Ideas to help you succeed in a competitive job market
PETERSBURG, VA -- Being out of work for an extended period of time can be very difficult. Whether it has been six months, a year, or longer, use these tips to help yourself get back on track. 1) Be Specific: When possible, make sure your cover letter is specific to the job opportunity. 2) Address the Mess: Explain the gap on your resume. Address the questions that you know are going to be asked with confidence.
3) Present the Perfect You: Proof read, edit, proof read again. One avoidable mistake could cost you the job. Don't lose an opportunity over spelling or grammar errors. 4) Honesty is the Best Policy: Try not to oversell. Be authentic in your approach. 5) Be Considerate: Arrive to an interview early, but not too early; 10-15 minutes should be the max. 6) Practice Makes Perfect: Research interview questions and practice answering them, especially the more challenging ones.
7) Review your References: Have you spoken with your references lately? If it's been a long time since you last spoke to your references, let them know you have recently interviewed and they may be hearing from a hiring manager. 8) Use the Magic Words: After interviewing say thank you. Ideally, send a well written thank you note to everyone you met with at the company. It's also nice to follow-up with a hand written note, which is becoming less common and can help you stand out. 9) Be Confident: Pessimism and doubt are not your allies in a job search.
Resume tool gives you the competitive advantage
LOS ANGELES, CA -- With a new service called MyJobHunter, you can search all top career sites at once & apply to all matching jobs with one click. Just enter your search criteria, review the matching jobs and select the ones you want. Then, click a single button and you'll instantly apply to all selected jobs with your resume and cover letter (without having to log into each job site separately).
Click another button and you can automate the whole process! MyJobHunter can remember what you searched for, search for it again each day, and AUTOMATICALLY APPLY FOR YOU to new jobs matching your criteria. Review jobs in advance or put searching & applying on auto-pilot. The choice is yours.
You'll also get an application history report that makes follow-up a breeze! It shows the jobs you were applied to, full job descriptions, employer contact info, and application dates. You can even add personal notes to each job! This service is proven to reduce hours of job searching and resume submitting to just minutes. Simply upload your resume, enter your job search criteria and let MyJobHunter take it from there. To get the competitive advantage and land a job faster, visit MyJobHunter today.
Job hunting tips for transitioning veterans
NEW YORK, NY -- Veterans transitioning to civilian life are encountering some challenges as they search for new employment. If you're a returning vet, here are a few things you can do to facilitate the transition: Create a job search plan: Determine what type of work you would like to do and make a list of companies in your area that might hire someone with your background. Exploit your experience: Your resume should provide employers with a clear picture of how the capabilities you developed in the military relate to the job. Emphasize the experience you gained in teamwork, leadership, resourcefulness, and the other areas that are strengthened through military service.
Build your network: Utilize LinkedIn, which is a business related networking site. Start connecting with former veterans who have vocational backgrounds and interests similar to yours. Use your network to leverage your brand: Establish your network and ask for referrals. Start reaching out to other veterans, especially those who are employed in your local area, to see if they can give you guidance about your career transition.
Utilize transition programs and groups: Take advantage of military transition programs before you are discharged. Many of these programs offer various types of job-search training. The transition from military life to civilian life can be challenging, especially in a sour economy. Build your confidence and increase your success by developing a plan, building and exploiting your network, taking advantage of the many programs that are available, and, most of all, persevering.
Why employers may not be calling you back.
MELVILLE, NY -- Is there any worse confidence killer than rejection? It goes back to childhood, when you want something for your birthday but you end up getting a pack of tube socks instead. You immediately wonder if you did something wrong. That same game of "Is it me or them?" continues well into adulthood as you begin searching for a job. You make a list of your best qualities, send them to employers and try to woo them in an interview. Then you wait but the phone never rings.
Job seekers want to know why they can seemingly do everything right, and yet, they don't hear back from employers. So we went to the source to find out. For a job seeker, the application process is full of anxiety and excitement. When you're looking for a job, each available position represents a possible new beginning. The problem is that you're just one in 100s of applications received.
"In the current market, if you post a job, you will get buried with resumes," says Matthew McMahon, partner at staffing firm McMahon Partners LLC. "Maybe 5% are in the ballpark." This means plenty of hiring managers spend their time reading irrelevant applications. As a result, they have less time for you. "We simply don't have time to respond to all applicants."
Get 10 interview calls in 72 hours--guaranteed
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA -- There's nothing easy about job searching. What's especially frustrating for many job seekers is a disappointing response rate. However, it's important to note that a job search is based on a numbers game. For example: If you get your resume in front of 1000 hiring managers, you should get 10-50 quality responses leading up to 5 interviews. If you don't pay attention to 'how' you are sending your resumes, your actions might only serve to put your resume in a pile with hundreds of others.
Consider a more focused approach to your job search. A search that increases the number and quality of responses by using a targeted list of industries and decision makers who are looking for people with your skills. This new type of search also employs an affordable delivery system that ensures your resume will be seen by the right person. Impossible?
Not at all! We recommend using a service called JobsByFax. This service is simple to use, effective and an affordable way to ensure a more focused and satisfying job search. You'll have instant access to information on thousands of companies and their decision makers. JobsByFax combines quality and quantity by faxing your resume to potential employers and recruiters, giving you a chance to win that numbers game. JobsByFax will revitalize your job search and promise quality responses that lead to interviews and even job offers! Take control of your job search by going to JobsByFax.
Things recruiters won't tell you
DALLAS, TX -- Recruiters have one job: Find the right person for the position. Their performance is evaluated on how efficiently and effectively they match top talent to job requirements. Ironically, in the current economy, recruiters are finding their jobs harder than ever. I'm serious. There's too much talent for them to weed through. What used to be "finding a needle in a haystack" has now become "finding a needle in ten haystacks."
As a result, recruiters have to determine a candidate's marketability much quicker. Translation: Candidates must pay even more attention to the power of the first impression factor. People skills, attire, etc. all become more important when competition amongst talent is as fierce as it is in today's job market.
Reality check: Those who are failing to make a good first impression get put in the "no" pile and are never contacted again. So, if you aren't getting called back by a recruiter after either an in-person meeting or talking by phone, there's a good chance that, in addition to the fact you didn't have the right skills, you also might have displayed one or more traits on the "I can't market them" list. Now, most recruiters won't tell you what you did wrong. Why? For one reason, they aren't paid to give you the bad news. Second, they don't want to burn a bridge. And third, as I mentioned, they just don't have the time.
Easiest way to find a good recruiter in your industry
NEW YORK, NY -- When looking for a job, you may want to consider working with a recruiter. Recruiters, otherwise known as head hunters or search consultants, are hired by companies to find candidates for them, and often know about unadvertised jobs.
It's important to note, that recruiters do not charge the job seeker. The company pays a fee, typically when a candidate is hired. When contacting a recruiter send a resume and cover letter just as though you were applying for a job. If a recruiter calls you, always call back - even if you are not currently job hunting. You never know when circumstances might change and you might need job search assistance.
If you don't know of any good recruiters and/or want to instantly have your resume sent to 1000's of recruiters that specialize in people with your skills, we have a suggestion for you! One service, Resume Mailman, can email your resume to 1000's of targeted recruiters. Resume Mailman asks you to fill out some general information and input your resume. Then, your information is delivered to recruiters who specialize in finding jobs for people with your skills, in your area! Give Resume Mailman a try today.
Key steps to a cover letter that opens doors
NEW YORK, NY -- So... you've created a knockout resume, and you're ready to wow employers by sending it directly to them. Don't forget to send it under cover--a powerful cover letter, that is. While a great resume can open doors, a compelling cover letter can be an equal (if not MORE) important part of your pitch for employment.
In fact, some surveys of HR professionals and recruiters have suggested the cover letter--instead of the resume--is what really gets read! That's right! The interviewing decision may actually rest on how well-written and concise your letter appears. The irony is you may never find out whether it was the resume OR the cover letter that swayed an employer. Even if cover letter writing isn't your style, don't panic! Read on for five strategies that can help even a novice letter writer create a memorable introduction to capture an employer's attention:
- Ensure your letter matches your resume in presentation and style.
- Try to find out the name of the hiring manager before sending your application.
- Keep in mind the purpose of the letter is to gain attention.
- Summarize what you can do for the company without a total reiteration of the resume.
- Limit the number of sentences beginning with "I" as much as possible.
Career Tools Highlighted in This Issue:
- MyJobHunter - Job Search Tool Search all job sites at once. Apply to matching jobs with 1-click.
- 10 interview calls in 72 hours Let JobsByFax send your resume to 1000's of employers
- Let A Recruiter Find You A Job Instantly deliver your resume to 1000's of targeted recruiters.
