Career Advice, Job Tips, Free Articles
Accounting, Criminal Justice, Nursing, Medical Assisting, Web Design, Legal and Paralegal, Computer Science, Advertising and Marketing, Education
We all get calls from telemarketers. Their generic, impersonal sales pitches typically yield responses like: "Really? Why would I let you spend 10 minutes telling me about your vacuuming services? I have a vacuum cleaner in the closet." Click.
Chances are you have received this type of call. And chances are you have hung up before you even know what the caller has to offer.
Were the vacuum company to peek in your window for a few hours (creepy -- but go with me here) they'd find out you were a single parent with three kids, two shedding cats and a bad case of seasonal allergies. With this new background information, the call might go something like:
"Hello Ms. Murphy! Since you're so busy....
Everyone is pinching pennies these days, including employers. Hiring freezes, lower salary offers to new hires and smaller raises for existing employees have become commonplace. The unfortunate effect of all of this, is that many workers will have to accept -- or at least consider accepting -- lower salaries than in the past. Still, taking a pay cut is a big deal. So how do you decide whether lowering you salary expectations will be beneficial to your job search or just a hindrance to achieving what you're really worth?
Unfortunately, the answer isn't clear cut, says Cheryl Palmer, a career coach and owner of Call To Career. "Many job seekers do not know what the market will bear, and as a result their ex....
You've done everything right in your job hunt: You've built your professional network, your résumé is error-free, and your online reputation is spotless. You feel you've done a good job of marketing your skills and experience to prospective employers. But, despite your best efforts, you're still searching.
How can you increase your chances of landing an interview and, ultimately, a new job in this competitive environment? Following are some suggestions to help you get noticed and distinguish yourself from the crowd of other applicants:
Become a subject matter expert
One way to gain the attention of potential employers is to make a name for yourself in your field. Easier sa....
Everyone has encountered a deal breaker. That one unappealing characteristic -- no matter how attractive something initially seems -- that completely overrides any positive aspects. For example, you found a great apartment but it's a mile from the subway or your hot blind date acts like a cast member from "The Jersey Shore". Like anyone else, hiring managers have deal breakers too -- things that a job candidate does or says that immediately gets their application sent to the "no" pile.
Here are some automatic applicant disqualifiers, straight from the recruiter's mouths:
"I provide personal PR consulting as part of my practice and job interviews have come up recently. In talking with other manager....
In a tough job market, landing an interview is a major accomplishment. When such opportunity knocks, be ready to show why you're the candidate to hire. Here are five tips that can help job seekers make a great impression.
Do your homework
Erika Milonas, director of campus recruitment for The McTigue Financial Group (part of Northwestern Mutual) in Chicago, reviews more than 1,000 résumés a year and interviews about 400 candidates to choose 40 for the company's internship program. With such competition, it would seem that interviewees w....
Scouting through job listings, you spot a position in your field. The prospective employer is looking for somebody with a bachelor's degree and four years of relevant experience. Having a master's degree and seven years under your belt, you hurry to apply, figuring that your higher credentials will at least score an interview.
But your phone never rings.
Instead of working to your advantage, being overqualified for a job can be a red flag that keeps employers from wanting to know you better. While it may be difficult to overcome their objectives, knowing the basis for their concerns can help make your job search more fruitful (and perhaps make rejection more palatable).
The money issue
As both associate and bachelor's degree programs crop up for jobs that once required only on-the-job training, it seems like college degrees are available for most occupations. But just because formal education exists for a certain field doesn't always mean it's necessary -- or advantageous -- for workers to obtain a degree before entering the job market.
You don't need a degree to do any of the below jobs, but degree programs are available. So which is better, education or on-the-job training?
Real-estate agent*
On-the-job: Although a degree is not required, rea....
Imagine you are an advertising executive assigned the task of getting people to try a new soft drink. Before you pitched the product to consumers, chances are you'd examine the item carefully. How does it taste? Is it lower in calories than other beverages? What features distinguish it from other drinks?
The process is much the same for job seekers -- only this time you are both the marketer and the product being peddled. Before trying to "sell" yourself to prospective employers, it is worth taking time to evaluate your attributes and the best ways they can be presented.
Pinpointing strengths
Experts agree that honest self-assessment is paramount....
True story:Â
After a move to a new city, I finally land a job interview after weeks of sending out résumés. The company offers good pay and great benefits -- not to mention that the job is right up my alley and right down the street from my apartment. Â
The interview is humming along nicely, when "BLEEP BLEEP BLEEEEP! ... BLEEP BLEEP BLEEEEP!" My interviewer is mid-question when she jumps out of her skin at the sound of my cell phone loudly ringing from my purse. I could have sworn I'd shut it off.Â
I spend the next 20 seconds rifling through my bag to find the offending device and another 10 seconds powering it off. As I apologize and refocus my attention on the interviewer, I can tell ou....
Job searches, much like first dates, are about giving the other party -- in this case the employer -- a once-over and presenting yourself in the best possible way. Also similar to first dates, job searches give you several opportunities to make a single mistake that is a real turnoff.
You're on your own when it comes to finding true love, but for staying in an employer's good graces, we've got you covered. So put on your best clothes, style your hair and make sure you don't make one of these job interview gaffes that are certain to turn off an employer:
Turnoff No. 1: Arriving too early for an interview
The reason: Interviews are scheduled at specific times for a reason. Hirin....
An employment interview is stressful. You need to say the right things to convince the hiring manager you're the perfect person for the job. But you also need to be sure your nervousness doesn't get the best of you and cause you to say something you'll regret. Saying the wrong thing can cost you the opportunity, no matter how skilled or experienced you are.
Here are examples of what not to say to a hiring manager:
No-no No. 1: "My current boss is a jerk!" or "I left the company because it was a rotten place to work."
Never badmouth a current or former employer. Even if you have had legitimate issues with a colleague, boss or company, don't air the dirty laundry in front of the pe....
What did you think of your last interviewer? Did you feel as if you were mortal enemies? Or were you on the same team? I know that can sound extreme, but many people view a job interview as a fight or a competition -- a duel of wits. Actually, it's just a conversation and collaboration to find the best candidate for the job.
So have you ever thought about the job interview process from the interviewer's perspective? As a job seeker, you are more concerned about yourself and your personal needs. That is natural, but this selfish attitude could stop you from getting what you need and want: a job.
A job interview is like a graceful dance in which two people come together and find out whether they are ....
Career counselors constantly tell us that the best way to find a job is to use your network. More than 75 percent of job seekers find their next opportunity through their personal or professional networks. The problem is: How do you figure out who should be in your network and take your first steps towards building one?
Your refrigerator can help you build a network. You can identify who should be in your network and start building it by using the Refrigerator Exercise. The exercise is easy and painless and uses a household appliance that you probably use many times each day. Â Here's how it works:
5 simple steps
1. Post several blank sheets....
In today's economy, finding full-time work is not easy. As a result, many job seekers are working part-time and temporary positions, hoping to get hired full time.
Not knowing what she wanted to do after graduating from the University of Delaware with a degree in business administration, Carly Rodgers, 24, decided to pursue her love of horses and take a job with a horse trainer. After a few months, she decided she wanted more than "life in the barn," so she used the job market to her advantage.
"I figured that many companies were laying off workers because they could not afford them, and this meant they were probably short on hands. I decided that I would offer to work for free, in an
It may seem like a waste of time to apply for a position that, at least on paper, doesn't exactly match your skills and experience. After all, many job seekers can't even get a hiring manager's attention when they do appear to be a perfect fit.
But if you believe you're capable of performing a job well despite the fact that your background doesn't completely align with the requirements of the position, there might still be hope. You need to consider yourself from a hiring manager's perspective and build a case that shows why you're the best person for the position. Following are some tips:
1. Don't waste their time
First, make sure your background meets at least the most bas....
So, you've made it through your first round of interviews -- congratulations -- and now you're on to the second and third round ... the good stuff.
Business  dining
Many of these interviews will take the form of business lunches and dinners. These are less about assessing your business acumen -- this has been solid enough to get you past the first round -- than about seeing how you are able to interact with others in collegial and social situations. In short, this is where the smallest of small details is what separates those who receive an offer from those who don't.
Here are a few restaurant recommendations:
· Don't turn up smelling so strongly of scent that they smell you, not ....
A good recruiter can be worth his or her weight in gold to a job seeker. Good recruiters have access to jobs and information about the market, and they can even give you advice that will improve your chances of getting interviews and offers. Many job seekers find working with a recruiter to be challenging, but it doesn't have to be.
The following four ways to work more successfully with a recruiter may help you with your job search:
1. Understand what recruiters do
Recruiters work for their clients because the client pays the bill -- they don't work for their candidates. If you understand this dynamic, you can use it to your benefit. The recruiter'....
Going into a job interview is difficult enough, but trying to figure out the meaning behind some questions just adds to the anxiety of job-hunting.
Sometimes seemingly simply questions will have a hidden agenda, but more often than not, the interviewer is trying to gauge your true interest in the company and what value you can bring to its work force.
If asked, "Why do you want to work here?" that's a perfect opportunity to show the company you've done your homework. The interviewer wants details -- how does this company stand apart from its competitors, what new products or services are they offering -- and this is the moment to shine by having well-researched answers ready to deliver. If possible, ....
Choosing a major has always been a sore spot for college students. Now, with the job market in flux, it's more important than ever that you declare a major in a field that you not only enjoy, but that will offer many employment opportunities after graduation.
According to the Job Outlook 2010 by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers plan to hire about 7 percent fewer new graduates during 2009-10 than they did in 2008-09. A few majors, however, are in demand; the top five are finance, accounting,
Interviewing for a job comes with several question marks. What do I wear? How should I answer this question? How long will this take? A good job seeker prepares. Take your suit to the cleaners. Think about your answers. Arrive for the interview in plenty of time.
But the one factor that can throw everything off is the type of interviewer you get. When you sit down at that table, the interviewer's line of questioning and attitude will change what you say and how.
To give you a little extra help, here is a list of 10 types of interviewers you might encounter and how to deal with them.
1. Your best friend
What to expect....
One thing about the hiring process is true: It leaves much room for speculation. Whether you got the job -- or you didn't -- most job seekers want to know why. Why were you chosen over the next guy? Or, better yet, why weren't you? Was it your experience, your attitude, your interview answers, your outfit?
We decided to ask hiring managers directly: What seals the deal when you choose to hire a candidate? Why do you choose one person over another? Their answers will give you some insight as to what you should pay attention to the next time you're up for a job.
Here's what hiring managers had to say:
"One of the big things for me is [following] up. If I'm on the fence about a candidate but they ....
You don't understand. You updated your résumé, you're applying to jobs every day, you've cleaned up your digital dirt and you network every day. Yet here you still are on the unemployment list. What is wrong with employers?
Unfortunately, many job seekers don't stop to consider that the problem might not be employers but themselves.
It's a hard concept that most job seekers have trouble wrapping their heads around, but applicants frequently (and inadvertently) display signs that tell an employer that they're not the best fit for the job.
According to a 2009 CareerBuilder survey, 47 percent of employers said that finding qualified applicants is their biggest hiring challenge. When asked to id....
"I was fully qualified and it makes no sense."
"They simply don't know how to hire."
"They told me that I was overqualified."
Randy Block, a seasoned career transition coach and consultant in the Bay Area, hears these comments often.Â
If you're an "older" job hunter, more than likely you already know that the ultracompetitive job search process in today's economy is especially hard on you. Part of the challenge you're facing is a major generation gap between baby boomer job hunters and the Gen X hiring managers of today. As Block noted, "30-somethings don't want to hire their parents. Unfortunately, that's how we ....
One common complaint among job seekers is that they go on interview after interview and never receive a job offer. If you fit into this category, consider the possibility that you might be unknowingly sabotaging yourself by offering a weak interview performance.
Below are typical interview scenarios, common job-seeker mistakes and the best way to manage each situation.
Scenario No. 1: The interviewer came out swinging, asking tough but appropriate questions regarding a professional hiccup: your employment gap and job-hopping image. The question either left you stuttering with an incoherent message or sounding defensiv....
The importance of references seems to be a hot topic these days. Employers want to make sure they are hiring the right person for the job; but some thwart the process because checking references can be  labor-intensive. On the other hand, job seekers provide references they know will give a glowing report, but employers are getting smarter and finding references you didn't provide.
So, what's the deal? Do references matter? Do employers even check them anymore? What's the protocol for providing them to a potential employer? Who are the best people to include as references? And, if an employer doesn't call any of your references, is it a bad sign?
While the definitive answer to any of these questions ....
Often, when job seekers come across job ads that interest them, they immediately submit their résumés and cover letters to the employers. Then they wait, wondering if their submission will develop into an interview opportunity or if it will slip into a black hole and never resurface again.
Unfortunately, this process is one of the least effective ways to achieve momentum in the job search, says Richard Deems, Ph.D., co-author of "Make Job Loss Work for You."
Instead, he encourages individuals to work through his five-step Deems JobGetting SkillsTM System to ensure their job hunting progresses into job getting.
"This system takes an entirely different approach from what....
Tennis and business have a lot more in common than you may think. In 1982, a tennis professional coined the term "unforced error" to describe what happens when one player who is in position to return the ball makes an error by hitting the ball out of the field of play -- or missing the ball altogether. That same kind of error happens all of the time in the business world.
Research shows that even the smartest managers can make the worst career errors. Once again, the same is true in tennis. Even the best players in the world make unforced errors in every match. In professional t....
A young woman named Lisa was frustrated because she couldn't get a job in public relations. She had just graduated and found the market flooded with people looking for work in her industry. She tried applying for internships, but came up short. She was losing hope and considering a different field. She was giving up on her dream before she even got started. When she asked for advice, I told her: Offer a "try-before-you-buy" option to potential employers.
Fact: Employers love an offer they can't refuse
If there is one thing a young professional (actually....
When you apply for a job, you know exactly what you're looking for. You want a company you love, great co-workers, a decent salary, a culture where you fit in and, most importantly, you want to love what you'll be doing.
But do you ever consider what the employer is looking for in its employees? These days, competition is steep among job seekers; it's important to know what employers want in an employee before going into an interview so candidates can sell how they would be an asset to the company.
"If the candidate doesn't know what the employer is looking for, [he or she] can't properly communicate why they are the most qualified candidate for the position," says Steven Rothberg, founder of Co....
Last June, the city of Bozeman, Mont., became notorious when it implemented a policy that required anyone applying to a city job to hand over logins and passwords for any social networking sites they used. We're not just talking about Facebook and MySpace, either. They wanted access to chat rooms and forums frequented by applicants. After people made a fuss about the invasive policy, Bozeman officials backed down and decided to adjust their application requirements.
That type of interview requirement doesn't seem to have caught on with other employers. Then again, Victory Christian School in North Augusta, S.C., recently announced it wants its students to hand over the same information if they might be act....
