The Ideal Resume

Posted on January 6, 2009
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When one goes for an interview, the potential employer has no idea of who the applicant is. In some cases, the person applied to the ad while others used a headhunter or job site on the internet and matched their credentials for the position.

The first impression employers always look at is one?s resume. Given the many that apply, this usually takes about 30 seconds and so with the limited words, one must be sure that the resume is well written and grammatically correct.

The resume must say almost everything about the person. This should always start with pertinent information such as the person?s name, age, address, contact number and social security number. The details here are needed so if one is considered to be a potential employer, it will be easy for the company to get in touch with the applicant and be scheduled for an interview.

Next is the career objective which is the reason why the applicant wants to apply for the position. By putting a strong goal in mind and not a general one, the employer will see that this person has a direction which is why that person wants to work for the company.

The next section should include the relevant skills and knowledge one has had in the current and previous jobs as well as highlighting one?s major accomplishments. By putting in detail the things one has done in that position and experiences learned from it, that information is already basis for the employer to see the potential the applicant has for that position. It shows the qualities one possesses and the benefits one can contribute to the further growth of the company.

After that, the resume should show one?s educational background. Some companies prefer someone with a degree in a certain field, a licensed professional to do the job or one who possesses a master?s degree. By showing one?s credentials, it is a good indicator of the type of training one has possessed in school and the accomplishments one has achieved in the course of one?s career.

The latter section should provide details such as hobbies, interests and character references. Employers look at potential applicants who not only have the qualifications for the job but also those who also those who are well rounded. Being active in a certain organization and be seen as a leader in a group shows one?s social skills with others. Character references do the same and give people an idea how one performed working with that person.

There is no ideal resume. It depends on the job. It is an important step one must pass before being called for that first interview.

Job Hunting Tips

Posted on January 4, 2009
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Hunting for jobs nowadays is a very competitive and sometimes cut-throat affair. Here are a few tips to help you get the edge in searching out and landing the job of your dreams.

The Curriculum Vitae
The CV is the first, and at most times the most important part of applying for a job. Since potential employers have to whittle down practically hundreds of applications to a few valid ones, they will have to base their narrowing down efforts using the CVs they have collected.

Studies have shown that about half of the employers decide to accept or reject job applications based on the related work experience listed in the CV. A third of the employers decide to reject or accept these job applications based on the layout design of these applications.

1. Make Your CV Stand Out
When preparing your CV, make sure your CV stands out among the rest. It should be the type that is appealing to the eyes, making the evaluating personnel want to read the CV. Step two is for you to make sure your CV lists the related work experience you have had in relation to the job you are applying for.

1. Make Your CV Concise and Relevant
Avoid making your CVs too long. It may make it irrelevant to the evaluator. Remember that the employer is a person to whom time is important. If your CV shows that you value his/her time while showing the most relevant information in the least amount of time, you will have won one important battle.

2. Always tailor your CV to the job.
You may have had previous experience that may not be related to the job you are applying for. Some people keep many different versions of their CV for different job opening purposes. Make sure your CV is appropriate for the job. A one-size-fits-all CV may not be the best way to go since the employer will have the impression that your previous efforts have not been focused enough to produce any specialization on your part.

3. Write about your achievements
You may add your achievements, but make your statements factual and relevant. It does not do harm to advertise yourself, but make your advertisement matter-of-fact and not just hot air. You may want to skip on listing your weak points as the CV is not the avenue for such discussions.

4. Polish Your CV
Your employer will know if you have put enough time producing your CV. If he/she sees that you have put sufficient and thorough effort into your CV, he/she will assume that you will do the same in your work. This is a big plus for you. It is not uncommon for some people to spend days or even weeks polishing and buffing their CVs.

Wage for the New Grad

Posted on January 2, 2009
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Fresh out of college, most people are excited about landing that first job. Given that most grads do not have work experience or only had a part time job while studying, it is not easy to secure an executive position right away.

Starting from scratch, one has no choice but to start from the bottom in an entry-level position then in time move to the top. The challenge most grads face in applying for a job is the competition. Aside from those who just graduated, there are also those who have left the previous job and are looking for a new one.

According to hiring and compensation experts, there is not that much room to negotiate when one is just a fresh grad. This is because that person does not have substantial work experience as basis to negotiate for a higher wage compared to those who have already worked before.

The range of the salary fresh grads get are based on the course one has finished in college. To those who volunteered to be surveyed, it was found that people who graduated from the sciences were able to get a higher salary compared to those who graduated from the liberal arts.

A tip that may help a little in the negotiation process is knowing your potential and not easily giving in or selling yourself short. In the course of an interview, it will boil down to the how much you will be getting. Most fresh grads accept what is given immediately and reply ?ok? ending it there.

It is best to only talk about the salary when an offer has been made. If the interviewer is good, it can wait. During that time, one can try asking how much the company will give for someone in that position then be able to negotiate about that further later on regardless of the figure that was given.

The applicant can then ask questions such as job responsibilities and mention that the contribution one can give to the company is more important than the salary you will be receiving showing the recruiter you are a team player.

Applicants can negotiate more by doing research on how much other companies are offering for the same job before giving an immediate answer. By knowing that information, it is possible for you to negotiate the salary offered for a little more.

Getting a job is not only about a salary. This includes other things that the company offers to its employees and by thoroughly checking out the other benefits and perks, it can also help in deciding whether the applicant should accept the job or not.

Stress-free Job Hunting Guide

Posted on December 30, 2008
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Hunting for the perfect job for an individual requires time, effort and knowledge.

For stress free job-hunting, every individual must first consider the following pointers before starting your job hunting process:

1. Know what type of job you would like to apply for. Gate crashing job fairs that offer work not related to one's degree or work preference would be a waste of time.

Consider your interests, preference of work location and job shifts (to be especially considered by professionals who have family members to take care of). If all these fit the category of the job opening available, it would be best to proceed with the application process.

2. Prepare possible needed documents or career portfolio. Have several copies of your resume, transcript of records and any certifications ready for immediate submission if needed.

3. Know where to look for job postings. There are various forms that offer listing of jobs. Below are some of these sites:

3.1 Internet. One of most widely used searching options is the Internet. Aside from the fact that browsing the Internet for available jobs is less time consuming than personal appearances to inquire at the offices, this can also be the least expensive form of job hunting.

You would not need to buy newspapers to browse through the ads for vacancies nor spend gas money to go to the offices.

Not only local or national vacancies can be browsed through the net, international job openings could likewise be easily accessed by the user, thus, offering one a much wider perspective in choosing the right job.

3.2 Newspapers. One of the most commonly used searching medium. Local newspapers advertise jobs that are within an applicant's commuting distance. Available jobs are usually printed on a regular basis.

3.3 Career or Job Centers. These usually offer jobs for ages 16-18 and rarely above 21 years of age. Though fully loaded with vacancies, it caters mostly to the younger applicants.

Job listings are frequently updated; therefore regular visits would ensure the applicants of new job postings.

3.4 Periodicals or magazines. Professionals are best advised to look for jobs on magazines since employers that would want to hire the same would advertise on such journals.

3.5 Offices. Most offices have postings of job openings on their Vacancy Boards. Applicants may directly go to the office to look for vacancies and then directly submit the resume or other pertinent documents to the respective division that receives such documents.

Entry-Level Jobs 101: 4 Must-Know Tips

Posted on December 28, 2008
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For most people, aiming for a higher position at once is the key to job search success. However, for some people who know that in order to succeed in the job market, they have to, literally, start from scratch. This means that people who want to grow positively in the working world; they have to learn the basics and fundamental principles of working, how it is to love the work most people do, and how to establish a good working relationship with his or her colleagues.

In order to enjoy all of these, one must submit himself or herself to an entry-level type of job. This refers to a job that requires minimal skills and expertise with no experience requirement needed.

Because of its nature, entry-level jobs are characterized by low salary, require physical work, and sometimes need field work.

Most often than not, people who are into entry-level jobs have very low hourly rates and may or may not entail insurance. This would mean that any hospital expenses caused by accidents that happened while the worker is at work may or may not be compensated by the employer, meaning there is no guarantee or whatsoever.

What?s more, most entry-level jobs are on a part-time basis. Examples of entry-level jobs are receptionist, apprenticeship, those who are working in a fast food restaurant, customer service, cashiers, etc.

Contrary to popular belief, entry-level jobs should not be ignored. What people do not realize is that entry-level jobs offer more than just low wages. These jobs are the foundation of all other positions available in the job market.

In most cases, people who start to work on higher positions right after they graduate from college are easily bored from their work. What is even worse, there is no room available for personal growth and career advancement.

Entry-level jobs are the stepping-stone to success in careers. So, for people who wish to grow and be promoted to a higher position, here are some tips that they can use:

1. Workers who are in the entry-level position should show enthusiasm, efficiency, caring, and love for his work.

2. They should master their skills and hone their craft.

3. They should be an expert on customer service.

4. They should know how to impress a customer who happens to be seeking an employee who knows optimum customer service.

These are just a few of the qualities that must be employed by an entry-level worker in order to advance to a higher position. And once he reaches the top, he knows that work is definitely something worth valuing for.

Better Job Search Engines

Posted on December 26, 2008
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Job search engines use state-of-the-art technology to assist people in their job quest. Here you could enter all the relevant information to reduce the lists of sought after jobs to get more accurate results.

Because new jobs are being added daily or even hours after, the tendency to see the results you had yesterday may be different from what you see today. This is where job search engines come in handy.

After some trial and error there are a few job search engines that could yield better results. They allow searchers to see major job sites, companies and even its associations by entering a keyword and location. Results can be seen in different ways, it could be in a browser list and some sent thru e-mail.

SimplyHired.com, America's Job Bank, Jobster, and Indeed.com are just a few of the search engines that can give you more accurate results. These sites include over 500 job listings with job boards, prime newspapers, and numerous companies with career pages.

Indeed.com even has an advance search option that could be used to search company names, positions, and even the distance for commuters.

America's Job Bank let's you enter the job category you would like to search, then you can enter either the city or the zip code and state you would like to find the job and it gives the list of job openings. If you're lucky, you can even get the quoted salary from each of the companies you're eyeing on.

In SimplyHired.com aside from the list of jobs open, applicants are also given a short description of the job you're about to handle including the responsibilities to be met even during application. It also includes the type of company, location and date when the job was posted.

Jobster provides the latest job postings from today up to the last 7 days wherein you can also choose the distance you prefer. This site gives you the ability to see the list of the freshly posted jobs from a variety of sources.

How Well Are They?

These sites give listings that are relevant and timely, compared to other search engines that generate results a little longer than the others. Some would even provide results that are far from the location picked out.

So far the best among the search engines used is the Simplyhired.Com. It showed the job title, a link was also provided for posting, a summary of the job description, where the exact current location and where it originated. The produced results are easy to read, non-confusing with bits and pieces more of information plus the getting around is user friendly

"Dressing up for the Success Interview"

Posted on December 23, 2008
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Prepare and practice for an interview. After the date and venue has been set, allow time for enough preparation for the big day. Remember that first impressions do last, so the way an applicant look really does matter. Employers could easily give the verdict based on the manner of dressing during the initial interview.

Better questions and service can be received if the appearance itself commands respect. It is important to consider the surroundings of the company granting you an interview. There is no reason to be over dressed or poorly dressed during this very significant day. In fact, it is a good rule of thumb to always dress appropriately for any situation. All to often appearance is glossed over. Some might say that the inner characteristics of the person matter more, but in reality, you only have one opportunity for a first impression. Make it count!

Although there are specific guidelines that can be followed, these does not apply to all states like New York for example, where people wear trendy up to extreme styles that are far away from the usual fashion rules common people know. The rule of thumb should be to wear something that could boost more confidence.

Below are the top ten do's and don'ts during an interview:

? Avoid wild colored nail polish before the interview. The same goes with long nails that could easily turn off some conservative employers. These should be neat and very tidy looking.

? Never wear jewelry that rattles and jiggles as you speak and move. Try not to wear two or more rings or earrings. Piercing aside from the ears is also a no.

? Professional hairdo also counts
.
? If you are a woman, wear closed shoes. Heels are very appropriate as this gives more confidence to an individual and sense of respect is also provided once they see the person wearing them.

? Again, for the ladies, never bare those newly shaven legs. If possible, use stockings regardless of the temperature. But make sure not to use fancy colored ones. Only use those made for neutral looking legs. These should also match the shoes.

? Remember that a good suit or dress brings more confidence as well. This will also allow more comfort and chance for the applicant to answer comfortably or with ease.

? Avoid short skirts for women. Wearing pants or leggings are a no, no during interviews.

? Wear the appropriate blazers just as long as they do not look fashion outdated. Do not use any leather coats or jackets.

? For men, the tie is still appropriate. Avoid using turtlenecks. If there is no suit and tie available, use a collared shirt or white long sleeves.

? Men must not use too much aftershave.

? Women should be using bags that are not too bright and conspicuous. These should be conservative and matching the dress.

? Any briefcase used must be in perfect condition.

The way a person looks equal the message he is trying to convey. During the interview, this can either become a plus factor for the applicant or big loss. Know for a fact that the way an applicant should look must be appealing, fashionable but not loud.

Consider the latest trends in the area or location where the prospective job is located. One aspect that is a part of how employer picks a new hire is based on the physical attributes of the applicant. From the way the hands were shaken, keeping an eye contact, the way the posture was maintained, the smile was delivered up to the manner of dressing is being rated already.

Regardless of your personal career background, skills, and underlying talents, if the first impression was never striking enough to make an outstanding appeal to the interviewers, nothing else counts. This can be the potential employers? initial interpretation of how an applicant will do on the job.

Whether that perception is ?fair? is irrelevant. Do you want the job? Look the part and your chances for success are much greater!

Health Care Job Search Tips: Health is Wealth Indeed!

Posted on December 21, 2008
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Nowadays, jobs falling under the health care category are one of the most in demand jobs. This is because more and more countries fall short with regards to their employees and staff in the health care industry.

In fact, aside from computers and information technology, heath care jobs are the ones that are greatly sought after by both the employers and applicants.

Aside from the increasing demand, health care jobs are also one of the best paying jobs all over the world. For example, in the United States alone, physical therapist assistants get to earn $27,500 to $ 41,780 in a year. It is also expected to grow by 46% in the years to come.

For people who are dreaming to go abroad and land a job in the health care category, here are some tips that that can help:

1. Know your craft

The problem with most people who are looking for health care jobs is that they do not know the fundamental skill needed in this kind of job: care for others.

There are many instances wherein health care jobs do not necessarily require people who have a higher education diploma in health care. So, people who have a ?caring? attitude, can have a lucrative job in the health care industry.

2. Health Information technicians and Medical Records rank six on United States? 10 hottest jobs of 2005.

These positions can work well for people who are looking for health care jobs. These positions pay $19,700 to $27,400 annually.

3. Success is in the keywords, For people who are searching for specific health care jobs on the Internet, it is best to narrow down their searches with some more detailed keywords. In this way, heath care job searches will reap better results.

4. Aim for the best positions in the health care industry

For people who wish to land a good job in the health care industry, it would be better to do some homework first. In this way, they can get an overview on which position has the most demands for employees and which job entails higher salaries.

In the United States? 10 hottest job of 2005, medical assistants are the top positions in demand in the health care industry today. In fact, surveys show that the demand for medical assistants will continue to grow and will increase by 59% in 2012.

Indeed, the health care industry continues to saturate the market with a continuous growth for the demands of its services. No wonder why most people are into health care jobs!

Job Search Tips for Sales Professionals

Posted on December 19, 2008
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Each specific industry has a variety of requirements that an employee has to meet. In searching for jobs as sales professionals, how do you prepare for a competitive environment?

Here are useful tips you could perform in searching the appropriate job and acing the interview.

1) Research: In order to be prepared on your interview, you should learn important facts about the company beforehand.

* The internet is one of the best ways to search for information and most companies provide their own websites. Study the content of the company?s website; know their background, goals, and information about the top executives.

* By using search engines on the Internet, you could also obtain news and additional information about the progress of the company, past projects and issues, and organizations where the company belongs.

* Review the stock market chart of the company. Since majority of shares are publicly traded, you could examine the recent stock price and learn the difficulties of its market over the past years. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the company will help you in the interview.

* Learn as many information as possible about its competitors. When you read articles about the market space, you will find out who leads the market and you can find out the company?s competitors. Having this knowledge could help you during the interview since you could be able to justify how the company is better than its present competitors are.

2) Attitude: Having the right attitude towards the interview and the job itself would ensure the position is yours.

* Majority of successful sales professionals have a unique energy that you can feel. They command a presence and hold the attention of everyone. Be energetic about the job and interview.

* Be enthusiastic. Since you have done your research about the company and its competitors, the interviewers will appreciate your enthusiasm and interest about the position.

3) Preparation: The position you desire could be yours as long as you show up prepared.

* Create a presentation by researching the products and services of the company. Be prepared to speak directly and intelligently about the company?s field.

* Provide statistics and industry related facts in your presentation. This goes to show that not only are you enthusiastic about the job, you are also aware of the condition of the industry.

* The fact about sales is its all about numbers. If you are asked about your numbers, simply provide them with production reports, past employment lists or a W-2 form of your yearly earnings.

By successfully performing these basic steps, your sales job could be yours in just a handshake away.

Job Search Tips for Sales Professionals

Posted on December 16, 2008
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