Monday, February 28, 2011

How Can Your Passion Land You a Job?

Stories matter.

I lead something of a double life: on the one hand, I work for the business consultancy Academy28, researching and developing tools and services focused on individual and corporate development. In my other job, I’m a university teacher, writer, and researcher. In other words, I spend some of my time dealing with the theoretical side of personal development (the self-motivation tips, the presentation techniques, the job preparation) and the rest of my time ‘at the coalface’: I put it all into practice, focusing on the personal educational development of university students — not in the blogosphere, or in a hypothetical situation, but in the real world.

As a real-life teacher and ‘facilitator’, then, I spend much of the day immersed in my specialist field—the study of literature. This is why I believe that stories matter: I do a lot of writing, thinking, and teaching about the importance of human stories.

So when I came across the following article in the course of my work for Academy28, it was relevant to both sides of my working life:
“How storytelling spurs success.’
And this got me thinking.

The reason the piece on storytelling got me interested in the subject – interested enough to write this article – was that it engaged with something I was really passionate about: teaching literature, and letting other people know about the relevance of the multiple narratives that structure our existence.
Well, so what? Not everyone cares about books — how is this relevant to other people? Why should it matter to you? And what has this got to do with careers?

I realised that in order to grab the attention of a reader – whether it be a passing surfer coming across your blog during a period of down-time at work, or the HR manager of a company scanning through your job application – you need to engage with things you feel passionate about.

When you go into an interview for a job, you want the interviewer to know that what you talk about and the character traits you present are examples of passion, not just polish. Anyone can learn off by heart the tricks of the trade that will get you noticed during an interview — what is much rarer is evidence that the position is one you feel a certain engagement with.

The best opportunities, both in life and in your career development, are those that enable you to harness multiple interests and skills, and to demonstrate your personal investment in the opportunity. If you don’t do this, you’ll be bored; if you’re bored, so are any potential employers: how can you expect someone to be enthused by something that you’re not?

Next time you apply for a job, think about the following aspects of your application:
  • have you foregrounded your interests?
    • make sure what’s important to you isn’t relegated to the very end of your resume
    • and don’t leave it out altogether, because you think it’s ‘not professional enough’
    • you’re a well-rounded person with outside interests, not a corporate automaton — an interviewer wants to see this!



Guest Expert:Sam Knowles is Senior Instructional Designer at the small UK business consultancy Academy28, which specialises in the use of personality analysis and psychometric profiling to tailor personal, team, and corporate development to individuals’ behaviours and needs. Academy28 are looking to extend the reach and usefulness of the products and services they offer — as part of this, Sam is currently working on launching the first in a series of e-books focusing on the interviewing experience. Visit the blog at iminterviewsuccess.blogspot.com for more information, excerpts from the e-book, and regular digests of useful careers-focused information from across the internet.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Job Search Over 55, How to Battle Back

Peter Macnab

Found yourself without a job after many years of service? Statistics continue to indicate that the job market remains tight. Reports of some positive movement on the job front are quickly tempered with specific stories of employers not wanting unemployed applicants or of extremely long job searches encountered by older workers.



Job Eliminations
A shocked economy forced many organizations to reduce their number one cost, payroll. Realizing the largest savings meant laying off those with the heftiest paychecks. Unfortunately in most cases these were the employees with the longest terms of service and older in age. Corporations strapped with large bank commitments and diminishing sales routinely reduced their payroll costs in this manner.

Job Search: Assessment of Qualifications
It is an emotional time after a lay off or position elimination. Frequently missed is the importance of the resources available for displaced workers. Many corporations will offer access to outplacement services. While helpful in assembling the documentation needed for a job search, these services offer little in the way of actual help finding employment. Further, they do not cover some key basics that will really help as you begin a search for a new position. While hiring is slow to recover, there are some tips that may help accelerate landing a replacement position.

Know what you have to offer
Start looking into positions on the many job sites. Find out what employers are asking for as requirements for applying. Experience alone is no longer a guarantee of resume acceptance. Additional requirements now usually require at least a bachelor’s degree. Once you know what the requirements are for application consideration, begin an assessment of your strengths and weaknesses.

1. Credentials: Compare your credentials against the requirements and make your list. If you are lacking in an area of education, training or certifications now is the time to find out. Do you have a required degree? Do you have certification in a certain process? Are you trained in a specific area? Knowledge is power here, if you need additional training to boost your qualifications, it is best to know right away.
2. Resume: refresh your resume as soon as possible. If you have been given access to outplacement services that include resume writing, use it. One note of importance is that a resume needs to be targeted to the position being applied for. If you can, choose several similar occupations and see if you can come away with several targeted “generic” resumes that can be modified as needed.
3. References & Recommendations: Collect as many recommendations as you can from associates, colleagues, business relationships, and friends. These are invaluable to have on file if needed, but are usually forgotten until much later on in the job search process.
4. Network: Catalog your personal and professional network of associates. Everyone you can think of that you have connected with throughout your career and personal associations. A great place to start is your address book and contacts. Fill in the gaps, these contacts are invaluable in ways you have not thought of yet.
Know Where to Go:

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Make Resume Accomplishments Measurable Whenever Possible





To ensure your place on the candidate slate, those accomplish-ments have to demonstrate the value you provided your previous employers in measurable terms. Recruiters say they don’t want to read a general listing of your job responsibilities. They want to see: metrics, quantifiable results, quantitative information, and true accomplishments
“A good résumé will show what you know, what you did and how those things translate into value to the organization,” says Topus. “You have to show the outcome, how you made a difference.”
Metrics are perhaps the most effective way to highlight successes and attract the attention of recruiters. “Metrics is the language of business,” says executive branding expert David Topus. “Anything that’s measurable and has metrics associated with it is high impact.” Among the metrics executives should try to include in their résumés:
  • Increase in revenues
  • Increase in market share
  • Increase in profitability
  • Increase in shareholder value
Job seekers really need to “understand how to quantify and monetize accomplishments in each role. ‘Show us the money,’ ” says one recruiter.
“A résumé today has to be more than a descriptive document. It has to sell you,” says Topus. “A descriptive document doesn’t really create enthusiasm in the reader’s mind. But a document that sells you has a different impact. They’re eager to meet you. They feel lucky to have you in for an interview.”

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Drop old jobs from resume to avoid dating yourself

By Cindy Atoji Keene

As a longtime college housing director, Maureen Wark said, “How do you move 1,300 students in two days into three dorms? It’s not easy, but I got really good at it, and loved the job.’’ But in July 2008, after 12 years working at a large Boston-area university, Wark’s supervisor called her in to her office and told her it was time to move on for her own professional growth.


Wark, who agreed she would leave in June 2009, would have nearly a year to look for a new job. But the timing couldn’t have been worse as the economy plunged into a deep recession.
More than 100 applications later, Wark is still looking for a full-time position while teaching part time at a community college and doing consulting work in higher education administration.
When Wark, 48, of Salem, met with Boston career coach Elizabeth Freedman, she wanted advice on her job search and resume. Although she had a career of more than 20 years in higher education, she felt she was losing touch with the industry.
“When I’m sitting in my pajamas on a Tuesday, it’s hard to reach out and feel like I’m still part of that world,’’ she said.
Freedman’s first piece of advice: create a plan for managing contacts. Freedman suggested taking an e-mail management tool such as Microsoft Outlook, creating an address book of possible job leads, and importing the names into an Excel spreadsheet. Then, she said, Wark should use the spreadsheet to track how and when she followed up with a contact to make sure she followed up every six weeks.
Next, Freedman recommended editing down a three-page resume by removing college graduation dates and deleting jobs she held more than 15 years ago.
“By putting absolutely everything on your resume, you’re running the risk of appearing overqualified,’’ she said. “I think you’re aging yourself on paper.’’

More Advice and Complete Article

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

All-too-common mistakes can sink the best job search techniques

Last week's JobsSunday feature focused on what job candidates could do to re-energize and re-focus their attitude through their job search techniques.
This week the focus is on the opposite -- what job candidates should make sure they avoid as they look for work.
The phrase "shoot yourself in the foot" didn't create itself. Although it didn't originate with job seekers, it might as well have.
Every day, as job candidates look for a job, almost every one of them makes at least one mistake in the process. The worst part is, many of these mistakes are avoidable.
These are some of the most common -- and most critical -- job search mistakes that experts say can be avoided with a little extra thought and up-front consideration.
1) A non-professional email address. Job candidates can use free email hosts such as gmail.com or aol.com to establish a plain but professional email account that is nondescript.
2) A last check on appearance before an interview. Job candidates who get their foot in the door for an interview need to make sure they look the part. Badly wind-blown hair can make a difference.
3) Pay attention to detail. One mistake, mentioned a number of times by hiring managers, is job candidates who use a cover letter template and forget to change the company name. Cover letters and resumes should always be customized.
4) Real networking is work. Real networking builds mutually beneficial relationships. That can be hard to do in a group setting. Job candidates need to make sure they have a few one-on-one meetings each week.
5) A focus on specific jobs and job types. No job candidate is a fit for every job, or good at everything. A job search will be much more effective if the focus is on exactly the kind of work qualified for.

Tips 6 - 10 

Monday, February 21, 2011

When Looking For Work Is Your Job - Tax Advice For Job Searches

Written by NAPSI


Sacramento, California (NAPSI) - Searching for and starting a new job can cause people to spend money when they may be short on funds. A bright spot is that some of those expenses may be tax-deductible. Unemployed And Searching For A New Job
Taxpayers—particularly the unemployed and underemployed-should file tax returns to claim all tax credits and deductions they are entitled to on their tax returns, to ensure they get the largest tax refund they are due.
Remember, all income must be reported to the IRS, regardless of the source. It does not matter if it’s from unemployment compensation (all of which is subject to federal income tax this year), tips, a lawn-mowing business or working as a nanny.
While looking for a new job, keep good financial records because items used exclusively for the job search are tax-deductible if the job is in the same field. Among these expenses are resumé development, professional placement services and unreimbursed mileage, airfare and hotel expenses for interview travel.
Moving For A New Job
If relocating for a new job, unreimbursed moving expenses may be eligible deductions that do not have to be itemized. These are the eligibility requirements:
• Any moving expenses incurred within one year from the first day of work
• The new job would have increased the taxpayer’s commute by more than 50 miles
• If the taxpayer was previously unemployed, the new job must be at least 50 miles from the taxpayer’s old home
• Taxpayers must be employed at least 39 weeks during the first 12 months after the move.
Starting A New Job
Expenses for unreimbursed items necessary for working, such as computers, mobile phones, training that allows workers to keep their current positions, union dues and required uniforms may be eligible tax deductions. To be eligible, these items must be required by the employer and used exclusively for work purposes. Use the H&R Block job deduction guide to learn what expenses are typically claimed for certain occupations.
Eligible job expenses must be claimed as itemized tax deductions and they must total more than 2 percent of adjusted gross income; only the portion of job deductions and other miscellaneous itemized deductions that exceed 2 percent of adjusted gross income may be claimed.



Complete Article

Friday, February 18, 2011

'Are You There God? It's Me, Jobless'

Shira Hirschman Weiss

Last Thursday, the Labor Department released data stating that the number of new unemployment applications is at its lowest since July 2008. While this indicates the economy is picking up speed, the news can either be a beacon of hope or salt rubbed into wounds for the presently unemployed. Faith is in a precarious perch for the religious and jobless. While some become despondent from repeated rejection and thwarted efforts, others cling to faith and turn fervently to prayer.

Deirdre McEachern is a career coach who says she sees clients "whose faith has been enhanced and re-affirmed by the job hunt." One of those clients, Jennifer Bindhammer, was a flight attendant with United in September 2011. "She came to me in early 2002 re-evaluating her life," explains McEachern. "We worked together for several months and in the process she reconnected strongly with her personal faith. Once she deciphered her life purpose, she felt as if God was opening doors for her -- helpful coincidences kept appearing -- like the sign she spotted on a subway platform advertising an MBA program." This literal and figurative 'sign' led the flight attendant to pursue her MBA.

In the process of contemplating the switch to a corporate profession, Bindhammer -- no stranger to the friendly skies -- turned to the heavens. "I enjoyed flying and I enjoyed my job, she writes in a testimonial, "It just wasn't the challenge that I wanted it to be, and realized that I needed to be challenged. When I thought about changing careers, I prayed about it -- I actively prayed."

Bindhammer followed her passion, received her MBA and kept praying. She is now working with an international air transport consultancy that focuses on aviation.

While the former flight attendant's faith was reaffirmed, Fiona (not her real name) reflects on how she sunk into a deep depression when she was laid off from a Public Relations start-up during the late 90s "dot bomb" era. She stopped praying and began spending Friday nights at local bars instead of the synagogue. She could have benefitted from an organization like Project Ezrah, had it been around at the time. The North Jersey based organization was founded in 2001 to aid members of the Jewish community (and now helps Jews and non-Jews alike) who were suffering from the hardships of unemployment.

Rabbi Yossie Stern, Executive Director of Project Ezrah, has seen individuals like Fiona who have been turned off to the synagogue experience, who are angry with God, and who are depressed about their situation to the point of losing faith. His organization has put together programs to help those who feel despondent. Notably, it developed initiatives to professionally retrain unemployed baby boomers.

"When your brother is impoverished, you have to be able to empower him to be self sufficient," he explains, "The highest form of charity is being able to afford someone a job, to help him achieve the same sense of self-esteem and quality of life that you have." His organization provides a wide range of services including a popular job board, career counseling services, financial counseling, mental health counseling, job training, and "in the box and out of the box services. We try to provide it all," Stern says. There is also a LinkedIn group that includes seminars on how to use social networking to find a career and much more. "We empower people to network, which is the best way to find employment."

Fiona eventually found her way back to a public relations career and to the synagogue, but admits that she felt at odds with her faith when things were uncertain: "I didn't feel it was God's fault," she explains, "It was related to a sudden, dark depression, which came about from my unemployment." And which, she admits, also may have been related to the fact that she was in a bad relationship at the time. "When life is unstable, it contributes to the instability of unemployment." Rabbi Stern stresses that it is critical that spouses be encouraging and not place blame due to unemployment. He emphasizes that a support system and building of confidence is essential to one's job hunt.

While Fiona received counseling for her depression, she realized she needed to make significant efforts to find a new job. "The Hebrew word Hishtadlut kept flashing through my head," she says. Hishtadlut means that one must make their own efforts. It relates to the universal concept of "God only helps those who help themselves."

Read the rest of the Huffington Post article

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

How To Avoid the Resume Black Hole

By Alison Doyle

One of the things I hear, over and over again, from job seekers is that it feels like their resume is getting sucked into a black hole when they apply for jobs online.
They take the time to search for jobs, follow the application instructions, and wait - and wait -  and wait.  They don't hear a word back from companies and their applications seems to be lost in a resume black hole.  In some cases, we're talking about hundreds of resumes submitted without a single response from an employer.
What to do to keep your resume out of that black hole and, hopefully, get it reviewed by the hiring manager?  These tips will help get  your resume, as least,  a fighting chance of being considered for a job.
  • Use resume keywords that match the skills listed in the job description, so your application has a shot at making it to the top of the pile.
  • Take the time to write a custom cover letter that specifies why you are a strong candidate for the job.
  • Use job search words to find appropriate jobs to apply to. The better a match, the better your chances are.
  • Apply direct - bypass the job boards and apply directly where companies are hiring.
  • Use SimplyHired to see who you are connected with at a company before you apply.
  • Check LinkedIn for job postings (and check the Groups you belong to, as well) and to find connections at companies.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

5 Ways You Look Out-of-Date in Your Job Search

by Susan P. Joyce


For most of us, a job search, fortunately, is NOT something we do often enough to be really proficient.  So, when the time comes to job search, we must look at what is effective now – not what we did when we last hunted for a job 2, 5, or 15 years ago.

Effective job search methods have changed a great deal since 2007 because recruiting methods have changed dramatically with the widespread use of the Internet and search engines and, particularly in the last 2 years, with the growth of social media.

If job seekers don’t understand how “the new system” works, they can look out-of-date and less desirable as potential employees.  These are the 5 major ways that job seekers can look out of date. 






Whether over 50, under 30, or in the middle, job seekers risk looking out-of-date by:
  1. Being a ”missing person”!
    I know several older job seekers who are proud to be invisible in Google.  You search on their name, and you may find other people (eek!), but you don’t find them.  When I warn them of this lack of visibility, each has said to me, ”I am protecting my privacy.”  But, they are invisible, which makes them “missing people.”  And that is most definitely NOT good!
    Particularly for people looking for positions in marketing or sales, a lack of positive online visibility demonstrates a lack of understanding of current, effective marketing methods.
    A missing person is a “nobody.” In the 21st century, people often assume that only someone who is 100% off-line, who demonstrably does not understand the Internet, is invisible.  And who would want to hire someone who is obviously out of touch?  So, the employers move on in search of people more up-to-date in their understanding of how the business world works today.  Opportunities lost!
  2. Ignoring the power of the Internet to connect with old friends and former colleagues.
    People often hire someone they already know, at least a little, or someone known to someone they know – in other words, someone in their personal network because hiring someone who doesn’t work out is so expensive. The Internet offers many tools for staying connected, and for re-connecting, with people you liked and respected from your past – Google/Bing, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.
    Employer “alumni groups” are wonderful for helping job seekers find former colleagues, coworkers, bosses, etc.  You find them on LinkedIn, in Job-Hunt’s Employer Alumni Networking Directory which lists over 250 groups, and by Googling “[employer name] alumni group.”
  3. Having a poor LinkedIn Profile.
    LinkedIn offers people with jobs - and also job seekers – wonderful opportunities to network.  For someone who is employed, they may be more effective in their jobs as a result of the connections they make, the visibility they have, and the information they learn through LinkedIn. 
    For job seekers, LinkedIn offers an opportunity both to showcase their accomplishments and also to demonstrate their understanding of how business is done now. So, use that showcase – list major accomplishments in the “Summary” section, put a description, not just a job title, in the “Professional Headline” section.  Find more ideas and excellent advice in Job-Hunt’s LinkedIn for Job Search section.
    Recruiters love to search through LinkedIn to find potential employees with the right set of skills and experience, offering job seekers a wonderful opportunity to be found, without the effort of finding and applying for jobs. And, the good news about a good LinkedIn Profile is that it eliminates the “inivisibility” problem. 




Monday, February 14, 2011

Career Transition - It’s All in a Name … or Is It?

By Louise Fletcher


I'm happy to be one of CareerRealism's Twitter career experts. We answer job seeker questions in 140 characters or less, but today's question seemed to call for a more detailed answer. Here it is:

"I am in job search mode, and have decided to take the opportunity to transition into another field. It is a role I have performed in the past but not titled. Advised by professionals/experts in the field, that it is feasible. However, although my targeted resume has gotten to the hiring managers, and even some interviews, I do not get offers because I lack experience. How do I find the right balance? I don't want to give up on this new dream!"
This is a situation many of my clients find themselves in. It's a common misperception to think you have to have held a title in order to have success. Actually, this isn't true. You just have to be smart about how you communicate your skills in your resume. Because a great resume will not only open doors - it will also remove the 'not enough experience' reservations people have about you.

If you are in a similar situation to the one outlined above, I'm going to give you a few of my favorite resume strategies to change perceptions. For the sake of illustration, let's say you have been employed for 10 years as an executive assistant within a small company. During that time, part of your responsibility has been marketing and this is the part of your work that you love. You've now decided to apply for marketing positions but you don't have any related titles on your resume. So what can you do? Here are just 3 ideas:

Find ways to demonstrate expertise and then link to these on your resume

Write an article, blog posting or Squidoo page about marketing. Make it really, really good! Write about something you know inside and out. Then place a link prominently in your resume and cover letter, saying something like "Check out my article on 10 ways to market a small business through social media."


Friday, February 11, 2011

Unemployed last year? How to get the tax breaks you deserve

At the end of 2010, 14.5 million people were unemployed and many more were out of work at one time or another throughout the year. In preparing 2010 tax returns, people who've been unemployed should make sure they are getting every available tax break they deserve and preparing their taxes correctly.

"Being out of work is stressful enough. Not knowing if you're getting all the tax breaks you should, or being concerned you're going to make mistakes that may cost you, just adds to the stress," says Gary Lundberg a tax software professional with CompleteTax. CompleteTax is an online tax software program offering free federal tax preparation for people who were unemployed during 2010.

He offers these tax tips to help people who have been unemployed.

1. Understand what your tax responsibilities are. People who are out of work are still responsible for filing a tax return and paying income taxes. This includes taxes on unemployment benefits or severance benefits they may have received.

Many people incorrectly believe that simply being out of work means they do not have to prepare a tax return or pay taxes, according to a nationwide survey conducted by CompleteTax of more than 1,000 taxpayers.

"Even though you still have to file a tax return, your income is likely lower than in previous years, so there's a good chance you may have a refund coming," says Lundberg.

2. Make sure to get all the tax breaks you deserve. Being out of work may allow people to take advantage of several credits and deductions. For example, certain job-search expenses can be deducted if you're looking for a job in your current profession. These include:

* Travel for job interviews
* Printing and mailing resumes
* Outplacement firm fees

However, the CompleteTax survey found that many taxpayers also incorrectly believe they can deduct haircuts or clothes necessary for job interviews, a home office to use in their job search and classes to learn new skills outside their trade.

Many taxpayers also mistakenly believe that simply being out of work allows them to deduct their health care costs. While in some instances, people who are unemployed can deduct their health care costs, other criteria also must be met.

"You want to make sure you know what you can and can't claim. By using a tax program that includes resources to help you make those decisions, you can be confident you're completing your taxes accurately and getting the maximum tax refund you deserve," says Lundberg.

3. Look for affordable tax prep and file as soon as possible. People using online tax preparation programs can often prepare and file their tax returns for less than $70. People who are out of work may be able to file for considerably less. For example, Lundberg notes, CompleteTax offers free federal tax preparation for people who were unemployed during 2010.

People who were out of work also want to file as early as possible. "If you were unemployed, you'll especially want your refund as soon as possible," says Lundberg. "If you e-file and choose direct deposit, you could have your money in as few as eight days."

For more tips on tax preparation and to read the nationwide survey on unemployment and taxes go to www.CompleteTax.com.

Original News6 Article

Thursday, February 10, 2011

HOW TO: Use Career Branding to Bring Jobs to You

First of all, career branding is not the same as personal branding. Personal branding is everywhere, and people are starting to develop their personal brands with earnest. But what about career branding? What’s the difference between the two? It’s really quite simple. Personal branding is all about you, what you do, and the type of person you are and portray. A career brand is part of your personal brand, focused on highlighting your current and past professional accomplishments.
Finding a job in this market is harder than it ever has been. Gone are the days of merely looking for jobs on boards. Job searching has evolved into a two-way stream of conversations, connections, and ideas with individuals from around the world.
To pass the competition, you must impress employers with your online presence, your résumé, and in person. To do this, you need to present the unique value you bring to the table. Think of it like this: You are the “product,” and your potential employer is the “target audience.” Your message must compel the target audience to purchase the product. A successful career brand does just that.
Here are a few tips to get you started:
Make Your Brand Sizzle
Determine what special “features” you have to offer that your competitors don’t. This could be any and all of your skills, work experience, and even volunteer experience—it’s all valuable. As a leader in your industry, you have a unique blend of qualifications, talents, expertise, and accomplishments to offer a potential employer.
Use the Right Mediums
Showcase these strong points where recruiters and hiring managers can see—LinkedIn, and increasingly Facebook and Twitter, are great networks for this. Engage in discussions with employers—start by asking questions. Your involvement shows initiative and won’t be overlooked.

Read The Complete Career Rocketeer Article


Guest Expert:
Greg Coyle is the co-founder and Director of Product Development at MyWebCareer. For the past year, Greg and his co-founders at MyWebCareer have been working on developing online tools for career professionals that enable you to discover, evaluate, and monitor your professional online brand. You can visit the beta at www.mywebcareer.com and get your free, personalized Career Score.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Why you should use LinkedIn BEFORE graduation

Working in the Career Center at my university, I have found many peers have never heard about LinkedIn, let alone used it. Many students don’t see its value and think waiting until after graduation to join will work.
However, joining LinkedIn before graduation can benefit students during their college and professional careers.
LinkedIn offers an easy way to break the professional networking ice.
Each social networking tool out there — from Facebook to YouTube — has its own unique purpose. For LinkedIn, that purpose is meeting, networking and communicating with other professionals with whom you’ve got something in common. Many students don’t want to feel left out of the social loop by not using Facebook. Similarly, not using LinkedIn means students will be left out of the professional loop.
LinkedIn contains fewer 18 to 24 year olds than other social networking sites.
The average age for the LinkedIn audience is 45. To college students, this might seem intimidating. However, this means joining LinkedIn gives students and younger professionals an edge over their similarly aged peers who have comparable experiences.
LinkedIn makes it easier to find internships or jobs while in school.
One day while browsing LinkedIn I noticed one of my connections (a former professor) knew someone who worked in my field within my somewhat small hometown. I asked my connection to introduce us. One thing led to another and after some conversations, I landed a (paid!) freelance summer gig at a couple of local newspapers. If it weren’t for LinkedIn, I never would have known that common connection existed and, most likely, would never have gotten the job.
LinkedIn helps students build and maintain professional networks efficiently and effectively.
While it’s always good to ask contacts for a business card, if you forget, you can go home and look them up on LinkedIn. I did this at a conference I went to last year. I met some wonderful students but none of us had business cards. Instead, we knew names and connected with each other on LinkedIn after the conference.

Read The Rest Of The Article

Ruth A. Harper, an Integrated Marketing Communications graduate student at St. Bonaventure University, has a LinkedIn profile. She also blogs and tweets.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

LinkedIn Tips for Job Hunters - Basic To Advanced

It’s been called “Facebook for grownups” and “the world’s biggest networking group.”
LinkedIn is both of those — and more.
Used correctly, LinkedIn can be one of the most valuable weapons in your job-search arsenal.
To get the latest and best tips, I interviewed Rob Mendez, an expert on LinkedIn and other social media, who helps job hunters via his CareerNetworkMinistry.com web site.
Here’s what we talked about.
“First, you have to figure out your target audience and your goal with LinkedIn,” advises Mendez. “Use LinkedIn to network with as many people as possible, because it is not about who you know; it is about who other people know.”
He urges job seekers to make connections at companies they want to work for.
“If you can’t find someone to champion you at an employer, you may have a hard time competing.”
Another tip: Know that first impressions count for a lot on LinkedIn.
“If someone searching LinkedIn and you pop up, they quickly see three things: your name, your picture, and your headline,” says Mendez.
Your name, photo, and headline should be compelling enough to cause someone to click through and view your profile. Otherwise, people will move on to someone else.
How can you make these three items stand out effectively?
For a start, your name can repel more people than it attracts, so play it safe there.
“Some people include an e-mail address as part of their name, or numbers or special characters, in the hopes of being different. Yes, they stand out, but in an annoying way. LinkedIn is a professional network, so make sure your name looks professional,” advises Mendez.
What about your photo? Again, the more professional looking, the better.
“It does not have to be taken at a studio. It should a headshot of you dressed up nicely. Not a body shot, not wearing sunglasses, not at the beach,” says Mendez, who recalls one profile picture of a man in a hammock.
“If I am looking to hire someone, do I really want him working for me, based on this picture?”
What about the headline section of your profile? In a nutshell, make the most compelling claim or promise you can about yourself.
“If I search LinkedIn for a realtor, for example, I can find a thousand of them. The results will include headlines like, ‘realtor, realtor, realtor, real estate agent,’ etc. Then, one profile has this headline ‘I’ll sell your house within 30 days guaranteed or I will buy it for cash, even if it is a bad economy.’ That person just got my attention,” says Mendez.

More Tips and Complete Article @ LinkedIn Tips for Job Hunters

Monday, February 7, 2011

Niche Job Boards - The Easiest Way To Find Your Ideal Job!

Niche Job Boards - The Easiest Way To Find Your Ideal Job!

Author: Dave Lashier

Niche job boards, you should definitely be using these in your job search efforts as they can be a great source of unique career opportunities that may not be found on other online career/job search sites.
When seeking new employment just about everyone goes to the Internet and does an online search for jobs that they feel they would be interested in applying for. The internet is by all accounts the best source for available job listings that are advertised anywhere!
Interestingly enough, the vast majority of people visit the most common online job sites not fully realizing that their respective profession may have any online job source that they are not fully aware of. For example, if you are an optical engineer or a cardiac cath lab nurse there is a high probability that there will be job boards that caters to your unique profession.
The average job seeker will automatically visit Monster.com, hotjobs.com and Craigslist to find employment opportunities and usually stop there. This is a big mistake as many employers will seek out specialized trained people utilizing the above mentioned niche job boards.
Let's take accounting as an example. Just to be fun let's say that you are a staff accountant and you are ready to pursue a supervisory type position within the accounting profession. Below are three accounting/financial specific job sites that you would be very wise to visit in your search to locate a new career opportunity:
Accountingjobstoday.com
ihireaccounting.com
Financialjobbank.com
These three job websites are ideal for the upwardly mobile career accountant who seeks to pursue a career opportunity that fits their specific career pathway. Many of the employers who advertise on these specialized job boards pay a fee to these job boards to seek out top talent in an effort to fill critical positions within their respective firms.
Another example, if you are a registered nurse and you seek employment there are a number of niche job boards that cater to your nursing profession. Below are three examples of nursing/healthcare job websites where the best employers advertise for the very best talent.
Allhealthcarejobs.com
Nursingjobs.org
rnjobsfinder.com
As you can see if you are in a specialized profession there is a very high probability there is a job board that caters to your unique profession. While you certainly do not want to put all your eggs into this particular basket concerning your job search you certainly cannot ignore the importance of these online job resources for the independent career professional who is seeking new career opportunities.

100 Speciality Job Boards



Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/career-management-articles/niche-job-boards-the-easiest-way-to-find-your-ideal-job-4175013.html
About the Author

Dave LaShier, of GET EMPLOYED is a seasoned business professional, HR Executive and business owner. Need a job? Not sure what the next step should be? Visit our job search information website and receive free information about methods and strategies to find a new job FAST! Visit: www.GET-EMPLOYED.org

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

5 Smart Ways to Use Twitter in Your Job Search