

Sadly, that’s not what networking is all about.

Networking is about tapping into connections you have to help you gain the opportunity to get a job. When they say that 66% of people get jobs through networking, it doesn’t mean that 2/3 of people were handed their job because they happened to know someone. It means someone helped them get the interview or helped them get their resume noticed by HR.

When it’s time to hire a candidate, recruiting directors are looking for some help. This is because the recruiting department is flooded with resumes. As a result, there’s no way to interview all the qualified applicants. There might be sixty or seventy people in the pile of 500 resumes who could do the job, but it’s tough to know who the best ones are.

If you are recommended by someone in the company, it doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a job – or even an interview. However, the fact that you come “prescreened” by someone at the organization dramatically enhances your chance of getting that interview.

At smaller organizations, the situation can be similar. Without a dedicated recruiting department, usually someone at the company says, “Hey, we need a new receptionist. Does anyone know someone?”

In either scenario, having a connection is your key to landing a job.

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10 Rules for a Phenomenal Job Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney Austin) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Job interview guidelines that will lead to success

Prepare for your interview by a review of these 10 rules. They will guide you to be confident, speak with clarity and use the interview to show your talents, fit and value. This is your moment to stand out and get hired.

Rule 1: Think “fit.”

The interview is as much for you to determine if the company is the right fit for you as for the company to decide if you are the right fit for them.

Rule 2: Impressions matter.

Be on time. Be professional and conservative in your appearance. Watch the length of the skirt and the cut of the blouse. Shirts should be pressed, neat and should fit you. Your care about yourself is a statement about the care of your work.

Rule 3. Be positive, upbeat, optimistic and congenial.

Notice details around you to ask about to start a casual conversation; this helps both parties relax. Be human and work first to connect to the interviewer as a person.

Rule 4. Have three great questions ready to ask to show that you want to fully understand how you can make a significant difference in the company.

This also ensures that if you feel an uncomfortable pause, you have a question ready to keep the conversation moving. Here are my suggestions:

1. How do you share information and performance expectations with your employees?
2. What do your employees like most about working here? What do your employees find most challenging about working here?
3. How are employees held accountable for making a difference in their jobs?

Rule 5: Focus on your value.

Interviews are the time for you to give more details about what you are great at and how you add value. Don’t be shy about your ability to make a difference. Be sure you can quantify your impact; give details about how you improved things, invented things, saved the company money, brought a team more together, etc. The more you can focus the interview around your value, the more the hiring company will see that they need you.

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13 LinkedIn Mistakes You Should Avoid

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney Austin) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Which job interviewer are you facing?

LinkedIn, the socially connected professional network, has made numerous changes over the past few months to become more than a job resource. The changes have made it a viable tool for people to connect, discuss, get answers to questions as well as connect with people that they just may be working with in the future. The future of social media marketing is bright and the tools we use today are building blocks for what is yet to come. Creating profiles that are complete and honest are just the beginning. Many of these have been written time and time again but as I look to connect with new people, I still see the same mistakes being made.

13 LinkedIn Mistakes to Avoid

1. Default URL. Increase your personal branding so easily by changing the default to a personal URL. Click Edit Public Profile Settings in the top right and then edit your Public Profile URL to your name. As a job seeker this is a must.

2. My Website/My Company. Keeping the default is asking people to look above to see who your current employer is and then go back and click on it. It is a simple change: On your profile, click websites, then at the drop down, click "Other" and then type in the name and descriptive terms

3. Private Profile. As social media is evolving with Google's live search, Bing/Twitter as well as Google's Social Search what was private is not anymore. Go public so people can find you as a job seeker.

4. Joining Groups. The maximum amount of groups you can join is 50. While that seems like a lot, how many people are at the max? There is so much information contained in groups - news, discussions, slide shares - that failing to join groups is basically like missing out on an opportunity to connect. 50 is not always the easiest to keep up with especially when you're job hunting but the information shared in the groups is very valuable.

5. Lack of Participation in Discussions. Social media is about connecting and building relationships - talking to people. Taking part in discussions gets you noticed as a viable job candidate well as keeps the conversation going and the sharing of information, viewpoints and knowledge.

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3 Golden Keys to Job Hunting for New Grads

noreply@blogger.com (Whitney Austin) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 07:03:00 +0000

Principles college grads should live by

So you just graduated college finally and are looking for your first real entry-level job. How should you go about your job hunt? Just sit home and click away at the “submit resume” button all day? Stop what you’re doing! Find out what are the real keys to job hunting as a new grad in this economy and improve your chances out there!

1. Consistency

Ever hear the phrase “looking for a job is a job itself”? That holds true for many people. If you want to be successful in your job search, you must have a certain job hunt process you go through every day and you must carry it out, every day consistently. Now for college grads this shouldn’t be anything new; studying in college showed you that consistency brought results. Were you more confident going into a test studying at the last minute, or reviewing content every week? Here’s a little example below of a job hunt process:

• You wake up and apply for jobs online you see posted (job boards, job aggregators, corporate sites)
• Spend a few hours reading articles on how to brush up your job interview skills, how to improve your resume. Maybe even do a mock interview with your family or friend.
• Later you spend an hour or so trying to figure out who you can network with (who do my friends know? Who does my family know? What about online networking sites like LinkedIn, who should I contact locally?).

This is just a small example, and by no means should you manage your time particularly like this – but what’s important is the fact that these are steps. You must be consistent and keep at what you are doing. If you don’t stay consistent during your job hunt, what happens is you see no results.

For example, say you start networking on Monday and apply to jobs, and then don’t follow up on networking the next few days and focus just on your resume. A week passes by, and you totally forgot about replying back to the people you networked with. Those people may now think you’re unorganized and already you lose any value you could present to them as an acquaintance. You have to stay consistent with what you do as a job seeker; show those people you’re on top of things and are eager to find work.

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Seven Strategies That'll Make Your Resume Stand Out Online

noreply@blogger.com (Angela Astley) — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 19:05:00 +0000

Write a resume that sticks out

Sourcing is a term used for recruiters to find and uncover candidates and recruiters are getting more and more creative with their sourcing techniques. One creative sourcing technique being used today is going to Google or other search engines and putting in search strings filled with keywords and terms to generate resumes from all over the internet.

Since recruiters are getting creative with their sourcing techniques, job seekers should start getting creative with online exposure techniques.

1. Create a career blog

Start a blog that focuses on your career industry and include tips, articles, news, and industry related topics. You don’t have to be a writer to create a blog. You can link to other articles and news about that industry topic and add comments showing your industry knowledge. Also, set up a page on the blog for your resume, where you are highlighting your industry knowledge, experience, and expertise. You can easily set up a blog for free using programs such as blogger.com or wordpress.com

2. Use free document sharing websites

There are a number of free file sharing websites that can help you gain more resume exposure online. Save your document in different forms such as DOC and PDF so your resume shows up under those search terms. Yes, recruiters will search for resumes using words such as pdf, rtf, doc, and cv. You can even save your resume as a powerpoint presentation! Here are few free sites to check out: keepandshare.com, slideshare.net, Google docs

3. Set up a resume web page

A one page website for your resume is great exposure and a great way to link others to your resume. You can add your website url to your resume, to other online profiles, and at the end of your signature in emails and posts. You can find free resume website builders such as: Emurse.com and VisualCV.com.

4. Social and professional networking websites

It’s no secret that social and professional networking websites are becoming hubs for job seekers and recruiters. I use LinkedIn all the time when I’m recruiting and I’m searching keywords to pull up profiles of potential candidates. If you aren’t on these networking websites, you are missing out on a ton of exposure. You can utilize these websites by putting in your professional profile or resume and links to your resume websites or blog posts. There are so many of these sites out there, but the majority of recruiters utilize LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace.

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7 Reasons Employers Will Hire You

noreply@blogger.com (Terrance Williams) — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Job hunting pointers to keep in mind

Reprinted with permission from theundercoverrecruiter.com.

To secure that dream job, you have to think like the person making the final decision. What is going through the manager's head when they select candidates? This is a list containing the 7 most common reasons people get hired. Use it wisely now and do let me know if you have any questions on any of the reasons.

1. A great resume

Sometimes an average candidate can be hired thanks to a brilliant resume. Your resume is your first impression and you only get one shot at this. Pick a template relevant to your industry, look at other people’s resumes, have them look at yours, get help from experts etc before you send anything out. Remember that your resume has to be updated consistently and it is a living document.

2. Your online personal brand

Personal branding is my personal favorite. Social media and networking has quickly become the preferred method of communication, and you will be found online by your potential new employer. By tailoring what information is available, you can turn social media into a positive when looking for a new job. Make sure your public profiles are employee friendly and up to date.
Establish yourself as an authority online by either starting a blog, moderating a forum or jut being active in a Linkedin group for instance. Get recommendations on your prolife and these will serve as the old school resume references. Social media and online branding will take you a fair bit of time and effort but you don’t really have a choice so my best advice is to embrace it.

3. The right skills and experience

In this economy, you will struggle to find someone willing to hire a candidate that needs training. Think about it, would you want somebody shadowing your work and asking questions for the first 6 months? Or would you want somebody that knows the score and gets busy contributing to your targets from day one? Having the right skills and experience is more important than ever and unfortunately not something you can work on overnight.

4. Staying power with the business

This is crucial as employers want people that stay in their company and work their way up the corporate ladder. This makes them useful (and useful means hard working). Employers will look for people who have multi-dimensional personalities, meaning they can work in different departments, projects or even locations one day. Your longevity with the business and personal characteristics will be the deciding factors here.

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