What Job Search Methods Are You Using?

Posted by: Darlene Duncan, CWDP, JSS
                Training Coordinator

There was a time when job searching meant walking into a business that you felt could use your services and asking to speak to the owner or manager. After a brief conversation if the business felt they could use your talents you shook hands and the next day you started a new job.

Those days are gone.

In today’s world there are many elements that go into an effective job search. Here’s a short list of some of those elements.

Résumé – Make sure your résumé is up to date, not only in the work history and education areas but also in its formatting. Does the style résumé you’re using do an effective job of selling you? Is it too long? Is it too short? Have you tailored it to each job for which you’re applying?

Comprehensive Application – Think about all the information that you’ve been asked to supply on an application. Now create a document that contains all that information and make sure you have it with you when you go to fill out an application. Don’t forget to take it with you when you go for an interview because you may be asked to complete an application at that time. Having this information with you in an organized fashion will make completing an application much faster and easier.

Volunteering – There are many reasons to include this in your job search arsenal. One reason is that you can list it on your résumé and thereby show that you’re keeping your social and work skills fresh. Let’s face it if you’re sitting at a computer submitting résumés and job applications, you’re not using your work skills or interacting with people. Volunteering also shows potential employers you’re out there trying to make something happen instead of waiting for something to come to you. It also provides you with opportunities to meet people and expand your network of contacts.

Contacts and Relationships – Your network is a key element in your job search and if you’re not utilizing it you’re missing a lot of opportunities. It’s been said that 80% of the available jobs are only going to be found by networking. Don’t let the word ‘networking’ scare you. You do it every day whether you realize it or not. Basically, it’s all about making contact with people and building relationships with them. Think about it, if you were an employer would you be more interested in hiring someone you knew only through their résumé or someone referred to you through a friend? The obvious answer is that most people would rather hire the one referred to them through a friend. It’s even better if you meet that potential employer in a volunteer setting. People like to hire people they know, like and trust. The first step in that equation is to get known.

Social Media – Like them or not computers are here to stay and so is social media. I read an article in a human resource magazine not too long ago that said 89% of employers found 65% of their new hires through social media. Like any other tool, social media must be used with caution. Learn how to use the different varieties. Almost all the social media out there offers tutorials on how to effectively use it.

The reality is that while the tools for performing an effective job search have changed the basic concept is the same. Get known by those in a position to hire and convince them that you’re someone they need on their team.

 

 

 

 

Do You Feel Lucky?

Posted by: Darlene Duncan, CWDP, JSS
                 Training Coordinator

Even in today’s economy I know people that have left one job, for whatever reason and walked right into another position. Some people will say, “They’re just lucky, that’s all. It’s not that easy.”

However, I tend to subscribe to the philosophy behind the quote from Lucius Annaeus Seneca regarding luck.

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

In other words, those people made their own luck.

Stop and think about your job search efforts and how other aspects of your life may be having an impact on your job search efforts.

Do you have a personal relationship that’s interfering with your job search? Is your significant other supportive? Or are they always finding things for you to do, things that eat up your time leaving you little or no time to effectively job search?

Maybe it’s not your significant other that’s finding other things for you to do, perhaps you’re procrastinating. A friend calls and says they’re having a problem with some minor repair that needs to be done at their house. Being a good friend you say, “Oh I know how to do that. If you want I can come by today and take care of that for you.” The next thing you know you’re doing favors for all your friends instead of doing your job search.

Maybe there are other things going on in your personal life that are keeping you from performing an effective job search.

If any of the above sounds familiar, I suggest you stop and take an objective look at yourself. Cut through all the baloney and get to the real reason or reasons that you’re not out their treating your job search like a full time job. Figure out what they are and do whatever you can to eliminate or at the very least limit their impact on your job search. Once you know the cause of something it can often be easily fixed.

If you’re looking for more information on this topic you can start with this article. Click here for the article. 

For those you who are treating your job search like a full time job and you’re still not having success, it’s time for you to evaluate your job search methods. Job Search Methods will be my next post. So stay tuned.

 

 

 

How To Find A Job With a Criminal Record

Posted by:    Darlene Duncan, CWDP, JSS
                   Training Coordinator

If you have a criminal background and need help with your job search you can find that help at the Daytona One-Stop. These are the steps you need to follow:

1.    Register in Employ Florida (www.employflorida.com)

2.    Attend the NEXT STEP TO SUCCESS workshop given every Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. (Check with the One-Stop for day and time as it is subject to change.)

3.    Sign up at the front desk to schedule an appointment or via email at: projectreconnect@cbe-fvc.org.

You can also find some resources in an article that was published in Careerealism.

Click here to read article.

Treasure Hunt!

Posted by:  Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
                  Training Coordinator

The internet has an abundance of sites with job listings, so why is it that you can’t find a job?

There is another place to hunt for treasure, otherwise known as a job. Where you ask? It’s commonly referred to as the hidden job market. Some experts claim that 80% of the available jobs are in the hidden job market.

 

If you’re interested in learning more click here to read an article from U.S. News and World Report.

Are You Getting Interviews But Not the Job?

Posted by:  Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC

                  Training Coordinator

If you answered yes, to the title question you should read this article about the 3 qualities employers want to see exhibited when they interview.

 

Click here to read the article.

12 TOTALLY RIDICULOUS RÉSUMÉ MISTAKES

Posted by:   Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
                   Training Coordinator
 

Just the other day a client sent me an article about 12 totally ridiculous résumé mistakes. The article quotes information from a survey done by CareerBuilder.

Following is an excerpt from the article, “The survey asked almost 2,300 hiring managers nationwide what would make them automatically dismiss a candidate. Among the top responses were typos (61 percent), an inappropriate email address (35 percent), not listing skills (30 percent), and sending in a résumé more than two pages long (22 percent).”

 
To read the whole article click here.

Nail That Interview

Posted by: Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC Training Coordinator

You worked on your résumé until it was a polished, effective marketing tool. Then you sent it out to employers and now you’ve gotten an interview. The résumé did its job; it got you the interview you wanted. Now it’s time for you to do your job, nail that interview.

Click here for an article with some information to help you nail that interview to the wall.

Nine Things You Should Never Say in a Job Interview

Posted by: Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator

Make your interview a bull’s eye by staying on target.

Interviews are hard to come by in today’s world, so when you get one you don’t want to mess it up by saying the wrong thing.

Click here to read an article about nine things you should never say in a job interview.

Seven Easy Ways to Blow an Interview

Posted by: Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator


A colleague of mine recently provided me with the link to an article on seven pet peeves of interviewers. It has good information in it on things to avoid when you’re interviewing for that new job.

Click here to read the article.

The Art Form of Interviewing

Posted by: Darlene Duncan CWDP, JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator

You say your résumé is getting you interviews but you’re not getting the job.

Perhaps you need to take an objective look at what you’re doing during the interview. Here’s a short list of some of the things you should be doing during an interview.

1. Make eye contact with the interviewer
2. Have a firm but not bone crushing handshake (no limp noodles)
3. Dress appropriately
4. Present positive non-verbal signals
5. Use proper grammar
6. Good hygiene
7. Give honest, complete answers without rambling

Think of your interview as a sales meeting. You’re the product, so make sure you highlight your best features during the interview.

Coming next week - Seven Easy Ways to Blow an Interview

How to Make a Potential Employer Love You

Posted by: Darlene Duncan. CWDP. JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator

In my never ending quest to find material for this blog, I recently came across an article with some wonderful advice about how to make a potential employer fall in love with you (as a job candidate).

The workshops presented at the One-Stops in Volusia and Flagler counties follow a great deal of what the article recommends. The writer has reviewed hundreds of résumés and conducted many interviews, so this information comes from an individual with a lot of practical real world experience in the realm of hiring.

Click here to read the article.

Are You A Worry Wart?

Posted by: Darlene Duncan. CWDP. JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator

What do you worry about?

Here’s a list of some of the most common things people worry about.

Money
Keeping a job
Getting a job
Health issues
The economy

If these aren’t things you worry about, mentally add whatever it is you worry about to the list.

Now look over the entire list. Think about each item for a moment. Answer this question. Will my worry have a positive effect on the outcome of (fill in the blank with whatever you worry about)?

For example, is worrying about being laid off going to prevent it from happening? Probably not. There are those times when it doesn’t matter how good a job you do or how valuable you are to the company, they’re going to lay you off. Is worrying about it going to help? No. Instead, do something about it. What can you do?

There are a couple of things. One, find out if there’s any way you can stay with the company. Can you become more valuable by doing extra things? Maybe you know how to do your job and someone else’s too. Once you have exhausted the possibility of keeping your job and have learned that it’s just not going to happen, start looking for that new job now, while you still have a job. Because, believe it or not, it’s easier to find a job when you already have a job.

The reality is that the majority of the things we worry about never come to pass. With that in mind, I have a suggestion for you. Stop worrying about things you have no control over. Instead, use that worry energy to take action. It’s really very simple. I didn’t say it was easy, I said it was simple. How simple? Every time you catch yourself worrying about something you have no control over, STOP. We all do self-talk, whether you admit it or not. So ask yourself, what can I do that could have a positive effect on this issue? Once you have the answer to that question you can move forward by beginning to take action.

Less worry equals less stress; less stress is good for your health. The better you feel, the more energy you have and the better you present yourself to potential employers.

Bottom line, stop worrying about things you have no control over and get busy doing things to improve your situation.

Temporary versus Permanent

Posted by: Darlene Duncan. CWDP. JSS, CCC, JCTC, JCDC
Training Coordinator

Believe it or not, the holiday shopping season is just around the corner. This means that retailers will soon be hiring seasonal help. They probably won’t run a help wanted ad in the paper. They’ll most likely put a sign in the window or post a job order in Employ Florida.

Those of you reading this are probably thinking, “I don’t care about seasonal jobs. I want a permanent full time position with benefits.”

That’s understandable. Let’s go over the pros and cons of temporary or seasonal work.

PROS
Getting a paycheck
Something to add to your résumé
Being out in the world where you can meet people
Valuable work experience
Keeping your skills sharp or learning new skills
Chance to gain a good reference

CONS
Minimum wage (still beats the daylights out of $0)
No benefits
It’s not a permanent position (ah yes, but it could turn into one)

From my perspective temporary or seasonal work has a great many benefits. One, it shows potential employers that you’re not just sitting at home waiting on something to fall into your lap. You’re out there doing what you can to make positive things happen in your job search.

Two, you have an opportunity to meet people and I don’t mean just the customers that come into the store at which you work. I also mean the people for whom you’re working. Although you never know who the customer is or what they do for a living. They may own a company and be looking for someone just like you.

Three, you’re keeping your skills sharp and probably acquiring some new skills at the temporary jobs you pick up.

The list could go on for more than three, but I think you get the idea.
I know from personal experience that a temporary job can become a regular position. More than once a temporary job I’ve had has become a permanent position, including the job I have now.