Did you know that most human resource directors are going to be plugging into sites like LinkedIn to see what potential candidates they can find for an open position? To quote the Society For Human Resource Management:
Organizations (77%) are increasingly using social networking sites for recruiting, primarily as a way to attract passive job candidates. Fewer organizations (20%) use social networking websites or online search engines to screen job candidates.
That means that the way you appear on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and anything else online matters. It also means that you have a way to make part of your job search passive, just as some entrepreneurs have passive income. Here’s how that works:
the income producer is carefully crafted to function with little maintenance once it is in place
the entrepreneur will generally use several streams of passive income to make enough money to pay the bills
samples of passive income: ads on blogs, ebooks, rental properties, royalties
Now, the way this works in your job search is that once your profile is created, then you can maintain a presence on LinkedIn with considerably less effort. You don’t have to stay on the site all the time because your input keeps your profile current and the search engines will bring you up in the first few pages. Passive — as long as you are prepared.
Those streams of passive income need maintenance but mostly flow by themselves, and your presence on social media sites is there when you are not at your device. The way your presence on social media sites is portrayed is dependent upon the way you maintain it.
As a result, the top reason you should be on LinkedIn is because it works for you while you are not there – if you use it correctly.
Many times, we set our goals using the wrong data. We have dreams of a certain job or lifestyle, but the steps it will take us to get there in reality are nebulous. The Job Search Resources page has a number of tools for your use, and the variety of salary calculators listed there will give you real help.
Using a salary calculator to find the reasonable expectations for what your job should pay gives you the range of salaries you can expect for that job. Location, skill set, education, and experience can be factored in. That means you can look at where you currently are and decide if there are steps you can take to get to where you want to be:
Is this the field you want to stay in?
Can you meet your financial obligations with your current salary? How about the top range of salary in your bracket?
Are there other, higher paying jobs within this field (or others) that interest you?
Do you have the skills, education, or experience to reach that level?
What practical steps can you take today to gain the skills, education, or experience you need to reach your goals?
The salary calculator is simply a tool that equips you with facts. You can print out a graph or data sheet showing what your level of experience in your location should reasonably be paid and show it during salary negotiations. You can answer confidently when an interview question about salary expectations comes up. At the same time, you have a reality check about the job market.
Like any tool, this one is only as effective as the person using it, but the person using it can learn how to use it properly to get great benefit from it. Your goals are achievable with the right tools!
You could think that since you have been in the workforce for years, you don’t need a coach. But isn’t that kind of like saying that a professional athlete doesn’t need a coach because they have been competing for years?
A coach sees stuff you can’t see. Athletes will look at tapes of themselves and discuss improving technique with a coach who is trained to point out things they miss. A career coach might not watch a game tape, but they certainly work with you one-on-one to get a perspective on your strengths and weaknesses. Then the career coach points out the things you seem to have missed, and discusses them with you.
A coach knows how to improve your game. Athletic coaches spend a lot of time learning how to give practical advice and develop training regimens to their athletes. Career coaches can lay out practical steps you can take to improve your career, whether it is job search skills, interview practice, or deciding which career path you should aim for.
A coach is an accountability partner. In athletic training, there can be daily sessions. For career coaching, accountability can be scheduled for as often as you need it; most of us only need a weekly or monthly contact once we have the plan in hand.
Professional Resume Services offers Coaching Services because your career is important enough to merit them. Just as there are many types of sports and athletic coaching, there are different types of coaching packages and services offered. One of them may be just what you need to get your game (and career) boosted to the next level.
Your resume is a compilation of your career for the purpose of evaluation. The reader of your resume is looking for indications you will be suitable for a specific opening and that reader uses your resume to determine if an interview should be scheduled. One way to categorize what will be looked for is summed up in two areas: learn and lead. The ability to learn is essential no matter which position you are filling in an organization. From the top executive to the lowest rung of the career ladder, if you aren’t continually seeking to learn how to increase your effectiveness, you are dead weight. This can be shown in a resume through several means:
seminars and classes attended
organizations and volunteer activity
certifications
The ability to lead is really the ability to think and act independently for the good of the group. Some of this ability isn’t going to show in a resume — having the strength of character to avoid gossip, for instance. Still, a resume can show that you have accomplished goals. The positions you have held in any organization, the time spent as a member and the activities you participate in all show leadership by example even when they are not “head” positions. Your references will reveal what kind of person you are, which indicates what kind of worker you probably will be. During an interview, you are assessed in the light of your resume. The impression the resume gave is adjusted to include the face-to-face interaction and the whole package is considered. Will you be able to learn the job? Will you be able to do the job well even when distractions occur? Will you be a positive force in their particular workplace? If your resume hasn’t shown that you might fit, you will probably not be called in for that interview. If your resume hasn’t resulted in being called in for any interviews, maybe it’s time to look at it again. Does it show that you know how to both learn and lead? Is it well written? Professional Resume Services has carefully built a site with many ways to help you develop an excellent resume for distribution. Explore the tips and services and see how your resume can be one that gets you that interview and the opportunity to learn and lead in a new job.
“Branding” has become a buzzword, one that is losing meaning for many people tired of hearing it.That doesn’t change the importance of what “branding” actually is: your reputation.
It’s all the little pieces of information someone has about you wrapped up in their perceptions about that information. It’s important because it directly affects your career. Your reputation can get you the job or get you on the “do not call” list. People’s understanding of who you are can get you promoted or get you fired. With the internet and social media, there’s just a lot more information out there to be aware of. Who you are, the choices you make and the way you do your job are part of your brand even though it happens off-line. Think of it as being the spokesperson for your personal brand. The best way to deepen relationships is to face time, and it happens best when you are not on a screen (although videoconferencing is becoming a popular substitute, it doesn’t work for everything). So step away from the computer and go to workshops and seminars. Do the volunteer community service. This gives a huge chunk of information to your branding because it is as big as you are.
Online, your brand is also made up of pieces of information. You have control over most of them if you are diligent about privacy settings, security, and consistent postings. Many are even choosing to have their own site with their name.com in order to be first in a search. LinkedIn profile and online branding development is so important that you should invest in research and possibly coaching to make sure your online brand is professional and current. Your brand is not just the history of who you are.Your brand is the hope of who you aim to be. It’s your reputation and your potential all in one package, and you can choose what that looks like.
How Much Detail Should A Professional Resume Have?
A professional resume is like a high-quality photograph of your career. Within that photograph, you can see incredible detail. If you have the capability to zoom in on a section, that detail is easier to see clearly. But the photograph doesn’t show you everything about the subject, does it? If you want to find out more than you see in the photograph, you need to either look at more pictures or actually talk to the person in the portrait.
Because your resume is a limited look at who you are and how you would fit into a potential job opening, the reader is looking for details that fit their criteria:
Does this applicant have the credentials we need for the position?
Does this applicant have the professional skills we need for the position?
Does this applicant have assets that could compensate for a lack of credential or skill?
As a result, the details in your professional resume need to be details that matter to the reader. Keeping your “skills” section professional, for instance, means that your love of live action role play probably isn’t what they are looking for. On the other hand, if you are applying for a job that involves the ability to create costumes and characters, it might be exactly what they want.
When you look at samples of professional resumes there are a variety of details in each one. Each resume has been carefully edited for the inclusion of the types of detail the potential employer is looking for. There will be a right time to share an enthusiasm for a hobby, but your resume will be much more professional and much more attractive to that potential employer if the details on your resume are applicable to the job opening.
Guest Post: FirstJob.com "What You Can Do in School to Improve Your Resume"
Firstjob.com matches college grads with junior level and internship opportunities through existing social networks. Read on for more information and check out their site!
Landing a job out of college is challenging in any economy,and in a down market like today’s it is even more so. However, there are a number of ways you can strengthen your resume while you are still enrolled in school that will make you more marketable in the workforce and help you in your job search. School and Your Resume
Since your resume is the first thing about you that employers see, it’s important to make a good first impression. The good news is that applying these resume tips while you’re still in school puts you ahead of the crowd, as many students don’t think about their resume until after graduation
Communication Is Key
Communicating with your professors on a regular basis is one of the most important steps to establishing a good relationship. Try to stand out in your classroom as a leader by frequently participating. If you establish a good relationship with your professor, he or she will value your input and be more inclined to give you a letter of recommendation, introduce you to potential employers, or pass on some of their own resume tips down the road. Be the person that a teacher would be proud to recommend by showing motivation and initiative.
Extracurricular and On-Campus Activities
Employers like to see candidates who have experience. Getting involved in extracurricular activities or groups is a strong way to begin build your resume.
Try joining an on-campus organization. Not only does it give you experience you can put on your resume, it is great for networking. You will get to meet peers who are also looking for experience and employment, and as they get jobs you start building up your contacts in various companies and industries. Stay in touch with the faculty members that coordinate the extracurricular activities, as they can often provide resume help, as well.
Internships
Faculty members can also help guide you to internships. Take the time before or after class to speak to your professor or faculty member about internship opportunities. Often times, employers will communicate with faculty members on a regular basis to try to find perspective interns. Internships are not only a great way to build an impressive resume, they also provide a real-world, hands-on experience for college students in their respective field. Employers like to see students who have internship experience, as they don’t require as much time training if they already have experience on the job.
Part-Time Jobs
Another helpful way to improve your resume is by getting a part-time job. Working part-time while you’re still in college shows employers that you have a strong work ethic and a sense of responsibility. It’s helpful to stay in touch and maintain a good relationship with all your employers, whether full- or part-time job, because managers can be a good resource for letters of recommendation.
Scholarships
Scholarships can establish a high level of credibility, as the selection process for scholarships is usually quite intensive. If you have been selected for a scholarship, make sure you add this to your resume. This is also a great conversation starter with potential employers.
Volunteering
Volunteering shows potential employers that you are committed to helping others, not just yourself. Like internships, volunteering has the additional possible benefit of turning into part-time or long-term employment opportunities.
Finding a job right out of college can be daunting. However, if you employ a few resume tips while you’re still going to college, you will have a leg up against the competition when you apply for your first job.
Once you have strengthened your resume by gaining relevant experience it’s time to put it to paper. Working with a professional resume service can be a surefire way to make sure your resume stands out and you represent yourself in the strongest possible way.
+++++ FirstJob™ is the only job site of its kind, matching recent college graduates with quality junior-level and internship opportunities through their existing social networks. For employers FirstJob offers a full-cycle recruiting platform that provides sourcing, SaaS, and full service recruitment options to companies looking to hire college educated talent.
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We all have someone we look to for guidance in making choices. In our career choices, it’s a good idea to have a mentor; someone we can trust to give good advice. But how do you determine who is going to be the best mentor for you?
Have they followed their own advice? If not, can they explain why? Sometimes, you can learn from their mistakes.
Are they doing what you hope to be doing? You may not want to be a writer, but if that writer owns a company and you want to start your own company, then you hope to be doing the same thing, right?
How long have they been doing what you hope to be doing?
There’s a lot of advice floating around the internet and the dinner table and everywhere in between. Our challenge is to filter that advice in a way that lets us keep the best advice for our own lives and careers. I think it is good to have enough advice to need to filter it, because it gives me a bigger perspective on the issue. I want to know what different generations and different career paths can teach me.
But we need to choose who we listen to when it comes to making choices about our careers. How to look for the best job, how to write a resume and cover letter, how to do an interview, and how to stay productive and reach the goals we set for ourselves are important choices that merit careful filtering.
I hope you read this blog because you consider me a mentor, but I shouldn’t be your only source of information. That’s why there’s a Job Search Resources page on this site; nobody knows it all. You should be filtering every bit of career advice you hear through the evaluation of who said it, why they say it, and how it has worked for them.
