Posts tagged with “advice”

As this recession drags on and the months and (gulp) years go by the phrase "job loss" is becoming more of a plural reference than a one-time occurrence for many. It's getting to the point where more than a few people have had time to get laid off, spend a few months on unemployment hunting for a job, find something new and think they've survived, only to lose that new job as well and start the whole process again. And every time the cycle repeats it gets harder because of the risk that an employer might think it was you, not necessarily the economy, that was the problem.

So how to fight back?

• Provide a solid, thorough explanation. Like with many potentially damaging pieces of information on a resume being honest and clear about what happened can be your best defense. Don't let them assume the worst about you.
• Be positive, not bitter or defeatist. It's hard to lose a job, let alone two or three of them, but if you want a new employer to hire you you're going to have to get over it. They'll pick up on your negativity and hopelessness and why would they want that on their payroll?
• Consider getting a career coach who specializes in your field. They can help give you an edge to counteract your multiple-job-loss disadvantage.
• Utilize LinkedIn and Twitter. The online world is becoming a popular tool for recruiting, networking, and sharing expertise. Consider putting your LinkedIn and Twitter links below the email address on your resume (consider carefully, though, it might not be appropriate in all situations).
• Remember that all luck changes. Things will get better, perserverance is key!

Question:

"What is the source of the research that 70% of jobs are hidden, not advertised? I read it all of the time but there is never any source of this research."

Answer:

This information comes from the Us Department of Labor. However, it is a bit misleading because it actually refers to the fact that major companies not advertising their jobs themselves. The statistic reads 75% to 85% of jobs are not advertised in the newspaper or posted on Web job boards.

The reason this is misleading is because the majority of large and mid-size companies use staffing agencies to recruit for them rather than incorporating a huge HR cost into their budgets. These staffing agencies will place the jobs on the job boards and advertise and in the end the client company is actually paying for these costs. They pay for them by way of a permanent placement fee or a mark up on a consultants hourly pay. In the end they are not directly advertising, so it does not count towards this statistic.

Staffing companies will utilize this statistic to get you to work with them, and I do suggest working with them because we have a direct connection to the client companies usually. However, do not let this statistic dominate your view or approach to your job search.

Also, According to a department of labor statistics; 48% of jobs are found through friends, business contacts and relatives: 24% by direct company contact; 13% by combination of both; 5% job ads; 4% by search firms; 6% through unions, college and private placement firms.

What they are really stressing here is that your job search should not entirely be based on job boards and should be focused on building your network. For clarification I have linked to some sites below that back up what I have mentioned. The main point they are trying to let you know here is that networking is key to your employment search... The last link below really focuses on how you should spend your time on your job search as it relates to advertised and non-advertised position.

http://www.dol.gov/odep/archives/media/speeches/vital.htm
http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/tap/tap3_4.pdf
http://www.doleta.gov/Seniors/other_docs/jobSearch.pdf

It's common to be nervous before attending an interview. I mean heck... sweaty palms, fumbling over words, lack of eye contact... it happens all the time. I see many signs of interview nervousness and tend to blow it off to just that. However, there are some instances where the manager just couldn't ignore the red flags. A survey of top personnel executives of 100 major American corporations turned up these stories of unusual behavior by job applicants. Here are some of the best of the collection of interview mishaps...

" A balding candidate abruptly excused himself. Returned to office a few minutes later, wearing a hairpiece."

"Stated that, if he were hired, he would demonstrate his loyalty by having the corporate logo tattooed on his forearm."

"A telephone call came in for the job applicant. It was from his wife. His side of the conversation went like this: "Which company? When do I start? What's the salary?" I said, "I assume you're not interested in conducting the interview any further." He promptly responded, "I am as long as you'll pay me more. "I didn't hire him, but later found out there was no other job offer. It was a scam to get a higher offer."

"... asked who the lovely babe was, pointing to the picture on my desk. When I said it was my wife, he asked if she was home now and wanted my phone number. I called security."

Q. What five or six adjectives best describe you?
A. Really, really, really, really, really cool.

Q. How do you handle change?
A. I usually put it in a jar in my sock drawer.

Q. Are you willing to take a drug test as part of your employment?
A. Sure. What kind of drugs do I get to test?

Have you ever seen something you could not believe in an interview? Maybe asked a very random question during an interview... comment and let us know your story.

During your job search you are bound to get a call about or discover jobs that are contract positions. Whether 3, 6, or 12 months long it seems that these positions are only temporary fixes to your major problem: finding stable employment in an unstable economy. Maybe you know a little about contract work or maybe you know nothing at all; either way, we're here to describe the nuances of contract work and why it can sometimes lead to something better than you would have imagined.

One of the reasons we created Emurse was to help people get over the intimidation of creating resumes. How do you sum up your professional life on a single piece of paper? The thought of it can be frightening, if not even nauseating.

It should not be that way and we would like to help. Here are a handful of really simple, straightforward guidelines you can use to help improve your Emurse resume. :-D