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4 Summer Blockbusters that Can Help In Your Job Search

By Job Journey on Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Summer brings the big hits to the box office, and this year’s selection of action movies were full of lessons that job seekers can take away. In fact, most of the heroes in big movies have traits you need while you’re looking for that perfect career – courage, creativity, an open mind, and a positive attitude. Like movie heroes, you’re facing a big conflict or a villain (in this case, unemployment), but you also have the traits to overcome and win in the end.

So, let’s take a look at this summer’s blockbusters and how they can help you land a job.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Asking for Help
An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” can teach you a thing or two about networking and unlikely alliances.

When adventurer Peter Quill becomes a hunted man after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by a powerful villain, he has to team up with a group of misfits—Rocket, a gun-happy raccoon; Groot, a tree-like creature; the deadly and mysterious Gamora; and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. Together, this group must make a desperate last stand to save the galaxy’s fate.

Okay, so you aren’t saving the galaxy, but you are saving your career and future happiness. What “Guardians of the Galaxy” says about networking and getting some help from your friends can apply to your job search as well.

Enlist your network of people by asking them to refer you to job openings, introduce you to people they know, and use them as references. Don’t discount anyone – your hairdresser, gym trainer, or even the family doctor may know of job opportunities that could be perfect for you.

Taking a team approach to job seeking is helpful. It never hurts to have somebody else to share ideas and progress with on a regular basis.

How to Train Your Dragon 2: Hidden Possibilities
This family-favorite blockbuster has a lot to say about discovering something special where you least expect it. Five years after Hiccup and Toothless united the dragons and Vikings of Berk, the two have charted the island’s unmapped territories. When they find a secret cave that houses hundreds of wild dragons, they also find themselves at the center of a battle to protect Berk from a power-hungry warrior named Drago.

You too can find hidden job leads in places you normally wouldn’t look, but you have to be as tenacious and adventurous as Hiccup and Toothless. Upward of 80% of jobs are obtained through networking, so try beefing up your networking efforts. Your secret caves of social media can be a goldmine of connections.

For instance, how many Facebook friends do you have? How many have jobs? How many of your LinkedIn connections work in your field? Start asking them about employment opportunities or if they know other people to connect with.

Look for opportunities to network in places you normally wouldn’t. That unadvertised job opening might be hidden in plain sight.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Correcting Past Mistakes
This summer movie is a lesson in past mistakes, and how they can catch up to you if you aren’t careful. A population of genetically evolved apes comes head to head with human survivors of a devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. Though a truce is declared, both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth’s dominant species.

The rise of the apes was due to an experiment led by humans, and now that mistake has all but wiped out the human race. So, don’t let your past mistakes wipe out your job future! If you’re searching for a career, take time to clean up your online profile. When it comes to potential employers, it’s important to make sure that what they see online represents who you are.

Google your name and find out what pops up. Remove distasteful or offensive posts from your social media, and while you are at it, set your Facebook posts to private.

If you find offensive results on Google, Google has a process for removing them. For more tips on making your online reputation shine, check out this blog post.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Staying Positive
Having a good attitude is everything, and these pizza-loving turtles have plenty of that. The teenage terrapins Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael live in the sewers beneath New York City, but the brothers can’t stand by while evil Shredder and his minions harm the city.

Our intrepid heroes never let anything get them down, even when their plans seem to go awry. They just dust themselves off and get back to saving the city. Attitude and optimism are just as important if you are unemployed, too.

Regardless of how tough your job search is, it’s absolutely vital to keep a positive attitude during your job search. Some great tips to maintain that attitude are to take charge by being present, accountable, and ready; talking positively about yourself and your abilities; exercising to relieve stress; and making a job search schedule and sticking to it.

Few people score the very first job they apply to. So, instead of seeing job rejection as a personal attack, look at it as an opportunity to grow and learn more about yourself.

What job search tips did you take away from your favorite summer movies? Let us know in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Top Rated Job Search Tools

By Job Journey on Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Finding a job and scouring the job boards can often be a time-consuming, frustrating, and confusing ordeal. With hundreds of job boards online and even more want ads in the newspapers, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. Where do you even start? How do you know where to look? How do you avoid scam sites or “pay” sites?

We’ve compiled a list of helpful sites we think are the best places for job seekers to use their time wisely. While every job seeker is different and has different needs and priorities, these tools are a great place to start if you’re looking for a job.

1. Job Boards
General job boards can be a great place to kick off your search. We’ve included such popular sites as Monster.com, and CareerBuilder because they allow you to search jobs quickly and easily.

There’s also more niche-oriented sites. For example, Idealist.org is a job board dedicated to non-profit jobs. USAJobs is a job board with a huge list of federal job openings. Both are quality tools to help you if you want a job with the government or in the nonprofit realm. Be sure to check and see if there’s a nice specific job board for your industry.

2. LinkedIn
If you are actively looking for a job, you should already be on LinkedIn.

Why? For one, it is the largest professional social networking site in the world, boasting more than 175 million members in more than 200 countries.

Every second, two new members sign up, and more and more hiring managers are looking at LinkedIn profiles for potential candidates. According to Forbes.com, recruiters use LinkedIn more than any other website to connect with job candidates.

Even better is that it is free to use and a great place to show off your work history and qualifications!

3. Facebook and Twitter
Another way to use social media to get your foot in the door is to follow, like, or start conversations online with the companies where you’d like to work for. Commenting or “retweeting” comments from a potential employer on Twitter shows engagement, as does leaving comments or “liking” a post on that company’s Facebook page.

Other social media sites, like Instagram or Pinterest, also allow you to start engagement and conversations with potential employers. Just be careful of what you post – what you say online could stay there forever.

4. Professional Organizations

It’s been said a professional organization exists for every field, and the benefits of joining such organizations are many. Participating in a professional organization allows job seekers to learn from the experience of others, but also allows for top-notch networking opportunities.

By joining a professional group, you have the chance to connect with decision-makers in your industry and hear about job leads. Many of these groups, like the Public Relations Society of America or the Society for Human Resource Management, have extensive job boards that are open to members.

An added benefit of joining these groups is the potential to expand upon skills necessary to your particular field.

5. Recruiters and Staffing Firms
Recruiters and staffing firms like Express Employment Professionals work to bring the right employee and the right employers together. Whether you’re looking for a temporary or a professional position, working with a staffing firm is an easy way to improve your job search.

Staffing companies help match thousands of job seekers to jobs every day. And, the assistance doesn’t stop there. These firms also provide tools like resume writing help, job seeking tips, and job search tools.

And, if you’re new to Movin’ On Up, the Express Employment Professionals job blog, take advantage of the numerous articles and topics designed to help you in your quest for a perfect fit. Articles range from Top Interview Traits Your Future Boss Wants to See to How to Say Yes to a Summer Wardrobe and all topics in between.

Do you have some favorite job search tools that you use? Share with us in the comments section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Social Media

3 Steps to Detoxing Your Social Media for Your Job Search

By Job Journey on Wednesday, August 13, 2014

In June, CareerBuilder released findings on the number of employers turning to social networking sites to research candidates. The 2014 survey, conducted by Harris Poll, found that 51% of employees who research job candidates online said they’ve found content that caused them to not hire the candidate, up 8% from the previous year and 17% from 2012. Only 12% of employers surveyed said they don’t currently research candidates on social media, but they also reported that they plan to start in the near future.

If you think your online presence could be poisoning your job chances, it’s probably time to detox your social networks and rid your accounts of content that could keep you from getting a job.

Step 1: Get Rid of the Harmful Stuff Fast

When it comes to detoxing your social media, the first thing to do is to remove anything harmful from your accounts. The CareerBuilder survey reported that some of the most common reasons employers gave for passing on a candidate included:

46% for provocative or inappropriate photographs or information
41% for information posted about the candidate drinking or using drugs
36% for bad-mouthing a previous company or fellow employee
32% for poor communication skills
28% for discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc.
22% for lying about qualifications

As you start to detox your social accounts, think about what employers are and are not looking for in a candidate. Take a look at your history online and search for anything that could be considered unprofessional or could be misconstrued. If it hurts your chances of getting hired, ask yourself if it’s worth keeping. Then, start deleting. Edit errors. Remove inappropriate posts you’re tagged in. Change your profile photo if it doesn’t reflect the professional image you’d like to portray. Really take some time to investigate your accounts. It may not be enough to switch out your Facebook profile photo for example. You may also need to delete some of the old profile photos entirely from your account to keep people from looking at your profile history. Whatever you do, don’t be afraid to let go of the past for a brighter future.

Step 2: Setup Boundaries and Check Privacy Settings

Once you’ve deleted the things that could be harmful to your job search from your social accounts, take a look at your privacy settings. If you don’t want potential employers looking at your Facebook page for example, make sure only your friends can see the information you share on your profile. If you’re going to leave your Facebook profile open, turn on your Timeline review so you can approve posts you are tagged in before they appear on your page. If you don’t approve a post that you’re tagged in, remember that you may still need to go remove the tag from your friends post. Facebook and other networks are constantly updating their privacy settings, so it’s important to stay up to date on your settings to know who can see your accounts.

Now that you’ve checked your privacy settings and cleaned up your accounts, take some time to think about what you will and will not post in the future. Give yourself some boundaries or create some rules of thumb to follow to keep your social media free of job killing toxins. Tell yourself you will proof read every status update before you post it and try reading your updates out loud before you share them. This will help you catch any grammatical errors and give you time to stop and think about whether or not you should even post it.

Step 3: Replace the Bad Stuff with the Good Stuff

Your social media presence doesn’t have to be toxic to your job search. In fact, it can actually help you get an interview or even a job! While the CareerBuilder survey found that 51% of employers didn’t hire an applicant because of something they saw on social media, 33% of employers also said they’ve found content that made them more likely to hire a candidate as well. And, 23% said they found information that directly led to hiring the candidate!

Some of the most common reasons employers gave for hiring a candidate based on their social networking presence included:

46% of employers felt the applicant was a good fit with their company culture
45% said the candidate’s background information supported their qualifications
43% said their online presence conveyed a professional image
40% said the applicant was well-rounded and showed a wide range of interests

If you want to make the most out of your social media networks to help you land a job, then replace any harmful information with beneficial information that could actually help give your career a boost. A great place to start is with your LinkedIn account since it’s already geared toward helping you make professional connections online. Take time to fill out as much information as you can. Provide links to your work. If you volunteered for something in your community, post about it on all of your accounts. Share industry related information to help show that you’re an expert in your field. Detoxing your social media isn’t just about getting rid of what’s bad. It’s about sharing the good things. Find ways to demonstrate your skills and abilities as well as your personality and your strengths, and you’ll be well on your way to having a robust and healthy image online that could help you stand out from other applicants.

How do you ensure your social presence is free of job-killing toxins? Share about it in our comment’s section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Social Media

Is Your Online Presence Hurting Your Job Search?

By Job Journey on Wednesday, July 16, 2014

What you put online can haunt you forever.

Sound scary? It is.

Remember those parties in college and the pictures of you and your friends doing silly, sometimes inappropriate, things? Well, those fun times may come back to haunt you when you’re looking to impress a potential boss.

Today’s employers are savvy enough to scour the web and social media sites to get a feel for potential employees. So, if your digital footprint shows information you wouldn’t want your grandmother to see, then that footprint needs to be fixed, and fast. It could mean the difference between getting the job of your dreams or missing out.

First things first. Type your name into Google or Bing and see what search results show up. If what appears doesn’t show you in a positive light, you may want to start cleaning up your image. Here are the facts and ways you can improve your digital reputation:

Digging Up Dirt

According to the HUHS Library Media Center, 45% of all hiring managers use search engines to find information on people who applied for jobs. And, 63% said that something on a job seeker’s social media site caused them to not offer them a job. Recruiters for college graduate jobs said the same thing, with 50% saying they’ve found information online that ruined a job offer.

On the other hand, only 3% of job seekers regularly check their online presence; in fact, 74% said they’ve done it only once or twice.

Do you know how you really look online?

Think Before You Post

Photos of that beach party or that outrageous stunt you pulled may be lots of fun to share with friends, but it’s a big red flag for employers.

Even worse are questionable photos or posts. A CareerBuilder.com study said the top reasons someone wasn’t hired were because:

Candidate posted provocative/inappropriate photos/info – 49%
There was information about the candidate drinking or using drugs – 45%

Candidate had poor communication skills – 35%
Candidate bad mouthed previous employer – 33%
Candidate made discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, or other – 28%
Candidate lied about his or her qualifications – 22%

Good Behavior

Don’t despair. Not all online searches yield terrible information that will doom you to unemployment for the rest of your life. Employers can also find the good things about you online too.

According to the same study by CareerBuilder, those good things included:

They got a good feel for your personality – 58%
You have a professional image –55%
Information found proved you were qualified – 54%
You come off as well-rounded and with a wide range of interests – 51%
You have great communication skills – 49%
You are creative – 44%
Other people said great things about you – 34%

What You Can Do

The good news is that you can start cleaning up your online image today. With a little effort, you can make your online presence work in your favor.

But, before we go any further, go to all your social media sites right now and adjust your privacy settings so only people you want can see your posts. It’s okay, we’ll wait.

Now that your sites are private, you can do a couple of other things to erase any bad press a search may turn up. These tips, provided by The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, include:

Remove any photos, content and links that are inappropriate or reveal too much information.
Be private and selective about who can access your information.
Remove inappropriate comments by others.
Post links to your work.
Don’t vent on a public domain – keep your anger or nasty comments to yourself.
Set your social networking profile to private and designate who can view your content.
Most importantly, think before you post.

Have you had an experience in which your digital profile meant the difference between getting a job or not getting a job? Share your story in the comments below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Career Advancement Dress for Success Job Interviews Resumes and Cover Letters Social Media The Job Search Uncategorized

5 Great Apps To Help You Prepare For An Interview

By mrsmith on Wednesday, May 28, 2014

“There’s an app for that!” is an iconic Apple Inc. slogan, one of several companies capitalizing off of the trend of desktops being replaced by mobile devices. According to a five year report by “Flurry,” a leading producer of app analytics, consumers now spend two hours and 42 minutes a day on their phone, with 80% of that being used for apps and only 20% for internet search.

This increase in phone usage means the need for apps continually increases as well. From documenting every second of your life to maximizing your next selfie, there truly is an app for everything. Among those millions of apps are actually some very useful tools for job seekers. So which of them can help you land that next job? Below you’ll find five apps that are sure to make an impact on your interview preparation.

Glassdoor
Knowing your audience is very important in many facets of life, and it can definitely be a winning factor in an interview. Glassdoor calls themselves the world’s most transparent career community. It is a largely crowd sourced online resource that connects you with company information, employee reviews, salary information, and job descriptions. This knowledge can be helpful in giving you a deeper understanding of the companies that you are applying with.

Interview Prep Questions
Once you get in the door of an employer, it’s not always smooth sailing. Some hiring managers will ask you tough questions that could rock your boat if you aren’t prepared. This quick-flip app displays questions similar to flash cards and lets you get familiar with frequently asked questions so you can give solid, confident answers.

MonsterInterviews
A simple app by career search company Monster. This app has multiple tools to help you prepare with sample interview questions, company research tools, and last minute tips to keep you calm and collected on the interview big day. Another unique function it provides is a post-interview calendar option. With this you can set reminders for follow up calls and save important notes that you can reference if you get called in for a second interview.

Google Maps
Although not directly related to the actual interview, knowing where to go for your interview can relieve one more stressor and help keep you focused on the task at hand. I speak from experience – getting lost and calling the employer for directions doesn’t help put your best foot forward.

How-to-tie-a-tie
An integral part of getting your next job is dressing the part. And, anyone who wears ties in their day-to-day lives will tell you the knot in your tie is very important in how you present yourself. So if you aren’t familiar with tying a tie, this app can definitely help top off your appearance with a top-notch knot.

Not everything can be solved with your digital companion, but when job hunting you can never have too much support. Regardless of how you prepare, be sure to research and prepare for the tough questions. Most importantly, be sure to stand tall, stay confident, and present yourself like you are their next most valuable employee. If you know of other apps that are complementary to the interview preparation be sure, to let us know in the comments section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

Job Interviews Social Media Workplace Safety

Secure Your Social Media

By Rachel Rudisill on Monday, May 19, 2014

Social media now plays a role in your job search and in the HR world. It’s important to protect your information. Social media security issues often arise as a result of weak passwords. Hackers can easily access your account and hijack your information if you’re not careful about how you choose your passwords.

In 2012, the top three most common passwords were “password,” “123456,” and “12345678.” No matter how many precautions you take to protect your social media networks, if you don’t take the time to protect your password, you may be easy prey for savvy hackers looking to gain access to your accounts.

Passwords and Account Settings
One way to start securing up your social media accounts is by updating your passwords and account settings. It’s important for your safety and online identity to protect yourself by making a few easy changes to your password and account settings.

When it comes to passwords, you’ve got to create sequences of words and letter that are very unique. It’s also important to change up your passwords frequently.

How to Keep Track of all Your Passwords
I know it seems like a daunting task to re-create a unique password every month, not to mention keep track of it, but it could pay off in the future to have safe and protected social media networks.

Having trouble remembering all those different passwords? Try using a password manager application that organizes and protects passwords and can automatically log you into websites.

Worth the Investment
With graduation around the corner, you’ll be glad your sites are secured. A recent CareerBuilder study of 2,100 hiring managers and human resource professionals found that nearly two in five companies use social networking sites to research job candidates. And one in five hiring managers said they found something that has caused them not to hire a candidate. By keeping your accounts secure you lower your risk of fraudulent posts that could be damaging to your reputation. So remember, during your job searching process, the importance of keeping your social media accounts secure and cleaned up.

What have you done to secure your social media accounts? Share with us in the comments section below.

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.

At Work Career Advancement Career Options Job Interviews New Job Tips The Daily Grind The Job Search Uncategorized Work/Life Balance

Reinvent Your Online Identity

By leidson on Monday, May 12, 2014

Whether you’re looking for a job and want to expand your network or just wanting to freshen up your social media presence, it’s important to frequently revamp your online identity. A revamp doesn’t mean you have to overhaul your social media presence, but it’s a good way to put your best foot forward. Here are some ways you can get started on revamping your online identity today.

First Impression

Some people say first impressions last a lifetime. If that’s the case, your profile needs to be the best representation of yourself it can possibly be. Do you have pictures or posts that aren’t great representations of you? Do yourself a favor and delete things off your page that could potentially hinder or cause a hiring manager to change their mind about you. Also, be mindful that if you’ve applied for jobs, hiring managers are probably already checking out your online identity.

A new survey by CareerBuilder, nearly two in five companies use social networking sites to research job candidates and according to Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder, “Employers are using all the tools available to them to assure they make the correct hiring decision,” and that includes social media.

Stay Active

Do you actively search for job opportunities through social media networks? If not, becoming active through social media groups is a great way to start. You can learn about companies and gain knowledge of different industries just by being part of a group on LinkedIn. You never know if a LinkedIn connection you made through a group can be helpful in getting a job in the future. A recent Jobvite survey shows that more people get hired from online referrals and company career pages than from job boards. So it’s important to stay active online, never stop networking, and keep everything professional.

Keep it Current

Is the information on your profile accurate and up-to-date? Sometimes we get busy and forget to update our information – especially after a move or change in job. Be sure to take a good look at your social media profiles and make sure all your information is current. Not only does your information need to be consistently updated, but it’s also important to keep an up-to-date profile picture.

It’s never too late to reinvent your online identity. You can start today by using these quick tips we’ve shared. Have you recently updated your social media profiles and got a job as a result? Let us know in the comments section below!

Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.