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How Far Would You Go For a Job?

February 18, 2012 by

Last week I talked about moving to North Dakota for a job, where the unemployment rate is 1.5% in some places. But it does get a bit cold for many people and can also be rather remote.

Turns out there’s a place that has an even lower unemployment rate… the South Pole. The temperature can dip down to 40% F and it’s dark 24 hours a day in the winter, but hey, there’s probably not much competition for jobs, right? Wrong.

There are only 36 job openings and the British Antarctic Survey expects over 3,000 applications. Some of the job openings are for chefs, carpenters, and plumbers. The jobs are spread across the five bases.

I actually know someone that worked at the pole. He said workers are given a mental evaluation beforehand and it’s recommended that you apply after working a summer there. Winters, and the constant darkness can affect even the most sane people.

As the ad says, “must have a sense of adventure and get along well with others”. Sense of adventure, indeed. And, since the living conditions are close, you do need to be able to get along well with others. Meals are served cafeteria style and mail service is limited, with none in the winter.

 



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Job Seekers Waiting for the Call

May 8, 2011 by

You’re sitting by the phone waiting for that call. That one special call that will change your life, or at least change your current financial situation.

It feels a little like the guy or girl waiting for a call on Friday or Saturday night, that never comes. It’s frustrating and sometimes depressing. “Why aren’t they calling back? Was it something I did or said?”

You can run that question over in your mind a million times and it won’t make it better. These days it’s not likely that you’ll get a call if you’re not right for the job. There just isn’t enough time at the end of the day to call everyone back.

According to career experts, quite often the reason you didn’t get a call back is because you applied in a general way to a job opening where they needed someone specific.

Instead of trying to fit into a position where you don’t really belong, try going after exactly what it is you’re perfect for and are passionate about. Instead of scouring the job boards for any ‘ole job, try targeting just the places you really want to work. Sometimes simply by having total passion for the job, and having the right training, you stand a better chance.



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5 Key Steps Job Seekers Take During Holidays

December 16, 2010 by

Job seekers shouldn’t take a holiday:

With the holidays fast approaching, job seekers may be tempted to take a ‘holiday’ from job search efforts, a mistake that could leave them a step behind when January – which ranks annually as the strongest month for hiring – rolls around.

While job seekers should never stop applying for desired jobs, December should not exclusively be dedicated to submitting applications. Recruiting for many employers ends at Thanksgiving and resumes on January 3rd, so with the exception of last minute hiring by firms with budget to spare, the supply of new openings eases. In addition, human resources departments are tasked with year-end responsibilities that may detract from attention that can be paid to new resumes landing on their desk.

For this reason, the December holidays offer an ideal time for the nearly 15 million unemployed Americans to focus on other aspects of the job search. Rob McGovern, CEO of Jobfox, the nation’s fastest growing online job site, recommends that holiday job seekers consider the following 5 New Year’s resolutions so that they can hit the ground running when the calendar turns to 2011.

1.    Focus on employers, not vacancies – Many new job openings will not be posted until after the New Year, so spending hours and hours during the holidays staring at the same stale vacancies is hardly a good use of a job seeker’s time. Instead, the job seekers should make a list of target employers they want to work for in 2011 (as well as their website career pages), so they are ready to pounce once jobs are posted.

2.    Stop first at employer websites – With a list of target employers in hand, a job seeker’s first stop should be the company website. New job postings will typically appear on an employer’s website hours or even days ahead of showing up on the major online job sites. Job seekers should also sign up for an employer’s career page RSS feed (if they have one) and Twitter profile, which some employers use to alert followers to new job postings.

3.    Develop social network job search strategy – Many job seekers use social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, but this does not mean they have a social network strategy for their job search. December represents the ideal time to identify valuable social network connections, whether it is a former colleague on LinkedIn connected to a desired employer or a Facebook friend in the know on every new opportunity. Identify these contacts during the holidays, and then extend social network invites in early January when you can include a less formal greeting wishing them a happy new year as the impetus for reaching out.

4.    Work the party circuit – Yes, most job seekers cannot secure invites to company holiday parties. But there are always industry, association and trade group holiday events that offer a more relaxed opportunity for networking. To be mindful of party attendance costs, identify the two or three parties that will be attended by the right contacts at the right companies.

5.    Rethink your resume – Most job seekers organize their resume around tasks performed for employers. To succeed in the 2011 job market, resume writing should be done in a way that focuses on accomplishments rather than tasks in order to convey the job seeker is not simply a “doer” but an “achiever.”

About Jobfox
Jobfox is the largest online network of matchable professionals, connecting thousands of employers with the most qualified individuals among millions throughout the Jobfox Network. Through Jobfox’s comprehensive skills-based matching system, Jobfox is able to pinpoint the most qualified candidates to employers, and in turn, the most relevant job opportunities to professionals throughout the Jobfox Network who are open to learning about new career opportunities. Visit www.jobfox.com today.

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2010/12/prweb4902034.htm

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/12/16/prweb4902034.DTL#ixzz18If7gaiH



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