Your Job Search

Creative visualization is a technique that can impact job seekers and help them succeed in decision-making, interviewing and other important steps on the career path. Whether you are undecided about a career or stepping closer to victory, these techniques can make your journey an easier and less stressful process. Write Down What You Want Have you ever heard people talk about the power of the written word? Or heard people say that the pen is mightier than the sword? Some people believe that writing down what we want out of life can figuratively send a message to the universe so that those things come to us. The same pattern works when you are searching for a job. If you haven't yet decided what career suits you, making a list of scenarios in your life where you have felt positive and rewarded might help you stumble on the secret to your passion. And if you have already decided on a career path, write down the qualities and virtues that you might offer that particular profession. … [Read more...] about Seeing Is Believing (Visualization as a Job Search Strategy)

The days of packing a manila envelope with your printed cover letter and resume are largely extinct. With the rise of online technology, snail mail job applications have given way to the speeder option of sending email applications. While the same application materials are typically required for online applications, a few of the standards have changed. Check out these tips for drafting the perfect online cover letter and nab that in-demand job opening. Be Concise Most online users have the attention span of monkeys on crack and this holds true for employers who are tasked with reviewing countless online applications. If you hope to effectively grab the attention of a potential employer with your online cover letter, be concise. Check out these best cover letter examples. Create a concise cover email by providing only the most pertinent of your qualifications in as few words as possible. Bullet points, brief paragraphs and links are great options for crafting a concise cover … [Read more...] about How to Draft the Perfect Online Cover Letter

The holiday season is in full swing. With holiday parties to attend and gifts to buy, does that mean you should take a break from your job search? Not necessarily. In actuality, the end of the year is a great time to ramp up your efforts. Hoping to land a new job before the New Year? Employ some of these holiday job search tips: Send Out Personal Season’s Greetings Messages To Reconnect If you’re like me, you haven’t stayed well-connected with your extended network -- yet these folks are the ones most likely to land you that next job. So, get back in touch and reconnect. How? With Seasons Greetings notes. Send each an email or seasonal card. Wish them happy holidays. Update them on your life and your job search. Ask to catch up for coffee. And get results so fast they surprise you. -- Alan Carniol, Interview Success Formula Focus Your Job Search During The Holidays By Setting Goals It’s easy to lose control of your search during the holidays. Stay on track by creating job search … [Read more...] about 8 Tips For Your Holiday Job Search

With all of the time and energy job seekers put into crafting the perfect resume, it’s unfortunate to learn that hiring managers, human resource managers, and recruiters will decide your fate within 6 seconds of viewing your resume. In today’s competitive job market, a single job posting can elicit hundreds of resumes. Without doing anything crazy, how can job seekers increase their resume’s chances of landing in the interview pile and not the trash? Here are four easy ways to get your resume viewed: 1.Customize your resume to each job that you’re applying for. Many job seekers put far too much focus on quantity rather than quality during their hunt for a job. This is usually made evident to potential employers by the lack of customization in a candidate’s resume. While it takes a significantly larger amount of time and energy to tailor each resume you send out, this method has proven to be most productive. Directly matching your qualifications, skills, and previous experiences to … [Read more...] about 4 Ways To Get Your Resume Viewed

Employers are receiving mountains of resumes for every job opening. So, even if you’re qualified for the job, you might never receive a call back from the employer. When traditional methods fail, job seekers must look at alternative methods of standing out in order to land an interview. What is one great way for job seekers to stand out during the application process? Use the Power of Video Resumes to Get Noticed With high unemployment there are more job seekers on the prowl for great opportunities. How can you stand out from the pack? Sending an employer a video resume is a great way to set yourself apart. On video you can forge a more personal connection with hiring managers faster than in the traditional process, while also showing off your communication skills. Besides, since recruiters only give the traditional resume a six second look-over and the normal video resume is about 60 seconds, you’re getting ten times more attention. -- Josh Tolan, Spark Hire Stop Reciting What You … [Read more...] about 9 Great Ways For Job Seekers to Stand Out During the Application Process

When looking for a new job online, there are a few important steps you should consider before applying. Doing even a small amount of research can be hugely beneficial in terms of helping you make up your mind about whether or not a particular job role is suitable for you. Simple things like the financial health of a company, as well as more detailed information about the nature of the business, are available online and while company websites can be a good place to start, there are other options for you to consider during this initial research stage. A company website may be clear and easy to navigate, but more often than not you’ll find yourself wading through pages and pages of information that simply isn’t relevant to the position you’re applying for. Concentrate on the sections that deal with careers and employment information. These may be incorporated into a bespoke job search system and application process guidelines, or they may simply point you in the direction of their HR … [Read more...] about The Online Job Search – What You Need to Know

Whenever you start a new job, you probably don't go in thinking about moving on, right? You want to do a good job, you want to impress your manager and you want to succeed. Yet sooner or later you'll start to get itchy feet and want to move on - it happens to all of us. As such, it's always good to be prepared - because believe it or not, unless you're approaching the end of your working life, that day is coming. However you go about it, changing your job takes time, careful preparation and a bit of luck too! Here's a few top tips from Octopus HR on how you can get the ball rolling if you want to make the leap. 1 - Your resume So, your old resume got you the job you're in now? Congratulations! Now throw it out. "Whatttt?" You cry. "Why?!" Because it's the old you. In order to make a fresh start you need a fresh resume. 2 - What do you want to do now? So you want to change your job, right? Well once you've thrown out your old resume, take the time to research your market. Research the … [Read more...] about How to Change Your Job – 10 Top Tips

In the search for the ideal job doing what they love, many people are willing to compromise on hours, pay and other factors. However, have you ever thought about being flexible about where you work? The truth is that by restricting your job search to your home town, you are seriously limiting yourself. What are the chances that you will find the best job in your field in your city and that you will be chosen for this position over all of the other graduates from the local university or college? You can expand your possibilities by opening up your criteria to include jobs in other countries around the world. Once you do so, you could discover your dream job doing what you love is waiting for you somewhere else in the world. You also might find that jobs in your industry pay better or offer more benefits in another country. For example, most countries in Europe offer more weeks of holiday time than the USA or Canada and mining or manufacturing jobs in the Outback of Australia can pay … [Read more...] about Be Flexible With Location to Find Your Ideal Job

Close to 4 million jobs have come open so far in 2012 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics--a number that sounds impressive until you realize there are currently more than 12 million unemployed people in the U.S. With only enough positions available for one out of every three job seekers, it’s crucial to take the best advantage of every opportunity. It doesn’t matter if you have a master's degree or won Employee of the Month ten times in a row at your old job; if you’re looking for employment it’s time to sharpen your competitive edge. The Résumé Hiring managers today typically have more résumés to peruse than they do jobs to offer. If yours doesn’t impress within a few seconds it will likely end up in the round file without ever being fully read. Tailoring your résumé to specifically fit each application is one of the best ways to make sure you make it past this first essential stage of cuts. Experts at Career Builder suggest building a master résumé of sorts-–one that lists … [Read more...] about Sharpen Your Pre-Interview Job-Search Skills