Avoid These 6 While Job Searching

1. Leaving Your Profile Page Open To Strangers

If you’re conducting a job search, now’s the time to set your personal profiles to private. Doing this ensures your personal information is viewable only to your friends list—not employers digging for information that could remove you from candidacy.

2. Including Your Real First And Last Names On Your Profiles

On sites like Facebook, it’s often difficult to use any name but your real one. But if you want to keep your private and job-seeking lives separate, now’s the time to find a way to alter your name. If you can’t change the names on your sites, consider temporarily deactivating them. Or stop posting information that is unprofessional and in this day and age – easy to find.

3. Displaying Unprofessional Profile Photos

An employer doesn’t have to be on your friends list to see a profile photo of you on display. So, be sure not to make the photo of you lying drunk on the curb your main profile picture. Instead, consider a professional picture—or even a cartoonish avatar as an alternative. If an employer conducts a Google search of your name any pictures affiliated with your profiles may pop up on the first results page.

4. Allowing Friends To Post Unprofessional Comments

Managers often judge crude or offensive comments left on profiles, even if they’re left by someone else. So, in case your profile slips through the cracks and is viewable by some hiring managers, make sure all comments listed are PG-13.

5. Tweeting About Bad Work Behavior

You may want to tweet to your friends you got away with being late for the third time this week. But while job seeking, it’s best to avoid these types of tweets as they could look bad to a prospective employer who is looking for a way to judge your work ethic.

6. Bashing Current/Previous Employers

Many people like to make comments about how their co-workers or boss made them mad. Keep in mind prospective employers will be looking for this type of information, so refrain from making these comments at all costs.


Read more at http://www.careerealism.com/social-media-mistakes-job-seeking/#vyLMm5x0QgZO350D.99

The Job Search Survival Guide

The Job Search Survival Kit -- Job Search And Linkedin Tips To Hekp You Get A Job from Anthony Hines MBCP MBCI PMP ITILv3 CIP CLSSGB

The Times They are a Changin

Not all advice is good advice. Here are some outdated resume tips you should be avoiding at all costs!

1. “Your resume should only be one page long.”
Two pages is currently the ideal length for resumes. It allows you enough space to be thorough without the information getting buried among itself. Certain positions in the medical and academic fields require a CV (curriculum vitae), which is typically longer because it includes research, publications, or other items that the position asks for. Two pages is a good length for resumes, though.

2. “You need an Objective Statement.”
When we started learning about writing resumes, our career counselors, parents, and teachers deemed this to be a “must.” But times have changed and the objective statement often ends up being a waste of precious resume space. After all, you only have two pages to gain a prospective employer’s interest and persuade them to pick up the phone to schedule an interview. Your objective when sending your resume to someone or submitting it to an open position is implied in the act itself—you want to be hired for the position you have expressed interest in.

Instead of an objective, use that space to add a customized link to your LinkedIn profile and explain any employment gaps that you may have. Doing this gives the recruiter more information and eliminates the risk of them passing on you because of a concerning gap in your employment history. Some recruiters will call to ask you about them, but some will just move on to the next.

Also, the client could have instructed the recruiters to send the resume to them if the candidate had a legitimate reason to explain the gap (e.g. finishing a degree, taking care of a sick relative, etc.), but not respond to any that are unexplained because of the quantity of resumes they already have to sort through.

The bottom line: You probably won’t know who your resume will get in front of or what instructions the recruiters were given, so it is a good idea to cover your bases.

3. “Include ‘References available upon request’ in your resume.”
As with the objective statement, this is implied and the space could be used for better purposes. So far, I have not come across a candidate who refused to provide references when asked for them.

4. “You need a traditional resume.”
With the fierce competition and wide array of job sites, forums, professional networking sites, and so on, the need to set yourself apart from others has been steadily increasing. As a result, businesses have gotten more social and interested in one’s ability to market themselves. This is evidenced by the emergence of all those “Create your personal brand” advice articles geared toward job seekers and any professionals looking to advance their careers.

The creation of non-traditional resumes reflects this idea as well. Although I do advise keeping the bullet point format because it is easiest to read, you can include narration and even a quote from one of your LinkedIn recommendations to spice up your resume. For instance, I have a quote from my former boss on mine and the feedback I have gotten thus far in interviews is always positive. A few have referred to it when I mentioned my work with him. It is a great credibility-booster and is also the only item that is in color (just the brackets around it), which helps it stand out.

If you are planning to submit your resume directly to a company’s website, have a simply formatted version as well (Times New Roman, no bold or underlining, spaces in lieu of indents, standard bullet points or dashes, no images or text boxes, etc.). Many employers, staffing agencies, and recruitment firms utilize an applicant tracking system (ATS), which will jumble any unrecognized formatting into plain text.

Read more at http://www.careerealism.com/outdated-resume-tips-avoiding/#op3VSAEUjeSQDZA9.99

Five Tips for Better Networking

1. Know How To Break The Ice
Struggling for ice breakers? Instead of trying to memorize one-liners, keep things simple.

“A simple ‘Hello, my name is ___’ is more than sufficient if said with a smile,” said LoDolce. “Or, my favorite, ‘So, what brings you here?’”

2. Get Warmed up
Don’t start batting without a few practice swings! Make sure you talk to a few people before you hit up your main target – it will ease your nerves and make you feel more comfortable.

“The moment you walk into the room, just start chatting it up with someone to warm up a bit,” LoDolce suggested. “Before you know it, you’ll feel comfortable chatting up the big time CEO across the room.”

3. Be Aware Of Your Body Language
Did you know that 93% of communication is non-verbal? In order to give off a positive impression, LoDolce suggests doing the following:

Don’t cross your arms
Keep a strong smile all night long
Hold strong eye contact
Feel weird keeping eye contact? Try just staring at the bridge of the other person’s nose instead.

4. Ask Great Questions
“If you are uncomfortable doing the talking, then ask interesting and thought provoking questions,” LoDolce suggested.

Here’s an example: “Oh, you’re an architect? What’s it like building something that you know will be around for hundreds of years?”

5. Have Fun
Whenever you attend a networking event, above all else, focus on having a good time. People will be attracted to your good attitude. “If you’re enjoying yourself, people will enjoy your company,” said LoDolce. And, even if all fails, at least you can say you had a great night

Use that Resume to Match up your Skillset to a Job Posting

Have you ever wanted to apply for a job you realized did not completely match your skill set? It’s happened to all of us at some point in our careers, especially when attempting to switch fields.
The good news is winning a position when not fully qualified is completely possible. By using your resume as a tool, you can show just how great a candidate you are.

Read the Job Posting Carefully
The first step in ensuring you add skills to your resume that align with those required by a specific position is to read the job posting carefully. Doing so not only shows you exactly what’s required of the job but it also help you to examine your own skills that match.
For instance, if a company mentions in its job posting that it is looking for an administrative assistant with strong organizational skills and experience setting up meetings for company executives, you know you need a certain take-charge attitude to ensure the office is organized.
Now, you can include your own organizational skills—and even show proof that you’ve interacted with top executives in the past.

Think from the Hiring Manager’s Perspective
Thinking from the perspective of a hiring manager is not always easy to do, but it is possible—and necessary if you want to add the right information to your resume.
To start, read the job posting—and even take a few moments to learn more about the company itself through its website or other sources. Then, think about what you would hope to see on someone’s resume if they set it on your desk.
Would you expect to receive resumes from people who only have experience as models or background dancers? No, you would want to see how their experience relates to the position they’re applying for. Using this perspective while writing can help you to create a resume you feel will get you hired.

Show You Can Learn New Skills
It’s important to showcase your ability to learn new skills by highlighting previous training, along with a willingness to take on new projects.
One way to do this is by listing any training courses you’ve taken, certifications you’ve received, programs you’re proficient in, and any other details that prove your ability to hit the ground running.
Some people who have acquired their dream jobs did not have all of the experience needed to claim the position—but they did submit a resume that helped them score an interview where they could then prove that they were right for the job.

excerpted from: http://www.careerealism.com/resume-skills-job/

Top 15 Words Recruiters/Hiring Managers Want to See on your Resume

How many of these are on your resume?
15. Won: 13%
14. Under budget: 16%
13. Revenue/Profits: 23%
12. Launched: 24%
11. Negotiated: 25%
10. Ideas: 27%
9. Increased/Decreased: 28%
8. Influenced: 29%
7. Volunteered: 35%
6. Resolved: 40%
5. Created: 43%
4. Managed: 44%
3. Trained/Mentored: 47%
2. Improved: 48%
1. Achieved: 52%

http://www.careerealism.com/resume-words-hiring-managers-want/#AC64E74PMyyvF8WK.99

Common Resume Mistakes

Here are a couple of COMMON Resume Mistakes:

Spelling Company Names Incorrectly
A job applicant assumed she correctly remembered the names of all the companies she worked for. But she didn’t; she misspelled two of them. Mistakes like that make recruiters and hiring managers wonder if the resume is truthful.

Being Inconsistent

A sales executive described his success at landing multi-million dollar contracts for various companies. But each time he listed a dollar amount, he changed the form: $1 million; $2M; $3,000,000. Another example would be the date format you use when listing employment history: Jan 2013, 2/2010 4/4/14. This is one that you really want to hone in on and make sure you address while proofreading your resume.


Read more at http://www.careerealism.com/resume-mistakes-dont-get-caught/#XDtPkEJcUCLChKGb.99

Avoid the Currently Nothing Trap

The “currently nothing” trap occurs when you have been laid–off for a while and haven’t done anything worth reporting in the meantime. That is not so much of a problem if you have only been laid-off for a couple of months, but if it has been a year (or possibly more), Hiring Managers or Recruiters would feel better about you as a candidate if you can show something you have done in the meantime.

So, what can you do to show on your resume that you are the “go-get-it” proactive kind of person? Here are a few of my thoughts:

1. Professional Certification And University Certificates
When I was in transition myself a few years ago (yes, it happened to me, too), I enrolled in an online Villanova University Master Certificate in Human Resource Management and became a certified HR professional. I had a bit of a gap in my resume, yes, but I could showcase that my knowledge in the HR industry was up-to-date, and quite frankly, it kept me busy during the day.

Now, do a little bit of research in your field: What University or professional training would add value to your personal brand while in transition?

And don’t forget some of the excellent free resources many universities offer these days (or check out open online courses through, e.g. www.coursera.org, if you have not done that yet)!

2. Volunteering
I would think that volunteering is so obvious that I almost did not want to include it in this article. Then, I looked at some of the resumes of my clients in transition and noticed that not many use volunteering to fill and avoid the “currently nothing” trap on their resumes.

So, do a little bit of research, and find out who in your area could benefit from your marketing, computer, and finance skills, and so on. There are definitely some groups and folks out there that could benefit from your skills!

3. Start A Networking Group
Starting a networking group is one of my favorite actions to list on the resume of a client. You get to pick the topic you want the group to focus on, invite speakers for your new group, and so on. Generally, a great way to showcase your proactive attitude. A nice side effect is that you will meet a whole bunch of people – all potential leads for your next job offer!

The “currently nothing” trap occurs when you have been laid–off for a while and haven’t done anything worth reporting in the meantime. That is not so much of a problem if you have only been laid-off for a couple of months, but if it has been a year (or possibly more), Hiring Managers or Recruiters would feel better about you as a candidate if you can show something you have done in the meantime.

So, what can you do to show on your resume that you are the “go-get-it” proactive kind of person? Here are a few of my thoughts:

1. Professional Certification And University Certificates

When I was in transition myself a few years ago (yes, it happened to me, too), I enrolled in an online Villanova University Master Certificate in Human Resource Management and became a certified HR professional. I had a bit of a gap in my resume, yes, but I could showcase that my knowledge in the HR industry was up-to-date, and quite frankly, it kept me busy during the day.

Now, do a little bit of research in your field: What University or professional training would add value to your personal brand while in transition?

And don’t forget some of the excellent free resources many universities offer these days (or check out open online courses through, e.g. www.coursera.org, if you have not done that yet)!

2. Volunteering

I would think that volunteering is so obvious that I almost did not want to include it in this article. Then, I looked at some of the resumes of my clients in transition and noticed that not many use volunteering to fill and avoid the “currently nothing” trap on their resumes.

So, do a little bit of research, and find out who in your area could benefit from your marketing, computer, and finance skills, and so on. There are definitely some groups and folks out there that could benefit from your skills!

3. Start A Networking Group

Starting a networking group is one of my favorite actions to list on the resume of a client. You get to pick the topic you want the group to focus on, invite speakers for your new group, and so on. Generally, a great way to showcase your proactive attitude. A nice side effect is that you will meet a whole bunch of people – all potential leads for your next job offer!

Read more at http://www.careerealism.com/resume-currently-nothing-trap/#J70rfYCVSf2AuzgH.99

Be Sure to Follow Up after an Interview

It's important whether you have a phone, video or in-person interview to follow up afterward. In today's competitive job market you want to do anything you can to put yourself in the best light possible. Potentially even putting you ahead of the other applicants you are being matched up against. Craft an email, send a handwritten note, make a call, or do something even more dynamic if the situation calls for it.

Make it personal. Be sure to express sincere thanks for the interview. Be sure to include a mention of something from the interview that provides a good springboard for them to want to connect with you again.

For instance:
"During our interview, you mentioned that [name of company] has been struggling with [describe a problem the company is having]. I have been thinking on this and wanted to share a couple potential solutions with you."

Keep it simple, professional and upbeat. You cannot go wrong!

Looking For a Job, but You have a Criminal Record?

If you truly want to move forward with your life and remove potential barriers from your career path, here are a few steps you can take:

Request A Copy Of Your Criminal History Record
If there are mistakes or incorrect information on your record, you may be able to submit a challenge request to the FBI or the respective state repository. In many cases, companies that provide criminal background screenings provide inaccurate information. This can be anything from mismatching names or omitting crucial information to reporting a misdemeanor as a felony.

Seek To Expunge Or Seal Records
Expungement and sealing of records are both procedures that prevent or limit access to an individual’s arrest or criminal court records. For job seekers, this can be extremely helpful as expunged or sealed records are not accessible to employers. In certain cases, you may be able to legally answer ‘no’ to the question “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?”
However, each state has it’s own guidelines and record sealing laws and not all offenses are eligible for expungement. Some states do not allow expungement at all. You can find out where you stand by checking with your county’s criminal court or contacting an attorney and asking about expungement eligibility and procedure.

Search Openings At Companies That Offer Second Chances
Not all companies will automatically throw out your application. Ranker.com has compiled a list of companies that regularly welcome new hires with checkered pasts. In addition, many states and organizations offer programs that can help you in your job search.


Excerpted from http://www.careerealism.com/find-job-criminal-record/

Are You Applying for Jobs When Your Resume is Not a Match at all?

Nobody’s sitting around deducing what you might be good at or why you might make sense for any particular job. When you apply online, if your resume and cover letter don’t speak to the specific needs and deliverables of the job—and spell out exactly how you are going to meet them—no applicant tracking system is going to even find it.

Instead: If you’re not an obvious match (on paper) for a job, you either need to figure out a way to make yourself one (i.e., gaining new skills, taking on volunteer opportunities or freelance work to boost your resume), or find an opportunity to explain your rationale for applying directly to a hiring manager (i.e., show how your previous work experience in your current field would translate seamlessly to this new job).

Excerpted from: http://mashable.com/2014/03/29/job-search-tactics-to-avoid/