Expand your Horizons

When I’m looking for a job, I never keep it restricted to my zip code. Part of this, of course, has to do with the fact that I live in a small community. The job opportunities in my area are limited. Therefore I am an internet job search fanatic, and I look everywhere. If I’ve met you, and I have decided you are not crazy, chances are I’m going to look for a job in your town so I can sleep onm your couch when I get it. I’ve looked for jobs in the cities where my friends, uncles, aunts, cousins, ex-roommates, and that random guy who was always in my dorm room live. If I can get there for an interview I’m on it. When I’m looking for a career, I’m not looking for the town, I’m looking for the opportunity. That’s what takes me where I need to go.

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Checkout <a href="http://www.nvjobsearch.com"
Jobs in Las Vegas, Nevada – Las Vegas jobs
at NV Job Search.com.

It always comes at the wrong time

You know when you have a really big job interview coming up and you’re so excited you can’t wait for it to happen. I had that job interview, a few months ago. It was a job perfect for me, one of those ones that just sounded like exactly what I thought I would be doing after a graduated. It gave me a chance to write and be creative. Not only that, but after talking to the interviewer on the phone, I was sure I had a good shot.
That is until the day before the interview, when I woke up to find out a cold was beginning to rob me of my voice. The next morning, it was all but gone along with my chances of a successful interview. Rolling myself out of bed, I decided I had to cancel the interview. There was no way I’d make the long drive, let alone the extensive questioning.
The interviewer was understanding and told me to call back as soon as I felt I could interview. Two days later, however, was too late. Someone has already been hired. I already had learned my lesson about not waiting too long, but when you don’t have a voice all you can do is wait. The interviewer apologized, and even praised me for knowing my own limits, as she said she would not have been impressed with me at an interview looking sick and unable to talk. Nonetheless I beat myself up for not trudging through the cold and sticking it out, sure that it was my own fault for losing the job.
I still wonder if I made the right choice, but I guess it all depends on the employer. I’ll never really know why I lost out on that one, but would it have been worth working for a company like that? Honesty starts at the door, I don’t intend to fake being sick, not to get out of work, so I won’t pretend to be well to stay in the interview. I’ve been to job interviews before sick, I never did get one of those jobs. I guess whether or not I got it, all that matters is the truth. That’s what good employers are looking for anyway.

Checkout accounting jobs, UK at
AccountantCareers.co.uk.

Determined to sweat

I’m sitting here drinking my delicious coffee as I stare around the room. Students are sitting mostly in groups chatting, typing, eating and studying. I begin to think Рare they just as worried and frustrated as I am right now? Are they sweating like me over internships, picking classes for next semester and how they’re going to have time to study for their exams next week? Not only that, are they sweating over two new jobs, the three group projects they have to do and the 10 hours they’ve slept in the past three days? I’m going to take a wild guess and say that I’m the only one in the room sweating. The coffee isn’t really helping either.
So what is helping me? How does one person like me handle all of this? I can tell you in one word – determination. I’m determined to get an internship. I’m determined to work hard at my two new jobs. I’m determined to ace all of my exams. I’m determined to function with little sleep. And I’m determined to pick the right classes. Of course I’m still going to worry, but if I didn’t worry then I wouldn’t care if I failed. And trust me, I care – I care a lot.

Five Great Retention Strategies to Make Your Best Employees Want to Stay

It used to be that employers could correctly believe that they were in control of the employment game. They would advertise a job opening, receive dozens and perhaps hundreds of well qualified applicants, hire one, and know that person would never quit. Thankfully those days are long behind us. Our the economy and our workforce have changed, including the willingness and ability of employees to change jobs. So how does an employer make it really hard for its best employees to quit? Let me count the ways:

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If You Don’t Succeed…

I started searching other colleges after Lesley regretted to inform me that they couldn’t accept me into the program (this is to clarify for a certain someone). I found two and a possible other, but I’ll apply to two right now. Columbia College Chicago and UMass Amherst are the schools that I’ll try and see if I can get into their Creative Writing programs. It’s no big deal that I didn’t get into Lesley; I see that now. I still have the provisional acceptance at Rosemont, but if I don’t pass those two courses and get a B average, that’ll be money down the drain that could’ve gone to something important. So…I have to track down my professors and ask if they can write another recommendation for me, which will be hard since one is in England. Hopefully, they can do this and I can wait in agony and see whether I’m accepted or not.

Ultimate Career Goal?

You might be wondering why I used a question mark in my title. Well, it is simply because I don’t have an ultimate career goal at the moment. I guess it is kind of like when you’re in high school or college and someone asks the question: where do you see yourself in five to ten years? You might have a general idea, but not be exactly sure. As for me, I do have goals like everyone should. Some goals I have already accomplished such as earning my Associate Degree in Marketing and obtaining this writing internship. My short-term goals are getting an entry-level position in business and getting my Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. I want to really get my foot in the door somewhere, and then I believe I will have a better idea of exactly where I want to go. For some people, it is about being better than everyone else at what they do. I just want to make sure I do what is best for me, and I will be happy. When I do decide what my ultimate career goal is, no doubt, I will let you know.

Don’t Forget the Basics of Cover Letter Writing

What do employers want to see in your cover letter? That seems to be the question a lot of job seekers ask. Here are some basics that will help you start writing your cover letter and propel you into applying for new jobs. Ask yourself the following questions so that your job search is off to a good start.
What Job Are You Applying for Anyway?
It’s a basic step but sometimes it’s left out on a cover letter. The hiring manager is left to wonder what the cover letter and resume they have in their hand is for. If they have to guess, then you can forget about getting a call for an interview. They are too busy to spend that much time on one candidate.
Include the job you’re applying for towards the beginning of the cover letter. You could even make it a header to your letter. Make it apparent so the hiring manager doesn’t have to spend time looking for it.
Can You Fulfill Their Requirements?
If you’re applying for an advertising position, don’t go and talk about what great administrative skills you have. You have to demonstrate how you meet their requirements. If the job posting says they require a four-year degree and you only have a two-year degree, don’t mention it at all. Let your strengths speak for you instead.
As you review the posting, take note of what you can specifically point out to the reader. You don’t want to mention every point, but if there’s something unique about the position and you either have the experience, training or skills that suit that job to a tee, then you should make a point to mention it in your cover letter.
How Can They Reach You?
Make your contact information easily accessible. Include it in your header and your closing paragraph as well. Some even suggest adding your phone number below your signature. You want to be sure that when an employer is so impressed by your cover letter package that they just have to call you for an interview, they don’t get frustrated looking for a phone number or email address.
How Professional Are You?
How you present yourself on paper speaks volumes about who you are as a professional. Are their typos? Is the format correct? Do you have too much white space? Not enough? All of these little things add up to a very important impression on the employer.
Of course, these are just very broad aspects of your cover letter that you should include. However simple as these may seem, they are vital to getting interviews. If you overlook the obvious, then the employers will obviously overlook you.

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New Social Networking Site Will Make Lawyers Rich

One of my spies (okay, it was Amitai Givertz) tipped me off to a story about a new social networking site for high schoolers. Apparently hoping to ride on the coat tails of MySpace and Facebook, Minnesota-based, business development firm BDC Capital Inc. said that it’s in the process of developing a multiple-site online networking portal geared toward high school students and alumni.

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A Most Admired Person

When I thought about this exercise, there was no doubt whom I had to write about, my mother. She has always been there for me through good times as well as difficult times. To this day, she continues to be a positive influence in my life and many others. There are three things I admire about my mom: her love for God, her love for family and other people, and her work ethic.
My mother’s love for God as played a major role in my life. She has always taught me that if I put God first in my life, everything else will fall into place. This love is demonstrated through her humility and acts of kindness. It has helped her to be tolerant of a lot of nonsense from people throughout her life. For example, she has taught me that when people mistreat you, turn the other cheek. It’s not always easy to do, but it’s the right way to live. I appreciate how she stands up for what is right no matter what people think of her. Many times, I believe she is misunderstood through her words and her actions, but God knows her heart. She was born with her heart on the right side both literally and figuratively. It is her faith that made her a wonderful wife for seven years before becoming a widow and the best mother and friend any son could ever have.

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Audio Conference on Podcasting: A Cutting-Edge Recruiting Tool to Catch Students

On Thursday, November 2, 2006, I will have the pleasure of working with the folks at Kennedy Information to present a 90-minute audio conference on podcasting and how employers can and should use it to help them recruit college students. Below is an (un)paid commercial announcement from Kennedy about the event:

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