Using Word Of Mouth Effectively In Your Job Search

Word of mouth (WOM) is the oldest form of advertising, public relations, and spreading information.  In today’s world, word of mouth has added great reach, deep dimension, and lightning speed like never before.

Most of the job and career sites confirm that 80% of jobs right now are not posted on job boards – they are only accessible through networking, or word of mouth. 

Here’s how to use word of mouth effectively in your job search.

• Use viral, real time news from social media.
• Be very careful what you say and how you say it.
• Build Relationships
• Lead with Results
• Get Referrals
• Get Recommendations around the buzz of people in the know.

For more info, click here.

Get a Good Job Without a Bachelor's Degree

“You must have a bachelor’s degree” is a common myth that needs to be debunked. For years, it has been said that, with the decline in manufacturing, the blue-collar job that required a high school degree or less was gone for good.

Not all good jobs for people with less than a bachelor’s degree have been eliminated. There are 30 million jobs in the U.S. that pay good wages without a B.A.: The median salary is $55,000 with an opportunity to move up the career ladder.

Job-seekers without a B.A. need to search beyond traditional blue-collar sectors and look to skilled-services industries. jobs in financial services, health services, information technology and other skilled-service industries. More discussion here.

Crush fears and get on with your search

A job search can produce a lot of anxiety. You may find that, your search efforts keep getting pushed to the bottom of your to-do list and the needle never moves.

You may chalk up the delay to lack of time, but is that really what’s going on? Could it be time to evaluate the mental roadblocks getting in the way? There are three top mental offenders that hamper a job search:

• Succumbing to fear
• Ignoring your strengths
• Being disorganized

Find hints on how to tackle each here.

Where STEM jobs are, and aren't

The best way to predict your future is to create it, Araham Lincoln advised.  The right education helps.  A courageous course adjustment works wonders.  There is no plenty of new STEM data to help point you in a profitable direction.

For more info, click here.

Group Interview Tips

If the you you plan to interview for requires a lot of team work, be prepared for group or panel interview.  This will determine how well you able to be heard and share ideas in group settings.

Project interviews are become more common especially among IT job interviews.  The company will want to save time knowing you possess the necessary skills before taking time with a personal or group interview.

For 5 tips for getting through a Group Interview, click here.

The Best Defense is a Good Offense

Anyone being interviewed is seating in the hot seat.  No one should sit the unprepared, be it a job seeker or CEO.  Here is a cautionary perspective of the interview hot seat.  Take the time to be better prepared so nothing can knock you off your game.

For more information, click here.

Land a Stretch Job

Having a good manager that sees your potential is wonderful. For those recognized with potential the challenge is to overcome themselves and get the confidence needed and rise to the occasion.

You can do some homework and look for growth potential, equally important is a manager that recognizes it. You will need to 'stretch' yourself, don't settle for the typical advancement.

For some stories of people who got stretched, see the article here.

Evaluate Your Interview Performance

The interview is over. You must learn to review your own performance so that you can learn from the experience. Use this opportunity to be objective about the situation. 

Emotionally, one of the most helpful things you can do is to let go of your self-recriminations by venting. After the interview, go to your car, or stop at a cafe, and write about what just happened. 
Let your thoughts pour out. When finished, put the writing away, and let go. Sleep on it and when you’ve had a chance to relax, go back and revisit what you wrote. What can you learn from this experience? 

See ten key points for a self-evaluation here.

Why few applicants actually get interviews

Sending out more applications doesn’t increase your chances of getting hired. Sending out better applications does. Employers say as many as 75% of applicants for a given role aren’t actually qualified to do it.

Here are three ways to elevate your job applications to the top of the list:

• Only apply for jobs that you actually qualify for.
• Explain how you can stand out on the job. 
• Tailor your resume to the job that you’re applying to. 

For details see the full article here.

All Too Common Interview Mistakes

Very small, but very significant acts that could stand between you and your next job.

There are reasons you might not feel as confident as you'd like to when you're in your next job interview. It is an expected challenge. Small but significant acts could stand between you and your next job.

In addition to proper preparation to give substantial responses, be sure to pay attention to simple details and don't sabotage yourself with common mistakes.

For the top 10 things NOT to do in your interview see the complete article here.

Top 10 Ways To Get A Job Interview

Knowing that you are likely one of many applicants, how do you get “noticed”? There are a few steps that you can follow to greatly increase your odds of landing that interview.

Breaking down my favorites, David Letterman style, here are my top 10 ways to get an interview: Here are ways 10 to 6.

10.  Be Specific
9.    Know Your Strengths
8.    Research Your Target Companies
7.    Develop A Resume That Stands Out From The Rest

For more info as well as all ten ways to initiate a job interview, click here.

Customize Your Resume for Best Results

You have a resume, but it's not working as well as you'd like it to. What can you do to increase the number of calls you receive for job interviews?  Submitting the same resume for every position can't possibly meet each employer's individual requirements. If you want to grab hiring managers' attention, you need to give them what they want. You must take the time to tailor your resume to each employer and its goals to strengthen your chance of getting noticed.

Suggest you update the following headings cited below.

• Copy Your Monster Resume
• Title
• Objective
• Description
• Qualifications Summary
• Job Descriptions
• Skills

For specific insight of improving your resume, click here

Thank You Email After Interview Considerations

There are several advantages over the old-fashioned paper-and-ink variety of thank you letter. 

• You can send your note right away, the same day if possible, and ensure that it gets to its intended recipients (provided spam filters cooperate). 
• You can do more than remind your employer of your qualities and skill
• You can show them off, by including a link to your online portfolio, LinkedIn account, or professional social networking profiles.

For more insight with Do's and Don't examples, click here

30+ proven tips to put in a resume

Here are some very appropriate ways to improve your resume with proven tips that work!  If you want a resume that will give you more interviews, you need to know what skills to put on a resume and how to describe them.

This article will specifically show you:

• Where to put work skills on a resume. 
• What skills to put on a resume to get you MORE interviews.
• How to list work-related skills on a resume.
• 31 best examples of how to put your skills on a CV (right vs. wrong examples).
• INFOGRAPHIC that shows the most important resume skills.

For insight, click here to learn more.

Using Social Media in Your Job Search

An increasing number of employers are using social media sites to recruit and to advertise for employees. The majority of open jobs are not posted on job boards, but are found through networking. According to JobVite’s 2013 Social Media Recruiting Survey:

• 94% of recruiters across all industries have adapted to social recruiting
• 78% of recruiters have made a hire using social recruiting
• 93% of recruiters are likely to look at someone's social media profile
• The order of preference is 1. LinkedIn 2. Facebook 3. Twitter

This article covers why use social media, referrals are everything, and how to get started.  

For more info on how to use social media, click here.

Curriculum Vitae Use

A curriculum vitae is a document one uses to apply for employment. It provides detailed information about an individual's educational and work history. Often called a CV, it is much more comprehensive than a resume and therefore it can be much longer. There is no limit to how long, but it must include only information that is needed to illustrate your academic and professional experience. A lengthy CV isn't better than a short one if it contains irrelevant data.

CV features covered in this article include:

• What Should You Put on Your CV?
• CV Mistakes to Avoid

To learn more, click here.

Putting Together a Career Action Plan

A career action plan is a road map that takes you from choosing an occupation to becoming employed in that occupation to reaching your long-term career goals.  The career planning process is ongoing, and bi-directional, meaning you can move back to previous steps when you need to gather more information or clarify your choices.

Your career action plan will be made up of these goals and the steps you will have to take to reach them.  Here's what you need to do: 

• First brainstorm to come up with a list of all your goals. 
• Then break your goals down into short-term and long-term goals.

For more info about writing a career plan, click here

Why you need a career plan

Developing a career action plan can be achieved only after doing a thorough self assessment with a complete exploration of viable career options.  The career planning process is ongoing, and bi-directional, meaning you can move back to previous steps when you need to gather more information or clarify your choices.

For example, a counselor can't set your goals for you. He or she will just help you clarify them and assist you in finding strategies to reach them. You must amend your action plan over time as your goals change, your priorities change, and your career grows.

For more info about writing a career plan, click here

Develop a Career Action Plan

Of desirable career options, one must choose choose an occupation after examining them carefully and determining which one is the best match. After doing a thorough self assessment and an exploration of career options you should develop a career action plan.   

The career planning process is ongoing, and bi-directional, meaning you can move back to previous steps when you need to gather more information or clarify your choices.

Once you have identified an occupation to pursue, you then develop an action plan ncluding the educational or vocational training requirements.

For a discussion of a Career Action Plan see the article here.

Judge Your Job Opportunities

Top recruiters place candidates in new jobs by carefully qualifying job job descriptions.

These recruiters search the job description to see if the manager has realistic expectations. They evaluate the text for a sense of urgency, to help assess the chance of filling the position. They zero  in on the most promising positions.
In your search for jobs, you can steal a few pages from the recruiting playbook. Before investing hours tailoring your standard resume, decide if an opportunity is worth pursuing with the following:

• Study the Job Posting
• Identify the Must-Have Skills
• Determine the Level of Urgency
• Explore the Compensation
• Verify the Hiring Process

To decide if a position is worth the time and effort see more details here

How to Pick the Right Career

The most important thing to do in picking a career is to choose one that is right for you. Finding a career that is a good fit is all that matters. Ignore people who tell you what type of work to pursue. 

You will pour much of yourself into your job, and spend much time at work; your career must be suitable for you. It has to fit well with your interests, aptitudes, work-related values, and personality type. The first steps include:

• Learn about yourself
• Learn about potential occupations

Find more information here.

Your Personality and Your Career

Trying to decide what career to pursue? You should find out what your personality type is. Certain occupations are more suitable for particular types than others.  A self assessment should look at your values, interests, and aptitudes. These four taken together serve as a way to find the right career.

A way to learn about your personality is through the use of "career personality tests." They are more accurately called personality inventories. A career development professional, such as a career counselor, can administer a personality inventory and help you utilize what you learn from it. 

For more on personalities see the complete article here.

Picking a Career Path

When selecting a career there's a lot riding on your decision. You want to pick an occupation in which you can be successful for many years to come. 

While you can change careers, doing so can be an effort. It is easier if you don't have to . 

You should pick something that is not only suitable for you, but also can support you financially far into the future. Increase your chances of making a good decision by avoiding some very common mistakes here.

Money moves after loosing your job

When you have overcome the shock of losing your job — and, likely, your main source of income — organizing your finances can have a calming effect. The sooner you make a plan, the easier it will be to cope with your change of circumstances.

Despite being one of life's biggest stressors, being fired, demoted or seeing a change in your financial state does not have to spell doom and gloom.

Review the short term demands on your wallet and longer-term financial obligations and ease this stressful financial situation. See some suggestions here.

Assessing Your Aptitude

What is Aptitude?
When you are researching occupations, or reviewing job offerings, you may see aptitude listed in the requirements. For example, you may read that in order to work in a particular field you need to have an aptitude for science. Other occupations require having an aptitude in math, visual arts or or manual dexterity or motor coordination.

When an aptitude is among the qualifications to work in an occupation, it is referring to a natural talent or an ability through life experience, study or training. It also pertain to one's capacity to acquire a skill.

For a discussion on Aptitudes, see the full article here.

Exploring Career Choices

You have a multitude of options when it comes to a career  It can be difficult to pick one, especially if you have no idea what you want to do ... or if many things appeal to you. Does it seem like an insurmountable task? It's not. 

You will have to put some effort into making your decision, but your effort will be well worth it in the end. If you follow these steps, you can successfully choose a suitable career and avoid making a big mistake. 

Assess yourself
List occupations to explore
Explore the occupations
Create a 'Short List'
Conduct informational interviews

For details on the above steps, see the article here,

Steps to Choosing a Career

When the time comes for you to pick a career, you will discover that you have a multitude of options. It can be difficult to pick one, especially if you have no idea what you want to do ... or if many things appeal to you. 

This is not an insurmountable task. You will have to put some effort into making your decision, but your effort will be well worth it in the end. There is a method and by following these steps, you can successfully choose a suitable career. 

See eight steps here to structure your investigation.

Analyze the Job Description

Any interview is definitely a one time make or break. The company will make a decision on you as a candidate for the role you are interviewing for, but they will also decide how they feel about you as a candidate for the company overall. 

Knowing what you are interviewing for is more than just knowing the job title and position basics. It means dissecting the job description and knowing how to apply your past experience to the job being filled.

For the anatomy of a job description, there are usually 4 main parts: the overview, the responsibilities, the requirements, and the desired attributes.

For a discussion of these factors see the article here

Have A Career Network

A career network should be in place when you need it, both for job searching and for moving along the career ladder. Since you never know when you might need it, it makes sense to have an active career network, even if you don't need it today.

Career networking, or "professional" networking, involves using personal, professional, academic or familial contacts to assist with a job search, achieve career goals, or learn more about your field, or another field you'd like to work in. 

Networking can be a good way to hear about job opportunities, or get an "in" at the company you'd like to work in.  For 7 tips see the article here.

Create a Personal Power Statement

In 30 Second Summaries and in Resumes, consider the power of words that describe a person's character, values, and skills perfectly. Creating a power statement is imperative for all persons at any level. Individuals need to be effective in communicating their strengths and accomplishments at any educational level. 

When presenting oneself to others, there is a need to present information to validate one's values, character, and skills in a powerful and succinct manner. 

This could be difficult without the guidance presented here.

Things to say in an interview

Your interview is usually your first (possibly only)  opportunity to present yourself.  You need to be able to effectively communicate your skill set and show the best competitive advantage to secure employment. 

During the interview process, you want to highlight as many of your strengths as possible. An easy way to do this is by slipping a few simple phrases into the job interview. 

Find seven things you should be ready to say in an interview here.

Networking for Introverts

You have probably heard you should spend some portion of your time networking. This includes even when you have job. So with networking being essential, now is the time to start.

You will most likely find yourself at an event of some kind event  (networking?) or mingling before the event starts (networking?). This is a natural opportunity for networking to take place.  For the recent college graduate,and for the unemployed, networking is really about any room you are in that contains other people too!

Some people are naturals at the art of networking while for others, perhaps the more shy or introverted among us, networking can be a stressful experience.

Find eight tips which will provide some help in relieving that stress here.

Assess your Career – Take a Short Test

Using questions about your preferences and attitudes, you can be associated with one of the 16 principal personality types. 

Conducting a personal career profile will give you insight into your individuality, outlining your strengths along with areas of relative weakness. It maps your behavioral style and core motivations to areas of work and patterns of work which best accommodate your individual make-up, giving you the  opportunity to reflect and make decisive choices on your working life and career.

The initial free analysis will give you an interesting picture of you as a person. Purchasing the  followup report is optional. Find the test here.

Part Time Employment from Home

The good news is a number of companies are looking for part-time workers -- and that number is expected to rise in the coming years. Nearly one in five workers is currently part-time, and by 2020 projected that will increase to 40%.

A firm that screens companies offering part-time opportunities has analyzed more than 40,000 companies offering part-time remote jobs in the first half of 2016 and come up with the top 35 to watch for such work.

Industries that topped the list include education, marketing and healthcare, travel and technology. Some of the more common part-time remote job titles are teacher, writer, speech pathologist, coder, interpreter, editor, and customer service representative.

See the 35 legitimate companies in the complete article here.

Negotiate a Higher Salary

Negotiating is a skill, and many people don't have much experience with it. However, negotiating can earn or save you more money in less time than just about any other method. 

Most job candidates do a poor job of negotiating for a higher salary, and some don't even realize that salary negotiation is an expected part of the interview process.

See 7 essential tips for negotiating a higher salary here

Ten Work at Home Jobs

Searching for jobs home-based work, used to be a matter of scanning the Sunday classifieds for offers to get rich quick by stuffing envelopes. Working from home is easier now because exposure to at-home opportunities has multiplied.

A wide variety of job ads are just a click away, but so are the scams. It is difficult to find a legitimate opportunity. With 4,500 to 5,000 work-at-home job ads posted weekly, the statistics find 60 phonies for every one that's for real

Let’s initially begin with the type of job that represents a true opportunity here.