| When I read the article below, I was blown away by the potential of JobTap, check it out and I encourage you to share your experience. | ||
|
Showing posts with label job search. Show all posts
Showing posts with label job search. Show all posts
Text Message Your Next Employer: The Newest Way to Find a Job
| When I read the article below, I was blown away by the potential of JobTap, check it out and I encourage you to share your experience. | ||
How to Keep Your Spirits Up During a Job Search
If
you're having a difficult time finding a job, and it seems like it's
taking forever, don't despair. Here are some suggestions for keeping
your spirit positive:
Think Up
The mind is a powerful vessel. How we think and what we think can control our spirits. We literally can think ourselves up or down. To keep out the negative thoughts and self-doubt:
The mind is a powerful vessel. How we think and what we think can control our spirits. We literally can think ourselves up or down. To keep out the negative thoughts and self-doubt:
- Wake up thinking or saying positive statements.
- Avoid negative media, news, emails, and downer movies and television.
- End the day thinking or saying positive statements.
- Think about the positives a new job brings: new skills, new relationships, and a new chance to show your skills and talents.
Positive Reminders
Surround yourself with quotes or statements of hope and encouragement. Write your favorites on sticky notes on the refrigerator or computer -- somewhere you can easily see them. Two of my favorites are from Winston Churchill:
Surround yourself with quotes or statements of hope and encouragement. Write your favorites on sticky notes on the refrigerator or computer -- somewhere you can easily see them. Two of my favorites are from Winston Churchill:
- "The pessimist sees problems in every opportunity...whereas the optimist sees opportunity in every problem."
- "Never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up..."
Take Steps
Literally. Move. Being a couch potato shows. Leave the house at least once a day. Exercise, jogging or walking will:
Literally. Move. Being a couch potato shows. Leave the house at least once a day. Exercise, jogging or walking will:
- Reenergize you.
- Help to clear the mental cobwebs.
- Prepare you to look your best for interviews.
Pamper Yourself with Kind Acts
How you treat yourself can impact your spirit.
How you treat yourself can impact your spirit.
- Play your favorite music softly in the background while you "work."
- Eat healthy without hugging the refrigerator. Now is not the time to bulk up.
- Sing -- regardless of quality. Singing happy songs will actually will help to stretch and relax your vocal chords while refreshing your spirit.
- Avoid being sloppy. Dress and groom yourself with respect -- for you.
- Treat yourself with affordable goodies such as a favorite food or beverage, an afternoon movie with popcorn, doing something touristy, or a mindless novel.
See Spirited People
Make sure you spend some time, preferably in person, with positive and supportive people every day.
Make sure you spend some time, preferably in person, with positive and supportive people every day.
- Surround yourself with yea-sayers and avoid the naysayers.
- Work your network.
- Call people rather than email or texting them -- it's more personal and supportive.
- If you're single and live alone, go to the library or a coffee shop to be around others.
- Help others in need. Get out of yourself from time to time.
- Spend quality time with your family and friends.
Keep at the Top of Your Game
Keeping your spirit up has a lot to do with how you feel about yourself. Don't let your skill set and knowledge slide.
Keeping your spirit up has a lot to do with how you feel about yourself. Don't let your skill set and knowledge slide.
- Keep up on industry news.
- Read trade journals and business magazines and newspapers.
- If possible, practice to improve your career skill set.
Now's the Time
Enjoy the positives of your job search, like having spare time. Remember all those times you said, "If I only had time, I'd..."
Enjoy the positives of your job search, like having spare time. Remember all those times you said, "If I only had time, I'd..."
- Read those books.
- Clean that closet.
- Take that class.
- Get in better shape.
Do Your Best Work to Find Work
Knowing you're taking all the right steps to find a job will help improve your spirits.
Knowing you're taking all the right steps to find a job will help improve your spirits.
- Write a perfect resume and cover letter for each job.
- Send X amount of resumes out each workday without fail.
- Keep up-to-date records of results.
- Keep accurate contact information on companies, executives and hiring agents.
- Have your interview clothes clean and ready to wear.
- Work at finding work every day.
10 Job Interview Myths
According to veteran career coach David Couper
Here is his list of the top 10 job interview myths, and how to deal with them:
Myth #10: The interviewer is prepared.
"The person you're meeting with is probably overworked and stressed about having to hire someone," Couper says. "So make it easy for him or her. Answer that catchall request, 'Tell me about yourself", by talking about why you're a great fit for this job. If it's obvious they haven't read your resume, recap it briefly, and then tie it to the job you want." Tell them what they really need to know, so they don't have to come up with more questions.
Myth #9: Most interviewers have been trained to conduct thorough job interviews.
While human resources professionals do get extensive training in job interviewing techniques, the average line manager is winging it. "To make up for vague questions, be specific even if they don't ask," Couper suggests. "Be ready with two or three examples of particular skills and experiences that highlight why they should hire you."
Myth #8: It's only polite to accept an interviewer's offer of refreshment.
"They usually try to be courteous and offer you a drink, but they don't really want to bother with it," says Couper. "Unless the beverage in question is right there and won't take more than a second to get, just say, no, thank you."
Couper once interviewed a job candidate who said she would love a cup of tea, which, he recalls, "meant I spent half the allotted interview time looking for a tea bag, heating water, and so on. It was irritating."
Another good reason, Couper says, to decline caffeine is that "if the interview is a lengthy one, you don't want to need a restroom halfway through the conversation."
Myth #7: Interviewers expect you to hand over references' contact information right away.
Hold off until you're specifically asked, Couper advises, and even then, you can delay a bit by offering to send the information in an email in a day or two. There are at least two good reasons for not rushing it, Couper says. First, "you sometimes don't know until the end of the interview who would be the best references for this particular job," he notes. "If you get a sense that the interviewer cares most about, for instance, teamwork, you want to choose someone who can attest to your skills in that area. A reference who can only talk about some other aspect of your work is not going to help."
Second, and no less important, "you want a little time to prep your references, by gently coaching them on what you'd like them to say, before the employer calls them."
Myth #6: There's a right answer to every question an interviewer asks.
"Sometimes how you approach your answer is far more important than the answer itself," Couper says. If you're presented with a hypothetical problem and asked how you would resolve it, try to think of a comparable situation from the past and tell what you did about it.
Talkback: Has anything surprised you during a job interview?
Myth #5: You should always keep your answers short.
Here's where doing lots of research before an interview really pays off. "The more you've learned about the company and the job beforehand, the better able you are to tell why you are the right hire," Couper says.
Don't be afraid to talk at length about it, partly because it will spare the interviewer having to come up with another question for you (see Myth #1 above) and partly because "in a good interview, you should be talking about two-thirds of the time."
Myth #4: If you've got great qualifications, your appearance doesn't matter.
Reams of research on this topic have proven that physical attractiveness plays a big part in hiring decisions. "Anyone who says otherwise is lying," Couper says. "People care about your looks, so make the absolute most of what you've got." Even if you're not drop-dead gorgeous, it's impossible to overestimate the importance of looking "healthy, energetic, and confident."
Myth #3: When asked where you see yourself in five years, you should show tremendous ambition.
The five-year question is a common one, and it's uncommonly tricky. "Interviewers want you to be a go-getter, but they also worry that you'll get restless if you don't move up fast enough. So you want to say something that covers all bases, like, 'I'd be happy to stay in this job as long as I'm still learning things and making a valuable contribution,'" says Couper.
You might also consider turning the question around and asking, "Where do you see me in five years?" Says Couper, "Sometimes the answer to that -- like, 'Well, we'd expect you to keep doing the same thing we hired you to do' -- is a good way to spot a dead-end job."
Myth #2: If the company invites you to an interview, that means the job is still open.
Alas, no. In fact, the job may never have existed in the first place: "Some companies use 'interviews' to do market research on the cheap. They ask you about your current or recent duties, your pay scale, and so on, to get information for comparison purposes." Another possibility, Couper says, is that "they may already have a strong internal candidate in mind for the job but just want to see if they come across someone better."
If you get an interview through a networking contact, he adds, "an employer may interview you simply as a courtesy to the person who referred you, if that is someone they don't want to disappoint."
Even if the job opening is phony, it's still worth going, he says: "Sometimes they discover you're a good fit for a different opening that really does exist. You never know where an interview might lead."
And the #1 myth about job interviewing: The most qualified person gets the job.
In at least one crucial respect, a job interview is like a date: Chemistry counts.
"A candidate who is less qualified, but has the right personality for the organization and hits it off with the interviewer, will almost always get hired over a candidate who merely looks good on paper," Couper says.
What can you do if you suspect you're not knocking an interviewer's socks off?
"At the end of the discussion, you'll probably be asked if you have any questions," Couper says. "If you sense the person has reservations about your style, ask what the ideal candidate for this job would be like." Then think fast. Can you talk a bit about how you fit that profile? "Addressing any concerns the interviewer might have, beyond your formal qualifications, is your chance to seal the deal," Couper says.
Talkback: Has anything surprised you during a job interview? If you're an interviewer, what do you look for in candidates? Tell us on Facebook, below.
Here is his list of the top 10 job interview myths, and how to deal with them:
Myth #10: The interviewer is prepared.
"The person you're meeting with is probably overworked and stressed about having to hire someone," Couper says. "So make it easy for him or her. Answer that catchall request, 'Tell me about yourself", by talking about why you're a great fit for this job. If it's obvious they haven't read your resume, recap it briefly, and then tie it to the job you want." Tell them what they really need to know, so they don't have to come up with more questions.
Myth #9: Most interviewers have been trained to conduct thorough job interviews.
While human resources professionals do get extensive training in job interviewing techniques, the average line manager is winging it. "To make up for vague questions, be specific even if they don't ask," Couper suggests. "Be ready with two or three examples of particular skills and experiences that highlight why they should hire you."
Myth #8: It's only polite to accept an interviewer's offer of refreshment.
"They usually try to be courteous and offer you a drink, but they don't really want to bother with it," says Couper. "Unless the beverage in question is right there and won't take more than a second to get, just say, no, thank you."
Couper once interviewed a job candidate who said she would love a cup of tea, which, he recalls, "meant I spent half the allotted interview time looking for a tea bag, heating water, and so on. It was irritating."
Another good reason, Couper says, to decline caffeine is that "if the interview is a lengthy one, you don't want to need a restroom halfway through the conversation."
Myth #7: Interviewers expect you to hand over references' contact information right away.
Hold off until you're specifically asked, Couper advises, and even then, you can delay a bit by offering to send the information in an email in a day or two. There are at least two good reasons for not rushing it, Couper says. First, "you sometimes don't know until the end of the interview who would be the best references for this particular job," he notes. "If you get a sense that the interviewer cares most about, for instance, teamwork, you want to choose someone who can attest to your skills in that area. A reference who can only talk about some other aspect of your work is not going to help."
Second, and no less important, "you want a little time to prep your references, by gently coaching them on what you'd like them to say, before the employer calls them."
Myth #6: There's a right answer to every question an interviewer asks.
"Sometimes how you approach your answer is far more important than the answer itself," Couper says. If you're presented with a hypothetical problem and asked how you would resolve it, try to think of a comparable situation from the past and tell what you did about it.
Talkback: Has anything surprised you during a job interview?
Myth #5: You should always keep your answers short.
Here's where doing lots of research before an interview really pays off. "The more you've learned about the company and the job beforehand, the better able you are to tell why you are the right hire," Couper says.
Don't be afraid to talk at length about it, partly because it will spare the interviewer having to come up with another question for you (see Myth #1 above) and partly because "in a good interview, you should be talking about two-thirds of the time."
Myth #4: If you've got great qualifications, your appearance doesn't matter.
Reams of research on this topic have proven that physical attractiveness plays a big part in hiring decisions. "Anyone who says otherwise is lying," Couper says. "People care about your looks, so make the absolute most of what you've got." Even if you're not drop-dead gorgeous, it's impossible to overestimate the importance of looking "healthy, energetic, and confident."
Myth #3: When asked where you see yourself in five years, you should show tremendous ambition.
The five-year question is a common one, and it's uncommonly tricky. "Interviewers want you to be a go-getter, but they also worry that you'll get restless if you don't move up fast enough. So you want to say something that covers all bases, like, 'I'd be happy to stay in this job as long as I'm still learning things and making a valuable contribution,'" says Couper.
You might also consider turning the question around and asking, "Where do you see me in five years?" Says Couper, "Sometimes the answer to that -- like, 'Well, we'd expect you to keep doing the same thing we hired you to do' -- is a good way to spot a dead-end job."
Myth #2: If the company invites you to an interview, that means the job is still open.
Alas, no. In fact, the job may never have existed in the first place: "Some companies use 'interviews' to do market research on the cheap. They ask you about your current or recent duties, your pay scale, and so on, to get information for comparison purposes." Another possibility, Couper says, is that "they may already have a strong internal candidate in mind for the job but just want to see if they come across someone better."
If you get an interview through a networking contact, he adds, "an employer may interview you simply as a courtesy to the person who referred you, if that is someone they don't want to disappoint."
Even if the job opening is phony, it's still worth going, he says: "Sometimes they discover you're a good fit for a different opening that really does exist. You never know where an interview might lead."
And the #1 myth about job interviewing: The most qualified person gets the job.
In at least one crucial respect, a job interview is like a date: Chemistry counts.
"A candidate who is less qualified, but has the right personality for the organization and hits it off with the interviewer, will almost always get hired over a candidate who merely looks good on paper," Couper says.
What can you do if you suspect you're not knocking an interviewer's socks off?
"At the end of the discussion, you'll probably be asked if you have any questions," Couper says. "If you sense the person has reservations about your style, ask what the ideal candidate for this job would be like." Then think fast. Can you talk a bit about how you fit that profile? "Addressing any concerns the interviewer might have, beyond your formal qualifications, is your chance to seal the deal," Couper says.
Talkback: Has anything surprised you during a job interview? If you're an interviewer, what do you look for in candidates? Tell us on Facebook, below.
The Perfect Elevator Pitch To Land A Job
If you’re looking for a job, one of the first tasks on your to-do
list should be crafting an ideal “elevator pitch.” It’s the 30-second
speech that summarizes who you are, what you do and why you’d be a
perfect candidate. You should be able to reel off your elevator pitch at any time, from a job fair to a
job interview even at a cocktail party conversation with someone who might
be able to help you land a position. Regardless of where you are in your career path, having a well thought out elevator speech is critical.
1. Clarify your job target.
Nail down the best way to describe your field and the type of job you’re pursuing. Until you can clearly explain the type of position you want, nobody can help you find it or hire you to do it.
2. Put it on paper. Write down everything you’d want a prospective employer to know about your skills, accomplishments and work experiences that are relevant to your target position. Then grab a red pen and mercilessly delete everything that’s not critical to your pitch.
Keep editing until you’ve got the speech down to a few key bullet points or sentences.I recommend 3 to 4 bullet points
3. Format it. A good pitch should answer three questions: Who are you? What do you do? What are you looking for?
“Hi. I am Jessica Hill. I am an accountant with 10 years experience in the insurance industry and I’m looking for opportunities in the Dallas area with both insurance and finance companies.” That speech would take about 15 seconds. Jessica would then want to use her next 15 seconds to add details about her unique selling proposition, special skills and specific ways she could help a potential employer.
If you are a new grad Hi. I'am Jessica Smith . I have the experience and the attitude to excel in this production assistant position. I have almost two years of television production experience — including two summers interning at The Ellen Show, where I was exposed to all aspects of TV production and worked so hard the first summer that they invited me back for a second summer and gave me more responsibilities.
4. Tailor the pitch to them, not you. It’s important to remember that the people listening to your speech will have their antennas tuned to WIFM (What’s in It for Me?) So be sure to focus your message on their needs.
For example, this introduction: “I am a human resources professional with 10 years experience working for consumer products companies.” The pitch would be more powerful if you said, “I am a human resources professional with a strong track record in helping to identify and recruit top-level talent into management.”
Using benefit-focused terminology will help convince an interviewer that you have the experience, savvy and skills to get the job done at his or her business.
5. Eliminate industry jargon. You need to make your pitch easy for anyone to understand, so avoid using acronyms and tech-speak that the average person or job interviewer might not understand.
The last thing you want to do is make your listener feel stupid or uninformed.
6. Read your pitch out loud. As Fast Company’s Deborah Grayson Riegel recently pointed out in her article “The Problem With Your Elevator Pitch and How to Fix It,” writing is more formal and structured than speaking. If you’re not careful, your elevator pitch can come off sounding more like an infomercial than a conversation.
Reading it aloud then tinkering with the words will help you sound more authentic.
7. Practice, practice, practice (then solicit feedback). Rehearse your pitch in front of a mirror or use the recording capabilities of your computer, so you can see and hear how you sound.
This might feel awkward at first, but the more you practice, the smoother your delivery will be.
8. Prepare a few variations. You might want to say things slightly differently to an interviewer than to a former colleague. Also, sometimes you’ll just have 15 seconds for a pitch (kind of a short elevator ride), other times you may have a minute or two.
So focus on mastering a few key talking points then work up ways to customize your speech for particular situations.
9. Nail it with confidence. The best-worded elevator pitch in the world will fall flat unless it’s conveyed well. When you give the speech, look the person in the eye, smile and deliver your message with a confident, upbeat delivery.
Get your pitch right and you might soon find yourself riding an actual elevator at your new job.
Reference: http://www.forbes.com/
1. Clarify your job target.
Nail down the best way to describe your field and the type of job you’re pursuing. Until you can clearly explain the type of position you want, nobody can help you find it or hire you to do it.
2. Put it on paper. Write down everything you’d want a prospective employer to know about your skills, accomplishments and work experiences that are relevant to your target position. Then grab a red pen and mercilessly delete everything that’s not critical to your pitch.
Keep editing until you’ve got the speech down to a few key bullet points or sentences.I recommend 3 to 4 bullet points
3. Format it. A good pitch should answer three questions: Who are you? What do you do? What are you looking for?
“Hi. I am Jessica Hill. I am an accountant with 10 years experience in the insurance industry and I’m looking for opportunities in the Dallas area with both insurance and finance companies.” That speech would take about 15 seconds. Jessica would then want to use her next 15 seconds to add details about her unique selling proposition, special skills and specific ways she could help a potential employer.
If you are a new grad Hi. I'am Jessica Smith . I have the experience and the attitude to excel in this production assistant position. I have almost two years of television production experience — including two summers interning at The Ellen Show, where I was exposed to all aspects of TV production and worked so hard the first summer that they invited me back for a second summer and gave me more responsibilities.
4. Tailor the pitch to them, not you. It’s important to remember that the people listening to your speech will have their antennas tuned to WIFM (What’s in It for Me?) So be sure to focus your message on their needs.
For example, this introduction: “I am a human resources professional with 10 years experience working for consumer products companies.” The pitch would be more powerful if you said, “I am a human resources professional with a strong track record in helping to identify and recruit top-level talent into management.”
Using benefit-focused terminology will help convince an interviewer that you have the experience, savvy and skills to get the job done at his or her business.
5. Eliminate industry jargon. You need to make your pitch easy for anyone to understand, so avoid using acronyms and tech-speak that the average person or job interviewer might not understand.
The last thing you want to do is make your listener feel stupid or uninformed.
6. Read your pitch out loud. As Fast Company’s Deborah Grayson Riegel recently pointed out in her article “The Problem With Your Elevator Pitch and How to Fix It,” writing is more formal and structured than speaking. If you’re not careful, your elevator pitch can come off sounding more like an infomercial than a conversation.
Reading it aloud then tinkering with the words will help you sound more authentic.
7. Practice, practice, practice (then solicit feedback). Rehearse your pitch in front of a mirror or use the recording capabilities of your computer, so you can see and hear how you sound.
This might feel awkward at first, but the more you practice, the smoother your delivery will be.
8. Prepare a few variations. You might want to say things slightly differently to an interviewer than to a former colleague. Also, sometimes you’ll just have 15 seconds for a pitch (kind of a short elevator ride), other times you may have a minute or two.
So focus on mastering a few key talking points then work up ways to customize your speech for particular situations.
9. Nail it with confidence. The best-worded elevator pitch in the world will fall flat unless it’s conveyed well. When you give the speech, look the person in the eye, smile and deliver your message with a confident, upbeat delivery.
Get your pitch right and you might soon find yourself riding an actual elevator at your new job.
Reference: http://www.forbes.com/
Focus on Follow-up
Focus on Follow-up
Within the week following the meeting, send a thank you email or note. This will ensure that the employer remembers you and makes another good impression. Sending a thank you email or note is a professional gesture that shows your interest and maintains an open line of communication. I would strongly recommend that you connect with your potential employer on Linkedin
- Keep your thank you note or email professional and to the point, and remember to proof read it as well as you did your resume.
- Thank the recruiter for his/her time and express that you have a great interest in the company and position. You may want to mention why this job is such a great fit for you.
- If after sending your note you have not heard from the employer, do another follow up and ask about the status of the position and next steps.
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