Friday, April 30, 2010

Should I Use White Font To Get More Keywords On My Resume? Question of the week








This week, a reader asked if he should use white font to get more keywords, or even the entire job description on his resume.


On the surface, hiding the job description within your resume seems like a really smart way to beat the system. In reality, there are many dangers that don't meet the eye (kind of like white font) as well as disadvantages to a hidden keyword strategy.


Read more ...

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Linkedin Company Follow Helps Job Seekers Find The "Hidden Job Market"







Linkedin unveiled an interesting new capability today - Company Follow. This new feature can provide some valuable new help for job seekers.


Let's look at what's included in the Company Follow feature and how job seekers can use it to explore the "hidden job market" ...


Read more ...

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Creating A YouTube Video Resume To Help Your Social Brand








It's ridiculously easy and inexpensive to create a video resume today and there are some definite advantages.


Few candidates today utilize video resumes - in my experience, it's only a few percent of candidates (perhaps higher in fields like advertising and video production). Video resumes can help a job seeker in so many ways, I wondered why more weren't taking advantage. I think there's a little fear involved combined with a misunderstanding of expense and time commitments.



Read more ...

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Why Employers Look For Purple Squirrels







A purple squirrel is rarely found in nature - that's why recruiters use the term for candidates that have combinations of skill sets that are also rarely found.


A purple squirrel is a C#, SQL, and ASP.net developer, who has financial markets experience, and speaks German. His brother (also a purple squirrel) is a Financial Analyst with SAP FICO, Hyperion, Excel Macro, and VBA skills, Pharma experience, and has done some market research.

Read more ...

Monday, April 26, 2010

Who's Hiring - Top employers week of 4-26-10






Who's Hiring is a weekly survey of companies showing the highest hiring activity for the week of 4/26/10.


The retail, business services, telecommunications, health care and hospitality verticals are the top industries currently hiring based on a survey of active job advertisements from the nations’ leading job boards.


Read more ...

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Who's Firing? Layoffs week ended 4-23-10











Who's Firing summarizes weekly research of companies announcing and rumoring layoffs for the week ended 4-23-10.


For the past week government, defense, manufacturing, automotive, business services and aerospace employers announced the largest layoffs.


Read more ...

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Subject Matter Experts Rule! Best of reCareered









Today's employers hire Subject Matter Experts to solve problems. Managers and executives might not like this, but the day of the Generalist is over.


Now that it's easy to completely customize and individualize a resume to demonstrate Subject Matter Expertise, why would a hiring manager give a second glance at a general resume that didn't exactly match requirements?


Read more ...

Friday, April 23, 2010

Why Am I Always 2nd Or 3rd? Question Of The Week











This week, a reader asked why she's getting many interviews, yet always coming in 2nd or 3rd?


There can be many answers to this broad of a question, perhaps having to do with the interview, follow up, resume, other materials, but it all really comes down to perception.


Read more ...

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Experience vs Accomplishments







Many candidates think that employers just look for experience. Most times candidates overlook that most employers may give even more weight to accomplishments. Understanding how an employer views each will shed some light on the importance of both experience and accomplishments in your resume.


Hiring managers view experience as possessing the minimum skill level to accomplish a task. Demonstrating that you have 25 years of experience in a certain function says nothing about how well you've performed. You may have been performing at a minimal skill level for 25 years, or you may have been a guru for 25 years - a hiring manager can't determine how talented you are at a skill merely by the number of years you've been practicing it.


Read more ...

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Who Are You?










Who are you?

Your hiring manager also wants to know who you are, not just what you do. Few candidates communicate this effectively.


Read more ...

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Breaking The Job Search Rules Better Than Anyone Else







Today, a reader made an amazingly insightful comment about job search in my Linkedin group for job seekers - Career Change Central (http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/1800872).

Success in job search is " ... about breaking the rules better than anyone else."
-- Sean Catherall
Read more ...

Monday, April 19, 2010

Who's Hiring - Top employers week of 4-19-10








Who's Hiring is a weekly survey of companies showing the highest hiring activity for the week of 4/19/10.


The retail, telecommunications, business services, health care and hospitality verticals are the top industries currently hiring based on a survey of active job advertisements from the nations’ leading job boards.


Read more ...

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Who's Firing - Layoffs week ended 4-16-10









Who's Firing summarizes weekly research of companies announcing and rumoring layoffs for the week ended 4-16-10.


For the past week health care, energy, entertainment, government and financial service employers announced the largest layoffs.


Read more ...

Saturday, April 17, 2010

How to Rise Above Resume Hell: Best of reCareered







Resume Hell is where all the poor sad resumes go that never see the light of day. Do you want to be in Resume Hell?


Or would you like to rise above Resume Hell?

Read more ...

Friday, April 16, 2010

reCareered Logo Contest - Enter early and often!







I decided to run a contest to give users the chance to design reCareered's new logo. After all, this site is built for you - so why not involve readers in building a site they like?

Since I'm a huge fan of Web 2.0, I figure I should walk the walk, and give readers the chance to offer design advice, much as I offer career advice.

Read more ...

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Linkedin Releases Job Seeker Premium - Want to get to the top of the list?







Linkedin just released a suite of premium tools targeted to help job seekers. Good news - they have some truly helpful features ... Bad news - They aren't free. For serious job seekers, I think it's worth the small monthly cost, giving candidates better viability and increased job search efficiency.


Linkedin helps job seekers accomplish two basic tasks - Finding target company contacts, and social branding. Job Seeker Premium makes both of these tasks easier and more effective.


Read more ...

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Focus Your Job Search With A Skills Matrix






One of the first things I have my job search clients do is to complete a skills matrix.


A skills matrix identifies gaps, to help a candidate determine what parts of their background might be considered weaker than other candidates competing for the same position. I present the idea of a skills matrix as a chart that compares your top 10 skills, skills needed for your target job, and skills you'd like to gain in your next position.


Read more ...

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

How Job Seekers Can Get Answers








Candidates are frequently frustrated at the lack of response from hiring managers, recruiters and HR reps. Candidates can use these simple tips to get more answers and see if they are still being considered by a target company.


Have you ever had the frustration of not knowing if you were being considered as a viable candidate for a position, or if you were progressing to the next level of evaluation? Can you recall the aggravation from no response to your resume, no response to post-interview follow up, or worst of all - no response to being a finalist?


Read more ...

Monday, April 12, 2010

Who's Hiring - Top employers week of 4-12-10






Who's Hiring is a weekly survey of companies showing the highest hiring activity for the week of 4/12/10.


The hospitality, retail, telecommunications, business services, and health care verticals are the top industries currently hiring based on a survey of active job advertisements from the nations’ leading job boards.


Read more ...

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Who's Firing - Layoffs week ended 4-9-10






Who's Firing summarizes weekly research of companies announcing and rumoring layoffs for the week ended 4-9-10.


For the past week manufacturing, government, technology, retail, financial services, and health care employers announced the largest layoffs.


Read more ...

Saturday, April 10, 2010

What’s all the Hubbub about Hubs? Linkedin and Facebook tips: Best of reCareered






If you don’t know, the first thing you’re likely asking is…What is a hub anyways?

Hubs are a critical part of any job seekers face-to-face, Linkedin and Facebook networking efforts.


But let’s start out with definitions. A hub is someone in your network who is extraordinarily well connected. In face-to-face networking a hub is the person who “knows everybody”. On Linkedin and Facebook, a hub is an open networker, and has over 500 first level connections.


Read more ...

Friday, April 9, 2010

Question Of The Week - How should I let my network know that I'm looking for work?






This week, a reader asked if he should use a direct email campaign for his job search.

While there are many career professionals who like this approach, I find it to be self defeating, risking more harm than good. Here's why ...

Read more ...

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Does Your Job Search Strategy Include More Listening ... Or Talking?






Most candidates spend a lot of time talking ... but few spend significant time listening. Yet especially in job search, listening is almost always more productive then talking.


Listening cements relationships with contacts whose help a candidate needs. More importantly, listening can also provide the information a candidate needs to stand out in the hyper-competitive job market today.


Read more ...

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

How Does Google Affect Your Job Search?






What does Google say about you? Why should a job seeker care?


Candidates should care, because employers care, recruiters care, HR personnel care.


Read more ...

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Is Your Opportunity Pipeline Big Enough?






I recommend to my candidates that they build an opportunity pipeline 3 times as large as their expectations ... or compared to their last job search. Why do candidates need such a large pipeline?


While we've seen a glimmer of hope in recent US Department Of Labor numbers, we're still in the middle of a lousy job market ... the worst in our lifetimes. What are you going to do about it?

Read more ...

Monday, April 5, 2010

Who's Hiring - Top employers week of 4-5-10






Who's Hiring is a weekly survey of companies showing the highest hiring activity for the week of 4/5/10.


The retail, telecommunications, business services, health care, hospitality, and banking verticals are the top industries currently hiring based on a survey of active job advertisements from the nations’ leading job boards.


Read more ...

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Who's Firing - Layoffs week ended 4-2-10








Who's Firing summarizes weekly research of companies announcing and rumoring layoffs for the week ended 4-2-10.


For the past week financial, health care, government, manufacturing, and business service employers announced the largest layoffs.


Read more ...

Saturday, April 3, 2010

A Fine Whine: Best of reCareered







Just quit yer Whinin’!

Yet another in a long line of things that amaze me….The Fine Interview Whine.

Think back….have you ever caught yourself whining in an interview? Complaining about your old company or boss? How well did that interview go? Did you ever get a job by whining?

Read more ...

Friday, April 2, 2010

5 Job Search Lessons From The Easter Bunny






While often considered just a childrens' fable, the Easter Bunny has decided to broaden his appeal to adults.  After passing a rigorous exam and gaining certification, the Easter Bunny opened up a brand new Career Coaching practice.

While taking a break hopping between helping job seekers, he had this advice to share with candidates:


Read more ...

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Why Good Career-Changers Are Anthropologists



To gain an edge in the job hunt, study the people within the company you’re pursuing.


I'm reposting the following article that I wrote for TheLadders, originally published 1/26/10. TheLadders asked me to compare job search to Anthropology - How does understanding Anthropology, the study of humanity, help your job search?

Much has been written about understanding corporate culture, but companies are comprised of people, who strive to meet their individual needs. Building a better understanding of not just corporate culture, but also of the people you hope to work with can make you more successful at landing a job at a specific company.


Read more ...