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Phases in the Job Hunting Life Cycle

Interview Questions, Job Hunting, Resume

Pocket Watch, Jewel, Chain, Stone, Time

There are 3 major phases of the job hunting life cycle. Each is essential in landing a new job.

The following article will explain the different phases in the job hunting life cycle.

They are:

  1. Creating a resume/online profile
  2. Searching for a job
  3. Effective interviewing

Many professionals go their entire careers without developing these three major skills. When it comes time to search for a job, they are often frustrated and wonder why they can’t get hired.

Think of the job hunting life cycle like a clock. If any pieces of the clock are broken, the clock will not work. When job seekers lack in any of these three major phases, they have problems in their quest for employment.

If you do not work to improve in each of these phases, you will have a more difficult time landing a job. In fact, you could, in theory, be good at interviewing (phase 3) but if you have a lousy resume/profile (phase 1) and are not good at searching for a job (phase 2), you will have a harder time landing a role. You will not be able to get into the front door and nail your interview because you didn’t make it past the first or second phase. On the flip side, you could be a lousy interview but have a killer resume and be good at job searches – you breeze past phases 1 and 2 but when you get to the 3rd phase, employers won’t hire you due to your poor interviewing skills.

Examine your job hunting life cycle. Systematically work to improve your skill in any or all of the three phases where you are weaker. When your 3 life cycle phases are strong, you will have a higher probability of gaining new employment.

Conclusion

Don’t beat yourself up if your resume is weak, your job search skills are shaky, or your interviewing leaves something to be desired. You can improve. The succeeding chapters will help you strengthen your skills. With knowledge and practice, you’ll have a healthy job hunting life cycle and can look forward to a lifetime of success.

 

 

 

 

How To Get a Job as a New Grad

Job Hunting, Job Search, Resume

The following article will give new grads great tips on how to land their first job

Your first professional job can be very hard to obtain, and you might be competing against hundreds of other grads to land only one role. If you executive your job search the right way you can overcome many mistakes other recent grads make and improve your chances of landing a job.

Give the Impression That You Have More Experience Than You Do

Landing your first role in your profession can be quite competitive because many new grads are competing for very few spots. To make yourself stand out from the competition, your resume should give the impression that you have more experience than you do. Here are 3 suggestions on how to do that.

1. Include volunteer job-related experience.

If you have any volunteer unpaid experience in your field you should make sure you list that experience. Below you will find an example.

Data Analyst (Volunteer), ABC Corp 2017

As a volunteer data analyst, I assisted the strategy department in determining the effectiveness of major projects’ outcomes. Used Excel and Salesforce to attract data to analyze success.

2. Include job experience not related to your field.

When looking to land your first job in your field of training, if you do not have relevant work experience, you should list unrelated work experience on your resume. This will show potential employers that you have experience in a work environment. In addition, many employers value unrelated experience, such as working in fast-food or retail, because it develops great work ethic and customer service skills.

3. Include academic job-related experience.

If you have no job-related experience but have the academic-related experience, elaborate about that in your resume. See the example below.

Academic Project – J2EE Mobile Banking Application
University of Waterloo 2017
For my final academic project at the University of Waterloo, I designed and developed a mobile banking application using J2EE, Java, Spring, Struts, ibatis, JSP, AJAX, HTML, Oracle 12g, Maven, Log4J, slf4j, iText, Edit plus, Eclipse IDE, JUnit, WinCVS, Axis2, JSON, and UNIX.

Highlight Academic Achievements

While academic achievements are always important to include in a resume, highlighting them is even more crucial when you are looking for your first job. Any academic achievement you have obtained, such as a high GPA, scholarships, awards or any other accomplishments, should be listed on your resume.

Focus on Entry-Level Jobs

As a new grad right out of school with little experience, you should focus on looking for entry-level jobs. These are jobs where employers want to hire someone who has little or no experience.

Starting with an entry-level search might seem like common sense, but a lot of grads don’t make applying for entry-level jobs their focus. Most want to jump right into a high-paying job with all the perks and benefits. But they forget one thing: those jobs require experience.

Experience is something a new grad doesn’t have. By putting in the time and working in an entry-level position, you’ll gain the experience that employers are looking for and then you’ll be qualified for more advanced roles.

You can look for entry-level jobs on all major job sites, specialty sites, aggregators, job classifieds, and entry-level job sites.

Get Experience by Internships or Volunteering

If you do not have any job-related experience, a great way to get it is to do an internship or volunteer in your field.

Many companies offer both paid and unpaid internships designed to help those breaking into that profession gain experience. If an intern performs well in their role, a company often will hire them when the internship is finished.

To find internships or volunteer roles, look at all major job sites, specialty sites, aggregators, job classifieds, entry-level job sites, and internship/volunteer sites.

How to get Paid and Unpaid Internships

Proper Interviewing Etiquette

You worked hard in school, got good grades, did an internship, and when it comes time to interview, you mess up. This is very common for new grads, but it can be corrected.

The number one thing many entry-level job seekers have trouble with is how to interview professionally. Most new grads do not know how to communicate in the corporate workplace, so when they interview, they are too casual in the way they express themselves and make the mistake of littering their speech with slang. This turns potential employers off. My advice to new grads is to practice proper interviewing etiquette and learn to speak in a professional manner.

Conclusion

Getting that first job in the profession they trained for can be a difficult undertaking for a new grad. Applying the tips in this chapter will make looking and obtaining your first job easier.

How Do I Change Careers?

Interview Questions, Job Hunting, Job Search, LinkedIn, Resume

The Purpose of This Article is to Give you Some Useful Tips on How to Change Careers

There comes a time in your career when either by choice or with limited options you need to switch careers. Switching careers is not an easy thing to do, and many individuals do not know where to start.

How to Think of New Career Choices

1. Consider careers based on your interests and hobbies. The most obvious place to think of when thinking of changing careers is your interests and hobbies.

2. Look at another person’s success. Do you know people who are in careers that you could see yourself doing or you have an interest in? Ask them for pointers or ideas.

3. Research on YouTube. Check out different YouTube videos to get ideas of potential career choices. Enter “career search” in the search box and see what comes up.

4. Meet with a career counselor. Career Counselors can work with you to determine potential careers that are a good fit for your education and interests.

5. Do a career exploration test. These tests will point you to a career that matches your personality and interests.

6. Research on Google. In Google’s search box, type “career search” to look up information on different career ideas.

7. Ask friends and family for possible ideas.

8. Look on Job Boards. Major job boards (such as Indeed, Monster, and CareerBuilder) will show you what kinds of careers are out there.

9. Go to your local library. Look up books on different career ideas. Or ask a librarian for help.

10. Check out government labor sites. Most countries have websites that provide great info on jobs and labor trends.

My final recommendation is to think of something you are passionate about as the more passion you have for something the more likely you will do well and like it.

Be Realistic in Your Career Choices

When considering career choices be realistic in terms of education and experience. If you want to be a lawyer, and you do not have a law degree and a license to practice law you will not be a lawyer. Your new career choice must match your education and or experience.

In many cases You are going to have to start at the bottom of your new career. That being the case if you are a retail manager and you want to be an accounting manager realistically speaking you are going to have to start as a junior accountant.

Get the Right Education for Your Field Obviously, you must get the right education in your new chosen field if there is a need to. For instances if you want to get a job as a developer, and you have no academic experience in this area you will need to do this.

The good news is today many professions you can take short academic programs to find employment. A good example is the numerous developer boot camps. An example of this is Udemy where you can even learn how to program in the comfort of your own home. https://www.udemy.com/the-web-developer-bootcamp/

For some professions you can do an apprenticeship to master a skill. In my previous career as a recruiter I personally taught hundreds of individuals from scratch how to become a recruiter.

Also, there are many professions you will find that require no previous education in the field. An example of this is many sales roles where on the job training is the education.

Many people knock sales roles but there are many examples of salespeople who have made over six figures to over millions of dollars in sales without any formal education and experience.

Creating a Resume and LinkedIn Profiles that Match Your New Career Interests

You might not have exact experience in your new career choice, but you might have relevant career experience for that field.

An example might be you work in real estate in sales and want to switch careers into finance and in your current job you do some accounting and finance work like creating financial models using Excel. This experience you would focus in on your resume and LinkedIn profile.

Also adding in courses and volunteer work related to your new career aspiration is a must. For instance, if you are looking to get into finance and you have taken accounting and finance courses, you would put this in your resume.

To learn how to create an effective resume please see this article

How to Create a Resume for an Executive or Professional

Creating your new resume and LinkedIn profile to reflect your new experience can either be done by yourself or hiring a company like my company Elite Pro Resume Services.

Home

Looking For jobs in Your New Field.

Please see my article on the top ways to look for a job as a good start

Top 10 Best Ways to Look for a Job

Another avenue is to focus on entry-level jobs in your new field. For this type in the word entry level or junior along with the job title you are looking for in the title section on the job board you are using. An example would be typing in “Junior HR” or “Entry Level HR” if you were looking for an entry level HR job.

How to Interview For your New Chosen Occupation

As a starting point I recommend reading an article I wrote about the top 20 interview Questions that HR asks. https://careers.adventhealth.com/blog/how-to-answer-the-20-most-common-interview-questions

Before your interview in your new field think of all your current, relatable skills be it either academic, professional, and any other relevant skills.

When you have an interview use these examples to show the interviewer you have some related experience. For instance, if the hiring manager asks you about your experience with marketing you can mention academic courses and projects with marketing.

If you even did basic marketing at your last job you can even mention that experience. For example, if you were a retail manager who created in-store marketing that would be something you could mention.

Be Positive

Changing careers is not an easy thing to do, and you are going to have a lot of negative people in your head convincing you that will not succeed. You should do your best to ignore these negative people and move forward and try to keep positive.

There are many examples of many people who have successfully changed careers. A great example of this was a former school janitor who switched careers and eventually became the principal of the same school. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48594032

I am personally another great example of someone who found success switching careers. In my early career, I switched careers a few times until I found my profession. If I never switched careers, I would never have become one of the leading experts about job hunting resumes and recruiting and a 2-time best seller on the subject B00IW54CJ0

Conclusion

Switching careers is difficult to do but by learning some of the useful tips from this article you will get a good head start in your quest for a new job. I wish everyone the best of luck!

How to Create a Resume Profile and Look for Jobs on Monster

Job Hunting, Job Search, Monster, Resume

This article will teach you how to create a resume profile that recruiters will find and how to search for jobs on Monster

Monster is one of the original career sites and has built up a loyal following over the years. It is a good idea to create a resume profile and to search for jobs on Monster because many recruiters use it regularly.

Monster – http://www.monster.com/

Please note: Monster is always changing, so some information found in this chapter may change over time.

How to Create a Resume Profile on Monster

To increase the chances of recruiters finding your resume on Monster, it is important to create an effective profile. Let’s go through the steps to creating an effective profile on Monster.

Step 1 – Go to https://www.monster.com/ and hit the Post a Resume icon at the top middle. This will take you to a page where you can upload your resume.

Step 2 – Hit the Upload Your Resume icon in the middle of the page. It will take you to a page asking for your email and to set up a password. Also, it gives you the option: “Email me career-related Monster updates and job opportunities.” Check Yes to be sent job alerts. It will also ask: “Email me Monster partner offers and promotions.” For this, check No so that you do not get unrelated solicitations. Then hit Register.

Step 3 – The next page asks for the following information: First Name, Last Name, Country, ZIP Code, Current Career Level, Education level. You should fill in all the info and use the drop-down menus to choose the options that most fit your background.

Step 4 – Next, you will be asked for more information in the following categories: Resume Name, Desired Job Title, Most Recent Job Title, Most Recent Employer, Work Authorization for US, Make My Resume Searchable by Employers, Make My Resume Searchable by Diversity Employers, Give Me a FREE Resume Critique, Upload an Existing Resume or Create a Monster Resume. Let’s break these down one at a time.

a) Resume Name – Give your resume a name. Keep it simple and focused on your name and job title. For example, Joe Smith Retail Store Manager. Remember that potential employers are going to see this.

b) Desired Job Title – List the desired job you are looking for.

c) Most Recent Job Title – List your most recent job title.

d) Most Recent Employer – List the last employer you worked for.

e) Work authorization for US – If you work in the US, pick one of the drop-down choices that most closely describes your situation.

f) Make My Resume Searchable by Employers – Select Yes so employers can find your resume in the database.

g) Make My Resume Searchable by Diversity Employers – Select Yes if you fall under a diversity category.

h) Give Me a FREE Resume Critique – Select No. If you’ve followed my tips for writing an effective resume, your resume should be fine.

i) Upload an Existing Resume or Create a Monster Resume – Upload a resume. This saves time; plus, you already have a great resume. After uploading your resume, you’ll be taken to the next page and will move on to Step 5.

Step 5 – This page allows you to add more information into your resume profile. My advice is to fill out as much as you can to increase your chances of being found by recruiters.

The following is information on these different areas.

a) View Resume – Before posting, you can make sure your uploaded resume looks good by clicking View Resume in the top corner.

b) Resume Visibility – You have 3 visibility choices: Visible to Recruiters, Limited, or Private. Keep it visible.

c) Your Profile Info – In this section, most of the areas have been pre-populated with information from your resume or from what you have already filled in. These areas include: Most Recent Job Title, Most Recent Employer, ZIP Code, Work Authorization for US, Current Career Level, Current Education Level. Check to make sure everything is filled out correctly.

d) Your Ideal Position – You’ll be asked if your pre-populated search title is correct. If yes, then keep it the way it is. You will also be asked about your minimum to maximum salary preferences. I recommend keeping salary blank so as not to lose out on salary-based roles.

e) Work Industries – If there are specific industries you want to work in, such as healthcare, the choose the option that matches your industry. You have 2 options for this section.

f) Job Occupations – This section allows you to select two job titles that you are looking for. In most cases, this is useful, so fill in the job titles that match the jobs you’re searching for.

g) Job Location – Your location is based on the ZIP Code/postal code you pre-selected. If you are open to other locations, click the I’m Interested in Other Locations button. From the drop-down selection, choose the locations where you would be willing to work.

h) Desired Job Type – Choose the type of job you are looking for: Employee, Intern, Temporary/Contract/Project, Seasonal.

i) Desired Job Status – Choose what job status you want: Full-Time, Part-Time, or Per Diem.

j) Are you willing to relocate? – Choose Yes if you would be willing to move for a new job. If you do not want to relocate, choose No.

k) Are you willing to travel? – From the drop-down menu, select the amount of time you would travel for a job: No Travel Required, Up to 25%, Up to 50%, Up to 75%, and Up to 100%.

l) What languages do you speak? – Select the languages you speak and at what level of fluency. If the language you speak is not listed, you can add it by clicking Add Language. Some companies value and are looking for multilingual candidates, so I recommend selecting all the languages you speak.

m) Have you served in the military? – If you served in the military, select the option that reflects your background.

n) Do you have security clearance? – If you have a security clearance, select what clearance you have.

o) What is your citizenship? – Choose your citizenship status.

p) When are you available to start? – From the drop-down menu, select when you can start a new role.

q) Hit the Save Settings icon at the bottom of the page and your selections will be saved.

Looking for Jobs on Monster

It is important to search for jobs on Monster every day, since not all jobs will show up in your job alerts. Below are the steps to look for a job on Monster.

Step 1 – Go to http://www.monster.com/ and hit the Find Jobs icon in the top right corner. Click the Advanced Search option in the drop-down menu. This will bring you to the Advanced Search page

Step 2 – In the Advanced Search page, generate a job search using the following criteria: Job Titles, Companies, Location, Job Type, Posting Date. Below you will find information for each.

a) Job Titles – Choose the job titles you want to search for. You can search for more than one by clicking Add Another Job Title.

b) Companies – Select Jobs by Companies if there are specific companies you would like to work for. You also have the option to add more than one company by hitting Add Another Company. Unless there are specific companies you are looking to target, I would keep this blank.

c) Location – This allows you to search for jobs based on city, state or ZIP Code.

d) Job Type – Select what type of job type you are looking for, such as Full Time, Contract, Part Time, Internship, Temp, and Other. You can select more than one option.

e) Posting Date – This section allows you to narrow or expand a job search based on how long a job has been open. Select one of these options: Any Date, Today, Yesterday, Last 3 Days, Last 7 Days, Last 14 Days, or Last 30 days. When you first start looking for jobs, keep your search open by choosing Any Date. After you have done a few searches and have already found all the older jobs, change the Posting Date to Today so only recent jobs will show up in the search.

Step 3 – Click the Search for Jobs button. A list of jobs based on your search criteria will appear. Some jobs will let you apply via your existing Monster resume or will take you to the employer’s website to complete an application.

Conclusion

As Monster has such an established recruiter clientele, it is recommended that you follow this chapter’s advice as closely as possible. By creating a Monster resume that employers will find, creating alerts to stay up-to-breast on new job openings, and looking for jobs regularly on Monster, you’ll increase your chances of landing a job.

How to Look for Jobs on Google

Google, Job Hunting, Job Search, Resume

This Article Will Give You Information On How to Look for Jobs on Google

Google – https://www.google.com/

Please note: Google is always changing their format so some tips may change over time.

If you were to survey most job seekers, one of the first places they might start their job search is Google.

What is a Search Engine?

A search engine is a website that sorts websites by how relevant they are to a person’s search.

There are many search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and more. Any of these search engines can be used to find jobs. Currently, Google is the best search engine when looking for jobs so this article will focus on Google.

Positives and Negatives of Looking for Jobs in Search Engines

The positive: there are jobs found on search engines that may not be found on job boards and other job search tools.

The negative: sometimes a search engine will bring up irrelevant information or unrelated paid ads that could end up costing you valuable time. To help ensure you get relevant results, use Boolean techniques to improve the quality of your search. The following section explains how to use this technique.

Boolean Search Commands

If you are not familiar with Boolean, it involves using sequences of word commands in search engines to find information. Boolean can help you find information faster and more accurately. Below you will learn how to use basic Boolean, which can be applied to search for jobs on Google and other search engines.

Basic Boolean Commands

The first step in mastering Boolean is to understand basic Boolean commands. There are eight main basic Boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT, near, brackets, quotations, site, and inurl.
1. AND – This command links two things together when doing a search. For example: C++ AND capital markets. This would prompt a search of C++ and capital markets together. This is a good way to add things to a search.

2. OR – This command can link words together when doing a search. For example: RN OR Registered Nurse. This would prompt a search for either RN or Registered Nurse. This is a good time-saver because some things can be searched two ways and OR helps you do that at the same time.

3. NOT – This command means you want to exclude a specific word when doing a search. For example, you want to search for the word engineer but want to exclude the word engineering. For this search, you would type: engineer NOT engineering. This is a good way to exclude things from a search.

4. Near – This command means you want words to appear near each other. For example: ICU near nurse. If the words ICU and nurse are found close together on a website, this command will find them in a search. This search is great at finding things that go together that might not appear side by side.

5. Brackets – ( ) – This command will focus the search on whatever word is placed in brackets. For example: (J2EE). By putting J2EE in brackets, the focus of the search will be on J2EE.

6. Quotations – “ ” – This command finds exact, word-for-word phrases. For example, if you want to find only Pharmaceutical Sales Representative jobs, you would type “Pharmaceutical Sales Representative” in the Google search box.

7. site: – Limits your search to one domain. For example: site:LinkedIn.

8. inurl: – Limits your search to words found in a URL. For example, if you wanted to find resume websites, you would type: inurl:resume.

Google’s Aggregation of Other Job Sites

A new feature Google started in 2017 was the aggregation of jobs with their partnered job sites. Basically, Google, with their partnered job sites, lists jobs when you type in keywords. For example, if you type “sales job Kentucky” into the Google search box, one of the first things you’ll see will be sales jobs in Kentucky from Google’s partnered job sites.

Ways to Look for Jobs on Google

To help you make better use of Google to find jobs, following are three sample searches of different professions, using both simple searches and more complex Boolean commands. The simple search will be easier to use but the Boolean commands will pull up more relevant information. See the examples below and use them as a template to search for your own job by replacing keywords, titles, and locations.

1. Looking for a Teaching job in Anchorage, Alaska
a) Simple search – Type in the Google search bar: teaching jobs in Anchorage.
b) Complex search – Type in the Google search bar: Teacher or Teaching (job or jobs or career or opening or openings) near Anchorage Alaska.

2. Looking for a Java or J2EE Developer job in Toronto, Canada
a) Simple search – Type in the Google search bar: Java Developer job in Toronto Canada.
b) Complex search – Type in the Google search bar: (job or jobs or career or opening or openings) (“software developer” OR “software engineer” OR programmer OR “software design engineer”) (near Toronto) (Java OR j2EE)

3. Looking for a CFO job in a hospital but not at a home health or Rehabilitation center.
a) Simple search – Type in the Google search bar: CFO jobs hospital.
b) Complex search – Type in the Google search bar: CFO or “Chief Financial Officer” AND (job or jobs or career or opening or openings) AND (Hospital or Health System) NOT (“Home Health” and Rehabilitation”).

Conclusion

Google is the largest search engine and many jobs can be found by using this tool, so it’s a good idea to use Google regularly to search for jobs. In addition, if you learn how to use Boolean effectively, you might find jobs other job seekers will not and will have less competition.

How to Look for Jobs on Facebook

Facebook, Job Hunting, Job Search, Resume

This Article will Show you How to Look for Jobs on Facebook.

You’ll also learn what information to add to your profile so that you will pop up on recruiters’ radars.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/

Facebook is the largest social media site, with over 2 billion active users and growing.

Most job seekers already have a Facebook profile but do not realize that they can search for jobs on Facebook. Having a detailed Facebook profile also increases the likelihood of recruiters finding you and sending you ads about jobs.

Please note: Facebook’s format is constantly changing; therefore, there is a chance the information in this article could change over time.

Searching for Job Ads on Facebook

Facebook has a new feature that allows some users to look for jobs. It is quite a new feature so the search might be limited, but it is still worth seeing what job ads are out there. Below you will find the steps to look for a job on Facebook.

Step 1 – Go to https://www.facebook.com/jobs.

Step 2 – On the Jobs page, you can search for jobs based on the city you have listed on your Facebook profile. You can search for jobs by clicking Industry, Job Type, or by typing in keywords in the search bar in the top left corner. The search results will pop up and, if you find a job you like, select Apply Now and you will be taken to the company’s landing page to apply for the job.

Looking for Jobs in Facebook Groups

Another place to look for jobs on Facebook is in Facebook groups. Many professions have set up groups on Facebook where, in some cases, jobs are posted by recruiters, hiring managers, and even helpful members of your profession. You can find groups and search for jobs in them in 2 easy steps.

Step 1 – Login to your Facebook account and type your profession in the top search bar. For example, if you are a nurse you would type “nurse.” Different nurse-themed Facebook pages will be shown, and scrolling down, you will find Groups for Nurses. The best group to join might be one geared towards jobs, such as Nurse Jobs. Most professions have groups like this. Press Join to join the group.

Step 2 – After you get a notification that you are approved, you can look to see if the group has threads about jobs. If it does, look for the ones that interest you and apply. Not all groups have posts about jobs. If they do not, you can leave the group.

Post that You Are Looking for a Job

In your group, unless it restricts posts, you can try posting that you are looking for a job. Recruiters, hiring managers, and members of your profession might see your post and send you job ads, or refer you to people they know who have job openings.

Make sure that your post is simple and to the point, for example: “Looking for a new role as an RN in Philadelphia. If someone knows of any roles, please let me know.”

How to Get More Ads about Jobs on Your Facebook Feed

Have you ever gotten ads on your Facebook feed? Many people get targeted ads based on their Facebook profile.

Ads about jobs are no different. Some recruiters will set up ads targeted to a certain audience. By selecting specific job titles and companies, their ad will be sent to Facebook profiles that match those keywords. For example, if a recruiter was looking to reach Java Developers in San Jose, they would set up a Facebook ad with the keywords “San Jose”, “Java” and “developer.” Facebook users who live near San Jose and have the words “Java” and “developer” in their profiles would get that ad on their feed.

How do you add keywords to your Facebook profile so that you will be selected to receive job ads?

Step 1 – Go to your Facebook page and click on the About icon at the top.

Step 2 – In the About page, fill in more information about yourself, specifically: education, job titles, and companies where you have worked.

Help Recruiters Find Your Facebook Page

Help recruiters find your Facebook profile by listing all your job titles and companies you’ve worked for. Recruiters often search for job candidates by using companies and job titles as keywords, so having these in your Facebook profile increases the chances of them finding you. Then they might contact you about jobs by emailing you on Facebook or finding your contact information.

Conclusion

Facebook is more than just a fun social media site; it can also be a great tool to look for jobs. Remember to increase your visibility by including your job history and education in your profile. Recruiters and employers just might send you ads about job opportunities.

How to Create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands Out Part 3

Glassdoor, Indeed, Interview Questions, Job Hunting, Job Search, LinkedIn, Resume

Part 3 in a 3 Part Series on How to Create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands

Continuing from Part 1 & 2, we will continue to show you how to create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands Out.

Please note LinkedIn’s format is constantly changing; therefore, there is a small chance the information in this article could change over time.

Click Part 1 by clicking this link –

How to Create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands Out – Part 1

Click Part 2 by clicking this link –

How to Create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands Out Part 2

Be Honest and Use Proper Spelling and Grammar

Like your resume and cover letter, make sure your LinkedIn profile is edited properly for spelling and grammar. And just like your resume, do not lie about your skills, titles, and companies where you have worked.

Get Endorsements on LinkedIn

Endorsements give you credibility, so it is recommended you ask many former colleagues to give you positive endorsements. Think of using services based on Yelp reviews or buying products on Amazon based on positive reviews. Your LinkedIn recommendations work like Yelp or Amazon reviews. Aren’t you more likely to use a service that has good Yelp reviews? And don’t you often base a purchase decision on positive Amazon reviews? In the same way, if you include positive endorsements in your LinkedIn profile, potential employers may be more inclined to contact you.

If you have a good relationship with a former colleague and they are on LinkedIn, there is a good chance they will give you a recommendation. To ask for recommendations, go to https://www.linkedin.com/recs/received. Click the top middle column, Ask for Recommendations. A pop-up menu will appear, which asks the following questions:

1. What do you want to be recommended for?
The drop-down menu will list the roles and companies you worked for. Select the role/title you want to be recommended for.

2. Who do you want to ask?
Select who you want to ask for a recommendation from your LinkedIn contacts. Please note: it’s a good idea to ask your contacts ahead of time if they are willing to give you a recommendation.

3. What’s your relationship?
From a drop-down menu of choices, select what your relationship is or was with the person you are asking to recommend you. The second part of this section has a drop-down menu which asks, What was the person’s position at the time? Select the role they had when they worked with you.

4. Write your message
Using the template provided by LinkedIn, write an InMail asking for their recommendation. Don’t forget to include a subject line.

Connect with People to Expand Your Network

A great way to grow your network on LinkedIn and increase your chances of being seen by more recruiters is to connect with many people. Here are some tips on how to expand your network:

1. Upload your contacts into LinkedIn to see if any are on LinkedIn and then connect with them. You can upload Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook contacts, and even excel spreadsheets, to LinkedIn. These contacts will be sent an InMail inviting them to connect. Also, your non-LinkedIn contacts will be given the option to join LinkedIn and connect.
2. Look up people you have worked with, friends, and family and invite them to connect. Click the search icon found on the top of your main page and type the name you are looking for. You will be shown a list of names along with the option to connect.
3. Look up recruiters, especially those in your profession, and send them invites to connect. Most recruiters will accept your invitation. To find recruiters, type “recruiter” in the search box and different recruiters’ profiles will pop up.
4. Sent invites to people LinkedIn recommends. To do this, go to My Network and below it you should see People You May Know. A long list of people will appear and under each person’s picture will be a Connect box you can click to add them to your network. Many people will accept your invite request. Be careful on this one—LinkedIn will warn you if you try connect to too many people who reject your request.
5. Connect with people in your field, especially hiring managers. To look them up, hit the search icon and type ‘hiring manager’. You’ll be taken to a page where you can search for hiring managers by company and title. By connecting with people in your industry, especially hiring managers, more eyes will be on your profile.
6. Look for open networkers. These are people on LinkedIn who are open to connecting with anyone. In the search bar, type “Lion” or “Open Networker” to find profiles.
7. Always except connections when invited to connect on LinkedIn. It will expand your network. Remember, LinkedIn is not like Facebook; the purpose of LinkedIn is to make business connections.

Join LinkedIn Groups

Joining groups in your profession can expand your reach because recruiters look at these groups to find talent and post jobs. To use this feature, go to the search bar. Click the work icon, found at the top right corner, and look for the Groups icon. Hit the Groups icon and a page will come up that gives you recommendations of groups to join based on your job title.

Conclusion

By creating a detailed SEO-centric LinkedIn page, connecting with contacts and joining groups, your profile will attract attention. You will easily be found by recruiters looking to fill their roles. That translates into more job opportunities for you.

 

How to Create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands Out Part 2

Glassdoor, Indeed, Interview Questions, Job Hunting, Job Search, LinkedIn, Resume

This is Part 2 in a 3 Part Series on How to Create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands

Continuing from Part 1 we will continue to show you how to Create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands Out.

Please Note: LinkedIn’s format is constantly changing; therefore, there is a small chance the information in this article could change over time.

Part 1 can be found by clicking this link

How to Create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands Out – Part 1

Step 6 – Upload a Picture

Although you might not be comfortable uploading your picture to LinkedIn, I highly recommend you do so. Recruiters like to see a picture to ascertain that you are indeed a real person; having a picture brings you to life in their eyes.

There is nothing like a first impression, so make sure your picture looks good. If possible, have your photo professionally taken. In it, you should be wearing the type of clothing you would wear every day on the job. If you are applying for a white-collar position, wear a suit or other business-appropriate clothing. If you are a nurse, wear scrubs.

Step 7 – Add Detailed info into Your LinkedIn Profile

For this section, you will need to go to your newly-created LinkedIn profile. From there, perfect your profile by adding to the following sections:

A. Background Photo

This photo is different than your main photo. It is a banner picture (not of you) that goes across your profile header. Choose a background photo that relates to your personality or career, and I recommend using one in overall neutral color, like cream or tan. If you do not have any background pictures, visit https://pixabay.com/ to get free pictures to use for your background photo.

B. Headline Section

You have one sentence to make a good first impression. The headline is the first thing people will see in your profile. Treat it like the objective section on your resume. Mention your job title or job interest as well as key skills you possess. Repeated words weaved into your profile can bring you up higher on recruiters’ searches and will add to the SEO of your LinkedIn profile. Please note there is a space count for this section so use your words carefully.
A good example headline is: Leading Contact Center Rep with extensive experience, providing excellent customer service for Fortune 500 companies.

C. Add Positions

For this section, add the jobs you have held in chronological order. You can cut and paste this from your resume.

D. Education Section

List your education in chronological order. Again, you can cut and paste from your resume.

E. Summary Section

This section is like your headline, except you have more space to put more info in. Use the SEO technique of weaving in keywords and titles to increase the visibility of your profile. You can cut and paste your objective section from your resume; however, you can also add more keywords in your summary section than you can in a typical resume. I would not recommend mentioning that you are looking for a job unless you are currently working. Following is an example of a strong summary.

Results-oriented Senior Java/J2EE Software Developer with a proven track record of delivering software solutions in the financial/banking industry. 7+ years of experience as a Senior Java/J2EE software developer for well-known financial service companies Financial-ecom Inc. & Trading Floor Software Solutions.

F. Featured Skills & Endorsements section

Add as many skills as you can. The more you add, the greater the likelihood of your profile popping up when recruiters search by keywords when looking to fill roles. The smallest word can be searched by a recruiter, so adding different keywords to this section can increase your chances of being found. For starters, use the keywords from your resume skill section. From there, as you did for your resume, research different keywords to add to your profile.

The endorsement section is where people endorse your different skills. The more endorsements you have, the more impressive your profile will appear. To get more endorsements, reach out to your former colleagues and friends and ask them to endorse your skills. Most people will oblige your request.

G. volunteer experience

As real estate is less of an issue with a LinkedIn profile, I recommend adding volunteer experience to your profile. This section can be especially good for those who do not have much experience or are working or looking to work for an organization that values volunteer work. Be careful not to add things that are too political in nature or that could rub people the wrong way.

Step 8: Accomplishments Section

This section is an opportunity to add your accomplishments in the following categories: Publications, Certifications, Courses, Projects, Honors & Awards, Patents, Test Scores, Languages, Organizations. If you have any experience or skills in any or all of these categories, I recommend that you add them to your profile. It will increase your chances of being seen by a recruiter. According to LinkedIn, professionals with publications in their profile are found 7 times more than profiles who do not have publications, and profiles that list certifications are found 5 times more often than profiles who do not list certifications.

Part 3 will continue what you learned in part 1 &2 on How to Create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands Out.

To see part 3 see this link

How to Create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands Out Part 3

How to Create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands Out – Part 1

Job Hunting, Job Search, LinkedIn, Resume

This is Part 1 in a 3 Part Series on How to Create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands Out.

LinkedIn Introduction

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/

The majority of job seekers are familiar with LinkedIn, one of the world’s largest social media sites. For those job seekers who are not familiar with LinkedIn, it is a business-centric social media site that allows individuals to create an online profile that works like a resume. Not all LinkedIn users are looking for a job, but users can be contacted by potential employers about job opportunities.

If a recruiter or potential employer is interested in a user’s profile, they will contact that person via LinkedIn in-mails or directly via email. If interested, the job seeker can then choose to respond and communicate with the recruiter about potential job offers.

Why is it important to create a LinkedIn profile? You may be able to find jobs on LinkedIn without creating a profile; however, to apply for some jobs on LinkedIn, you submit an application using your LinkedIn profile.

This article will teach you how to create an effective LinkedIn profile. A strong profile will increase your chances of being found and contacted by recruiters looking to fill jobs that you might be perfect for.

Please note: LinkedIn’s format is constantly changing; therefore, there is a small chance the information in this article could change over time.

Steps to Building an Effective LinkedIn Profile

Step by step, this section will show you how to build an effective LinkedIn profile that recruiters will find and be interested in. If you already have a LinkedIn profile, use this information to improve your current profile.

Step 1: Register for the Site

Registering on LinkedIn is fast and easy. Simply go to https://www.linkedin.com/ and sign up by entering your first name, last name, email and creating a password.

Step 2: Basic Info requested by LinkedIn

First Info requested by LinkedIn – Choose a Country & Zip code/Postal Code, Are you a student, Job Title, Company, and Industry. Below you will find more info on all these areas.

A. Country and ZIP Code/Postal Code
When creating your LinkedIn profile, make sure you always list the correct country and ZIP Code/postal code. When a recruiter searches for LinkedIn profiles, they usually search by location, such as ZIP Code/postal code and/or city. If you choose the wrong location, you will not pop up on the recruiter’s search. Another thing you can do is choose a larger city nearby if you live in a smaller suburb or outlying town. Recruiters tend to search in bigger markets, so your best bet is to put your profile in a bigger geographical center.

B. Are you a Student?
This is self-explanatory. If you’re a student, click yes. If not, click no.

C. Job Title
On LinkedIn, like on your resume, use a good job title.

D. Company
Type in the full name of your current employer if you have one. If the company you work for is recognizable, it will pop up, and all you need to do is select it. Also, do not use a short form for the company name if people do not know it by that name—doing do will make it harder to find in a search.

E. Industry
For this section, you will be given a drop-down of different industries to select from. Pick the industry that most closely matches your profession.

Step 3 – What is your focus on using the LinkedIn platform?

For this section, you will be asked to choose one of the following options:

• Finding a job
• Staying up-to-date with my industry
• Building my professional network
• Keeping in touch with my contacts
• Not sure yet. I’m open!

Choose “Finding a job.” LinkedIn will then ask you if you want daily or weekly alerts based on your job title and location. My advice to job seekers: opt for daily alerts.

Step 4 – Uploading your Contacts

For this section, LinkedIn will ask if you would like to upload your contacts to see if any of them are already on LinkedIn. I would recommend adding your contacts, as more contacts on LinkedIn gives you more visibility.

Step 5 – Connecting with people LinkedIn suggests

In this section, LinkedIn will ask you if you would like to connect with different people. My advice is to select “all especially recruiters.” Connecting with as many as possible will put your profile in the eyes of more people. Most people, especially recruiters, will not turn down your request.

Part 2 & Part 3 will continue what you learned in part 1 on How to Create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands Out.

Part 2 can be found at this link

How to Create a LinkedIn Profile that Stands Out Part 2

Top 10 Best Ways to Look for a Job

Glassdoor, Indeed, Interview Questions, Job Hunting, Job Search, LinkedIn, Resume

This Article will Show you the 10 Best Ways to Look for a Job

It is a very competitive landscape for individuals looking for their next job. Gaining extra tips when looking for your next role could make the difference between landing your dream job or staying stagnated in your career. The following list of ten tips could be a great resource to land your next job.

Network

Networking is a great way to learn about job opportunities, and referrals fill many jobs.  Good places to network include the following:

a) Networking with Friends and Family

An obvious place to network is to ask friends and family if they know of any job leads. As most friends and family will be happy to help, this is a great place to start your networking.

b) Networking with Current and Former Colleagues

Maybe the best way to network is to contact current and former colleagues and ask them if they know of any job opportunities. Many will not mind referring you, so it never hurts to ask.

Many companies love external referrals. They are more likely to trust a referral coming from a current employee than a candidate who was not a referral. Also, there could be an incentive for an employee to refer you to a job since many companies give cash or gift incentives for referring.

c) Networking with People in Your Industry

If you belong to an industry group or association, you might want to contact individual members and the association itself to see if they know of any job opportunities.

d) Networking with Online Groups in Your Profession

Joining online professional groups in LinkedIn and Facebook can be an avenue to network for roles. It never hurts to join many of these groups and post that you are looking for roles. Also, look for roles posted by members.

Use Job Aggregators like Indeed

Job aggregators are essentially job board search engines that collect job posting across the net. This makes searching for a job easier as you can search off of one site as opposed to many job boards. The biggest Aggregator is Indeed – http://www.indeed.com/ with over 250 million unique users a month. Another upcoming Aggregator is LinkUp – http://www.linkup.com/

To learn more about how to look for a job on Indeed please read this article.

How to Look for Jobs on Indeed

Set up Job Alerts

One of the biggest ways a job seeker can save time in their job search is to create job alerts. Job alerts are daily or weekly emails that are sent to job seekers to inform them about open jobs. The job seeker signs up for alerts based on the jobs they are interested in. All the major job boards and aggregators have an option for job seekers to set up job alerts.

Look for Jobs on Company Websites

A very simple way to find jobs is to look directly on company websites. Many companies have talent communities you can sign-up for on their website that can alter you about jobs.

Look for Jobs on LinkedIn & Create a Detailed LinkedIn Profile

Many recruiters search for candidates on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/. Therefore it is paramount that you have a LinkedIn profile. Tips for enhancing your LinkedIn profile include having a very detailed profile and skills. Also, to enhance your profile, use a professional picture. LinkedIn also is a great place to search for jobs as they have a job posting section with tons of jobs.

To learn more about how to look for a job on LinkedIn please read this article.

How to Look for Jobs on LinkedIn

Use Job Spider sites like ZipRecruiter

ZipRecruiter https://www.ziprecruiter.com/ is one of the fastest-growing job sites. It works differently than most job boards, posting jobs on hundreds of job boards and websites. Another great advantage of using ZipRecruiter is getting email job alerts, and using their quick applying applications. I highly recommend using this tool to search for jobs and be easily found by employers.

To learn more about how to look for a job on Ziprecruiter please read this article

How to Look for Jobs on ZipRecruiter

Use Employer Review Sites like Glassdoor

Employer review sites are not just a great place to see what employees think of their company; it is also a great place to find jobs. The bigger review sites are Glassdoor – https://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm . On Glassdoor, you can find many jobs as well as what current employees think about that employer.

To learn more about how to look for a job on Glassdoor please read this article

How to Look for Jobs on Glassdoor

Use Traditional Job Boards

Traditional job boards are a great place to look for jobs as some companies still use this as their go to place to post jobs. A good tip is to look at more than one job board as some companies have contracts with only one. Two of the biggest job boards are CareerBuilder – http://www.careerbuilder.com/ & Monster – http://www.monster.com/

To learn more about how to look for a job on CareerBuilder please read this article

How to Look for Jobs on CareerBuilder

There is a hidden job market of roles that are solely in the hands of recruiters. Many companies outsource some of their roles in recruitment firms. Unless you develop relationships with recruiters, you will miss out on jobs that are not advertised anywhere but through agencies. Also, it is a good recommendation to develop relationships with more than one firm as this will expand your job search as different firms will most likely have different clients.

Look on Niche Job Sites

Every industry has niche job sites where you can find jobs specific to your industry. Examples include https://www.dice.com/ for IT and www.healthecareers.com/ for Healthcare.