According to MSNMoney, LinkedIn could be in trouble.
Facebook, with the enthusiastic backing of the Department of Labor, just revealed a new job-board application to help many of the social network's one-billion-plus users get back to work.
The platform -- which partners with Monster.com, BranchOut, and Work4 Labs, among others -- aggregates 1.7 million openings from recruiters, allowing job-hunters to sift through listings by location, industry, and skill, or share job openings through their network.
Facebook insists that it's not entering the recruiting industry, a statement that "appears far-fetched given the capability of the application," says J.J. Colao at Forbes.
And of course, Facebook's expansion could spell bad news for LinkedIn, a site for professionals that, with 187 million users, has apparently faced some growth concerns from investors.
Will Facebook's job board kill LinkedIn?
Read the entire story here: http://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post.aspx?post=48cc8bfb-1c2e-4d91-8a36-34c408645264
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
Is the Economy Growing or Just "Treading Water"?
1
Hiring slowed dramatically in March, clouding optimism about the strength of the recovery, according to Annalyn Censky of CNN Money.
Employers added 120,000 jobs in the month, the Labor Department reported Friday, falling far short of economists' expectations.
The number marked a significant slowdown in hiring from February, when the economy added 240,000 jobs.
"It's discouraging that job growth was half of what it had been the previous month," said Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project.
Job growth of around 120,000 is just about enough to keep up with population growth, and is therefore more like "treading water" than a major improvement, Owens said.
"It's a reminder that the U.S. recovery is not suddenly going to transform into a spectacular success, particularly not at a time when the rest of the world economy is stumbling," Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist of Capital Economics said in a note.
The hardest hit industry was retail, which lost 33,800 jobs, mostly at department stores.
On the positive side, manufacturers created 37,000 jobs, professional services created 31,000 jobs, and health care added 26,000 jobs.
To view the entire article, click here: http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/06/news/economy/jobs-report-unemployment/?hpt=hp_t3
1
The U.S. lost 4.3 million jobs in President Obama's first 13 months in office and has stumbled to recover.
Hiring slowed dramatically in March, clouding optimism about the strength of the recovery, according to Annalyn Censky of CNN Money.
Employers added 120,000 jobs in the month, the Labor Department reported Friday, falling far short of economists' expectations.
The number marked a significant slowdown in hiring from February, when the economy added 240,000 jobs.
"It's discouraging that job growth was half of what it had been the previous month," said Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project.
Job growth of around 120,000 is just about enough to keep up with population growth, and is therefore more like "treading water" than a major improvement, Owens said.
"It's a reminder that the U.S. recovery is not suddenly going to transform into a spectacular success, particularly not at a time when the rest of the world economy is stumbling," Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist of Capital Economics said in a note.
The hardest hit industry was retail, which lost 33,800 jobs, mostly at department stores.
On the positive side, manufacturers created 37,000 jobs, professional services created 31,000 jobs, and health care added 26,000 jobs.
To view the entire article, click here: http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/06/news/economy/jobs-report-unemployment/?hpt=hp_t3
1
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Are We Starting to See Subliminal Discrimination by Hiring Managers?
1
Few job seekers who fail to get an interview know the reason, but Michelle Chesney-Offutt said a recruiter told her why she lost the chance to pitch for an information technology position.
The 54-year-old, who had been laid off from her IT job in Illinois, said the recruiter who responded to her online resume two years ago liked her qualifications and was set to schedule an interview. But he backed away, she said, when he learned she had been out of work for 13 months.
The employer he represented would not consider applicants who were unemployed more than six months, she said.
“What they don’t consider is that these are not normal times,” said Chesney-Offutt, who was unemployed for nearly three years before landing a job.
Stephen Singer of RJG.com reports, as high unemployment persists more than four years after the start of the recession — and nearly three years after it was officially declared over — many who have struggled for years without work said they face discrimination.
As of January, California, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Tennessee were considering legislation to prohibit employers from discriminating against the unemployed in help-wanted ads or in direct hiring or in screenings by employment agencies, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
“There’s much more subliminal discrimination against the unemployed that’s hard to document,” said Lynne Sarikas, director of the MBA Career Center at Northeastern University’s College of Business Administration. “Hiring is an art, not a science. You rely on a gut reaction.”
For example, employers may suspect that an unemployed applicant is seeking an available job for the wrong reasons, she said.
“A manager is going to get the vibe that they’ll take anything to get a job and if something better comes along they’re out the door,” Sarikas said.
Also, some long-term unemployed applicants may come across as too urgent for work, “and desperation doesn’t translate well in an interview,” she said.
Employers generally expect job candidates — even while unemployed — to show they did some work such as volunteering or working temporary jobs, she said.
Terri Michaels, who manages a Hartford employment firm that primarily staffs temporary employees, criticized hiring practices that screen out unemployed job seekers. “People who did not work in any capacity, didn’t do anything are not as desirable to prospective employers,” Michaels said. “One has to question, is that discriminatory? I don’t know.”
Michaels said employers may use unemployment to weed out applicants for no other reason than to cut down a huge number of resumes for coveted job openings.
“When you have 14 million unemployed, everyone is applying for everything,” she said. “You have to be somewhat discriminating.”
“Don’t sit at home. Make yourself available to your community,” said Assemblywoman Celeste M. Riley.
Still, she said she backed the legislation after colleagues showed her employment ads specifying that the unemployed should not bother applying.
“I found that absolutely reprehensible,” Riley said. “When you apply for a job, you should be viewed based on your skill level, not whether you have a job or not.”
To view the complete article, click here: http://www.rgj.com/article/20120327/BIZ05/303270037/For-unemployed-hiring-bias-shows-up
1
Few job seekers who fail to get an interview know the reason, but Michelle Chesney-Offutt said a recruiter told her why she lost the chance to pitch for an information technology position.
The 54-year-old, who had been laid off from her IT job in Illinois, said the recruiter who responded to her online resume two years ago liked her qualifications and was set to schedule an interview. But he backed away, she said, when he learned she had been out of work for 13 months.
The employer he represented would not consider applicants who were unemployed more than six months, she said.
“What they don’t consider is that these are not normal times,” said Chesney-Offutt, who was unemployed for nearly three years before landing a job.
Stephen Singer of RJG.com reports, as high unemployment persists more than four years after the start of the recession — and nearly three years after it was officially declared over — many who have struggled for years without work said they face discrimination.
As of January, California, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Tennessee were considering legislation to prohibit employers from discriminating against the unemployed in help-wanted ads or in direct hiring or in screenings by employment agencies, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
“There’s much more subliminal discrimination against the unemployed that’s hard to document,” said Lynne Sarikas, director of the MBA Career Center at Northeastern University’s College of Business Administration. “Hiring is an art, not a science. You rely on a gut reaction.”
For example, employers may suspect that an unemployed applicant is seeking an available job for the wrong reasons, she said.
“A manager is going to get the vibe that they’ll take anything to get a job and if something better comes along they’re out the door,” Sarikas said.
Also, some long-term unemployed applicants may come across as too urgent for work, “and desperation doesn’t translate well in an interview,” she said.
Employers generally expect job candidates — even while unemployed — to show they did some work such as volunteering or working temporary jobs, she said.
Terri Michaels, who manages a Hartford employment firm that primarily staffs temporary employees, criticized hiring practices that screen out unemployed job seekers. “People who did not work in any capacity, didn’t do anything are not as desirable to prospective employers,” Michaels said. “One has to question, is that discriminatory? I don’t know.”
Michaels said employers may use unemployment to weed out applicants for no other reason than to cut down a huge number of resumes for coveted job openings.
“When you have 14 million unemployed, everyone is applying for everything,” she said. “You have to be somewhat discriminating.”
“Don’t sit at home. Make yourself available to your community,” said Assemblywoman Celeste M. Riley.
Still, she said she backed the legislation after colleagues showed her employment ads specifying that the unemployed should not bother applying.
“I found that absolutely reprehensible,” Riley said. “When you apply for a job, you should be viewed based on your skill level, not whether you have a job or not.”
To view the complete article, click here: http://www.rgj.com/article/20120327/BIZ05/303270037/For-unemployed-hiring-bias-shows-up
1
Monday, March 26, 2012
Time to Spring Clean Your Resume
1
Certainly at this time of year we think of spring cleaning. We go through our closets, we spruce up the yard, and we diligently clean our house.
This is also a great time to spring clean your resume.
If you feel as though your resume just isn't doing the job, perhaps it's time to look into Start Now! Career Guide.
Not only will you be able to put together a polished and professional resume, you'll also have fun doing it! You'll discover things about yourself you probably forgot or neglected to include.
Everything is there to help you rediscover yourself. See for yourself! Click here and read more:
Start Now! Career Guide
1
Certainly at this time of year we think of spring cleaning. We go through our closets, we spruce up the yard, and we diligently clean our house.
This is also a great time to spring clean your resume.
If you feel as though your resume just isn't doing the job, perhaps it's time to look into Start Now! Career Guide.
Not only will you be able to put together a polished and professional resume, you'll also have fun doing it! You'll discover things about yourself you probably forgot or neglected to include.
Everything is there to help you rediscover yourself. See for yourself! Click here and read more:
Start Now! Career Guide
1
Thursday, February 9, 2012
States Try to Help Veterans Find Jobs
1
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, visiting troops in Afghanistan recently, was taken aback by the answer he got when he asked a soldier suiting up to go on patrol what concerned him most."He didn't say he was most worried about facing the enemy that night," Nixon said last month. "He looked me in the eyes and said, 'Governor, I'm worried about whether there will be a job for me when I get home.'
In an article by Pamela M. Prah of The Bellingham Herald, Nixon went on to say, "There's good reason for that soldier to be worried. The unemployment rate for veterans who have served in the military since 2001 is 11.5 percent, higher than the national average, which is now 8.3 percent.
But the situation is much bleaker for veterans aged 18 to 24 - they averaged a staggering 30 percent unemployment rate in 2011, according to unpublished data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
With U.S combat troops slated to leave Afghanistan next year and U.S. forces already out of Iraq, states are preparing to welcome back a large number of returning troops, many of whom will be seeking work.
Nixon was among several governors who used recent state of the state addresses to outline plans to help make it easier for veterans to find jobs. "Every veteran who needs a job should be able to get one," Nixon said.
Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/02/08/2384867/states-try-to-help-veterans-find.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy
1
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, visiting troops in Afghanistan recently, was taken aback by the answer he got when he asked a soldier suiting up to go on patrol what concerned him most."He didn't say he was most worried about facing the enemy that night," Nixon said last month. "He looked me in the eyes and said, 'Governor, I'm worried about whether there will be a job for me when I get home.'
In an article by Pamela M. Prah of The Bellingham Herald, Nixon went on to say, "There's good reason for that soldier to be worried. The unemployment rate for veterans who have served in the military since 2001 is 11.5 percent, higher than the national average, which is now 8.3 percent.
But the situation is much bleaker for veterans aged 18 to 24 - they averaged a staggering 30 percent unemployment rate in 2011, according to unpublished data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
With U.S combat troops slated to leave Afghanistan next year and U.S. forces already out of Iraq, states are preparing to welcome back a large number of returning troops, many of whom will be seeking work.
Nixon was among several governors who used recent state of the state addresses to outline plans to help make it easier for veterans to find jobs. "Every veteran who needs a job should be able to get one," Nixon said.
Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/02/08/2384867/states-try-to-help-veterans-find.html#storylink=cpy#storylink=cpy
1
Friday, February 3, 2012
Six Ways the Job Search Has Changed
1
The recession has changed a lot of things. It changed the way people spend money, the way they save for retirement, the way they invest in stocks. It's also changed the way companies recruit employees.
According to CareerBuilder's Debra Auerbach, gone are the days when companies courted prospective employees, hiring managers offered generous starting bonuses and job seekers could choose from multiple offers.
"Since the recession ended in June 2009," says Auerback, "companies have been slowly emerging from survival mode and have begun more active hiring. Yet the job market has been forever changed, and job seekers have had to face a new reality when going about their job hunt."
So how does a job seeker emerge successful in this post-recession job market? Auerback notes six ways the job search has changed and the adapted tactics needed to get hired.
1. Passive job searching is no longer an option
Pre-recession, it wasn't uncommon for a skilled, qualified job seeker to be romanced by a prospective employer. Recruiters would actively seek out candidates without the candidates having to do much in the way of aggressive follow up. That's rarely the case anymore. These days, job seekers need to be proactive in order to find jobs and get the attention of employers.
"This means job seekers must be active in their job search and set 'alerts' on major job boards/search engines so they are notified when an appropriate job match is posted," says Daniel Newell, job development and marketing specialist for San Jose State University's Career Center in San Jose, Calif.
"This also means that job seekers should utilize several job-search strategies, such as job boards, job-search engines, classifieds, networking sites and social media, in addition to job fairs and hiring events."
2. Fewer jobs mean more competition
In the early 2000s, jobs were more plentiful, and if you didn't get one job, chances are there'd be another one just like it. Yet now, the odds are not in a job seeker's favor. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, when the recession began in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons per job opening was 1.8. When the recession ended in June 2009, there were 6.1 unemployed persons per job opening. While the number has since been trending downward and is currently at 4.2 (as of November), you still need to find ways to stand out from the competition.
"The burden of proof has shifted to the job seeker to demonstrate value and fit," says Roy Cohen, career coach and author of "The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide." "Job seekers need to be bolder and more energetic in this very challenging market. They need to show that they're willing to go above and beyond and that they'll work hard, tirelessly and take initiative to get the job done." Cohen also says that job seekers need to be more solution-oriented. "It's not enough to say, 'Here I am.' The emphasis is now on, 'Here's what I can do for you.'"
3. Mistakes, even minor, are not tolerated
Back in the "glory days" before the recession, mistakes made in application materials or during an interview weren't ideal, but they weren't necessarily automatic deal breakers, either. If a candidate misspelled a word on their résumé but otherwise had all the right qualifications, the employer may have let the error slide. In this job market, there's absolutely no room for errors.
"Nothing less is accepted or tolerated in a market where there are many more candidates than positions, and companies need to be sold on adding headcount," Cohen says.
To avoid making costly mistakes, proofread your résumé backward and forward, and then have someone else proof it again. Ensure you're fully prepared for an interview by researching the company and practicing answering interview questions.
4. Social media is the new recruiting tool
Before the recession, HR teams were more robust and better equipped to manage the hiring process. During the recession many companies downsized, leaving HR short-staffed and buried under piles of résumés. Recruiters have had to finds ways to more efficiently recruit, and social media has become a solution for hiring managers to more quickly find and screen candidates.
That means job seekers need to have a social media presence, and a professional one at that.
"Social media has made a huge impact for job seekers," says Lavie Margolin, career coach and author of "Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers."
"Employers are using social media to post job openings and look into candidate backgrounds via private Facebook pages. Job seekers have an opportunity to increase their visibility via their LinkedIn page and possibly a blog that is industry-focused."
5. Customization is critical
It is no longer acceptable in this post-recession job market to use a "spray and pray" method of applying for jobs. Blanket emailing recruiters with the same generic résumé will ensure your application gets tossed to the side. Newell says it's important that job seekers create targeted résumés.
"They must have a different résumé for each job they are applying for, and they must ensure that they effectively communicate their skills which relate to the job [for which] they are applying." The same goes for cover letters.
6. Networking is more important than ever
It's becoming more and more of an advantage in today's world to know someone within the company you're applying to so your résumé gets in the right hands. While not everyone has automatic connections, there are other ways to build relationships.
The best tried and true way to do so is through networking. "My advice to today's job seeker is to network," Newell says. "Job seekers should join groups and attend socials through sites such as MeetUp and LinkedIn. Attending a casual social and being active in online and offline groups can open many doors to employment."
The job market may not look the same as it did five years ago, but that doesn't mean you have to start from square one. It just means that by equipping yourself with the job-search tools needed in today's world, you'll be in a better position to get hired.
And to that end, there is no better tool than Start Now! Career Guide. Every one of these topics is covered and will guide you through your job search successfully.
1
The recession has changed a lot of things. It changed the way people spend money, the way they save for retirement, the way they invest in stocks. It's also changed the way companies recruit employees.
According to CareerBuilder's Debra Auerbach, gone are the days when companies courted prospective employees, hiring managers offered generous starting bonuses and job seekers could choose from multiple offers.
"Since the recession ended in June 2009," says Auerback, "companies have been slowly emerging from survival mode and have begun more active hiring. Yet the job market has been forever changed, and job seekers have had to face a new reality when going about their job hunt."
So how does a job seeker emerge successful in this post-recession job market? Auerback notes six ways the job search has changed and the adapted tactics needed to get hired.
1. Passive job searching is no longer an option
Pre-recession, it wasn't uncommon for a skilled, qualified job seeker to be romanced by a prospective employer. Recruiters would actively seek out candidates without the candidates having to do much in the way of aggressive follow up. That's rarely the case anymore. These days, job seekers need to be proactive in order to find jobs and get the attention of employers.
"This means job seekers must be active in their job search and set 'alerts' on major job boards/search engines so they are notified when an appropriate job match is posted," says Daniel Newell, job development and marketing specialist for San Jose State University's Career Center in San Jose, Calif.
"This also means that job seekers should utilize several job-search strategies, such as job boards, job-search engines, classifieds, networking sites and social media, in addition to job fairs and hiring events."
2. Fewer jobs mean more competition
In the early 2000s, jobs were more plentiful, and if you didn't get one job, chances are there'd be another one just like it. Yet now, the odds are not in a job seeker's favor. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, when the recession began in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons per job opening was 1.8. When the recession ended in June 2009, there were 6.1 unemployed persons per job opening. While the number has since been trending downward and is currently at 4.2 (as of November), you still need to find ways to stand out from the competition.
"The burden of proof has shifted to the job seeker to demonstrate value and fit," says Roy Cohen, career coach and author of "The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide." "Job seekers need to be bolder and more energetic in this very challenging market. They need to show that they're willing to go above and beyond and that they'll work hard, tirelessly and take initiative to get the job done." Cohen also says that job seekers need to be more solution-oriented. "It's not enough to say, 'Here I am.' The emphasis is now on, 'Here's what I can do for you.'"
3. Mistakes, even minor, are not tolerated
Back in the "glory days" before the recession, mistakes made in application materials or during an interview weren't ideal, but they weren't necessarily automatic deal breakers, either. If a candidate misspelled a word on their résumé but otherwise had all the right qualifications, the employer may have let the error slide. In this job market, there's absolutely no room for errors.
"Nothing less is accepted or tolerated in a market where there are many more candidates than positions, and companies need to be sold on adding headcount," Cohen says.
To avoid making costly mistakes, proofread your résumé backward and forward, and then have someone else proof it again. Ensure you're fully prepared for an interview by researching the company and practicing answering interview questions.
4. Social media is the new recruiting tool
Before the recession, HR teams were more robust and better equipped to manage the hiring process. During the recession many companies downsized, leaving HR short-staffed and buried under piles of résumés. Recruiters have had to finds ways to more efficiently recruit, and social media has become a solution for hiring managers to more quickly find and screen candidates.
That means job seekers need to have a social media presence, and a professional one at that.
"Social media has made a huge impact for job seekers," says Lavie Margolin, career coach and author of "Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers."
"Employers are using social media to post job openings and look into candidate backgrounds via private Facebook pages. Job seekers have an opportunity to increase their visibility via their LinkedIn page and possibly a blog that is industry-focused."
5. Customization is critical
It is no longer acceptable in this post-recession job market to use a "spray and pray" method of applying for jobs. Blanket emailing recruiters with the same generic résumé will ensure your application gets tossed to the side. Newell says it's important that job seekers create targeted résumés.
"They must have a different résumé for each job they are applying for, and they must ensure that they effectively communicate their skills which relate to the job [for which] they are applying." The same goes for cover letters.
6. Networking is more important than ever
It's becoming more and more of an advantage in today's world to know someone within the company you're applying to so your résumé gets in the right hands. While not everyone has automatic connections, there are other ways to build relationships.
The best tried and true way to do so is through networking. "My advice to today's job seeker is to network," Newell says. "Job seekers should join groups and attend socials through sites such as MeetUp and LinkedIn. Attending a casual social and being active in online and offline groups can open many doors to employment."
The job market may not look the same as it did five years ago, but that doesn't mean you have to start from square one. It just means that by equipping yourself with the job-search tools needed in today's world, you'll be in a better position to get hired.
And to that end, there is no better tool than Start Now! Career Guide. Every one of these topics is covered and will guide you through your job search successfully.
1
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The State of the Union
1
President Obama scarcely mentioned healthcare in his third State of the Union address Tuesday night, even as the healthcare reform law he championed is hanging in the balance at the Supreme Court.
The bulk of Tuesday night's address before a joint session of Congress focused largely on jobs and the economy, and touched on taxes, education, and fixing a "broken" and fiercely partisan Washington.
A poll cited by FOX News asked voters which statement they agree with more: “President Obama is making a good faith effort to deal with the country’s economic problems, but the Republicans in Congress are playing politics by blocking his proposals and programs.”
Or this: “President Obama has not provided leadership on the economy, and he is just blaming the Republicans in Congress as an excuse for not doing his job.”
Have you or someone you know been affected by a job loss in these recent years? What are your thoughts?
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/01/24/president-obama-and-state-our-future/#ixzz1kRgbnO8m
1
President Obama scarcely mentioned healthcare in his third State of the Union address Tuesday night, even as the healthcare reform law he championed is hanging in the balance at the Supreme Court.
The bulk of Tuesday night's address before a joint session of Congress focused largely on jobs and the economy, and touched on taxes, education, and fixing a "broken" and fiercely partisan Washington.
A poll cited by FOX News asked voters which statement they agree with more: “President Obama is making a good faith effort to deal with the country’s economic problems, but the Republicans in Congress are playing politics by blocking his proposals and programs.”
Or this: “President Obama has not provided leadership on the economy, and he is just blaming the Republicans in Congress as an excuse for not doing his job.”
Have you or someone you know been affected by a job loss in these recent years? What are your thoughts?
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/01/24/president-obama-and-state-our-future/#ixzz1kRgbnO8m
1
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The job outlook appears promising for 2012
1
According to the Washington Post, The nation added 200,000 jobs in December in a burst of hiring that drove the unemployment rate down two notches to 8.5 percent, its lowest in almost three years, and led economists to conclude that the improvement in the job market might just last.
“There is more horsepower to this economy than most believe,” said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at California State University, Channel Islands. “The stars are aligned right for a meaningful economic recovery.”
It was the sixth month in a row that the economy added at least 100,000 jobs, the longest streak since 2006. The economy added jobs every month last year, the first time that has happened since 2005.
And the unemployment rate, which peaked at 10 percent in October 2009 and stood at 9.1 percent in August, has fallen four months straight. It was 8.7 percent in November.
If economics textbooks and the best hopes of millions of unemployed Americans are confirmed, the virtuous cycle may be under way, which would suggest the job market will continue to strengthen.
When people are hired, they have more money to spend. The means greater demand for goods and services and results in businesses hiring even more people. That results in even more spending and leads to even more hiring.
That would be the reverse of the vicious cycle that took hold during the Great Recession. People lost jobs and spent less, so businesses rang up less sales and were forced to lay off more people. That led to even less spending and more layoffs.
“The labor market is healing,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial. She cautioned that “we still have a long way to go — years — to recoup the losses we have endured.”
Indeed, the economy added 1.6 million jobs for all of 2011. That is better than the 940,000 added during 2010. In 2009, the most bruising year of the Great Recession, the nation lost more than 5 million.
However, it will still take 6 million more jobs to get the United States back to what it had in December 2007, when the recession began. Economists forecast the nation will add almost 2 million this year.
The news certainly is encouraging. So...will YOU be ready when the job you're looking for opens up? Check with Start Now! Career Guide to see how we can help in your job search.
You can read the entire story here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/sixth-straight-month-of-solid-hiring-expected-when-government-reports-on-december-job-growth/2012/01/06/gIQAv7lMeP_story.html
1
According to the Washington Post, The nation added 200,000 jobs in December in a burst of hiring that drove the unemployment rate down two notches to 8.5 percent, its lowest in almost three years, and led economists to conclude that the improvement in the job market might just last.
“There is more horsepower to this economy than most believe,” said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at California State University, Channel Islands. “The stars are aligned right for a meaningful economic recovery.”
It was the sixth month in a row that the economy added at least 100,000 jobs, the longest streak since 2006. The economy added jobs every month last year, the first time that has happened since 2005.
And the unemployment rate, which peaked at 10 percent in October 2009 and stood at 9.1 percent in August, has fallen four months straight. It was 8.7 percent in November.
If economics textbooks and the best hopes of millions of unemployed Americans are confirmed, the virtuous cycle may be under way, which would suggest the job market will continue to strengthen.
When people are hired, they have more money to spend. The means greater demand for goods and services and results in businesses hiring even more people. That results in even more spending and leads to even more hiring.
That would be the reverse of the vicious cycle that took hold during the Great Recession. People lost jobs and spent less, so businesses rang up less sales and were forced to lay off more people. That led to even less spending and more layoffs.
“The labor market is healing,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial. She cautioned that “we still have a long way to go — years — to recoup the losses we have endured.”
Indeed, the economy added 1.6 million jobs for all of 2011. That is better than the 940,000 added during 2010. In 2009, the most bruising year of the Great Recession, the nation lost more than 5 million.
However, it will still take 6 million more jobs to get the United States back to what it had in December 2007, when the recession began. Economists forecast the nation will add almost 2 million this year.
The news certainly is encouraging. So...will YOU be ready when the job you're looking for opens up? Check with Start Now! Career Guide to see how we can help in your job search.
You can read the entire story here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/sixth-straight-month-of-solid-hiring-expected-when-government-reports-on-december-job-growth/2012/01/06/gIQAv7lMeP_story.html
1
Friday, January 6, 2012
Calling the digital paramedics
1
Let’s imagine you’re in a car accident in a remote area. You’ve run off the road and hit a tree. Your car has minimal damage but you are seriously injured.
The digital paramedics, in their digital helicopter, fly over to the scene. They begin to assess the accident using their now narrow parameters (there’s minimal front-end damage and they can see that no one has gone through the windshield). The digital paramedics determine very quickly that this accident doesn’t meet their criteria. They fly away.
Meanwhile, you’re inside the vehicle with a broken leg that’s pinned under the steering column and the air bag has deployed leaving you critically short of air. And no one is going to help you.
The same scenario can be used when attaching your resume to an on-line job posting. The parameters used by the hiring manager are quite limited. If specific key words are not inserted so the resume “floats to the top,” so to speak, it will be discarded.
Without ever knowing your experience, your background, your skills, or the achievements you’ve made in the work place, this company most likely will move on to the next resume.
So it is that the creation of your digital resume be planned strategically. With Start Now! Career Guide, we’ll show you what works and doesn’t work when posting your resume on-line. Visit us today!
Let’s imagine you’re in a car accident in a remote area. You’ve run off the road and hit a tree. Your car has minimal damage but you are seriously injured.
The digital paramedics, in their digital helicopter, fly over to the scene. They begin to assess the accident using their now narrow parameters (there’s minimal front-end damage and they can see that no one has gone through the windshield). The digital paramedics determine very quickly that this accident doesn’t meet their criteria. They fly away.
Meanwhile, you’re inside the vehicle with a broken leg that’s pinned under the steering column and the air bag has deployed leaving you critically short of air. And no one is going to help you.
The same scenario can be used when attaching your resume to an on-line job posting. The parameters used by the hiring manager are quite limited. If specific key words are not inserted so the resume “floats to the top,” so to speak, it will be discarded.
Without ever knowing your experience, your background, your skills, or the achievements you’ve made in the work place, this company most likely will move on to the next resume.
So it is that the creation of your digital resume be planned strategically. With Start Now! Career Guide, we’ll show you what works and doesn’t work when posting your resume on-line. Visit us today!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
How to hunt for a job using social media
1
Nicole Duhoski, founding partner of Chicago-based social-media strategy and public relations firm VineSprout (http://vinesprout.com), says anyone with access to the Internet can make the most of their job search by being smart about social media. Here are her tips for using key words in online profiles, downloading search tools, understanding how to use hashtags and keeping online resumes and other information constantly updated.
“If you spend a bit more time upfront and create solid resources online and thorough social media profiles, you can sit back and let Twitter, Google, recruiters and online connections do all the work for you,” Duhoski says.
• Build and develop a personal and professional online brand that reflects your skills, background, passions, experience, and personality. You don’t have to hide your identity or your personality just because you are job searching. Being a real person online and having a strong and consistent presence across all networks helps recruiters get to know you, and sets you apart from a list of names and resumes.
• Use the same picture across your networks to help with recognition. Create a vanity URL for Facebook, LinkedIn and other networks. (i.e. facebook.com/nduhoski; linkedin.com/nduhoski)
• Do not be shy about telling your online network that you are looking for a new opportunity, and remind them often. Do not try to hide that fact that you are unemployed and in search of a job online.
• Most jobs are found through networking and some of the best jobs are never posted on job boards.
• Create a simple, concise, easy to understand, 30-second job pitch and memorize it. Include it in your Twitter bio, your LinkedIn profile, Facebook and any other social network that you are on. Use it at networking events.
• Reach out to all friends, family and professional contacts and let everyone know that you are looking for a job. When people know exactly what you’re looking for, they are more likely to help you and to refer you to their network. Provide them with titles and descriptions and point them to your LinkedIn profile, or personal website with your resume.
• Attend as many networking events as possible. There is no shortage in Chicago. Conferences, local seminars, tweetups, social media/marketing/publicity clubs. Volunteer to work registration and you’ll have an opportunity to meet most of the attendees. Connect on LinkedIn within 24 hours.
• If you really want to get creative, Facebook ads, Facebook pages and video resumes, are some of the newer tools people are using to get noticed and stand out from the sea of resumes.
LinkedIn
• Make sure that your profile is updated, and continue to update it regularly to reflect any changes.
• Write your resume/LinkedIn profile for the job you want, not just the job(s) you’ve had. Include keywords that are relevant to the type of job that you are searching for.
• LinkedIn, like most social networks is constantly evolving. Log-in daily and stay abreast of changes to the functionality and features offered.
• Optimize your LinkedIn profile to let recruiters find you. Think about the top three to four keywords that you use to search for jobs, and make sure that they are included in your profile.
• Monitor how often your profile appears in searches and how many people are viewing your profile.
• Update your status and make changes and updates to your profile to stay current in the feeds of your connections. Try changing your headline often to see what works best and what keywords attract more views.
• Upload your resume and portfolio using Box.net.
• Use LinkedIn’s Advanced Job Search — Use the “Request Referral” button to find people in your network who know and can connect you to the contact that posted the job listing on LinkedIn.
• Use LinkedIn ‘Groups’ and ‘Answers’ to network and demonstrate your expertise in your field.
• Download the ‘JobsInsider toolbar’ so that you can see if you or any of your LinkedIn contacts are connected to a particular company when you are viewing external job listings on other sites.
• Be reachable. Make sure to include your personal contact information (email address, phone number and URLs for relevant social networks) on your resume, business cards and in your email signature. It sounds silly, but a lot of people forget to include their phone number or have outdated email addresses on important networks where people expect to be able to connect like LinkedIn or Facebook.
Twitter:
• Search Twitter for job openings. Search by location, job titles, company names, or hashtags such as #jobs, #job, #jobsearch #jobseeker #career. Monitor keywords that relate to the jobs that you are applying to as well as words like opening, position, etc.
• Follow relevant recruiters and people working in your industry, and people that have your dream job.
• Follow the brands and businesses that you have an interest in working for. Companies often have HR specific handles that are used to announce job openings.
• Use TwitJobSearch: a job search engine for Twitter that aggregates job listings and posts on Twitter.
Google Alerts:
• Set up Google Alerts to help you monitor job leads that never appear on major job boards. Test what works best by starting with a broad search string, and then play with your keywords and narrow your search until your results are completely relevant.
o (Chicago AND marketing) AND (manager OR director) AND (position OR listing OR job)
• Set up a Google alert for your own name to monitor your personal brand.
1
Nicole Duhoski, founding partner of Chicago-based social-media strategy and public relations firm VineSprout (http://vinesprout.com), says anyone with access to the Internet can make the most of their job search by being smart about social media. Here are her tips for using key words in online profiles, downloading search tools, understanding how to use hashtags and keeping online resumes and other information constantly updated.
“If you spend a bit more time upfront and create solid resources online and thorough social media profiles, you can sit back and let Twitter, Google, recruiters and online connections do all the work for you,” Duhoski says.
• Build and develop a personal and professional online brand that reflects your skills, background, passions, experience, and personality. You don’t have to hide your identity or your personality just because you are job searching. Being a real person online and having a strong and consistent presence across all networks helps recruiters get to know you, and sets you apart from a list of names and resumes.
• Use the same picture across your networks to help with recognition. Create a vanity URL for Facebook, LinkedIn and other networks. (i.e. facebook.com/nduhoski; linkedin.com/nduhoski)
• Do not be shy about telling your online network that you are looking for a new opportunity, and remind them often. Do not try to hide that fact that you are unemployed and in search of a job online.
• Most jobs are found through networking and some of the best jobs are never posted on job boards.
• Create a simple, concise, easy to understand, 30-second job pitch and memorize it. Include it in your Twitter bio, your LinkedIn profile, Facebook and any other social network that you are on. Use it at networking events.
• Reach out to all friends, family and professional contacts and let everyone know that you are looking for a job. When people know exactly what you’re looking for, they are more likely to help you and to refer you to their network. Provide them with titles and descriptions and point them to your LinkedIn profile, or personal website with your resume.
• Attend as many networking events as possible. There is no shortage in Chicago. Conferences, local seminars, tweetups, social media/marketing/publicity clubs. Volunteer to work registration and you’ll have an opportunity to meet most of the attendees. Connect on LinkedIn within 24 hours.
• If you really want to get creative, Facebook ads, Facebook pages and video resumes, are some of the newer tools people are using to get noticed and stand out from the sea of resumes.
• Make sure that your profile is updated, and continue to update it regularly to reflect any changes.
• Write your resume/LinkedIn profile for the job you want, not just the job(s) you’ve had. Include keywords that are relevant to the type of job that you are searching for.
• LinkedIn, like most social networks is constantly evolving. Log-in daily and stay abreast of changes to the functionality and features offered.
• Optimize your LinkedIn profile to let recruiters find you. Think about the top three to four keywords that you use to search for jobs, and make sure that they are included in your profile.
• Monitor how often your profile appears in searches and how many people are viewing your profile.
• Update your status and make changes and updates to your profile to stay current in the feeds of your connections. Try changing your headline often to see what works best and what keywords attract more views.
• Upload your resume and portfolio using Box.net.
• Use LinkedIn’s Advanced Job Search — Use the “Request Referral” button to find people in your network who know and can connect you to the contact that posted the job listing on LinkedIn.
• Use LinkedIn ‘Groups’ and ‘Answers’ to network and demonstrate your expertise in your field.
• Download the ‘JobsInsider toolbar’ so that you can see if you or any of your LinkedIn contacts are connected to a particular company when you are viewing external job listings on other sites.
• Be reachable. Make sure to include your personal contact information (email address, phone number and URLs for relevant social networks) on your resume, business cards and in your email signature. It sounds silly, but a lot of people forget to include their phone number or have outdated email addresses on important networks where people expect to be able to connect like LinkedIn or Facebook.
Twitter:
• Search Twitter for job openings. Search by location, job titles, company names, or hashtags such as #jobs, #job, #jobsearch #jobseeker #career. Monitor keywords that relate to the jobs that you are applying to as well as words like opening, position, etc.
• Follow relevant recruiters and people working in your industry, and people that have your dream job.
• Follow the brands and businesses that you have an interest in working for. Companies often have HR specific handles that are used to announce job openings.
• Use TwitJobSearch: a job search engine for Twitter that aggregates job listings and posts on Twitter.
Google Alerts:
• Set up Google Alerts to help you monitor job leads that never appear on major job boards. Test what works best by starting with a broad search string, and then play with your keywords and narrow your search until your results are completely relevant.
o (Chicago AND marketing) AND (manager OR director) AND (position OR listing OR job)
• Set up a Google alert for your own name to monitor your personal brand.
1
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Tempted to Lie on Your Resume? Think Twice.
1
According to a survey done by Forensic Psychology, 31 percent reported lying on a resume. Barbara Safani, writing for AOL Jobs reports that research culled by Jobacle suggests that the number may be as high as 43 percent; the breakdown of resume fibs looks like this:
1. Salary (27 percent) - Many job seekers think this is an easy lie to pull off. But more and more employers are requesting to see previous W2 statements as a contingency of employment, so lying about salary can get dicey very quickly.
2. Credentials (12 percent) - Some job seekers "obtain" a degree through a diploma mill, while others just fabricate a degree and hope no one will check its authenticity. There are many stories of people who lied on a resume by falsifying information about their education and got caught. So will you. Most employers routinely check education credentials.
3. Job performance (15 percent) - It can be tempting to embellish results on a resume. Writing that you cut operational costs by 50 percent or saved the organization millions of dollars is only appropriate when you have the facts to back your claims up. Some hiring managers will challenge the statistics you mention on your resume, so be prepared to back up any statements with proof of performance.
4. Job responsibilities (19 percent) - Some job seekers stretch the truth and claim they played a larger role on a project than they actually did or that they held responsibilities that in fact were the responsibilities of their superior. The holes in this fib may quickly be revealed when a prospective hiring manager chats with your supervisor as part of the reference checking process and realizes that you and your past supervisor viewed your role differently.
5. Job skills (17 percent) - If you took a one-day PowerPoint class in 1999 and never developed a PowerPoint presentation in any of your jobs, can you list it as a job skill? Not really, but a lot of people do just that. Claiming you have a skill that you don't will be easily spotted once you are on the job and lack of a critical skill could lead to dismissal, so resist the urge to claim you have skills that you do not.
The bottom line, Safani says, is that most people who lie on their resumes eventually get caught. Lying on a resume is a lousy career management strategy. Stick with the facts and strive to present those facts in the best possible light without embellishing the truth. In the long run, you will secure a position that you are better suited for and more likely to succeed in.
1
According to a survey done by Forensic Psychology, 31 percent reported lying on a resume. Barbara Safani, writing for AOL Jobs reports that research culled by Jobacle suggests that the number may be as high as 43 percent; the breakdown of resume fibs looks like this:
1. Salary (27 percent) - Many job seekers think this is an easy lie to pull off. But more and more employers are requesting to see previous W2 statements as a contingency of employment, so lying about salary can get dicey very quickly.
2. Credentials (12 percent) - Some job seekers "obtain" a degree through a diploma mill, while others just fabricate a degree and hope no one will check its authenticity. There are many stories of people who lied on a resume by falsifying information about their education and got caught. So will you. Most employers routinely check education credentials.
3. Job performance (15 percent) - It can be tempting to embellish results on a resume. Writing that you cut operational costs by 50 percent or saved the organization millions of dollars is only appropriate when you have the facts to back your claims up. Some hiring managers will challenge the statistics you mention on your resume, so be prepared to back up any statements with proof of performance.
4. Job responsibilities (19 percent) - Some job seekers stretch the truth and claim they played a larger role on a project than they actually did or that they held responsibilities that in fact were the responsibilities of their superior. The holes in this fib may quickly be revealed when a prospective hiring manager chats with your supervisor as part of the reference checking process and realizes that you and your past supervisor viewed your role differently.
5. Job skills (17 percent) - If you took a one-day PowerPoint class in 1999 and never developed a PowerPoint presentation in any of your jobs, can you list it as a job skill? Not really, but a lot of people do just that. Claiming you have a skill that you don't will be easily spotted once you are on the job and lack of a critical skill could lead to dismissal, so resist the urge to claim you have skills that you do not.
The bottom line, Safani says, is that most people who lie on their resumes eventually get caught. Lying on a resume is a lousy career management strategy. Stick with the facts and strive to present those facts in the best possible light without embellishing the truth. In the long run, you will secure a position that you are better suited for and more likely to succeed in.
1
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Time to Re-Start the Job Hunt
1
We've seen the headlines. Strong job-growth numbers in February and a slight dip in unemployment should encourage people to restart the job search — especially in the temporary job market. The unemployment rate fell to 8.9%, as the private sector added 222,000 jobs, according to today’s report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to Market Watch, temporary jobs, in particular, are a good place to gain a toehold in the workforce, experts said. Of the 222,000 private sector jobs added in February, 15,500 were temporary, according to Jodi Chavez, senior vice president for Accounting Principles, a division of Adecco, a human resources firm.
When the economy starts to bounce back, temporary staffing firms are among the first to hire, said Chavez. Many companies are still “a little gun-shy” to sign on full-time employees, she added.
There should be other job opportunities for workers outside of temporary staffing because of the rejuvenated labor economy. People looking for work should check in with previous employers and with companies they have interviewed with in the past year or two. If they weren’t hiring last year, they may be hiring now.
It isn't going to hurt to let a previous employer know that you’re very interested in working with them and you’d like to come back.
1
We've seen the headlines. Strong job-growth numbers in February and a slight dip in unemployment should encourage people to restart the job search — especially in the temporary job market. The unemployment rate fell to 8.9%, as the private sector added 222,000 jobs, according to today’s report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to Market Watch, temporary jobs, in particular, are a good place to gain a toehold in the workforce, experts said. Of the 222,000 private sector jobs added in February, 15,500 were temporary, according to Jodi Chavez, senior vice president for Accounting Principles, a division of Adecco, a human resources firm.
When the economy starts to bounce back, temporary staffing firms are among the first to hire, said Chavez. Many companies are still “a little gun-shy” to sign on full-time employees, she added.
There should be other job opportunities for workers outside of temporary staffing because of the rejuvenated labor economy. People looking for work should check in with previous employers and with companies they have interviewed with in the past year or two. If they weren’t hiring last year, they may be hiring now.
It isn't going to hurt to let a previous employer know that you’re very interested in working with them and you’d like to come back.
1
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Nine Worst Résumé Mistakes
1
In a recent article on AOL Jobs by Penelope Patsuris, she examines nine items every job seeker should consider when putting together their by résumé.
1. Heavy résumé paper, elaborate design and other embellishments help job seekers stand out. For years, expensive résumé paper was required by any candidate wishing to be taken seriously--but this point is now moot since human resources prefer electronic submissions. "We don't like to get paper of any kind," says Doreen Collins, a manager for global staffing quality initiatives at General Electric, "and if we do get hard copies we just scan them into the system." That's because GE, like most companies, uses an electronic résumé management system to sort through prospective hires. As for eye-catching design and graphics: do without them. Such ornamentation only makes your résumé more difficult to read for a hiring manager who has hundreds of others applicants to sift through. The harder you make it for someone to discern your qualifications, the less likely it is that you'll be deemed qualified. And in this electronic age, curlicues put you at a further disadvantage. "We get a lot of résumés with graphic files, fancy fonts, even banners," says Collins, "but the electronic system rejects them." Hi-tech attention-getting can actually take applicants out of the running altogether.
2. Include an objective at the top of your résumé. Bad idea says Peri Hansen, a principal with recruiting firm Korn/Ferry. "It's the fastest way to pigeon-hole yourself," she says. Specify "Asset Manager" and you may not even be considered for "Financial Planner." "The one exception may be if you're trying to transition from one career into something very different," says Hansen. "An objective explains why your experience doesn't obviously apply to the opening."
A much better idea: Identify your goals in the cover letter so they can be tailored to each position you apply for. And yes, despite the convenience and speed of e-mailing a résumé, cover letters are still very much required. "When you only get a résumé, you worry that someone's just sitting on Monster.com hitting the 'send' button," says GE's Collins, "without any serious interest in the job."
3. Including a paragraph summarizing your skills. If you need to summarize your skills at the end of your résumé, then you either have one very poorly written résumé or you are being redundant. Neither of these things appeal to employers. "Any skills or expertise you have should be addressed in the accomplishments you list at the jobs you've held," says Hansen.
4. A "functional" résumé will do a better job of highlighting your unique skills and expertise than one that simply lists your positions in chronological order. Functional résumés--which detail skills instead of listing positions--won't help manipulate how prospective employers perceive you. "People use them to hide a gap in their employment," says recruiting firm Ray & Berndtson's Chief Executive Paul Ray Jr., "or to demonstrate that their skills can be applied to many positions." But the format makes managers suspicious and more intent on piecing together a timeline of your employment--and it's also a tough read. "After reading these résumés, you have no idea what the hell people have actually accomplished at their old jobs," says Ray.
5. Submit your résumé for jobs that you know you're not qualified for, if they're at companies where you'd like to work. "A lot of time people will apply just because they see it's GE," says Collins, "but when they're not appropriate, it really just frustrates us."
Another big gaffe: mass mailing your résumé to every headhunter and contact you know with all of their e-mail addresses listed in the "Cc:" line. "It's amazing how many people do that," says Dennis Spring, the principal at New York-based recruiter Spring & Co. "Not only is it bad manners, but it makes you look like you're plastering your résumé all over the planet. In my mind that makes you a much less desirable candidate. We are only looking for people who are strategic in their thinking, and present themselves in a very targeted manner."
6. Keep résumé length down to one page. Yes, they drilled this into our heads in college, but we're grownups now with much more experience. The acceptable length for a career spanning over six or seven years is two pages, according to Korn/Ferry's Hansen. "As long ago as you may have held a job, or as short a period of time you may have held it, you don't want to leave out anything that you did," she says. "If you go to three pages you've either worked a very, very long time or are being verbose."
7. Sharing information about yourself as a person - such as hobbies and memberships - creates the image of a well-rounded individual that employers prefer to hire. "I don't really care what kind of a person you are," says Ray, "I want to know what you can do for me." There is also such a thing as too much information. Maybe the person reviewing your résumé happens to detest cat lovers.
8. Note that references are available upon request. Of course they are. "That just wastes paper," says GE's Collins, "and it makes you look dumb."
9. For each position you've held, you only need to list the name of your employer and their location. "Don't assume that people reading your résumé know what your company does," says Hansen. If your work for a relatively unknown firm describe the business, note its revenues and maybe how old it is. "Otherwise I have to go online and look up a company description," says Hansen. And wasting a recruiter's time is not a good idea.
1
In a recent article on AOL Jobs by Penelope Patsuris, she examines nine items every job seeker should consider when putting together their by résumé.
1. Heavy résumé paper, elaborate design and other embellishments help job seekers stand out. For years, expensive résumé paper was required by any candidate wishing to be taken seriously--but this point is now moot since human resources prefer electronic submissions. "We don't like to get paper of any kind," says Doreen Collins, a manager for global staffing quality initiatives at General Electric, "and if we do get hard copies we just scan them into the system." That's because GE, like most companies, uses an electronic résumé management system to sort through prospective hires. As for eye-catching design and graphics: do without them. Such ornamentation only makes your résumé more difficult to read for a hiring manager who has hundreds of others applicants to sift through. The harder you make it for someone to discern your qualifications, the less likely it is that you'll be deemed qualified. And in this electronic age, curlicues put you at a further disadvantage. "We get a lot of résumés with graphic files, fancy fonts, even banners," says Collins, "but the electronic system rejects them." Hi-tech attention-getting can actually take applicants out of the running altogether.
2. Include an objective at the top of your résumé. Bad idea says Peri Hansen, a principal with recruiting firm Korn/Ferry. "It's the fastest way to pigeon-hole yourself," she says. Specify "Asset Manager" and you may not even be considered for "Financial Planner." "The one exception may be if you're trying to transition from one career into something very different," says Hansen. "An objective explains why your experience doesn't obviously apply to the opening."
A much better idea: Identify your goals in the cover letter so they can be tailored to each position you apply for. And yes, despite the convenience and speed of e-mailing a résumé, cover letters are still very much required. "When you only get a résumé, you worry that someone's just sitting on Monster.com hitting the 'send' button," says GE's Collins, "without any serious interest in the job."
3. Including a paragraph summarizing your skills. If you need to summarize your skills at the end of your résumé, then you either have one very poorly written résumé or you are being redundant. Neither of these things appeal to employers. "Any skills or expertise you have should be addressed in the accomplishments you list at the jobs you've held," says Hansen.
4. A "functional" résumé will do a better job of highlighting your unique skills and expertise than one that simply lists your positions in chronological order. Functional résumés--which detail skills instead of listing positions--won't help manipulate how prospective employers perceive you. "People use them to hide a gap in their employment," says recruiting firm Ray & Berndtson's Chief Executive Paul Ray Jr., "or to demonstrate that their skills can be applied to many positions." But the format makes managers suspicious and more intent on piecing together a timeline of your employment--and it's also a tough read. "After reading these résumés, you have no idea what the hell people have actually accomplished at their old jobs," says Ray.
5. Submit your résumé for jobs that you know you're not qualified for, if they're at companies where you'd like to work. "A lot of time people will apply just because they see it's GE," says Collins, "but when they're not appropriate, it really just frustrates us."
Another big gaffe: mass mailing your résumé to every headhunter and contact you know with all of their e-mail addresses listed in the "Cc:" line. "It's amazing how many people do that," says Dennis Spring, the principal at New York-based recruiter Spring & Co. "Not only is it bad manners, but it makes you look like you're plastering your résumé all over the planet. In my mind that makes you a much less desirable candidate. We are only looking for people who are strategic in their thinking, and present themselves in a very targeted manner."
6. Keep résumé length down to one page. Yes, they drilled this into our heads in college, but we're grownups now with much more experience. The acceptable length for a career spanning over six or seven years is two pages, according to Korn/Ferry's Hansen. "As long ago as you may have held a job, or as short a period of time you may have held it, you don't want to leave out anything that you did," she says. "If you go to three pages you've either worked a very, very long time or are being verbose."
7. Sharing information about yourself as a person - such as hobbies and memberships - creates the image of a well-rounded individual that employers prefer to hire. "I don't really care what kind of a person you are," says Ray, "I want to know what you can do for me." There is also such a thing as too much information. Maybe the person reviewing your résumé happens to detest cat lovers.
8. Note that references are available upon request. Of course they are. "That just wastes paper," says GE's Collins, "and it makes you look dumb."
9. For each position you've held, you only need to list the name of your employer and their location. "Don't assume that people reading your résumé know what your company does," says Hansen. If your work for a relatively unknown firm describe the business, note its revenues and maybe how old it is. "Otherwise I have to go online and look up a company description," says Hansen. And wasting a recruiter's time is not a good idea.
1
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Is Good Jobs News Finally on the Horizon?
1
Chief executive officers in the U.S. are feeling more confident about the economy, with more of them planning to add rather than cut jobs over the next six months, a Business Roundtable survey released on Wednesday found.
The change in mood (CEOs had been inclined toward cutting jobs for about two years) marked an important shift for an economy struggling to regain its footing after its worst downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
The retail sector is leading the charge toward hiring as consumer spending begins to pick up, according to the quarterly survey which was reported by ABCNews.
Twenty-nine percent of U.S. CEOs told the Roundtable they plan to add jobs in the United States over the next six months, more than the 21 percent who planned to cut. That marked the first time since the first quarter of 2008 that more planned to add jobs than cut them.
Click this link for more details: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wirestory?id=10308575&page=1
1
Chief executive officers in the U.S. are feeling more confident about the economy, with more of them planning to add rather than cut jobs over the next six months, a Business Roundtable survey released on Wednesday found.
The change in mood (CEOs had been inclined toward cutting jobs for about two years) marked an important shift for an economy struggling to regain its footing after its worst downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
The retail sector is leading the charge toward hiring as consumer spending begins to pick up, according to the quarterly survey which was reported by ABCNews.
Twenty-nine percent of U.S. CEOs told the Roundtable they plan to add jobs in the United States over the next six months, more than the 21 percent who planned to cut. That marked the first time since the first quarter of 2008 that more planned to add jobs than cut them.
Click this link for more details: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wirestory?id=10308575&page=1
1
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Bad Credit History Can Crash Your Job Search
1
A growing number of job hunters are finding that their financial past may harm their professional future.
According to Kristen McNamara of The Wall Street Journal, concerned about rising rates of employee theft and fiduciary issues, more employers are checking applicants' credit. Companies say the financial information can offer insight into a candidate's level of responsibility.
But people whose previously solid credit has been damaged by the economic downturn say they're victims of circumstances beyond their control.
Some 47% of employers say they check the credit history of applicants for certain positions, according to a late 2009 survey of more than 430 organizations conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management.
That's up from 42% of employers in 2006. Just 25% of employers in 1998 said they regularly or sometimes checked applicants' credit histories.
For the complete story, click here: http://online.wsj.com/home-page
1
A growing number of job hunters are finding that their financial past may harm their professional future.
According to Kristen McNamara of The Wall Street Journal, concerned about rising rates of employee theft and fiduciary issues, more employers are checking applicants' credit. Companies say the financial information can offer insight into a candidate's level of responsibility.
But people whose previously solid credit has been damaged by the economic downturn say they're victims of circumstances beyond their control.
Some 47% of employers say they check the credit history of applicants for certain positions, according to a late 2009 survey of more than 430 organizations conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management.
That's up from 42% of employers in 2006. Just 25% of employers in 1998 said they regularly or sometimes checked applicants' credit histories.
For the complete story, click here: http://online.wsj.com/home-page
1
Monday, February 28, 2011
Where Does Your Resume Really Go When Applying On-Line?
We'd all like to believe that when we send our resume via a job board or a company Web site that there is someone eagerly waiting on the other side ready to read every word of it. But these days, job applicants are lucky if an actual person is reading any of it, at least on the initial screening.
According to Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers, as companies continue to be inundated with resumes, more and more employers are turning to applicant tracking systems (ATS) to manage the sheer volume and weed through all the applicants. What does that mean for job seekers? I spoke to HR professionals, recruiters, and hiring managers to find out.
Why do companies use applicant tracking systems?
In today's market, there can be thousands of applicants for one position. According to recruiter Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, "ATS allows me as a recruiter to manage far greater amounts of information and track every communication I have with a job applicant so nothing is 'forgotten.' " Unisys HR Consultant Sharon Sizgorich notes that ATS offers a "consolidated view of all applicants against a job and the ability to build and track pipelines of talent. In addition, applicant tracking systems can help recruiters better manage the various stages of the interview process and comply with legal requirements for tracking applicants."
How do applicant tracking systems work?
"When searching my database for candidates to fit a particular job posting, I'll select an important keyword or phrase directly from the job description, and enter it into the ATS," says recruiter Roxanne Williams. "The ATS will then search the database and return the resulting resumes to me, and this process can be repeated numerous times with different keywords or phrases."
What document formats can applicant tracking systems scan?
According to our experts, most systems can scan text and Word formats; some cannot scan Word 2007, PowerPoints, or PDFs.
What should job seekers do in order to get their resumes noticed by the ATS?
- Customize the resume for each position. Megan Pittsley, a career counselor and recruiter, advises job seekers to "extensively tweak their resume for every job and make sure you weave common keywords throughout the resume as often as possible."
- Keep job titles fairly generic. Kathleen Steffey, founder and CEO of Naviga Business Services, a sales and marketing based recruitment firm, suggests avoiding using job titles that are too specific. "If you are a sales professional who is conducting new business and prospecting 99 percent of the time, just keep your title to 'Sales Professional' or 'Business Development Representative.' Stay away from titles that are too specific like National Accounts or Client Relations.
- Keep resume formatting to a minimum. Dan Kilgore, principal of Riviera Advisors Inc., notes that "certain design features such as italics, bolding, and underlining can substantially increase the error rate as the system converts the data." Radical resume designs similarly are also off-limits because anything the ATS wasn't programmed to look for will not be recognized. One suggestion might be to electronically submit your resume in Word and in a standard format, and save the "pretty" one you formatted for the live interview, since most of these characteristics were made to make the human reading experience more pleasant and exciting.
- Avoid functional resumes. Ashley Gouge, VP of Client Development and Implementation for Pinstripe Healthcare states that "functional resumes are very difficult for parsing technology to read" and recommends using the more traditional chronological format for optimal results.
- Include full keywords and their abbreviated formats. Recruiter and BestJobHuntGuide.com owner Roxanne Williams adds, "some of the words or phrases listed on the job description can also be abbreviated; for example, Sarbanes Oxley can be abbreviated as SOX and accounts payable is often referred to as AP. Play it safe and include both versions in your resume."
While those using applicant tracking systems can point to many benefits of using these systems, some also acknowledge the drawbacks. Amber Jolley, a staffing consultant with Whitaker Technical Services, notes: "The main drawback is that often your resume isn't seen by a 'live' person if it doesn't make it past the ATS screening process. While there are many advantages, the real downfall with ATS is that they are not able to quantify the 'intangibles' that candidates bring to the table or skills that may be equivalent or transferable enough to make their resume worth reviewing."
Friday, September 10, 2010
Google Searches Show Job Trends
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It’s tough out there. No doubt about it. But after months of unrelenting gloom, there are glimmers of hope for job seekers.
Google Chief Economist Hal Varian is pretty confident the national economy is recovering, and he's not just basing that on government data.
According to the Washington Post, Varian says he can tell from Americans' search habits.
In March, the number of Google users searching for information about unemployment benefits or employment centers began to drop, Varian said. Overall unemployment has continued to climb, of course, but new jobless claims have declined since peaking earlier this year.
The temporary employment index, however, is ticking higher.
A former economist and professor at the University of California at Berkeley, Varian says that increases in temporary employment, a leading indicator for labor markets, typically precede a rebound in full-time hiring. That index has ticked up in each of the past four months.
What this means is that the temporary assignment has, in effect, become a “working interview”’ where candidates can prove their worth before the organization commits to increasing permanent headcount.
Additionally, organizations who are in the process of downsizing are now proactively working to find new employment options for their talented staff with stellar track records. This is resulting in very good candidates being immediately available at short notice, which is great news for other companies who are looking to recruit new talent for their own businesses.
Temp-to-perm placements are projected to be a continuing trend as job seekers recognize the opportunity to be able to make their mark—and employers take advantage of being able to evaluate their needs before finalizing job descriptions.
1
It’s tough out there. No doubt about it. But after months of unrelenting gloom, there are glimmers of hope for job seekers.
Google Chief Economist Hal Varian is pretty confident the national economy is recovering, and he's not just basing that on government data.
According to the Washington Post, Varian says he can tell from Americans' search habits.
In March, the number of Google users searching for information about unemployment benefits or employment centers began to drop, Varian said. Overall unemployment has continued to climb, of course, but new jobless claims have declined since peaking earlier this year.
The temporary employment index, however, is ticking higher.
A former economist and professor at the University of California at Berkeley, Varian says that increases in temporary employment, a leading indicator for labor markets, typically precede a rebound in full-time hiring. That index has ticked up in each of the past four months.
What this means is that the temporary assignment has, in effect, become a “working interview”’ where candidates can prove their worth before the organization commits to increasing permanent headcount.
Additionally, organizations who are in the process of downsizing are now proactively working to find new employment options for their talented staff with stellar track records. This is resulting in very good candidates being immediately available at short notice, which is great news for other companies who are looking to recruit new talent for their own businesses.
Temp-to-perm placements are projected to be a continuing trend as job seekers recognize the opportunity to be able to make their mark—and employers take advantage of being able to evaluate their needs before finalizing job descriptions.
1
Monday, August 9, 2010
Show Me the Money!!
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With today’s economic climate, you may feel intimidated asking for a comfortable salary when it’s clear some are accepting jobs well below their pay scale.
However, if you ask the right questions and present your qualifications effectively during your interview, you could land a decent-paying job.
According to Jonnelle Marte of the Wall Street Journal, the first step is to find out the salary range for the position you’re considering. She recommends two web sites (Payscale.com and Salary.com) as well as consulting people you know in the industry.
During the interview, show how you meet the job criteria after finding out exactly what skills the potential employer is looking for. Demonstrate how you deserve to get paid the higher end of the salary range.
While getting the most money possible is important, you shouldn’t allow salary alone to dictate whether or not you accept the role. Try negotiating for other perks (i.e., the ability to work from home or an extra week’s vacation).
If the amount is still shy of what you were hoping for, ask if your salary can be re-evaluated in six months or a year. Emphasize your learning abilities and desire to improve your on-the-job skills so that a review becomes part of the hiring agreement.
Detailed interview strategies covering salary and more can be found at StartNowCareers.com
1
With today’s economic climate, you may feel intimidated asking for a comfortable salary when it’s clear some are accepting jobs well below their pay scale.
However, if you ask the right questions and present your qualifications effectively during your interview, you could land a decent-paying job.
According to Jonnelle Marte of the Wall Street Journal, the first step is to find out the salary range for the position you’re considering. She recommends two web sites (Payscale.com and Salary.com) as well as consulting people you know in the industry.
During the interview, show how you meet the job criteria after finding out exactly what skills the potential employer is looking for. Demonstrate how you deserve to get paid the higher end of the salary range.
While getting the most money possible is important, you shouldn’t allow salary alone to dictate whether or not you accept the role. Try negotiating for other perks (i.e., the ability to work from home or an extra week’s vacation).
If the amount is still shy of what you were hoping for, ask if your salary can be re-evaluated in six months or a year. Emphasize your learning abilities and desire to improve your on-the-job skills so that a review becomes part of the hiring agreement.
Detailed interview strategies covering salary and more can be found at StartNowCareers.com
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Friday, July 23, 2010
Playing the Body Language Game
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Whether you realize it or not, everyone uses body language in our daily encounters with people. When interviewing for a job, body language becomes the nonverbal cues that we give to the interviewer while communicating. They can, essentially, make or break the interview.
Your resume and cover letter told of your accomplishments, but your body will reveal even more. Following is a short list to help you recognize and avoid the negatives while accentuating the positives:
Nervousness — Whistling, pinching skin, fidgeting, jiggling pocket change, running tongue along front of teeth, clearing throat, hands touching the face or covering part of the face, pulling at skin or ear, running fingers through hair, wringing hands, biting on pens or other objects, twiddling thumbs, biting fingernails
Openness and warmth — Open-lipped smiling, open hands with palms visible, unbuttoning coat upon being seated.
Untrustworthy/Defensive — Frowning, squinting eyes, tight-lipped grin, arms crossed in front of chest, pulling away, chin down, touching nose or face, darting eyes, looking down when speaking, clenched hands, gestures with fist, pointing with fingers, rubbing back of neck, clasping hands behind head while leaning back in the chair.
Confidence — Leaning forward in chair, chin up, putting fingertips of one hand against fingertips of the other hand in “praying,” or “steepling” position, hands joined behind back when standing.
As you can see, there are far more negatives than positives—possibly more than we are consciously aware. This list is given not so that you can artificially adopt the positive body language techniques, but more. If you have a habit of doing any of the above negatives, remove that action from your pattern of behavior before it sends the wrong signal. Concentrate on removing it now so you will not have to think about it during the interview.
And keep in mind the person on the other side of the desk. As you talk with an interviewer, be aware of (although not preoccupied with) their body language and nonverbal cues. Do not try to read more than is actually being communicated, but try to develop a sense of the interviewer’s reception of you.
The most obvious example is the smile connection—when your smile brings about a smile from the interviewer. Do your best to stay connected with your interviewer—both verbally and nonverbally.
1
Whether you realize it or not, everyone uses body language in our daily encounters with people. When interviewing for a job, body language becomes the nonverbal cues that we give to the interviewer while communicating. They can, essentially, make or break the interview.
Your resume and cover letter told of your accomplishments, but your body will reveal even more. Following is a short list to help you recognize and avoid the negatives while accentuating the positives:
Nervousness — Whistling, pinching skin, fidgeting, jiggling pocket change, running tongue along front of teeth, clearing throat, hands touching the face or covering part of the face, pulling at skin or ear, running fingers through hair, wringing hands, biting on pens or other objects, twiddling thumbs, biting fingernails
Openness and warmth — Open-lipped smiling, open hands with palms visible, unbuttoning coat upon being seated.
Untrustworthy/Defensive — Frowning, squinting eyes, tight-lipped grin, arms crossed in front of chest, pulling away, chin down, touching nose or face, darting eyes, looking down when speaking, clenched hands, gestures with fist, pointing with fingers, rubbing back of neck, clasping hands behind head while leaning back in the chair.
Confidence — Leaning forward in chair, chin up, putting fingertips of one hand against fingertips of the other hand in “praying,” or “steepling” position, hands joined behind back when standing.
As you can see, there are far more negatives than positives—possibly more than we are consciously aware. This list is given not so that you can artificially adopt the positive body language techniques, but more. If you have a habit of doing any of the above negatives, remove that action from your pattern of behavior before it sends the wrong signal. Concentrate on removing it now so you will not have to think about it during the interview.
And keep in mind the person on the other side of the desk. As you talk with an interviewer, be aware of (although not preoccupied with) their body language and nonverbal cues. Do not try to read more than is actually being communicated, but try to develop a sense of the interviewer’s reception of you.
The most obvious example is the smile connection—when your smile brings about a smile from the interviewer. Do your best to stay connected with your interviewer—both verbally and nonverbally.
1
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
How Vital is Networking?
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Networking is the key to success - not only when searching for a job - but for business in general.
Dale Carnegie literally wrote the book on networking in 1936. How to Win Friends and Influence People demystified the process of making friends out of strangers and inspired legions of business coaches to carry on Carnegie's message. Peter Handal, the chairman, CEO and president of Dale Carnegie & Associates, shared some of Carnegie's rules for meeting new people with Meridith Levinson of CIO Magazine and CIO.com.
The Wisdom of Dale Carnegie in Five Bullet Points
Networking is the key to success - not only when searching for a job - but for business in general.
Dale Carnegie literally wrote the book on networking in 1936. How to Win Friends and Influence People demystified the process of making friends out of strangers and inspired legions of business coaches to carry on Carnegie's message. Peter Handal, the chairman, CEO and president of Dale Carnegie & Associates, shared some of Carnegie's rules for meeting new people with Meridith Levinson of CIO Magazine and CIO.com.
The Wisdom of Dale Carnegie in Five Bullet Points
- Smile: "This is such a simple, basic rule, yet people just don't think about it," says Handal. They're so focused on needing to network at a conference that they don't realize they're walking around with a scowl on their face. Scowling, serious, expressions are forbidding, says Handal. People are more likely to warm up to someone who says good morning with a broad smile than they are to someone with a dour countenance.
- Ask a question: Joining a group engaged in conversation can be awkward. The best way to do so is to pose a question to the group after getting the gist of the conversation, says Handal. "You build your credibility by asking a question, and for a shy person, that's a much easier way to engage than by barging in with an opinion," he says.
- Listen: One of the most profound points Carnegie made in How to Win Friends was that people love to talk about themselves. If you can get people to discuss their experiences and opinions—and listen with sincere interest—you can have a great conversation with someone without having to say much at all.
- Business cards: Always have them handy, says Handal. "They're an effective way for you to leave your name behind so that people remember who you are."
- Say the person's name: "People like to hear their own name," says Handal, pointing to another one of Carnegie's basic principles—that a person's name is the sweetest sound to that person. So when you meet someone, use his name in conversation. Doing so makes the other person feel more comfortable, like you really know him and he knows you.
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