Despite Concerns, Facebook Users Happier and More Engaged in Society

New national survey findings show that use of social networking sites is growing and that those who use these sites, especially Facebook users, have higher measures of social well-being. In a national phone survey of 2,255 American adults last fall, the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that:

• Facebook users are more trusting than others. Controlling for other factors, the research found that a Facebook user who uses the site multiple times per day is 43% more likely than other internet users and more than three times as likely as non-internet users to feel that most people can be trusted.
• Facebook users have more close relationships.  Controlling for other factors, the research found that someone who uses Facebook several times per day averages 9% more close, core ties in their overall social network compared with other internet users.
• Facebook users are much more politically engaged. The survey was conducted over the November 2010 election season. Compared with other internet users, and users of other social networking platforms, a Facebook user who uses the site multiple times per day was an additional two and half times more likely to attend a political rally or meeting, 57% more likely to persuade someone on their vote, and  43% more likely to have said they would vote. 
• Facebook users get more social support. The survey explored how much total social support, emotional support, companionship, and instrumental aid (such as having someone help you when you are sick in bed) adults receive. Controlling for other factors, a Facebook user who uses the site multiple times per day receives more emotional support and companionship. For Facebook users, the additional boost is equivalent to about half the total support that the average American receives as a result of being married or cohabitating with a partner.
• Facebook helps users retain high school ties and it revives dormant relationships. In our sample, the average Facebook user has 229 Facebook friends. They reported that their friends list contains:
  • 22% people from high school

  • 12% extended family

  • 10% coworkers

  • 9% college friends

  • 8% immediate family

  • 7% people from voluntary groups

  • 2% neighbors

Over 31% of Facebook friends cannot be classified into these categories. However, only 3% of Facebook friends are people users have never met in person, and only 7% are people who have met only one time. The remainder is friends-of-friends and social ties that are not currently active relationships, but “dormant” ties that were meaningful once and have been at least somewhat maintained through use of Facebook.

“There has been a great deal of speculation about the impact of social networking site use on people’s social lives, and much of it has centered on the possibility that these sites are hurting users’  relationships and pushing them away from participating in the world,” noted Prof. Keith Hampton, the lead author of the new Pew Internet report. “We’ve found the exact opposite – that people who use sites like Facebook actually have more close relationships and are more likely to be involved in civic and political activities.”

This survey also showed that more people are using social networking sites – the figure is now 47% of the entire adult population, compared with 26% that was measured in our similar 2008 survey. Among other things, this means the average age of adult social networking site users has shifted from 33 in 2008 to 38 in 2010.  Over half of all adult social networking site users are now over the age of 35.

In Pew Internet’s first-ever reading on specific Facebook activities, the survey found that on an average day:

• 15% of Facebook users update their own status.
• 22% comment on another’s post or status.
• 20% comment on another user’s photos.
• 26% “Like” another user’s content.
• 10% send another user a private message

“Facebook has become the dominant social networking platform in terms of both number of users and frequency of use, and it is striking to note that the makeup of the population is changing,” noted Lauren Sessions Goulet, co-author of the report. We also found interesting variation in the characteristics of users across different social networking sites. People pick the platforms which best meet their social and professional needs.”

For instance, the report found:

• Nearly twice as many men (63%) as women (37%) use LinkedIn.
• The average adult MySpace user is younger (32), and the average adult LinkedIn user older (40), than the average Facebook user (38), Twitter user (33), and users of other social networking sites (35).
• MySpace and Twitter users are the most racially diverse mainstream social network platforms.
• MySpace users tend to have fewer years of formal education than users of other social network services, whereas most LinkedIn users have at least one university degree.

There were several other surprises in the survey the authors found notable:

• Social networking sites are increasingly used to keep up with close social ties. Looking at those people that social networking site users report as their core discussion confidants, 40% of users have friended all of their closest confidants. This is a substantial increase from the 29% of users who reported in our 2008 survey that they had friended all of their core confidants.
• MySpace users are more likely to be open to opposing points of view. We measured “perspective taking,” or the ability of people to consider multiple points of view. There is no evidence that social networking site users, including those who use Facebook, are any more likely than others to cocoon themselves in social networks of like-minded and similar people, as some have feared. Moreover, regression analysis found that those who use MySpace have significantly higher levels of perspective taking. 

“Social networking sites have become increasingly important to people as they find ways to integrate check-ins and updates into the rhythms of their lives,” noted Lee Rainie, a co-author of the report. “People use them now to stay in touch with their best friends and distant acquaintances alike. But the story hasn’t ended. It’s clear that the world of networked individuals will continue to change as the platforms and populations of users continue to evolve.”

In this survey, 2,255 American adults were surveyed between October 20-November 28, 2010, including 1,787 internet users. There were 975 users of social networking site such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The margin of error on the entire survey is plus or minus 3 percentage points, on the internet users is plus or minus 3 percentage points, and for the social networking site users is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Summer Job Market for Teens Stronger Than Expected

The summer job market for teenagers is proving to be better than expected, as 714,000 16-to 19-year-olds joined the ranks of the employed in June.  That is the biggest June job gain among teens since 2007 and a 44 percent improvement over 2010, when only 497,000 teenagers found jobs. 

Employers have now hired 785,000 teens since May first.  That is still slightly below the 809,000 teen jobs added in May and June 2009, but it represents a vast improvement over last year’s pace, which saw just 503,000 16- to 19-year-olds find jobs over the same two-month span.  The gains can be attributed largely to the private sector, where teens have been able to take advantage of increased hiring in retail, leisure and hospitality.

 



Relevance: One Key to Effective Employee Training

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Distracting Job Search – Don’t Get Caught in the Endless Loop

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up” – Babe Ruth

You are finally ready to look for a new job. You make a list of job search sites and start with the first one on your list. You put in your search criteria and come up with hundreds of matches and start reviewing each one, applying to those that are good matches as you go. You do this for the next few days, applying to dozens of opportunities. Even though the opportunities look like they should be directly with companies, the only calls or emails you get are from recruiters. The standard story is that the job you applied for “has been filled”, but they may have other opportunities. So, what’s next? Like everything on the Internet, you need to focus your search and not get caught in an endless loop.

• Top 10 Reasons Your Job Search Isn’t Working – This article is from Careerbuilder.com and provides some great insight into why your job search may not be effective. From basic reasons (like “You aren’t networking”) to “you are only searching for jobs on the internet”, all of tips are worth the read.

• 5 Ways to Fix Your Job Search – Is your job search not working? Need to get some other ideas? This article, posted on USNews.com, provides a few good ideas to help get your job search back on track. From fixing your cover letter to tapping into your network, this article is worth a read if you feel like your job search is in a slump. While you are there, take a look at their careers section (click the link at the top of the page).

• The Art of Persuasion in Your Job Search – This is an interesting topic as I don’t think that many people think of using persuasion in their job search (I certainly did not think of it). Little things like your handshake, language and even when to stay silent can have an impact on your job search.

• Overcoming the Groundhog Day Job Search Syndrome – Bill Murray Lives – This article was posted on examiner.com and, if you’ve seen the move Groundhog Day, you will definitely know the feeling. This article will really hit home for many readers as it focuses on stalled job searches (which many of us have experienced) and gives some great tips. Distractions and lack of discipline top the list, take a read.

• No Magic Pill – 5 Reasons Why Some People Get Hired Faster – The lead line of the article, posted on clevercareerist.com, reminds us of that nagging reality – “Why do some people find a job so fast and I’m still looking?”. 5 great tips are offered, and there is definitely a trend (across similar articles). The “tried and true” techniques are very consistent and, if you are not already using them, now is the time.

Good luck in your search.

Author Byline: CareerAlley | Author Website: http://CareerAlley.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.

Resume Tips: Is Your Resume Too Unconventional?

As you work to write an amazing resume, you want to make it unique enough to have it stand out from the others that will be sitting in the same stack.  But how far is too far when trying to make yours different?  Is it possible to be too unconventional in resume writing?  Here are some signs that you may be pushing the envelope more than managers would like.

You’ve Created a Searchable Resume

Some job seekers are quite skilled at developing online resumes that work like impressive Web sites.  They’re configurable and searchable, allowing managers to type in keywords within the resume to locate the skills they hope the job seeker will possess.

The candidate with a variety of skills and professional backgrounds may be tempted to take this route if he or she doesn’t know how to target his or her resume to one specific profession.  But a targeted resume is exactly what hiring managers are looking for.

This is why it’s best to keep things simple by creating standard Word or PDF resumes that each target one specific profession.  You may think your unconventional approach is cool, but to many managers, it’s just plain annoying.

You’ve Enlarged Your Type Size to Make the Resume Longer

We all know that hiring managers prefer to see type in the 11- to 14-point range for sections and headings—depending on the font style.  So if you try to get crazy and jump to a 14- to 18-point range because your resume seems too short, you’ve entered the not-so-great unconventional category—mainly because managers will know what you’re up to.

Instead, find other ways to broaden your resume such as playing with the design, changing paragraphs to bullet points, or adding testimonials.  Being too unconventional in this instance could make you look less qualified than you actually are.

You’ve Added Scented Fragrances

In most instances, people send their resumes via the Internet; however, there are times when you may be asked to submit one the old-fashioned way: by printing on resume paper and handing it in to a company.  If you do take this route, don’t mess up your chances by adding a scented fragrance to your resume.  Why?  Because it could smell good to some and horrible to others—and it would be just your luck that you land the hiring manager with a fragrance allergy.

Managers seem to agree that being mildly unconventional or unique can be beneficial for a candidate, but there is a fine line that you can easily cross when taking this route, and it could land your resume in the trash.  So if you do decide to take chances with your resume, get plenty of opinions to make sure it’s amazing—not amazingly horrible.

For additional tips and advice on resumes and cover letters, follow us on Twitter @GreatResume or visit our blog.

 

Author: Global resume authority Jessica Hernandez of http://www.greatresumesfast.com is a former HR Manager who partners with professional- and executive-level candidates to create authentic, branded resumes and cover letters.

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.

Top 5 Characteristics Hiring Managers Seek

Do you have what it takes to land your first job as a college graduate? A report released by entry-level job site CollegeGrad.com shows that, for the first time in two years, entry-level hiring is on the rise. That’s good news for job-seekers. But how do you set yourself apart from the competition? Luckily, the survey asked hiring managers what characteristics influenced their hiring decisions. We outline their top five answers for you here.

1. Undergraduate Major/Degree

It turns out that your choice of major matters a great deal more to many employers than how well you did in school. The survey results show that the most important hiring characteristic is actually a job candidate’s undergraduate major. In fact, more than one-third (34 percent) of employers report that the degree or major is important, while only a tiny fraction (3 percent) report that GPA had any bearing on hiring decisions. So when choosing which jobs to apply for, you should have a leg up if you choose a career that’s connected to your major.

2. Internship/Work Experience

Proving that you have what it takes to work full-time begins by demonstrating an interest in your field. Hopefully, you’ve done that by completing internships or gaining other relevant work experience.

24 percent of survey respondents said that internships or other work experience were very important to hiring decisions.

3. Interview/Communication Skills

Nearly a quarter (22 percent) of survey respondents said that how well a candidate interviews, along with his or her overall communication skills, were very important to hiring decisions. So be sure to be on time, make eye contact, speak clearly, and be prepared to answer an array of questions about yourself, as well as the company you’re seeking to join. (And for heaven’s sake, spit out your gum and turn off your cell phone!)

4. Undergraduate Institution

Compared to the top three factors, this one is small potatoes, so don’t fret if you didn’t get into Harvard or Princeton (or Amherst or Williams). However, 8 percent of hiring managers surveyed reported that where a candidate got his or her degree mattered to them. So, while it’s probably not a good idea to show up at your interview wearing your Swarthmore tee-shirt, finding a gracious way to mention your school may serve you well — and certainly include it on your resume.

5. Community Service

Like your choice of undergraduate institution — and your GPA — your choice to do volunteer work will matter to a small number of hiring managers. Only 4 percent listed it as an important factor when making hiring decisions. But since it could be the thing that tips the scales in your favor, don’t give up your weekend gig at the community radio station or your nights as a literacy volunteer just yet.

 

Guest Post by Naomi Graychase, managing editor at Schools.com.

CollegeGrad.com is owned by Schools.com’s parent company, QuinStreet.

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.

How to Make Your Biotech Resume Pop

Biotechnology is a booming industry right now, with a good number of positions open; but this doesn’t mean that competition isn’t steep. There are many skilled candidates looking for long-term work just like you—which is why it’s important for you to make sure that you are able to compete if you’re looking to enter or further your career in this profession.

How can you get this done? Consider making your resume “pop” by using the following ideas:

Write With a Great Understanding of Your Industry

Biotechnology is a specialized industry defined by its focus on the use of living organisms (or their products) to modify human health and the human environment. Of course, if you have studied within this industry, you know the basics; but you also know some amazing specifics about the field.

As you write your resume, it’s important that you add information that shows you know the industry inside and out. Adding keywords and phrases is a great way to get this done.

Be as specific as possible in your job target, branding statement, career summary, professional history, etc. about your accomplishments in the past and what you can contribute now by adding words and phrases like “biological decontamination procedures”, “protein quantification”, “cell proliferation”, and “gel shift analysis”. Essentially, you’re using words that correctly and specifically describe your level of knowledge.

Zero in on the Company’s Needs

Of course, when you’re applying for a biotech position, you’re not just working for the industry as a whole—you’re working for a specific company that has its own needs and wants, including making its own splash in the industry.

Your job is to research those needs so that you can showcase how you will make a difference. Consider researching the company via its Web site; and also check news outlets to see if the company has encountered any issues you might want to problem-solve in your resume. And, of course, directly address qualification requirements listed in the job posting.

Prioritize Your Qualifications and Quantify Results

If you want your resume to stand out, it’s important that you always list your greatest accomplishments first. Whatever you’ve pulled off in your career that will “wow” hiring managers should be as close to the top of any section of your resume as possible.

And while you’re busy “wowing” hiring managers with your accomplishments, take time to quantify your results. Talk about how few days it took for you to meet a goal and how much of the industry was affected by your results to help the hiring manager visualize the amazing contributions you’ve made.

The more effort you put into creating a targeted biotech resume, the more yours will stand out from the competition. There are many candidates writing good resumes, but for yours to be great, you want to do what it takes to make it pop!

For additional tips and advice on resumes and cover letters, follow us on Twitter @GreatResume or visit our blog.

 

Article Contributed by Jessica Hernandez of http://www.greatresumesfast.com

An exceptional resume authority, Jessica Hernandez and her team of credentialed writers partner with professional- and executive-level candidates to open doors to jobs at prestigious corporations, achieving over a 99% interview-winning success rate.

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.

It’s Time to Use Your Cover Letter Introduction as a Marketing Tool

Writing your cover letter may seem like a mundane task—something you must do to ensure you submit all documents required when applying for a job. But in reality, your cover letter is so much more than that! This document gives you the opportunity to add life to the technical nature of the resume while showcasing some of your personality.

Your job when writing the cover letter is to make sure you grab the hiring manager’s attention from the beginning and, of course, this can’t be accomplished with a “blah” introduction. A great way to lure your reader in is to use your cover letter introduction as a marketing tool by considering the following:

Pinpoint the Needs of the Company

When marketing a product, your job is to understand the needs of the consumer you’re targeting. In this case, the consumer is the hiring manager, and the product is you. This means it’s your job to market yourself just as effectively as you would any other product—and most important, let the manager know right away that you are aware of the company’s needs.

So, let’s say you’re applying for an executive assistant position in which you know that organization and multitasking abilities are of dire importance. In your introduction, instead of starting with, “I am excited about applying as an executive assistant in “X Company”, you could start with, “If your executive-level office needs one highly-trained assistant equipped to handle the tedious duties and tasks of your fast-paced work environment, I am the person for you!”

Explain Why You’re Perfect for the Job

After you’ve made the right first impression by zeroing in on the company’s needs, you could go into detail about why you’re the right one for this position. Continuing with the previous example, you could go more in-depth about your abilities as an executive assistant based upon prior experience by naming some of your specific qualifications that match the company’s requirements in the job posting.

For instance, you might write as your second and third sentences, “With 15 years of experience assisting high-level executives, I am prepared to oversee the day-to-day tasks that make your business operations and overall office management flow smoothly. Managing calendars, scheduling meetings, arranging travel, initiating and maintaining efficient writing and verbal correspondence systems, and developing relationships with key internal/external client contacts are my specialties.”

Guarantee Results

Finally, it’s good to incorporate that you guarantee results in your introduction—something that all marketing letters should do. You might say something like, “I am certain that my skill set, experience in high-energy environments, multitasking abilities, and upbeat personality would benefit your company and this position.” This last sentence not only sums up your capabilities but guarantees that you will get the job done.

Marketing yourself as a great candidate in your cover letter introduction is not only unique, but effective. Give it a try! You might be surprised by the increase in interview calls you receive.

For additional tips and advice on resumes and cover letters, follow us on Twitter @GreatResume or visit our blog.

Author Byline: Global resume authority Jessica Hernandez of http://www.greatresumesfast.com is a former HR Manager who partners with professional- and executive-level candidates to create authentic, branded resumes and cover letters.
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.

Workers: Conduct a New Job Search with Caution

Are you satisfied with your current job? If not, are you still giving your best effort? Once you have decided that you’re no longer interested in a position, this can affect your quality of work (if you are actually working at all). A recent article suggests that some employees are spending less time working and more time searching for a new job.

One website says that over 14 million working hours are wasted by employees due to job searching. This probably explains why some people’s paychecks are smaller than they care for. I have no problem if someone wants to get a new job, but is it really right to do it on company time? In a survey of currently employed job seekers, many admit to spending anywhere from three to ten hours a week in this process. In addition to using the Internet, these workers are updating their resumes, and get this, even conducting telephone interviews.

Trying to find a new job while on the job isn’t just unprofessional but also risky. I wouldn’t suggest doing so on company time, however, you might want to limit your search to the weekends for example. Experts also encourage job seekers to use their own personal technology to assist them in their quests for new employment. Remember, if you get caught job searching, you could lose your job, which I don’t believe most people can afford right now.

There is nothing wrong with looking for a new job; sometimes change is good. In the mean time, don’t take your current position for granted, and actually do your job.

Source

http://thecareernews.com/newsletter.php?news=2528

 

Guest Post by William Frierson, Staff Writer for 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.

4 Ways to Develop Your Resume Like an Executive Resume Writer

Writing an executive resume is challenging; tough decisions must be made along the way, including which career information should and should not be included.  If you’re perplexed by how to push forward, you could always adopt the mentality of an executive resume writer.  Here are some tips for taking this approach:

Quantity Speaks Volumes

An executive resume writer works diligently to position you and your resume in a way that is consistent with your career objective—and in a manner that will secure interviews.  Securing interviews is one reason why they work so hard to quantify your achievements.

How can you do the same?  By sharing how many projects you initiated and/or managed in how many days, while leading how many team members, and bringing in how much revenue, etc.  These are general examples, but how you quantify the experience in your resume should be related to two points: First, the requirements of the position/needs of the company—and second, it should be consistent with your career goals.  For example, if your goal is to stop managing people and start managing processes, then don’t focus on numbers related to your management of employees; instead, quantify your experience on the processes side.

Ask the Right Questions

Executive resume writers are great data miners.  They can go past the surface of your career to really draw attention to achievements that you may not initially remember, didn’t think were important, or may be vital to the position and meeting the needs of the organization.  In order to do this, they ask you a lot of questions.

For instance, have you ever asked yourself what contributions you have made to the companies for which you’ve worked?  Are they better companies now because you have worked for them?  What initiatives did you bring to the table that made you stand out from other executives who had previously worked in your position?

These questions are often difficult to answer but are necessary in setting you apart from your competition.  Your contributions are probably greater than you think, but it’s up to you to identify the difference you’ve made and then express this difference in your resume.

Walk Away for a While

Everyone needs some perspective and some time to clear their head.  Take time to get a little distance from the resume.  When you come back with a fresh mind, you have the opportunity to read and edit your resume from a third-party perspective—or you may have remembered critically important details that you’d initially left out.

Call in Another Team Player

Even some of the best executive resume writers in the industry will have another set of eyes review the resume for errors or inconsistencies.  Some writers even rely on very meticulous and detail-oriented copy editors to review each client’s project before the client ever sees the document, thereby ensuring its flawlessness.  At the very least, you should have one person review the resume for you prior to sending it out, but a second or third person can never hurt.

Executive resume writers are great at what they do because they know about current trends, have written thousands more resumes in their lifetime than you ever have, and they have an objective, third-party view of you and your qualifications.  Ever heard the phrase, “It’s easier to write about someone else than it is yourself”?  A phenomenal executive resume writer will invest time and effort getting to know your career history and your current career goals.  They’ll strategize with you on how to overcome any obstacles your resume may face and will collaborate with you to develop a strategy to effectively tackle these challenges and garner you interviews.  You are a hard-working executive with a proven track record, so be sure to work as hard on your resume as you would expect a professional writer to.  Or, if you can use some third-party objectivity, consider hiring an executive resume writer to develop your brand, strategize your action plan, and craft an interview-winning resume.

For additional tips and advice on resumes and cover letters, follow @GreatResume or visit our blog.

 

Guest post from Jessica Hernandez.

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.