3 Resume Mistakes for IT Candidates to Avoid

Information technology professionals are some of the most frustrated job seekers I know. They often find themselves in the position of being some of the brightest people in their companies, yet struggling to communicate exactly how their specialized knowledge contributes to the operations or bottom lines of their employers. Here are three common mistakes I see on IT resumes:

Using way too much jargon

Technology candidates often assume that their resumes will be read by another IT professional, and they describe their previous work with tech-heavy terms. It’s important to realize that the initial screener of any resume is often a recruiter or human resources staff member. Therefore, translating IT skills into general business terms and skills will help the reader grasp what you’re talking about.

Including every technology you’ve ever used

While some IT professionals do have degrees in computer science, the technology field is chock full of workers who taught themselves most of what they know. For this reason, IT professionals are understandably proud of any professional certifications they’ve earned, often using their own time and money to do so. However, many technology candidates fall into the trap of being so attached to their certifications that they refuse to remove them from their resumes long after the skills are relevant. Being certified in Windows 95 is about as useful as knowing how to record a television show onto a Beta tape these days.

Assuming that your skills are obvious

To an IT professional, it’s incredibly obvious that anyone who has managed a network with 5 servers and 200 machines would know how to install anti-virus software. However, someone working in human resources who happens to be hiring for their IT department is much less likely to know exactly what a network administrator does. IT is one field where resume logic works a little differently; in this case, you do want to spell out many of the tasks associated with your role. If you need help figuring out which information to include, ask a close friend or family member to try to describe your job to you—and then include anything on your resume that they don’t mention.

IT resumes follow a whole new set of rules that don’t always apply to other resumes. Make sure your IT resume is results-focused, speaks clearly about your skills, and has a targeted strategy – it’s very important to know your audience. We’re here to help if you decide you would like an IT resume writer to give your resume an overhaul this holiday season, visit Great Resumes Fast to learn more about our IT resume services.

 

Author Info: Jessica has a true passion for the job seeker, evidenced by her desire to share everything she can with everyone she can about resume writing and interviewing.
Author Website: http://www.greatresumesfast.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Gear Up for Your Summer Job Search

Summer is rapidly approaching and that means more people will be looking for work. If you want to position yourself for job opportunities, then your job search should start now, if it has not already. While some employers may know they will be hiring, others may not be quite as certain; nevertheless, you want to be a top candidate in their minds. Here are some tips to help you prepare for your summer job search.

-Decide on the job you want or need- Focus on the job details. Ask yourself the what, where, and when questions to determine if a job is right for you. The “perfect” position may not be available, but at least you’ll have something to consider.

-Keep your resume up-to-date- Make sure your resume has a clear objective that defines you, and cater that resume specifically to the job of interest. Check for spelling and grammar too.

-Network- This seems obvious, but don’t forget to talk to your contacts about your job search. They include your family, friends, professors, professional contacts, and anyone else who may provide leads on job opportunities.

For more tips concerning your summer job search, see the source below.

There is no better time than now to start your summer job search. By planning ahead, you will improve your chances of getting hired as the competition for these jobs heats up.

-Source-

http://thecareernews.com/newsletter.php?news=2484

 

Author Byline: William Frierson is a staff writer for CollegeRecruiter.com.
Author Website: http://www.collegerecruiter.com/

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

46% of Employers Plan to Hire College Grads in 2011

Employers are gradually hiring more recent college graduates this year. Forty-six percent of employers said they plan to hire recent college graduates in 2011, up from 44 percent in 2010 and 43 percent in 2009. Of those who plan to hire recent college graduates, 26 percent reported they will offer higher starting salaries than they did in 2010, an improvement from 16 percent who said the same in last year’s survey and 11 percent in 2009. The survey was conducted online from February 21 to March 10, 2011 by Harris Interactive, among more than 2,800 hiring managers and human resource professionals.

Thirty-one percent of employers plan to offer recent college graduates starting salaries ranging between $30,000 and $40,000. An additional 21 percent will offer between $40,000 and $50,000, and 24 percent will offer $50,000 or more. Twenty-four percent will offer less than $30,000.

“Employers are more optimistic overall, and as a result, are looking to bring in entry-level workers to build their workforce for the future,” said Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America. “Companies are adding jobs in a variety of areas and need fresh, educated talent to fill those roles. Our survey found that they will recruit college grads primarily for IT, customer service, sales, finance, accounting and marketing jobs this year.”

In addition to specific areas that employers will be recruiting college graduates for, they shared the overall skill sets they are looking for from new grads, including:

• Strong written and verbal communications – 69 percent
• Technical skills – 57 percent
• Project management – 44 percent
• Research – 30 percent
• Math – 31 percent
• Knowledge of using mobile applications and technologies – 21 percent
• Public speaking – 20 percent
• Basic accounting skills – 21 percent
• Adept at using social media – 16 percent
• Bilingual – 15 percent

The survey also revealed that while work experience is one of the most influential factors in their decision to hire recent college graduates, employers reported that other activities qualify as relevant experience:

• Internships – 68 percent
• Part-time jobs in another area or field – 51 percent
• Volunteer work – 41 percent
• Class work – 34 percent
• Involvement in school organizations – 33 percent
• Involvement in managing activities for sororities and fraternities – 20 percent
• Participation in sports – 12 percent

When new college graduates are applying and interviewing for jobs, they should be mindful of their overall demeanor and behavior. When asked to identify the biggest mistakes that recent college graduates made during the application and interview process, employers said coming to the interview with no knowledge of the company (58 percent), acting entitled (54 percent), dressing inappropriately (52 percent), not asking good questions during the interview (50 percent), not turning off their cell phone before the interview (44 percent) and acting bored (42 percent).

Rasmussen offers the following tips for recent college graduates searching for jobs:

Do your homework: Just like you did for classes in college, it’s important to be knowledgeable about the company before applying and interviewing. Spend time researching organizations ahead of time by checking out their web sites, press room and other articles that might be written about them. Coming to the interview prepared is a great way to impress a hiring manager.

Stay upbeat: Even though the job market is gradually improving, it is still a highly competitive job environment, and your job search may take longer than expected. Stay positive and make sure you show that enthusiasm during your search. Check out a variety of opportunities on CareerRookie.com.

Show your personality: While it’s essential to always remain professional and on your toes, be sure to show your individuality. Craft your cover letter to highlight your personality and relax enough in the interview to show some of your best traits. Hiring managers want employees who are a good fit with company culture, and showcasing your personality is a great way to demonstrate how you will fit in with an organization.

Think outside your career box: Consider taking a job outside of your desired field if it will help you gain experience and learn new skills. Plus, you may discover that what you originally planned wasn’t as good of a fit as a different path.

Utilize social media: Use your social media skill set to help supplement your job search. Promote your personal brand, skills and strengths on different social networking sites like Facebook, so you can reach the widest and most diverse audience of networking contacts and potential employers. Showcase your social media profiles on your resume, cover letter and other communications for continuity.

Top 10 Resume Mistakes that Will Short Circuit Your Job Search

What is unfortunate is that many of these common mistakes appear on resumes that have been prepared by professional resume writers which is why Hal Eskenazi, President of Profiles Worldwide, developed 15SecondResume.  It is an online, on-demand training that teaches people everything they need to know to develop a targeted, customized, directed resume that will get past the gate blockers that are preventing them from getting the interview. This is not just another “resume templates” tool.  With over 25 years of experience recruiting for national and global companies, Mr. Eskenazi has a keen understanding how to position one’s background to get the interview and get the job.

The training is available at www.15SecondResume.com

 

Author Byline:  Sheila O’Connor

Author Website: www.15SecondResume.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

3 Tips For Developing The Perfect Executive Resume Title

You’ve made it.  All your hard work has paid off, and you’re officially The Big Cheese.  Now it’s time to go out and find a great job that bears both the responsibilities and rewards of being a top executive.  The trouble is, depending on which company is advertising a job, you may be applying to be CEO, Director, or President.  How should you title your resume in order to be picked up by recruiters and hiring managers?

Target a specific sector

If your job search is aimed at leading a certain size company in a particular industry, it will be fairly easy for you to determine an appropriate title for your resume.  One tactic is to copy the search words you use to look for jobs appropriate for your experience.  For instance, if you are looking for Vice President positions that require an M.B.A., your title might be “Senior Vice President” and you would include M.B.A. after your name, as in “John Doe, M.B.A./ Senior Vice President”.

Know your industry

The issue of titles is a good one to talk over with a recruiter or any inside contacts you have with a company.  If you can’t find an actual person to ask about how your experience corresponds to a particular company’s titles, spend some time on LinkedIn looking at the current management of your target companies.  What are the titles of executives who have experience equivalent to yours?

Casting a wide net

For many senior executives, the experience you’ve gathered throughout your career prepares you to do any number of things: operations management, strategic planning, or even consulting.  If you’re open to many possibilities in your next career move, you may want to try another tack and utilize multiple potential titles across the top of your resume.  For example, your title might be “COO/CFO/Director of Administration”.  This will allow your resume to match up with keyword searches for numerous positions.

We often write about the need to customize each resume that you submit for the particular position you’re targeting.  It’s okay (and preferable!) to have numerous versions of your resume with different target titles on each one.  A little bit of research is all it takes to label your executive resume appropriately.

 
Author: Jessica has a true passion for the job seeker, evidenced by her desire to share everything she can with everyone she can about resume writing and interviewing.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Unemployment rates fall in 317 of 372 metro areas – Oklahoma City best amongst large metros

Unemployment rates were lower in March than a year earlier in 317 of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 44 areas, and unchanged in 11 areas, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Fourteen areas recorded jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent, while eight areas registered rates of less than 5.0 percent. Two hundred sixty metropolitan areas reported over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 101 reported decreases, and 11 were unchanged. The national unemployment rate in March was 9.2 percent, not seasonally adjusted, down from 10.2 percent a year earlier.

Metropolitan Area Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In March, 112 metropolitan areas reported jobless rates of at least 10.0 percent, down from 166 areas a year earlier, while 65 areas posted rates below 7.0 percent, up from 44 areas a year earlier. El Centro, Calif., recorded the highest unemployment rate, 24.6 percent in March; three other areas had rates above 20.0 percent. Among the 14 areas with jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent, 12 were located in California. Lincoln, Neb., and Bismarck, N.D., registered the lowest unemployment rates, 4.1 and 4.2 percent, respectively. A total of 219 areas recorded March unemployment rates below the U.S. figure of 9.2 percent, 150 areas reported rates above it, and 3 areas had rates equal to that of the nation.

Elkhart-Goshen, Ind., registered the largest over-the-year unemployment rate decrease in March (-4.6 percentage points), followed by Muskegon-Norton Shores, Mich. (-4.4 points). An additional 14 areas recorded jobless rate decreases of 3.0 percentage points or more from a year earlier, and 47 areas had rate decreases between 2.0 and 2.9 points. Baton Rouge, La., reported the largest over-the-year jobless rate increase (+1.6 percentage points). Five other areas had rate increases of 1.0 percentage point or more, three of which also were located in Louisiana.

In the 49 metropolitan areas with a Census 2000 population of 1 million or more, the highest unemployment rates in March were registered in Riverside- San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif., 13.9 percent, Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev., 13.3 percent, and Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville, Calif., 12.7 percent. Twelve additional large areas posted rates of 10.0 percent or more. The lowest jobless rate among the large areas was recorded in Oklahoma City, Okla., 5.2 percent, and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va., 5.8 percent. Forty-seven of the large areas reported over-the-year unemployment rate decreases, while only two areas registered rate increases. Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich., experienced the largest unemployment rate decrease from March 2010 (-3.3 percentage points). The next largest over-the-year rate decrease was recorded in Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. (-2. percentage points). Four other large areas reported rate decreases of at least 2.0 percentage points. The only large area with an over-the-year jobless rate increase of 1.0 percentage point or more was New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, La. (+1.3 points).

Metropolitan Division Unemployment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Eleven of the most populous metropolitan areas are made up of 34 metropolitan divisions, which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers. In March 2011, Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich., registered the highest jobless rate among the divisions, 12.7 percent, while Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, Md., reported the lowest division rate, 5.2 percent.

All but one of the metropolitan divisions recorded over-the-year jobless rate decreases in March. The two divisions that make up the Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich., metropolitan area posted the largest rate declines from a year earlier: Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills and Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn (-3.4 and -3.3 percentage points, respectively). Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Fla., experienced the only over-the-year unemployment rate increase among divisions (+0.4 percentage point).

In 5 of the 11 metropolitan areas that contain divisions, the ranges between the highest and lowest division jobless rates were 2.0 percentage points or more in March. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass.-N.H., recorded the largest rate difference among its divisions, 6.9 percentage points (Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, Mass.-N.H., 12.4 percent, compared with Nashua, N.H.-Mass., 5.5 percent).

Metropolitan Area Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

In March, 260 metropolitan areas reported over-the-year increases in nonfarm payroll employment, 101 reported decreases, and 11 were unchanged. The largest over-the-year employment increase occurred in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+69,000), followed by Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas (+51,800), Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. (+47,700), New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa. (+47,300), and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif. (+39,500). The largest over-the-year percentage gain in employment occurred in Sandusky, Ohio (+7.8 percent), followed by Joplin, Mo. (+6.9 percent), and Kokomo, Ind. (+6.7 percent).

The largest over-the-year employment decrease was recorded in Sacramento- Arden-Arcade–Roseville, Calif. (-14,600), followed by Memphis, Tenn.-Miss.-Ark. (-7,500), Baltimore-Towson, Md. (-5,300), Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga. (-4,900), and Trenton-Ewing, N.J. (-3,900). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment occurred in Pine Bluff, Ark. (-3.2 percent), followed by Lewiston, Idaho-Wash., and Yuma, Ariz. (-2.7 percent each).

Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 31 of the 36 metropolitan areas with annual average employment levels above 750,000 in 2010. The large area with the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment was Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wis. (+2.8 percent), followed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+2.4 percent), and Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas, and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif. (+2.1 percent each). The large area with the largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment was Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville, Calif. (-1.8 percent), followed by Baltimore-Towson, Md. (-0.4 percent), and Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga., and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif. (-0.2 percent each).

Metropolitan Division Nonfarm Employment (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Nonfarm payroll employment data were available in March for 32 metropolitan divisions, which are essentially separately identifiable employment centers within a metropolitan area. Twenty-nine of the 32 metropolitan divisions reported over-the-year employment gains, while 3 reported losses. The largest over-the-year employment increase in the metropolitan divisions was registered in Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+53,400), followed by Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, Ill. (+44,800), New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J. (+39,200), and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va. (+29,000). The largest over-the-year employment decrease in the metropolitan divisions occurred in Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, Calif. (-7,800), followed by Camden, N.J. (-4,400), and Newark-Union, N.J.-Pa. (-1,300).

The largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment among the metropolitan divisions was posted in Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas (+2.7 percent), followed by Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, Mass.-N.H. (+2.1 percent), and Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, Md., and Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas (+1.9 percent each). The largest over-the-year percentage decrease in employment among the metropolitan divisions was reported in Camden, N.J. (-0.9 percent), followed by Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, Calif. (-0.8 percent), and Newark-Union, N.J.-Pa. (-0.1 percent).

Job Search Strategies Depend on Company Size

There are many different job search strategies you can use to find the right job but the best strategy depends on the size of the organization.

 

Companies with less than 100 employees project a 25% increase in hiring college grads this year. Great news… BUT… keep in mind that organizations of that size typically do not have a human resources department (or if they do, it’s pretty small).  They will not have a presence on campus so campus recruiting is out.  Here are some strategies you can use to identify and find a job in a small company:

 

Network with the local chamber of commerce, your parents and their friends.  Check the local newspaper for help wanted ads.  You can also check with your career services office to see if there are any alums in the local area. Volunteer in local non-profits so you can meet people who can recommend you.

 

Companies with more than 4,000 employees have also projected a significant increase in hiring college grads this year.  Large companies will recruit on campus.  They will post jobs on popular job boards. They will also hire temporary workers to cover for summer vacations.  These are all great strategies to use when approaching large organizations.  You can also contact career services to see if there are alums who work in your target organizations.

 

Be selective and strategic with your job search plan.

‘STILL HOLDING’

Ratio of IT Support Staff to Employees Falls Short of Ideal, Survey Shows

If you are an IT (information technology) major or work within the field, then you will probably appreciate the following article.  It seems there isn’t enough IT personnel to accommodate some companies’ needs, which can impact productivity.

 

Employees looking for help with a frozen computer screen or a mobile application glitch may be in for a long wait. Chief information officers (CIOs) interviewed in a recent survey said their companies’ technical support teams are, on average, 42 percent smaller than they would ideally be. The results are similar to a 2007 survey in which, CIOs said their support teams were an average of 40 percent smaller than their ideal.

 

The surveys were developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of information technology (IT) professionals on a project and full-time basis. They were conducted by an independent research firm and are based on interviews with more than 1,400 CIOs from companies across the United States with 100 employees or more.  

 

CIOs were asked, “What is the ratio of internal end-users to technical support employees at your company?” The mean response was 112:1.

 

CIOs also were asked, “What would be the ideal ratio of internal end-users to technical support employees at your company?” The mean response was 65:1.

 

Small firms (100-249 employees) were farthest from their ideal technical support ratio, the results show, while midsized companies (250-499 employees) were closest. 

 

“As companies implement upgrades and invest in new technology, it becomes more challenging for technical support professionals to keep pace with end-user demands,” said John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology. “Unfortunately, the time employees spend waiting for technical help can result in lost productivity.”

 

Reed added that bringing in extra help desk professionals during peak workload periods can prevent requests for help from piling up. “Interim help desk professionals can fill in during employee absences or when call volume is extra heavy, due to new software implementations or systems conversions,” Reed said.

 

As you can see, IT workers are in demand.  By preparing yourself now, you will have a better opportunity of landing a job in the field and help fulfill the needs of employers in this area.

 

With more than 100 locations worldwide, Robert Half Technology is a leading provider of technology professionals for initiatives ranging from web development and multiplatform systems integration to network security and technical support. Robert Half Technology offers online job search services at www.rht.com.

The Perfect Objective Statement for That Entry-Level Job

This week a recent college graduate sent me her resume, along with this question: “How can I update my objective statement to fit this specific job?” While I appreciated her recognizing the need to customize her resume for each specific application, the best way to update an objective statement is to delete it altogether.

Even if you’re looking for entry-level work, the very fact that you’re applying for a particular job indicates that your objective is to acquire that job. Using your cover letter to explain why you desire this specific job will generally help your case, but adding an objective statement saying that you want the job only wastes space on your resume. Worse still, many hiring managers say one of their pet peeves is receiving resumes with objective statements that have nothing to do with the position for which they’re hiring! For instance, someone submitting a resume for an educational nonprofit that says their objective is to be an optometrist.

If you’ve been in the workforce for a while, your experience will generally make logical sense in connection to the jobs for which you apply. If you’re changing careers or looking for entry-level work, the content of your resume may be less directly relevant. Resist the temptation to tell the employer what you want. Instead, use that valuable space to summarize what you bring to the table as a candidate. Not only is this a much more effective strategy for getting your resume into the coveted interview stack, but it makes the application process much easier for you as a job seeker. Objective statements get people into trouble whenever they don’t match a job description exactly—which requires the job seeker to tweak his or her objective each time they submit a resume. On the other hand, a summary statement capturing your essence as a candidate is something you can carry from resume to resume—as well as onto other media such as your LinkedIn profile or professional blog.

As you may have guessed, my response to the recent college grad was to lose her objective statement and simply sell her relevant skills. This strategy is effective no matter how long you’ve been in the workforce!

 

Author Byline: Jessica has a true passion for the job seeker, evidenced by her desire to share everything she can with everyone she can about resume writing and interviewing.
Author Website: http://www.greatresumesfast.com

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

The Job Market Is Returning, Consumer Confidence Is Up, The GDP Is Going Up…

So what does this mean to you the candidate or the hiring manager?

As a candidate, it means there are more job openings, you can expect multiple job offers and recruiters will be calling you more.  So as a candidate, you need to make sure you are networking, your resume is ready and you start polishing your interview skills. 

Also you need to expect more competition for jobs, because not only will all the unemployed be looking, the one who stopped looking will return and those who are working but don’t like their jobs or want something new will start looking because there will be more job opportunities that will get them excited.

As a hiring manager, this means candidates will have more choices, so if you are not selling your opportunity they will move on to the one that sounds better.  In addition, as the number of jobs increase there will be less fully talented/qualified people for each job. 

You can no longer use a job description with 15 requirements and wait until you find someone with all 15.  If you do, then you may never find them.  Also, because a candidate has more choices, candidates may not wait on you and your extended interview process. 

Everyone we are placing today is in situations where they are interviewing with multiple companies and are receiving multiple job offers.  Thus you can expect to start to see candidates leave your interview process and take another offer or may reject your offer because the other one is much better.

The other situation you will be facing is because employee dissatisfaction is high (employee surveys have shown over 66% of all current employees will consider leaving their current employer), you will start to see employee turnover increase and you may be forced to start using counter offers to keep people.  But we all know that counter offers do not work, studies show that most people who accept a counter offer are gone from the company within 6 months. 

So what is the hiring manager to do? 

1) take care of your employees, 2) get them engaged, 3) take a look at your talent needs and get started now on filling them and finally 4) make your interview/selection process as streamlined as possible.

Author: John Butler, Vice President with The SearchLogix Group, has over 20 years of experience in recruiting, human resources, and operations management.  John’s vast knowledge of supply chain, logistics, human resources, and technology allows him to relate to his clients needs and help them with the right candidate match.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.