job seeker Archives - Fun Job Fairs

Job Search Mission Statement

March 19, 2012 by Julie Austin

A mission statement for an organization or company is a statement that states what your purpose is. It’s a roadmap to guide you in the right direction. It spells out what your goals are and the actions you need to take to achieve them.

So why can’t you, as a job seeker, have a mission statement too? Even though you have the information in your head, it always helps to write down on paper what needs to be done. It will help you see exactly what your strengths and weaknesses are and where you need to improve.

Writing a job search mission statement also helps you figure out what you want in a job. Instead of randomly sending out resumes to as many companies as you can, why not write down a mission statement to help you narrow your focus.

Once you figure out what your strengths are you can begin to target a job that will suit you that you will be happy at.

Filed Under: Job Search Tagged With: company, job, job search, job seeker, mission statement, resumes

HR & Job Seeker Etiquette

May 24, 2011 by Julie Austin

In the dating scene it’s a common complaint. “Why didn’t he call back?” But the same thing happens in the job market, as job seekers are left in the dark, even after several interviews with multiple people in the company. It looks like things are close, but then they never hear from them again.

This has problem has always existed, but it’s even worse now with over 15 million people out of work and for much longer periods of time. Job seekers are feeling more vulnerable than in the past.

One reason for the rudeness could be that HR departments are completely overwhelmed right now. Many of them are barely able to handle the applicants and interviews they have, and just don’t have the time to respond to everyone that applies.

Whatever the case, to the job seeker, who is putting in so much time and energy into finding a job, a courtesy call or letter would at least make them feel that they are being treated like a human being. And they could begin to set their sights on a different company or job instead of waiting for the phone to ring.

Filed Under: Job Search, Job Seekers Tagged With: applicants, HR, interviews, job, job market, job seeker, work

Unemployment Stress

February 26, 2011 by Julie Austin

We know how stressful unemployment is for the job seeker. But what about for the job seeker’s spouse and family? In a paper published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, a recent study examined the stress felt by married couples where one spouse was unemployed and the other wasn’t.

Associate Professor Maw-Der Foo of CU Boulder’s Leed’s School of Business studies workplace issues and relationships. The stress from the unemployed spouse tends to affect the one that still has a job.

The study is helpful to counselors and psychologists in being able to spot and reverse the problems before they escalate .

Filed Under: Unemployment Tagged With: job, job seeker, unemployed, unemployment, workplace

Unemployment by the Numbers

January 10, 2011 by Julie Austin

Unemployment

Not all job markets are created equal. Even though the national average is 9.4% (much higher if you include underemployment), it still varies by location.

The lowest numbers are in Washington, D.C., which hovers around 6%. That could change as the political climate changes and cuts are made in Congress. The highest is in Las Vegas, where the unemployment rate has risen since last year to 14.3%.

Some locations, like Austin, TX, have stayed fairly steady and show the most promise as the economy and job market improves. Many of the jobs there are in the health and tech fields and will improve even more in the coming years.

If you’re a job seeker and live somewhere like Southern California or Michigan, which both have dismal job prospects, a move just might be the change you need.

Filed Under: Unemployment Tagged With: job market, job seeker, jobs, underemployment, unemployment

Unemployment- The Good News and The Bad News

January 9, 2011 by Julie Austin

According to Chairman Ben Bernanke, unemployment is predicted to remain high at least through 2012. The number dropped slightly this month, but that is mostly because of the people who are dropping out of the job search and off of unemployment benefits.

A record number of job seekers have been unemployed for over 6 months. This is, in fact, almost half of the job seekers currently looking for work.

So, where does this leave you if you are one of those job seekers? First of all, the job market has changed and is not showing any signs that things are going back to normal any time soon, if ever. If you’re one of those people that is stuck on doing things the same ole’ way you’ve always done them, you’re probably going to be miserable and depressed when your job search leaves you frustrated and unemployed long term.

But if you are someone who embraces a challenge and is willing to look at employment in a totally new and exciting way, it could be the kick in the pants you’ve always needed. It could be a career change or even a completely new and innovative way of earning a living, even if that means working a couple of part time jobs or freelancing. It could be the change you never even knew you were looking for.

Filed Under: Job Search, Unemployment Tagged With: earning a living, freelancing, job market, job search, job seeker, job seekers, part time jobs, unemployed, unemployment, unemployment benefits

Practical Strategies For Getting Results With a Job Board

December 30, 2010 by Julie Austin

Since I’ve never used a job board before to get a job, I don’t know that much about how it works. But here is a short article outlining how to use one to your advantage. It’s from a military job site, but applies to other jobs:

1. Think of ways to reduce your competition. This is the primary challenge of today’s job seeker. The way you reduce your competition is by targeting and mirroring how employers search for candidates and how they deal with getting too many applicants.

2. Build your resume for a database. If you want your resume to be found in a resume database, build it around the following keyword formula: Industry Sector + Job Title + Special Skill + Location. Write an employer-focused resume. Make your resume deep in detail. Make your resume prove not only what you can do but what bottom-line results you can produce.

You can also follow the guidelines of resume development cited by DJZ bloggers Bruce Diggs and Bill McNeely. I’d also check out the Army Times article called “Résumé revolution: High-performance résumés raise your competitive edge.

3. Name Your Resume with Keywords. Many job boards give the job seeker the ability to name his resume. Don’t use your actual name. Rather use a descriptive keyword phrase that has the likelihood of mirroring how a recruiter is using the job board to find candidates.

4. Avoid the Big Job Boards. Focus on Market Niche Sites. Use the Internet to research all the job boards in your industry. Post your resume to the market niche boards, which always have higher success rates than the big boards. For example, two sites with above average hiring rates are ClearanceJobs and RecruitMilitary. (I never have nor presently do have any business relationships with these sites.) I’ve seen recruiters post their information to the DJZ forum so I’d recommend you post your resume here.

5. Use a multi-venue and comprehensive strategy. Find out what works for YOU. Include the job boards, social media sites, direct employer contact, networking, etc. Test each of these approaches. Find out what works and what doesn’t. If something does not work for you discard it and move onto what does. Be experimental.

6. Successful job hunting is a relationship building task. People get interviewed because of their credentials. But people only get hired because they have built a relationship above and beyond a resume or a job interview. Focus your efforts on relationship building. Get “face-time.” Get out of the house and away from your computer. Go to industry-specific job fairs that are run by an industry’s recruiters. It is with the relationships you build in your real life that your next job will come from.

Contact the Author

http://blog.dangerzonejobs.com/guest-blogger-randall-scasny/how-to-get-results-from-a-job-board/

Filed Under: Job Search Tagged With: applicants, employer, job, job board, Job Fairs, job seeker, jobs, military job, Networking, resume