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Who’s Hiring, Who Isn’t, and How to Get the Job

By Jennifer Kenley on Monday, November 9, 2009

While some industries continue to see sharp declines in job losses, other industries have remained strong during the recession, and some have even started to bounce back.

According to a recent report released by Beyond.com, Inc., a network of online communities for niche careers, healthcare and information technology are two industries that continue to add jobs at a steady pace. Their third quarter Career Trend Report for 2009 also indicated that sales, sales management, manufacturing, and production industries experienced slight increases in job gains in the third quarter of 2009, while professional services including accounting, finance, engineering, and architecture are experiencing declines in job loss.

For those looking for employment opportunities or looking to change careers, it’s important to market yourself, tailor your résumé to reflect the industry and the job you’re applying for, and research the company before the interview. There are several ways to make sure your résumé is top of mind when decision makers are sifting through piles of applicants.

Identify your transferable skills. It’s important that you look at your skills and evaluate how to translate them on your résumé to reflect the job you’re applying for.
Market your transferable skills in your job search. Once you have identified your transferable skills, tailor your résumé for each specific job.
Network in industry-specific arenas. A key element to finding a job is who you know. By integrating yourself with key players in the industry, you’ll increase your chances of landing an interview or even a job offer.
Research a potential employer. You don’t want to miss out on the job because you didn’t know anything about the company. Research will also help you when you’re preparing a tailored résumé.

Knowing what industries are hiring is important when looking for a job or making a career change. Once you have an idea of what areas are expanding, tailoring your résumé and making the right decisions on how you prepare can influence the hiring manager’s decision on whether or not you get the job.

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Who’s Spying on You Online?

By Miranda Wilson on Wednesday, October 28, 2009

With online networking websites continuing to grow at rapid speeds, doesn’t it sometimes seem that you have more friends/connections online than you know in real life? There’s that coworker you met very briefly at the companywide meeting. Another random person you met at the baseball game who has a LinkedIn account and works in your industry. Your sister’s best friend, her boyfriend, and his cousin. That guy who used to sit alone in your American History class in high school. This list goes on and on. Your online network could grow to hundreds of thousands of people, but would this allow for effective networking and relationship building?

Building a large network of connections is a good thing, and yes, that’s the purpose of most social media tools. But, it’s important to remember to be conscious of what information you do and do not post on your profile when using social media sites. Some sites, such as Facebook, are more heavily focused on socializing and staying connected to your friends. But did you know that many employers are hopping on the social media bandwagon too?

You never know who will see what you post online. It always seems there is someone who knows someone who knows you.To help you with your social media, here are a few basic rules to follow.

Learn about privacy settings. The first rule for using any social media site is to know what the privacy settings are. You might want to set your profile so that it can only be viewed by your friends. This way, once you have approved someone to be a friend, only then can they have access to your information and pictures. If they’re not a friend, they can’t access any information from you. This gives you some control over who sees your profile and who doesn’t.

After-hour pictures. Yes, everyone has a personal life outside of work, and what you do in your free time is your choice. But, realize that if you post party pictures, a co-worker or someone who interviewed you for a job might be able to see those photos. Another thing to keep in mind is that your friends can post things on your profile. On some sites like Facebook, friends can tag photos of you, so just make sure to do check-ups on your site to see what others might have posted about you. Remember that your networking profiles are a reflection of you, so use your best judgment when it comes to the featured content.

Spell check. Even if you are not a journalist or in a communication-related field, make sure you don’t have a lot of misspelled words on your profiles. Typos and misspellings could communicate a careless attitude or sloppiness – two things you don’t want to convey in the professional world.

Social media can be a great tool for staying connected, learning new industry tips, and showing that you are up-to-speed on current trends. In the digital age, personal and professional can overlap. So, use these tips to make sure you maintain a balanced online image. It’s always a good idea to put your best foot forward by always being professional, even in your personal life. To learn more, view our guide on social media for business leaders.

Career Advancement New Job Tips The Daily Grind The Job Search

Skills to Help Brand Your Online Identity

By Miranda Wilson on Thursday, October 15, 2009

Webster’s dictionary defines identity as, “the state or fact of being a specific person or thing; individuality; or the state of being as described.” Think of the things related to your profession that you excel at. Are you a PR professional, a budding scientist, or a math guru? What is your career identity? Now, what is my online career identity?

According to an article on CareerBuilder, four out of five hiring managers search for job applicants online in an attempt to learn more about that person. This same article also states that anyone, regardless of where you are in your working career, should have a strong online identity. How do you do this?

1. Identify How and Where You Want to Brand Yourself

With today’s social media, you have many avenues in which you can build your online identity. However, don’t try to build your brand on every site. Be specific, and look for those sites that relate to your industry and profession. If you’re an engineer, it won’t do you any good to be a member of Greatest Chef’s of the World.com. Also, if you’re on 100 different social media networking sites, it might send the wrong impression that you don’t understand social networking or that you have too much time on your hands. Keep things relevant to you and your abilities.

2. Create Personal Social Networking Accounts

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Myspace. This list can go on and on. These sites aren’t just for social purposes. They can help enhance your career. On these sites, you can list your interests, education, and employment information. They also allow you to make connections with others in your industry and communicate with each other. You can also update your status which is blasted out to all your connections, keeping them updated about what you’re doing.

These are great tools for sharing information about your industry, learning new skills, and building relationships. But, be careful and keep things professional even though these are social networking sites. One small mistake could ruin the positive image you’re trying to build.

3. Blog

Somewhere online you can find blogs specifically related to your industry or that provide information that interests you. Today, many online business newsletters are in a blog format. Someone posts an announcement or article and you are able to make provide feedback. Take advantage of this and write comments back on those postings. Not only are you sharing your knowledge and building your credibility, but it also gets your name out there to others who are reading the blog. You’re identifying yourself and your expertise.

Social media is ever growing and it changes quickly. Sign up to receive publications from your industry to stay aware of what things are happening in your career field and learn how these types of communication can be applied. When it comes to your career, don’t forget that your number one asset is you. How do you want to be branded?

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A Simple Goal-Setting Guide

By tiffany monhollon on Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Creating goals is a great way to keep yourself motivated, focused, and progressing throughout the year. As we approach the close of the year, goal-setting is a hot topic, especially in business. But you can set goals for yourself any time of year, for any reason. To get started, determine the areas you want to set goals in.

1) Select Goal Types.

Personal – As the most common type of goals, these may focus on personal enrichment activities, health and fitness objectives, hobbies, spiritual enrichment, etc. Though the new year is a popular time to set these goals, creating short-to-mid-term , measurable personal goals may be more realistic and help you get the results you want.

Job Search – Looking for a job? The job search can be a long and daunting process, so create weekly and monthly goals to keep yourself on track.

Work – Want to really enjoy your work? Create goals for yourself so you can enjoy the feeling of continual success as you accomplish your daily tasks.

Career – Want to move up in your career or even switch fields? Career goals can be mid-to long- term and help you advance in your profession.

Networking – Whether in social media or in person, creating networking goals can help you expand your network and deepening relationships with important contacts.

Education – Want to pursue a degree, vocational training, or apprenticeship? Educational goals are critical because they can help you make important decisions on coursework, programs, conferences and even career choices.

2) Create SMART Goals.

Once you’ve selected the areas you want to create goals for, use the SMART goals formula to set goals that will help you progress. This formula is a time-tested way to create goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based.

Specific – Make sure your goals are clear and well-defined. For example, instead of creating a health goal such as “work out more,” create a goal: “to exercise twice a week.”

Measurable – How will you know if you’re accomplishing your goals? Make them measurable from the get-go! The goal “ to exercise twice a week” is something you can measure, as long as you can count to two! Let’s try a more complex goal, like an educational process. Instead of “to obtain a college diploma,” which is very vague, “complete 20 hours of coursework towards my bachelor’s degree this year, is something you can check to ensure progress as time goes by.

Achievable – You don’t want to set your goals so high you can’t reach them. On the other hand, you don’t want to set them so low they don’t mean much. So, make sure you are taking into account personal, financial, and other factors. Make your goals something you can accomplish through diligent effort.

Relevant – This may seem like an odd component of a good goal, but especially when it comes to your work life, it’s important to have relevant goals. For example, if you want to become a manager, setting a goal to get a degree in philosophy might not be the best idea. So, make sure your goals are something relevant to you.

Time-based – Goals that have no deadline are little more than talk. That’s because without deadlines, you’ll find yourself procrastinating on your progress. Timelines are one of the most important parts of goal-setting, but it’s the thing most people leave out of the process. So, give your goals deadlines and stick to them!

3) Commit and Follow Through.

The final step in the goal-setting process is to write your goals down, share them with someone who can hold you accountable, and measure your progress. Also share your goal deadlines with a friend, colleague, family-member, or other trusted person. Have them follow up with you on your timeline to help keep you on track!

Are you setting goals for this month? Are you already planning goals for next year? Share your thoughts on goals in the comments section, and feel free to share a goal with us there, too!

Dress for Success Job Interviews Resumes and Cover Letters The Job Search

3 Risky Job Search Tactics

By Brie Hobbs on Wednesday, October 7, 2009

With the national unemployment rate reaching 9.8% in September, competition in the job market feels fiercer than high school cheerleading tryouts. With all that opposition, it’s important to stand out from the crowd. But, standing too far out can be risky business. So, before you resort to a showy song and dance routine (unless of course your next interview is on Broadway, in which case, break a leg) or any of these three job search tactics, make sure you weigh the risks so you don’t set yourself too far apart in your next interview and risk losing the job.

1. The unconventional résumé. Non-traditional résumés like website portfolios, podcasts and video résumés might be the wave of the future, but not every business or industry is suited for them. So, whatever résumé form you choose to submit, make sure it’s smart, relevant, and effective with your industry and audience when you interview. If you do use an unconventional résumé, consider pairing it with a traditional one for more conservative fields.

2. The statement wardrobe choice. First impressions are made within three to five seconds, so what you wear says a lot about who you are. A Lady Gaga-sense of style may win you rave reviews at fashion week, but professional dress is more appropriate for most interviews (unless you’re applying for a job as a stylist). While you should always be yourself, be a toned-down version of you in the interview, especially if you’re the type to rock fuchsia pumps or a yellow bow tie. Before your interview, learn about the company culture and atmosphere to determine how you should dress.

3. The overly confident boaster. Confidence allows potential employers to see your ability, enthusiasm, and drive. It’s important to present your past experiences and accomplishments with assurance. But, when you discuss your successes and achievements, be sure to give specific and quantifiable examples. And, back your examples with solid references who will do the talking for you. You run the risk of seeming pretentious and arrogant if you give only vague statements of your triumphs.

When you’re looking for a job, consider each risk carefully. Of course you need to stand out, but in the right way. Be brave by being you in a way that demonstrates your skills, attitude, and character. A sincere job applicant can be the diamond in the rough that employers are looking for.

Resumes and Cover Letters The Job Search

30 Power Words to Power Up Your Résumé & Boost Your Job Search

By Job Journey on Monday, October 5, 2009

Does your résumé have the punch it needs to help you stand out? Is your cover letter well-written and convincing? Are you conveying professionalism in the e-mails you write to recruiters or hiring managers?

With unemployment still at record highs, the job market is intensely competitive. Simply having the job qualifications, education, and experience required is not enough to help you land the job in this market. Since each job now receives record numbers of applicants, competition is fierce. Just getting past the résumé pile and landing an interview can be quite an accomplishment.

So, to help you get past that first step in the process, you can give your résumé a little boost by using words that help employers see you have the extra skills they’re looking for. And, according to our recent poll that asked what the top soft skills employers want out of today’s worker, a strong work ethic, a positive attitude, and good communication skills are at the top of the list. So, here are 30 words you can use to show you’ve got what it takes for the demands of today’s world of work.

Words to Convey Work Ethic

1. Diligent
2. Consistent
3. Thoughtful
4. Accurate
5. Valuable
6. Thorough
7. Reliable
8. Results
9. Persistence
10. Improved

Words to Convey Positive Attitude

11. Solutions
12. Vision
13. Success
14. Encouraged
15. Innovative
16. Achieved
17. Motivated
18. Contributed
19. Collaborated
20. Outcome

Words to Convey Communication Skills

21. Spoke
22. Presented
23. Published
24. Negotiated
25. Inspired
26. Created
27. Shared
28. Conveyed
29. Timely
30. Concise

Use these words to revise how you describe job functions in your résumé and cover letter, or add details about yourself to other correspondence you write during the job search and interview process.

And, since employers want good communication skills in an employee, make sure to spell check and proof read every written document you use in your job search for proper grammar, tone, and form. Consider having a friend or trusted peer review these documents to make sure they’re professional, thoughtful, and convincing.

After all, you’re more than what you put on paper. But step one in the job process is to convince employers of that fact. Using the right words may be just the thing your job search needs.

At Work Career Advancement Job Interviews The Job Search Workplace Relationships

The Mixed Signals Affecting Your Career

By Brie Hobbs on Thursday, September 24, 2009

We live in a world of perpetual communication. On average, men use more than 13,000 words a day and women use nearly three times that amount. We also send and receive information through nonverbal messages such as our body language, posture, facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact. Appearance, style of speech, and voice inflection can further communicate information to others. We communicate at work, at home, in social settings, through social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, through e-mail, blogs, instant messaging, phones, and more, all at an ever quickening pace.

What’s Your Message Saying?

We have a million things to say, and a million ways to say it, but with all that communication, the signals we send can get mixed. Sending mixed signals is sometimes unavoidable and is almost always done subconsciously, but could your mixed signals be hurting your career? What you convey verbally and nonverbally, and how you convey it can affect the way employers and co-workers perceive you. If you’re waiting on a promotion, worrying that you’re striking out during a job interview, or feeling misunderstood at work, it could be that you’re sending the wrong messages.

Understanding Misunderstandings

Misinterpretation is inevitable. Maybe your co-workers interpret your tendency to be introverted as you being cold or standoffish instead of just shy. Perhaps your enthusiasm, excitement, and passion at work make others feel overwhelmed or intimated. A relaxed personality can be interpreted as a lack of drive or just laziness. In your career and in life, it’s imperative to be aware of what you’re communicating and how that communication is received. To know what you’re communicating, you have to see yourself as others see you.

Know Thy Communication Pitfalls

Thomas Fuller once said, “No man is the worst for knowing the worst of himself.” So, while it may be uncomfortable, even a little painful, to learn you have a habit of talking over people and it’s driving your co-workers insane, or that your focused eye contact frightens the administrative assistant until she avoids you like she would a basilisk, knowing you have a disconnect in communication is half the battle. Soliciting feedback from others can equip you with the information you need to communicate more effectively. So ask a co-worker, mentor, respected leader, friend, or even the employer who choose not to hire you to provide feedback on the messages you send, and use that information to adapt your communication styles so you can be more clearly understood. You never know, what may seem like a small change could make all the difference. Maybe your next interview will be a home run, the next promotion a sure thing, or at the very least, maybe that administrative assistant won’t cower in fear from your death stare every time you enter the room.