@Laurie DesAutels - Using Social Media to Land Your Next Job

10 Simple Do's and Dont's During Any Job Interview

2013-02-13T17:07:00.000-06:00

Following are some "do’s and don’t's" that apply in any Job Interview:

Job

Don’t tell jokes. Never tell jokes, especially risque, ethnic, or tasteless jokes.

Don’t discuss personal problems. Keep the interview focused by discussing job-related topics.

Don’t waste time with excessive small talk.

Don’t stay too long. It is easy to detect when the interview is no longer producing useful information. When this happens, take the initiative and courteously begin your exit.

Do be positive. It’s your responsibility to convince the interviewer that you are the person for the position by relating your accomplishments and achievements in a strong, positive manner. Confidence always contributes to interview success.

Do turn negatives into positives. If your job history shows frequent job changes, for example, indicate that you realize the value of a stable position, which is why you are interested in the position. You can neutralize negatives by bringing them up yourself, with logical and positive statements.

Do respect the role of personnel departments. Although the personnel department does not make the offer, it is responsible for screening candidates and can be an obstacle.

Do follow-up with a thank you note. Enhance your impact by sending a follow-up letter thanking the interviewer for his time. Use the letter to summarize any key points of the interview that highlight the suitability of your skills and experience. Express your enthusiasm about the position, the company and the reasons for your interest. Limit the letter to a page and be sure it is error-free. Snail mail thank you cards are always a bonus.

10 Simple Tools For Job Seekers

2013-02-10T13:02:00.000-06:00

1. Recruiters are selective. When asked how many job seekers expressing an interest are seen or spoken to the results were evenly spread, but a small majority (17.5%) say they only consider up to 1 in 10.
· How this helps: If you’re not 100% right for the role, you could still be considered. It depends on the agency, but some specialize in square pegs and round holes. 28% think that completely irrelevant skills would be a negative, but others say they handle this “frequently - it's all about knowing what the client will like.”

2. Don’t expect an immediate meeting. 97% use email or phone calls for the first stage because “initial telephone and skills assessment saves time for all parties concerned”.
· How this helps: Rather than viewing it as a blocking tactic or bad sign, understand that recruiters know that “time is precious” and they “only meet a candidate if I'm confident I can place them”. They see a phone call as a way to find out “how I can help them or if not where to direct them”.

3. No-one is perfect. After the initial contact, the wheat is sorted from the chafe. Half put through just 0-20% of candidates and no-one puts through everyone they screen.
· How this helps: Don’t despair if you get a few knock-backs. 40% say they reject due to lack of experience while 30% feel skills are missing so have a clear understanding of these requirements, and how you fit in, before you start.

4. Worry about the important things at interview. No-one would reject someone for interview based on looks and 43.5% said looks are irrelevant at interview, but hygiene is vital (49%) and both body language (45%) and dress sense (43%) are important.
· How this helps: Present yourself according to the job in question. “The importance of appearance will depend on the role”. Consider you’ll be an integral part of the employer’s brand and prep yourself accordingly.

5. Give the right impression. People might think that getting ‘friendly’ with the interviewer, saying they could do their job or being deadly serious at all times might help, but the majority of recruiters think this makes candidates just look either daft or rather silly.
· How this helps: Don’t commit the deadly sins of ensuring fresh breath by chewing gum or lying about your CV either. While the first certainly doesn’t seem that awful (especially considering the hygiene comments) these are definitely deal breakers for roughly 50% of recruiters.

6. Do your homework. Researching the company, role and industry are vital. Other areas recruiters feel are important are the department (36%) and the competition (43%) because “it shows they researched over/beyond the accepted norm.”
· How this helps: Earn extra brownie points by researching the interviewer – 36.5% think this is a useful trick while 20% feel it is vital. Just don’t take it too far. As one recruiter said: “candidates can sometimes over prepare, especially on the interviewer. This can be bordering on stalking!”

7. Beware those ‘outside interests’. Recruiters feel that all but travel and charitable work are irrelevant to someone’s chances. These are useful talking points because “anything that shows teamwork/individuality and compassion can be good.”
· How this helps: The consensus seems to be to “banish anything that you can’t talk about in detail and be able to explain relevance to the role.” Some “have had various clients turn candidates down on the basis that they are not happy that they like trains or kite flying or opera.”

8. If you get it wrong, don’t despair. When asked about a jobseeker getting the time, date or location of the interview wrong, researching the wrong business or being held up about half felt these could damage a jobseeker’s chances, but nearly 1 in 10 thought this would rarely be the case.
· How this helps: Make sure you keep them up to date by calling and explaining the delay. Only 3 people thought that this would still affect success, while nearly half felt this would help ensure your chance of getting the job was unaffected.

9. You’re given feedback for a reason. Over 90% of recruiters always provide feedback after an interview, most commonly via telephone but also over email.
· How this helps: Learn from it to improve your chances with the next job you apply for – that’s why recruiters take the time to do this for you. Only 5% felt their feedback was always taken on board however.

10. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Even if someone gets all of the above right, they should not rely on a single job opportunity. Over 60% of recruiters think that 3-5 applications is the magic number, while 18% think that people should apply for 8 or more.
· How this helps: Recruiters expect you to spread your bets so work with them on this. Many will even put you forward for a number of positions themselves as this increases their chances of success too.

10 Body Language Tips For Interviewing

2013-02-09T12:46:00.000-06:00

Your body language could help you land your dream job. From eye contact to posture to the way you fix your hair, avoid these 10 physical slip-ups in your next job interview.

Content by ResumeBear

blog.resumebear.com (http://s.tt/1yKCX)

Watch Your Posture

Leaning back is lazy or arrogant, leaning forward is aggressive and slouching is just lazy. Instead, experts say to aim for a neutral position, sitting tall as if a string were connecting your head to the ceiling.

Breaking Eye Contact

“Hold eye contact one extra eyelash,” says charisma coach Cynthia Burnham. She says we tend to feel uncomfortable holding eye contact once a personal connection has been created. Don’t stare, but try to hold your interviewers gaze for one extra second before breaking away. “Do this especially when shaking hands,” she says.

Avoid Chopping and Pointing Gestures

Cynthia Burnham, a California-based charisma coach, says chopping or pointing motions can”cut up” the space between you and your interviewer in an aggressive way.

Never Cross Your Arms

“Arms crossed over your chest signal defensiveness and resistance,” says Karen Friedman, communications expert. “When they’re open at your sides you appear more approachable.”

Beware of Excessive Nodding

“Sometimes we undermine how powerful or in focus we are by nodding like a bobble-head doll,” says Burnham, a habit that’s particularly common in women. “Nod once or twice with a smile of agreement. But find your still center and stay there.”

Stop Fidgeting

The nervous energy will distract the interviewer. You want [him or her] focused on what you have to say, not the coins jingling in your pocket or the hangnail on your finger.

Control Your Hand Placement and Movement

It’s important to appear approachable and open, so don’t try to control gestures or fidgeting by keeping your hands still. This is especially important when you begin to speak, says Friedman. “Keeping your hands in your pockets or behind your back inhibits movement and makes you appear stiff.”

Manger Your Facial Expressions

“If your tone isn’t matching your facial expression you could find yourself in hot water,” says communications coach Matt Eventoff. “If someone asks what you’re most passionate about and your face is in deadpan while you answer, it’s not going to translate well.”

Shifty Eyes

Friedman says distracted or upward eye movements can suggest someone is lying or not sure of themselves. “It’s important to look someone directly int he eye to convey confidence and certainty.”

Avoid Constant Staring

It’s important to be confident and look the interviewer in the eye. But then break away. Locking eyes with someone for an extended period of time can be interpreted as aggressive, not to mention creepy.

blog.resumebear.com (http://s.tt/1yKCX)

Do You Know How To List References For A Job?

2013-02-08T15:13:00.001-06:00

Do you need to know how to list references for a job? Some employers actually do check references in order to see how you performed on a job, how long you held the position, etc. You should always have your list ready when you are searching for work, but how should you lay it out? The tips below offer information regarding how to list references for a job, so that you can do it correctly and gain the most benefit.

What exactly is a reference list? If a prospective employer has ever asked for this and you weren't certain, it is simply a list of names and contact information of those you have worked for in the past. These individuals should be able to give a reference regarding your work ethics, attendance history, and other details about your job performance to a potential employer.

1. Give good references. When you create your job reference list, it's important that you give the names and contact information of those that you know will give you a good reference. Before you list former employers on this list, contact them and make sure they don't mind, and that they will give you a positive recommendation. This will help them be prepared for the call, and it won't come as a total surprise.

2. Continue with the style of your resume. If you have written a resume, write your job reference list using the same style and font, so that all of the documents you submit match. This is simply meant to help you present yourself in a professional manner.

3. Create a separate page for your list of references. It is important that you job reference list is on a page all its own, as many employers will pull this page out when contacting former employers (and it just looks organized and professional.) Title the page "Reference List" at the top, and center this at the top of the page in a bold font, preferably Arial, New Roman or Verdana for easy reading.

4. How to lay out each individual reference. When creating your list of job references, simply list the contact person's full name on the first line, such as "Ms.Anne Greenway." Their job title goes on the second line, and the name of the company where they work goes on the third line. The street address and city and state with zip code are placed on the fourth and fifth lines respectively. Last, you will want to list the phone number on the sixth line, followed by the email address on line seven.

5. List your best references first. If you provide a list of 4 or 5 job references, a prospective employer is likely to call the first 3 on the list. List those references that are likely to give you a glowing recommendation at the top, so that employers contact them first.

If you need to know how to list references for a job, follow the tips above. A positive recommendation from several previous employers can make a significant impact on whether or not you obtain the job!

How to contact a recruiter without being connected on LinkedIn

2013-02-07T20:16:00.000-06:00

Reblog from GetJobTips

OpenLink symbol

Have you seen a colorful circle symbol after a person’s name on LinkedIn and wondered what it meant? Many recruiters with a premium LinkedIn account feature such a logo on their profile because they want top candidates to contact them if they are interested in their open positions.

What does it mean and how can it benefit you?

The OpenLink circle symbol announces that you can send the recruiter (or anyone else with the symbol) a free InMail message even if you aren’t connected to them. (Otherwise, with the free, basic LinkedIn account, you have to buy the ability to send an InMail message to a non-connection, or upgrade to a Job Seeker or Job Seeker Plus account to send such messages -- see the paid options in this graphic)

Normally to reach non-connections through InMail requires you to purchase messages or upgrade.

To send a free OpenLink Message

Locate a person with the OpenLink symbol.
Click the Send InMail link on the OpenLink member's profile (or from search results).
Complete the OpenLink message template and then send.

Reach out to OpenLink recruiters for free to convey why you are a top candidate.

Considerations / Limitations

You must have Introductions available to send an OpenLink message. However, sending an OpenLink message will not reduce the number of Introductions you have. People with a free account can send up to 5 Get Introduced messages per month. Check your Settings to see how many you have available (Your Settings can be found by clicking the triangle next to your name in the upper right corner of your home page).
If you have a Basic (free) account, you can purchase up to 10 InMail credits (if you are trying to reach a non-connection who does not display the OpenLink symbol). If you don’t get a reply to a particular message in 7 days, you can send another InMail — to another user — at no charge. After you’ve reached the maximum of 10, you will need to upgrade your account to send additional InMail to non-connections.
If you have a premium account and want more credits than the number you've been allotted, you can continually purchase up to 10 more at a time.
You don't need to use a paid InMail message to send messages to your 1st degree connections. To contact them, simply click Send [Name] a Message in the upper right corner of his/her profile.

Options to avoid paying or upgrading to send InMails

Invite people to connect and include in your message the reasons for your invitation. While sending invitations is free, you may need to know his or her email address (Learn how to find email addresses)
Seek out and invite people with “Open Networker,” “LION” (LinkedIn Open Networker) or big numbers after their name, such as “13,000+.” Such wording indicates that the person is willing to accept all invitations. Many recruiters are open networkers. Even though people state that they are willing to accept invitations, customize your invitation message to let them know why you want to connect. (Learn how to invite strangers to connect ) (Finding recruiters)
Send a “Get Introduced” message to the person through your network instead of an InMail message. People with a free account can send up to five Get Introduced messages per month. (Learn how)
Join LinkedIn groups where your target people are likely members. I’ll talk next time about how to find groups with the people you want to reach.

Reach out to OpenLink recruiters or purchase/upgrade to send InMail messages to non-connections! Doing so can help you …Get a Job!

LinkedIn: Why You Should Only Include Your Name Under Name Field

2012-10-05T10:39:00.001-05:00

Why Is This Important?

You probably know some people who do this. When you see their updates they will appear as ‘Bill Johnson - Experienced Marketing Expert’ (or something along those lines) rather than just their name. For all of you thinking it’s a good idea or who do this: PLEASE DON’T.

In addition to the fact that LinkedIn doesn’t allow it (and some people have allegedly had their accounts suspended as a result of doing this) it’s also a bit like walking up to someone in a pub and overwhelming them with information about yourself right upfront. LinkedIn is an online network so it’s wise to treat it as you would a face-to-face networking opportunity. There are plenty of other places within your profile to include information about who you can help and what you can help them with.

“The LinkedIn User Agreement requires use of true names rather than pseudonyms, business names, associations, groups, email addresses, or other characters when registering on our site. We believe that any information other than first and last names in the name fields undermines the professional nature of our site and services.

User Agreement:

http://www.linkedin.com/static?key=user_agreement

Therefore, we do not allow any additional information (other than certifications) to be added to the name fields.”

If you want to highlight who you can help and what you can help them with, then use the professional headline space to do so. If you want to edit it then select:

Profile
Edit Profile
And click on the Edit button that appears next to your name

This will take you to a form. Half way down you will see the Professional Headline section. Use this to convey your key points.

If you haven’t done so already, you may also want to ensure that your LinkedIn profile is compelling and 100% complete. This will ensure that you position yourself in the best possible light to people who do view your profile or who you are recommended to. Try using BOLD or italics for added emphasis.

Do You Come Across As A Desperate Job Seeker..?

2012-10-04T11:52:00.001-05:00

How many times have you ever heard someone say to you?

I emailed my resume to 80 different jobs today and I haven't received one response!

So what exactly does a desperate job seeker do wrong and why? They mass-mail their resumes, apply for positions they aren't qualified for, apply to every position listed, work with multiple recruiters and use any opportunity to hand over a resume at a networking event, etc.

I made the exact same mistake during a job transition. My thought was "I will definitely land a new job within a week if I use these methods."
I submitted myself to jobs directly on companies websites, applied for the same job through multiple career channels and worked with a few recruiters on the same job.
I thought my newly updated resume would surely be seen and definitely impress the right people. I was Networking and so Proactive! After joining Richard, Wayne and Roberts as an Executive Recruiter, I learned how wrong my approach was and why that methodology did not work.

Don't take your resume to networking events
Networking events aren't job fairs. For that matter, most resumes get shredded at job fairs, or recycled back at the company. Why? Because most resumes aren't tailored to the unique needs of the employer. Even if you research which companies will be at the job fair, your resume still can't speak exactly to the needs of the hiring manager. Therefore, you should not take it to these events.Do grab the recruiter's or hiring manager's business card. Instead of handing out resumes, take the recruiter's or hiring manager's business card and follow up with them after the event with a nice thank-you note. One nice thank-you note is differ inciting yourself from all the other job seekers.

Don't just apply to any position listed. While you must apply for job openings to receive unemployment benefits, don't just apply to any position listed. Chances are you'll come back to this company at a future date for a position that looks interesting. If you leave a negative mark on the company's applicant tracking system (ATS) Automated tracking system, it will be hard to change that perception later.

Do target companies that you're interested and build relationships with them. If there are companies that you really care about, I would caution you about applying to them directly. Chances are high that your resume will get lost in their (ATS). Unfortunately, many hiring managers send a brief job description to Human Resources with targeted key words.You could be passed up because your resume has Quality Control and the keyword is QC. That is another reason to always use both abbreviations and the entire word within your resume.

Instead, focus on getting to know decision makers and current employees inside the company whom you can use for employee referrals. Also get to know past employees who can serve as referrals to their former colleagues at the company.

Don't elevator pitch. Recruiters, hiring managers and especially other job seekers aren't interested in hearing your objective, what you're looking for and how someone can help you.

Job seekers make this mistake when they answer the question: "Tell me about you." This is an ice-breaking question, not an invitation for an elevator pitch. When you're elevator pitching, you're missing a true opportunity to listen to the needs of the hiring manager and position yourself correctly.

Do build relationships. Exchanging business cards isn't building relationships; neither is talking to someone at a networking event. Building relationships requires careful listening skills and a genuine interest in getting to know the other person.

It is OK to write notes about anything shared during your conversation such as (hobbies, favorite sports team, children, etc).

That is an excellent time to have a reason to call a hiring manager - Congratulate them on a team victory!

When you do that correctly, you can find opportunities to become a resource to somebody else through referrals, connections, ideas, motivation and expertise. Once you become a resource to someone, chances are they'll reciprocate. If you become a resource to the right person at the right time, you will increase your odds of joining the lucky club of passive candidates who get back-to-back referrals for great job offers

Basic Tips To Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile

2012-07-19T18:30:00.000-05:00

Are we connected on Linked In?

Linked In in my opinion, is one of the few social media websites every professional should be using. There are many advantages to using LinkedIn. Plus unlike many sites where it can be time-consuming to build up and maintain a popular profile, LinkedIn requires far less effort. You can obviously use it more frequently if you’d like, but it’s not as necessary as it would be for other social media sites.

So once you’ve signed up and registered your account, here’s ten tips I recommend to optimise your account:

Fully complete your profile

Ensuring that this contains all relevant career history and interests. LinkedIn makes this easy by displaying a percentage score to show how complete your profile is.
A LinkedIn profile basically acts as an online CV, so make sure you’re being honest and describing yourself and career clearly.

Edit profile to claim vanity URL

This should be set to use your name (or closest match if unavailable) within the URL, for example: www.linkedin.com/in/kevingibbons – this will help you to optimise your own name in the search engines and also makes the URL easier to remember if promoted on business cards or email signatures.
Make your profile publicly available – You can set the information which is publicly available to non-members/contacts, be careful with blocking too much information as this will also be unavailable to the search engines. As a minimum, I would recommend providing enough information for the search engines to index your profile and cache the external links you have listed! In terms of optimising your profile, the main goals are normally to rank for your own name, company name and possibly industry keywords related to this.

Make connections

Increase the reach of your profile by connecting with current and former work colleagues, clients, friends and family. I’d also recommend adding any industry contacts, perhaps from people you have met at conferences/events or are connected with on other social media sites and share a similar interest.

Request recommendations

Obviously don’t ask everyone, especially if you don’t know them that well. But having recommendations will help your profile to stand out and will help to build trust in your reputation to visiting users. This will help improve the visibility of your own profile within internal LinkedIn searches too.

Register a company profile

If your company doesn’t already have a company listing, you should create one! Here’s an example of the SEOptimise company profile, if your company does have a profile, you should encourage employees to create their own individual LinkedIn profile’s and ensure the current employer entry is completed. This will automatically update all employees listed on the company profile, providing the company name is exactly matched.

Make use of the 3 website hyperlinks

For SEO value, LinkedIn is very good – they give you the opportunity to add three hyperlinks to websites of your choice. If you’re not trying to optimise your site for “My Website”, “My Portfolio” and “My Blog” it might be an idea to select “Other” and choose your own anchor text instead!

Join related groups

Find groups where other industry professionals have joined and look to participate in (or at least join) these groups. Adding value to your own profile and helping you to get found by other industry contacts.

Use LinkedIn Answers

This can help to build up your reputation within a field. For SEO it also builds the number of internal links pointing to your profile from within LinkedIn, therefore helping to strengthen your profile in the search engines!
Optimise your job title –
LinkedIn now includes your job title within profile title tags. I’m not saying you should lie about your job, but within reason you could include descriptive keywords which may help to attract relevant search engine traffic. For example, using “SEO Account Manager” as a job title instead of “Account Manager”, if appropriate.

Why Bother Networking? Is It Worth It?

2012-07-19T14:00:00.001-05:00

What Is Networking?

Networking is a common term today within any industry. It can have two meanings – the process of linking computers and other devices together so they can communicate, and the process of meeting and talking to other people to help your career. This article is about the latter.

Networking is the process of meeting people, talking to people and getting to know them, with a long term aim of helping your career. It’s done by a lot of people and it’s good to know what’s involved and why you need to do it.

Why Should I Network?

One of the most popular phrases in the working world (which you’ve probably heard before), is the phrase “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”. This means that knowing and associating with the right people can be more important than what you know or what you do. It aims to remind you of the importance of people skills and networking.

There are many reasons why networking is a good idea:

Keep informed of career opportunities in your industry
Learn about ideas and trends in the industry
Meeting new people
Understand more about other areas
Developing your communication and listening skills
If you’re considering a career change, or looking for new opportunities for a promotion, you should be looking to network whenever and wherever you can. You don’t always get a promotion or change that’s just handed to you – you need to be able to find out where they are and take your own steps to get there.

How Can I Network?

Well, the answer to this is to get out there and talk to people. You can do this at work, at social events, at different meetings, wherever people in your industry or workplace are together. You don’t even need to be in a group situation – you could be talking to a single person.

Essentially, you make conversation with people and get to know them. It doesn’t always have to be work or business related – it can be a personal conversation. However, you need to know why you’re networking and why you’re there, in order to have an appropriate conversation.

How Can I Get Better at Networking?

There are a few things you can do to be more effective at talking to colleagues. Some of these could be:

Think of the reason you’re meeting people. Is it to find out what’s happening in your company? Are you looking for any new job offerings? Or something else? Knowing why you’re there will help your discussions.
Networking is about being mutually beneficial to both people. Realising what you have to offer is a good thing to do.
Get a business card made for yourself, if you don’t have one already. It should, at the very least, have your name, email address, and phone number on it.
Practice your “soft skills”, which include listening, body language, and conversation skills. These come with practice and experience – in a future article I’ll write about how you can do this.

Hope this article helps with your networking. What are your thoughts? Post your replies in the area below.

Key Questions To Ask When Networking For A New Job

2012-07-19T14:00:00.000-05:00

The Number One Thing To Remember When Networking Is...People Have A Favorite Topic Of Discussion – Themselves!

It truly is not about you. It is more about the other person.

Ask questions, find their interesting story, learn from them, ask advice. Strive for a conversation that is 25% you, 75% them.

Remember your manners. Smile a lot. Say please and thank you. Hold doors open. Make eye contact. Say “and” more than you say “but.” Be positive. These are the things your mom taught you.

These are great launching off points to consider before thinking of what to ask at an informational meeting.

Don’t forget that it’s important to assess what you want to know! There is nothing worse than having a meeting and walking away without accomplishing your goals. So, have some goals!
Figure out what you need to know about the organization or the person – things that you cannot find out by a quick Google search.
Consider asking about the person’s (or organization’s) values, important skills needed to work there and about how they do business. Ask the nuanced questions you want to know. For example:

What are your biggest challenges? (Or those impacting your field/company/organization?)

What is the best (and worst) part of your job?

What would you do differently (if anything) if you were starting over in your field?

At the same time, in case you have a contact who likes to ask a lot of questions, be sure that you can also discuss your unique qualities – your unique selling proposition.

What are YOUR skills?
Why are you interested in this field or organization?
What do YOU have to offer?

Be sure to bring along your resume, just in case your networking contact asks for it, or if you have an opportunity to ask for input and advice.

In the long run, what exactly you ask is less important than HOW you ask it and how well prepared you appear. It is really true that you have one chance to make a first impression…Be interested and interesting and you won’t have to worry!

Looking For A New Career, Here's A Start!

2012-07-17T02:30:00.000-05:00

Money. It’s a topic that’s inspired countless songs about its correlation to happiness and health, from the Beatles classic “Can’t Buy Me Love” to the ’90s hit “Mo Money, Mo Problems” by Notorious B.I.G.

While the universal message of these songs is that making tons of money won’t solve all of your problems, most people would be content with earning a decent salary so they can pay their bills, support their family and live comfortably.

Since every worker has his own idea of what his target income would be, we like to highlight jobs at different pay levels and across different industries. Here we’re looking at jobs that pay a median of $45,000 a year, which is approximately $20,000 more than the 2010 median annual pay for U.S. workers of $26,364. Median means half of workers made more and half made less.

Here are nine jobs that pay around $45,000*:

1. Advertising sales agents sell ad space to businesses and individuals. These agents pursue potential clients, make sales presentations and manage client accounts.
Median annual pay: $45,350
Typical education level: High-school diploma or equivalent

2. Archivists appraise, edit and maintain permanent records and historically valuable documents. Archivists may also perform research on archival material.
Median annual pay: $45,200
Typical education level: Bachelor’s degree

3. Brick masons, block masons and stonemasons use bricks, concrete blocks and natural stones to build fences, walkways, walls and other structures.
Median annual pay: $45,410
Typical education level: High-school diploma or equivalent

4. Film and video editors and camera operators record images that entertain or educate an audience. Camera operators capture material for TV shows, movies, music videos, documentaries or news and sporting events. Editors construct the final productions from the images that camera operators capture and work with producers and directors on production.
Median annual pay: $45,490
Typical education level: Bachelor’s degree

5. Firefighters protect the public by responding to fires and other emergencies. They are often the first emergency responders on the scene of an accident.
Median annual pay: $45,250
Typical education level: Postsecondary non-degree award

6. Health educators instruct people on behaviors promoting health and wellness. These educators develop programs and materials to encourage making healthy decisions.
Median annual pay: $45,830
Typical education level: Bachelor’s degree

7. Meeting, convention and event planners coordinate professional meetings and events, including choosing meeting locations, arranging transportation and coordinating other details.
Median annual pay: $45,260
Typical education level: Bachelor’s degree

8. Music directors and composers lead orchestras and other musical groups during performances and recording sessions or write and arrange original music.
Median annual pay: $45,970
Typical education level: Bachelor’s degree

9. Occupational health and safety technicians collect data on workplace safety and health conditions. Technicians work with occupational health and safety specialists in conducting tests and measuring hazards to help prevent harm to workers, property, the environment and the public.
Median annual pay: $45,330

Typical education level: High-school diploma or equivalent

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By Bob Warren Resume Bear

Resume Bear's Blog

Building Trust Is Vital For Business In Both The Online AND Offline World

2012-07-11T17:21:00.000-05:00

It is a primary element for success. Establishing trust is especially important for online businesses. However, accomplishing this goal is not easy.

Currently, it is a snap to go online, create a website for little to nothing, and attempt to sell any sort of merchandise or service you would like. However, to be profitable and achieve success is something else completely. For that, it is necessary to gain people’s trust.

Trust and credibility go hand in hand. Establishing credibility is an obstacle all its own. It is even more difficult for online business owners due to the absence of in person communications. Potential clients frequently operate on some level of distrust and suspicion because of unfavorable exploits with online swindlers.

In simple terms, to increase online sales, you must build your credibility in order to gain people’s trust. If you fail to do this, then people will not conduct business with you. There are many ways to build credibility and trust. Here are some of the best.

Customer Service

Top notch customer service is a key element toward building trust and credibility. In fact, customer service is the most important part of your business. You need customers in order to succeed. Profits are generated by selling your merchandise or services to people who want or need them. Customers desire to know how your products or services can improve their lives.

Therefore, it is important that anything you do fulfills the wants or needs of your customers. Always put the needs of the customer first. Some websites lose site of this fact, caught up in site design, SEO, content overload, etc. Successful sites always keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to build trust, not a website. Whenever a situation arises, consider the wishes of the customer, as well as the effect on the business, before making a decision. Treat every customer as an individual and with respect.

Branding

Creating a strong brand is significant to building trust and credibility. This is accomplished with a precise brand strategy. Your brand should be inspirational and special to consumers.

Well known internet businesses such as eBay and iTunes are thought to be credible as they are established brands. In addition, these companies have had many satisfying and successful customer interactions. New online businesses should strive to build the same level of brand recognition. Think about what eBay, Apple, Amazon, etc. have done to establish that trust. All of these companies at some point in time posted significant losses. They have endured by staying focused on the customer, delivering consistent customer service and building that enduring brand loyalty (aka trust).

Provide Valuable and Objective Information

The internet is both interactive and flexible. This makes it possible for individuals to use it as a tool for collecting information on countless topics.

Unfortunately, the majority of information available online is not objective. Some sites share information from a one sided perspective. It is hard to determine the credibility of a website as there is no face to face communication or any of the other clues that are present in the real world.

To gain credibility and trust, you must be certain that all information displayed on your site is objective and straightforward. Information sources and the credentials of the responsible individuals should be openly displayed and sustainable.

Site Design

Typically, users stay on a web page for only a short period of time. It is for this reason that you need more than just quality information. First, you must have a site that appears professional. When choosing your web design, it is necessary to consider how its appearance will influence visitors. A professional looking site will be regarded as credible.

The first impression is most important. Your site design needs to enthrall, hook and convince visitors to stay on your site longer.

Make Your Site User Friendly

Creating a site that is user friendly also helps to build credibility. Information should be well organized, thereby making navigation simple and easy. This is especially important for online stores since your customers need to be able to find the merchandise in order to purchase it. Also, good information structure shows expertise which adds to credibility.

Create a Blog

A great way to build online trust is to become an authority in your niche. One way to accomplish this is to incorporate an active and relevant blog on your site and post in it often. The blog reaches potential customers by supplying information. It demonstrates to visitors that you are knowledgeable about your products or services and passionate about your business. It puts your visitors at ease so that they feel safe doing business with you.

In addition, you will be able to communicate directly with potential customers by responding to comments and questions they leave on blog post. In this way, you will create fresh connections and a company voice.

First time visitors will see a professional site and an active blog. This will provide them with a sense of security about purchasing your services or merchandise, as it shows that you are active in your market.

Social Networking

Social networking is one of the best ways to build online trust. Social networks, such as Twitter or Facebook, are places where you can find new customers, share your views, and directly interact with visitors to your site.

From a professional standpoint, owning a few social networking profiles is very good. However, in order for them to do any good, you must remain active in them. It is necessary to keep connected within these places and interact with others often.

Reviews and Testimonials

Another method for building trust is to display customer’s testimonials and reviews on your site. In addition, it is important to get testimonials and reviews on major networks like Google + or Facebook.

By convincing visitors to place feedback for you on sites other than your own, you simultaneously build backlinks and trust. Reviews of your product or services, left on sites other than your own, appear to be more reliable to potential customers. A good way to get customers to leave such reviews is to send a basic follow up email that thanks the customer for buying your product or service, and that you would appreciate it if they would leave a review at the provided links. Make sure you include links to Facebook, Google +, and so on in the email.
How are you building trust with your customers?

Join the discussion by leaving a comment below and please spread the word by sharing this post with your friends.

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By Bob Warren - Resume Bear

Resume Bear's Blog

Making Strong Impressions During An Interview..And Landing The Job!

2012-07-09T13:01:00.000-05:00

How Do You Ace The Interview?

Relatively few people actually blow the interview. The problem is that they fail to impress the interviewer with their capabilities and, thus, are easily forgotten as candidates. This often occurs because individuals tend to talk in generalities in the interview rather than articulating specific accomplishments and achievements. Describing your past experiences by using stories or anecdotes is one of the most effective means of impressing a recruiter.

Using stories to describe your accomplishments helps you stand out and be remembered. The reason this is true has to do with one of the basic premises of adult education. Adults tend to remember examples better than they remember facts. Thus, if you list off a string of strengths such as resourcefulness, articulate, and pleasant to be around, no one will remember what you said fifteen minutes after you leave the interview. Moreover, by simply articulating a laundry list of strengths, you are not backing up your claim. Maybe these really are strengths, but who knows? By describing situations in which you demonstrated those strengths, you will both convince the interviewer that these are indeed strengths of yours and you will have a higher probability of being remembered after the interview is over.

Telling stories about your background is a skill. Some people are naturally good at it while others are not. However, it is a skill that most people can master with a little practice. The trick is to establish a format for your anecdotes. This will enable you to avoid being too brief or overly long-winded. The acronym STAR is often helpful in providing this framework.

First, think about a situation or task that you faced. Describe this situation in two or three sentences. This establishes the background for your story so that it can be understood by the person interviewing you.

Next, describe the action that you took. At this stage, it is important that you speak about what you specifically did. There is a tendency for candidates to gloss over their accomplishments and, thus, hide their light under the proverbial bushel. While you don’t want to appear arrogant, you do want to take credit for the role that you played.

Conclude your anecdote by describing the result you achieved. Discuss how your work helped your employer. Whenever possible, try to discuss the result in measurable or quantifiable terms.

For example, an accountant described a time in which an accounting system he was expected to implement quickly was threatened by a manager who was slow to commit his support. To convince the manager to support the accountant’s effort, the accountant proposed a 7:00 a.m. meeting to discuss the project. Both this presentation and the accountant’s willingness to meet so early impressed the manager who gave his approval. The accounting system was then quickly implemented. As a result, the system decreased the time it took to process invoices by 25%.

Pretend you were an interviewer who just heard the anecdote from the accountant. You would probably associate the accountant with such positive traits as initiative, hard working, detail-oriented, and resourcefulness. Additionally, you would likely remember this anecdote and the accountant for some time to come. Thus, it is easy to see why using stories in the interview is such a powerful weapon!
Identifying the right stories to tell is a critical step. You will want to prepare an array of anecdotes that can be deployed as needed during the interview. The first step is to compile a list of situations or activities in which you have been successful in the past. These can relate to work, school, or other outside interests. You should be able to come up with an initial list of at least 30 situations. For each one of these, write out the corresponding action that you took and the result you achieved. Don’t worry if you can’t quantify all of your results. While it makes for a more impressive story if you can, sometimes the result is simply that the project was completed on time.

A final step before the interview is to put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. If you were hiring someone for this job, what types of skills would you be looking for? Write them down. Review your list of anecdotes to identify which stories demonstrate your skills in those areas.

Finally, practice articulating your accomplishments out loud. There is a world of difference between thinking how you will say something and actually saying it.

By working on preparing and articulating your anecdotes, you will find that you will be remembered positively while your competition becomes a blur in the interviewee's mind.

Are Your Interview Skills Rusty?

2012-07-07T10:34:00.000-05:00

Are Your Interview Skills Rusty?

Job Search Tips

Part of any effective job search includes preparing for that all-important interview, but are your interviewing skills up-to-date? What were considered correct responses in the 1990s could actually prevent you from getting a job these days. Why? Because the job climate has shifted and employers have different expectations of a prospective employee than they did even five years ago.

So how do you demonstrate that you're in touch with the business needs of today and aren't a throwback to former times? The following describes the major shifts occurring in the interviewing process and suggests ways to help you respond. You'll gain insight into the mind of today's typical interviewer and ensure that the questions you're asked don't catch you by surprise.

Don't worry about your career aspirations five years from now; show what you are capable of doing now:

Just a few years ago, you walked into an interview nearly certain that you'd be asked the question: "What would you like to be doing five years from now?" The anticipated answer demonstrated a combination of loyalty and ambition -- you expressed a desire to remain with the same organization over a period of time and to step into roles of ever increasing responsibility.

Once a standard part of the interview process, this query is fading from use. Given today's tumultuous economic and social climate, employer concerns about longevity have been replaced with a desire to see rapid results. Three-year plans are practically unheard of, which means you need to show that you're capable of getting up to speed immediately and that you have the skills and experience to solve complex problems effectively and without hesitation. Instead of discussing where you plan to be five years from now, be prepared to answer something like: "How would you characterize a 90-day plan to meet the objectives of this position?"

Demonstrate your ability to create synergy:

Five years ago, when asked to describe your management style, you could impress an interviewer by talking about using performance-management techniques, setting expectations, measuring feedback and rewarding performance -- evidence that you knew how to manage. Now the situation is more complicated -- and more urgent. In addition to showing that you're a capable leader, you must prove that you know how to encourage individuals to work together to accelerate problem-solving. In the past, team-building was recognized primarily for its ability to shape culture. However, given today's accelerated pace, you must show that you understand how to navigate in a complex environment, where how well you work with other parts of the organization is what ultimately produces results.

Show that you're a decisive leader who's learned from past mistakes:

"How have you solved problems in the past?" Once, this question was best answered by demonstrating that you operated by a model, something like: "I solve problems in a linear fashion. I gather facts, I consider all approaches for solving the problem, I make recommendations, I implement them and I follow up." Several years ago, there was value in being right 100% of the time, but employers are beginning to recognize the importance of having failed and subsequently learned from your mistakes. Your ability to articulate the reasons for your choices, the circumstances contributing to the failure and the lessons learned to eliminate a repeat performance will help you to outshine an equally qualified executive, who lacks experience in dealing with adversity. In addition, the executive who gets ahead can demonstrate decisiveness, the courage to take a stand and the ability to adjust to change and forge ahead to produce results.

Use storytelling to convince an interviewer that you're the perfect person for the job:

"Why are you the ideal candidate for this position?" In the past, when asked this question, you were expected to simply regurgitate your resume. You proved you had the necessary ability by referring back to prior roles. However, showing that you're experienced is no longer enough. Now, you need to provide a detailed account of relevant experiences you've encountered in your career and how they relate to your skills. In other words, you need to show real-life problem-solving in action -- which is probably the most valuable interviewing skill. How do you do this? Before an interview, think about the skills you want to showcase and prepare an example of how you've put these skills to use. For instance, if you're a chief information officer and you want to display your technical ability, talk about your former company's out-of-date point-of-service system and how you devised an innovative solution to speed checkout and increase profits.

Use this same approach for each skill you want to highlight
*Always Remember*
-Lay out the problem you faced;
-Explain your solution; and
-Discuss the results.

While doing this, take the interviewer into your world. Paint a vivid picture. In other words, "show, don't tell" that you're the ideal person for the job.

Show that you'd fit into the company culture:

Having the technical skills to do the job is just the price of entry. What really determines whether you'll get the offer is fit. An interviewer gauges this by listening not only to what is said, but also to the way it's said. Being articulate shows you're credible and aren't making things up as you go along. Speaking passionately shows you're discussing concepts you've spent time pondering. Asking thoughtful questions means you're naturally curious and a good listener who takes others' views into consideration.

In the end, all interviewing boils down to one simple query, whether it's asked overtly or simply implied:

Will this person make the company a better place?" Show that the answer is yes, and you'll ensure that you're the one who gets the nod.

Interview Tips During Your Job Search

2012-07-06T11:49:00.002-05:00

Job Interview Tips:

jobsearch finding a new job

• Take a portfolio with a notebook and a couple of copies of your resume.

• I encourage you to take lots of notes. You, of course, will not remember everything and you will want to refer back to your notes when making a decision about the position. • Of course wear something professional and conservative.

• If asked to fill out an application fill in every blank – lots of times the resume doesn’t end up in your file with the application and you don’t want any information missing on it. Under salary requirements use ‘open’ or ‘negotiable’. If you give a figure it will either under-price or over-price yourself.

• It’s too early to talk about salary. If asked about what you are looking for or something like that, just be as generic as you can be. I like to say something like "You know what I am currently making and I’m sure that whatever you would offer me would be fair and reasonable in today’s market place.”

• Be sure to have three strengths and one weakness in mind and ready to talk about.

• Be sure to have short term and long term goal issues sorted out in your mind.
• It is nice to compliment one person to another and DON’T FORGET to thank every person with whom you meet for his or her time.

• Pick up business cards from everyone so you will have the correct spelling, title and address to send a hand-written thank you note. Nowadays people use email to send thank you notes – I think that is fine as well, but my personal preference is send a hand-written thank you adding a little something personal in each one.

• Speak in terms of I will, I shall, I can, etc. so as to plant a mental seed about your already doing the job and working there.

• A good way to lead into the interview is to say something like “I know about the responsibilities, could you please elaborate on what you have in mind for this position?”

• You are your own best sales person! Toot your horn! Sell yourself! Quantify, talk specifics, give details, talk numbers, profitability, special projects, give specific, hands on, situational examples.

• VERY IMPORTANT!! If you are excited about the job ASK FOR IT! A couple of good ways to do that at the conclusion of an interview are to say “I want you to know I am very excited about this opportunity and I want to come and work for you.”, “Thank you for your time and I want you to know that I am very excited about this opportunity – where do we go from here?”

• Let them know: why you want the job, why you feel this would be a good career move for you, why it makes sense for you to be there interviewing, why you think it is a good job and reiterate why you would be motivated to take this job.

• Smile and maintain consistent good eye contact.

• Keep in mind your realistic goals for this interview.

Huntsy about Your Job Search?

2012-07-05T13:43:00.000-05:00

Looking for a job can be an extremely time consuming and at times.
Whether it’s the actual search itself and the hours spent searching jobs boards and company websites or the practical elements like creating a well written resume, monitoring and tracking of what you have applied for. It takes time and also requires real focus and organization skills to do it well.
Discover Huntsy - An online dashboard for your Job Search.

Huntsy is a bit like combining Hootsuite and Pinterest which will help reduce the time you spend searching for a job online.

It only takes a few minutes to create an account, next you can add saved searches from websites such as Indeed, Simply Hired, CareerBuilder, etc. You can save any jobs that interest you by clicking the bookmarklet or by adding a job manually to the dashboard. You do this directly through job boards and listings. A Huntsy widget then extracts the most relevant information from the job listing – the company details, the job title etc.

The dashboard then allows you to keep track of your job search history, where you have applied, interview schedules, what you need to follow up on etc. Huntsy provides you with timed reminder options and to do lists so your job hunting is fully organized!

You can also connect your LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter accounts and Huntsy will scan your social networks to find potential contacts for each job listing.
This tool helps job seekers find connections they might not have been aware of who can help with your job search.

Huntsy is quick and easy to install.
Give it a try if you need help keeping your job search organized.

The Power Behind Paying It Forward

2012-07-04T06:40:00.001-05:00

I’m sure that many of us want to make a difference, making the world a bit better in their own way. I know that it sounds impossible or utopic but I think that each and everyone of us can take a small step that could make the world a better place.

It is quite common to anticipate getting help from others and to think that someone should reach out a hand when we you are in need. But we have to change our perception and to focus on helping others instead!

Why should I help others, you think for yourself?

Well, since you can make a difference, feel better about yourself, make someone happier and get help from others when you most need it. You take the first step in the right direction to change the world for the better!

Are you ready to take the first step and would like to get some inspiration? Then I suggest that you watch the movie Pay It Forward (2000) – it is about a boy, Trevor, who got an assignment by his social science teacher to devise and put into action a plan that will change the world for the better. He calls his plan "Pay it forward", which means the recipient of a favour does a favour for other people rather than paying the favour back. By doing a favour for three people, asking each of them to "pay the favour forward" by doing favours for three other people, and so on, he manage to start a positive movement who grows rapidly and makes the world a better place.

Let’s all start practicing in doing something nice and helpful for people we know! Giving a recommendation, helping in finding a new job or even saying something nice that would make them feel better – not asking for anything in return rather than to pay it forward to others. If we all do so, we are going to feel better about ourselves and be sure that other would help us when we most need help.

Yes! Companies Use Twitter To Hire

2012-07-03T14:27:00.000-05:00

Here are 5 ways Employers Leverage Twitter to Find Employees: Find Out How...

1. Connect with People in Your Industry or Local Areas
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with quantity on Twitter. But for job search purposes, the name of the game is quality. Once you start meeting and following the “A” Players in your industry or geographic area, stay on top of the conversation by separating them from the rest of your Twitter followers.

I’m not saying you need to drop your other friends, rather I am suggesting that you’ll want to stay on top of what’s happening by putting this conversation is a separate place.
Great Twitter applications that allow for categorizing followers are Tweetdeck, HootSuite and Seesmic.

3. Employers Post Jobs Directly (and Get Your Network to RT Them)
Serendipity would be if the job opening and the perfect candidate arrive at the same time. Unfortunately, in the real world that doesn’t happen very often. So when you see a job opening relevant to your industry… post them in your Twitter stream, Follow the Employer and don’t be shy about asking your followers to retweet the posting. Most people are happy to retweet items of value – and having a job opening is always a very valuable thing, especially in a down economy.

4. Search using Hashtags (or Create Your Own!)
I believe the real power of Twitter lies in hashtags. Hashtags are essentially a way for Twitter users to organize tweets under topical tags that are included in the tweet itself. So let’s say you see a job opening and it is not an exact match..Send it out to your network, but you want to get it out to the masses. You can use a hashtag to have it show up more readily in search queries.

One good example is the #JobAngels hashtag. This hashtag was created by Mark Stelzner who wondered what would happen if each of us helped one person find a job? Those looking for jobs post using the hashtag and others can help them find open jobs that match their skillset. Employers have used the tag along with job postings as well, so that job seekers can more easily find the listings.

Another way to use hashtags is to search for Employers. Maybe you’re not ready to spread the word about your job search, but you want to see who’s out there. Think outside the box..Search for Hashtags like #Location #Resume #SearchingFor, etc

Finally, Most companies use their company name as a hashtag (very creative!) If you they have a lot of employees on Twitter, this could be a valuable way to connect with other employees. This can be extremely useful for a referral.

5. Set up Alerts
Many of us use alerts to monitor what is being said about ourselves. But you can also use services like Google Alerts and Notify Me to see what jobs are being offered. Call it competitive intelligence in the job market, if you will. Let’s say you’re searching for a specific position – set up an alert for that position so you can see if anyone else on Twitter is also searching. Connect and Network!

Using Twitter to find jobs might not work for every position but it can be a valuable resource for getting the word out and monitoring the job market.
There is also a strong community of experienced recruiting professionals on Twitter that can help you with your efforts.

Are you Branching Out?

2012-07-03T06:28:00.000-05:00

True to its name, the biggest professional networking application on Facebook is Branching Out!

BranchOut is the largest professional networking application on Facebook with more than 25 million registered users and over 400 million professional profiles.

BranchOut allows users in more than 200 countries to leverage their Facebook friend network to find jobs, recruit talent, and strengthen relationships with professional contacts.

According to www.branchout.com "Our engineers and designers have been hard at work to continually innovate and improve our user experience to increase engagement, while making it easy for people to network and find jobs".

At least three new people sign up for BranchOut every second, on average. Roughly half the new sign ups come from people outside the U.S., primarily Europe, Australia, Canada and India.

And since BranchOut added mobile functionality in late February, some 40 percent of new signups come from handheld devices.

The company recently closed $25 million in Series C financing led by the Mayfield Fund. Previous investors Accel, Norwest Venture Partners and Redpoint Ventures also participated in the round, bringing BranchOut‘s total funding to $49 million.

Why Not Start Branching Out and Network With Your Friends?

Desperate Job Seeker, Who Me?

2012-07-01T10:34:00.001-05:00

Is this your Job Search Technique?

United States Economy

How many times have you ever heard someone say to you?

I emailed my resume to 80 different jobs today and I haven't received one response!

Don't elevator pitch. Recruiters, hiring managers and especially other job seekers aren't interested in hearing your objective, what you're looking for and how someone can help you.

Job seekers make this mistake when they answer the question: "Tell me about you." This is an ice-breaking question, not an invitation for an elevator pitch. When you're elevator pitching, you're missing a true opportunity to listen to the needs of the hiring manager and position yourself correctly.

Do build relationships. Exchanging business cards isn't building relationships; neither is talking to someone at a networking event. Building relationships requires careful listening skills and a genuine interest in getting to know the other person.

It is OK to write notes about anything shared during your conversation such as (hobbies, favorite sports team, children, etc).

That is an excellent time to have a reason to call a hiring manager - Congratulate them on a team victory!

The Importance Of An Updated Resume Today

2012-06-29T04:22:00.001-05:00

Very often, your resume speaks for you and represents the first impression you make. It’s almost sad to admit, but it is true. Many recruiters and employers miss out on great candidates because they are too quick to jump to the conclusion that an unpolished resume reflects an unqualified candidate. For this reason, many great candidates also miss out on great job opportunities. With that thought, let’s take a look at the 5 reasons why you’ll need to update your resume before applying to a job.

1. To Show That You’ve Read The Job Description

For an employer, or recruiter, nothing is more annoying than reviewing the resume of someone who did not read the job description. With the internet providing the ease of access to many, many job postings, job seekers are taking a shortcut by creating generic responses and mass sending them to multiple prospective employers. You might be able to get away with this in some cases, but most employers and recruiters are able to pick out generic responses. They know when you neglected to read the job description!

By updating your resume, this gives you an opportunity to add something in your “Objective” or “Summary” that shows that you’ve read the job description and have taken the effort to modify your resume to reflect your candidacy. Of course, updating your cover letter would serve this purpose just as well.

You may also show that you’ve read the job description by mentioning in the body and subject of your email the job title you are applying for and how you qualify.

2. To Add New Relevant Keywords

There is no way your resume could tell the whole story of your career. No single job title can truly explain all your duties and responsibilities. So chances are, your current resume doesn’t fully endorse your candidacy for the position you are applying for. By updating your resume, you get to add new keywords that are relevant to what the recruiter is looking for, thus increasing your qualification. Obviously, I’m not suggesting that you lie about experience you don’t have. Instead, I’m saying you should “brag” about the relevant experience you’ve had.

3. To Add Relevant Experience and Eliminate Irrelevant Jobs

Let’s say you’ve had 15 years of experience working at different jobs in warehouse and office environments. Your current resume shows that you’ve had 8 years of experience working in an office and only 2 years of experience working in a warehouse. You are applying for a warehouse position which you feel you completely qualify for. What should you do about your resume? Before you send your resume to that prospective employer, make sure you update it to highlight the 7 years of experience you’ve had working in warehouses, and eliminate some of the office jobs you’ve listed. This new resume would show the recruiter that you are not only qualified for the open position, but you are also well rounded and have had success working in different fields.

4. For The Sake of Having a Current Resume

I’ve seen many resumes that only highlight work experience up to 2 years ago. They only make me wonder what exactly these people have been doing the last few years. Were they taking time off to travel? To care for their infants? To go to school? I’m sure they all have valid reasons but, I shouldn’t have to guess. Because, if I have to guess, then I’d second guess, then I’d delay calling the candidate to phone screen them, then I might forget to call them. My point is, every resume that gets into an employer’s hand should look like it was updated yesterday. Addresses, contact information, and dates should all be updated. If you’ve just moved to Dallas, TX and your resume still says that you live in Louisiana, you might have some trouble trying to find a job in Dallas.

5. To Practice Your Job Interview

And lastly, but not least, going through and updating your resume gives you a chance to revisit your work history, to refresh your memory. This way, when you go to that important interview, you’ll be prepared to answer all the questions asked about the jobs you’ve listed. And that is not a bad thing!

7 Strategies for Blogging to Your New Career

2012-06-26T17:11:00.002-05:00

Do you have an interest in a few different fields but wonder how to get more information about them? Well you’ve got plenty of company—it’s the biggest problem career-seekers struggle with.

That’s why internships are so helpful — they let you try on new careers to see first-hand whether you like them. But there’s a great strategy to be used in tandem with internships, and it’s blogging.

1. Have a Goal

Your blog can be anything you want. But to improve your odds of success you should first have a goal, says John Rampton, founder of Blogging.org. Rampton said it’s important to figure out what you want your blog to do, and to figure out the topics and, importantly, the keywords, to use in your posts. He also recommends writing your goals down where you can see them and revisiting them regularly.

2. Decide On Your Business Model

According to social media consultant Jay Baer you also need to figure out your business model before you start. Do you want your blog to drive consulting work, do you want to get paid for blogging, do you want to get a job or internship out of it? Baer suggests bloggers sharpen their focus by identifying the audience they’re targeting and the questions that audience has so they can provide the right answers. Failing to do this upfront, he warns, will make it tough to be consistent and present a strong point of view—the two most important qualities of a successful blog.

3. Blog Regularly

Most blogging experts concur that if you don’t publish regularly you’ll fail to get traction. The more you post, the more eyeballs ultimately find their way to your blog, with the majority of eyeballs coming through search. And the more you use popular keywords for your category, the higher you will rank with Google, the holy grail of bloggers (and pretty much everybody).

4. Interview the Experts

Get to the experts early and regularly for interviews, and publish timely, interesting content about your prospective sector as you shape your point of view. According to Investigative reporter and journalism and writing professor Dave Copeland, you shouldn’t get hung up about what to write about. If you interview one or two experts you can come up with enough content to fill 3-4 blog posts. And the more you talk to the experts, and read and write about your field of interest, the more of an expert you yourself become.

And never be afraid to reach out. Stephanie Sammons, CEO and Founder of WiredAdvisor, notes that LinkedIn is the perfect vehicle for contacting experts in the field to ask their advice. Sammons suggests using the InMail feature to make direct contact; just be clear about why you’re contacting that person and be brief and to the point. She adds: “Have the confidence to put yourself out there and don’t hesitate to be persistent. I had a young woman contact me a few months ago about managing social media accounts and she had the skills we’re always looking for. Unfortunately she never followed up so I forgot about her.”

Nervous about approaching well-known experts when you’re still green? Copeland counsels, “A lot of the time I’ll say, ‘I know this is a dumb question but I’m trying to explain it to my readers.’ You’re trying to get them to slow down their explanation to speak to the average reader, who also happens to be you!”

5. Link with Others

Blogging is all about sharing, so be sure to tout other blog posts in the field and create a link building strategy early on to both send and receive traffic to other industry bloggers. Alison Groves, User Experience Manager at Raven Internet MarketingTools, says, “Link building is deceptively simple, and yet most bloggers fail to do it in a strategic and consistent way. The key is to find relevant websites with useful content. Then network with the organization (or blogger) to establish a mutually beneficial relationship including featuring content about them in the hope that they’ll return the favor. How do you find those websites? Use tools such as Google.com/blogsearch or conduct a blog search on Facebook, for starters.”

Zac Johnson, founder of Money Reign, says that commenting on others’ blogs is as important as writing your own posts. Your comments should provide value to the audience—not just be a self-serving commercial about you. He also recommends guest blogging as a strategy to reach a bigger audience and achieve links back to your website from blogs that are better known than yours.

6. Provide a Service to Your Readers

Keep in mind that to encourage people to read your blog you need to provide a service in the form of information and problem-solving. Think about the problems your target audience currently has, and who, if not you, might have some answers. That question will guide your interviewing efforts and help you identify and find resolution for issues in your new sector. Sharing the goal of helping others should embolden you to reach out to industry experts since showcasing their ideas in your blog is beneficial to them and their organization.

7. Be Visible on Social Media

Make sure you have a social media strategy for your blog posts. Get the word out about each post on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook as a start. (You can link the three services so they automatically update). Use your LinkedIn groups to promote your posts more specifically by inviting conversation among your group members.

Sammons says, “My general philosophy is that you need to be consistently visible and valuable on the LinkedIn network. This means that you’re there frequently and sharing quality content, some of which should be your own, some of which is culled from others. This will generate profile views. When your connections see you on their home page they’re going to be more likely to click through and find out more about you.”

About the Author: Allison Cheston is a New York City-based career advisor who works with established executives and young adults who are in high school, college or are recent graduates, to help them identify their unique value in the marketplace, explore alternative careers and get that all-important job.

Honesty + Guts Works In An Interview

2012-06-25T09:39:00.000-05:00

Speak up and be honest!

Two different situations explain why, no matter how desperate one is for a job, interviewing the same way you would if you had the best job in the world, is the difference between getting an offer and not getting one.

As the economy is slowing we were conducting a retained search for a CFO for a small company in Southern California. The company was starting to consider budget cuts. The final two candidates, in the final interview with the president/owner were both asked; “As my CFO, you will lead the cost reduction program, where will you begin?”

Candidate one answered the usual stuff, look at reducing inventory, cutting overtime, review benefits, and require an across the board reduction in the budget, etc. A solid safe answer the president told me.

Candidate two had a more direct and to the point answer for the owner. He looked the president straight in the eye and said, “I would start with your salary and then the rest of the executive team.”

The president later told me, “any CFO that has the guts (he used different anatomical parts) to tell me that directly to my face is the kind of CFO I want.”

Second situation:

On another retained search for a Director of Human Resources, the candidate was interviewing with a large very well-known multinational company. The final interview was a panel interview. In all of the previous interviews she was kept waiting as much as 30 minutes. Prior to the panel interview it was close to 45 minutes.

She was asked in the panel interview “What would be one of the first changes you would make as the Director.” Her answer was; “The way you hire people. The process of letting candidates wait in the lobby for so long is inappropriate and turns good candidates off. In fact, I was ready to walk out just before someone came to meet me.” The panel apologized. They know she was right and had the integrity to tell it to their face.

The new Director of Human Resources later told me she was informed by those on the panel that not one other candidate brought this point up. We both found that to be amazing.

Displaying confidence is a key attribute in the interview. Too often candidates take the easy or safe answer path and miss a great opportunity.

Just be honest. If you are right, and hiring manager doesn’t want to hear it, the bigger question for you is, “Do you want to work for this person?” If they can’t accept the truth now, what will it be like once you come on board?

If you do accept the position I can almost guarantee you, you will end up in the “Circle of Transition.” As our job search workbook and blog article indicates this is not the place anybody wants to be.

I believe this is one of the most important issues for candidates to know, understand and implement in a job search.

Tips To Network Your Way Into Your Dream Job

2012-06-24T05:32:00.000-05:00

Never Stop Networking!

The best way to connect your cover letter and resume to your dream job is by networking!

What's networking? Networking simply means telling people that you are looking for a job and enlisting them into your job search team.

It is a focused way of developing and building a group of contacts; people who can provide career information that can lead to a new or better job. It can include advice, recommendations, or actually being hired. Each person you meet and have contact with brings you one step closer to getting the job you want.

These people can include your family, friends, neighbors, people you knew at school, former co-workers and professional people like doctors and lawyers. Even if you don't know people very well, most are willing to help if you ask.

Ask the people in your network if they know about any openings. Also ask them to ask their friends, family and co-workers about any possibilities. Research shows that this "third level" can yield results. You will often find a job not through who you know, but through someone that your friend or contact knows.

How Effective Is Networking?

The Wall Street Journal reported recently that 94 percent of successful job hunters claimed that networking had made all the difference for them.
Sixty to 90 percent of jobs are found informally - mainly through friends, relatives, and direct contacts. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that 63.4 percent of all workers use informal job finding methods.
Mark S. Granovetter, a Harvard sociologist, reported to Forbes magazine that "informal contacts" account for almost 75 percent of all successful job searches. Agencies find nine percent of new jobs for professional and technical people, and advertisements yield another 10 percent or so.
The Benefits of Networking

If you are serious about finding the best position for your next career move in a timely manner, you must network.
At least 60 percent of job openings in the U.S. are not filled through advertising, recruiters or other traditional methods. They are filled through networking and informal contacts. The goal is to move into the hidden, un-advertised job market, using every available resource that contact with other people will provide you.

Current employees are among the best sources of referrals. Many firms report that 40 to 50 percent of their openings are filled by candidates referred to by staff members. Moreover, companies view such candidates more favorably than those brought in through other methods, because they already know something about the organization and have a personal connection with it.

Here's an example of the extraordinary benefits of networking from The Job Hunting Handbook: Includes the Job Outlook to 2008 by Harry Dahlstrom. Mr. Dahlstrom writes: Just pretend that you are an employer and you have a job opening to fill. Which of the following would you be most eager to interview: (a) an unknown person who answers your advertisement, (b) an unknown person who mails you a resume, or (c) a friend recommended by one of your workers? No doubt, you would choose the "friend". All the other applicants are unknowns. As a manager, you would probably think, "Jennifer is a good employee...hard working...likes the job...someone I can depend on. I'll bet her friend has the same qualities."

If you are wondering why a busy professional would take the time to meet you remember; (1) The average person enjoys helping others, and information and advice are free to give (even when jobs aren't); (2) People enjoy talking about themselves, their ideas, and their opinions; (3) Every now and then, people enjoy a break in their daily routine; and finally, (4) Most people are not so busy that they don't have a free half hour sometime during a week. -- Source: The Job Hunting Handbook: Includes the Job Outlook to 2008 by Harry Dahlstrom.

Brief Statements, BIG Results

Prepare 5 to 10-second statements about yourself and what you have to offer.

It's not enough to have great talents and qualifications to get a job. You have to sound great too! Your opening statement sets the tone for your entire job search strategy. Take Networking for example. Knowing how to ask for, and receive, the valuable information you require is the key to finding the right job.

Delivering 5 to 10-second statements that instantly brings into focus the information you desire is critical to your success. Preparing these brief statements is no easy task. It takes a lot of time and effort summarizing who you are and what you want. However, your efforts will be rewarded as your listener's will recognize your professionalism and be more willing to help. By skipping this essential step, your chances for success will greatly diminish.

Most job hunters have difficulty describing their area of specialty.

Ask a member of the Career Playbook Team what they do and you might hear, "We help people develop action plans and strategies to succeed in their job search and get the results they want fast". If delivered properly, your listener will ask a follow-up question, such as; Tell me more, or, How do you do that?

An accountant might say, "I'm a Certified Public Accountant. My specialty is business and tax planning. I'm currently looking for a CFO position with an organization that wants to improve their bottom line".

A person in sales might say, "I'm a sales manager with proven experience hiring, training and motivating successful sales teams. I'm looking for a management opportunity helping a company grow sales and open new revenue streams".

Brief statements are a consequence of the breakneck speed of today's business world, as time and attention spans are far too short. It's hard to be concise. But the less you say, the more you are understood.

That's why reporters quote experts who are quotable! They only have a small amount of space to write their story, so they need to be concise. If you have this skill, you will be more successful in your job search.

On average, statements of about five to ten seconds translate into approximately 15 to 30 words. Therefore, carefully choosing the right words to create effective statements is vital. With practice, and knowledge about what you want from your networking contacts, most people will be only too happy to help you.

Why Start A Blog?

2012-06-23T08:30:00.003-05:00

Why Start a Blog?

In this digital-age, everyone has a blog. Blogs come in different styles, types and formats. As a hopeful PR professional, a blog can help jump start your career. While they take time and dedication, the end result is well worth it. Here are a few benefits to launching your own blog.

Writing Examples: As long as your blog showcases a professional writing style, your personal blog can be used when applying to jobs and internships as writing samples. Choose the posts that have the most views or comments and it will be sure to impress your employer.

Showing Knowledge: Your blog should discuss a topic or multiple topics that you are knowledgeable of and have experienced. If you aren’t familiar with the topic, be sure to include research to prove your points.

Building Relationships: Blogs help bring like people together. If you’ve met someone who blogs, build a relationship with them and learn from each other. Blogger friends can help increase website traffic and connect you to other opportunities in the business.
Resume Enhancer: Blogging looks great on a resume. Most employers are attracted to candidates who blog and are digital-savvy. Make sure you discuss your blog when talking to other professionals in the industry.