Secrets of the Job Hunt

Especially for those in their 20's

CM Russell — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:30:00 PST

My degree in History trained me to search the past for lessons on how to handle the future, thus, my fascination with war and politics. So when November rolls around, I'm glued to Rembrance Day tributes in the paper (rather than Sunday football on the tube.) I spend as much timing studying the sepia photo insets as I do reading the stories of danger and courage. The Toronto Star's coverage this year is touching, I have quoted from it below.

There are so many lessons to glean for all of us. But mostly I see the pertinence for those in their 20's. So if you're in your 20's, you may be freshly out of school or soon to be. You may be wondering where to go, what to do, how to make a difference, how to climb the corporate latter and how to pay for your student loan and the car you want. If you're already working, you may, by now, have workplace woes like office gossip, cubicle crowding, cut-throat competition and client wars.

Veteran's stories are rich with insight and start when they were barely 20, some even lied to be enlisted. Their revelations are timeless; here are three:

1. Someone always has it worse than you
"I came back with my life. That's my medal," says Cecil Hancock, Air Force navigator in WWII. He flew 32 missions, mainly bombing German submarine bases and factories.

2. Life & work - keeping it in perspective
Vet's struggle with how to handle their memories. Some have memoribilia all around them, others are deeply disturbed by it. Combat neurosis wasn't studied, let alone accepted, until the 1970's. Charles Kewan's (WWII Air Force pilot/mechanic) matter of fact statement is powerful, "We had a job to do, and we bloody did it." His was dropping supplies into the Japanese juggle, sometimes in a plane full of bullet holes.

3. People are people
When picking up Italian prisoners, veteran Frank Udell remembers, "We tried to converse with them. It's a silly thing to say when you're at war, but they were nice people." Even in hard times, being civil and respectful is the right way to fly.

The 10 Commandments of Job Search

CM Russell — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 08:27:48 PST

No matter your religous-affinity, if you're unemployed, you should obey the Job Search 10 Commandments.

The 10 Commandments Of Job Search

View more presentations from applicantblog.

Content is Critical: #2 of The Top Three Elements Every Resume Must Have (and very few do!)

CM Russell — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:28:52 PST

We all know that writing about yourself is tough. Even gifted writers seek help with memoirs, business bios, CVs and resumes. Add to that the pressure of the job search and it's no wonder people working on their resumes develop sudden urges to walk the dog, take out the garbage or call great-aunt Matilda.

Helping to relieve this stress is one key reason I launched Resume Room, my live, online, one-hour resume workshop. My aim is to help you relax and feel confident in the knowledge that your resume:

• Includes the best of your talents, strengths and accomplishments,
• Excludes anything that distracts from these,
• Presents you in the most positive, professional way.

To ensure it does we focus on The Big Three -- the three elements integral to an effective resume: Format, Content and your Personal Profile. In previous articles, we've explored how applying "format psychology" can help ensure that your resume gets noticed. Now let's take a look at the "psychology of content."

Understand the misunderstanding and you secure a powerful advantage.

Myth: A resume is a list of company names, dates and job responsibilities through which recruiters and employers will wade in order to extrapolate an understanding of what you can do for them.

Wrong! Recruiters and employers have stacks of resumes on their desks. They have neither the time nor the inclination to undertake such an arduous task. You must do the work for them.

Therefore, you must seize this exceptional opportunity to present not just facts and figures but outcomes and conclusions.

Choose wisely what to include and exclude from your resume because it determines how they will perceive you. Use your resume to convince them that you - and you alone - can deliver a rare mix of qualities, mastery and proven success that will make a critical and positive difference to their firm. Use it to paint a portrait of someone who will be an ideal fit, instantly productive, integral to the organization's future prosperity.

Here's how:
• Accentuate Achievements with Actual Figures: Gone are the days when it suffices to state that you are a manager who managed a staff of 25. Today, the interviews go to the manager who has reduced that staff by 30%, boosted its productivity by 75%, while simultaneously reducing customer complaints by 64%.

• Connect with Clarity: When your readers understand what you do, they believe what you can do in the future. Avoid unusual acronyms, company-specific project names and esoteric industry jargon -- especially in your job titles.

• Showcase your Specialties: If you've realized the same impressive goals in several positions, consider it a specialty you can offer your next employer. Emphasize it in your summary and present it as a section heading on a skills-based resume.

These changes help ensure content that genuinely sets you apart and presents you as a proven achiever who can deliver results key to an organization's profitability.

Try making these changes yourself...or of course, we're here to help! If you haven't already "Previewed" a Resume Room workshop for free, you're invited to check us out! Or join as a "Viewer" to watch us for the full hour-long workshop as we work on another jobhunter's resume and you'll discover how to apply these strategies to your own. When you join as a "Participant," you'll enjoy our focused attention as we strengthen and improve your resume on the spot.

Whether you "enter" Resume Room as a Previewer, Viewer or Participant, we hope to see you soon! Visit us at www.ResumeRoom.com

A Day in the Life of a Job Search Fanatic

CM Russell — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST

Reposted from CareerAlley

"I read the news today, oh boy. About a lucky man who made the grade" - Lennon/McCartney

Okay, so you lost your job. Maybe you knew it was going to happen and you weren't surprised, maybe you had no clue and it was a total shock. However you got here, the truth is you are out of work and must start your job search. So what's going through your mind?

You feel incredibly stressed, how long will it take to find a job?
Do you take the first job offer that comes your way or wait for a job that best fits your experience?
You feel guilty for every minute not spent looking for a job
Maybe you have no clue where to get started

Several weeks pass by, you've updated your resume, written your cover letters, done your research, read the Job Search Marketing Toolkit and you've established a regular routine for your job search that looks something like this:

New Job Search Sites - You start your day by adding a few additional Job Search Sites to your list (three or four sounds about right). How do you find these sites?

Recruiters & Headhunters - Now that you've added a few new job search boards to your list (and have checked the jobs that fit your criteria), it's time to add a few new recruiters and headhunters to your list. These can be found at:

Social Networks - Let's not forget Networking (and I don't mean calling your friends and relatives). Time to add some additional social networks:

Other Job Search Tools - Other stuff to help in your search:

Good luck in your search.

Visit my site www.CareerAlley.com
Visit me on Facebook

Jason Alba, author of I'm on LinkedIn, Now What??? and I'm on Facebook, Now What???

CM Russell — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:54:16 PST

Job Search Boot Camp welcomes Jason Alba, author of I'm on LinkedIn, Now What??? and I'm on Facebook, Now What???, to discuss how to take the next step in your career search. http://budurl.com/alba1107

RISK: What the Romans Can Teach You About Career Change

CM Russell — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:30:00 PST

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Melissa C. Martin

Ever heard those demonic thoughts that swirl in our inner sanctum and resist giving way to the one thing that humans patently avoid…..changing their comfort zone. Risks.

Stepping out of the comfort zone. Our inner temptations to make that change, even one small change, as we say in solution-focused interviewing and counseling, need a guiding force.

Pay attention to those inner tempations! Even if it means confronting the status quo! (a.k.a. comfort; security)

Quite often, the riskiest career choices we make are the right ones! Ancient Roman poet Virgil said:”Fortune favors the bold.” (You’ll often hear me refer to the Ancient Romans and Greeks. Those Roman senators were the precursors of modern career change). Let me explain.

Can you identify any of these change-resisting thoughts to a new career:

1. A lack of purpose (changing jobs to go to a parallel position which may disatisfy you).
2. Not recognizing your values (we use them everyday as our inner compass of decision making).
3. Not being honest with the truth (you have control over your inner truth, not others).
4. Allowing external factors to influence your decision (friends or family who think they know what is a good career fit).
5. Not paying attention to the power of the universe and its energy (serindipity often affects career change more than we know!).
6. Not being able to balance action and reflection.
7. Haven’t rehearsed a possible “exit” from your job (be an actor for once).
8. No knowledge.

Yes, the Romans were wise. And they did pay heed to the above factors.

(And we think that we’re wiser in this post-911 age? Maybe not). Witness the violence in the US today; the 20th anniversary of the Berlin wall being dismantled; 100+ wars in the world, etc).

What one small thing willl you do to make a career risk?

P.S. My first university degree was in Classical studies (i.e. studying the ancient Romans and Greeks, Latin, etc).
Our Western culture is indebted to the ancient Romans.

Melissa Martin
bilingual career coach
careercoachingbyphone.com

Whats new on Jobs in Pods - recruiting radio

CM Russell — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 PST

Why read a boring old job description when you can actually hear from real employees talk about their jobs. Here are recent Jobcasts that have been published;

Financial Advisor Opportunities at Edward Jones (nationwide) (video jobcast)

Intel China Jobcast with Senior Research Scientist

Radiology jobs at Stamford Hospital in Connecticut

Stamford Hospital Laboratory jobs – Stamford, CT

Nursing jobs in Stamford CT

Top 5 Best Metro Areas for Job Seekers

CM Russell — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST

Simply Hired just released data on the top 15 best and worst metro areas for job seekers from August. This data is based on the number of job seekers for each unique job in metro areas around the U.S.

Top 5 Best Metro Areas for Job Seekers:

Burlington - Plattsburgh - 1 unique job for every 3 job seekers
El Paso (Las Cruces) - 1 unique job for every 3 job seekers
Paducah - Cape Girardeau - Harrisburg - 1 unique job for every 3 job seekers
Omaha - 1 unique job for every 5 job seekers
Washington, DC - 1 unique job for every 5 job seekers

View the full top 15 list featuring the worst metro areas for job seekers.

What Will You Do with 14 More Weeks?

CM Russell — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:00:30 PST

If signed off on by President Obama, job seekers will have their unemployment benefits extended 14 more weeks. Read more about the bill here.

Let me ask a question: if you knew your benefits were ending this week or even next week, what would you do? What actions would you take? What would you change or do differently?

There is a small feeling of security knowing that there is at least some money coming in the door. It is guaranteed as long as you are playing by the rules. It is buying you time until you can land that "good paying" job. Well, where is that good paying job? When will it become available? Will it be there this year or maybe next year, or maybe not at all?

In my opinion, this extension is prolonging the delay in many workers going back to work. It is giving them the hope that they'll be able to secure another hefty paycheck, or at least a paycheck close to what they were making before. What if those jobs are gone and not coming back... or at least not in the quantities necessary?

I encourage everyone reading this to consider:

Looking for work far outside your preferred radius.
That may mean commuting farther, temporarily moving out of town, or relocating.
Spending more time looking for employment.
The average unemployed person is spending less than 10 hours a week. While I am sure most of you are spending more than 10 hours, could you spend more time?
Getting job search help.
Either at no-cost, through you local One-Stop or invest in a professional Career Coach.
Adjusting your budget and spending habits.
Have you really cut as much as you can? We're in a recession, this SHOULD be painful. Do you evaluate each purchase by asking "Do I need this or do I want this?"
Changing what you are doing.
If you are using the same resume, the same websites, the same practice of submitting resumes and waiting, the same networking groups, the same of anything, do it differently or do something else instead.
Communicating differently.
Whatever it is you are saying, it doesn't seem to be working if you are still unemployed. It could also be HOW you are saying it. Change your tone.
Taking a job that is less than perfect, if just for now.
If the job is at least close to what you can do, consider taking it. What will you learn by doing this? A lot!
Starting your own business or becoming a consultant.
This is risky. Be smart in how you start it up. Consult this post for more resources.

I realize times are hard. I also know that people are getting jobs every day right now. There are jobs! Take one and see how good it feels!

Job Search Sites Revisited Vol II

CM Russell — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST

Reposted from CareerAlley

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." - Vincent Van Gogh

Job search can be tedious, especially in this market. It is easy to become discouraged and to lose focus. But, similar to the quote above, successful job search is a series of tasks/approaches applied over a period of time. While you could get lucky and quickly find a job, this is unlikely in any market. The best approach is to split your time across a number of job search activities:

- Job Search Sites
- Recruiters
- Networking
- Professional Organizations
- Company Career Sites
- Social Networks

My view is that the "shotgun approach" (leverage as many different connections and leads as possible) provides the best chance of finding a job quickly. Today's post focuses on Job Search Sites.

Jobsinthemoney.com – This site focuses on careers/jobs in Finance and Accounting. It offers Resume (multiple if you want) upload, job search, news and advice, salary survey and cover letters.

6figurejobs.com - As the name implies, this website focuses on jobs which pay $100,000 or more. The site allows resume uploads, job search assistants and career advise. The site seems to be a little cluttered (there is a lot going on here). There are additional “pay” services as well.

Hirediversity.com – Hirediversity.com specializes in diversity jobs and diversity candidates. You can post your resume, perform job searches, and use there career resources. There’s a “who’s hiring” tab that lists a page full of companies who are the corporate sponsors but are also looking to hire diverse talent.

Job.com - Should be an easy name to remember! The usual services (manage resume, search jobs and career services). The site also offers premium services, which is mainly resume writing and distribution.

Beyond.com – This is a job search site, but there are many ads to deal with. As soon as you sign in, the first screen is a full page ad which you must click “not interested” (unless you are) before getting to the main site. Once you get to the main page, there are quite a few options. The site has “standard” (free) services and “premium” (pay services). The free service includes a “portfolio” where you can save your resume, cover letter, personal references as well as some other items. The Job Hunting section includes searching for jobs, saving alerts, saved submissions and saved jobs. Finally, there is a very comprehensive Career Resources section.

Careerjet.com – This site is an employment search engine which searches thousands of websites across the world. You can post your resume and create job search alerts (or just saved searches). This site is different than the traditional job search sites in that it is showing jobs from numerous job search sites (which can save time). This is similar to indeed.com which was covered in my post of September 25th (Job Searching – Top Job Sites). The site also has tabs to allow search by industry and location.

CFO.com – The site itself is a broad-based site filled with articles, web casts, white papers and much more (www.cfo.com). The career section (careers) includes career articles as well as job search and a salary benchmark function. While my commentary is short, the depth and volume of articles on this site is not. It is definitely worth spending time here if your industry is Finance.

Dice.com – Dice focuses on careers for the Tech community (and probably the best known). You can post your resume, search for jobs, get career advice and read related articles. Dice has some “sister” search sites which will be reviewed in future posts.

Good luck in your search.

Visit my site www.CareerAlley.com
Visit me on Facebook

Jobseeker Cartoon: It's all Fun & Games ...

CM Russell — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:00:07 PST

Feel free to republish this cartoon, courteously placing a live link back to http://www.resumetoreferral.com, of course. =]

Career Advice: Reverse Mentoring Is Revolutionizing The Workplace

CM Russell — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:10:53 PST

Mentors have strong and respected place in the world of work. In fact, that role is growing in importance.

Usually, older and more experience, mentors provide coaching and serve as role models for neophytes who turn to them for advice on how to build and manage careers. This role is important to the success of individuals and organizations.

Mentoring is taking on a new dimension as increasingly younger careerists are performing that vital service for their older bosses and associates.

It's been called "reverse mentoring."

This new mode of mentoring has been brought about by the technology spawned by computers and the Internet.

Older workers are usually lost balls in tall weeds when it comes to understanding the potential benefits of cyber technology and how to realize them. On the other hand, younger people, the so-called twentysomethings, who have grown up with computers and the Internet are comfortable and adept at the tools of technology. They have also developed new attitudes that are changing the environment of work.

This emerging of reverse mentoring is not without some sobering and painful adjustments on both sides. Who hasn't had the un-nerving experience of a youngster school age solving in a flash a cyber challenge, which has been baffling an elder for days?

In the past, reverse mentoring relationships have evolved informally. A survey by Work-life Policy shows that four out of ten senior executives have asked younger associates for assistance with text messaging, social networking and using iTunes.

Reverse Mentoring A Growing Trend

More and more companies are formalizing reverse mentoring programs by assigning younger people to act as technology guides.

The Edelman public relations firm is a good example of this trend. The agency has named its program Rotnem ( mentor spelled backwards) and gone worldwide with it. About 95 percent of the senior executives in its Chicago office are working with assigned Rotnems.

Usually those who have experienced tech mentoring find that learning how-to-do-it, though often difficult, is only half the game. The rest of the equation--understanding the protocol and learning the appropriate way to employ it so that it benefits the organization--is equally challenging.

It takes some doing--and a healthy ego-- for senior executives to get comfortable being taught by a younger person.

"You feel stupid," says Janet Cabot, president of Edelman's central region. "...you get to a certain age and you don't want to feel stupid."

Those organizations that have instituted reverse mentoring program often find that the benefits go beyond improved use of technology. Chief among these is the breaking down of the rigid lines of corporate hierarchies. Inevitably, younger mentors and their pupils are exposed to each other's knowledge and experience.

While benefiting from informed guidance on how to use technology, seniors are gaining insight in to what makes their younger associates tick and how to manage them.

"Even though I learned about the networking, what I really learned...it is important to understand what Rotnems think and how they spend their time," says Kathy Krenger, 42, an executive at Edelmen.

"The mentoring, the sharing diverse perspectives of an older generation versus a younger generation that produces a lot of magic. It breeds innovative thought," declares Raphael Viton, president of an innovation agency in suburban Chicago.

Seniors get a chance to spot and evaluate new talent.

At the same time, young people gain exposure to senior executives which carries with it opportunities to learn from them, not only what to do, but also how to get things done.

This exposure includes two other opportunities for young mentors. One, they have a chance to show their capabilities and their work ethic. Second, they can introduce new technologies and strategy that can benefit their employer and by extension themselves.

Reverse mentoring can come from the top down in organizations that want to full advantage of the sweeping changes that taking place in workplace technology. Or it can occur when younger staffers step forward to volunteer their expertise.

It's clear. Either way, all parties--employer, senior executives and younger associates--benefit when reverse mentoring takes place.

I wish you career success!

Ramon Greenwood, Head Career Coach
Common Sense At Work

The Ultimate Interview Secret

CM Russell — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:55:04 PST

How many interviews would you say it takes to secure a job? 1, 2, 5000? The truth is that when it comes to securing a job, the interview doesn't end until your last day at the company. Everyday that you engage with an employer is an interview day. And given this logic, your first "interview" is also your first workday. This is a secret that successful interviewees know and apply daily.

The reason companies hire is because they have a problem and they are looking for a solution. Interviewees who understand this start working for the company as soon as they find out about the opportunity. The first thing they do is ensure that they understand the challenges of the organization. Next, they determine if they have the skills or access to the skills required to bring about a solution. If they do, they will work to communicate to the decision makers that they have a means to ease the pains that the organization is feeling.

Once they are brought in for the interview/first day they begin to consult with the interviewer. They use this opportunity to demonstrate their ability to listen, engage, and problem solve. But more than this, they make sure this first hour or so of work shows that they are already adding value to the company. If they do this successfully, they will be asked to return and it will continue on until a point in time when either the employee or the employer determines that they've gone as far as the relationship will presently take them.

You see, the idea that you need a company's permission to work for them is a fallacy. By working for any particular industry, you are automatically working for every organization operating in that industry. When you move on to a different company, it is ideally because it provides an opportunity to make a greater contribution to your industry of choice. The more value you add to your industry, the more in demand you will be and the greater the reward will be over time.

The mistake that many candidates make is to think that they cannot contribute unless someone hires them. But the people who find opportunities the fastest are those who are always looking for ways to contribute to their industry. They volunteer. They create blogs. They participate in online discussion groups. They start online communities. They even start their own companies.

Candidates with this mindset have the goal to contribute to their field to the maximum of their ability. And because they're passionate they will do this regardless of the number of doors they have to walk through before they start getting paid for their services. This is the Secret of empowered interviewees and now it's yours.

To learn more interview success tips, join us for our upcoming webinar on December 9th at noon. In The Anatomy of the Interview Process, we will discuss:

Phone ettiquette
Interview Preparation
The Recruiter Relationship
Managing Company Expectations
Navigating the Interview Process and more...

Our presenters will be Sr. Recruiter and Author of "366 Tips for a Successful Job Search", Cynthia Wright and JCSI Candidate Relationship Manager, Pedro S. Silva II. We look forward to your participation and welcome your feedback.

Why Job Search Advice is the Same but Different

CM Russell — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:30:00 PST

This post is to support the efforts of Job Action Day, an initiative started by Quintessential Careers. As a member of a new community of resume writers and career coaches called the Career Collective,this post is one of many responses to ideas and concrete steps to secure your future in a changed economy. I encourage you to visit other members' responses, linked at the end of my post. Please follow our hashtag on Twitter: #careercollective.

We find ourselves in unconventional times. Never before have any of us experienced economic conditions like today. As crazy as these times are, the advice to job seekers is the same, NETWORK! But we have so many more ways to network today, that is the difference.

There are two things we know about the job market:

- Employers aren't posting jobs
- Job seekers don't know what to do without job postings

There is absolutely nothing anyone can do to force employers to post their openings when they do have them. What this has done is force the traditional employee to find new ways to look for work. And in many cases, there are just not enough jobs to go around so the advice being given is to become more creative and network.

NETWORKING

The C suite (CEOs CFOs, COOs) certainly understand this. They hardly ever have applied for job postings. Their jobs have been mostly secured through the power of networking. There were seldom postings to apply to.

The majority of job seekers today have not had to look for work in a long time. They remember when you entered a company lobby, filled out an application and interviewed for the job on the spot. It also didn't take months for the employer to make a decision. Back then, the employer also was in contact with the job seeker to let them know what was going on or where the job seeker stood.

When I recommend networking to this set of job seekers , they don't understand how. They don't know what to say. And sometimes the flatly refuse to even try.

Then, let's enter social media into the equation. It is new to most of us. It is often seen as a waste of time, frivolous, or too high of a hurdle to leap. Or it becomes an obsession and takes time away from the more critical task of actually meeting with people face to face. Here's a quick summary of what LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook each mean to developing your network.

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS

LinkedIn has been around since 2001. This past year there has been a huge demand from the job seekers I've been working with for information on how to use LinkedIn. If you aren't there yet, you should be. Read why here.

Twitter was founded in 2006. It is seen as a fad by many. There are great ways to use Twitter to meet people to network with and even find jobs (check out twitterjobsearch) Do you want to read more about how to grow your network using Twitter, read this post.

Also quickly emerging into the world of job search is Facebook. This used to be seen as a kids platform, but it's functionality is proving to work for businesses and professionals too.

MARKETING/SELF PROMOTION

The large number of people looking for their next job makes the market competitive. This competition is forcing job seekers to be great self-promoters (aka sales people). Our society has long taught us not to brag and boast. The majority of job seekers are humble. What they hear is that they have to "toot their own horns". However, what I am encouraging them to do is to take credit where credit is due. But this isn't always what they are hearing.

Today, more than ever before, job search takes project management skills, marketing savvy, great discipline and incredible perseverance.

For other insight and advice on job search in 2009, read the posts below contributed by Career Collective's talented experts.

Meg Montford: Job Action Day: Finding Your “MOJO” After Layoff
http://coachmeg.typepad.com/career_chaos/2009/10/job-action-day-finding-your-mojo-after-layoff.html

Debra Wheatman: Plan B from outer space; or what do you have in case your first plan doesn’t work out?
http://resumesdonewrite.blogspot.com/2009/10/plan-b-from-outer-space-or-what-do-you.html

Heather Mundell: Green Jobs – What They Are and How to Find Them,http://dbcs.typepad.com/lifeatwork/2009/10/green-jobs-what-they-are-and-how-to-find-them.html

Grace Kutney: Securing Your Career While Navigating the Winds of Change http://sweetcareers.blogspot.com/2009/10/securing-your-career-while-navigating.html

Hannah Morgan: Career Sherpa– Why Our Job Search Advice is the Same but Different http://hannahmorgan.typepad.com/hannah_morgan/2009/10/why-our-job-search-advice-is-the-same-but-different.html

Gayle Howard: The Enlightened Jobseeker http://www.theexecutivebrand.com/?p=500

Laurie Berenson: Making lemonade out of lemons: Turn unemployment into entrepreneurship http://blog.sterlingcareerconcepts.com/2009/10/30/making-lemonade-out-of-lemons-turn-unemployment-into-entrepreneurship.aspx

Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter: You Can Thrive In, Not Just Survive, an Economic Slogging http://careertrend.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/you-can-thrive-not-just-survive-an-economic-slogging/

Rosalind Joffe: Preparedness: It’s Not Just for Boyscouts http://workingwithchronicillness.com/2009/10/preparedness-its-not-just-for-boy-scouts/

Rosa E. Vargas: Are You Evolving Into The In-Demand Professional of Tomorrow? http://resume-writing.typepad.com/resume_writing_and_job_se/2009/10/furture-careers.html

Dawn Bugni: Your network IS your net worth http://thewritesolution.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/your-network-is-your-net-worth/

Miriam Salpeter: Optimize your job hunt for today’s economy http://www.keppiecareers.com/2009/10/30/optimize-your-job-hunt-for-todays-ecomony/

GL Hoffman: The Life of An Entrepreneur: Is It for You? http://blogs.jobdig.com/wwds/2009/10/30/the-life-of-an-entrepreneur-is-it-for-you/

Katharine Hansen: Job Action Day 09: His Resume Savvy Helped New Career Rise from Layoff Ashes http://www.resumesandcoverletters.com/tips_blog/job_action_day_09_his_resume_s.html

Martin Buckland: Job Search–The Key to Securing Your Future Career. http://aneliteresume.com/job-search/the-key-to-securing-your-future-career/

Chandlee Bryan: Where the Green Jobs Are: http://emergingprofessional.typepad.com/the_emerging_professional/2009/11/where-the-green-jobs-are.html

Heather R. Huhman, Take Action: 10 Steps for Landing an Entry-Level Job, http://www.heatherhuhman.com/2009/10/take-action/

Barbara Safani: Where the Jobs Are 2009 and Beyond: http://www.careersolvers.com/blog/2009/10/31/where-the-jobs-are-2009-and-beyond/

Why career advice has become so boring?

CM Russell — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:53:03 PST

I have been using google reader to get all the news about my industry especially career advice and everything related to job search.

But with the time passing, I realize that career advice is completely boring and not creative…every single day, I read loads of advice and tips:

“5 tips to write your cv”

“the 7 tips to win an interview”

“How to use linkedin to find a job”

And so on…(I hate lenghty listings like the “15 ways” with 15 bullet points)

So I started to simply unsubscribe to a great deal of blogs with always the same talk and the same titles.

Do it yourself: go on google and type in interview tips or CV tips, you will see, you’ll get thousands and thousands of occurrences.

Now I started reading blogs about different issues (psychology, cooking, marketing…) with personal talks, or stories, or even completely unrelated topics but I discovered that I learn much more from reading these blogs than from reading the same thing with the same title (same tips, same everything).

People who think outside the box like Dan Pink or Seth Godin or Penelope Trunk or even Tim Ferriss are the kind of refreshing stuff I am looking for and not the boring career advice stuff you can get everywhere.

So why people give career advice like that or don’t strive to be more creative?

(ah I forgot one that is a big hit: 5 tips to use linkedin to find a job)

1 – They just copy and paste articles they read on internet or other blogs and rewrite it to appear different

2 – They want to attract a huge traffic and they know that even if these articles are boring and not creative, they will attract readers

3 – They know that to attract traffic numbers work“the best 5, the 7 mistakes…”, the word “tips” or anything related to ready made solutions will be read

But the consequences for people reading these articles can be worse: you create an army of clones with the same tips and the same way of doing things.

I think tips and advice are highly personal stuff and you can’t apply them to everybody.

So dear blog writers or journalists, please spare us with all these boring articles starting with “ the 5 …” or “the best…” just to create traffic.

Think about your readers even if you won’t get a huge amount of traffic on your website, try to give us:

- personal points of view

- stories or case studies:

- new ideas

- new challenges

Even if we are all tempted to craft messages or articles that will attract as many readers as we can, we still need to create quality over quantity.

We still need to create and bring new ideas, emotions, stories to make people think or to challenge the status quo…the world is changing quickly and career advice needs to adapt as well.

A couple of months ago I almost wrote an article “the 5 mistakes on linkedin” after seeing on a linkedin group 1303 views for an article about job search on linkedin.

At the end of the day, it is a question of what kind of title I put for my article and the content that will come up with it. I will probably disclose an article about linkedin but will try to make it personal and full of stories.

Ivanka tell you something.

CM Russell — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:00:00 PST

Who just got married, turned 28 and published her first book? That's right, Ivanka Trump. The daughter with better hair than Mr. Apprentice himself has pumped out selective insights on her priveleged life and some tips as well. It's a catchy title, albeit a little trite: The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life. She isn't the first to dole out advice like this, but given WHO she is, maybe this is worth a second glance to see her perspective.

The Toronto Star's book review quotes her as saying, "Once I was on that show, I got a tremendous amount of mail from young men and women my age, as well as from the parents of children in my generation, all wanting to know how my brothers and I wound up so successful, so motivated. I know the common pattern is for children to rebel against their parents and their professions, but we were totally the opposite."

Granted the hand she was dealt was comparable to a Royal Flush, she doesn't SEEM to take it entirely for granted. She's a much better role model that say Paris Hilton. Here is some of what Ivanka wants to tell us how to do:

• Use uncertainty to your advantage: thrive in any environment
• Step up and get noticed at work: focus and efficiency will open doors
• Create a strong and consistent identity: your name and reputation are your best assets
• Know what you want: get the most out of any negotiation

You go girl!

The Inteview of Tomorrow

CM Russell — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:41:32 PST

Someone referred me to an article in Time Magazine entitled How Skype is Changing the Job Interview. The title gives it away: the article is all about how Skype is seeing a lot more action in the interviewing process for organizations. After all, it’s free to use (so long as both parties have it) and it simulates an actual face-to-face meeting. Seems like a logical step, right?
Video conferencing is becoming more and more prevalent in businesses for internal communication, especially now with companies seeking to reduce their overhead costs. High-profile, mega-companies like Deloitte have gone to great lengths to get video conferencing in place in its offices. I read an article from the New York Times last year that talks about how much video conferencing has come to replace airplane travel – again, in an effort to cut costs.
So why should interviewing be any different? Let’s be practical here. A company can’t afford to fly you out somewhere. You’re suffering from the recession economy just like everyone else is. If you’re a recent college grad, like several of the people in the article, you have no money and no savings. Since the company won’t bring you to them and you can’t get yourself there, your choices are:

1. Correspond by e-mail.
2. Talk to HR/a hiring manager by phone.
3. Employ video conferencing, which, despite its imperfections, will actually give the people you’re speaking to an opportunity to see you in action and will allow you to use gestures, facial expressions and body language to assist you as you speak and listen.

Yeah, like that’s a tough choice. I’ll take #3.
Consider the work of Albert Mehrabian who identified the three elements of communication: word, tone of voice and body language. He posited that if a person is communicating with us, our opinion of them (i.e. whether we like them or not) is based on these three elements in a set ratio: 7% based on the actual words, 38% based on tone of voice and 55% based on body language.
Now, keep in mind that this theory (which has seen wide distribution and is frequently misrepresented) is only meant to be applied when people are talking about their feelings or attitudes (since that’s what Mehrabian’s research was about). Still, while the numbers may change, the message is clear: the actual words don’t account for NEARLY as much as the nonverbal cues that are sent out. Since it’s hard to really get a feel for someone based on their words alone (e-mail) or just their words and tone of voice (phone), that really means that you want as much face time as possible.
So download Skype and start practicing how to interview over a video connection. Welcome to the future.

Mike Kohn is an HR Generalist and avid social media enthusiast working for a design firm in Washington, DC. Having gone from intern to professional within recent memory, he talks about working in the HR industry and making it in the workforce through his Gen Y lens. Check out Mike on Twitter (@mike_kohn), look him up on Facebook or visit his blog, The HR Intern, to hear more from him.

JayZ & Time Management

CM Russell — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:30:00 PST

Job hunting and career management benefit a lot from good time management. When you're at capacity, it's about delegating and juggling. On that note, I was inspired by what JayZ did last week. He was set to give a concert in my town of London, Ontario. He was also asked to open game 2 of the World Series in NYC (and you may know by now that I love baseball.) Local fans feared he'd cancel. He didn't - he kept both commitments and made it work. Link to story

When you're not as busy as you want to be, it's about filling gaps. Job transition counsellors like me hear it all the time from clients: "I'm glad we're meeting, it gave a reason to get out of the house and get going today." The more we plan to do, the more we accomplish. That's why it's beneficial to treat your job hunt like a job. Keep a 30 hour work week. Meet people. Network. Volunteer. Take a course. Search the web. Apply to jobs. Deliver applications in person.

And as as for game 5, I'm going for the underdog - go Phillies! Have a great week.

What jobs will have the best growth? (podcast)

CM Russell — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:30:00 PST

A look at the top 10 jobs with best growth prospects for the next decade. 5 minute audio

(download mp3)

Headhunters and Recruiters Revisited Vol II

CM Russell — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST

Reposted from CareerAlley

"There is no class so pitiably wretched as that which possesses money and nothing else." - Andrew Carnegie

Pick and choose your recruiters. While you want to ensure you are well represented, you don't want to be over represented. And while the vast majority of recruiters are professional, there are a handful (like everything in life) that are not to be trusted. Ask you friends, family and the usual suspects for a list of respected recruiters. You can also leverage some of the recruiter networks and associations to get a good list. Today's list is meant to supplement what you may already have.

Matrix Executive Search – This recruiter specializes in Finance and Accounting positions. You can preview their open positions, call them directly or send your resume (fax, email or snail mail). It does not look like you can register on their site directly.

Stone Management - Stone Management offers several services. They recruit for both Permanent and Temporary positions as well as Executive Search. They cover a broad range of job functions (Accounting, Finance, Marketing, HR, Internal Audit, Brokerage Ops, Tech Support and many more) Similar to Matrix, you can search the jobs and/or send your resume. However, if you find a specific job that matches your background, you can click on “apply” and (depending on your computer set-up for emails) it will set-up an email referencing the job so that you can add your resume and cover letter.

Winter Wyman – Winter Wyman’s website is more substantial than Matrix’s or Stone’s sites. The job search engine is more sophisticated and the range of job functions is very broad. In addition, they offer advice on interviewing tips, job search advice and much more. Unlike the first two sites mentioned the Winter Wyman site allows users to enter a profile and (I presume) store their resume and other details.

Rice Cohen International – This site covers two distinct services: executive search services and training & consulting. The executive search services has job postings like the others, but the “submit your resume” link is a “forward your resume” not an on-site profile and resume post. The training & consulting services seem to be geared to corporation needs (not individual).

Alden & Associates, Inc. – This firm specializes in executive recruiting for Higher Education. Although located in Massachusetts, prior searches cover many locations (which is true for many recruiters). Clicking on Exective Search will take you to a page that shows their current searches as well as targeted searches for Athletic Administrators, Senior Administrators and Head Coaches. Applying for a specific position will bring up a screen to enter the appropriate information. If you don’t see specific positions to apply to, forward your resume (with a cover letter).

Edgelink – Specializing in direct hire and contract staffing for Technology, Edgelink’s site has a number of resources for the job seeker. There is a blog (link is at the top right-hand side of the page) and there is a link to “About Edgelink” which has links to a number of resources. Clicking on “For Candidates” will open a page that allows a search of current assignments, “submit resume” and candidate login. As with all of these sites, best bet is to search jobs first and apply if appropriate, otherwise use the “submit resume” link.

Butterfass, Pepe & MacCallan – This firm specializes in Financial Services, the hardest hit industry (so far) in the current recession. Main page offers information on the company, services offered, industry links and “submit resume”. You can also forward your resume via em from the contact page (although I would recommend the “submit resume” function).

Medical Executive Search Associates, Inc (MESA) – Based in Arizona, MESA has been in business for over 20 years and specializes in the Medical Industry. Click on “Candidates” from the main page, fill out the form (don’t forget to click the “send your resume” link on the right-hand side of the form). Although the first page has key contact information, there is no indication of previous placements on the website.

Good luck in your search.

Visit my site www.CareerAlley.com
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7 Steps to an Open Door

CM Russell — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:02:55 PST

The best way to introduce yourself to a company that doesn’t appear to be actively looking is to know the “What, where and how you can help the company”. I can give you a better-than-even chance to get the door to open to be able to introduce yourself, perhaps even create a job that is just right for you. It will take time and careful preparation but it will pay a dividend.

Step 1 – Functional strengths: Begin by listing all your functional strengths across the top of a sheet of paper. Some examples of ‘functional strengths’ are, marketing, financial operations, research and development, information technology, engineering, strategic planning, recruiting, training & development, etc. Some people have several; some only one. List as many as you can.

Step 2 – Core competencies: Next, under each functional strength you listed, write down anything and everything it qualifies you to do: Qualifies you to do for any organization, not just those you may be considering today. Of course not every organization needs help in every area but it is good for you to know in any event what you have in your armory. To do this you need to think in terms of employers’ needs, not just in terms of your strengths.

Step 3 – Think like an employer: To think like an employer requires that you think in terms of solving problems and recognizing opportunities. For example, if “Marketing” is your functional strength, under it you might list Uncovering new markets; Identifying markets for new products; Finding new usage for old products; Improving internal/corporate communications; Stimulating client communications; Evaluating expansion opportunities; Stimulating sales; Writing brochures; Coordinating events, Community outreach, etc. as ‘competencies’ tied to your that strength and where problems and/or opportunities may be found. Hence, you are thinking like an employer.

Step 4 – The “big picture”: You will need to develop a big picture perspective for targeting employers. First, carefully review your experience and your interests, giving equal consideration to both. There may be experiences you have where you performed well but didn’t enjoy yourself. No sense focusing where job satisfaction will be lacking. Next, with an open mind review all your experiences trying not to lock yourself in to traditional position or industry boundaries. Take the “blinders” off … broaden the scope. For instance, your experience may be in the Pet Supply Industry but your “Marketing” prowess extends throughout “supply chain” or maybe it lay more in the program management and strategic planning side and tied less to a specific product category. Or perhaps you may enjoy service-oriented environments, organizing people and moving them forward smoothly and well. This may suggest other organizations. Maybe your perspective turns to the client-side suggesting a very different set of organizations like ad agencies, marketing or consulting firms or associations, councils, trade organizations or corporate foundations, for example.

Step 5 – Targets: Once your have completed Step-4, you are ready to identify the types of companies most appropriate for your strengths, experiences, skill-sets and competencies, and you can begin to find the names and decision-makers of such companies, with the confidence that those you uncover are also those most likely to have need for someone like you. (This part can be accomplished with a minimum amount of Internet savvy). Once you have identified companies’ names that are likely to need you, and the decision-makers, you are ready to prepare your approach strategy. (If you already had a company or companies in mind, take the time to complete steps 1-4. The exercise is still invaluable for developing your personal introduction as an “individual solutions provider”).

Step 6 – Ready … Aim … MARKET! As you may already know from job searching experience, in most cases your initial approach will be a letter targeted to a decision-maker and written as if you had only that person in mind; and since you want to position yourself as an “individual solutions provider” and not a “job searcher” - one from the masses – a resume is not included. In place of the traditional ‘cover letter and resume combo’ you can style a letter that incorporates language and key elements of your resume. This is your Direct Contact Resume Letter, one of the more frequently used letters in job searching. This format is more likely to help you stand-out as an individual solutions provider and “sell” you. It will look something like this:

(Example letter)

October 30 2009

Mr. Farley Ranger
Pheasants Forever
444 Olde Mill Road
Port Hercules, MI 55555

Dear Mr. Ranger:

Anyone in our industry knows that a company like yours in today’s market is anticipating a period of rapid growth. This will require an outstanding effort on the part of its people. As an avid environmentalist and a small farm owner who has worked extensively in establishing and developing habitat in partnership with conservation services, and has helped to build an organization in the same industry, I believe I know something about what that will take.

Unless I miss my guess, your anticipated growth has probably created needs in a number of areas already, and I believe I can help. For example, you may need help in controlling the direction of the company so that your growth is smooth, profitable and lasting. Acquiring, training and motivating new personnel may be an area where you can use my help. Another may be shifting some of your administrative burden to give you more time for other pressing matters that an executive in your position may face; and there is likely more that you are considering at this stage where my help can give you an edge..

In addition, I led men and women in groups of 30 to 500, built teams and managed budgets in the millions of dollar as an officer in the United States Army for the last 20+ years; and working for the government I needed to be innovative in order to stretch those dollars for they were usually shy of what was needed for the objective. I also worked with foreign leaders often contrasting ideas for achieving the objectives and had to build consensus to accomplish the common goal. I have learned how government and bureaucracy work and know what it takes to make things happen.

Having recently transitioned out of the military I have returned home and I am interested in working with your company; and when I say that I believe I can help you, I speak with conviction that comes from having done it. I will call next week to see if we should arrange a meeting. A short conversation will no doubt tell us whether or not we have the basis for getting together. I look forward to it!

Sincerely,

Step 7 – The Follow-up: When you call to follow-up on your letter you will likely connect first with an administrator. In preparation, call the company’s main number and ask for the name of the decision-makers administrator. When you call, use the person’s name and simple state: “Good morning, Ms. Smith. This is Rob Taub calling. I promised Farley Ranger last week that I would follow-up this week with a call. Is he in?”

When you get to the decision-maker, be direct. Your research told you that this is a company that has needs for your talents and experiences. You are not on the phone to ask for a job interview but to propose a "mutually beneficial get-together": An opportunity. Reference the letter directly and ask for the meeting. If you encounter any resistance it will probably be something like this: “Can you tell me again why you are calling me?” or “Why I should be getting together with you?” Reference the letter and reel off about three or four key areas where he needs your help and quickly follow-up asking if he feels there’s any room for improvement, advancement, stepping-up… in those areas and when he replies “yes” (because there’s always room) you set the meeting. If the response is still negative – if you feel you hit a road block – you will need to employ strong telephone technique. Part of your initial preparation is to become familiar with telephone techniques. It will help to read read my October 21st career advice piece “Overcoming Phone Phobia” at CAREEREALISM|Because EVERY Job is Temporary: http://bit.ly/4kGsak. You can also find other useful telephone techniques there and on other career sites.

In conclusion, many people assume that if a company isn’t actively looking then there is no job. It is the experience of many job searchers familiar with the steps listed here, that tells us otherwise. Take the time and carefully prepare and you, too, may say otherwise.

Hope this helps!

YT,

Rob Taub of Job Search Corner www.JobSearchCorner.com
and “Job Searching with Rob” http://bit.ly/18wCkO

Failure

CM Russell — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:24:26 PDT

From: www.laurentbrouat.com

Failure happens to everybody.

The other day, the feedbacks for one of the workshop I was running were not so great...It does happen sometimes even if it is rare.

I felt it as a failure, a failure to deliver my workshop, a failure to really give that information, that little hope, that little extra to my clients.

Failure is a learning process. I asked for a feedback to each participant to understand why...

Failure in the process of looking for a job is the same...you will get nos or fail at an interview.

Your calls won't be answered, people wont call you back, you will fail at networking events, people ignore your emails...

It does not matter, it happens to everybody. What matters is what you will do with that failure.

When you fail:

1) Don't take it personally, it is not about you, everybody fails (ie I used to interview 5 people for 1 position which means, 4 nos for 1 yes!)

2) Ask for feedback all the time to understand precisely where you failed

3) Write down the points you need to improve or you feel you need to improve

4) Write down what you did well, because you need to feel confident and remember your strengths to be able to address your failures

5) Learn from your failure and train even more, train for your interviews, learn the unusual questions, improve your CV where it needs to be. Train, train and ask for feedbacks

At the end of the day, I always learnt much more from failures than from successes, and made a lot of progress accordingly.

Failing will happen to everyone, not learning from you failure is what will make the difference. And it will be another good point to show in an interview, another achievement to mention, another story to tell.

Failing from learning IS the real failure...as long as you will try and will learn from it.

Company Career Sites Revisited Vol I

CM Russell — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PDT

Reposted from CareerAlley

"By working faithfully eight hours a day you may eventually get to be boss and work twelve hours a day." - Robert Frost

Why company career sites? Well for one, most jobs are with companies and what better place to get your job than from the source. All other jobs are generally through recruiters, job boards and friends. Speaking of which, if you find a job on a company career site, you should leverage your network. Does anyone you know work there? If yes, see if they can submit your application for you.

American Express – The first page to of the career site for Amex gives excellent choices regarding company background, career information and what it is like to work at the company. You can jump right into searching, or go through the sign-up process. I always recommend registering on the site even if an initial search comes up empty.

Blackstone – Blackstone is a well known asset management company. After giving a very good overview of the company, the left-hand side of the site provides the full range of hire types, from Internships through Experienced Hires. You can easily browse the open positions as well as register for the site.

JP Morgan Chase – Similar to the other sites, this site gives an overview of the company and then has links for Experienced Hires and University Programs. There is a link for “Jobs in Demand” as well as a “Search Jobs” tab. As with the other sites, it is worthwhile to register.

HSBC – The HSBC career page starts off with a map of the world, you click where you want to work (or where you live) and then the site takes you to a more focused view for your region and country. The site includes “Tips & Guidelines” for candidate preparation as well as job search, recruiting events, career development and areas of opportunity.

Blackrock – Blackrock’s career site provides background on their business groups as well as Blackrock’s culture. The job search section is split between entry level/less experienced hires and professional opportunities. Once into the site, you can narrow your search by country and job type.

Johnson & Johnson - The J&J site is split between Professional, MBA, Graduate and Undergrad. You can go right to the general search, or focus your search on the split listed above. Once you’ve registered, you can create you own job cart and save searches.

Time Warner – The Time Warner career site is split by jobs by industry, interest and location. You can search openings and submit your resume for future matches

Fidelity – The Fidelity site allows you to search by type of position (Finance, Technology, Operations, etc.) or you can go right to the general job search. You can create a profile as well. There is also a special focus for students (split between undergraduate and graduate).

Good luck in your search.

Visit my site www.CareerAlley.com
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Scary Job Hunting

CM Russell — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 06:30:00 PDT

Scary costumes and movies may frighten your little tykes at home, but for job hunting adults, the search for a new employer can be scarier than a Michael Myer, Halloween, marathon movie night. If you’re new to the job market or out of practice, navigating today’s complex market can be a scary endeavor. Like a horror movie, there are parts that make us jump out of our seat, cover our eyes and in some cases even laugh. The job search is no different. Networking, interviewing, writing a resume or negotiating a salary, each part of the process comes together for a final production: Employment!

So in the spirit of Halloween, what scares you the most about looking for a job?

Job reference etiquette

CM Russell — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:30:00 PDT

by Heidi Allison

It makes good business sense – and is respectful professional etiquette – to stay in touch with your former bosses. Your efforts to stay connected with past employers should pay dividends many times over when they provide you with favorable professional references. Don’t believe that former employers are not allowed to say anything, as many times they will expound on both BAD and good qualities.

If you were planning to hire someone and his or her former boss did not return your call, what message would that convey? According to reference-checking firm Allison & Taylor's Managing Director Heidi Allison, “In today’s highly competitive job market, people pay much attention to their resumes and interview skills. Unfortunately, many fail to nurture their professional references. These references will most likely make or break a job offer.”

To enhance the chances of always landing the next job one wants, Allison suggests job seekers of all professional backgrounds follow these Five Golden Rules of Job Reference Etiquette:

1. Call your former bosses and ask them if they are willing to be good job references for you. Give them a career update.

2. Let them know each and every time you give out their names and email addresses. Thank your former bosses for their time. An email is fine, keep them in the loop.

3. Keep your former positive references informed of your experiences in climbing the corporate ladder and your educational progress. They will be more inclined to see you in a stronger light as you progress.

4. Spending time with a potential employer is taking valuable time out of your former bosses' schedule. If you plan to use these positive references over the years, you need to give something back. For instance, after receiving good job references, write a personal thank-you letter or, at a minimum, send an email. Better still, send a thank-you note with a gift card for Starbucks, or offer to take your former boss to lunch/dinner.

5. If you win the new position, call or email your former bosses and thank them again for the positive references. Also, let them know your new contact information.

Allison says the most important rule for job seekers is to never leave your professional references to chance. “If you are not 100 percent convinced that your professional references and past employers will relay positive comments about you to prospective employers, have them checked out,” Allison said. “A professional reference-checking firm can either put your mind at ease, or supply you with the critical information and evidence that may be blocking your job-search efforts.”

Setting the Pace for Your Job Search

CM Russell — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:13:39 PDT

Posting from Career Sherpa

You want a new job. You want it fast. How will YOU make it happen?

Sometimes it feels like securing a new job is out of our control. I hear too often today people say "There aren't any jobs out there". I know there are jobs out there and so do you. The trick is finding them. Like a good old fashioned Easter Egg Hunt; you have to really look and quickness counts. If you don't move quickly, someone else is going to find those eggs. You look in the obvious, visible spots first. After awhile, you are going to have to look in out of the way, less obvious, hiding spots.

How does setting goals fit into this? You will want to set long term and short term goals to truly make things happen. Keep moving forward towards your goals.

Say your long term goal is to have a job by January 1, 2010. How many individuals will you need to meet to make that happen? How many interviews will you be turned down from? How many jobs will you need to apply for on-line? How many recruiters will you need to develop relationships with? These are the numbers you want to set in stone and strive for. Why these? Because these are the ways people secure jobs. Just take a look at CareerXroads survey from early this year. The study asked companies how they filled their openings.

Jobs on-line---------------------20 per week 80 per month 160 by January 1, 2010

Face to Face meetings---------5 per week 20 per month 40 by January 1, 2010

Recruiter conversations------10 per week 40 per month 80 by January 1, 2010

Reaching these conservative numbers proves that you have your work cut out for you. It is going to take discipline and time management to maintain these goals.

Older statistics stated that 1 out of 4 interviews would result in an offer. I am pretty sure that number is higher now. This goes to show that you will not get every job you apply for, nor would you want every job you interviewed for. In order to get interviews, you will have to meet a lot of people and apply thoughtfully to a lot of jobs.

The other thing to consider is the quality of these efforts versus the quality. You are investing your time, do so wisely. Give more time to those meetings or job postings that are worth your investment.

Are you setting these kinds of goals? Can you sustain this activity?

If you are seeking for the golden egg, move swiftly and investigate every option.

Who's Hiring from the Fortune 500 - Vol V

CM Russell — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PDT

Reposted from CareerAlley

"A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore." - Yogi Berra

We continue on with the Fortune 500 companies list on today's post. The companies range from supermarkets to Energy and Retail. The common theme is that these companies are hiring and there are jobs out there. Where I could search across the company I've listed the number of job opportunities. Across today's companies, there were over 459 job opportunities when I checked across the sites.

Kroger - Kroger, ranked at # 22 on the list, is a retailer with over 2,400 supermarkets and department stores in the United States. Their career site has a wide range of search opportunities – Hourly Store, Manufacturing, Accounting Services and Distribution Center. You can also review company background and register from this page. Clicking on Opportunities provides an advanced search function. A simple search returned 272 job opportunities across the United States.

Marathon Oil - #23 on the list, Marathon is known for integrated energy. Their careers page is fairly simple, with a brief overview at the top of the page and links on the left for Apply, High School, Benefits and Locations. The Apply for a Career link leads to a page with several choices: Oil Companies, Transportation, University / Entry Level and Speedway. There were 61 job opportunities across all categories when I checked the site.

Costco Wholesale - Not everyone has heard of this specialty retailer, ranked 24 on this year’s list. Their careers page has quite a bit of information running down the left hand side of the page. Some examples are: About Costco, Locations, Employment Opportunities and much more. The center of the page has a company overview, and then goes on to describe each of the major job functions with some embedded links. This makes it somewhat difficult to read, but if you are patient you will find the category and links that apply to you. While it is not easy to see all of the jobs that are available, I counted 45 job opportunities when I checked the site.

Home Depot - Ranked at #25, Home Depot is know as the Do It Yourself store. While they have struggled a bit this year, they have an established business model. Their careers page is clean and crisp. There are links at the top left hand side of the page for 5 different functional areas of employment, plus one for new store openings (where they will obviously need help). Below this on the left hand side is a search function, followed by a number of additional links to related information. The center of the page has click boxes for Store Managers, Customer Service and Supply Chain. Also, at the bottom of the page they have a link for their 2009 career fair calendar. Unfortunately, you must register on the site and check each job type individually.

AmerisourceBergen - A drug distributor and ranked 26 on the list, AmerisourceBergen's career page is fairly simple. The left hand side of the page has links for Benefits, History, Culture and more. The center of the page has a brief overview, followed by a link for career opportunities. Clicking on this brings up their job search engine where you can filter on a number of criteria. There were 81 job opportunities when I checked the site.

Good luck in your search.

Visit my site www.CareerAlley.com
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careerealism.com Twitter Advice Project), work T.A.P. Q#346 – Said I’d Show Her Resume to HR, But Can’t – What Should I Do?

CM Russell — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Here's my reply to question # 1 today:

Dear Experts,

I was out this weekend with some friends and met a girl. She’s currently looking for a job and when I mentioned where I worked, she was really excited and said she had applied there and was hoping to get an interview. She seemed nice enough, so I gave her my e-mail address and told her to send me her resume and I would drop it off at HR.

Well, she e-mailed it to me right away and I took a peak. I know for a fact that she doesn’t have the kind of experience they are looking for the position. To be honest, I can’t believe she thought of applying. So, I don’t think I should even bother showing her resume to HR, however, I promised her I would. What should I do?

My reply:

Dear unsure:
Give her the benefit of the doublt. You may think that she doesn't have the "experience they are looking for in the position," but perhaps there's more than meets the eye.

If you want to be genuine in helping her, you could gently advise her to customize her resume to what experience you think the company may be looking for. (This will involve some tact and diplomacy, since you don't know this person and she was a casual acquaintance).

If you feel uncomfortable with that, persuade her to really identify why she wants to work at the company and have her do the homework beforehand.

Another strategy is that you could divulge that you received the resume without details and that you were passing it along. No commitment on your part.

Ultimately, if she is really keen about working there, then she should do the follow-up work.

Best wishes,
Melissa Martin
careercoachingbyphone.com

Careerealism.com Twitter Q# 347-introducing myself to company I want to work for

CM Russell — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:00:00 PDT

Here's question #2:

Dear Experts,

I found a company I think is amazing. I’m about to graduate and want to apply to work there. I looked online and there aren’t any jobs posted. What’s the best way to contact them to learn when they might be hiring recent grads?

Dear Graduate to be:

Good for you that you are doing your homework even going into graduation!

1. Establish your personal brand before starting your job search. Competition is fierce.

2 Impress the company by doing competitive intelligence on their company. (Research their competitor and send the company you want to work for the information you got from the competition). Companies are always looking to solve problems). You can even send them a free press release to impress the company that you are conversant with the latest trends in their industry. Check out www. pressrelease365.com

Research what you think what might be their greatest challenge or problem. Use this as a basis for writing a sales letter (see # 3d).

3. Create a digital identity:
a. linkedin.com account-Gather testimonials from former professors, colleagues and supervisors in the last 3 years. Post them on your linkedin.com account (many recruiters use linkedin.com as a primary source for hiring talent). Post testimonials on your facebook account along with your resume.
b. Create a visual resume ex: visualCV.com
c. Create a biography of yourself. Go to google.com/profiles. It's free. Include links in your resume and cover letter.
d. Write a sales letter (Google: Jimmy Sweeney's world's greatest cover letter).
Example: "Three reasons why you should hire___(yourself). Offer ROI (return on investment) for hiring you. For example: you have new qualifications as a college grad to be; you are presumably young and can be crafted into a desirable employee with the latest product knowledge or industry knowledge.

e. Go to interviewbest.com annd search the free sample presentations. Prepare a short slide presentation (ex: Slideshare is available on linkedin.com) and "tease" the company in your sales letter about what you would do in the first 90 days at the company. Use a PS for this. (Jimmy Sweeney's brilliant idea).
Instead of going from the approach of when they "might" be hiring, make yourself irresistable to employers by following these strategies.

Remember, a recent study said that a company's #1 priority is improving efficiency.

Go boldly!
Melissa Martin
bilingual career coach
careercoachingbyphone.com

Write an article about career/job and win 2 Books!

CM Russell — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:43:27 PDT

Do you want to win books about Career management ?

Do you want to write an article about Career/job and be read by hundreds of readers?

Do you want your contribution to be recognized and published on this blog?

John Lees, in association with www.laurentbrouat.com will give away two of his career titles including "How To Get A Job You’ll Love" for the best contribution.

Write an article about career or job issues! Whatever you want to write about your job search, your experience as a career coach or share some useful tips, or simply rant over something… I am quite opened to any article as long as it brings something new and refreshing!

You need to send your contributions before the 8th of november to: contact@laurentbrouat.com

We will review the best contributions with John and let you know.

I look forward to reading some very good contributions, as I have had many good comments!