Applying For Jobs Online

Posted on February 22, 2012 by E. James

There are many obvious advantages to applying for jobs online. You can cover a wide swath of job applications, geographic regions, and message boards very quickly and efficiently. However, job search websites are certainly no silver bullet for finding a job, and you still have to apply many of the same considerations that you would for a traditional job search. With literally thousands of new job sites cropping up each year (some more reputable than others), here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Maintain control. Job sites offer a service, but there’s always something in it for them. Ultimately, a website is just one more tool in the tool kit, and you want the end result to be the same: you send your application to a particular individual within the company. It is important that you are apply on your own behalf, as some websites will offer to do this for you. This is one of the reasons that a low-tech online search, such as a google search that leads to the webpage of the hiring manager, is often more productive than a fancy automated service.

2. Look before you leap. Online job services are required to provide you with the fine print. Check out their privacy policy and the details of their service agreements before you give away your information. The internet is a powerful and wonderful place, but it is also very dangerous, and once your information is given to the wrong people, it can never be retracted or undone.

3. Maintain your profile. As you know, job searching is a job in itself. Make sure you’re putting sufficient time into maintaining your online profiles on job sites and LinkedIn.

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Applying For Jobs Online

Posted on February 21, 2012 by E. James

3. Maintain your profile. As you know, job searching is a job in itself. Make sure you’re putting sufficient time into maintaining your online profiles on job sites and LinkedIn.

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Writing Cover Letters

Posted on February 20, 2012 by E. James

Cover letters are one of the many gate-keepers that can end your job search before it even begins. To ensure that you don’t make a mistake that can put you out of business, check out our latest cover-letter advice:

1. Know your reader. This advice has several components. First, in the literal sense, you should know who will be reading your cover letter. Do not use generic company addresses and “To Whom It May Concern…” Instead, do your homework and address your letter to the individual person who will be reading it. Knowing your reading also means knowing what he or she is looking for. Simply tooting your own horn and expressing how much the job means to you is a technique that fails to see it from your potential employer’s perspective, and can sink you before you even meet. Instead, think about what the job means for the other party, and then work backwards to present your case for how you can provide it. For example, if you are applying for a management-level position with highly demanding organization skills, it’s not enough to write that you are organized. You should instead write about how the workplace will be improved by hiring someone with your excellent organization skills.

2. Proofread. This advice comes up frequently because it’s so crucial. Even one typo can send your application into the trash, so be sure to triple check it. Two supplementary techniques for proofreading are to ask a friend to read it, and also for you to read it backwards, that is, starting with the last word and reading backwards, word by word, for spelling errors. Both of these techniques will diminish the chance that your eye passes over a mistake because you are too familiar with the material.

3. Follow up. Make your contact information clear, professional, and up-to-date. If you don’t hear back, take the initiative and contact your interviewer.

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How To Apply When You’re Overqualified

Posted on February 15, 2012 by E. James

One problem that has increased dramatically throughout the recent recession is the epidemic of high-level workers who have lost work and have not been able to find lower-level work because they appear to be overqualified. If you find yourself in this difficult position—where you have to convince your interviewer that you’re looking to stay when in fact you regard the position as temporary—then consider our advice:

Redefine your presentation. The trick here is to match what you have to offer to what the hiring manager needs, rather than to fluff yourself up with all of your degrees, honors, and awards. You should certainly mention your work experience and your education on your resume, but put the focus on what you can do, not on what you expect from your prospective employer. This will certainly require preparing a new resume for each and every job you apply for.

Show off your versatility. Present your interviewer with specific examples of jobs where you demonstrated the flexibility and teamwork required to work in a variety of positions. Since you’re obviously downgrading your career, flexibility and teamwork will be major concerns for your prospective employer. The burden is on you to prove that you work well with others in a variety of positions. Always connect your qualifications to concrete job experiences and illustrate how well those experiences would carry over to the work you are currently applying for.

Expect less. Being overqualified means, by definition, that you’ll be getting paid for less than you’re worth. This is a painful and unfair situation, but in order to make it work, you must convince your interviewer that you understand the compensation involved and are nevertheless completely dedicated the job (even more so than another, younger worker, for whom the work would be a step up).

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Networking Tips (Part 2)

Posted on February 13, 2012 by E. James

Everyone seems to agree that networking is an essential ingredient in landing that next big job offer, but there is persistent confusion about what exactly networking is and is not, and how to go about it. Here are some practical tips to set you straight on your path to successful networking (continued from yesterday).

3. You are always the product, but you don’t always have to be the salesman. In essence, you should make yourself as presentable, professional, and accessible as possible, but don’t push yourself too aggressively when asking for favors. Instead, state clearly who you are, what your professional goals are, and how you intend to meet those goals. This is different than directly asking for something, and is best suited for potential contacts who do not owe you anything and may not even have anything to offer in this moment. Rather, if they respond favorably to you, they may connect you with other contacts or call on you when they have positions available for you in the future. Being the product means that you should always present yourself in the best possible terms. Even though you are not selling yourself, you are very much seen as a product in the workforce, and you want to come across as always as the most valuable product possible.

4. Keep your doors open. Sometimes you make a great contact even though you’re already locked into your current job contract. That’s ok. Keep the lines of communication open in a casual, friendly way, occasionally writing to check with your other contacts. There’s always the chance that something will open up in the future. Part of this process is the way you manage to hold everyone in the best possible light. Never speak badly about your current employer (or anyone else for that matter). Just let potential hiring managers know how valuable you are, and make sure you’re on the list to find out when something opens up.

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Networking Tips (Part 1)

Posted on February 11, 2012 by E. James

1. Networking is a web, not a straight line. This model has several implications. First of all, it’s a two-way street. Often, approaching a potential ally is easier and more successful when you have something to offer them, rather than simply breaking down their door to ask them to help you. If there’s nothing that you have to offer a potential contact, for example if you are reaching out to someone who is much more established than you, there are still ways you can keep things mutual. At the very least, offer your services in a humble manner, and honor the other party for his or her expertise. Secondly, networking is community building, not simply trying to get things out of people. You will get much further if you ease yourself into a community by confidently, yet kindly, asking each contact if there is anyone else they can recommend to help you to attain your professional goals. Again, barging in and asking for something might close more doors than it opens, as will taking favors without offering anything back.

2. Make your presentation clean, clear, and professional. You’ve probably heard of the 30-second elevator speech, and it’s a great place to start. Make sure you can introduce yourself and make your pitch to anyone, any time, in under 30 seconds. Next, make a professional business card and a website that shows off your skills, portfolio, and CV. Without these basic components, you’re not yet ready to network.

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Finding Freelance Work Over The Internet

Posted on February 9, 2012 by E. James

The internet has been a boon for freelancers of all kinds: designers, writers, computer programmers, etc. While there are many websites that broker freelance contract work, two of the most prominent are elance.com and guru.com. However, before you quit your day job and dive in to the exciting and challenging world of freelance, there are a few things you should consider first:

Expect to start slow. Remember, clients choose their freelancers based on their online reputation (this process is similar to the rating system used on eBay). At the beginning, you will not have any reputation, so you’ll want to bid low and work extra hard, delivering a product that’s probably worth a lot more than you paid for, so as to insure that you’ll get good ratings. This is parallel to a startup factoring in advertising and promotional costs. Regardless, the net effect will mean less money for you, at least at first.

Find a niche. While the money can be plentiful for freelancers, so is the competition. You are almost certainly going up against other experts in your field from all over the world, and some of them inevitably come from developing nations with much lower living expenses. There is no way you can undersell everyone. Instead, focus on what makes you special and valuable, and cultivate a niche marketplace for what you have to offer. If you work in a specialized field, for example coding a particular computer language, search for freelance websites that only focus on your skill, which will bring you into a niche network much faster.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. No matter how good a thing you have going on one site or with one client, always try to diversify over different sites or even different kinds of media. Maintain a good website, blog, or about.me site where a potential client can see all of your activities in one place.

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The Cities With The Highest Wages

Posted on February 6, 2012 by E. James

The jobs trends website payscale.com just released their list of the cities with the highest wage increases in the fourth quarter of 2011. Here are the cities that topped the list:

1. Houston, Texas. Houston led the list, with a 2.2% increase in wages throughout Q4 of 2011. Houston has now returned to the heights of 2008, its pre-recession levels. Houston has a wide variety of industries, but the one that has contributed the most to the wage increase is the booming oil and gas industries. However, Houston has more than oil to offer. As the largest city in Texas, it also has strong aeronautics and health industry offerings. In addition to wage increases, the Houston job market added 75,800 new jobs over the course of 2011. Unemployment in Houston is 7.3 percent, which is below the national average.

2. Miami, Florida. Miami saw a wage increase of about 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Despite high unemployment in Florida, Miami has seen job growth in computer and IT sectors, and in the logging industry.

3. Chicago, Illinois. These two cities tied at about 1.7% wage increase in the fourth quarter. Although both cities were hit hard by the recession, they have shown significant wage increases in recent months.

Why You’re Not Getting That Job (Part 2)

Posted on February 3, 2012 by E. James

CNN recently offered a special report on small mistakes that can lead to big losses in your job search. Here is a selected review inspired by their most helpful tips:

4. Are you focusing on the company, or on yourself? Address your cover letter to your prospective employer by focusing on what the company needs and how you can offer it. Many applicants make the mistake of focusing on themselves and what they stand to gain. As in any relationship, coming off narcissistic can be a deal breaker.

5. Are you tracking your own accomplishments? In order to stay successful throughout your career, you must think ahead by keeping your resume well-maintained and up-to-date. Each time you receive an award or commendation, be sure to add it quickly and thoroughly to your resume. Otherwise, it can be very difficult to remember all your accomplishments down the road.

6. Professional contact information. Make sure you give your prospective employer the most accessible and professional way to reach you. Have a professional email address and a clear, professional voicemail outgoing message. Whatever you do, do not give out your phone number at your current place of employment. That shows that you are taking paid time out of your current job to look for work, which is very unprofessional.

7. Asking questions. When an interviewer gives you an opportunity to ask questions, take advantage of it. Saying you don’t have any questions about your potential job communicates a lack of interest. Your interview should not come off as disinterested or perfunctory. Make sure your interviewer sees how engaged you are and how much you care.

Why You’re Not Getting That Job (Part 1)

Posted on February 2, 2012 by E. James

CNN recently offered a special report on small mistakes that can lead to big losses in your job search. Here is a selected review inspired by their most helpful tips:

1. Proofread for typos! Rarely is your cost to benefit ratio so steep as it is when proofreading for typos. It only takes a second to create a typographical error, and only a minute to identify and correct it, but if you leave typos and misspellings in your professional documents, the effects can last a lifetime. Your cover letter and resume are the portal through which potential employees get to know you. Typos are the fastest way to close a door, even before it fully opens.

2. Presentation. Most companies make their policies regarding dress code and professional presentation very clear. If you want to seal the deal, you need to look like you already work for you prospective employer. You interviewer is trying to imagine you in the job you’re applying for, and you need to make his or her job easier by looking like you’ve already got it. Similarly, give the same amount of attention to your documents that you give to your dress and coiffure. High-quality resume paper and professional-looking formatting don’t require a lot of extra time and money, but they can pay off big.

3. Speaking badly about a former boss. This advice applies to business as much as it does to dating. Just like speaking badly about an ex on a first date can be off-putting (“Is that how he/she is going to talk about me if we break up?” your date is probably thinking), badmouthing a previous employer can leave your interviewer wondering how you will represent their company if and when you leave.