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5 Job-Search Habits to Break
Tweet Share on Facebook July 29, 2011 Comment (19)If you’re feeling frustrated in your job search, it’s easy to blame it on the poor job market or the fact that employers are inundated with resumes. But if you really take a look at how you’re job searching, you might realize you can make certain changes to yield better results.
Do any of the following sound familiar?
1. You’re job searching not company searching
Do you find yourself typing in your ideal position into job boards and aggregators, only to discover you’re not really finding the listings you’d like? Searching for a position, such as Sales Manager, instead of targeting specific companies, can make for an unfocused job search—and you’ll waste a lot of time looking at jobs you’re not interested in.
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How to Prepare for a Career Change
Tweet Share on Facebook July 28, 2011 Comment (4)So you’ve had it with your current job, and it’s time for a career change. Once you make the decision to move on, it can feel tempting to hand in your resignation and dive into that change.
But that’s probably a bad idea. Before you jump ship, take some time to ask yourself a few questions to enhance your potential for career-change success.
Why do I want to make a change?
You know your current job isn’t cutting it, but is it really a new career path you need? Take a careful look at the source of your dissatisfaction. What is it? Is it something that can be solved while you stay in your current job? Is it something that could be solved by doing a similar job with a different organization? Or is it really something that is inherent in the work you’re doing, like the fact that it’s a bad fit with what you love doing and are good at? Look for the least disruptive, most effective solution. Before you dive into a career change, make sure you really need to.
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How Your Google Profile Can Help Recruiters Find You
Tweet Share on Facebook July 27, 2011 Comment (5)If you have an ear to the online sphere, you know Google+, Google’s newest social platform, is all the rage. While Google+ is still in invitation-only mode, early results indicate it could be a keeper. The Wall Street Journal estimates Google+ had 20 million visitors in three weeks. (Google declines to comment, and leaders are cagey when asked for specifics.)
Many early adopters are excitedly proclaiming the new network a replacement for everything from LinkedIn to Twitter to Facebook. No one knows how things will shake out in the social networking sphere, but there is no doubt Google+ heightens the importance of your Google profile.
If you use Google for search and have a profile already, you may have noticed Google provides search results “from people you know.” Current Google search results may include links (even on page one) identified as being shared by your community, assuming your contacts share links regarding the topics you search. They pass along these links by giving articles +1, Google’s version of a Facebook “like.”
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In-Person Networking: A Survival Guide
Tweet Share on Facebook July 26, 2011 Comment (5)Whether you’re transitioning from online relationships to in-person ones or starting completely from scratch, there’s a lot to know about networking.
And if you’re heading to your first in-person event without so much as a user’s manual, well, you’re in luck.
Here’s a survival guide for your first in-person social networking event:
Yes, you’ll need to talk with strangers
Sounds scary, I know. But you may actually find a few new friends in the woodpile, even friends who end up in the life-loyal category. But to turn strangers into friends, you’ll need to learn how to talk to strangers, how to start, maintain, and end a conversation with style.
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7 Ways to Take Advantage of Summertime at Work
Tweet Share on Facebook July 25, 2011 Comment (2)The unofficial end of summer is only four short weeks away. That’s right, another season of beach, barbecue, and vacations is almost behind us.
I’m not trying to hurl you into a depression. Instead, I’d like to encourage you to make the most of the remainder of the summer season. Before Labor Day strikes and you’re fishing for excuses to get out of the office Secret Santa, follow these pieces of advice:
1. Buy ice cream for the office. Frozen treats have a way of bringing out the kid in everyone. Surprise your co-workers by bringing in a variety of ice cream, ices, or your favorite summer treat. This is a foolproof way to enjoy other people’s smiles, curry favor with subordinates, and enjoy the best that summer has to offer. Consider it a random act of kindness.
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When Employers Look into Your Credit History
Tweet Share on Facebook July 22, 2011 Comment (24)As if you don’t have enough to worry about in your job search, some employers now run credit checks on potential employees. It used to be that they only worried about an employee’s credit when the position involved handling money or overseeing financials for the organization. But today, it’s becoming a normal part of the screening process for some employers.
What red flags do employers look for in your credit report?
1. For positions handling money, credit checks show whether you have a pattern of handling money responsibly. If an employer sees a pattern of late payments, large debts, or other financial issues, they may see it as an issue for specific types of positions.
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Don’t Let Fear Control Your Career
Tweet Share on Facebook July 21, 2011 Comment (3)Fear can be your career’s worst enemy. It has a tendency to see the worst and hits the brakes at a moment’s notice, severely limiting the possibilities available to you. But you don’t have to let fear drive.
Here are eight ways to take back the wheel when fear wants to take you on a joy ride:
1. Acknowledge and interview it
Many people want nothing to do with their fear. They just wish it would go away, so they stuff it down and try to ignore it. At best this is an ineffective strategy. At worst, it actually compounds and expands the feeling of fear, ratcheting up the intensity like a pressure cooker.
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5 Reasons to Feel Good About Your Job Search
Tweet Share on Facebook July 19, 2011 Comment (2)There’s plenty of frustration during job search. After all, the process is often characterized by a lack of control and never enough feedback, not to mention the slow pace of good news coming from hiring companies.
Then there’s the fear and anxiety over the unknown, not knowing where you’ll end up or how you’ll pay the bills as the months move along.
I’ve been there. I’ve felt those fears.
But reasons to feel good are plentiful, too, if you pay attention and change your perspective.
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Why You Got Rejected When You’re Perfect for the Job
Tweet Share on Facebook July 18, 2011 Comment (28)The job seemed perfect for you. You met all the qualifications, it was exactly in the field you specialize in, and the interview went well. You had rapport with your interviewer, they seemed to like you, and at the end of the meeting, they promised they’d be in touch soon.
And then … rejection. Or worse, total silence. What happened? Why did an opportunity that looked so promising fizzle out?
No matter how qualified you are for a job and how well the interview goes, you should never count on getting an offer. Until you have a written offer in hand, you should never let yourself think it’s in the bag. Here’s why:
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How to Run a Background Check on Yourself
Tweet Share on Facebook July 15, 2011 Comment (62)Your prospective employer will run a background check on you. Depending on how in-depth their screening is, they’ll learn about your past criminal history, employment information, educational records, and professional certificates. Do you know what your background check will say about you?
Well, now you can see it before a prospective employer does—by pre-verifying your background with the latest online tools. Here are several reasons to take this step in your job search:
• Stand out among other candidates. Not many folks will pre-verify their background, but it saves employers and recruiters precious time and money if you do.
