Thursday, April 26, 2012

Reduce Your Anxiety And Stress At Workplace


Many things can go wrong at work, and depending on the type of industry you are in or the job you have, your stress level may be high even on a good day. When things go wrong in the workplace, you may need to find some ways to relax or reduce your anxiety…..

Some people handle pressure better than others, and it is important to know yourself and how much stress you can take. Many people actually perform better with a little bit of stress. Any journalist will tell you that great work has emerged in tense situations with a deadline looming. However, when certain situations crop up at work, here are a few pointers about how to handle them. It is often the smallest stresses that can break the camel’s back. These are all relatively minor situations that can really increase office anxiety and irritate you or those around you.

 Follow these tips to stay calm in upsetting situations and maintain high levels of efficiency and productivity.

The alarm always seems to sound right before an important meeting or during your most productive hour of the day. Before getting up from your desk, count to three, and grab something to keep you occupied while you wait. Even the sports section of the morning paper will help distract you from the boredom of standing around while everyone vacates your building. Use the time to enjoy the outdoors or chat with a coworker you have not seen in awhile. 

Many workplaces order lunch for employees a few times per month or on Fridays. As people gather around to eat they talk about business, get to know one another and relax for a few minutes in the middle of the day. There may be an occasional problem with getting a large order, however. When lunch doesn’t arrive, people may become cranky or frustrated. Ease tension by suggesting that everyone walk together to a local deli or offer to donate quarters to the vending machine for snacks. Tell your supervisor that you are willing to pick up an alternative while other people keep working. Be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem. 

Nothing is more irritating than sitting at work waiting for technical problems to be remedied. During these situations your boss may take advantage of the situation by pulling everyone together for an impromptu meeting. If not, take a few minutes to organize your desk. Walk around the office and say hello to coworkers you normally email. Take a few minutes to update your calendar. No matter what, remain productive and show your supervisor that you can cheerfully handle setbacks without complaint.

Occasionally, a coworker may come down with a flu bug. The only thing more irritating than a missing coworker is a coworker who cannot stop coughing, so be grateful when a sick colleague takes the day off. Never degrade a sick coworker or question his or her honesty. This behavior will appear to others as immature and selfish. Pitch in and offer to take on any necessary duties so that business will not suffer while your office mate is out sick. 

Again, make sure that you contribute to the solution and not the problem. Many employees complain about long meetings but, when it is their turn to talk, will take much more time than necessary. It may be uncomfortable to speak to your boss about this issue, so you may want to help fix this irritating dilemma by leading by example. When you are required to speak during meetings, do so succinctly and briefly. Include all relevant data but do not expound upon information that others already know. Keep opinions to yourself and focus on facts. If asked for your advice, minimize your response time. Try to avoid asking vague questions of the whole group – focus your queries instead on specific individuals.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Right Way To Find The Job


People are constantly searching for new jobs, switching departments within their company and even entering brand new territory in a different industry.  They are looking for what we all want the perfect job…..

In figuring out what kind of job is right for you, it is necessary to think outside of the box.  We tend to place a lot of emphasis on things like salary, location and opportunities for advancement — all important perks that come along with the job.  But what about the job itself?  How can you consider any of these issues in your job search if you still haven’t discovered your true calling?  Finding the right job starts with knowing yourself.  Here are some things you can do to find the answer to the age-old question, What is the right job for me?

When you were ten years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?  As silly as it may sound, if you want to discover how to find the right job, your early years might be the best place to start.  While the president of the United States or an Oscar-winning movie star may not be too practical at this stage in your life, think about other jobs that have similar characteristics or are in similar fields.  Instead of running the country, you could look for government jobs, ranging from a legal secretary to a corrections officer. 

 Work for America is a great site with information about different types of federal government jobs.  Government aside, think about why your childhood dream job appealed to you; for example, a goal of president may show that you have a desire to make a difference in the world, so perhaps a job in public policy, social work or a nonprofit would interest you. 

 The possibilities are endless.  For instance, if you ever dreamed of becoming a movie star and walking down the red-carpet, check out a career in media, the entertainment industry, or public relations.  It’s just about the closest you can get to being a celebrity without actually being one.

In your academic career, there must have been at least one class that stood out above the rest.  No matter how obscure the subject, there is still a way to use this in helping you learn how to find the right job.  If you loved a history, art or even an archaeology course, check out jobs in a museum or work as a curator.  There are more options out there than you may think — even if you don’t want to take tour groups around a museum, you could work on their marketing and publicity or manage the museum’s finances.  If history wasn’t your thing, maybe your favorite course was in psychology.  While you may not have the qualifications to be a psychologist, try thinking about jobs that incorporate some elements of the psychology field.  You may find that you are a people person or enjoy helping others, so jobs in hospitality, customer service, sales or a teacher may be the answer to your happiness and to your job search.  By going one step further and thinking about why you were passionate about your class on genetics or sociological theory, you will be able to find a career that is tailored to your interests.
Yes, there is a reason you are looking for a new job, but it will be beneficial for you to spend some time thinking about what you do and do not like about your current job.  Is there something missing? What would you miss if you no longer held that job?  Ideally, you can find a new job that incorporates the positive aspects of your current job while leaving out the negatives.  For example, if you love the numbers and data at your small accounting firm, but you hate routine and working in a stuffy office all day, consider something like consulting  it is very analytical and constantly provides new environments through travel and new clients.  Or you may be a doctor or nurse who feels burnt out on the long hours and stressful atmosphere of a busy emergency room hospital, but does not want to give up on medicine.  Perhaps you could look into medical research opportunities or switch to a smaller family practice.  

After all of this introspection, take a break and let someone else help you out. CareerPath.com is a great site which provides multiple career self-assessment tests and guidance.  The MAPP test and Keirsey sorter are other free career and personality tests online.  Assessments such as these can be very insightful, picking up on traits and aptitudes that might be hard for you to see on your own and suggesting careers that you may not have considered before.  Just be careful – even if a test doesn’t recommend the specific career you would like, do not rule out any options or abandon one of your career dreams.  A career assessment test is a great tool to use to receive some outside feedback on what is the right job for you.

Once you have figured out which career paths look promising, you can begin comparing things like salary and work/life balance.  Now you will have a much better answer to your question of How do I know what job is right for me? and you can start on your next task of how to find the right job.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Don’t let your job search drive you crazy


Someone once said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Is that why your job search is driving you crazy? Are you applying for hundreds of jobs and getting nowhere?...

 Well, maybe there’s a reason; let’s take a look at some possible reasons why you might not be getting the job.

Would you email your grandmother from that address? Your racy email might be funny to your friends and your clever wordsmithing might even land you your perfect lady-love, but I promise you it won’t rope you any kind of gainful employment. Stick with something simple.

The only thing before the@ should be some combination of your first and last name and maybe some numbers if needed. Is it boring? Yes. Will it keep you from getting hired? No.
Imagine how hard it would be to grocery shop if everything came in the same plain white box. You wouldn’t know if you were buying grapes, Grape Nuts or ground beef. Although it could make for an interesting breakfast experience, you don’t want any surprises when you’re making the most important meal of the day.

Employers get hundreds of applications, you need to let them know what they’ll be getting if they bring you in for an interview. So do your best to make your packaging look as awesome as possible. That means letting them know exactly what you’re made of: your profile needs to include your experience, skills and education. Even if you’ve never worked before, be sure to put something here, like volunteer experience.

Your call cannot be completed as dialed. Please check the number and call again. This is quite possibly one of the most annoying things to hear in the history of prerecorded messages. And if a hiring manager  hears it when he tries to call you, he’ll write off your application completely. Talk about missed connections.

There is something to be said for being selective in your job search. Surely you don’t want to apply for a position as a lawyer if you’ve never been to law school. That doesn’t mean you can’t keep things interesting. Spice things up by broadening your horizons. Maybe you’re thinking about jobs as a cashier (good choice!). Don’t just apply for retail  cashier jobs; that’s limiting yourself. You could be a cashier at a restaurant, or even get into customer service.

There is a fine line between helping and hurting, and your mom calling to check on the status of your application is definitely hurting. We don’t recommend checking on your application over the phone anyway, but having your mom (or spouse, or friend) do it is way worse. More than anything, it just makes it look like you don’t care enough about the job to check for yourself. It also gives the impression that your mom is all up in your beeswax, which isn’t a good thing.

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it just isn’t going to happen. The position might already be filled, or you might not be the right person for the job. Whatever the reason, it just wasn’t meant to be. It’s okay, because there are lots of other jobs out there. Jobs that you would be perfect for! So what are you waiting for? Start your job search today.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

How To Write A Effective Student Resume


Students are often worried about writing a resume, and it’s not uncommon to struggle with the task. But it doesn’t have to be intimidating if you understand the goal of your resume to generate interest and interviews…..

 It doesn’t have to get you a job and it doesn’t need to cover your life history. It simply has to interest the interest of the reader and answer the only question he cares about: will this candidate add value to my company?

If you focus your resume on answering this question effectively, employers will be interested to meet with you. It really is that simple.

Of course, in order to demonstrate your value, you need to know what potential employers are looking for. Start by researching job postings that interest you. Look for frequently-mentioned requirements. Ask experienced professionals what they consider important when they make hiring decisions. Read professional publications and websites related to your target industry. Once you know what is important to employers you can create target your resume to address those issues.

Many students and recent graduates worry that they don’t have enough experience to create a compelling resume. Don’t be concerned. Once you start to really think about your background, you’ll be surprised at what you can talk about. The content of your resume will be determined by your own unique experiences, skills and background but—as a general guideline—you should include:

Positive personal characteristics
Technical and computer skills
Coursework relevant to your desired profession
Educational accomplishments (include your GPA if it’s over 3.0)
Skills and experience gained during internships or summer jobs
Other related accomplishments (design awards, recognition, winning competitions etc.)
Work History (include unpaid work if it relates to your target positions).

The key is to emphasize those things that demonstrate how you will add value and to leave out those things that don’t.

Many people are surprised to learn that resume design is just as important as content, but it’s absolutely true. Research suggests that your resume has less than 20 seconds to make the right impression, so it must be eye-catching and easy to read. To get ideas for layout and structure, go to the library and study the resume books specifically written for students. All contain examples of professionally-written resumes and will help you decide on the best approach. Don’t use one of the pre-loaded MS Word templates. There is no better way to make sure you look like everyone else!

As you work on your resume, bear in mind your reader’s basic concern: will this candidate add value? If you answer effectively by highlighting relevant skills, personal characteristics and accomplishments, your resume will open the right doors and generate interviews.



Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Advice And Tips On Avoiding Interview Disasters


There are definitely things that you can do to avoid minor mishaps which could ultimately blow an interview…..

 Become familiar with these 7 potential interview disasters so you can prevent them from obstructing your path to that ideal job.

Showing up late is both rude and inconsiderate. Is this the first impression that you want to leave with a potential employer? Map out your route and try it out before the interview. Plan on being at least half an hour early to your appointment. This will provide a buffer to protect against wrong turns, traffic jams and all the other mishaps that may befall you. If you arrive early, you can use the time to calm your nerves.

Many a nervous candidate has been known to accidentally call the interviewer the wrong name. In order to avoid this disconcerting faux pau, find out who you will be speaking to before the interview. Memorize the name(s). If this information is not available prior to the meeting, then write the person’s name on your notepad as soon as you sit down for the interview. If you do slip-up, do not make a huge fuss. Apologize quickly (and sincerely) and move on.

Choose your words carefully. Avoid impulsive answers; the first thing that pops into your head may not be the best response. Remember, it’s ok to pause if you need some time to think. Feel free to say "that’s a good question; let me take a moment to think about it." This demonstrates that you think before you speak. Is your everyday speech peppered with expletives or other potentially offensive phrases? If so, take care to avoid these during your meeting.

Interviews are stressful situations for even the most qualified candidates. This tension can lead to candidates freezing up during the meeting. Alleviate some of the expected stress by practicing mock interview questions. Have a friend conduct simulated interviews. If possible, have him/her conduct the interview in a variety of manners including reserved, rushed, and disinterested. This way you will be better prepared for whatever the interview may bring.

Nature has a funny way of acting up at the wrong moments. Fortunately, you can help prevent these unwanted incidents. Avoid the awkwardness of a growling stomach by eating a few hours before the interview. Be careful in what you eat and drink in the 24 hours prior to the interview. Do not overindulge; an upset stomach or hangover is formidable distraction.

The interview is no place for humbleness. Too much modesty can make you appear introverted or lacking confidence. Don’t be afraid to be your own cheerleader. Prior to the interview, make a list of your accomplishments both personally and professionally; practice talking about them. Have a friend listen to your answers as you practice. This will help prevent you from crossing the line between justifiable pride and boasting.

No one wants to work with a stick in the mud. With this in mind, how can you prevent from appearing lukewarm? Smile and maintain eye contact. Sit forward in your chair. Avoid speaking in a monotone. Be positive in your responses.

By preparing yourself against these potential interview disasters you are one step closer to getting the job of your dreams. Remember sometimes it really is the little things that make the difference.
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Sunday, April 15, 2012

Top Ten Fastest Growing Careers


The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics has come up with a list of the ten fastest growing careers that show a lot of promise and opportunities for growth.....

Take a look at these top career options to make your choice:

 Biomedical Engineers- a Biomedical Engineer is one of the most promising career options. They are in charge of the expansion and design of a wide range of health care system instruments. According to a calculation of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, this sector has the potential to offer 72% growth in the next few years.

 Survey Researchers- These folks conduct surveys and research the results. The job of survey researchers is another top career option.

 Network Systems Analysts– Network system analysts is another fast growing career option. They are in charge of designing and upholding the network systems like the Local Area Network (LAN) or the Wide Area Network (WAN) or other network systems.

 Financial Examiners- The job of financial examiners is to keep track, and make sure that the financial companies are following all the rules and regulations of the financial industry.

 Software Engineers- Software engineers are responsible for creating and developing software.

 Environmental Engineers- There is an excellent job prospect for the environmental graduates. This job involves finding effective solutions for various environmental problems.

 Athletic trainers- These jobs are always in demand. The job responsibility involves providing injury care advice, as well as training and treatment for athletes.
 Personal Finance Advisors- This job involves providing useful information and investment advice to clients.

Personal and Home Care Aids- You can opt for the job of personal and home care aids if caring for elders is something that you enjoy doing.

 Market Research Analysts- A market research analyst is a top career option. Today every company needs a market research analyst for surveying the market status for their product or service.

These are some of the best career options available to you. However, before you consider applying for any of these jobs do keep in mind what you really enjoy doing and if any of these jobs are really what you would enjoy. Landing the job of your dreams will be much easier once you are able to figure that out!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Can you get a fresh start on your job search?

Your well-meaning parents, friends, and even your spouses have led you down the path to perpetual unemployment .Everyone, right or wrong, wants to give you their opinion of the best way to land a job…..

 These are some you should ignore:

1. Keep applying
For different jobs, yes. For the same job, no. Appyling over and over may have actually been a good idea at some point, before electronic applications became widely used. Paper applications are easily misplaced, or lost in a big stack, but that’s not the case anymore.
Over time, the paper application has been phased out and replaced by electronic applications. Sometimes these are emailed directly to hiring managers. Sometimes they’re sorted and stored by sophisticated software called an Applicant Tracking System. This system allow employers to keep applications on file, where they can be easily retrieved and reviewed. There’s no need to apply more than once every 90 days or so, and in many cases you won’t be able to. It is more likely to annoy a hiring manager than show persistence.

2. Employers never check your history
This just flat out isn’t true. Employers are willing to spend the big bucks on hiring the right people, and they do. Background checking is a nearly $1 billion dollar per year industry, and that doesn’t include drug, credit and reference checks.

If the prospect of a background check concerns you, the best thing you can do for yourself is be honest. 80 percent of employers will check your background in some way, so lying will only get you caught during the interview process, or fired if you somehow make it through.

3. You have to have a fancy resume
Most hourly jobs don’t require a resume. While resume writing is definitely a good skill to develop, and a tool to have in your toolbox, it’s by no means required. Employers will tell you if you need to bring your resume to an interview.

If they do ask for one, don’t freak out. It’s an easy and straightforward process to turn your Snagajob profile into a resume. Take the time you would have spent sweating over your resume and start preparing for interview questions instead.

4. They aren’t hiring
Jobseekers often say “I saw this posted online, but I called the location and they aren’t hiring.” That’s true sometimes, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t submit your application. Sometimes the location might be hiring and the person who answers the phone might not be the hiring manager.

Hiring statuses can change by the minute. Employers never know when someone will quit, get fired or get promoted, so they choose to leave jobs posted so they can always look for the next superstar (like you)!
Now that we’ve cleared up these old myths for you, you can get a fresh start on your job search.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Use Facebook To Find Your Desired Jobs


With so many people using Facebook today, it has actually helped in the process of finding jobs. The purpose of Facebook is to build a social network with different people….

 Your friends might be some of your real-life close friends but you can also friend request professionals or people who work at a company that you want to work for. Using this benefit of Facebook will definitely help you save a huge amount of time when you’re in the job hunting process. Updating your status or profile to let people know that you are looking for a job will definitely help. All your friends on Facebook will have an opportunity to look at your updated status or profile and spread the word. This way, your friend can recommend you to a company or your friends who are employers can look at your profile and contact you.

 There are lots of groups that are formed inside Facebook. There are groups for people who are looking for jobs and there are groups and pages where job openings are posted. If you use these available sources well, you could be able to help yourself to find a job quicker.

When you are looking for a job, it is important for you to make sure your profile shows your good personality and characteristics. Also, it is very important that your profile is appropriate. These days, many employers look at your profiles on Facebook before hiring. Therefore, try not to post up pictures or comments that will degrade you. But rather, put things up that can really show who you are and how great of a person you are. Also, your interests and likes should be well aligned with the career for which you are interested in. For example, if you are looking to work in social media - you should Like, recommend, and comment about many news reports and articles about social media. This will show potential career contacts that you are truly interested in your craft.

There are also many Facebook fan pages that you can Like - which will frequently post job listings. Once you like them, new jobs will get fed directly into your news feed.
Stay active on Facebook, stay alert, and try to forge as many friends as possible to boost your chances of finding a job on Facebook when the time comes to it.




Monday, April 9, 2012

The importance of Thankyou letter


In this tight job market, with countless candidates vying for the same position, to be called in for an interview is a success not many jobseekers experience……


To make the most of the after-interview stage, always send a personalized thank you letter to the hiring authority. Not only does this indicate unusual and continued interest in the position, but it also shows follow-through and a professionalism that simply can't be beat.


Make sure that your thank you letter uses the same heading as your resume and initial cover letter, as this maintains consistency. Keep the content brief, mentioning only the highlights of your meeting with the hiring manager. This will serve to remind that person of the skills and qualifications you can bring to the opening.


If there were some matters that you forgot to mention during the interview, such as your ability to work extra hours and take on extra responsibilities, a thank you letter is the perfect way to introduce this.

Friday, April 6, 2012

How can you upgrade your career ways


Let me take this opportunity to wish you the best of luck with your job search. If you have already found a position you're happy with or if you're not interested in receiving additional reports from us in the future……

There are so many different job searching tools and resources out there, sometimes it's hard to know where to begin. Let me first say the best odds of finding a job are through people you know well. Don't be ashamed to let your friends and family members know you're looking for a job. You may want to consider writing a 20-second elevator pitch describing your background and the type of job you're looking for.

Unless your profession is something easily understood like a college Spanish professor or a restaurant manager, chances are good that you have close friends and family members who aren't clear on what you do for a living. So your first mission is to come up with a simple way to explain it to them, and then secondly to convey what it is you're looking for. You might try writing out a paragraph for each first and then simplifying those thoughts further. The use analogies and visual images in your descriptions will make it easier for people to understand.

Beyond networking with close friends and family, consider some of these tips for finding a new job:

1. Networking Events - If you live in or close to a city, chances are there are loads of networking events happening all the time.  Many of these have web sites listing upcoming events. You can also contact your local Chamber of Commerce to find out about business networking opportunities.

2. Job Boards - Searching for job listings that match your background and interests can be time consuming. There are lots of job sites out there. Recruiters do use them though and many people have found jobs this way. Consider using a resume posting service like ResumeDirector to get your resume on all the job sites at once. This way you can let the recruiters come to you.

3. Corporate Job Sites - Can you think of the top 10 companies you'd like to work at? Maybe even the top 20? Well then you're probably in luck because many of these companies have their own corporate job sites where you can go and submit your resume. It wouldn't hurt to also give these companies a call and ask to speak to someone in the human resources department to find out if they have any openings for what you're looking for. Often times when you submit a resume to a big company, it simply goes into a database and by calling them too, you can alert a human being that you're truly interested in working for their firm. This will increase the chances that someone will actually go to retrieve your resume from the database.

4. Polish your Presentation Skills - If you're getting called in for interviews, you've won half the battle. It means you've developed a good system for generating job leads and your resume is effective at getting recruiters interested in talking to you. If you find yourself interviewing with people but not closing the deal, consider some out-of-the-box ways to upgrade your presentation. Do you have friends working in your field who know how employers and recruiters for your profession think? Ask one of them to do a mock interview with you and give you a critique.

You may be surprised to learn something - even something simple like improving eye contact or the style of the tie you wear to the interview can have an impact. And be sure you command respect - without appearing cocky or arrogant - with the dialogue you use. Interviewing expert Marco Cepeda has developed something called the Reverse Interviewing method which is essentially a set of guidelines for leveling the power relationship between interviewer and interviewee to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and one where your strengths are highlighted instead of your weaknesses. Employers often try to steer interviews to learn about your weaknesses - your job is to get them to want to hear about your strengths.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Do you hate your job?


I hate my job. I hate my company. I hate my boss. Many people do hate something or other about their work and I can't keep track of how many times I've seen those phrases lately….

That's not good, for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's tough to go to work every day when you hate it. Secondly, it really isn't good to broadcast the fact that you hate your job all over the Internet.

That doesn't mean you have to keep it. There are steps you can, and should, take to move on if you hate your job and you're not happy at work. We spend too much of our time working to stay in a job or work environment we hate, or even dislike. Besides being happier, you'll do a better job if you're working at a job you love, or at least like.

Even if you do hate your job, keep it to yourself and your family or close friends. Don't tell the world, because the wrong person is probably going to see what you posted. 

Employees aren't the only ones using social networking sites. Employers are there, too, and if you say it someone will probably read it. Tweets, for example, show up in Google search. And, if you aren't careful about your Facebook privacy settings, you're opening yourself up for the wrong person to see it there, as well.

You don't want to lose your job before you start looking for a new one, just because you complained about it. Instead, it makes more sense to strategically plan your exit from the company.

Being in the situation where you're the person saying I hate my job can happen to any of us. It happens. The job might not be what you expected. Or, the job itself may be okay, but your boss or co-workers are awful. Perhaps you don't like the schedule or your customers, or whatever.
If you've reached the point where you have acknowledged that you hate the job, it's actually not a bad place to be at. At least you know and you can figure out what to do next.

Don't just quit your job. You don't want to resign in haste and repent in leisure if you can't find another job fast. Begin by considering options for making the job work. Is there anything you could be doing different to be happier at work? Could you ask for a transfer or a shift change? Is there anything that would make a difference and convince you to stay?

Consider the alternatives, before you make a decision to leave. Finding a new job isn't always easy, if there's a fix, it's worth pursuing.

If there's no way you can stay, that's fine, too. Again, at least you know. Don't quit your job yet though, regardless of how much you hate it. It's easier to find a job when you have a job and you probably won't be eligible for unemployment if you quit.

Instead, take the time to create or update your LinkedIn profile. Update your resume. Get some references lined up. Build your network by connecting with everyone you know on LinkedIn and the other top networking sites.

The more prepared you are before you actually start looking, the easier your job search will be.
Start a job search, quietly and discreetly. Don't broadcast the fact that you're job searching for the same reasons you're keeping quiet about about hating your job. You don't want your boss or someone else to know that you're planning to leave until you're ready to share the news.

Use the job search engines to see what jobs are available for candidates with your background. Then test the waters. Start applying for jobs and talking privately (via email, Facebook and LinkedIn messaging, etc.) with your contacts about the fact that you are seeking a new job.
These ten steps to finding a job covers everything you need to know to get your job search started and to keep it on track. Do keep in mind that it might take a while to find a new position, so be prepared for the long haul.

When it's time to resign, I know that you probably want to shout it to the rooftops, but still don't broadcast the fact that you hated your last job. Companies check references. They ask about previous employers in interviews and what you say matters.

One applicant I interviewed spent the entire time talking about how much she hated her last job and the company she worked for. That company was my client's biggest customer. There was no way I was going to hire anyone with that big a chip on her shoulder for a job where she'd have to work with an employer she had disliked so much.

Resign gracefully, giving two weeks notice. Offer to provide assistance during the transition and leave, as best you can, the company behind with no hard feelings.

Besides not being worth what it might cost you from a career perspective, it's also not worth the time and energy. You'll be better focused on your new job and how you can have a better experience, this time around.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Some thing About Video Resumes


One of the latest innovations in the job market industry is the advent of video resumes…..

 For some people, video resumes seem to be the next trend and have eagerly jumped on the bandwagon. For other people though, they look like the next fad and one they hope will quickly pass.

Video resumes do show your ability to stay current, which if you’re in management, sales, or IT is important. They do offer a lot of flexibility in that you can offer more information online than you could in a one to two page resume. They can also offer a good insight into your personality, presence and communication abilities.

The opposite is also true. That’s where the problem lies.

Think about how you look in still pictures. Are you photogenic? Do you have any nervous habits, like playing with your hair, blinking your eyes too often or making exaggerated facial expressions? If you do, a video of you is only going to highlight the flaws instead of highlighting the positives.

Very few people can communicate effectively when not involved in an active conversation. It may not sound difficult to do, but it is. Not only that, you don’t want to read off a script. You need to know the material and present it in an easily digestible form. Many people can’t do this well. If you can’t do it well, then don’t it all.

From a recruiter’s point of view, not only do many video resumes present the applicant in a bad light but they still don’t offer more of the right information than a paper resume would.

This is where the next problem comes in. Video resumes can be anywhere from 5-10 minutes long. Now think about a recruiter with a hundred resumes to peruse versus a hundred video resumes. A recruiter who has been in the industry for any length of time has a system down, a system where they look at a resume and can tell in a few seconds if it’s worth another longer look later or not.

An efficient recruiter can skim a 100 resumes in 45 minutes. They will quickly pick out 20-25 to look at again. The rest are tossed as being not qualified. At this point, they go over the good resumes and pick who they will bring in for an interview. Usually, the chosen resumes go on to hiring managers to review before interviews. For anyone in the business this is not a process that takes very much time. They know how to skim the material to find what they need.

They can’t do that with a video resume. They have to watch the whole thing in order to find the information they need. They can’t skip through it to get to the good parts – they don’t know where those good parts are or if they even exist. The end result is that very often, they don’t even watch it. It takes too much time. They can get through 10 resumes in the time it would take to get through yours. These people are busy and often don’t have the time to watch your video resume even though you may be the best qualified candidate for the job.