Online Job Hunting Tips

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The internet is a handy, convenient way to find your next job. Maximize what it can offer by following these tips on job hunting through the Internet.

Don’t expect the Internet to be a genie that will magically offer you your dream job. Only 5% of job seekers find their job through the internet alone.

Take advantage of all features each job search site offers, including the resume and advanced job search.

Don’t be passive during your job search. After posting your resume and applying for the job, follow up with each prospective employer with an e-mail.

Don’t respond to job listings you aren’t qualified for, as this will just add to the numerous applications employers need to go through.

Put more than one version of your resume online so that potential employers have 24/7 access to your credentials. Also consider developing an online portfolio, especially if your career is in web design or web development.

Also try going directly to each company’s website, looking through their job openings, and applying for each directly.

Phone Interviews

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Some companies give you a phone interview before they call you in for a face-to-face interview. Here are a few do’s and don’ts you might want to consider during a phone interview.

If you don’t think you have enough time to do a phone interview today, suggest a certain time to the recruiter. It’s better if you do the call back so you can be more mentally prepared.

Make sure that you are in a quiet place where you can concentrate and take notes.

Keep notecards, an outline, or a copy of your resume in front of you so you can remember the key points you’d like to bring up during the interview. While you don’t want your answers to sound scripted, you don’t want to forget the important points either. Having your resume in front of you will also help you recall the highlights of your career so far.

Stand up during the phone interviewer. Experts say that people sound more professional when they’re standing up than when they’re sitting down.

Avoid sneezing or coughing; say “excuse me” if you can’t.

Demonstrating Your Problem-Solving Skills

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Interviewers look for candidates who can convince them that they can help the company achieve its goals. One of the best ways you can answer interview questions is by giving career success stories. These are the moments in your career where you were able to overcome difficult challenges to achieve the project’s goals. These stories will give your interviewer an idea about your ability to handle tasks, solve problems, and come up with solutions. Relate your answer to each interview question to a similar experience in your career, how you handled it, and the results that came out. The key to any successful interview, especially if it’s for a new field, is to make a connection between your abilities and skills and related situations in the new job. Although this job may be different from your previous one, there will be similarities in terms of daily challenges and tasks that you need to deal with.

The power of keyword search

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Job aggregators have been helpful to job seekers. They keep a log of companies who have openings, and you can upload your resume in their database for future reference. Pretty neat, eh? Not quite. These job aggregators rely on keyword search since they receive thousands of applicants per day. When a company is in search of a new applicant to fill in a position, they do queries that will bring back results that match the keywords they just typed.

So what do you have to do? The key here is to refine the contents of your personal log file. Maybe instead of writing “I have no job experience since I am a fresh graduate”, you may want to write “I am a fresh graduate, seeking my first job. Although I don’t have any work experience, I am more than willing to learn and use my skills… etc.”. In this way, there is a better chance that some of your keywords might be picked.

Photo taken from http://www.abc.net.au

Corporate Clothes in the Closet: Not Bad

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You’ve heard the cliché “Simplicity is beauty.” The same theory applies to make-up. Your future employer wouldn’t be happy to see too much gunk on your face. What’s important is that you look fresh and neat! To be safe, go for neutral shades, like brown or beige. Even eyeliner works wonders. The purpose of cosmetics is to highlight your best features. It’s how you apply them that matters. For your cheeks, a rose-colored shade would do. Resist wearing sultry shades. A crimson red lipcolor wouldn’t be so hot for an interview. The no- makeup look wins my vote!

For guys, a solid colored conservative suit is best to wear during an interview. No prints please! Patterns somehow diminish the formality in your demeanor. A long-sleeved white shirt plus a dark tie gives guys the smart casual look, though most male applicants nowadays seem comfortable in donning in pastel-colored shirts. Some even wear powder pink ones.

Never wear white socks. You’re not a first-grader so please replace yours with dark ones. Slip your feet into a pair of shiny black shoes. As much as possible, the only accessory you’d wear would be your watch. And it’s not even for the purposes of style.

Keep your hair neat with gel. However, don’t style them up the way band stars do. It’s like something is sticking out of your head. Shave your beard or moustache, and give up your goatee for just a few days. Be quite like a guy-next-door type, at least until you pass the job interviews! To complete your outfit, carry your documents inside a portfolio or a briefcase.

Online Job Hunt Tool: Instant Messaging Services

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Online job hunting is not only convenient, but it also gets you to discover more job hunting tools in the process. One of them is the instant messaging service. Instant messaging services providers include AIM (AOL Instant Messenger), Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ and MSN Messenger. There are also sites such as Meebo.com that allows people to access different instant messengers in one venue.

Most people have instant messaging accounts, some even have multiple. If you are one of them, use your instant messenger in locating jobs. How? By using it in connecting to friends and professionals who may have information on job openings. Some job sites support IM and they usually send job listings to the messenger of their members. The possibilities are infinite since you are bound to meet new people every now and then. Just make sure that your screen name or instant messaging ID sounds decent and professional.

Dressing For Success (Part 3)

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You’ve heard the cliché “Simplicity is beauty.” The same theory applies to make-up. Your future employer wouldn’t be happy to see too much gunk on your face. What’s important is that you look fresh and neat! To be safe, go for neutral shades, like brown or beige. Even eyeliner works wonders. The purpose of cosmetics is to highlight your best features. It’s how you apply them that matters. For your cheeks, a rose-colored shade would do. Resist wearing sultry shades. A crimson red lipcolor wouldn’t be so hot for an interview. The no- makeup look wins my vote!

For guys, a solid colored conservative suit is best to wear during an interview. No prints please! Patterns somehow diminish the formality in your demeanor. A long-sleeved white shirt plus a dark tie gives guys the smart casual look, though most male applicants nowadays seem comfortable in donning in pastel-colored shirts. Some even wear powder pink ones.

Never wear white socks. You’re not a first-grader so please replace yours with dark ones. Slip your feet into a pair of shiny black shoes. As much as possible, the only accessory you’d wear would be your watch. And it’s not even for the purposes of style.

Keep your hair neat with gel. However, don’t style them up the way band stars do. It’s like something is sticking out of your head. Shave your beard or moustache, and give up your goatee for just a few days. Be quite like a guy-next-door type, at least until you pass the job interviews! To complete your outfit, carry your documents inside a portfolio or a briefcase.

Dressing For Success (Part 2)

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The way you carry yourself would say a lot about your values and personality. Conservative companies, most especially, are concerned with the way you look. For women, you could wear solid colors. If you think a monochromatic suit is blah and boring, you could try wearing printed dresses – but not too overwhelming. Your top should match the color of your pants and shoes. Go for minimal designs. For example, a floral-printed blouse would look cute and fresh. A light-yellow suit and white silk scarf is also a nice bet. If plain colors really kill you, choose clothes with details, like ruffles and buttons. Some companies aren’t so particular with the design anyway. They notice the overall package.

Limit your jewelry. Don’t overdo and embellish yourself with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings altogether! That would make you look like a bad Christmas tree. Choose pieces that go well with your suit. My top picks include pearls and Svarovski crystals. These items look classy. Avoid wearing dangling and big round earrings, no matter how stylish they are. For me, a pair of earrings and a ring is enough to complete the outfit.

Hairstyles matter too. Go for the neat ‘do. You could twist your hair into a chignon, but skip the seductive look. If you’ve got short hair, brush it into one side, keep it professional-looking. Don’t put clips anymore, unless they’re not that obvious. Those are also accessories, and are best kept to a minimum.

Dressing For Success (Part 1)

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First impressions last. True enough, what people see in you get stuck in the abyss of their minds. You gotta start checking your wardrobe if you have clothes appropriate for job interviews. If you’ve got zero corporate or smart casual attire, then I suggest you hit the malls for some serious shopping.

Why is it important to dress up for the interview? The answer is pretty obvious, my friends. You’re not going to a date or something. You’re meeting your future boss here! So start scouting for decent clothing lest you want your hiring manager to ditch your resume at the very beginning.

A word of advice: You are old enough to know that short, skimpy dresses wouldn’t be too much of an eye candy. They would be more of an eye sore! I bet you wouldn’t feel comfortable, and neither would the people around you.

Whatever your sense of style is, resist the urge to show up in the interview wearing sneakers, low-rise jeans, and revealing tops. You’re not in a fashion show, so drop the trendy ideas. Likewise, avoid wearing thin, white fabric. I guarantee whatever you’re wearing underneath won’t be hidden. Toss piercings off for a while. Cover your tattoos. And please don’t wear too much cologne or perfume. Less is better.

Writer has a few day jobs

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When she was in the second grade, she borrowed one of her father’s old typewriters and started putting out a stapled magazine that she sold to people in the neighborhood and at school. About the same time, Woodring started creating catalogs that offered books that she had not yet written.

 

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