June 22nd, 2010
Just a short post to share with employers and job seekers some things to think about during those first ninety days, or whatever the probationary period may be. Read the entire article at the link below.
1. Employers, you need to give yourself ninety days to assess a new employee.
2. Employees, you need to be aware of what the employer is looking for during your initial period of evaluation.
3. Job seekers, you need to be aware of what you are saying and where some of the employer/interviewer questions are leading.
4. Take some advice from this article and don’t operate in panic mode if you are already unemployed.
How to Hire New Employees During A Recession
Tags: career management, first job, how to answer interview questions, interview questions, interview tips, job search, jobs, what not to do in interviews
Posted in Interviewing Tips, Small Business | No Comments »
June 9th, 2010
According to a recent article, Career Builder and Monster offer features that give feedback to job applicants who use their online services to apply for jobs. This offers you the opportunity to see how you compare to other applicants that use those services. It won’t help you know learn anything about people who don’t go through the same service. However, this could net some valuable information. Just keep in mind that you need to use these services judiciously and correctly. Read the article linked to this post for more details and good tips.
Online job searches are best done with an organized plan and with resumes that are customized for the job and set up specifically for electronic processing. Using appropriate key words and a bit of SEO work can help your resume make it to the top of the pile too. Don’t overdo it, but don’t try to use a one-size-fits-all form either. If you need help, it’s worth a few dollars to get it done right. You can use those examples to learn to do it yourself once you see a professional do it.
People with higher-level technical and executive searches, who want to manage their own search, can still benefit from having someone help with the writing and planning and tracking. The new features on Career Builder and Monster may, or may not, be of benefit. It depends on the industry and type of search. Today, electronic searches are waged all the way up the line. Networking is great, but a good search can find unexpected opportunities too. The people I talk to tend to use both.
Tags: career management, first job, job appilcation feedback, job search, jobs, online application services, resume, Resume Tips, writing a resume
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May 18th, 2010
There’s a lot of talk about the electronic resume screening systems.
Some people feel they are unfair because it allows the employer to disregard experienced candidates based on specific factors that may not really determine their ability to do the job. It is viewed by some as a way to narrow the applicant pool when companies receive 200-500 applications per job. That may be true in some cases. However, if you are constantly finding yourself lacking a specific requirement, you need to upgrade your skills or you are not looking for jobs that match your skills
Other people feel that these systems give technically literate folks a distinct advantage. It might in some ways. However, it’s a reality of our world that technical skills are required to work some of the most basic jobs. Many states have training programs for people who need to upgrade their skills to remain competitive. Ask at your state unemployment office.
If you have the technical skills and the job requirements in terms of education and experience, how can you help your resume move to the top of the pile? One way is to add SEO to your resume and cover letter. This doesn’t mean to go crazy stuffing your application materials with words. It does mean that properly phrasing and describing your experience can help.
Here’s an excellent article with some specific tips. SEO Your Resume
Tags: how to write a resume, job search tips, resume, Resume Tips, resumes, seo for resumes, seo your resume, unemployed, when does seo help a resume, why use seo for a resume
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