6 Outdated Job Search Tactics You Should Quit Doing NOW!

6 Outdated Job Search Tactics You Should Quit Doing NOW! If you’re searching for a job these days, you may be experiencing what seems like an uphill battle. The perfect job posts are few and far between, and when they do pop up, you rarely get a response. Your dream companies seem to never be hiring and you’ve followed all the job search rules. It seems as though you’ll never get the job you dreamed of. Luckily, there are still lots of great positions out there. You just need to stop searching the old way and embrace the new way. If you’re looking for a job in today’s market, here are 6 outdated job search tactics you should stop doing now: 1) Apply  during hiring season: For a long time it was assumed that most employers hired in the fall or spring. Those were the times to get your resume out there and land an interview. Nowadays, that couldn’t be farther from the truth a hiring season just doesn’t exist. Employers are thoughtful about the positions they hire for, so it is rare for an entire batch of openings to come out at once. Instead of avoiding holidays, winter blizzards, and summer vacations, make a point to apply during those times. There may actually be fewer candidates to contend with, which could give you a head start. 2) Overlooking a  company because nothing is posted: You’ve dreamed your whole life of working for Google. You have accumulated all of the credentials you need, moved to the right location, and are accruing experience that would give you a leg up. So you commit to checking their career site each and every day to make sure you are one of the first to fill out the application the day it is released. Your patience and determination are commendable, but unfortunately you’ll never get a job this way at least not anymore. Most companies start their job search from within before they ever look out to the rest of the market. If you know there’s a specific company you want to be working for, do you what you can to find a contact from within the company that can help you out. Search your own network first and then scan social media platforms like LinkedIn to find internal recruiters or employees that could point you in the right direction. 3) Applying online: Every morning over a cup of coffee you scan job boards and submit online applications. There seem to be new postings each day, so eventually one will pan out. This thought process seems logical, but unfortunately it doesn’t work that way anymore. The best positions never even make it to the Internet. There are so many applicants these days that recruiters need to filter somehow so many will simply cut out online applicants. More importantly, many companies are on the hunt for talented employees, regardless of their specific skills, so it’s more important to get your face out there and make sure everyone knows you’re open to the next opportunity. Start with your own network of family and friends and work your way outward. 4) Limiting  your resume to paper: Hopefully you’ve spent a lot of time perfecting your resume no grammatical errors, quantifiable impactful bullet points, specific skills that tie to the job posting. But there’s probably one piece of resume-updating advice you haven’t received take it online. You don’t need to necessarily create your own personal webpage, though that would help, but you should include links to any of your work that is visible online. This is especially true for marketing or IT jobs, but can also be incorporated into other sectors. Anything you can do to give your recruiter something visual will help remember, a picture is worth a thousand words. 5) Focusing on  one job only: So you have an expertise in direct mail campaigns and loved working for that magazine publisher? Surely if you keep your eyes peeled, a similar position will pop up. The problem? Direct mail campaigns are becoming a thing of the past and magazine publishers are too. Just as you update your resume, you need to update (and modernize) your target job too. Be open-minded and take a step back to consider your skills. You may find that your direct mail specialty is actually experience reaching niche markets and that the magazine publisher is no different than an online company. 6) Removing  your online presence: We’ve all heard stories of Facebook updates-gone-wrong that led to terminations or rejections. And while it’s important to clean up your online presence, this doesn’t mean that you should remove it completely. Many recruiters will take to social media to check up on candidates, but they aren’t expecting to find nothing they just want to make sure you aren’t an overt lawbreaker that will get their company in trouble or an over-opinionated politico that will offend their clients. Make sure you don’t have anything inappropriate on your social media accounts, but don’t remove everything or you may actually make it seem like you have something you’re hiding. Job searching may not be as easy as it once was, but there are still lots of jobs to be found and companies are willing to offer a lot for the right candidate.  Update your job search skills and avoid making out-of-date mistakes and you will be one step closer to landing your dream job. Author: Gerald Buck is the editor of EJobApplications, a website offering free downloadable job application forms, career information, job interview and resume tips, as well as much more. Follow him on Twitter @EJobApplication.

Making Resume Writing Easy

Making Resume Writing EasyWhy is it that many people struggle with making resume writing easy? There are some simple things that you can do to make this process easier for you. You should definitely start with the first tip of being clear in your job description and being accurate in your details.Many people are under the impression that making a resume is difficult. But you know what? It is not that hard if you know what you're doing and have the right guidance. Here are some tips to make this easier for you.First, remember that your resume will be read by a lot of people. You need to keep it professional. This will help you create a clean, neat and professional-looking resume. Of course, you do not want to say the same thing again.You should write every section carefully. For example, your contact information should be written in a way that it is unique and does not look like you wrote it yourself. You may also want to write your educational history if it is unique and help you get a higher position in your field.Second, you should also have a list of the skills that you have that you think are very valuable for a job. In your career objective, mention this as well. Then you will be able to move on in your job search. This will help you get past the resume writing process and you will get to read all of the resumes for that particular job.Third, you should keep in mind that most employers want to hear from people who have been on a job before. So, you should also include that in your resume. This means that you may have been to that position, but you can still make a great impression by saying that you have been there before.Lastly, you should consider that some jobs that are usually found on a computer are not available in paper resumes. If this is the case, then you can try using digital options that are provided by many companies that can be purchased online.These are some tips to help you with making resume writing easy for you. These tips can also help y ou if you are trying to find a job in an environment that doesn't have a great number of paper resumes.

Personal Branding Interview Elaine Meryl Brown - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Elaine Meryl Brown - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke to Elaine Meryl Brown, who is the coauthor of The Little Black Book of Success, and is the Vice President of Special Marketing in Creative Services at HBO. In this interview, Elaine talks about how to handle corporate politics, some successful networking strategies that shes used to meet executives, how you can build confidence in yourself, how to avoid issues in the workplace, and more. How do you navigate corporate politics? The way I navigate corporate politics is by focusing on corporate objectives, providing direction to my creative team to help execute against these objectives, and building alliances with key people within the organization to help achieve these goals. In other words, the way I navigate politics is by understanding the corporate culture and being strategic. What are some networking strategies youve used to meet executives and other successful people? I’ve used a variety of networking strategies to meet executives and successful people. For example, I’ve written letters. On one such occasion, my first meeting at HBO was with an executive whose picture, name and short bio I saw in an industry event program and I decided to write. As I promised to follow-up with a phone call in a week or so to get on his calendar, his assistant was expecting my call and she scheduled the meeting. Other than that, at networking or professional events, I usually introduce myself to people, exchange cards and/or ask for a brief meeting if I have something specific to discuss. Also, doing research on a person beforehand is a great way to lay the groundwork for a short conversation. It lets people know you’ve taken the time and have done your homework. I usually weave the facts I’ve learned about the person into our chat in a way that is organic. Most people are flattered when you Google them. I also email to set up short meetings, offering to br ing coffee or tea. I’ve even sent flowers to get a person’s attention with hopes of getting a few minutes of their time. However, meeting people is usually not the challenge. The challenging part is establishing a connection and staying in touch with them for the long haul. In fact, we say in our book, The Little Black Book of Success: Laws of Leadership for Black Women, that networking is a ‘contact sport’. You have to reach out and touch someone. I’ve sent newspaper/magazine articles to people who I think may be interested in the subject with a note that may say, ‘saw this and thought of you’. Or I’ll send a link to a trade piece that I think will be of value. I’ll invite people to events that I think may be of interest to them. Even if I think they may too busy to attend, that’s not the point. The point is that I reached out and touched someone. When you do this, people tend to remember you â€" even those who are successful executives. How can someone build self-confidence in themself? What would you recommend? The first chapter in our book is “ Always Consider Yourself a VIP”. The reason for this is because we live in a society where people of color and women are not always valued, and some of us consciously or subconsciously transfer the notion that we are not valuable to beliefs of inferiority or inadequacy about ourselves. That’s why it’s incumbent upon us not to buy-into the negativity and negative self-talk that may be associated with these kinds of distractions, and to remember and to remind ourselves that we are very important people too. Subsequently, we must stay positive and fill ourselves with positive thoughts and thinking. We must change our minds to do this. When we change our mind-set, we change our behavior. When we change our behavior, our life changes. Affirmations and my spirituality have always helped me through time of self-doubt. Ultimately your thoughts will shape how you feel about yourself and determine your leadership success, moving forward. In the workplace, how do people cope with stereotypes, racism, and ageism? I only know how I cope with these things and how we advise people to cope with these things in our book. Basically, we tell people to be strategic and focus on achieving their goals and objectives. Often times, things like racism are used to distract us and throw us off course and we should not take it personally because racism is the result of some combination of ignorance, insecurity and evil. The old adage, ‘don’t make other people’s problems, your problems, applies here. In fact, in our book, we say use racism as a motivator. Instead of letting it frustrate you, get you down and defeat you, use it to make you stronger, more focused and determined to be successful. Whenever, I have encountered racism in the workplace, I’ve ignored it. It’s negative, non-productive energy that I want to avoid and I try to rise above it. I take the high road. When you have goals and objectives, it’s easier to go around, over, or under racism to achieve them as opposed to colliding with r acism head-on. With goals, you don’t focus on the short term, but rather on the long-term. Of course, if the racism is blatant or at the point where it feels life-threatening, there is always legal action as a recourse. The other thing is to remember that you always have choices and if the environment you’re in is toxic, it may be time to move on. As far as ageism is concerned, change is inevitable so be prepared. People change, jobs change, styles change and situations change, and all these changes can prevent you from being stuck in a rut, or get you thinking about your options. Being open to change may lead you to more, better, or different opportunities. How have you built your personal brand? How would you describe it? I’ve built my personal brand by walking the walk and talking the talk â€" by being reliable, smart, strategic and developing creative that supports marketing and corporate strategies. My personal brand is based on honesty, integrity and authenticity, on being a strong communicator, team-player, manager, visionary, and risk-taker who takes advantage of opportunities to learn as much as possible and share with others. . My brand also includes having good relationships with senior management and a reputation for doing great work. I always dress neatly, but never want to look too conservative and have adapted a kind of Sex and the City Hi-Lo style, or ‘funky conservative’ look always feeling more comfortable in True Religions than St. John, but the latter suits me too. That’s how I want to be perceived â€" professional, yet fun. â€" classy yet not too serious. My leadership style tends to be open and collaborative, always attempting to challenge, develop and inspire the best in m y team, regardless of color, gender or age. In fact, one of my direct reports commented that my leadership style is demanding yet fair. I took that as a compliment. Elaine Meryl Brown, is the coauthor of The Little Black Book of Success.   She is also the author of the critically acclaimed debut novel Lemon City, is Vice President, Special Markets in Creative Services at HBO, where her many responsibilities include On-Air Promotion for HBO Family and HBO Latino, Off-Channel Subscriber Acquisitions Campaigns, Segment Marketing and Brand Promotion for Satellite Cable, and Content Creation for new media platforms. Prior to HBO, Elaine was a Creative Director in Creative Services at Showtime Networks. While at Showtime, Elaine also directed promotional campaigns with stars, including Sidney Poitier, Angelica Huston and Louis Gossett, Jr. She executive produced added value shows for Showtime Original Pictures as well. Elaine is a graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts and UCLAs Anderson School of Management Executive Leadership Development Program. She has earned many awards in the broadcast industry, including an Emmy Award for writing the critically acclaimed ABC-TV network series FYI, hosted by Hal Linden. She has also earned several Promax, BDA, Mark, CTAM and New York Film and TV Awards. Elaine began her writing career at Essence magazine and has written for other national publications such as Womans World. She is a Board Member of New Professional Theatre in New York City, a member of the Presidents Commission Committee of Wheaton College in Massachusetts, and is professionally affiliated with several organizations including the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications, New York Women in Film Television, PROMAX and CTAM. Elaine currently resides in New Jersey with her son, David. She encourages readers to visit her website at www.ElaineMerylBrown.com.

Career Guidance Advice for a Seattle Executive - VocationVillage

Career Guidance Advice for a Seattle Executive - VocationVillage Dear VocationVillage.com, Currently I live in the Seattle/Bellevue area, which is a part of the country that boasts one of the highest levels of education, degrees and high tech specialties. I am 51 with a solid track record of leadership, management and training success in the hospitality, retail and real estate industries. I do not have a college degree; nor do I have a tech background. From career and personal assessments it is clear that I have strong aptitudes in communication, people development, and collaboration. I am emotionally intelligent. Most recently, I have been working with my wife in residential real estate sales in the higher-end market. Regrettably, over the past three years there have been significant challenges that are requiring me to return to the work place. I have been applying to jobs and I have had a few interviews. Recently I landed a job at a local company as a District Manager but they encountered financial difficulties and my position and several others were eliminated. I am ver y open to opportunities that offer risk but value experience so a recognized company name is not a prerequisite for me.My question is how to proceed and what is the best opportunity for success, job boards or through a recruiter?I would imagine that my situation is very common in today marketplace.Thank you.Signed, Seattle ExecutiveSeattle Space NeedleDear Seattle Executive, Hello. To answer your most important question about whether to job search using job boards or a recruiter, my answer is, Both, but I would also recommend doing more.In February of 2010, CareerXroads published their 9th Annual Sources of Hire Study that documents where employers find the external candidates they hire. The good news is that these staffing leaders predict that total 2010 hiring will be up, which is a welcome relief from hiring decreases in 2008 and 2009.The CareerXroads study reveals that 62.2% of external hiring was done through employee referrals (26.7%), the career sections of companies own websites (22.3%), and job boards (13.2%) such as CareerBuilder and Monster. Because employee referrals was the #1 way that employers found new employees, we can conclude that the more you can let people know that you are available and what you can do, the higher the likelihood that someone will be able to introduce you to your next job.Some job search strategies to employ:Tighten up your career focus. I know this is somewhat difficult to do when your experience spans functional areas and different industries, but you have to help people understand your skills and job target or they will have a difficult time doing anything to assist you. As a test, describe what you want to do to someone you dont know well, like a neighbor or an acquaintance. Ask them for honest feedback about whether they understand your career goals and if they dont, try to simplify your pitch.Identify professional organizations where you can get involved and become known. Professional organizations are a terrific way to get connected with people who are employed and can provide leads to both current job openings and decision-makers who might be in a position to create job openings where none previously existed. ILoveSeattle.org is a great place to find out what professional associations are doing in the Seattle / Bellevue area. I have also heard good things about Rotary Club of Seattle, a lthough they require a high commitment of time and energy to participate.Consider attending an annual conference or two. You can accomplish more networking at a conference in one week than you can in an entire year otherwise. Your communication skills and emotional intelligence will be huge assets for this part of your job search.Create a profile on LinkedIn. It is increasingly being used for sourcing and a recruiter might find you if you make your profile complete by filling in your career history and getting at least 3 references.Tailor your resume and cover letter every time you apply for a job. This is time-consuming but effective. With a varied background such as yours, you will want to highlight the relevant experiences and skills and downplay the least relevant ones. Think of your resume as a marketing document rather than a complete career history. Dont send more than one resume to any one company.Rather than cold calling recruiters, ask everyone you know if they have achiev ed a successful job search result while working with a recruiter. If anyone says that they have, ask if you can get recommended to them. Recruiters give higher priority to candidates who come to them via a trusted third party introduction. If you do decide to cold call recruiters, read this article, Executive Recruiters: How They Can Help You To Find Your Next Job and use VocationVillage.coms Directory of Seattle Recruiters and Employment Agencies.While you are job hunting, consider doing some contract training or some other type of consulting congruent with your background. When recessions end, consultants and contract workers tend to be hired before salaried employees, so if you really need quick income, this might be a path to get some money flowing in faster. It is also a wonderful way to get connected with employers.I wish you luck in finding a terrific new position! .Seattle Space Needle photo courtesy of m33gs via Flickr Creative Commons

How to Write a Great Resume

How to Write a Great ResumeWriting a great resume is something that many people struggle with. There are so many directions you can go when creating a resume, but there is one path that seems to always be the most popular. And that path is the use of the H-E-B format. The way that this format works is by breaking down the importance of the sections into different sections.But while this can work, it is not what a great resume should do. And so you need to take a new approach to the creation of your resume. You need to make it unique to you.The idea behind this approach is that you will be more comfortable with your resume once you see what it is and how it works because you will be able to show the potential employer what your strengths are and how you can best serve their business. This means that you should make sure that your resume is both written and organized before you even start the first draft.The way that you organize the information on your resume will make all the differe nce in the way that you communicate your talents and skills to a potential employer. This will help you make a better resume that will be seen as more professional. If you make the mistake of simply throwing the sections onto the resume, then you are not being as organized as you could be.But the first step in creating a great resume is to make sure that you get it right the first time. This means that you need to have a good foundation in order to know where you want to take the document. You should know how you want it to look, what you want to include, and even what kind of layout you want to have.But you also need to know what information you do not need to include. The reason for this is that you should be able to eliminate sections that do not matter to you at this point. This can include things like your education and professional experience.But when you know that these can be removed, then you can start planning the rest of the document around a specific career or skill. Thi s means that you should focus on sections that have been relevant to you from the beginning. If you are looking to become a CPA, then you should be focusing on career options or general career information as opposed to particular career options or specific career information.This is the first step to creating a great resume. By making sure that you have a good foundation, then you can make sure that you make your resume stand out from the crowd.

Physical Therapy as a Career - CareerAlley

Physical Therapy as a Career - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Id rather regret the things Ive done than regret the things I havent done. Lucille Ball Choosing a career is one of the biggest decisions you have to make in your life. If location, earnings, location, benefits, and traveling are important to you, then a career path as a Physical Therapist might be the best fit for you. A physical therapy career opens the door to a variety of rewarding job opportunities. One of the most important considerations for physical therapists is whether or not to travel to different hospitals and other medical facilities. Physical therapists opting to travel enjoy a number of benefits not available to their less mobile counterparts, including the opportunity to travel around the country, financial advantages, insurance, and other benefits associated with being a traveling PT. Travel Opportunities A traveling physical therapist has the opportunity to travel around the country with his or her family. Not only does this mean being paid to visit new places, but it may also mean having the opportunity to work at some of the best medical facilities in the nation. This can be a great career boost in terms of gaining experience with new techniques and facilities. These new skills can, in turn, lead to new job opportunities. Salary Financial concerns are always a top priority in any job search. Fortunately, working as a traveling PT includes some great monetary benefits. PTs willing to travel may be eligible for completion bonuses. In addition, per diem, or reimbursement for certain expenses like meals and travel, may be available. Finally, some programs may offer their physical therapists a financial incentive to continue their education, paying for part or all of continuing education courses. Insurance In addition to salary, it is also important to consider the insurance coverage associated with any job. Those considering becoming a traveling physical therapist may be concerned about the perceived lack of insurance associated with this career path. The good news is that traveling positions for PTs often include a variety of insurance coverage policies. Common benefits include dental and health insurance, as well as the option to add life insurance, medical insurance, and even disability insurance. Other Benefits Depending on the travel physical therapy company, different PT travel packages also include additional benefits such as housing and retirement plans like 401(k)s. Some companies also offer incentive packages that include completion bonuses, sign-on bonuses, or contract extension bonuses. Companies that allow PTs to customize their benefits packages offer the most flexibility in terms of focusing on the benefits that are most important. Traveling as a Physical Therapist When looking into traveling, physical therapists should first clarify a few points in terms of their ideal traveling job. Some important questions to ask include: 1) What type of facilities does the PT wish to work at? 2) How far is the physical therapist willing to travel? 3) How long is the physical therapist willing to travel for work? 4) Will the PT travel alone or with his or her family? 5) What are the PTs requirements for housing? 6) What benefits are essential? Armed with answers to these questions, physical therapists can take the next step: looking for a travel physical therapy company. Selecting a Travel Physical Therapy Company Reading up on the travel physical therapy companies servicing the area or areas of interest is a great way to get started. One should focus on how long the company has been in business, the size of the company, and what particular benefits they offer. It is also important to ask to see a sample contract and clearly review all clauses before agreeing to anything in writing. However, one of the best ways to go about selecting a travel physical therapy company is to solicit referrals from trusted colleagues. This step is essential because it permits the physical therapist to focus on the aspects that are most important in selecting the right travel physical therapy company. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook //

Levels of Language in Social Media - CareerEnlightenment.com

Getting Started in Social MediaAt first, however, you may feel the urge to hold onto your words like a mother reluctant to let their first-born drive off to college for the first time. It’s natural.Here are some tips to help you with your first posts:Always write in the first person.The shorter the lifespan of your post, the less you have to worry about proper writing (example, Tweets, Timeline Posts and LinkedIn Updates don’t even need to be in complete sentences. If you let a typo through, it’s ok.)Longer lifespan content should be more polished, (example, your Facebook “About You” section, Twitter Bio or LinkedIn Profile should be free of typos and spelling. Grammar can be of the truncated sort.)If you can say it in fewer words, do so. Brevity is the key when communicating onlineIf you can say it with a picture, do so. Yoda says, “A picture is worth 1,000 words.Don’t $ell, YELL, or be a troll. Imagine one person in front of you, and are simply starting a conversation with them. Write down what you might say to that person.As you gain experience, it will be easier, but it pays to be careful even when you have years of experience.   Dont be thoughtless about what you post publicly (or even privately in some networks).Bottom LineWhat you make visible in social media will be viewed as representative of your personality and your potential as an employee.   Picture the hiring manager at your ideal employer reading everything you publish on social media.