Area network helps people find jobs, reassurance - Business

Check out this article about our PRONET meetings. Hopefully after reading it you will be motivated to come.

Area network helps people find jobs, reassurance - Business

Follow up?????

Some of the most often questions we receive are about following up after an interview.

You may have even asked yourself the same questions. Do I call??? When should I call??? I really want this job should I keep searching??? How aggressive can I be without taking it so far that the employer never wants to hear my name again???

This article gives great guidelines for following up after an interview.

Interview follow up Do's and Don'ts.

Cool networking video

We can't emphasize networking enough!

Money, money, money…

Here are a few thoughts on how to stretch your money by reducing your bills. I grew up in a household with the following phrase ringing in my ears on a regular basis, “use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”.

Some of the ideas presented here will be more acceptable than others. Let’s start with a basic necessity for life – water. Depending on where you live your water bill can put a big hole in your budget. By conserving water you not only save money, you help the environment too.

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth. If your teeth are temperature sensitive, put enough water for rinsing your mouth into a glass and microwave it for about 20 seconds. If you don’t have a microwave, use the sink closest to the water heater to get your warm rinse water.

When showering, get wet, turn off the water, soap up and then turn the water back on. You can even install a valve to shut off the water flow, so you don’t have to readjust the hot cold mix. Just reopen the valve and rinse off.

With today’s technology there is really very little reason to pay to watch television, especially if you’re already paying for internet service. A great many shows are available online at no charge. You simply need internet access and the cable to hook your computer to your television. If you have an older television it may require more than one cable. However, if you have a newer TV set for less than $20, shipping included you can order a 15 foot cable to run from your computer to your TV and watch a great many of today’s popular cable shows at no cost. For those of my readers who are a little older, the internet gives you access to some of the shows that were popular when you were growing up.

What I’m going to say next will be positively blasphemous to some. I do not have cable, dish or any other television service provider. I have an (shudder) antenna. It works great. You too can live without paying monthly to watch television. A new digital antenna for about $80 and a digital TV set, each hooked to their respective ends of a coaxial cable is all you need. If you have an older television set you may need to get a digital converter.

Next, is an idea that’s a bit more main stream. Figure out how much your checking account is costing you in fees with your current bank and then shop around for a better deal.

You may be wondering what all of this has to do with finding a job. Directly, it has nothing to do with finding a job. It does have a great deal to do with managing life until you find a job and get back on sound financial footing.

If you have ideas that you would like to share on this topic, feel free to do so. I’m always looking for new ways I can save money. Isn’t everybody?

Interviewing

Below is a link to a video with good information about interviewing.

Going For An Interview:
The Job Interview

Looking for a job or wanting to keep your job? Use caution when posting information to social networks and the Internet in general.

JOB HUNTING? Be Careful What You Post on the Internet - Because Employers are Watching

New York Post

By LINDSAY EDELSTEIN

When John Ambrose, 24, interviews for jobs as a legal associate, he doesn’t cite his hobbies as “anything that doesn’t involve reading boring law books” or describe himself as a “party mongerer” - and he certainly doesn’t have Hot Chip’s “Playboy” playing in the background.

Until recently, these were among the details Ambrose, a third-year law student at Pace University, freely shared with tens of millions of MySpace users, and anyone else who landed on his personal Web profile. He figured he’d just as soon not share them with potential employers, though - which is why he wisely privatized his profile before starting his job search.

Not all job applicants are so proactive - and more are learning to regret it. While most job seekers have been schooled on how to present themselves in a cover letter or an interview, many overlook another important way employers get an impression of them: by trolling the Web for anything they can find.

Which means if you’ve got a page on a social networking site featuring photos of you mauling the stripper at your buddy’s bachelor party, or if you write a blog that details your binge-drinking and bed-hopping exploits, odds are they’re going to find it.

“The average job hunter doesn’t realize that their potential employer is going to run their name in quotes through a search engine and keep digging until they find the dirt,” says Todd Malicoat, an Internet consultant and the founder of the techie blog stuntdubl.com.

“Like it or not, your Google results are your new resume.”

Four out of five companies perform background checks on some or all employees, according to a survey by the recruiting and staffing firm Spherion. And these days that means hitting the Web, whether it’s checking networking sites such as MySpace or Friendster or just Googling your name to see what comes up.

Adam Zoia, founder of the headhunting firm Glocap Industries, says he relies extensively on the Internet.

“When companies do background checks, it’s becoming increasingly common for them to Google people. If that’s linked to YouTube or any other site on you, the prospective employer is going to see that.”

Digging up dirt

Ask recruiters and HR professionals, and you’ll get any number of stories about job applicants who’ve gotten snared in the Web (even if they’re reluctant to attach their names to the stories, for fear of opening the door to lawsuits).

Zoia relates a story of an asset-management company that was seriously considering an applicant for a job as a healthcare analyst - until they ran an Internet search on him, and turned up an investment forum where he was freely sharing information about his current company’s activities. Worried he’d dish about which stocks they were trading if he was hired, they decided to look elsewhere.

The human-resources manager for a major media conglomerate tells the story of a candidate whose page on MySpace (owned by News Corporation, which also owns The Post) got him into trouble when he applied for an entry-level sales job - not because of ill-advised Spring Break photos, but because it revealed his true ambition.

“It said his dream was to move to New York and become an actor, and that he was trying to get a full-time job to fund his trip - once he got settled here, he’d quit and pursue acting,” she says. “Needless to say, the interviewer decided the guy wasn’t right for the job.”

The former creative director at a nonprofit near Union Square recalls deciding to do an Internet check on someone who was in the final stages of being hired for a job as a Web developer, after an exhaustive check of his resume and references.

“Using MySpace and to a lesser extent Facebook, we learned that he fancied himself quite the ladies’ man. His suggestive screen name and provocative profile gave the whole office something to laugh about for hours.” (They gave him the job anyway, but he didn’t last long.)

Even after you’re hired - sometimes well after it - online activities can become a problem. One of the stories that persuaded Ambrose to privatize his profile was from a friend who was reprimanded by a boss who saw his MySpace page, which made reference both to drug use and to the company he worked for, and listed the company’s Web site.

“He felt that the guy shouldn’t be listing his job alongside his other exploits - some of them being illegal,” says Ambrose.

The head of HR for a large Manhattan firm recalls a previous job in which a site manager got far worse than a reprimand after administrators found his personal Web page on an erotic dating site, which featured photos of him in various nude poses. He was fired.

“It wasn’t illegal, but the reason given was that as a manager he showed extremely poor judgment by making such a personal matter public, undermining his credibility and losing the confidence of the staff,” says the HR exec.

In other cases it might be less clear exactly what the harm is. Almost everyone has tied one on at some point, so why should you be afraid to talk about it on your MySpace page?

The issue is less knowing that you passed out under the bar at Coyote Ugly than knowing that you’re telling the world about it, says Zoia - adding that even if employers don’t judge you the worse for it, they might be concerned about how it reflects on the company.

“Everyone, including the most successful people, did things in their youth - that’s not the issue,” he says. “An employer won’t say, ‘If I ever heard you got drunk, you won’t get hired.’ It’s more that you did those things and you’re advertising it.”

Likewise, when an internship applicant’s Facebook profile advertised his interest in “Smokin’ blunts with the homies and bustin’ caps in whitey,” Brad Karsh, the president of the job-services firm JobBound, understood he was just trying to be funny - but “it raised doubts about his judgment and professionalism,” he says.

False security

Even when job hunters think ahead and take down private information from the Internet, they forget that a lot of online content is cached and remains accessible to others for a certain period of time after it’s been deleted.

“People may think that they’ve taken something down, but it may be seen by a person that digs a little bit,” says Zoia.

Others might feel protected by the walls around a site such as Facebook, where profiles can be seen only by other members. But some employers seem to be finding ways around that. Tracy Mitrano, the director of Internet technology at Cornell University, says that when she recently spoke to a group of students about IT policy, one student told her she’d been asked by a corporate employer to look up a job applicant’s Facebook profile.

“When I asked if any other students had been in similar situations, about five people raised their hands,” she says.

As a result of the growth of cyber-sleuthing, college career counselors are increasingly warning students about the pitfalls of letting it all hang out on the Web.

“We’ve begun to talk about the MySpace and Facebook dangers,” says Bob Casper, director of career services at SUNY Oswego.

“Today’s students have grown up in a wired world,” he notes. “They may not be aware of the visibility they’ll encounter by posting blogs and personal Web sites.”

Many are wising up, though. In a recent survey, CollegeGrad.com found that 47 percent of college-grad job seekers who use social networking sites had changed or were planning to change the content of their pages.

Playing it safe

Given the potential downside, are you better off avoiding networking sites and other Web activity entirely?

It depends whom you ask.

“We tell people point-blank, do not have a MySpace page or a Facebook page. Period. The end,” says Zoia, whose high-paying clients include investment banks, venture capital funds and consultant firms. “Given that the stakes are high with these jobs, the level of scrutiny is high.”

Top Internet recruiter Shally Steckerl takes less of a hard line, arguing that if you avoid coming across as a knucklehead, such pages can actually be helpful.

“It’s OK, maybe even cool, to want to share your passion for movies, martial arts and Xbox 360 - it shows that you’re a three-dimensional person,” he says.

Malicoat hopes that, as online background checks become more prevalent, companies will lower their expectations of online purity.

“A good employer will start to understand that if a marketing executive wants to have a few pictures online where they’re out partying with friends that it might just be OK,” he says. “I think the exposure to more of employees’ personal lives will force employers to have a little bit more tolerance for extracurricular activities - or end up with bum employees with no personality.”

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03192007/atwork/caught_in_a_mouse_trap_atwork_lindsay_edelstein.htm

BUILDING ANALYST PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION (Click on thumbnail to enlarge image)

Want to keep your kids busy this summer?

Click on the thumbnail below to learn how.

Click here to download and print the registration form

Teen Money Making Ideas

It is a rough place out there for teens looking for jobs. A little helping hand can't hurt so use your fingers to follow this link and find some fresh ideas to help you out.

http://teenmoneymakingideas.com/10-top-job-interview-tips-for-teens/

Network, network, network!!!

The number one way of finding a job is through networking. Are you not convinced? Perhaps watching this three-minute presentation might change your mind:

A case for networking

Hopefully you are now convinced that networking is a critical part of your job search. Below is a link for an awesome article with great tips on the art of networking.

Awesome article

Also, please join us this Friday, June 25th at 10 a.m. for our Professional Networking Group! It will be held at the Daytona One-Stop Career Center at 359 Bill France Blvd. This group is open to any professional in Flagler or Volusia County who is currently seeking a job. If you are interested, please R.S.V.P. to Donna Runne at 386.323.7009.

How to mess up your interview…

There are a great many articles available regarding what to do and what not to do at your job interview.
Here are five of the most common mistakes interviewees make:

1. Arriving late – employers figure if you can’t get to the interview on time you probably won’t get to work on time.
2. Failing to research the company – virtually every interviewer is going to ask you, “Why do you want to work for us?” You need a good answer. If you don’t know anything about the company, coming up with a good answer is going to be very difficult.
3. Lying about your experience or education – sooner or later the truth will come out and most likely lead to you being fired.
4. Shaking hands too weakly or too firmly – no one wants a limp fish and by the same token, no one wants their hand crushed.
5. Wearing sunglasses – we live in Florida, for cryin’ out loud, everyone wears sunglasses. Yes, however, as you enter the building for your interview, take the sunglasses off and put them away. That does not mean, put them on top of your head or around your neck. It means put them away so they are out of sight.

The article linked below was pointed out to me by a co-worker. Thank you, Mana.
This article lists 50 of the worst and most common interview mistakes.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/50-Worst-of-the-Worst-and-usnews-3658564314.html?x=0

Online computer training at no cost!

Have you been thinking about upgrading your computer skills?

How about learning Excel or Power Point or Access or other Microsoft programs online at no cost, all done in the cool comfort of your own home.

The Center for Business Excellence is offering online information technology training provided by the Microsoft® Elevate America program.

This training includes general, self-paced, beginning and intermediate E-Learning online courses in Microsoft Windows and Office. There also are IT Professional online courses tailored for individuals on a technical professional career track in areas such as web development or database management. To see the entire Microsoft course selection visit https://www.microsoftelearning.com/catalog/default.aspx

To access this training, you must apply for a voucher for each course you wish to take. The application for vouchers is located at http://elevateamerica.floridajobs.org. Other details are also there, including an on-line assessment to determine your basic computer literacy.

Vouchers are available through Aug. 21 or while supplies last. All vouchers must be activated by Aug. 21. Vouchers for general E-Learning and IT courses are good for 12 months after the date of activation.

If you are interested in becoming certified in one of the five areas of Microsoft certification, exam vouchers also are available at no cost. Exams are administered at Certiport testing locations: a list of sites may be viewed at http://www.certiport.com/portal/pages/locatorview.aspx.

Exam sites in Volusia and Flagler Counties require a $20 sitting fee per exam. Certification Exam vouchers must be activated and used by August 21.

Questions? E-mail us at elevateamerica@cbe-fvc.org.

Business Summit Results

Wow, the stats are in on the 6th annual CBE Business Summit. We had 133 attendees, and based on survey results 90+% thought that the event was great, Many thought the, the registration process was a breeze, the venue was tasteful, the speakers, Peter Shankman and Mark Mayfield were entertaining with a great messages, and the sessions and their respective presenters were informative. Attendees asked that more sessions be added to next year’s summit roster. They also thought that the food was great. “Overall great seminar”, was the most common comment, coupled with “One of the best networking opportunities to be had for months”. Another one under the belt, but in a week we start planning for the 7^th annual CBE Business Summit, because number six will be hard to top.

If you are a job seeker and you didn't go, well - you missed an incredible opportunity to network with potential employers. And just to make you feel worse: During the first session the speaker asked the audience (mostly HR managers of local companies,) "how many of you are planning on hiring at least one person within the next 12 months?" Three quarters of the room raised their hand!

So if you hear about an event like this one in the near future, JUST GO!

Happy Father's Day

As a great Dad you never want to miss out on opportunity to find a good job. This article from jobing.com has some ideas on how to continue your search on Father's Day.


http://miamidade.jobing.com/blog_post.asp?post=25632

Interesting Alternative to Juvenile Detention

I thought that you might find what they are doing in Lenox, Ma. an interesting alternative to just sending young adults off to jail. I thought it was pretty neat.

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2010/05/18/caught_in_the_act_juveniles_sentenced_to_shakespeare/

Tough Times for College Graduates

For young adults the current economic climate has created an even tougher enviorment for finding a job. Jobs that are considered "teen jobs" are now being taken by adults who can't find employment anywhere else. Now young adults graduating from college have it tough too. Finding the right job isn't impossible however, it just may take a little more forethought and work than recent graduates thought. Here is an article you might find interesting that addresses that issue.

http://www.newschief.com/article/20100616/NEWS/6165046/1085/news05?Title=College-grads-must-network-to-find-good-jobs

If graduates need help with their resume writing or help with job searching, One Stop Centers can offer the assistance that they may be looking for.

Does your job search have you totally stressed out?

This article by Nathan Newberger on worktree.com has some great common sense advice how to overcome stress related to your job search.

http://www.worktree.com/newsletter/tips-to-minimize-job-hunting-stress.html

Awesome Reading Recommendation

60 Seconds & You're Hired!!! Author Robin Ryan

Whether you're just starting out, moving onward and upward, or reentering the job market, 6o Seconds & You're Hired! explains the most effective strategies for getting the job you want at the salary you deserve. By following these tips from one of America's top career coaches, Robin Ryan, you can land the perfect job by excelling at the crucial job interview. Brief, compact and packed with userful tips, 60 Seconds & You're Hired! provides the essential inside information job-seekers must have.

This book is a must read for the professional job-seeker. You can purchase this book through most bookstores or it can be loaned to you by our Professional Services Coordinator, Donna Runge. Donna is available to assist professionals in Volusia and Flagler counties with their job search. To contact Donna please e-mail her at donnarunge@cbe-fvc.org.

Release the nerd inside you

Do you need to upgrade your computer skills? Perhaps you want to save yourself (or your company) some training dollars?

The latest training solution offered through the Center for Business Excellence is information technology training provided by the Microsoft® Elevate America program.

This training includes general, self-paced, beginning and intermediate E-Learning online courses in Microsoft Windows and Office, and IT Professional online courses tailored for individuals on a technical professional career track in areas such as web development or database management. To see the entire Microsoft course selection visit https://www.microsoftelearning.com/catalog/default.aspx

To access this training, you must apply for a voucher for each course you wish to take. The application for vouchers is located at http://elevateamerica.floridajobs.org.

Vouchers are available through Aug. 21 or while supplies last. All vouchers must be activated by Aug. 21. Vouchers for general E-Learning and IT courses are good for 12 months after the date of activation.

To determine which courses best suit your needs, you may take an on-line assessment at Microsoft Basic Computer Literacy assessment.

If you are interested in becoming certified in one of the five areas of Microsoft certification, exam vouchers are also available at no cost. Exams are administered at Certiport testing locations: a list of sites may be viewed at http://www.certiport.com/portal/pages/locatorview.aspx.

Exam sites in Volusia and Flagler Counties require a $20 sitting fee per exam. Certification Exam vouchers must be activated and used by August 21.

Questions? E-mail us at elevateamerica@cbe-fvc.org.

Computer Classes at the One-Stop

At the One-Stop we are constantly trying to improve our clients’ experience. Toward that end we regularly examine, evaluate and adjust workshops.

The recent increase in the number of attendees to the computer classes has led to some confusion during the hands-on session. In an effort to reduce the chaos we have restructured how the classes operate.

These changes will take effect in Daytona first and once all the kinks are worked out, the same changes will go into effect in DeLand. Information about the time frame for the changes to happen in DeLand will be posted here, once it has been established.

In a nutshell this is the way the classes will be structured. Everyone must attend Introduction to Computers 1. There will be an exercise given to all students to complete. When the student can complete the exercise easily and without any help, before they can attend Introduction to Computers 2. In most cases, this will take more than one class period.

All students are encouraged to find a way to practice in between classes. Use a friend’s computer or go to the library. The computers in the Career Zone at your local One-Stop are available, on a limited basis, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

In Introduction to Computers 2, students will have two exercises to complete. Students must be able to easily and without help complete both exercises before moving to Intermediate Computers.

Learning to use a computer competently does not happen overnight. It is a process and it takes time, because in addition to learning to use a complex electronic device you’re learning a new language.

Pick up a calendar at your local One-Stop for more details about the computer classes.

More People Leaving Jobs

In the first part of 2010, more peole left their jobs voluntarily than were laid off or discharged. Another indication the economy is improving. People now feel comfortable with the idea of leaving a job for a new position with a new employer. It's another positive sign the economy is improving.

Here's a linkg to a Wall Street Journal article on this topic.

http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/109636/more-workers-start-to-quit?mod=career-worklife_balance

Here are five things that companies do in online applications that job seekers dislike the most:

1. Asking for very specific dates. This is one of the most annoying features that we can find in an application form. Some companies demand the year, month, AND DAY of every entry in our employment and education histories. So here’s my question: Is it really useful for a company to know the actual DAY I graduated from college 10 years ago?

2. Asking applicants to paste their resume onto a box, AND THEN upload the actual Word document. Complete waste of time, but it pales in comparison to the other extremely annoying trend: Making applicants fill out an endless form, which includes all possible details of one’s work experience and education, and then they request a copy of the resume. Why do the want the same information twice? A love for bureaucracy?

3. Requiring an explanation of the reason for leaving the last job. Well, let me guess… layoff? Considering today’s economic climate – however improving – this question adds insult to injury. Somehow this question seems more appropriate for an interview setting, where the recruiting person can express a tiny degree of sympathy towards the applicant, if the situation calls for it.

4. Designing very lengthy application forms. The more applications we send in one day, the higher the chances of us getting hired. But some companies simply have no regard for our time. We often find forms that take up ONE HOUR to complete. This is probably the most talked-about trend among job seekers nowadays. My suggestion to companies: focus on the information that really matters and leave the rest for an interview. We will appreciate you for keeping the forms reasonably short.

5. Creating an application form that assumes that the applicant is still employed. Chances are that if we are applying for a job nowadays we are unemployed. An easy way to overcome this problem is to change the wording to, “current or most recent job.”

Despite these annoyances we need to pull through. I know how much these things aggravate us, but if we don’t post our resumes frequently enough our chances to find a job are greatly reduced. May the power be with you.

Here is an idea you may want to try: If you are currently spending eight hours a day sending and posting resumes online, bring it down a notch. Next week spend six hours a day doing the same thing, and the two remaining hours networking with people on the phone.

Resumes for the Digital Age

Don't you just despise people who want to "fix" your resume? Who do they think they are!?

True story – About three years ago, while pursuing a graduate degree, I went to the Career Services office at my university. I wanted to see if they could help me improve my resume. During the meeting, the advisor tried to convince me to remove a patent (an invention) from my list of accomplishments. Here's how the conversation went:

Advisor: “You have to remove this part right here.” She said this very indignantly while pointing at the patent description.

Me: “Why? What do you mean I have to remove it? That’s probably one of the most interesting parts of my entire resume.”

Advisor: “I just don’t see the benefit of including such information”

Me: “Well, don’t you think it shows creativity, inventiveness, determination, follow-through…?”

Advisor: “Oh…” If I had to guess, I would say her facial expression was a combination of contempt (70%) and defeat (30%.) Then her eyes brightened again – another idea… “You should still remove it, because companies will think that you are pursuing a business opportunity with the patent. You know, they don’t want to invest in people who will likely leave them in the short run.”

Me: “Ehhhh – did you notice that the patent is nearly 17 years old? (I got it when I was 13). Don’t you think I would have had a chance to do something with it by now?”

Crazy, huh?

All this to tell you that even qualified people – with good intentions – may not be helpful to you. Seek all the advice you can to improve your resume, but be selective about the things that you actually apply.

I read an interesting article on Yahoo, which might appeal to you. If not, at least you read a new opinion.

http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-resumes_for_the_digital_age-1297