How to submit your résumé online
In recent years, the job search has become less personal and in some ways more difficult for job seekers. Advancements in technology have prompted employers to list their jobs online, and require applicants to submit their résumé and cover letter electronically, rather than in person. In fact, there are many human resources departments that won’t even speak to a potential employee unless he or she has submitted an online résumé. You may have a solid résumé and cover letter, but if you aren’t getting many calls for interviews, it may be because you don’t know the best way to get employers to notice your résumé . Understanding how and where to post your résumé online can make all the difference in landing your next job. Here are a few suggestions: Be organized. Keep a log detailing every company you submitted your résumé to, and every job you applied for. If
10 tips for an awesome interview
Does the thought of a job interview keep you up at night? Are you overwhelmed with nerves? Have you been in the job search for a while now, and feeling the pressure to ace your next interview? For many job seekers, interviewing ranks up there with public speaking as most dreaded tasks. But to find a job, it has to be done. Don’t simply settle for a “good” interview. Why not go for “awesome?” Prepare for your next interview with these tips: First you’ve got to land the interview with a solid resume and cover letter. Never submit a resume without a cover letter. Take time to write a cover letter to the hiring manager, explaining how your experience listed on your resume is a perfect for their job opening. Demonstrate the value you can add to their company and how you will address their specific needs. Make them want
Determining your career path
Do you ever wonder if you’ve chosen the correct career path? If you’re in the job search, whether you’re a recent college grad, unemployed, or just looking for something new, now’s the perfect time to consider what career is best for you. With an understanding of your strengths, skills, and what jobs fields are growing most right now, you can reevaluate your career path. When evaluating your career, here are a few things to consider: It’s not all about money. There was a time when people worked simply to bring home an income. Today, with new technologies and a completely different job landscape, many of us have the luxury of finding a job that not only pays well, but is meaningful as well. Job satisfaction is important for your overall mental and physical health. If you aren’t satisfied in your current job, or don’t feel that it is meaningful, it
Building relationships with potential employers
Patience and persistence are important during your job search. Especially with the job landscape as it is today, there is often stiff competition for jobs, and patience and persistence is necessary to your ultimate success and your sanity along the way. It’s important that job seekers are able to build a relationship and rapport with potential employers. There is, however, a distinct difference between persistence — following up on job status after you’ve submitted an application or interviewed for a job — and pestering. Are you afraid you might cross the line between persistence in your job search and pestering your potential employer? Here are a few tips on what is acceptable persistence and what crosses the line to pestering from Cachinko: It is acceptable to: Follow up on your job application once a week for up to three weeks after submitting. It’s best to follow up via email. Send
Package yourself for employers
During your job search, your number one priority is convincing a potential employer that you are the right person for their open position. This is accomplished through a number of things, including your resume, cover letter and interview. Ultimately, the success of any of these tactics resulting in a job offer is based on one thing: how well you package yourself for the job. It’s important that you have a clear definition of you, including your strengths and skills, and are able to package those details about yourself in a positive light. Your package should essentially become your mission statement How do you create your package? Here are a few tips: Make a list of each of your skills, strengths and weaknesses. For example, are you good at communicating, do you struggle with organization, are you detail-oriented? List out all of your qualities as they might apply to a job.
Interview tips and how to answer common interview questions
The interview is likely the most stressful part of the job search. No matter how well you prepare for your interview, it is impossible to predict every question you will be asked. However, doing your research and preparing answers to the most common interview questions will help you tackle even the more difficult interview questions. Here are some common interview question topics and suggestions on how to answer them: Questions about you and your biggest strengths or weaknesses – More than anything, your potential employer wants to know what you will bring to their company. Reassure them that you are a wise investment. Skip the overly personal details and go right into your skills that will benefit the prospective company. The answer to a question about your strengths should come in the form of a well-crafted personal statement describing your top three strengths. Tailor your answer to fit the specific
5 steps to tracking the success and progress of your job search
In today’s job market, searching for a new job can leave many job searchers floundering, without any real direction. With today’s online job searches, tracking and monitoring your job search efforts can be tricky. How do you know how successful your job searching efforts are? Are there ways to measure how many employers are viewing your resume online? Here are a few job search solutions for staying focused on your search and monitoring your job search success: Set clear goals for yourself. It is difficult to measure the success of your job search without having a starting point. During your job search, set goals for yourself for what you want to accomplish each week. Commit to submitting a specific number of job applications each week. There will be weeks when you don’t hear back from potential employers or receive interview requests, but if you reach your weekly submittal goals, you
Are You Ready for a Skype Interview?
In a time when many companies are looking for ways to cut costs, more and more companies are saving travel expenses by doing key job interviews via web cam. While this is convenient and cost-efficient, there are pitfalls for the interviewee. One component of the job search in 2012 is understanding technology and being prepared for any type of interview. If you have an upcoming Skype interview, here are a few interviewing tips for your success: Be sure you have essential software installed and run a test. Whether your interview will be conducted over Skype or another video chat software, take some time prior to the interview to ensure you’ve got the necessary equipment and software installed. It’s also important that you know how to work the software, so as to avoid problems on the day of your interview. Test camera position. Be sure your camera is positioned properly so
Adjusting to Company Culture
A company’s culture is its personality. It defines how employees interact with each other and the company. It explains how things are done in that company. No two companies have an identical culture. Each company’s culture is as unique as its employees — shaped and defined over time. As important as culture is to a company, it’s pivotal for job seekers to begin adjusting to company culture in their job search, application and interviewing process. Researching a company’s culture before interviewing is important in helping a prospective employee learn how they may need to adapt to fit in. How do you dig into the information and determine if a company is a good fit for you? There are ways that every job seeker can find the information needed and put it to use in the job search. Understand what a company culture is comprised of – Company culture is defined
The Art of Asking Questions in Job Interviews
If you go into a job interview thinking it’s all about answering questions, you’re wrong. In fact, when the interviewer asks “Do you have any questions for me?” it’s not the end of the interview, but the start of the meat of the interview, and your opportunity to make a real impression. When you are prepared to be asking questions in job interviews, it shows that you’ve done your homework on the company and that you want to find out more. Interviewing is an art — a skill that must be practiced. With each interview throughout your job search, you’ll gain experience and knowledge to help you in your next job interview. Asking questions during an interview isn’t just an option, but most hiring managers and interviewers actually expect applicants to ask questions. Not sure what questions to ask? Here are a few suggestions from Corn on the Job: Ask