JobSeekerHelp.org's Blog

“I wonder what America would tell this person to do?”

2010-03-21T09:42:00.000-04:00

Today, I read an article posted at www.careerealism.com with a very similar story and emails that i receive almost daily!, . I had posted my advise and comment on the same blog, and before i share it with you , i wanted to hear from you and job seeker experts what would they do or say to such job seekers.

“I wonder what America would tell this person to do?”

So America, here’s your chance!
Please read the e-mail below. I haven’t included a name or location to ensure the person can remain anonymous, but I assure all of you, this is a real e-mail, not a single word has been changed. AND, I am going to take the best responses and include them in our nationally syndicated advice column.
Write your response to this person in the comment section below. I look forward to reading your advice and perspectives!
Here it is…
I have been unemployed for 17 months now. All I hear is that so many are in my boat, yet no one we know understands. We aren’t seeing the others in our boat because everyone in our families and circles are still working and enjoying the good life. I am at rope’s end. There are no finances to return to school and at this point in my life, almost 50, I don’t really want to. I just want a job in my field (bookkeeping) that pays a decent wage we can live on and have insurance benefits. I apply for 3 jobs every week to get unemployment but we want to get on with life. We feel stifled and alone and with so little resources left there isn’t much we can do but sit home. It is very depressing….Moving is not an option, so when will this end? I don’t have a really great record….I have had MANY (18 jobs) in the past 25 years….about 8 I have been fired from. I also have alot of debt, my health isn’t perfect anymore and I have some things on my background check (not bad but there). How can I get hired and succeed again???????

Rob

Run away of Your Comfort Zone in the Job Search

2010-03-07T15:56:00.000-05:00

Everyone these days knows what a comfort zone is?
some define it as "the place, environment and tasks that we
have learned to do and feel comfortable with--a comfort zone".

Lots of people feel devastated and trapped when they have lost a job as their comfort zone no
longer exists.
In other words, the time,place, co-workers, friends, tasks which have been
performed on the job don't exist any more.
It's an uncomfortable place to be in. There is no sense of direction.

if this probably a new experience, people fear many things, and that's what magnifies their fear for reasons such as:

Fear of the unknown
Fear of failure
Fear of what others might think
Fear of making a bad career change choice

However, if we as workers realize that a comfort zone can disappear at any time,
it is important to get out of our comfort zone while working.
It does not take lots of money to be adventurous in looking at what other people do.

Here are some tips to help you overcome your fears and to help you move to the next stage in your career and life.
Assess the Risk and Break It Down

What would you gain from taking it?
What’s frightening about it?
What’s the worst thing that could happen if it turned out badly?
If the worst happened, what would you do?
What could you do to minimize this?

Fear Is a Normal Part of the Reinvention Process:
Understand that fear is normal and acceptable as you go through this process. You are not alone, as most career changers feel afraid at some point in the process. But, recognize when your fear turns to self-doubt, inactivity, and paralysis.

Examine Your Fears:
What exactly are you afraid of in the reinvention process? Have a good look at this, and decide if your fear is realistic or irrational.
Remember that most of the things you fear won’t actually happen.

Does Failure Have to Be Negative?
Many clients get blocked in “fear” during the reinvention process because they are afraid of failure or rejection. I help these clients understand and reframe failure.
Failing at something, or not having a new career work out, doesn’t need to be a bad thing. Instead, a potential failure can be an opportunity to gather more information about what you like or don’t like so you can learn from it and make better decisions in the future.
Think of failure simply as feedback on what you need to improve. Listen to the advice failure gives you, and you will improve. And success will come.

Live in the Present:
Keep yourself in present time. Don’t let your thoughts and emotions run away to the future or the past. Being in the present means not dwelling and obsessing on what has gone wrong and what could go wrong. This runaway thinking will only heighten your fear to the point that you might feel unable to do anything. Instead, make your plans, and move forward one baby step at a time.

Bottom Line:
Considering a career reinvention can be an anxious time for anyone. My advice is to understand your fears, address them, and take your career reinvention one step at a time. Life is a learning experience, and so, too, is a career reinvention. Addressing your fears, learning about yourself, and believing in yourself and your career dreams can be a positive and life-changing experience.

Rob
http://www.jobseekerhelp.org

5 Daily Goals For Your Job Search

2009-12-10T13:24:00.003-05:00

Most of the individuals I speak to who are looking for a new job have been searching for at least two months. When I ask them what techniques, tactics, resources, and professional help they have been using, there is usually a long pause.

Most executives consider a job search campaign to be the act of sitting at a computer for over 4 hours a day filling out online applications. Some executives will include a resume distribution service or some form of resume writing assistance and believe that they are on their way to the job of their dreams and are doing everything they need too.

This is not a job search campaign. This is also what the majority of job seekers are doing with no success. It is baffling that people continue to expect better results than others even though they are doing the exact same things. There is currently an estimated 1 job for every 6 job seekers, and with that kind of competition you have to do what others are not to set yourself apart. Let me say it again, “You have to do what others are not.”

“So what do I do then?”, is the question that always follows.

Listen to the experts and network. Below you will find a list of five actions I recommend you set as goals to accomplish every day. I have included 2 resources that will assist you in making this happen. This is the foundation of a quality job search campaign. These are also actions that will set you apart from the crowd because very few professionals who are looking for a job are accomplishing these goals. You will be amazed at how many more interviews you are scheduling, the people you will meet, and how much better you will feel about your chances of securing employment fast.

1. Use at least one free job seeker resource per day. There are literally thousands available online. I am amazed at the number of people that pay over $1,000 for help with their job search when there are 10 free resources, that accomplish the same goals, for every 1 high priced service.

2. Email your resume directly to at least 1 hiring manager per day. There is an estimated 100 to over 500 applicants for every online job posting. Many companies do not post their job opening anymore because they don’t want to get inundated with resumes. For this and many other reasons it is imperative to email your resume directly to hiring managers. Otherwise, you get lost in the shuffle, you will never know about unpublished jobs, and you will be relying on luck to get hired. I say this because you will be lucky if a hiring manager picks your resume to review out of the 100’s of applicants.

3. Call at least 1 hiring manager per day, introduce yourself, ask about current opportunities within their firm, request them to review your resume, and ask them to keep you in mind for future opportunities. If they say, “I am not the person you should be talking too”, ask them who is, and then give that person a call. This is the essence of networking. Speaking from experience I always remembered the professionals who directly called me and when an opportunity arose down the road this small group of people that contacted me where the first candidates I considered for the job.

4. Call at least one career counselor or recruiter per day and ask about opportunities, network for future opportunities, ask for advice, and extract any other information possible that will help your job search. Recruiters love to talk to qualified candidates, and you will be amazed at the knowledge you can attain from an initial, free, phone call to a career counselor. These are the people that have devoted their career to talent search and acquisition. This is all we do all day every day, and it is foolish to not utilize this knowledge and information.

5. Read at least 1 blog post a day written by a quality career counselor or recruiter and try to implement the advice given in the article.

Resources – These 2 resources will get you started and are able to accomplish all 5 goals stated above.

Executive Search Online – This is a free service, and you will be contacted by a career counselor within 72 hours. For more information on this resource follow the link below.

http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/executive-search.html

Never Fill Out an Online Application Again – This is a resource that will allow you to find hiring managers, find their email address, and find their phone number. You will be able to email your resume directly to them and then call to secure an interview or to accomplish any of the networking actions described above.

http://worknetwork.weebly.com/

In conclusion, keep your head up. If you have been searching for a new opportunity with no success you have something in common with over 15 million people in the US alone. The key is to set yourself apart by doing what others are not. If you do you will be amazed at how dramatically every aspect of your job search campaign improves.

You Could Never Need To Fill Out An Online Application Again

2009-11-18T13:54:00.009-05:00

Searching for a job can be stressful, scary, and frustrating. It is only made worse by the tedious work of filling out countless, time consuming, online applications.

How many times have you spent over 30 minutes to fill out an application for a positions you were perfect for and never received a response. Many online applications take an hour to fill out and then just go to a general mailbox.

If you rely on filing out as many applications as possible to get a job it will either never happen, or it will take so long you will probably give up before it does.

This process will allow you to email your resume directly to the hiring manager or executive that can get you an interview, and then call them to secure that interview in less than 5 minutes.

Never fill out an online application again.

You can get hired in less than half the time.

You will be able to network directly with executives
who will get you interviews which will get you a job.

Your network will inform you of upcoming, possibly unpublished
job openings and think of you when a new position becomes open.

Hiring managers will remember you because you directly contacted them.

You can reconnect with lost colleges who can notify you of potential
opportunities at their firms, as well as, get your resume to the necessary people.

You will not just be another application in an in-box.
You will be able to schedule many more interviews.

- You will stay much more involved and optimistic in your job search
because you will be actively networking instead of just
filling out endless, mind numbing, online applications.

Process Overview

1. Find a Job
2. Find a Hiring Manager
3. Find Their Contact Information
4. Email Your Resume and Call To Ask For an Interview

Step 1 - Find a Job

To Get Started we recommend that you find a specific position you are interested in. You can email and call any company you would like to work for, but you may want to be sure they are hiring.

We recommend using
Executive Search Online,
a FREE resource. (more info)

Step 2 - Find a Hiring Manager

After you have found a position you are interested in you will need to find the name of a professional, within that company, who can get you an interview.

If you have not already you will need to sign up for an account with Linkedin.
It is free and will be a valuable tool in your job search.

Go to the Advanced People Search section by clicking on the icon below.

In the “Company” section type the name of the company that has posted a position you are interested in.

Step 3 - Find an Executive's Contact Information

By utilizing the search box below, or our Job Networking Campaign page, you will be able to find an executives email address and phone number in seconds.

You will be able to send your resume, cover letter, and any additional documentation of success that no online application ever could. You can have your resume in front of a hiring manager in 5 minutes instead of taking an hour to fill out an application that ends up in a general mailbox.

You will be able to directly call the company to request an interview, network for other opportunities, network for future opportunities, build professional relationships, and much more.

You can search for as many people as you would like to build your network and contact any company that has posted a job you are interested in.

You will get full profile reports of social and professional networks which will allow you to network effectively on many different mediums.

Example of Social / Professional
Network Profile Reports

a
a

Unlimited Searches
for 1 Year, for a one time fee of $29.95

100% Satisfaction Guarantee

If you cannot find the information you're looking for, emailfinder.com's expert staff will assist you in locating the information - free of charge.

If you're not completely satisfied, let them know within 60 days and they will grant you a refund.

Step 4 - Start Your Job Networking Campaign

proceed to the
Job Networking Campaign
page

Or, you can try out the Executive Contact Information Generator below.

For optimal results please provide the state the executive resides in. You can easily find this information on their profile when working on step 2.

Find An Employer's Email Address and Phone Number

First Name:

Last Name:

State:

Why Am I Not Getting Interviews?

2009-11-16T14:26:00.004-05:00

One reason could be that your competition's resume is better,
but there is far to much FREE resume help
to let this stand in your way of a job.

You could be the most qualified candidate in the world, but if your resume does not effectively market your qualifications, achievements, and abilities you will not get an interview and never get the job.

We have written extensively on networking to obtain information on unpublished jobs and to get your credentials in front of the right people (more on networking). It is equally as important to have a quality resume that will have hiring managers asking you for interviews.

Your resume is your first impression, and as they say, first impressions are everything. Many people do not truly understand the power of a quality resume. Many people have simply taken a general template from one of the 1000's of online sites that offer them, stuck their information in it, and then emailed it to general mailboxes posted alongside a job opening.

This will not work, or will take so long to work a person would probably give up before it does. In today's economy there has been a huge influx of applications to every job posting. Hiring managers and recruiters can only view a certain number of resumes and if yours is not one of them because it does not catch their attention you will not get an interview. To get your credentials in front of hiring managers you have to network (more on networking), but after you have connected with them you need a perfectly formatted resume.

It is imperative to be able to send a resume that reflects a professionals talents, abilities, and accomplishments as effectively as possible to provide every chance of acquiring an offer for employment. The job market is so tight that the last thing a person wants is to not obtain employment because they did not effectively communicate the aforementioned qualities.

For this reason it is imperative your resume be in the top 5% to 10% of marketability, structure, and form. The problem is that there are few people who are expert resume writers and it is not very palatable to be spending money to get a job. There are, however, many free and low cost services that will provide assistance in improving your resume.

Remember, to give yourself the best chance possible of acquiring an employment offer, you have got to first get yourself noticed by the right person and show them you are right for the job.

Resource Links

Complete Resume Assistance / Resume Marketability Report (Free Trial - No Credit Card)
Free Career Evaluation / Resume Portfolio
Free Resume Critique

Additional Advice

I always remind people that a job search campaign, to be successful, has got to focus on accomplishing multiple objectives. One of the most important is having a great resume.

You must also be able to get that resume in front of and noticed by the hiring manager, be able to locate the opportunities that are a fit for you, and you must do this efficiently.

Use Google Alerts To Find A Job Faster

2009-11-05T20:59:00.002-05:00

By utilizing Google Alerts you can now be notified about jobs as soon as they are posted instead of searching on hundreds of different websites all hours of the day.

The faster you know about an opportunity and start working towards contacting the operations or hiring manager through the utilization of your network, the better chance you have of getting an interview and getting the job.

By utilizing the networking and direct contact methods we have discussed in previous postings in conjunction with Google Alerts you will be implementing yet another strategy to get a competitive advantage in your job search.

Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results based on your choice of specified search criteria. This is the perfect resource to generate the up to the minute job leads you are looking for to organize and focus your networking and direct contact operations in an effort to secure the opportunity you have been looking for.

Let’s say for example I am looking for a position in the electrical engineering field. I would go to http://www.google.com/alerts and enter a search criteria similar to this ("engineer" AND "electrical" AND "louisville" AND "job"). You will then be able too select what type of sites you would like to search, how often you would like an email update, and what email address you would like
it delivered too.

This resource will allow you to be notified of all posted jobs, you will be notified of them immediately, you won’t have to search hundreds of sites looking for them, and much more.

Remember, the job you are looking for is out there. The deciding factor in your success of obtaining the job is how you look for it. The better and smarter you execute your job search the less time it will take and the happier you will be.

How To Stay Positive In Your Job Search and Make The Most Out Of Your Unemployment.

2009-11-02T13:19:00.002-05:00

When you find yourself faced with unemployment it is a difficult thing to deal with. The uncertainty and concern for your financial future is enough by itself to put you in the state of mind that will make it impossible to do anything to make your situation better.

Many unemployed people limit themselves to just filling out countless applications online until they find a job. This can become tedious and frustrating in a matter of days. When a person becomes frustrated it becomes harder and harder to find a job for many reasons including the fact that potential employers can sense this frustration and despair.

Below you will find 5 actions you can take that will help you find a job faster and help your mental state of mind while finding this job.

Start participating in non-profit or volunteer organizations and, if you can not find a paying position, do some volunteer work.

This will help many aspects of your job search. You will not have large gaps of work experience on your resume. Your efforts will keep you moving and the work will keep your skills, like communication, sharp. You will feel a sense of reward from helping others and, while I don’t endorse feeling better about your situation because of others hardships, it is impossible to not realize that your situation could be much worse.

Many of the professionals I have worked with start doing volunteer work for the reasons stated above and this work leads to a full time position.

If you are not already, get involved in trade organizations within your industry of expertise. There are many opportunities you can discover with your involvement. This is also a key aspect to the networking approach of finding a job.

As we have discussed in past article networking is the singularly fastest way to landing a new job. Within these trade organizations you will find people that could have an opportunity for you, but if they don’t they could know someone who will.

Trade organizations themselves also have many jobs they need filled. Consider looking to work for one of them. If all else fails you can always state on your resume that you are a member of these organizations. It is a great way to build your resume and credentials for use with potential employers.

Resource

Executive Search Online is a free resource with 2,000 links to trade organizations.

ESO goes a step further by labeling which trade organizations have current job openings.

click here

Join online unemployment support groups

I know this may sound strange to some people, but it is not like you are going to be crying in the arms of your computer.

These groups help people by letting them share their experiences with others. They allow them to bounce ideas off other professionals regarding what has worked, what has not, new employment strategies, quality resources used to find a job, networking opportunities that can help you find a job, and much more.

Think about starting your own business. This does not have to be an all or nothing venture. While you are looking for a new job think about a small business that you could start yourself and start working on it. Make a plan for splitting your time. For every 2 hours you work on your job search, take an 1 hour to work on your business.

This will benefit you by giving you a release from the daily job search grind. Starting a business can be anything from reselling merchandise on Ebay to using your engineering background and instead of designing widgets for your old employer, design them for your customers.

Keep Learning – This does not mean “Go Back To College”, although for some it can be a good idea.

What I mean is learn a new skill you can put on your resume, or take an online class that will earn you a certification that you can put on your resume. These are just 2 ideas, but there are many things you can be doing to increase your marketability to prospective employers while keeping yourself sharp and motivated at the same time through a continuation of your education.

If this does not sound appealing think about educating others. Many local high schools and grade schools need substitute teachers. To qualify in most districts all you need is around 40 college credit hours. You can use your education to teach others while keeping yourself sharp, giving back to the community, and bringing in a little extra money.

Stay Positive

As a country many of us find ourselves in a position that we never thought we would or never wanted to be in again, but here we are.

As hard as it is to not let it get you down, you must. If you do not potential employers will sense it on you and it will make it that much harder to get a job. It is a vicious cycle because the more frustrated you get in your job search, the harder it makes to get a job, which makes you even more frustrated.

However, as we have discussed there are many things you can be doing to combat this pitfall. Just keep your head up, keep moving forward, take it one day at a time, and do as much as you can each day to reach your goal of finding the opportunity you are looking for.

Written By: Rob Gelhausen
Career Counselor

New Top 10 List -- Employment Assistance Websites

2009-11-01T13:10:00.000-05:00

JobSeekerHelp.org has generated this new list of employment assistance websites based on the feedback and recommendations of professionals who have utilized them in their job search with success.

8 out of 10 websites on our list are FREE for job seekers and the other 2 are extremely low cost.

If you have not had success with other employment resources or you feel as though your search is becoming stagnant we suggest you take a few minutes to read the reviews and benefits of our top 10 list.

The competition for employment is tougher than ever. If other professionals are using better resources than you to gain employment they have the advantage.

We have created this list to give as many professionals as possible exposure to the employment websites that have helped other job seekers find the opportunity they were looking for.

http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/top-10-employment-websites.html

Looking For A Job? Use This Free Resource! Executive Search Online

2009-10-31T14:05:00.003-04:00

After you submit your credentials by clicking on the direct link above you will be contacted by an Employment Assistance Professional within 72 hours.

This is a free service for executives seeking a new opportunity.

Executive Search Online has been recommended
by hundreds of job seekers who have utilized this website and
landed the opportunity they were seeking.

After submitting your credentials you will gain free access to:

- Employment Assistance Consultation

- Over 100,000 Open Positions

- 3,500 Employment Related Newspapers

- 2,000 Trade Magazines

- Top 5 Job Banks

- Premier Job Banks

- 391 Industry Job Banks

- 354 International Job Banks

- Pertinent Employment Information -- Job Seeker Advice

- ... and much more.

Executive Search Online will give you the best chance possible of being found by Employers and Recruiters because these employment authorities use this website due to its amazing technology that matches their open positions with the qualifications of the candidates who have submitted their credentials.

Executive Search Online is a leading nationwide service for executives who wish to be considered at small employers, growth firms and Fortune 1000 companies.

Specific Industries of Assistance Include:

Accounting
Advertising / Public Relations
Aerospace / Defense
Banking

Consumer Products
Education
Engineering
Finance / Financial Services
General Management / Top Management
Health Care
Human Resources
IT
Management Consulting
Manufacturing - all operations
Nonprofit
Retail
Real Estate
Restaurant / Food Service
Sales / Marketing
Service Industries
Transportation / Logistics

To get started simply click on the link below.

Job Search - Are You Looking For Help or Are You Looking To Help?

2009-10-30T12:41:00.004-04:00

Do you ever question yourself about your motives for seeking employment? Do you want more than to just "get a job?" Are you presenting yourself as someone who can help? Or do you simply present yourself as someone who needs help?

What does your resume say? Does your resume cry out as someone in need of help? Or does it cry out as someone who wants to help? If you cannot answer a resounding "YES" to the latter question; you have a problem! You must present in your resume and interviews as someone who wants to help and who can help. If you cannot do that then you truly are of no help and therefore why should the prospective employer hire you? What is in it for them?

Show Recruiters and Hiring Managers How You Can Help

Here are ways that you can present yourself as someone who can help. Here are words that, when properly used and demonstrated, show your ability to help:

Your resume cannot simply include these words; there must be short vignettes that demonstrate where you used these qualities to benefit an organization. Your resume must tell a story of accomplishment and success and ideally it should be a story of increasing accomplishment and success.

Your Resume Must Tell Your Story

The story your resume tells should leave the reader asking for more information. You cannot tell the entire story or the reader will feel that more is not needed. They will leave the resume believing they have learned all that they need to know; obviously not the result you want. Remember that facts (which you see in most resumes) tell, but stories sell. Stories have the added advantage of demonstrating what you have done and allow the reader to project that to what you can do for them.

A problem or situation solver
Creative
Passionate
Tenacious
Competitive
A visionary
A leader
A team builder

Can Your Reader See How You Will Add to the Organization?

If your reader is able to project what you can do and it matches what the organization needs done; you have accomplished your goal and an interview should be forthcoming. If the reader projects what you can do and there is no match; then neither of you will waste any more time.

If what the reader projects is not consistent with what you can do; then there is a disconnect with your story and hopefully you will be able to ascertain this. That will be a difficult task but if you have the necessary networking connections within the organization you may be able to get the information you desire and need so you can make the necessary changes.

John F. Kennedy put it best when he said "It is not what your Country can do for you; it is what can you do for your Country." For a job seeker I want to paraphrase President Kennedy a bit: it is not what your prospective company can do for you; it is what can you do for your prospective company.

Happy job hunting and let me know what I can do for you!

This Article Was Written By: Tom Staskiewicz

Tom Staskiewicz is a Career, Accountability, and Job Coach.

Visit his website at http://www.smartresumewritingsystem.com to sign up for his free newsletter and "7 Days to a More Effective Job Search" for doing that you will receive access to download his "7 Tips Series of Articles.

"I have been unemployed, under employed, and out of work for extended periods with NO benefits, NO unemployment, and a large family. I have survived and you can to. Let me introduce you to the proper job search attitude." - Tom Staskiewicz

E-mail him at tom@smartresumewritingsystem.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Staskiewicz

Get Reimbursed For Your Job Search

2009-10-23T14:04:00.000-04:00

If you are one of the over 15 million people in the US that has found it necessary for any reason to search for a new job you can and should be reimbursed for the expenses associated with your efforts.

A properly executed job search can become costly.

Even if you have not spent money on an employment agency or employment services you still have had to spend money on things like driving to multiple interviews.

By claiming the available deductions on your taxes you can be reimbursed in excess of $7,500 depending on the amount of money your job search has cost you.

You may say, “Well, tax season is still a few months away. Why should I worry about this now?” The answer is, if you don’t know what you can be reimbursed for, and you don’t keep records your expenditures you can’t claim the deductions and be compensated.

You may also want to consider using verified, quality employment services if it will get you a job faster and you can be reimbursed for a large portion of the expenses anyway.

Here is a list of costs associated with searching for a new position that you can be compensated for.

1. Executive Placement and Employment Agency fees

2. Travel costs to and from a job interview

-         gas
-         oil changes
-         depreciation of your vehicle

3. Cost attributed to attending network meetings, association meetings or any other efforts that benefit your job search

-    These costs are primarily travel expenses, but you can also include things like the cost of business cards that you distribute at the meetings

4. 50% of related meals and entertainment

5. Any costs associated with the preparation, printing and distribution of your resume

6. Internet expenses

-    Total cost of internet service / % of use to find a new job

7. Phone bills for all calls related to finding a job

8. Certain relocation and moving cost

Remember that you need to document all cost incurred that are associated to your job search. Documentation should include receipts of purchase and a written log. There is no reason that you should bare the burden of all the costs associated with finding a new job.

Even if you use all free resources to find a new opportunity there are still many costs like gas and business cards that can add up very quickly and you should be reimbursed for these expenses.

For more information on how to get your job search in high gear click on the link to the left.

an aging actor oh so furious

Use Your Linkedin Profile To Get A Job

2009-10-19T17:03:00.011-04:00

Linkedin has now exceeded 50 million users. These users include companies and hiring managers from across the globe and they are all just a click away.

Many online applications take an hour to fill out and then just go to a general mailbox. It makes no sense to waste countless hours doing this when you can send a message to the hiring manager or company of your choice, with your profile, in a fraction of the time.

Your Linkedin profile is your resume. This profile is much more comprehensive and you can include many additional features that no resume could ever provide. Here is how to use your Linkedin profile to land the job you are looking for much faster than using the traditional “apply to everything” model.

First

Add the applications of your choice available in the profile section of Linkedin.

These applications will add valuable content and visual aids that a simple resume lacks.

These applications include box.net, slideshare.net, and blog link.

Companies will see the work you have done throughout your career, as well as, the work you are capable of doing for them.

Box.net

Use this application to upload many different file types. Box.net will also allow your work to be found across the internet bringing many additional visitors to your profile, all of which are potential employers.

Slide Share

Use this application to upload presentations. Slide Share has the same benefits as Box.net but allows for more interactive expressions of your abilities.

Blog Link

If you contribute to a blog, which everyone should if they do not already, you can use this application to present featured entries. This gives employers crucial information about your professional capabilities including an insight into your knowledge of the industry.

These are the three applications that we suggest everyone utilize to get the most out of their profile. There are additional applications available, but these three are a good start.

Second

Find a job you are interested in, contact the "Decision Maker" within the company, and show them that you are the person for the job with your Linkedin profile.

Process

Register

Find a Job

Go to the jobs section and perform a search for the type of position you are interested in.

Find An Employer

After you have selected an opportunity take the name of the company and go to the “People” section of Linkedin.

In the “Title” section I suggest using the word “HR”, but you can specify any title you would like.

In the “Company” section enter the company name of the position you have located.

You can also enter a geographical location if you wish.

Then click search.

Contact The Employer

A list of professionals will be returned. Select the most relevant person that you feel will be able to either get you an interview or will be able to pass your profile to the “Decision Maker” that will be able to get you an interview.

Send a Message

If you share a group with this person you can select the option
“Add ______ To Your Network”

Select the group you share as the way you know this person. If you do not share a group with this person you can always look at their profile and join a group that they are a member of.

Message

When you send a message to this person simply state that you are interested in the specific position you saw posted online. Ask them to look at your profile and state a few highlights that would benefit their company or why you are qualified for the job. Bring attention to the applications section of your profile and the fact that it exemplifies the work you are capable of. Let them know that you would be happy to send your full resume and are available to interview.

Saving Time

This process takes about 5 to 10 minutes when you get comfortable with it. It will save you hours, days, and even weeks of time ensuring you land the position you are looking for much faster than simply filling out countless online applications. You will also be sending your qualifications strait to someone who can get you the job, rather than a general mailbox where you will get lost in the shuffle of applicants.

Additional Advice

Use Key Words In Your Profile

Your Linkedin profile is indexed by the major search engines like Google. This means that if a recruiter or HR executive is performing a search on Google or in the “People” section of Linkedin your profile has the potential of being one of the results. The more relevant keywords you use, as well as, the density of these keywords you use in your profile, the better chance you have of being at the top of their search results.

This is a great way to have companies and recruiters find you rather than you having to find them. It is estimated that between 50% to 60% of available jobs are not published. It is also estimated that 1 online job posting can get anywhere from 100 to 500 responses from applicants. Many companies would rather have their HR department search for the perfect candidate instead of spending the money to post a job, taking the time to sift through 100’s of resumes, and still running the risk of not finding the candidate they are looking for.

Keyword Tool
(click Here)

5 Things You Must Do In Your Job Search

2009-10-18T12:32:00.001-04:00

5 Things You Must Do In Your Job Search

The current economic climate has shown us that the days of filling out a few applications and landing the perfect job are over. There is currently 1 job for every 6 people looking for work. To find the opportunity you are looking for you must search smarter than others and you must do what others are not. Here are five techniques and resources you should consider.

1. Make sure that your resume is as good as it possibly can be by getting free help.

Hiring managers and recruiters are inundated with an unbelievable amount of resumes on a daily basis. It is estimated that each job posting gets between 100 to 500 applications from job seekers. If your resume does not stand out from the crowd you have no chance of being considered for the job. With companies offering free help to optimize resumes and job search campaigns it is amazing that all professionals do not take advantage.

Free Resume Critique

http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/free-resume-help.html

2. Make sure that you are using at least 5 to 10 different resources that have been proven to work for other job seekers.

With the advent of employment assistance websites it has made it easier than ever for companies to publish their available positions. However, with the ever increasing number of these websites it is very easy to miss an opportunity because you are not using the site that the company with the perfect opportunity for you is.

It is also very easy to get spread to thin by trying to use any and all websites online. Using 5 to 10 employment websites will not be to time consuming and will not spread you to thin. The key is to use the resources that have been proven to work for other job seekers and to spend about 10 to 15 minutes on each per day.

Top 10 Employment Website

http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/top-10-employment-websites.html

3. Listen To The Experts

Recruiters, Staffing Professionals, and Hiring Managers are the best resources for your job search. These are individuals who devote their entire professional careers to the search and acquisition market. All day every day they deal with this industry and are the best resource for knowledge on how to find the opportunity you are looking for.

Free Job Seeker Help Blog

http://freejobseekerhelp.blogspot.com/

4. Network, Network, Network

It is estimated that 50% to 60% of available jobs are not published. This is why it is imperative to utilize social networking sites. You may not know the decision makers working for the major companies in which you are seeking a job, but you can connect to and then receive or exchange vital communications from or with them in a matter of hours. I suggest the big three. -- Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook

JobSeekerHelp.org Community

http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/join-our-community.html

5. Consider Freelance / Contract Work

Improving Your Chances of Landing Any Job by Avoiding 5 Common Mistakes

2009-10-16T11:01:00.003-04:00

As the grey clouds of the recession continue to loom over our heads, those of us in such circumstances as to be seeking employment are undoubtedly feeling first hand the effects of a job market which has - putting it rather mildly - seen much brighter days.

On an almost daily basis, recruitment analysts release revised statistics highlighting the ever intensifying level of competition between huge numbers of job applicants who are chasing the same few vacancies. As if so much as securing an interview was not tough enough in the first place, it isn't hard to see why many consider themselves to be facing impossibly stacked odds in the current climate, and are perhaps on the verge of giving up.

To make matters worse, all the cliched advice you've heard passed around over the years simply does not appear to work when put into practice. That tip about over exaggerating your interest in whatever field each advertised vacancy happens to be in doesn't seem to garner the interest of a potential employer. The university degree which you worked so hard and got into debt for does not appear to be giving you as much of an edge as you had hoped. The boasting of your pursuance of all kinds of wonderfully eccentric hobbies in your spare time doesn't seem to impress anyone. Is there any hope left?

Yes - absolutely! You simply need to realize that the majority of advice handed out to job-seekers is either outdated or didn't really apply in the first place. Here are five common mistakes job-seekers make in their applications. If you avoid these, you will immediately and infinitely increase your chances of landing whatever job(s) you apply for, or at least of being granted an interview.

Addressing the recipient of your job application as Sir or Madam.

This may seem the right and respectful thing to do, but the reality is that it's a wasted opportunity. First of all, if you were already provided with the name of the person to whom your application should be addressed, you've already emitted a glimmer of ignorance by refusing to comply. If a name wasn't provided, then you should use your initiative and find it out. If the company has a website, go on-line and find the name of the hiring manager. If not, call the company up and ask for the name of the hiring manager. You may feel like you're being a nuisance, but if you put your own fears aside, what you've actually done is illustrate that you have effective communications skills, common sense, and can use your initiative. These are all highly impressive and useful traits.

Sending off a generic, mass-produced application letter.

Although this is similar to the last point, it is still very important. Beyond simply tailoring the name on each application for each intended recipient, it is important to include as many references as possible to that company and whatever products and services they offer. Refer to them, their products and their services by name. Mention any awards they have won or achievements they have earned which they are likely to be proud of. Show that you've done your research; that you're genuinely interested in their company, not just any company. You don't want them to think that you're simply and thoughtlessly sending off a mass-produced job application letter, as the majority of other applicants will be.

Being too afraid to talk about money and profit.

Think about it - the top priority and bottom line of most companies is profit. The more profit they can make the better. Profit is all they're really interested in. If it wasn't for the existence of profit (or potential for profit), that company wouldn't even exist. For that reason and that reason alone, your potential boss will care very little about anything else you have to tell them, if it doesn't somehow translate into more profit for them. They aren't really interested in how many degrees you possess, unless your possession of those degrees enables you to earn more profit for them. They don't care about the fact that you were the most highly regarded player in the high school soccer team. They won't care if you single-handedly saved the planet from impending doom, causing the entire global population to worship you, unless you can somehow leverage that achievement, experience and exposure to make them more profit. Basically, if you can't illustrate how your skills and qualifications will ultimately earn them more profit, they're unlikely to consider you as a worthy addition to the team, and you're unlikely to get an interview.

Not wanting to sound too cocky.

Coming across as arrogant and egotistical in your job application isn't something you should be striving for, but then again, neither is being too soft and polite so as to be perceived as someone who has little real value to offer, and no confidence in their abilities. Again, the top priority is profit, so if you can't come out and say with utmost confidence that their employing of you will translate into a greater and more profitable company, then they're unlikely to be interested. Talk with authority on the subject of the job you are applying for. Let them know that you are the expert in that field; the one to solve their problems; the missing cog from the machine that is their company. Don't be afraid of making them doubt their own knowledge on any given subject. If you can sound more knowledgeable than them, that is a good thing. By the time they're finished reading or listening, there should be no doubt in their mind that failing to employ you would be a majorly poor business decision that will haunt them for a long time to come.

Failure to follow up.

This is probably the most commonly overlooked technique. How often have you been into an electronics store, fully determined not to buy anything the sales person tries to sell, and still walked out with an armful of extra gizmo's and a aching wallet? It's happened to the best of us, and it's no different as far as jobs go. Don't take rejection (or not hearing back) too personally, and don't make the mistake of instantly giving up. Follow through with an email, letter or telephone call, to ask if the company has received your application. Ask for information as to why you haven't yet heard anything, or for feedback as to why you weren't chosen for an interview. Once you know why you were dismissed, keep in regular contact with that company. There is a good chance the same (or a similar) vacancy will open up at the same company in the near future. If you've built up a line of communication with them, you're going to jump right to the front of the queue to fill that new vacancy. Companies are persistent in their sales and marketing tactics; why shouldn't you be in your pursuance of a job with them? After all, what you are doing, in essence, is marketing yourself to them.

A lot of the mistakes people make when applying for jobs stem from the tendency to be too modest and polite in an attempt to charm their way into the company. That may be a nice idea in theory, but in reality it rarely works. A savvy job-seeker will be polite and courteous but ruthless enough to be able to put up their hand and say, "If you don't pick me, you're making a huge mistake". If done right, you will find yourself in a situation most job-seekers could only dream of. Potential employers will begin to feel the need to sell themselves to you, through fear of losing out on the opportunity to make you a part of their team.

Written By: Michael Derbyshire

Michael writes on a variety of topics and has a special interest in trying to educate consumers into making better and more informed purchase decisions. To do this he maintains and writes for various websites about all kinds of topics including electric patio heaters and Lafuma chairs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Derbyshire

Job Market Access Center

2009-10-15T11:36:00.006-04:00

Featured Employment Website

Job Market Access Center – Over 1 million jobs and new career advancement technology unique to their website.

JMAC has many benefits including access to unpublished employment opportunities and embedded software that helps you track your job search campaign.

Benefits Review

- Over 1 Million Published Openings
- Thousands of Unpublished Openings
- New Job Search Technology Solutions
- Advanced Strategies
- Personal Marketability Report
- Personal Marketability Improvement
- Resume Analysis and Optimization
- ... and much more

For more information go to:

www.jobseekerhelp.org/job-market-access.html

Contract / Freelance Work Available

2009-10-15T11:09:00.009-04:00

In today’s economy more and more companies are looking to independent contractors, otherwise known as Freelancers, as a viable source of labor. Jobs that are accomplished by these professionals range from basic accounting to the design and launch of corporate finance operations.

The Corporate Perspective

Companies enjoy this labor model because it saves them large amounts of capital through elimination of expenses like unemployment liabilities, employment taxes, health care costs, and much more.

Problems With Freelance Work

There are countless websites that are a waste of time and list illegitimate positions. Jobs like licking stamps and filling out surveys have put a black eye on the rest of the freelance market and given it a bad name.

The Reason There Is A Need For Freelancers

Dating back to September of 2008 when the entire global financial system almost melted down, companies have been pricing in a business environment worse than that of the great depression. To clarify, they have been preparing their operations for the possible worse case scenario. Now that the Great Depression Part 2 has been taken off the table many companies have realized that they have cut to deep. They have laid off and fired to many people.

Many of the business managers that I have spoke with are still concerned about a double dip recession. They do not want to go all out, hire all the full time professionals they need for their operations, and return to pre-recession employment numbers if the economy is going to take another dip before a full recovery.

This is where the push for freelance professionals comes into play. My advice, if you are considering freelance work, is to take a good hard look at your marketable skills, and then look for quality, legitimate positions in high demand by employers.

Resources:

Contractor / Freelance Marketplace

How to Start a Freelance Career

2009-10-14T19:26:00.002-04:00

Work at Home and Earn an Excellent Income

Imagine being able to work from your own home, doing a job you love, and getting paid handsomely for doing it. Wouldn't that be great.

Well, the good news is that this is not just a fantasy. It is a prospect that is well within your reach. Today, millions of people worldwide have established highly-successful careers as freelance professionals. Writers, designers, programmers and many other home-based consultants have discovered that freelancing offers the perfect combination of freedom, creativity, flexibility and profitability.

So do you need years of experience and fantastic qualifications to join these people? Not at all. You just need a skill that you can offer to potential clients, and the willingness to learn how to run a home-based business.

Of course, the biggest challenge for new freelancers is finding enough work to justify giving up a day job. How can you be sure that you will keep yourself busy with lucrative work? This used to be a concern, but thanks to the advent of the Internet, things are now much easier.

Now there are a number of job sites dedicated to helping freelancers find work and stay busy. Go Freelance, for example, brings you hundreds of fresh freelance jobs like these:

Write for Discussion Boards: $1200 per week, plus bonus -- A writer is needed for an ongoing writing project. You will need to write copy to stimulate others into joining the discussion board. The writer needs to actively encourage regular and meaningful debate on the relevant discussion board, with some moderating of the content. You must have solid writing skills and good ideas.

Administer a Web Business from Home: $4000 per month -- A successful e-commerce venture is seeking a part-time virtual assistant to act as a home-based office manager. You will deal with email correspondence, update site content and deal with general admin issues. You should have your own computer and Internet access.

Transcribe Author's Notes: $80 per hour, flexible working -- A publishing company is seeking a freelance with an eye for detail to transcribe authors' notes and recordings for a range of ongoing projects. You must have a good grasp of English, be able to edit content into readable form, and be able to submit work from home by email.

Contractor / Freelancer Marketplace

Top 10 Employment Assistance Websites

2009-10-13T13:12:00.000-04:00

This is a list of the Top 10 Employment Assistance Websites that help job seekers in their job search.

Within these websites you will find free job leads, jobs, free career / employment resources, free employment advice, free company profiles, social / professional networking opportunities, and much more.

This list was generated by professionals that have found the opportunity they were looking for by using these websites. A person can see 10 positive movie reviews in the newspaper and it would carry as much weight as if their friend said that it was a good movie. It is the same principal with this list. Job Seekers have recommended these websites and reported that they found a job through the utilization of these resources.

This list will help you find a new job faster by eliminating the time you spend using useless websites.

The competition for employment and job opportunities is tougher than ever. It is imperative that professionals use as many resources as possible at their disposal to find the opportunities they are looking for.

Employment resources and services can become very costly. Some companies are now charging as much as $5,000 to personally counsel professionals in their job search. All but two of these resources are free. The two that are not cost under $70.00. Why would someone pay $5,000 for something thy can get for free or under $70.00.

I have worked in the recruiting, staffing, and human resource sectors for over 7 years and these employment websites are by far the best I have seen.

http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/top-10-employment-websites.html

Looking For Work - 3 Tips For Using Twitter to Find a Job

2009-10-10T08:43:00.000-04:00

One of the most powerful methods for finding work is through word of mouth advertising. Word of mouth advertising can be defined as simply passing information between one person and another. Traditionally this has been preformed offline between friends and family, however times have changed. The digital age has given birth to many social networking sites that connect thousands of people from all over the world together making it possible to pass information on to anyone.

Twitter is on of the most powerful platforms for word of mouth advertising in existence today as it has been designed from the ground up for this purpose. millions of people use it daily to share all kinds of information and engage in conversation with people from all over the globe. Learning to make use of Twitter to aid you in finding work will greatly increase your chances of success.

Tip 1 - Be Employable

No one wants to hire someone who could damage their brands image, when using Twitter for finding work ensure you keep these things in mind:

Don't tweet while under the influence of alcohol
Don't use Twitter as an outlet for your anger
Don't use foul language
Be courteous

Always remember everything you post on Twitter will be seen by other people, these people will judge you by what you post.
Tip 2 - Expand Your Network

To make the most of Twitters word of mouth power, you will need to have a large network of friends. To achieve this you will need to follow a mix of individuals and businesses that have an interest in the industry you are trying to obtain work in. You can do this a number of ways, I find the best way to be the most simplest, use Twitters built in search function to search for keywords that are related to your industry, for example if your a fisherman your could search for "commercial fishing" or "fishing charters".

Tip 3 - Engage With Your Network

Engage in conversation with the people in your network and do it often, let them all know that you are interested in working in the same industry. The majority of people love to talk about their work, give them the opportunity to do this and you may discover your "in" to the industry.
Good luck with your job search and remember to remain positive.

Written By: Ty Gatti

Ty Gatti has had many years experience in the job market and because of this he is able to provide insight into interview techniques, interview skills and job search techniques. For more articles of this nature please visit:

http://ozunite.com/landthatjob

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ty_Gatti

For Job-Hunters: How to Find a Contact Name Inside a Target Company

2009-10-09T10:27:00.001-04:00

Career experts always say, "Don't send your resume to the Human Resources department, where it will get lost in the shuffle - send it to an individual person in the company." Well, great - but how do you actually do that? It's not so easy to pin down a name for a person who could actually read your resume or pass it on to the hiring manager. Here are ten tips to get you going.

1) Look on the company website, under About Us. There should be Management Bios section. Either the VP/leader of the function you’re interested in (e.g. Marketing or Engineering) or the VP/leader of HR is a great person to call or write to. Both of those people should be listed on the website (although a lot of the time, the head of HR is not shown in the Management Bios, because HR is often a second-class citizen, function-wise, sad to say). If the company is enormous - say 10,000 employees are more - the very lofty manager whose bio is on the website may be too lofty to do you much good, unless you are interested in an executive position. If that’s true, you need a closer-to-the-action person who will not pitch your resume (hopefully) immediately upon receipt.

2) Use LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com), searching on the target company name, to find people who work there OR who used to work there OR who do business with the company now. Make contact with one of these folks (via a mutual LinkedIn connection) to express your interest in communicating with the correct person at your target company, about a job.

3) Use a WorldWIT email group (like DesertWIT in Nevada or DutchWIT in the Netherlands) to get contacts in a target company. Membership is free - just go to www.worldwit.org and join your local chapter. Men and women are welcome. (Full disclosure: I lead this group.)

4) Use Google to find someone appropriate at the target company. Try a search like Apex+Foods+marketing+director. Try a bunch of different things. You’ll find media profiles, reports of Apex Foods managers speaking at events - a ton of stuff, very likely. It’s actually pretty easy to collect names inside a company. The key is to get the appropriate names, and of course, to contact people who still work for the company.

5) Also use Google’s Blog Search functionality to locate people. Lots of stuff shows up on blogs that wouldn’t make it into typical Google web-search returns.

6) Check out the online archive for the local business paper in the city where the company is located (that is, the location that you’re interested in joining.) Sometimes you have to pay for a subscription to access the archives. If you buy and read the paper frequently anyhow, you might want to go ahead and pay for a subscription, if it will help you get the job you want.

7) Also search the archives at Yahoogroups.com to see any mentions of the company and its key folks, the ones you are seeking contact with, in any of the Yahoogroups discussion lists. Current or recent job postings show up like crazy in Yahoogroups archives, and if they’re current, the person who posted the job opening is almost certainly either the hiring manager (or connected to the hiring manager) or the assigned HR person. The only exception arises when a random (unconnected) employee of your target company posts a current job opening on a Yahoogroup that he or she belongs to, just to be helpful. That’s okay - if you contact this person about your career interest, he or she will understand why you did so (as long as they remember posting that job on Yahoogroups)!

8) Go to the website of the most relevant/logical association for the person you seek (in other words, the association that he or she would most logically be a member of), and search the site of the local chapter. Here’s an example. If you want to reach the PR manager at Apex Foods, and you’re located in Tallahassee, visit the PRSA website, Tallahassee chapter, and look for anyone who’s a member who works at Apex Foods. Most likely it will be someone in PR at Apex!

9) Back on the company’s own website, review what they say (if anything) about Community Involvement and local causes. There won’t be tons of detail on the company’s page - just, most likely, a link to the site of the charitable organization they support. Then go to the website of that charitable organization, and nose around for information (name and title) of representatives from your target company. For instance, if your target company is a big supporter of a kids’ toy drive, someone from the company will very likely show up on the toy drive group’s website. Then you can contact that person by phone (I doubt that you’ll find an email address) to ask for help in locating the person most closely related to the kind of career opportunity you seek.

10) Lastly, go to your alma mater’s alumni website, and search the database for a current employee or alum of the company you re targeting. Contact this person, letting him or her know your connection (you went to school at the same place and you both have made contact information available to fellow alums - otherwise, your message would be spam) and ask for his or her help in locating an appropriate person to talk with about your job search, at your schoolmate’s employer.

With these tips in hand, you should be able to vault right over the HR department and get your resume to a live human being. Here's to your next interview!

Written By: Liz Ryan

Liz Ryan is a workplace expert, former Fortune 500 HR leader and founder of the online network WorldWIT (http://www.worldwit.org). She writes and speaks about the workplace and corporate life. Liz lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Liz_Ryan

Job Interviews - Good Research is the Key to Success

2009-10-08T11:50:00.001-04:00

By James Westt

It should be obvious that doing good research is a basic first step when preparing for a job interview. No one would want to go for an interview with absolutely no knowledge of the organization they are seeking a job with.

The fact is that you need a lot of information in order to create an effective plan of attack for any job interview. A fleeting glance at the latest annual report and a quick look at the company website is not enough by far.

When coaching people for job interviews, I have come across success stories where the interviewer was thoroughly impressed because the candidate had some small, insignificant bit of information that showed he or she had done research well beyond the basics.

If you think about it, what is likely to impress the interviewer more -- your knowledge of some fine point in their balance sheet or your knowledge of where the interviewer went to college? Obviously, the latter is likely to have far more impact than the former. This is of course, not to say that knowing the details of their balance sheet has no value.

Fundamentally, there are six areas where you need to gather information on before you walk into a job interview. These areas include but go beyond the obvious things like what the company manufactures, whether they are expanding or contracting, their size and so on.

Here are the six broad areas to dig into.

#1. Start off with information about the company or organization.

#2. Information about the industry or industries they operate in. This includes current trends, likely future developments in the industry and more.

#3. The profession or occupation itself. For instance, an accountant will want to know about the nature of the accounting profession, current developments within the profession, etc.

#4. The kind of job on offer. The responsibilities involved, deliverables expected from whoever occupies the position and so on.

#5. Information about who is interviewing you. General biographical data, their past and current responsibilities, etc.

#6. Information about the economy, current events and other developments of general interest.

Every contender for the job will know basic information about the company and you can't stand out from your competitors if that is all you know.

Not everyone, however, would have taken the time and trouble to dig into all six areas listed above. If you can get relevant information on each of these areas, that will differentiate you from all the others who want the same job.

One thing to keep in mind is that today, there is more information available about companies, industries and jobs than ever before. So at least some of your competitors may have much of the information mentioned above. That makes it all the more important for you to dig deep, get a real understanding of those areas and put together an effective plan to project yourself as the best person for the job.

James Westt is an author who has published many articles and essays online and off. He is an expert career coach but on also writes on other topics. You can check out some of his newest articles on what is asthma and about the hand held nebulizer for asthma patients at the previous links.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Westt

Enhance Your Job Skills to Increase Your Marketability

2009-10-07T22:28:00.000-04:00

The world is extremely fast paced today, and there is very little job security in most occupations. You need to constantly upgrade your job skills so that you can sell yourself as an invaluable asset to the company. But how do you do that?

Keep Learning

As they say, there is no limit to what you can learn and no age at when you can start learning. Whatever industry you are affiliated with is bound to be in a state of flux, what with new developments, skills and knowledge that keep surfacing.

You need to find ways and means to add to your skill set by keeping in touch with the latest advancements connected to your job.

Make it a point to attend seminars and workshops regularly. If possible, enroll for night classes or distant learning programs to further your educational qualifications.
Expand the purview of your job responsibilities and try to take on different kinds of tasks. This will go a long way in improving your job skills.

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Usually most employees tend to mark out a comfort zone for themselves and restrict themselves within it.

They like to sink back into their cushions, happy that everything around them is familiar. Shake yourself out of this complacence and be willing to take on risks that are essential for your career advancement.

Most of us are afraid to try anything beyond our limitations for the simple reason that we are afraid to fail. But, don't be. Failure brings with it valuable experience and knowledge. So, if you are scared of going out into the field and meeting clients face to face, step up some day and do it.

If you shy away from presentations, grab the bull by the horns and volunteer for the next one that's going to happen. Overcome your inhibitions, and you'll find new avenues opening up for you.

Value Feedback

Honest feedback, whether positive or negative is like the additives you add to plants to make them grow better. Feedback is an excellent way to realize what your strengths and weaknesses are.

Do not be under the impression that good feedback is your best friend. More often than not, it's more important to find out what you can do to make something better. That's how you are going to upgrade your job skills and become more adept at doing the task at hand. If you are serious about your career have a look at our Career Goal Setting page.

Written By: Victor Ghebre

Victor Ghebre is the editor of Settinggoals101.com where you get practical tips and information on goal setting, motivation, leadership and more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Victor_Ghebre

Welcome To JobSeekerHelp.org

2009-10-06T23:37:00.003-04:00

Free Resources To Help Job Seekers In Their Job Search

www.JobSeekerHelp.org is a new company, career resource, and employment website that has been launched to assist job seekers in their job search by providing job leads, free resources and advice.

The job boards have been designed using specific Boolean search strings which yield more relevant, legitimate jobs.

The resources have been suggested by professionals who have experienced success through their utilization, researched by career councilors, and approved for recommendation.

The advice provided is a compilation of articles, research, and suggestions made by those who have achieved success in their job search and those who have helped them do it.

JobSeekerHelp.org asks for no registration, no money, and is not trying to sell anything. The only focus of this site is to provide advice to job seekers.

There are thousands of employment sites, resources, services, career assistance companies, and job boards available to professionals seeking a new opportunity. This search can be time consuming and frustrating, especially if you use the trial by error method.

JobSeekerHelp.org was launched to solve this problem.

90% of the employment resources and 100% of the job search advice that you will find is FREE. The only services listed that are not free are done so because a free alternative has not yet been found, but stay tuned.

For more information go to:

www.JobSeekerHelp.org

We have designed a new job board.

2009-10-06T23:30:00.003-04:00

We have designed a new job board that brings job postings from virtually all major employment sites online.

There are thousands of employment sites, resources, services, career assistance companies, and job boards available to professionals seeking a new opportunity. Looking for a new job can be time consuming and frustrating, especially if you use the trial by error method.

JobSeekerHelp.org was launched to solve this problem.

90% of the employment resources and 100% of the job search advice that you will find within our website is FREE.

Please click on the link below to view our new job board.

http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/jobs-leads.html

Free Resume Critique

2009-10-06T23:28:00.001-04:00

If you do not have a resume that sets you apart from everyone else you won’t even get to the proverbial gate, let alone, get through it.

Hot Resumes is a company that specializes in providing resources to job seekers, and top tier, qualified professionals. Their website is specifically geared towards attracting hiring managers and recruiters. This makes Hot Resumes a great way to connect with these employers and recruiters that have immediate needs.

Here is the link to a free resume critique.

http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/free-resume-help.html

100k+ Jobs

2009-10-06T23:22:00.001-04:00

For those executives seeking a 100k+ opportunity I am suggesting a free resource called 6 Figure Jobs which has proven to be successful for the executives I have worked with.

Many resources that offer 6 figure opportunities can become costly. 6 figure jobs is a free resource that offers many opportunities for professionals qualified for executive level opportunities.

For more information click on the link below.

http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/100k-jobs.html

100% Free Resources For Job Seekers

2009-10-06T14:08:00.000-04:00

http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/free-resources.html

This collection of career assistance companies is based on our research and job seekers confirmation of success when utilized.

The polling we have done is posted next to the description of the company in addition to a full synopsis of the FREE services provided. For a direct link just click company logo of the resource that interests you.

A recent study showed that there is now 1 job for every 6 job seekers. I say this not to discourage professionals, but to emphasize the point that job seekers must utilize as many different resources as possible.

We created this website with that fact in mind. 90% of all resources on our site are free for job seekers.

We are adding new career assistance organizations and advice every day.

Our goal is to help connect talented professionals with the opportunities they are looking for.

I hope our website will be of assistance to all those who choose to use it.

http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/free-resources.html

Using Job RSS Feeds in Google Reader

2009-09-17T13:31:00.001-04:00

Free Job Seeker Tip – Using Job RSS Feeds in Google Reader will allow you to have all jobs in one place, save time, delineate the jobs you have applied for, and much more.

Video: How To, Click on the icon to the left.

Searching for a new job can be time consuming, frustrating, and stressful to say the least. When performing an online job search it is necessary to maximize the return on the time you spend.

One tip that we are suggesting is using RSS feeds in Google Reader. You will have all open positions in one place, updated daily.

Other Benefits

You will know in an instant what jobs you have already applied for because they will be marked as “Read”.
You will have all open jobs within your search criteria in one place.
You can add as many Feeds from as many job boards as you would like.
You can easily share jobs with others.
You will save you hours of time.
… and much more.

We have provided a link to an instructional video that shows the best and quickest way to implement this free resource.

http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/job-feed.html

10 STEPS TO WIN IN JOB SEARCH

2009-07-22T09:56:00.000-04:00

by Wendy S. Enelow, CPRW, JCTC, CCMPresident – Career Masters Institute

http://www.thegladiator.info/articles/enelow-10steps.phtml

1. Job Search is sales. You have a commodity to sell – YOURSELF. Be sure to package and present it as professionally as you would any other product you were selling. Remember, you’ve got lots of competition, so be sure to highlight your product’s outstanding features, benefits and performance.

2. Job Search has a defined process. There is a beginning (assessment and planning), a middle (implementation, job search and interviewing) and an end (negotiations and final offer). It is a natural progression through which every job seeker must pass. Each stage is essential to success.

3. Know “who” you are. Any effective job search begins with a clear analysis of “who” you are – your most distinguishing qualifications and characteristics. What do you enjoy? What do you dislike? From what activities have you achieved the most satisfaction? Develop a clear picture of the “professional you” as a baseline to guide your career planning and job search.

4. Define your objectives and determine “how” you want to be perceived. Your resume must communicate an immediate message of who you are. This may be different than Item #3 above. This “who you are” relates to how you want to be perceived, and links directly to your current objectives. For example, if you’re a customer service representative seeking a sales position, you’ll highlight your skills in customer relationship management, product presentation, negotiations and the like. However, if you’re that same customer service representative interested in a management career, you’ll highlight your skills in training, team building, personnel supervision, budgeting and related management functions.

5. Write a performance-based resume. Success sells. It’s that simple. The most powerful and effective resumes are those that highlight success, results and achievements. They don’t over-inflate them; they are clearly and succinctly highlighted.

6. Never underestimate the value of your cover letter. Here are the stats: 33% of all recipients NEVER read cover letters; 33% of all recipients glance at the cover letter after they’ve read the resume; and the remaining 33% ALWAYS read the cover letter first. Your letter must immediately communicate your value to an organization for you never know which 33% will receive it.

7. Key words are essential. Although you do not want your resume to be a “laundry list” of key words, you do want to be sure that you have integrated them within the text of both your resume and your cover letter. Many companies and recruiters utilize information technology tools to review incoming resumes. If your resume does not contain the “right” language and key words, you’ll never get past the gatekeeper.

8. Job Search is multi-channel marketing. For any product to sell, it must be merchandised through the appropriate marketing channels. In job search, those channels include targeted direct mail and email campaigns, Internet resume and job postings, job lead reports, networking, advertisements and more. How you design your individualized marketing strategy depends entirely on your career objectives (e.g., type of position, type of company, size of company, geographic preference).

9. Leverage the Internet to your advantage. There are two ways you can use the Internet in your job search. Option 1 is to search for job postings, an extremely viable strategy for many job seekers (especially those in the technology industries). For other professionals, and for most senior-level executives, searching the Internet for jobs is not a good use of your time. The other option is to post your resume on the Internet for review by companies and recruiters. THIS is a great strategy for everyone!

10. Interview to win. The interview is the final stage in the sales process. You’re there to present the product, negotiate the deal and close the sale. It’s that simple yet, as we all know, very competitive and complex. It is critical to research as much about the company, its products, services and operations as you can. This allows you to focus your answers on their critical issues. Know that you’ve already passed the first test (the phone screening or initial resume review) and approach each interview with confidence and strength.

For more free resources please click here.

http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/free-resources.html

Biographies: The New Resume for Social Media

2009-07-21T12:42:00.000-04:00

How does your biography differ from your resume?

Your biography tells people who you are. In other words, it is character and values driven. It informs people about featured highlights from your vast experience without digging up ancient history. It is audience driven and motivates them to want to know more about you from their perspective. Because it is highly focused, it keeps people on track with your offering. It is the perfect communications tool for electronic media and social networks.

A well-crafted biography is far more interesting to read than almost any resume we have ever muddled through. And, unlike the traditional resume that exclusively signals that you are looking for work, the biography has many more applications. Free agents use bios; people who enjoy meaningful professional relationships use bios; biographies are almost always the most significant attachment to sales proposals and, of course, speakers use bios as introductory tools.
Some basic rules for designing your biography include:

- Write with the targeted audience in mind - you are not writing to yourself!

- 3 to 4 well-crafted paragraphs are more than sufficient for most biographies.

- Avoid cookie-cutter words and phrases and try to write using words the reader can see in their mind's eye.

- Be prepared for a great deal of re-writing but don't edit your own work.

- Remember that different audiences (readers or listeners) require different biographies.
Want to know more about biographies? The Internet is your source.

For more insight from Carleen MacKay, visit her website at http://www.agelessinamerica.com/.

For more free resources go to: http://www.jobseekerhelp.org/free-resources.html

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Welcome To JobSeekerHelp.org

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Free Resume Critique

100k+ Jobs

100% Free Resources For Job Seekers

Using Job RSS Feeds in Google Reader

10 STEPS TO WIN IN JOB SEARCH

Biographies: The New Resume for Social Media

Example of Social / Professional
Network Profile Reports

a
a

One reason could be that your competition's resume is better,
but there is far to much FREE resume help
to let this stand in your way of a job.

Keyword Tool
(click Here)