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Where Job Seekers Should Be Online
Tweet Share on Facebook January 20, 2011 Comment (5)In-person networking is an important part of any job search. But equally important in today's job market is finding your place online and becoming visible to employers who seek an employee with your skill set. Even if you aren't actively engaged in a job search, it's wise to build your online reputation so jobs are more likely to come to you.
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that companies are decreasing their reliance on job boards and refocusing their recruiting efforts by using employee referral programs and social networks like LinkedIn and Facebook. So if you haven't updated your online presence recently, now’s the time to do it.
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How to Tailor Your Resume for an Employer
Tweet Share on Facebook January 19, 2011 Comment (8)With five candidates for every job, competition is fierce. Your online profile affects your chances to win interviews, but your resume is still the most crucial element of your job-search strategy. And tailoring your resume for each specific employer is one way to make sure you’ll stand out.
Here are five tips to help you figure out how to appeal to your targeted employers:
1. Study organizations’ websites. Companies spend a lot of time, effort, and money compiling their public relations profiles for visitors. Look for repeated words and phrases, taglines, and hints about their philosophical approaches. Some employers include videos or testimonials from employees to illustrate their corporate culture.
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18 Common Work E-mail Mistakes
Tweet Share on Facebook January 18, 2011 Comment (14)Most of us rely on e-mail as one of our primary communication tools. And given the number of messages we send and receive, we do it with remarkable success.
But as with anything, the more e-mails we send, the more likely we are to screw one up. And simple e-mail mistakes can be disastrous. They can cost us a raise, promotion—even a job.
With a new year upon us, this is the perfect time to go through some of the worst e-mail mistakes employees make and how to avoid them.
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Unleash Your Inner Networker
Tweet Share on Facebook January 18, 2011 Comment (1)Success in networking requires you to unleash a part of yourself—the part keeping you at home when you should be out and about. That social trait could be hurting you professionally, even if you don’t realize it.
But why does in-person networking matter? Can’t we just stay home and meet people by phone, e-mail, and online? Isn’t it easier and more modern to network that way?
It’s true that you can meet a lot of people online. You can even build social credibility before attending an event. But online networking is no replacement for a handshake and a smile.
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10 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Internship
Tweet Share on Facebook January 17, 2011 Comment (7)Internships have become a must for college students; without the work experience they provide, the post-graduation job search is significantly more difficult. But it’s not enough to simply get an internship. You also need to impress the employer during your time there.
Here are 10 ways to get the most out of an internship:
1. Know what to expect. Generally, the idea behind an internship is to give you some basic exposure to day-to-day work in your field. In most cases, you will not be doing glamorous, substantive work; you’ll be making other people’s lives easier. This means you may get stuck photocopying, filing, arranging meetings, and completing other tasks that may strike you as drudgery. In exchange, you get exposure to the field and work experience to put on your resume.
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Preparing for Your Next Career Move
Tweet Share on Facebook January 14, 2011 CommentThe best time to think about a career change is before you think you need it. If you’re presented with a job opportunity or forced into making a career decision unexpectedly, and you haven’t prepared, you run the risk of making the wrong decision. Especially in this employment market, it’s vitally important to make sure your career choices match your future goals, and that you’re moving in the right professional direction.
Just like an attorney takes the time to prepare and present a case in a courtroom, you need to build a case for your next career move. If you start preparing now, you’re more likely to give this next move the dedicated thinking time it deserves.
No matter where you are in your career, here’s what you should think about to prepare for that next big decision:
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How to Stop Feeling Angry Over a Layoff
Tweet Share on Facebook January 13, 2011 Comment (13)Are you feeling angry and frustrated about being laid off? Over the way you were laid off? The timing? How that has changed the trajectory of your career? Or maybe you’re angry that you’ve been out of work so long, and afraid it will be months or years before you find another much-needed job.
If so, you’re in good company. After the brutal nature of the last couple of years, many people feel the same way—and rightly so.
But regardless of whether it’s merited, steeping in anger and fear for the long term isn’t in your best interest. Not only does it make you feel unhappy about today, it also paints your perspective of the future in a negative light.
I’m not a fan of just grinning and pretending the world is perfect when it’s not. I’m also not a fan of needlessly stewing in the negative. If you feel angry or afraid about what’s going on in your career, here are some ideas to help you get through it:
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How Managers Can Improve the Hiring Process
Tweet Share on Facebook January 13, 2011 Comment (1)Hiring for your company is an important responsibility. We often focus on how the candidate can earn the respect of the company and land the job, but it’s just as important to look at the interview process from the other side.
How effective is your hiring team's approach to selecting new employees? The interview process gives potential employees clues about your work environment, and their experience interacting with your company directly affects their decision about whether to join your team. The hiring process can also damage your reputation as an employer if it’s not done well.
If you’re involved in hiring at your company, here are a few ideas about how to make it run more smoothly:
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Don’t Look for a Job—Make the Job Come to You
Tweet Share on Facebook January 12, 2011 Comment (8)It may be unexpected advice from a job-search coach, but ideally, you should not be looking for a job. Instead, you should be looking for problems to solve and letting the jobs come to you.
Confused?
Here’s why you need to get off those job boards and readjust your approach:
1. Looking for a problem to solve is more effective.
Looking for a problem to solve instead of looking for a job requires you to identify skills you plan to use in your next opportunity and outline your accomplishments. If you stop searching for a job and start paying attention to what you have to offer, you’ll have more control over your job search.
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Why You Should Hire Interns for Your Office
Tweet Share on Facebook January 11, 2011 Comment (2)When it comes to internships, we often focus on how the work experience benefits the student. But in most situations, it works out in the employer’s favor, too. Sure, a college-age intern is likely cheaper to hire than a full-time employee. But working with interns is about more than saving money.
Here are eight reasons why you should consider hiring interns in your office:
1. They bring a fresh perspective. The processes we use to accomplish tasks at work are usually the methods that were utilized by our predecessors and passed on to us. That doesn’t mean it’s the best way to do something, it’s just the way we've always done it.
