Job leads in unlikely places…

This entry is from a CEO’s blog. Know Any Good Salespeople? How many other CEO’s are using blogs to find talent? I wonder…

How your boss really thinks…

Want to know how the CEO of a company really things? Check out CEOBlogsList and read the comments of CEOs relating to employees and the public. This is a GREAT resource!

Top 10 reasons why employers will hire you…

All too often the job seeker is focused on what he or she is looking for in a job (i.e. income, benefits, location, function, responsibilities, title, stature, drive time, industry, and corporate culture). On the other hand, hiring executives have an entirely different set of standards for what they are seeking in candidates. If you, as a job seeker, fail to recognize the difference, you will be history in terms of being the candidate of choice.

READ: Employer Hot Buttons

Finally, stick this one on your forehead…

Patience plus passion equals empowerment in job hunting Enough said…

Stick this to the side of your computer…

CareerJournal.com lists these Internet job-searching blunders as among the most common:

* Cover letters — It’s simple to cut and paste a copy of the same letter
to different hiring managers, but make sure you proof your changes to
avoid silly mistakes.

* Direct communication — It may feel like you are communicating directly
with a hiring manager, but he or she likely is receiving hundreds of
resumes each day, so don’t be too familiar in your greeting.

* E-mail addresses — Make sure the address you use is professional. “If
your address is ‘partyguy@hotmail.com,’ consider opening a new e-mail
account,” Mr. Lee says.

READ: CareerJournal.com Identifies Top Internet Job-Hunting Blunders

Stick this in your wallet

After reading this, I thought it would be a good article to print out and leave in your wallet while job searching. Here are a few highlights:

Create a “hot list” of companies within a 10 mile radius of your home to apply to.

In an interview, “Don’t oversell, don’t oversell.”

If you’re missing some critical credentials or training, consider going back to school.

Don’t waste time applying for jobs you’re not qualified for.

If you need to take a “bridge job” to pay the bills, do so, but keep looking for a more ideal position. Don’t settle for “low hanging fruit.”

After an interview, follow up. Send out hand-written thank you notes to everyone you interviewed with.

Anticipate being asked difficult interview questions and prepare the answers in advance.

Create a 30-second “elevator speech” to highlight your achievements and skills.

Click here for the rest of the list and refer to it often.

Buyer Beware: Bernard Haldane Associates

Doug Binks lost his job at a Chicago-area dot-com in 2001 when he was 53. The economy was faltering, and Binks was feeling “very nervous” about his chances of getting a new job.

So he dipped into his savings and paid a $12,500 fee to sign up with Bernard Haldane Associates, a job-placement franchise with offices throughout the United States. Binks says recruiters at Haldane assured him they could help double his earnings through their exclusive job listings.

“They entice you by saying they had access to high-paying jobs, access to job markets no one else has access to [and] an exclusive set of headhunters,” says Binks. “None of it turned out to be true. In terms of them providing me with leads, nothing. Zero.”

READ: Bum Job Leads

Thanks to Vanguard Nexus for this article lead.

Vanguard Nexus to the rescue?

What an original concept! In addition to helping you with your resume, Vanguard Nexus will generate leads for you, call companies for you, get you interviews and help you close the deal. Hmm… Sounds like “reverse recruiting,” where the jobseeker is the client instead of the company. This could be huge if executed well. A few positive testimonials and this enterprise could beckon a huge new market. Good luck Vanguard Nexus! Your services are needed.

Safe as a mother’s womb…

The 2004 America’s Safest Companies (to work in) are Anheuser-Busch, Bell Helicopter, DeFabCo, DSM Desotech Inc., Energy Northwest, Ford, Bacon & Davis, Freudenberg-NOK, Inland Printing Co., L’Oreal USA, Milliken & Co., Monsanto Co., Packerland-Plainwell Inc., Rohm and Haas, Smurfit-Stone Container, Texas Instruments and Washington Group.
READ: Industry Leader Occupational Hazards Names 2004 America’s Safest Companies

On the job pressure…

Imagine making a mistake while proofreading the latest bible translations. Not only could you get in trouble at work, but in the hereafter as well. READ: Bible proofreaders sweat the small stuff