Facebook recently announced on it's blog that they are releasing a Chat application soon (http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=12811122130).

You know why your kids will love this new feature. But why is Facebook Chat important to job seekers?

Think about it...much like with Twitter from my earlier post, with Facebook Chat, you can now broadcast your availability and your online resume, resume blog, or profile directly to recruiters and employers who are online. Also, you can just broadcast that you're looking for a job to Facebooks' 68 million users.

While developers have made Facebook chat applications available as an add-on, the most used chat application has just 35K users. But a built-in chat application reaches the entire world of Facebook.

Watch for Facebook chat which is supposed to launch in the next week or two. How will you use Facebook Chat in your job search?

Article by Phil Rosenberg, President, reCareered & Rainmakers Global and courtesy of reCareered blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 15, 2008 at 4:59 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Your phone rings, and Caller ID tells you it's a company on your target list where you've sent your resume. Congratulations - you made the short list.

So now what?

Job seekers can kill their chances during the phone screen. Often, experienced professionals don't appreciate what a critical part of the interview process the phone screen is. The phone screen is much more than scheduling an in person interview...it's the first part of the interview, but it's usually handled by an HR clerk or internal recruiter.

What can you gain from a phone screen? You can gain an interview appointment early in the schedule, giving you the chance to set the bar. You can gain HR's support, which can help in the case of a close choice between two top candidates. Or you can blow it, and get lost or buried.

Here's 5 tips on how to get the most out of the phone interview:

1. Do it on YOUR Terms - Let the call go to voice mail. If you've sent out individually customized resumes, and tracking your resumes to measure response rates, as this blog recommends, then how will you know which of the many versions of your resume the HR rep is viewing? If you're looking at a different version, you won't emphasize that your unique skills are the best solution to the target company's problems. Call the HR rep back when you are sitting in front of a computer, or with a printed version of the job description, your notes on the company, and the specific version of your resume in front of you.

When you call back, expect to get the HR rep's voice mail. Much of their day is spent on outbound phone calls. If you get their voice mail, give two possible times when you'll call them back, and ask which is better. Ask the HR rep to email you confirmation - this a) cuts the phone tag game and b) give you the HR rep's email address.

2. Be alert and in a good mood - Don't call back until you are well rested, and in a good mood. As any salesperson will attest, your mood carries through on the phone.

3. Be fast - A quick turnaround gives you the chance to schedule an interview early in the schedule. Also, replying quickly gives the impression that you're excited about the opportunity.

4. Have Questions - Have one or two questions prepared for the HR screen. It will make you look more interested in the job, and will help you learn more about the company. Make these lighter questions - Ask about dress code, corporate culture, types of people who excel at this company. Don't ask about salary, benefits, or flexible work schedules yet...you're still too early in the game.

5. Write a thank you note - The phone screen is an interview, yet almost nobody sends a thank you note afterwards. Not only does it make you stand out and impress the HR rep, it gives you another chance to form a positive impression with the company and advertize your personal brand. Keep in mind timing - if you are interviewing in two days, don't mail a handwritten thank you (the HR rep won't get it in time). See my earlier article on Thank you notes for ideas.

How will you change how you handle phone screens during your career search?

Article by Phil Rosenberg, President, reCareered & Rainmakers Global and courtesy of reCareered blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 15, 2008 at 4:51 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

What's happening in the Job Market? Employment Trends knows all.

You don't need a crystal ball these days to know what's happening in the job market. Is the market for Controllers better than for Finance Managers? Are there more jobs for Project Managers in Java, .net, or Ruby? What's happening with the job market overall?

So pack away your crystal ball, and check out Employment Trends by Simply Hired. Employment Trends allows you to graph the % of total jobs on Simply Hired by keyword combination over the past 6 months. So compare "Left Hand Martian" (0%) to "Ruby Developer" (.025%, increased 230% over the past 6 months) and you'll see that the market isn't so good for little green men.

As a job seeker, how can you use this? As you figure out your subject matter expertise (see http://recareered.blogspot.com/2008/03/which-subject-matter-am-i-expert-at.html ), Employment Trends can help you discover which skills are in greater demand, and which are growing or shrinking.

Also, you can quickly see what's happening in the local market. Just search the name of your city or state to see how jobs are trending.

Best yet, combine the two, and you can really get some interesting trend information. You'll see that:

- .net jobs decreased by 19% nationally, .net jobs in Chicago increased by 12% over the past 6 months
- Ruby jobs increased 253% nationally, Ruby jobs in Chicago only increased only 47%.
- This comparison demonstrates that Chicago continues to be a more stable job market, though not often on the bleeding edge of new technologies.

How about this?

- Mac Jobs nationally decreased by 24%, but decreased in Chicago by 68%
- PC jobs nationally decreased by 24%, but decreased in Chicago by 28%
- This is comparison shows that nationally, while job listings are down, there's not much further erosion of Mac's market share. But in Chicago, if you're a Mac worker, as much as it may hurt, you might want to pick up a Vista machine and figure it out.

Hiring Trends is a great tool to play with, to help you figure out which Subject Matter Expertise will give you the best chance of finding your next career move. My Dad, a labor economist geek, will spend hours playing with this site as his new toy.

Pretty cool, huh? How will you use Hiring Trends to determine which subject matter expertise you should choose?

Article by Phil Rosenberg, President, reCareered & Rainmakers Global and courtesy of reCareered blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 15, 2008 at 4:43 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

If you've ever been fired, downsized, rightsized, let go, released, (whatever word you wish to affix to this event), perhaps you still remember the day it happened. Maybe you remember that day like it was yesterday, even though months, days, or years have passed.

Listed below are three specific examples my clients have shared recently regarding news of their employment termination:

1. ...on vacation and read Urgent Message in the subject line of an e-mail. The message stated that upon my return from vacation, a severance package would be provided; changing market conditions necessitated such action.

2. ...received a registered letter via U.S. mail announcing that on such-and-such a date, my position would be eliminated due to territory realignment.

3. ...voice message from my boss relaying that some changes were in the works and that my services were no longer needed.

No matter how you discover that you are now a free agent, do yourself a favor and come up with the line that best explains to prospective employers, recruiters, professional networks, and Uncle Dan why you're in transition. Once you have figured out what you want to say, practice, practice, practice your lines until you get comfortable with your words. A few simple tips to get you started:

• keep your explanation brief; avoid negative-sounding words.
• after you say the thing, stop talking, as the more you talk, the more questions you'll be asked about the thing.
• end your explanation on a positive note; do not lie.
• say your lines with clarity, credibility, and conviction.
• do not reveal too much information (TMI); it's an interview, not a therapy session.

If you simply cannot figure out what to say, or how to say it, find someone you trust to help you. Even if you have to pay someone to help you, it's well worth it. After you have practiced your lines several times, hopefully, you will feel more comfortable about dealing with the pink slip subject matter.

By Billie Sucher and courtesy of CareerHub.com. The Career Hub blog connects job seekers with experts in career counseling, resume writing, personal branding and recruiting.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 15, 2008 at 4:12 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Well, it was at the MIT Enterprise Forum on Tuesday [April 15, 2008]...but I did learn about my Second Life, and other business uses for Social Media.

Second Life is a Virtual World and Social Network built into one. It's kind of like The Sims and social network rolled into one. While Second Life is best known for fantasy games, it has its own economy, and its first millionaire. It turns out that a character has turned the $9.95 sign-up fee into a cool Million (Exchanged to US) by savvy virtual real estate deals, and made the cover of Newsweek (the real one).

Plus you can fly (with wings) in Second life, a skill that might come in handy. I wonder - do you have to go to flight school?

What I also learned is that Second Life also has job fairs, for some creative jobs hire primarily through Second Life, in a virtual interview process. While it makes sense for designers, it also helps employers cost effectively pre-screen, and determine how someone thinks on his or her feet. There are even some jobs where experience in Second Life is a must (these are primarily jobs to design things within in Second Life).

Back to the event - University of Illinois-Chicago demonstrated some effective real time training and simulations which could be delivered with Second Life. Kevin Harvey described and briefly showed a disaster recovery simulation and a Health Care First Responder simulations.

While Second Life's uses aren't yet widespread, they are predicted to be the next wave.

How could you use Second Life to learn more about companies you'd like to work for?

Article by Phil Rosenberg, President, reCareered & Rainmakers Global and courtesy of reCareered blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 15, 2008 at 12:46 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Shy people often ask me, "How can I overcome my shyness to become a better networker?"

There are definitely some good strategies for overcoming shyness--join a public speaking training organization such as Toastmasters, practice your self-introduction until you feel comfortable, or take a stand-up comedy class (after standing alone on a stage telling jokes, nothing is scary)--but these strategies take time. What can shy people do right now to network comfortably?

My advice is to embrace shyness and use it to your advantage. (And if you're outgoing, consider taking some tips from your more demure friends.) Shy people often make the very best professional networkers. Here's why:

They ask for personal referrals. There's a myth that networking is all about cold calling people and walking up to strangers at cocktail parties. Often the best connections are made through mutual acquaintances. Shy people tend to feel most comfortable networking with the people they know, and then ask those people for referrals to others. That's a good strategy for anyone. This is one of the reasons LinkedIn is so powerful--people are able to make new connections through their existing professional and personal contacts.

They are polite. Etiquette has become a bit of a lost art these days, and that's a bad thing. A shy friend of mine recently attended an event with Martha Stewart. She waited patiently as people hoarded around the Domestic One, wielding business cards and loud voices. Eventually my friend made eye contact and said, "Excuse me, Ms. Stewart. May I introduce myself?" "Absolutely, I would love to meet you," was the reply. "Thank you for being so polite."

They listen more than they talk. "There's a reason you have two ears and one mouth," my grandfather used to say. Shy people tend to ask questions and listen intently to the answers, only talking when they have something meaningful to add. You certainly don't want to be silent, but good listeners often win the new job or the new client.

They bring a wingman (or woman). Some networking experts frown on the idea of bringing a friend to an event since some people use this as an opportunity to stand together in the corner and avoid all other human contact. I believe the exact opposite. If you feel more comfortable and confident attending an event with a friend, then go for it. In fact, I dare you to bring your most outgoing pal, who will push you to talk to more people and will tell them how great you are.

They network online. While some shy people hide behind their email accounts, online networking is an important strategy. But instead of networking only online, I would encourage more introverted networkers to use online networks to introduce themselves before an in-person or on-the-phone interaction.

Studies show that 40 to 50 percent of people describe themselves as shy, so whenever you're feeling hesitant, look around and realize that half the room is feeling the same way you are. And take advantage of your natural networking strengths.

By: Lindsey Pollak, a college campus speaker and author of "Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World" (HarperCollins, 2007) - http://www.lindseypollak.com/blog

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 entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Lisa Colbert, CollegeRecruiter.com on April 15, 2008 at 8:07 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Office politics exist in virtually every workplace, so what better training for a young professional's career than to spend some time working on a political campaign? No matter what your political persuasion, the 2008 election is a perfect opportunity to jump into the fray. To find volunteer opportunities, check out the website of your favorite candidate or party, and remember to check out the local and state levels, too. You're likely to get more responsibility if you work on a smaller campaign.

GOTV or "Get Out the Vote" is one of the jobs to which a new volunteer will likely be assigned. What does this entail? Calling registered voters and reminding them to go to the polls on Election Day and knocking door-to-door. GOTV requires little experience, but lots of enthusiasm. This is a particularly good option for Generation Y volunteers -- candidates and their staff members will love your youthful energy and your connection to other young voters.

In addition to getting out the vote, you may have the opportunity to gain specific skills that will enhance your resume. This can be especially helpful for entry-level job candidates without a lot of professional experience, or for career changers who need to learn new skills. On a campaign you can gain experience in fundraising, negotiating, direct marketing, event planning, cold calling, graphic design, database management, public relations and more. Staffers will give you as much responsibility as you are willing to handle, so don't be shy about asking for a specific role or raising your hand for more work.

What can you do if you end up stuffing envelopes day and night and you don't seem to be contributing much to the campaign or to your own career development? Show some initiative! If you notice that a particular staffer is overworked, you can volunteer to answer her calls or organizer her files. If an event seems to be low on RSVPs, you can get on the phone or the web and persuade more people to attend. In the chaos of a political campaign, everyone loves-and notices-a problem solver.

Another career benefit of working on a political campaign is that it will build your knowledge of current affairs. You're sure to impress your colleagues or a potential employer if you can talk intelligently about the economy, foreign policy, labor issues, procurement opportunities, taxes or any other issues relevant to your industry or community.

Last but not least, volunteering for a political campaign provides phenomenal networking opportunities. As a political volunteer, you can meet and interact with a huge variety of people. Plus, simply observing politicians is a great way to see how networking happens. Politicians are masters of communication, mutual opportunity, compromise and -- let's be honest -- schmoozing. You may not like the style of every politician, but you can use the opportunity of working on a political campaign to observe how deals get done, and how political operatives persuade people to vote for the candidates and issues they support.

Good luck, and see you on the campaign trail...

By: Lindsey Pollak is a college campus speaker and author of "Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World" (HarperCollins, 2007) - http://lindseypollak.com/blog/

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 entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Lisa Colbert, CollegeRecruiter.com on April 14, 2008 at 11:18 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

OK, so you're on LinkedIN...Now what? You filled out a profile, put excerpts from your resume, got a few recommendations, linked to your close contacts.

So then what?

If you're adopting a tight network strategy, then you're pretty much done with linking. But you can imagine that a tight network strategy has limitations for job seekers.

For a broad network strategy, building your network is about targeting and efficiency. You want to build as quickly as possible, but build your network with people who are more likely to be able to help you.

So if you are limiting your search to a specific metro area - it's probably a good idea to concentrate your network in that metro area. But not so fast, bukko, keep in mind that LinkedIN gives you 3 levels of connections. That means the guy you link to in India, might have many contacts in the US who can help you...and by linking to your new Indian friend, you get those people in your database also.

An efficient strategy includes targeting to a couple levels of geography, plus industry focus, potential boss' job title, and target companies.

I recommend "The Rule of 50's":

Link to me: (http://linkedin.com/in/philrosenberg) You start out your database with almost 600K connections. Happy Birthday.

Close Geography: Link to the top 50 connected people in your metro area. Regardless of industry or job function, link to the most connected people, and you'll pimp your database in no time.

Broad Geography: Link to the top 50 connected people in your State (different ones than city), and in your country. Again, these folks are hubs, and hubs connect to lots of people. Hubs will likely accept your invitation, because they are interested in building their own databases.

Industry: Link to the top 50 connected people in your industry. These are industry hubs....maybe not as broad of a reach, but more targeted.

Boss' Title: If you are an IT Manager, connect to the top 50 CIOs, Director of IT, VP of IT. If you are a Controller, connect to CFOs and VP Finance. If you're bucking for a promotion, connect one level up the food chain. Consider geographic limitations here also.

Target Companies: Link to 10 people in each target company. Since people in target companies often link to their peers, you'll get a reach of a few hundred at larger companies. Add more selectively as needed.

Results: This method delivers 300-350 level 1 connections, and a few million level 3 connections.

Caution: Don't spam. LinkedIN kicks spammers off its system.

Think that's a big enough database to get started?

So....what are you waiting for? I don't see your invitation in my inbox yet!

Article by Phil Rosenberg, President, reCareered & Rainmakers Global and courtesy of reCareered blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 14, 2008 at 8:10 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Yes, I'm a Twit, though still a baby twit. I'm a baby Twit because I'm new to another Social Networking Phenomena, Twitter.

Twitter lets you tell the world what you are doing in 140 characters or less. You can send short SMS (text messages) to the world through Twitter, plus use it to automatically update your FaceBook status.

Why would anyone who's not in school care? That's what I wondered. I tried it out, and thought it was silly. I looked at Twitter as something my kids, in the text message, sound byte oriented world would find cool. I didn't view Twitter as a serious business tool.

Boy was I wrong, as I'm finding out as @philreCareered.

How can Twitter help me, and help job seekers?

Every major blogger Tweets (yes, it's a verb) to keep in touch with their audience, and to alert their audience to new posts. Some, I swear, Tweet while going to the bathroom (yuck) in an attempt to bring their audience into their daily life. It builds and keeps their audience connected between posts.

Now you don't have to quite put your private life on such display.

Job seekers can Tweet also...by connecting to their LinkedIN and FaceBook networks that are on Twitter. Post that you're a CIO, with Subject Matter Expertise in Project Management over Architecture, and you're looking for a job in 140 characters or less. If you're connected to a few hundred fellow Twits, and a few hundred FaceBook friends, ESPECIALLY if you send a link to your online resume, or better yet, your BLOG....you're marketing yourself to the universe, baby.

Twitter works most powerfully as a Public Announcement system to your other Social Networking activities. Using Twitter to promote your online resume, your LinkedIN and Facebook profiles, your blog, your FaceBook comments, your groups, your Questions, Answers, forum posts, blog comments.

Twitter does the same thing with all of these Social Networking activities....promotes them. Twitter is like a billboard you see on the highway, or a 15 second radio spot.

But Twitter is even better for two reasons:

You can send links to your content
It's free!!
Shel Isreal, one of the Fathers of Social Networking (he co-wrote the best selling Naked Conversations), posted this article, interviewed Housefrau turned Global Consultant, Laura Fitton (@Pistachio) in this great article http://redcouch.typepad.com/weblog/2008/04/twittering-her.html. Laura gives great insight into using Twitter, and how Tweeting made her a celeb and business superstar.

So how can you Tweet your way to a great new career?

Article by Phil Rosenberg, President, reCareered & Rainmakers Global and courtesy of reCareered blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 14, 2008 at 7:49 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Okay, time's up, pens down. Whether you actually took the leadership mini-quiz or not, the idea was to explore this important issue, and it's possible impact on your cubicle career. As we said last week, our world accommodates both carnivores and vegetarians, and the one doesn't necessarily fall prey to the other. In other words, the task - and yes, privilege, of leading - isn't for everyone, nor should it be. I mean, what an absurd world it would be if there were only leaders...who would the followers be? After all, there can only be leaders if there are followers.

Without further delay, here are your long-awaited answers to last weeks questions:

1. Are leaders and managers the same thing?

No, absolutely not. But the answer isn't really so simple, because being one doesn't exclude the other. For example, and based on your place in the chain of command, you may well be expected to successfully implement plans and execute orders issued by higher authority (i.e. being a good manager). Yet, and in order for you to attain the level of cooperation and motivation from your subordinates (team members) necessary to meet the objective, you'll need to show a variety of leadership qualities. While this ain't exactly the 'who came first, the chicken or the egg?' conundrum, it is pretty damned close.

2. What are the differences between the two?

Vive la difference!, 'cause both are essential to any organization, yet there are basic characteristics that help to distinguish one from the other. The way you self-evaluate, will help you determine which primary role is right for you.

3. Are you more comfortable with ideas and concepts, or products and systems?

As you can see, the former is vaguer, even stressing, while the latter is much more predictable and 'safe.' So, if you prefer safety and tangible, more concrete stuff, (like products and systems) then you're more likely to want to be a manager. Really, it's all about your comfort zone- in and out of the cubicle.

4. Are you more present or future oriented?

Like the above, managers are well valued- and rightly so- for their inherent pragmatism. They want to deal with the here and now, and leave the future to others. It's the leader types who give themselves the time to think, to dream, and to develop a vision for the future.

5. Do you like to bend or break the rules to meet the mission?

The leader would, of course, answer in the affirmative while the manager would not. Leaders are not risk-averse, and because they are also self-confident and possess great verbal skills, they can usually get away with this kind of stuff. But, as you well know, it is all a matter of proportion, after all.

6. Do you deal better with change/innovation or the status quo?

Again, a no-brainer. And that's not to say that being a leader type that's also a change agent will make you a star or even contribute to the overall success of either yourself or your entity. It's just that the leader finds change and innovation more stimulating, sexier, if you will, than simply enjoying the comforts that the status quo offers.

7. Do you like being in authority? Prefer giving orders or inspiring others?

Fortunately for those of us who like being honchos, there are many more who just do not giving orders or being responsible for people or things, at work or elsewhere. This is great, because, as we said earlier, there can't be leaders without followers! The old axiom that you can't really give orders unless you've already learned to take them, is also quite true. And that's why it's the better organizations that prevent over mobility by junior staff. I guess that you can call it 'paying your dues.' So, the manager is a lot like a First Sergeant, he issues orders and enforces the rules. The leader, though, teaches, inspires, and motivates, so as to tap the very best that the staff has to offer.

8. Are you willing to take the risks that go with increased responsibility?

Leaders are almost fascinated by risk, and the challenges it brings, not only to the organization, but to the leader, personally and internally. The leader accepts blame for staff screw-ups, gives credit to subordinates, and actually celebrates successes big and small. Make no mistake, this leading thing is damned hard work. Because now, you're not only accountable to your bosses, but also to your subordinates. Since they both rely on you, the risks increase almost geometrically.

9. Can you invest the time and emotional energy required to lead others?

Unlike the kind of authority, or 'power' that gets issued to a manager or supervisor type, the leader must work, and damned hard at that, to earn every iota of loyalty from his team members. Listening, caring, encouraging, correcting, and yes-even kicking ass-is all part of the multi-faceted role that a leader needs to not just assume, but really become. Simply put, the leader always eats last.

10. Define 'heliotropic'

'Turning towards the sun.' That says it all.

I have to thank the Editor for giving me this assignment, because the research I've done and the thinking I've tried to do, have helped me answer a question that has puzzled me forever. Actually, it's an answer to the very same question that started last weeks' column; that is whether leaders are born or made...

The answer is-neither. Because leadership is even better than that, it's a choice, your choice.

Article by Victor Kipling and courtesy of jobacle.com -- your cure for carbon copy career advice

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 14, 2008 at 6:40 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Here are my ideas from my side of the desk as a career coach:

1. The person the coach is working with doesn't do the necessary work on him/herself to find a reasonable job goal.



2. The coachee lies.



3. The coach also lies.



4. The person being coached, changes goals many times.



5. Payment for services is haphazard.



6. Mutual trust in each other fails.



7. Appointments for services are missed without explanation.



8. The coachee looks for other advice, frequently, without informing the coach.



9. Personalities begin to clash.



10. Any other conflict, which makes a positive outcome for the coaching process debatable.



11. All work in the process of being and receiving coaching services are built on positive feelings and mutual, friendly regard. The real work is understood to be in finding a good job, no excuses allowed on either side.

By: Marilyn J. Tellez, M.A., Do It Now Career Coach

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 entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Lisa Colbert, CollegeRecruiter.com on April 11, 2008 at 9:00 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Guest post by job hunter and writer Steve Krager.

Like a high school career test, but with more ads.

Choosing a career is one of those horribly stressful choices in life that can take a lot of time, energy and thought. And whenever something takes so much effort, human beings have this habit of looking for an easier way. Thus career tests were born. You probably remember these tests from a high school career class. If you're like me you thought they were a waste of time, and manipulated the answers to see what kind of crazy career you could make it come up with. The career test at Project Career is a lot like those tests, except with a ton of annoying ads imploring you to sign up for some online university. The test asks you 105 questions about your interests and then provides an assessment that ranks your interest in certain fields such as Social Services, Finance/Accounting and Health Care. Here are some pros and cons with the test:

Pros

* Fairly straightforward interface
* Lots of good information about the careers that match your interests, as well as the opportunity to search for jobs in those fields
* A PDF file to download that includes your assessment information

Cons

* Asks for far too much personal information (eg. address, phone number)
* Error messages when trying to read the assessment. It took me several tries to get through the whole thing, and a couple times I had to sign in and out to make it work. Not cool.
*wide variety of career options out there, this seems very limited.
* Ads are everywhere! During the test the questions are surrounded by text ads, and you have to make sure you don't accidentally click the box that says "Please send my personal information to the University of So and So".

The site is basically designed to make as much money through advertisements and your precious personal information as possible. While this can be annoying, getting through the test and reading the assessment can actually be useful. Taking the time to reflect and actually think about my interests was a worthy experience. Overall, the site has some good content, and may help to give you some ideas about a career path to follow. But if you're annoyed by a lot of ads, and don't feel comfortable giving away your personal information (or lying about it) then stay away from the Project Career test.

Article by Andrew G.R. and courtesy of jobacle.com - your cure for carbon copy career advice!

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 10, 2008 at 6:42 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

1. Conquer Negative Thoughts Post Layoff

• Identify the mental blocks that are holding you back and fight them. To be a winner, think like a winner. To be successful, imagine your success.
• Fight your fears and apprehensions and defeat them. Develop a winner's attitude. Know that you can do it. As you think, so shall you be.
• Work towards defeating self-doubt and negative emotions.
• Get rid of procrastination. It is not the time to brood or feel depressed on the layoff, it is time to act. Do not hide under the shadows of embarrassment or anger and delay the process of reinventing yourself. Every day and every minute is precious.

I learned that we can do anything, but we can't do everything.. at least not at the same time. So think of your priorities not in terms of what activities you do, but when you do them. Timing is everything.- Dan Millman

2. Plan your Job Search Process

No one else is going to do it for you, you are in charge of your career and a layoff must not get you down. Unless you get into the action stage, all preparation remains meaningless. Knowing is not enough, you must act.

• Initiate an action plan - where all can you use your networking skills? Which companies would you want to work for?
• Initiate a marketing plan. How well can you market yourself - how can you benefit your future employers. Remember it is not how great your skills are but how can you use your skills to benefit others.
• Initiate mentoring or professional advice to accelerate your success.

For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.

3. Confidence, Enthusiasm and a Positive Attitude

Nothing is accomplished without enthusiasm. Your enthusiasm and attitude will keep your spirits high during the negative or dormant stages of your job search.

• Positive thoughts support enthusiasm and vice-versa. Be positive. Remain enthused. Develop a positive attitude. You need a positive and a fighting attitude right from the beginning of the job search process to the very end of the job negotiation process. Keep a positive outlook and boost your attitude.
• Seek inspiration from powerful writing and even your previous achievements. Seek inspiration and enthusiasm from your kids and your family.
• Howsoever uncertain and rocky the road might seem now, remain motivated by reminding yourself of the forthcoming success. But don't hold on happiness until you get to that next milestone, enjoy the present.

Confidence can get you where you want to go, and getting there is a daily process. It's so much easier when you feel good about yourself, your abilities and talents.- Donald Trump

4. Enhance your Skill Set - Research new Opportunities

Acquire new skills or certifications that get readies you for the job market or if stepping into a new career.

• Network to acquire information on available opportunities and to build your networking list. Talk to someone you know who is working in the area of your expertise or interest or explore others in their network
• Gather information on jobs and careers from the online job boards, classifieds, newspapers, trade magazines and your local employment offices. Get rid of any negative preconceived notions on a particular job or career. Be ready to explore new and unknown careers and options. Have a broad outlook, when you open up to possibilities, possibilities open up to you.

When I started out in business, I spent a great deal of time researching every detail that might be pertinent to the deal I was interested in making. I still do the same today. People often comment on how quickly I operate, but the reason I can move quickly is that I've done the background work first, which no one usually sees. I prepare myself thoroughly, and then when it is time to move ahead, I am ready to sprint.-- Donald Trump

5. Power up your Resume - get ready to Market yourself

It is time again to revamp and tailor your resume to the positions you are applying for. Devote extra time to power up your resume that shines above the rest. With limited hiring during a downturn or recession, you have to market yourself in a unique way to get noticed.

• Create an online Portfolio if you already don't have one. Creating a web presence might help those in certain careers but is essential for those in careers:
• Website graphic designer
• Web developer / Webmaster
• Web content developer / manager
• Media publicist
• Illustrator
• Interior decorator
• Fashion Designer
• Animation specialist
• Update your online resume. Employers and hiring managers are looking for active resumes which have been recently posted. You have a greater possibility of coming up on an employers search if your resume has been updated in the last 5-12 days. Employers do not have time to waste on a dormant resume which might indicate that you could have possibly found a job but forgot to remove your resume online.
• Emphasize your skills, personal attributes and previous experience; use the keywords and terminology relevant to the job description. Grab attention by stating quantifiable results of your previous experience.

Market yourself first through your resume and cover letter and then act as your personal sales representative at the interview. As would any customer analyze a product or service before buying; you are closely scrutinized during the process of resume selection and during and after interviews. Your skills are the core but how you package yourself depends a lot on your efficient abilities to market yourself.

Article by Shweta L. Khare, founder and president of Careerbright and Speakbright and courtesy of Careerbright blogspot

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 10, 2008 at 6:02 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

According to a recent report released by Forrester Research, none of the company career sites recently surveyed are making the grade for usability and performance testing. Common problems on the sites include missing content and functions, poor navigation, difficult to read text, and flawed privacy and security policies. All these hiccups lead to a bad experience for the job seeker.

I'm sure that some of the best talent quickly leave the career portals of some of the top companies because it's just too much trouble to apply. So what does that say about the people who stay?

Perhaps in the future, companies will dedicate more time and resources to develop their career portals and employer brands, but until then, I recommend spending your time building real relationships with decision makers at the companies you are interested in.

To find out which employers offer the best online candidate experience, check out CareerXRoads' research here.

Article by, Barbara Safani and courtesy of CareerHub.com. The Career Hub blog connects job seekers with experts in career counseling, resume writing, personal branding and recruiting.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 10, 2008 at 5:54 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Tomorrow, after a long hiatus due to the writers' strike, NBC's The Office is back on the air.

In my humble opinion, The Office is the single greatest HR and employment law training aid in the history of mankind. All you have to do is (1) watch it and (2) do the exact opposite of what everyone on the show does.

In honor of this occasion, the following is a "greatest hits" of lessons learned from past episodes:

• Workplace Romance Can Lead to Disaster. Virtually every character on the show has been romantically linked to one of their fellow employees. And virtually every time disaster results. We asked our readers for their opinions on office romance -- click here to see the results.
• Love Contracts: Good or Bad? On a similar note, one episode prominently featured a "love contract" between Michael Scott, the office boss, and his superior, Jan. That episode sparked a national debate on the issue. Click here to see what our readers (and I) had to say about this topic.
• Don't Let Managers Create Their Own Training. Michael reacts to virtually every crisis by calling everyone into a conference room and creating his own (usually disastrous) brand of training right there on the spot. The worst example was his homemade diversity training, which still has me cringing. Click here for a discussion of the right way to approach diversity training.
• Booze and Work Don't Mix. Several episodes feature Michael intentionally "liquoring up" his employees. The most infamous was an episode in which Michael hosted a "Booze Cruise." Our suggestion: If you're going to serve liquor at a company function, ensure that you have a way to limit consumption (e.g., drink coupons). And, whatever you do, make sure you keep all drunken employees (especially the boss) away from any microphones.
• Think Long and Hard Before Letting Employees Blog. Creed, an employee who says something inappropriate in every sentence, has his own company-sponsored blog. Our suggestion: if you're going to allow companies to blog on the company's behalf, make sure you have clear guidelines that are consistently enforced. If not, you run the risk of someone like myself running amok, making stupid videos, telling bad lawyer jokes, etc.

The new special hour-long episode airs tomorrow, [April 10, 2008] at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Enjoy!

Article by Mark Toth, Chief Legal Officer of Manpower's North American operations, and courtesy of Manpower Employment Blawg. Mark also serve as Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President of Franchise Relations and serve on our Global Leadership Team, North American Lead Team, Executive Diversity Steering Committee and Sarbanes-Oxley Steering Committee.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 9, 2008 at 8:25 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Anita Bruzzese has an interesting post on mothers' influence on career success. Anita cites the work of a psychologist, Stephan Poulter, who has written a new book, The Mother Factor: How Your Mother's Emotional Legacy Impacts Your Life.

The book's thesis is that whether we acknowledge it or not, our mothers leave an indelible impression on the people we become. Our ability to function in personal and professional relationships - both personal and professional - is based on our mothers' deep influence and is based on their "styles." Poulter defines the five major styles of mothering as:

The Perfectionist Mother: whose family must look perfect in every way
The Unpredictable Mother: whose ups and downs can create lifelong anxiety and depression in her son or daughter
The "Me First" Mother: whose children come second or last
The "Best Friend" Mother: who's now in vogue but can wreak havoc
The Complete Mother: who provides guidance and shows compassion to her child.

This got me thinking about my own situation. My mother was a combination of unpredictable and "me first." According to Poulter, this partially explains why I have always struggled to please everyone I work with and feel uncomfortable unless I'm receiving external validation of my good performance. It also now makes sense why I always want to feel like I'm top dog, the most, or at least one of the most, valued contributors on the team.

What are/were your mothers like, and how do you think it affects your attitude and relationships on the job?

Article by Alexandra Levit and courtesy of Water Cooler Wisdom blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 9, 2008 at 8:09 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

We all know that when you're between jobs, planning to look for a job, semi-employed, or self-employed, every dollar counts!

One very easy way to earn some extra money is to leverage customer acquisition programs. Many companies, such as some banks, will actually pay you to refer them customers. Why do they do this? Well, customer acquisition costs are some of the largest costs that companies incur as a part of growing their business. From a macro view, this includes advertising, marketing, paying their sales staff, sales management, paying for the tools to get new customers (such as CRM and Sales Force Automation software), and so on.

Basically, it's nearly always cheaper to keep an existing customer than to acquire a new customer, but without acquiring new customers a business simply can't grow as much or as fast.

Many companies have found that referrals and word-of-mouth is one of the best, and cheapest, ways to get new clients. So what does this mean to you?

Well, some companies will pay you to refer customers to them. This is called a customer acquisition program. You'll see this in many banks and other types of companies. Many banks will pay you if you refer a new account holder, and some will even pay new account holders just to open an account.

One of these companies is called MoneyExchange. They are emerging as an alternative to PayPal and PayDotCom, and can be used as an easy way to send and receive payments without disclosing your credit card number. This addresses the serious concern of identity theft - people are often wary of sending their credit card number to make online purchases, or sending routing numbers and checking account numbers for online payments.

So how does this equate to extra income for you? Simple. You sign up for a MoneyExchange account before April 15, 2008, and they will deposit $25 into your account, no strings attached. You can then do what you want with this money - buy something, transfer it to another account, etc.

You also get paid for referring other people to open an account with MoneyExchange - under their current promotion, they pay you $10 for each person that you refer who opens an account, up to $500.00. Now $500.00 isn't all that much in the grand scheme of things, but it can certainly pay a few bills or a few tanks full of gas!

If you're interested in signing up, click on the button below.

Article by and courtesy of Jim Stroud, "The Job Search Strategist" providing strategies, tips and tutorials on how to find work and advance your career.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 9, 2008 at 7:59 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

This is a little late, but if you haven't seen it, it's new to you. The 2008 Source of Hire Survey by Gerry and Mark is out, and it once again gives us insight into how corporate America hires, or at least how they measure hiring. The download is free, and available at Gerry''s site.

I'll dig into it and show some interesting facts, but chief among them is the recognition that what you read in the press releases isn't always the truth.

The first thing that stands out?

-Hires attributed to Job Boards (including the Company site as a job board) represent 25.7% of external hires.
-Unfortunately Hires attributed to the Company Website are half of the Job Board category and, in our opinion, suspect (we maintain that the company website is a destination not a source).

Remember that when you're listening to an exec tell you they don't need your services because they get most of their hires from people coming to the website. There's clearly a huge disconnect between what we assume about corporate hiring, and the truth.

And these are the companies that are willing to be surveyed.

hattip: BlueSkyResumes, who points out that 28.7% of hires can from referrals, which means you chances of getting hired by knowing someone at a company is between 1 in 3 and 1 in 4. And yet so many people apply to careers site and wonder why they don't get callbacks.

Article by Jim Durbin and courtesy of StlRecruiting.com

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 9, 2008 at 7:46 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Often when I read career advice columns, people ask how they can deal with difficult coworkers. Learning how to deal with difficult bosses is far more important.

In the book, Backpack to Briefcase: Steps to a Successful Career, the chapter Understanding Your Boss not only gives strategies for getting along with the average boss, it also gives suggestions for how to deal with difficult bosses.

The stereotypical difficult bosses are listed below:

1. The "Micro-Manager" Boss - another word for a micro-manager boss is a control freak.

2. The "Hands-Off" Boss - this kind of boss is laissez-faire. You're pretty much on your own.

3. The "Absentee" Boss - the book describes this type of boss as "the ultimate 'hands-off' boss and the complete opposite of the 'micro-manager boss." With this type of boss, you're all alone.

4. The "I Want to be Your Friend" Boss - this kind of boss is more concerned with being liked than anything else.

5. The "Under Qualified" Boss - this boss may actually be underqualified or she may simply lack confidence in her abilities.

6. The "Over Achiever Boss - This kind of boss can be frustrating because he expects his employees to share his work ethic.

7. The "Threatened" Boss - This boss is probably the most dangerous. A boss who fears you might replace him or get promoted over him, could do things that make you look bad.

The above seven bosses are each discussed in greater detail in the book, listing strategies to help you get along with each type of boss while simutaneously protecting yourself and your job.

The final section of the chapter, Understanding Your Boss, also covers Handling and Resolving Conflict. I will discuss this final section in a future blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 8, 2008 at 7:11 PM | Leave a Comment (2)

Ah, the mystique of leadership - a phenomenon that we've all been brought up to value, revere and even aspire to. Leaders are made, not born, or so they say...and they abound in just about every movie ever made. After all, it's really a continuation of the Horatio Alger myth; ever striving onwards and upwards, fighting adversity, and overcoming all odds to be a 'success,' a leader of others.

Yet, in our real world cubicle continuum, all too often we've seen not the best and the brightest, but the kiss-asses, sychophants, back-stabbers and other assorted dirt-bags promoted way, WAY beyond their capabilities. And so we've been generally more cursed than blessed with poor managers and even worse leaders. It's almost a generic - or genetic - institutional flaw. Just look around you. All too often, the charismatic, Pied Piper types are the worst of all.

Yet, countless books, articles and the like have been written about leadership and management, and the possible differences between the two. Hey, that's not necessarily a bad thing, because the more we think about these issues, and go beyond the semantics, the more clearly we can see who we are and what we really want out of our careers. Leadership, while satisfying and at times glamorous, isn't for everyone.

Do you have what it takes to be a leader? More importantly, do you want to be one? Here are 10 questions that you ought to ask yourself, before you decide. And no, there are no right (or wrong) answers, just truthful ones...because your comfort zone should be exactly that; yours.

1. Are leaders and managers the same thing?

2. If not, what do you see as the differences between the two?

3. Which are you more comfortable with, ideas or products, concepts or systems?

4. Are you more present or future-oriented?

5. Do you like to bend or break the rules to accomplish your mission?

6. Which do you deal more successfully with, change and innovation or maintaining the status quo?

7. Do you like being in authority, and if so, would you rather issue orders or work to inspire others?

8. Are you willing to take the risks that go along with increased responsibility?

9. Can you invest the time and emotional energy required to lead others?

10. Can you define the term 'heliotropic'?

By the way, our world accommodates both carnivores and vegetarians, and there's nothing to say that one necessarily trumps the other.

Article by, Victor Kipling and courtesy of jobacle.com - your cure for carbon copy career advice!

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 8, 2008 at 6:31 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

In their own words, Kouzes and Posner effectively convey the message of this enlightening book: The fundamental purpose of The Leadership Challenge is to assist people- managers and individual contributors alike - in furthering their abilities to lead others to get extraordinary things done. The Leadership Challenge is written both to strengthen your abilities and uplift your spirits. We intend it to be practical and inspirational.

I very much agree and the authors have accomplished this goal - I have enjoyed reading this book and over years will continue to quote from the exemplary tangible wisdom this book shares on the very basic framework of essential leadership qualities.
The indispensable strength which defines a good leader are very logically presented, right from practical wisdom of managing people to fostering collaborations.

The Leadership Challenge, 4th Edition by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner presents numerous examples of how successfully some leaders in their organizations have implemented the fundamental leadership qualities such as setting an example for the constituents, inspiring and communicating their vision to the employees and so forth.

Kouzes and Posner emphasize the need for effectively communicating the vision of your company to your constituents. I was quite impressed with the sections: Envision the Future and Strengthen Others. Most often as employees of a large organizations employees understand only what their particular division is doing and the implementation of the present project and planning of the next one. What they miss out is on the bigger picture, the vision of the company, how do they feel part of the organization and how are they valued for their work towards achieving the larger vision.

On this topic the authors say: Your constituents can't act like owners and provide leadership if they fundamentally don't understand how your business, agency, company, product or program operates. This goes way beyond clear visions and goals into the interior domains of operations. To really understand the critical organizational issues and tasks, they need to be able to answer such questions as; Who are our most important customers, clients, suppliers and stakeholders? How do they perceive us? How do we measure success? What has out track record been over the past five years? What new products or services will we initiate in the next six years?

It is a book that is to be revisited periodically by one and all. The ideas and thoughts are communicated quite simply and they are very basic to any leadership role, but at times what is most evident and simple slips off our practice. A must read for someone who is at the managerial position or a CEO or founder of a company or someone who wishes to excel and hone their leadership skills.

Article by Shweta L. Khare, founder and president of Careerbright and Speakbright and courtesy of Careerbright blogspot

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 8, 2008 at 4:47 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I posted the following very brief post from Melanie Holmes because it's so relevant. Sometimes it seems as if people believe professionalism is a persona to be warn from 9-5 like a business suit. It isn't. Professionalism is really just a matter of controlling your emotions, guarding your tongue, and being considerate of others, and it's entirely possible to do that without losing sight of who you are. But I must warn you, it's a process. Nobody is the epitome of professionalism, not even Martha Stewart or Donald Trump. CA

I just read a terrific article on FT.com called Be yourself: but know who you are meant to be.

We all know people who are one thing at work and completely different on the outside -- they are one thing but put on a show for others. I'm not just talking about party animal vs. serious employee. I know people who act, talk, laugh (etc.) differently -- depending on the situation.

That seems exhausting to me. Don't be someone you think other people want you to be. While 'authentic' is a trendy way of saying it, it makes perfect sense to always be that plus:

• Real
• Genuine
• True to yourself

Article by Melanie Holmes, Vice President of World of Work Solutions for Manpower, and courtesy of Manpower's Contemporary Working blog. Melanie shares Manpower's extensive knowledge while building strategic partnerships with government, universities and other leadership organizations across the country. She is also responsible for social responsibility at Manpower, which includes diversity, volunteerism, community involvement, community relations, philanthropy and workforce development.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 8, 2008 at 4:30 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Yesterday I read a fascinating interview with Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International . Mr. Zakaria is responsible for editing Newsweek's 26 foreign-language editions and 3 English-language overseas editions targeted at Europe, Asia and Latin America which, combined reach a global audience of approximately 3.5 million. Mr. Zakaria is recognized as one of the foremost experts on foreign policy in the U.S. today and he has some very interesting and pragmatic thoughts on what America needs to do to remain a global power.

One of the key points that he makes in his interview is that, "America needs only to continue to be bold and brave...remember, we (America) are about openness, hope, and future" The focus of the article was about how America needs to evolve its thinking from the post-9/11 fear and skepticism we feel toward many other countries and to start trying to understand what is driving other countries to make the decisions they make. Zakaria posits that only in America is the idea of simply listening to leaders of countries we don't really like (such as Iran or Cuba) demonized.

Whether or not you agree with Mr. Zakaria's perspective as it pertains to foreign relations there is wisdom in his ideas that apply directly to the workplace. To succeed in today's ever changing corporate America we need to aggressively listen to our bosses and investors and to continuously evolve our approach to solving business problems. Most employees find that change is the common denominator in any job today: frequent management changes, rotating job assignments, work reductions that result in consolidation of jobs, and changes as the result of investor demands are just a few of the issues that employees are dealing with today.

One key to surviving a constantly evolving business environment is to keep your ear to the ground and to listen for cues to the things you need to do to modify your behavior and performance to succeed during each new wave of change. The clients I have met who are most successful are those who are flexible and willing to change and mold nearly any aspect of their behavior and/or output to that required of new management teams. I think that it's very hard to be this flexible but it is clear that as employees and as global citizens we need to start evolving our thought processes so that we can compete in the workplace of 2008.

Article by Liz Handlin and courtesy of Ultimate Resumes

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 8, 2008 at 4:24 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

One of the programmes I am teaching at the moment has an extraordinary groups of entrepreneurs as participants - one in particular is Rich Klein who is a PR expert for law firms.

He recently gave a special workshop for the course participants and the content he shared about PR was outstanding - so much so that I invited him to join me as a guest expert for a forthcoming Biz Growth Live call so you will have the opportunity to hear him first hand in a few months time.

I know a number of people here at the Biz Growth Community are in the legal profession and if that's you you might be interested to know about Rich's forthcoming programme which starts on 16 April 2008 which is specifically about crisis communications for law firms.

The programme takes place at 1pm ET (6pm Ireland/UK) by phone on the 16th, 23rd and 30th of April and the 7th May 2008.

Law firm leaders can learn how to defend their firm's hard-earned reputation beginning April 16, 2008, the launch date of a new four-part teleseminar called Crash Course on Crisis Communications for Law Firms.

The investment for the programme us US$199 for whcih you will get Sample press statements written crisis tips accompanying every call, a transcript of each call, a recording of each call - and in fact you can bring your whole team to listen to the call.

So if you want to manage your law firms reputation and are concerned about how you would handle communications in a crisis or get the inside track on crisis communications so you are better informed for your clients, I highly recommend you check out the programme.

Article by Krishna De and courtesy of Biz Growth News blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 7, 2008 at 6:49 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Although I have graduated, I continue to keep in touch with my former Program for Academic Success (PAS) counselor because she is a fountainhead of information and good advice. The last time I stopped in to visit her on campus, she gave me a book, Backpack to Briefcase: Steps to a Successful Career, an A Life After Graduation, LLC Publication. As I browsed the table of contents, I noticed a chapter of particular interest: Understanding Your Boss. It's not easy to understand your boss, especially if you don't have a lot of interaction with him. It's probably much easier to understand your immediate supervisor because he's the person you generally report to.

The chapter first gives a list of "key strategies" for getting along with any boss if implemented consistently:

Show Respect - everybody wants to be respected and, as the book says, your boss more than likely earned the position, so if you can't respect the person, respect the rank.

Give Your Best - you should always do your job to the best of your abilities no matter how disgruntled or discouraged you may feel. This isn't always easy, but every effort should be made.

Be Honest - bosses want feedback from their employees just as their employees want feedback from them. When asked for your opinion, give it honestly, but tactfully. If there are any problems or concerns, open up and voice them. The book also advocates taking responsibility for any mistakes you've made as soon as possible.

Give Your Boss Fair Notice - whether you need time off, are running late, or planning to resign, you should give your boss enough advance notice to prepare for your absence. This could serve you well should you ever need to call on your former employer for a reference or a recommendation on your LinkedIn page.

Maintain Boundaries - remember the expression, "Familiarity breeds contempt." Always remember that your boss is your boss the same way you remember your parents are your parents. Even if you and your parents are the best of friends, there are still lines that you don't cross with them. Your boss should be treated the same way. Don't get too personal or too friendly. Keep in mind your boss may one day have to make decisions that aren't necessarily in your favor.

Be Positive - Bosses don't take kindly to whiners and complainers. Voice your concerns in the form of questions or even suggestions. Bosses are often willing to listen to ideas of how business can be more efficiently and cost-effectively conducted.

Manage Your Emotions - "Never let them see you sweat." It's unprofessional to explode with anger, cry or in any other way lose your composure. No one expects you to be an automaton, just keep yourself under control. I know first hand that this is easier said than done, but it's well worth the effort.

Take Constructive Criticism Well - Nobody's perfect. Sometimes your mistakes will need correcting. It's your bosses job to let you know how, so don't take it personally. It isn't an attack on your character, it's a recommendation of how you can better perform your job.

The book concludes that although these strategies may work for most bosses, there are some others who need a little more care and attention. I'll discuss them in a future blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 7, 2008 at 6:17 PM | Leave a Comment (1)

In order to discourage illegal immigration the Bush administration has proposed "no-match regulation" for the process of employee verification. According to this plan employers would have 93 days to resolve name or social security/taxpayer identification number discrepancies.

At the end of this period if the issue has not been finished the employer is required to fire the individual in question or face civil and criminal penalties for employing undocumented workers.

Although this would decrease the likelihood of employers hiring illegal immigrants for any significant period of time, there is also a chance that many law abiding citizens will suffer from this plan. In Texas alone the Social Security Administration estimates that 10 percent of the state's total workforce would have to be terminated, which would severely effect the area's economy.

Approximately 70 percent of individuals who would have to be laid off over issues with employee verification are actually native-born U.S. citizens. In these cases, clerical errors or name changes because of marriage or divorce have caused discrepancies.

But this is not the only problem with the "no-match" approach to employment verification. At this time employers are not notified of all mismatched records. The SSA only notifies businesses that have discrepancies on more than 10 W-2 forms and if the total number of mismatched documents filed totals more than 0.5 percent of all the forms sent in by that employer. Because of this, businesses could be liable for fines on employees that they are unaware of.

Another issue with this approach is that if puts employers in the position of have to decide between prosecution by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or lawsuits from employees they were forced to layoff for potential violation of the 1964 Civil Right Act. This piece of legislation protects all workers from being discriminated against, no matter what their immigration status is.

Because of these problems, many believe that the New Employee Verification Act proposed by U.S. Representatives Sam Johnson and Kevin Brady is a better idea for the nation. This would replace the federal government's current employer verification process with an electron system that would use the state "new-hire" reporting process, which is already used for child support enforcement.

Employers would also be able to confirm the work eligibility of citizens through the Social Security database and those with working visas through the DHS database.

Posted by Joel Cheesman on April 7, 2008 at 1:01 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Thousands [gathered April 4, 2008] in Memphis to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 40th anniversary of his death. Similar tributes are occurring all around the country to honor the civil rights leader and champion of peace.

In honor of this occasion, here are some of Dr. King's mightiest words of wisdom for us all to consider as we go about our daily business:

WORK: All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.

LEADERSHIP: A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.

ETHICS: Means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. The time is always right to do what is right.

SERVICE: Life's most persistent and urgent question is: "What are you doing for others?"

JUSTICE: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.

VALUES: If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values -- that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION: Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love. Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.

VISION & PERSEVERANCE: I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land. (From Dr. King's final speech the night before his assassination)

Article by Mark Toth, Chief Legal Officer of Manpower's North American operations, and courtesy of Manpower Employment Blawg. Mark also serve as Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President of Franchise Relations and serve on our Global Leadership Team, North American Lead Team, Executive Diversity Steering Committee and Sarbanes-Oxley Steering Committee.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 7, 2008 at 11:26 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Back in 2005, my husband had a desktop PC custom designed by a store called Microcenter here in Chicago. Since then, we've been using this machine for nearly all of our home computing needs. For me, this adds up to a lot. Like most people, I spend hours shopping online, scheduling engagements, corresponding on social networks, and reading news every day. But I also conduct the majority of my business affairs via the computer as well. I write book chapters, blog posts, e-newsletters, and articles, and e-mail interview answers back and forth. I maintain a website. I host a podcast. The list goes on and on. I use the computer so much that I have a special keyboard that is supposed to prevent my hands from falling off due to carpal tunnel syndrome.

I had a Blackberry for a while and hated it because it took forever to load pages and the graphics were hard to view. I kept going back to my good old reliable desktop PC. And generally, the machine has done right by me. It seldom crashes or announces weird and incomprehensible error messages that keep me on hold with IBM, HP, or Microsoft for hours on end. But lately, I've been feeling a little insecure. For instance, my dad, a self-proclaimed early adopter, was visiting last week and chastised me for not having a computer that could effortlessly host videos of his new grandson while running five RAM-heavy applications in the background. I couldn't help being defensive. After all, in 2005, this machine had what was considered quite a bit of RAM, and it had always efficiently handled any software we needed. How could it be that this not-even-three year-old computer was already totally obsolete?

It seems that at the pace technology is developing, you'd be justified in replacing each of your devices (computer, iPod, cell phone, camera, etc.) once a year. But who can afford that, and who has the time? Please share how you deal with techno-insecurity and whether you think it's really worth it to keep up with the Joneses.

Article by Alexandra Levit and courtesy of Water Cooler Wisdom blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 7, 2008 at 10:18 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Reprinted courtesy of TheCareerNews.com

DENVER, CO -- If you are certain that you would be better off in a new job, and have given it plenty of thought and research, go for it full speed ahead. Invest whatever time and energy that's required to reach your goal. Don't sit back and wait for them to find you.

If you have something that the market wants, you will find a new job. It will take time. There may be times in your job search that you realize that your current job doesn't look half bad. So don't burn bridges with current employers, you just may have to turn back and cross that bridge one more time.

Many people are looking for better opportunities all the time. It's been estimated that graduates can expect on average to have held 8 different jobs by the time they are 40 yrs old. Some hiring managers and recruiters state that your resume will be stronger if it shows SOME changes in jobs, as long as the reasons for change are positive. It can show that you can be versatile in many fields but be careful with the changes and how many.

Article abridged from OpEdNews, and reprinted from TheCareerNews.com. Get the latest breaking News, Tips and Tools for your job search, Free!

Posted by Sarah Ennenga on April 4, 2008 at 9:04 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

As reported in the Wall Street Journal 'Real Time Economics' Blog Newsletter (whatever a blog newsletter is), ADP is predicting that when the March jobs report is released, the numbers are going to be substantially better than the consensus economic forecast. ADP and Macroeconomic Advisers, a forecasting firm, are estimating that the U.S. economy added 8,000 non-farm jobs last month. This stands in stark contrast to the 70,000 jobs lost during the month that Ray Stone of Stone & McCarthy are estimating for March in Kelly Evans' WSJ post:

ADP Report Suggests Recession to Be Averted

The latest estimate of job growth from payroll giant ADP and forecasting firm Macroeconomic Advisers suggests employment isn't booming, but it ain't too shabby either.

Joel Prakken, chairman of Macroeconomic Advisers, said the ADP figure "joins a list of growing indicators that while still weak are better than expected." He said the "very clear" signals of huge job losses recorded in the ADP survey during the 2001 recession aren't being repeated this time around. "The survey is now signaling soft employment and an [economic] slowdown but nothing that suggests recession," he said.

The LinkUp report on corporate web site job listings for March will be released tomorrow. Those numbers rose substantially from February's dismal numbers and echo to some degree the optimism in ADP's numbers. JobDig's record-setting sales numbers in March may also provide some indication that the jobs market is not as horrendous as some believe it to be. Based upon the LinkUp data and JobDig's sales results in March (which arguably could be the result of us simply grabbing market share due to a superior service offering), it is my prediction that the March jobs numbers are going to surprise people. Employers, at least those across the middle of the U.S., seem to still be hiring in pretty healthy numbers.

Article by Toby Dayton and courtesy of Diggings, a blog about recruitment advertising, media, publishing, HR, work, & technology, among other things.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 3, 2008 at 10:00 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Remember when you were a kid and stayed home from school because you were sick? Remember how weird it was to watch all those daytime TV talk shows and think, "so this is how the other half lives." Remember how it was even stranger when you accompanied your mother on a brief errand or visited the doctor's office and saw people out and about as if the world of work and school didn't exist?

I've now had a flexible work schedule for the better part of four years, but I've still spent the majority of my life ensconsed in a regular 7-3 or 9-5 routine. Now, on maternity leave with a new baby, going out in public during the business week feels much like it did on those sick days so long ago. Buying diapers at the grocery store, dropping off copies of my new book at the post office, and running back and forth to doctor's appointments, I see crowds of people - adults who clearly don't have 9-5 jobs and school-aged kids who are evidently getting more of an unorthodox education.

In cities like New York and Chicago, this phenomenon is even more obvious. Sometimes it feels as if there are more people hanging out in cafes during the workday than in clubs on a Saturday night. It's jarring, but, I believe, ultimately a good thing. Technology has made it so we can do work anywhere, anytime, so why shouldn't we become less rigid about the necessity of showing up at an office five days a week, for eight hours a day? Maybe it's only a matter of time before our work schedules are so variable that there's no such thing as a "peak" time to ride the subway or a $5 weekday matinee at the movies.

Article by Alexandra Levit and courtesy of Water Cooler Wisdom blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 3, 2008 at 9:07 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Janice B. works for a large software firm and has been working from home for over 10 years and has found the arrangement perfect for her. Being a single parent for almost 15 years she needed to live near her extended family for support. In her words, "Working remotely has allowed me to live where it worked for my family and yet still do really challenging work for great high tech companies. My company pays for my second (phone) line and my internet connection. I don't charge back office supplies, etc. but that is a personal choice. Our company has a formal work from home program and almost 20% of our workforce is remote. I'm more remote than most as I'm over 3 hours from our closest office."

Janice emphasizes on the need to be self-directed and self-motivated to be able to work from home completely. She says, "I've "worked" with colleagues who thought they could have their toddlers at home without daycare. But you can't, by the way, if you want to do a good job."

She considers herself extremely lucky to having worked with many supportive bosses who have faith in her and her work. She travels once every 6-8 weeks to connect with her boss, co-workers and other colleagues. She says, "I find this really important to helping me stay connected with my company. I also pick up the phone, just to chat, at least a few times a week."

The biggest struggle she sees in working from home is not being in touch personally with co-workers and not having people to interact with during her work days. She says, "Sometimes I'm not out of the house all week, unless I make an effort, especially during the winter months."

Article by Shweta L. Khare, founder and president of Careerbright and Speakbright and courtesy of Careerbright blogspot

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 3, 2008 at 8:48 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

This U.S. News & World Report article (Five Tips on Finding a New Job) appeared February 26, 2008, and provides a great overview of how to be successful in today's job search market.

The article talks about the importance of personal branding, Social Networking, Blogging, and promoting yourself as a Subject Matter Expert as specific job search strategies.

I disagree with how they describe tactics of leveraging your network. They U.S. News has the right idea, they just go about it the wrong way. Don't ask for an informational interview or to talk about the market or industry - it provides nothing of value for the company contact. Why is it worth the contact's time (unless they know you personally) to help you, when you haven't offered anything of value? Asking for an informational interview is a great way to get sent to HR, and back to the database. Asking to talk about the market or industry is of little value to the contact, unless you have inside information or are a Subject Matter Expert in that industry.

Instead, offer something of value to the contact. Stay tuned for an upcoming post on this tactic.

Article by Phil Rosenberg, President, reCareered & Rainmakers Global and courtesy of reCareered blog.

"The jury's still out on where the job market is heading, but one thing is certain: Employers have put the brakes on hiring. Job creation fell by 17,000 in January, the first month of decline in more than four years. Hard-hit industries like banking and real estate are already seeing layoffs and hiring freezes, and that means more qualified applicants are chasing fewer job openings.

Given that backdrop, job seekers should be prepared to dig a little deeper, says Cheryl Lynch Simpson, career coach with Ricklin-Echikson Associates. "The quality of your job search skills becomes more critical in an uncertain economic climate," Simpson says. "In a nutshell, your skills need to be better, you need to be more aware of career branding, and you must be more strategic about approaching employers." Here are five tips from the pros on how to land a job in this turbulent market:

Don't count on the job boards. Online search engines and résumé banks are seductive in their promises to connect job seekers with dozens of potential employers. Some career advisers call these sites "résumé black holes," which may be a stretch, but job boards do have significant limitations.

For one, many companies prescreen résumés using software that hunts for key words relating to skills, training, degrees, and experience. Even if you are a perfect match for the job, "your résumé may never get to someone who could decipher your potential value," says Debra Feldman of JobWhiz, an executive job search consultant.

An even bigger issue is that the vast majority of jobs are never advertised--online or anywhere. Says Feldman: "That's why you should put almost all of your job energy into networking and proportionally very little time submitting résumés online."

Tap your network. Ideally, you already keep in touch with an assortment of former colleagues and industry peers who will notify you about job leads before they go public. "More important than what you know is who knows what you know," Feldman says. "Make sure you're on the radar of people who have access to the kind of job leads you want."

If you're looking to work for a specific company, the key is to connect with a current employee. That might mean asking contacts in your network to leverage their network. An easy way to accomplish this is through a networking site like LinkedIn.com, where you can essentially connect with your friends' friends. "First, ask for an introduction," says Penelope Trunk, author of Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success. "Then, if you're at a lower level, the social etiquette is to say you want an informational interview. If you're at a high level, say you want to talk about the market and where the industry is going."

Offer to help others. Stay in regular contact with your network so you're not asking for a favor once every couple of years, Simpson says. "Periodically pass along a tip or an article," she says. "Think of it as putting money in the bank."

If you must contact someone out of the blue, offer something in return, such as an invitation to a lecture or a link to a website that might be of interest, Feldman says. "Chances are, if you had a warm relationship, people are happy to rekindle it," she says. "If you never had one at all, they might be startled, but they'll also likely be flattered."

Leverage the blogosphere. Find blogs relevant to your industry that are written by professionals at the top of their career, says Trunk, and become a regular commenter. "The great thing about the blogosphere is that it rewards ideas and passion, so you're not judged based on your résumé," she says. Once you've developed rapport with a blogger, ask about career advice and job leads.

Promote your brand. Forget modesty: Establish yourself as an expert in your industry. This might be as simple as volunteering your skills for a community project, participating in an online forum, creating a website, or--you guessed it--blogging. You could also try your hand at writing for an industry trade journal or an alumni newsletter. "Almost everyone can be a published author," Feldman says. The idea is to build credibility in your field and set yourself apart from the competition."

Copyrighted, U.S.News & World Report, L.P. All rights reserved. Full article at

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 3, 2008 at 8:20 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Nope, this isn't an April Fool's joke.

You just had a Rock Star interview....you walked out of the office and knew the job was yours for the taking. The company is dying for you, and even you choose that this job isn't the right move for you - at least the ego boost feels great.

There are two secrets to a Rock Star interview: Preparation and Execution.

Preparation:
Research - Rock Star preparation starts before you even write your resume. Research the company and industry, using SEC reports (if public),Company Website, press releases & Articles, Hoovers, Yahoo Finance, Google searches, social network contacts, and blogs. Find out everything you can about industry trends, how the company is reacting to them, or planning for them. Find out the company's goals and challenges.

Peel - After you've done your research, start to peel the onion a little. Ask yourself what challenges the company is likely to face along the way. How will the company's changes also change the area you are interviewing for. What problems are likely to arise that your Subject Matter Expertise can uniquely solve.

Solve Problems - Now you're set to write a Rock Star resume - one that presents a solution to problems your target company faces. Throw out the old biographical resume. Instead, craft a resume that anticipates your target company's problems, and demonstrates what you've already done to solve the exact or similar problems in your past experience.

Bait - To make a truly Rock Star resume, you'll want to list a few points that cause the reader to ask more questions....questions that you're dying to answer. Bait your resume with a few partial statements, and leave your audience curious to learn more, helping you to control the interview by what you've left out of your resume.

Prepare questions - Lots of them. Forget the questions about work environment career advancement and benefits - you'll have plenty of time to ask these later. Ask questions to draw out problems and implications - of problems you can uniquely solve. Ask questions you already know the answer to, to see how the prospective employer answers, and how impressed they are that you had the insight to ask.

Anticipate - What questions will the interviewer ask you? Practice answering questions in a positive manner, while still telling the truth.

Execution:
For management/professional roles - Go in with the attitude that you are interviewing the company...not the other way around.

Dress the part - see my earlier post What to Wear? Acing the Interview - Part 1

Open - Stand tall, maintain eye contact, smile, and use a firm handshake - just like Dad taught you.

Initial impressions count - Remember that people form an initial impression of you in the first 30 seconds. That's before the interview even begins. Start it out with a little small talk or a quick joke - getting your audience to laugh goes a long way to pass the "likability test".

Control the interview - For more on controlling the interview see my post on How to Take Control of the Interview.

Eye contact - Maintain eye contact while talking, but don't stare the interviewer down, either.

Questions - You control the interview and demonstrate both Subject Matter Expertise and leadership by asking questions. For more on questions to ask, see my earlier post Do you have any Questions?. Ask the same questions to different people in your interviews and see if they answer differently.

Turn negatives to positives - Why say you left because your boss was an insufferable jerk, when you can say that you didn't agree with management's direction? Wouldn't you look wiser by anticipating the poor strategy of your company, than looking like you were a difficult employee for your boss? Don't lie in your interview - it's not necessary, and there's a high likelihood you'll get caught.

Close - Closing techniques will take a number of future posts to cover. In general, close by gaining some sort of feedback, and time/action commitment to next steps. If your interviewer is asking you what other companies you are interviewing with, you're a finalist (not applicable for recruiters - headhunters ask this question to everyone). If your interviewer is asking you when you'll be making your decision...you're the Rock Star.

Re-Close - Send a Thank You note. For Thank You note strategies, see my earlier post Thank You! Make an Impact in 5 minutes.

Now that you've been through Rock Star School....what are you going to change in your next performance?

Article by Phil Rosenberg, President, reCareered & Rainmakers Global and courtesy of reCareered blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 3, 2008 at 8:09 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

I was at a business dinner last evening -- and it was a nightmare. There were about 50 sales people in the audience who had just sat through two grueling days of training classes. The original intention of the evening was for there to be relaxed fun -- a multi-course dinner paired with wine. The 'entertainment' was a wine expert who was to tell us about each wine and why it was paired with the food. Sounds great, right?

Wrong!

The wine-expert-speaker was so totally not in touch with her audience that she alienated everyone in the room. She talked on and on -- blah, blah, blah -- and it was pretty clear that no one cared. All we wanted to do was let off a bit of steam and talk among ourselves. But she was bound and determined to say everything she had intended to say -- and then some. She loudly asked us to be quiet, chided us for not paying attention, demanded that we sit down and listen -- and even whistled at us at one point to attempt to shut us up.

You could argue that we were rude -- but we started out trying to behave and pay attention. When her commentary about a small glass of wine ended up being 20 minutes long, we got restless.

The lesson in here for every one of us is to pay attention to the audience. Be flexible. Change your game plan if it isn't working. The point of a dinner speaker is not to die trying, but rather to keep the group engaged with light information that will foster conversation when the speaker finishes.

When you're the entertainment, be sure you're entertaining -- not torturing -- your audience.

Article by Melanie Holmes, Vice President of World of Work Solutions for Manpower, and courtesy of Manpower's Contemporary Working blog. Melanie shares Manpower's extensive knowledge while building strategic partnerships with government, universities and other leadership organizations across the country. She is also responsible for social responsibility at Manpower, which includes diversity, volunteerism, community involvement, community relations, philanthropy and workforce development.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 3, 2008 at 7:59 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

OK, I admit it...I've had my head in the sand for months now, brazenly ignoring this space to work on other projects and hibernate through a not-so-brutal Maryland winter. But it's April now (it's still too cold), so I decided to pop my head out the door both literally - by doing some yard work yesterday - and figuratively, by browsing the "recruitosphere" or "jobosphere" or whatever you want to call it. Side note: If you find yourself wearing out pants while doing work around the house and small carpentry projects, as I often do, I highly recommend Carhartt bib overalls or 12-oz. work pants. All you blue collar folks out there who don't sit behind a keyboard for a living...you already know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, in my perusal of the "Interweb" for some new job sites out there (new to me, if not the world), I happened upon three that caught my attention. The first is "Linkup," (Wait, isn't that the name of our "link to us page?") which promises to "Expose the Hidden Jobs." Those damned hidden jobs...Oh, and YES that is the name of our link to us page...so go linkup....it's OK, we'll wait right here....
Seriously though, I know there are hidden jobs out there. The big job boards are littered with repetitive stuff, so that a smaller job board can find a niche by grabbing two or three jobs (or more) from a number of smaller employers and really carve out something nice. I haven't done a thorough review of Linkup, but by virtue of reading the footer of the site, I do know that it's offered by JobDig. Most interesting point: They charge a $20 "convenience charge" if you try to post a job that is not from your company. I think this should actually be called an "inconvenience charge," but it's all good. The charge to list all your company's jobs is just $100.

The next site I came upon was Climber, which is for "passive job seekers." I know from experience that there are a lot of those out there too, and many willing to jump from employer to employer in search of the highest rate of pay (full disclosure: I've got no problem with that). Most interesting point: On their site they ask "Have you been congratulated on a job well done at work in the last seven days?" I think that's REALLY pushing the "get up and get out of your current job 'cause you're worth way more than you're getting paid now" button hard...but only a little. Also, I have to think of a new name for that button, because that one's a bit wordy.

Finally, I happened upon Recruiting Blogs, and I'm not real sure how I missed it for this long. This is a recruiting social network created by "Slouch" on Ning. Slouch looks like HE was hibernating through winter in that photo. I know how he feels...I wear a wool hat at my desk sometimes too. Anyway, this looks like a pretty good network, with over 4,700 members already (I say "already," but I don't even know how long the site has been online in its current state).

I'll have some more to report on the Insourced front soon, which is appropriate given that I've ignored this space in favor of further developing our job search functionality.

Article by Matt and courtesy of Insourced blog

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 3, 2008 at 6:32 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Contrary to the gloomy consensus economic forecast around the upcoming March jobs numbers, LinkUp's data shows that companies in virtually every state added more new jobs to their company web sites in March than they did in February. Companies also listed more total job openings on their company web sites than they did in February. Only Arizona and Nebraska showed declines in the total number of jobs listed. In March, companies added 523,498 new, unique job listings to their corporate web sites, an increase of 4% from February. Companies published a total of 827,353 unique job listings on their company sites, an increase of 13% over February.

LinkUp.com aggregates job listings that employers post on their own corporate web site. These job listings or openings are often not advertised anywhere else on the web or in print. As well, the aggregated data, pulled from over 8,000 companies of all sizes and in all industries throughout the U.S., does not include any duplicate job listings. But while the data presents a high-quality, unique, and relevant snapshot of the nation's employment picture, it is not meant to represent the exact number of job openings in any given state. The vast majority of companies in the U.S. do not list their job openings on their company web site, if they even have a corporate web site, and LinkUp is still accumulating data from new companies being included in the data set. (The percentage increases from February to March might be slightly overstated since the March numbers listed in the chart above include data from more companies than the February numbers). In any event, the LinkUp numbers provide a somewhat contrarian picture to the doom and gloom surrounding the employment market.

Article by Toby Dayton and courtesy of Diggings, a blog about recruitment advertising, media, publishing, HR, work, & technology, among other things.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 3, 2008 at 6:22 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Reprinted courtesy of TheCareerNews.com

SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- Take time out to figure out what you want. Stepping into unfamiliar territory, going back to school, or learning to live on less income can present challenges. Start with careful thought, preparation, planning and research. You have to know where you want to go along with knowing where you want to leave. Don't allow yourself to be driven by a vague sense to change jobs just for the sake of change.

Don't put the job hunting process in motion, until you are able to write out the valid reasons that you want to move to a new job and be specific about what you want that job to be. Understand that you are contemplating a serious and difficult move, even under the best of circumstances. There is always some risk to your current situation when you start looking around.

What will your present employer think, if the word gets around that you are looking for better job opportunities. Determine that you have the courage to live with the uncertainties of making a change. Survey the situation. Make sure that there is a market for the skills that you have.

Article abridged from Clerical Business Solutions, and reprinted from TheCareerNews.com. Get the latest breaking News, Tips and Tools for your job search, Free!

Posted by Sarah Ennenga on April 3, 2008 at 11:00 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Why is it that saying yes--even when it means changing our entire schedule, canceling other plans or doing something totally unpleasant--feels so much easier than just saying no? For me, saying yes was also a lifelong habit. I often said yes because I didn't know how to say no. But over the past year I learned how, and the benefits have been amazing. Saying no to things you don't want to do creates more room in your life for the things you do want. Plus, it is a major stress reducer.

Here are three lessons that have helped me learn to say no:

Lesson #1: Get lots of practice. The first thing I learned is that it is much easier to say no to a machine or a stranger than a friend or colleague. Luckily, in modern life we have endless opportunities, such as evites, invitations to connect to strangers on LinkedIn and retail clerks asking if we want to sign up for a store credit card. In these cases, I practiced the principle that "no" is a complete sentence. Zero explanation required. And I found that the more I said no in these casual encounters, the less fearful I became about using the word for more important personal and professional decisions.

Lesson #2: Give yourself time. My career coach taught me a sentence I now use constantly: "I'll have to get back to you." If you suffer from people-pleasing, then this sentence is a must. Whenever you are invited to an event, asked for a favor or receive any other request, don't feel compelled to answer in the moment. This past month I saved myself from countless events simply by delaying my response for 24 hours and then replying with a simple, "I'm sorry but I just can't make it."

Lesson #3: Understand that people would rather hear an honest "no" than a dishonest "yes." In the past, when I really wanted to say no, I would say yes first, in hopes that this would soften the later blow of canceling at the last minute. Wrong! I've learned that an honest, upfront answer is the best way to go. Another gem from my coach: "It's like ripping off a Band-Aid. It's better to do it quickly and definitively." I finally began to understand that it is kinder to other people when you say no honestly. It helps them move on and find someone who will give a genuine yes.

These are just three tips in a sea of helpful advice on the art of saying no. I'd love to hear any lessons that have helped you--please share in the comments section. For two little letters, "no" has made an amazing impact on my life and career--I highly recommend it!

By: Lindsey Pollak is a college campus speaker and author of "Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World" (HarperCollins, 2007)

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 entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Lisa Colbert, CollegeRecruiter.com on April 3, 2008 at 8:52 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Listening to the news a few weeks ago, a story about the five "rights" of medication safety caught my attention. I quickly jotted the rights on a notepad, making a mental note to also apply that thinking to the career business.

Listed below are five ideas that you might wish to consider before signing on with a new employer. Look for the:

1.Right Job

2.Right City

3.Right Salary

4.Right Fit

5.Right Reason(s)

The next time you are offered a job, apply these five "rights" to your evaluation of the opportunity. Ask yourself:

Does this offer present the right job for me, in the right city, at the right salary, with the right fit, and am I taking this job for the right reason(s)?

Getting into something is so much easier than getting out of it, so say "yes" to what you want and "no thank you" to what you don't.

What's right for you?

By billie sucher and courtesy of CareerHub.com. The Career Hub blog connects job seekers with experts in career counseling, resume writing, personal branding and recruiting.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 2, 2008 at 8:12 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

The launching of its new aviation job board by AirlineCareer.com, specialists in online flight attendant career information will offer flight attendant employment, as well as opportunities in over 20 aviation categories including pilots, mechanics, dispatchers, and customer service representatives. According to AirlineCareer.com, the Website will offer free unlimited job postings, resume searches for employers, and free resume posting for job seekers. In addition, the job board will offer an intuitive "resume builder" interface that will enable job seekers to create a resume online, searchable by employers with over 23 search fields. The job board will also offer email alerts to both employers and job seekers based on criteria set by the user. According to AirlineCareer.com President, Joseph Belotti, "Our database of over 55,000 ezine readers will now allow us to deliver quality applicants to the airlines while delivering a much needed service to our own subscribers. As time goes on, we also anticipate increased demand for job opportunities in areas other than the flight attendant position."

Article courtesy of Recruiting Trends, the corporate recruiting community's online resource for new strategies and tactics.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 2, 2008 at 8:05 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

While job seekers continue to pay close attention to a weakening economy and job security, the nursing field is not so concerned. In fact, there is currently a critical shortage of nurses in the U.S. by approximately 44,000 positions. Furthermore, according to projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 1.2 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2014 -- and government analysts project that more than 703,000 new RN positions will be created through 2014. With the launch of NurseAuction.com, the new Web site anticipates filling both the current and projected void. "The site is based on the law of supply and demand," says company founder, Dr. Yomi Olusanya. "There's obviously an enormous need for nurses. However, many nurses are leaving the field because they are overworked and underpaid." NurseAuction.com, Dr. Olusanya notes, is designed to provoke interest in the nursing field, increase the retention of nurses by compensating them for their worth, and set a trading floor that will determine market prices for nurse shifts. "It's a win-win situation for both nurses and employers across the country," Dr. Olusanya states. "Nurses can set minimum bids and select the shifts they prefer to work. Employers can fill the gaps in their nursing rotations with qualified, eager nurses." So how does NurseAuction.com work? The site features live auctions in which nurses actually open personal bids based on available dates to work. They also request bids from employers starting at a minimum rate. A rating system ranks nurses based on professionalism and reliability. Employers who bid must offer detailed information about jobs, including nurse-to-bed ratio, computerized medical records and whether orientation is required.

Article courtesy of Recruiting trends, the corporate recruiting community's online resource for new strategies and tactics.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 2, 2008 at 7:45 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

As a professional career marketer and coach, I have always reminded clients to market themselves into both the published and "unpublished" segments of the job market. The most effective part of reaching the unpublished segment is normally contacting potential employers with a well-crafted marketing letter.

We recently sent out 1100 mailings for a well-qualified mid-level manager, and got about the expected 2% response, with several phone calls, emails and letters. And what did half of the responses say? Basically, "Please go to our website and fill out the forms there."

We all dread the drudgery of filling out a long list of forms on multiple websites. Here are two tricks that you can use to decrease your time in emailing resumes and cover letters in response to published openings. The best part is that both are absolutely free and one is probably already on your computer.

Responding to published openings on websites is a boring, repetitive task. But with so many openings listed, you can't ignore this part of the job market. These tricks will speed your form-filling and emailing to a few minutes each so that you can get the coverage you need.

Write a Cover Letter with Just a Few Clicks:

Microsoft Outlook can create a cover letter for those openings that request that you send a cover letter and resume to an email address. Most of the job postings on CraigsList use this approach, so simplifying the process will allow you to respond to openings there at a rate of about one per minute. If you aren't using CraigsList, you are missing out on a great source of immediate, local opportunities.

The exact steps will depend on what version of Outlook you are using, but the fundamentals are the same. Go to Tools/Options and click on the Mail Format tab. Click on the Signatures button to open the Create Signature dialog. Click on the "New..." button.

Enter an identifying name for the new signature, like "Employer Letter". In the Signature Text box, write a good, basic cover letter (you can always edit it when you use it). My clients can cut-and-paste from their Published Opening cover letter into the box. You can include basic formatting here like typeface and font size, but HTML will need to be entered via the Advanced Edit button, which will open your HTML editor of choice.

Don't let the formatting get in the way of your message though.

To use what you have created:

1. Click on the Mailto link in the job posting. This should open a new message window in Outlook with the "To:" and "Subject:" fields already filled in.
2. Click on Insert/Signature and select the signature you created in the steps above. Make any editing changes you need to make.
3. Click Insert/File (or the paper clip icon) and select the resume you want to attach. Don't forget to attach the resume!
4. Click "Send" and you are done!
5. If you are targeting a specific type of job, you may only need to change "Dear Sirs" to "Dear Mr. Jones".

Use Roboform to Auto-Fill Your Resume into Web Forms:

We have recommended the free Roboform password and form-filling software for several months. Beyond the fact that you can (and should) use different login/password combinations on different boards to avoid your personal information being stolen, you can create custom form fields and have Roboform fill them in for you. Here is how we get Roboform to automatically fill your resume into websites:

In Roboform, edit the Identity you are using for your job search. In the free version, you may want to have an identity called "Personal" and another called "job search". If you have the Roboform toolbar in your browser, left-click the first icon and select Identities/Edit. This will open a tabbed window in the Identity Editor.

1. Fill out as many of the fields as you can. Phone, address, email, position, salary, etc., using the information you want to submit for job applications. This may be very different from your personal information. For example the "Business" tab will typically populate fields asking for your current position information, so change them as needed. On the "Authentication" tab, be sure to leave the "Favorite Password" field blank.
2. Select the "Custom" tab. This tab should show fields for "Field Name", "Field Value" and "Other Match Strings".
3. In the Field Name box, type "resume".
4. In the Field Value box, cut and paste the text version of your resume. It may look a little strange, since the box will stretch to show the entire resume.
5. In the Other Match Strings Box, type "paste". Since most web forms indicate "Paste your resume here", Roboform will paste your resume into any boxes it finds asking for either "resume" or "paste".
6. When filling out an application on Monster, CareerBuilder or employer website, Roboform should automatically populate much of the application when you select the "Job Search" identity. If it doesn't right-click an empty part of the page, and select "Fill Forms" from the menu.

Finally, be sure to use the services on the big boards. Set search agents and post profiles/resumes on SimplyHired, Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder, and others related to your profession, like Dice.com and JobsInTheMoney.com as appropriate. Be sure to use a separate email address when publishing your credentials publicly so you won't have to live with the inevitable spam forever. Your ISP offers multiple email addresses, so use them. Yahoo and Hotmail email addresses are not recommended.

Websites made recruiting fast and easy for employers and search firms. There is no reason is should be any more boring and difficult for you than necessary!

Peter Dunn publishes www.Career-Hunter.info, a collection of websites and blogs aimed at providing the best career marketing techniques available to seasoned professionals.

Article courtesy of WorkBloom, an employment blog incorporating a comprehensive career resources section, including the largest database of professionally written resume and cover letter samples on the Web.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 1, 2008 at 8:40 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

On Chris Russell's Secrets of the Job Hunt blog, Phil Rosenberg offers some smart info on getting what you need from recruiters. Phil suggests that in order to develop successful relationships with recruiters you must adopt the attitude that you work for them, not the other way around. His tips include:

• Give recruiters information about available jobs and candidates.
• Provide fast turnaround and customize your resume within hours to be an exact match for the job in question.
• Every time you speak to a recruiter, have something to give him that he finds valuable (a lead, online resource, networking event, etc.)
• Recruiters often specialize by industry. Ask her what you should keep your eyes open for.
• Call the recruiter back quickly. If you do, the recruiter has a better chance of getting you an interview.
• Make the recruiter feel like a friend. People naturally work harder for people they like.
• Respect the recruiter's time and use e-mail as an efficient means of communication.
• Information is your best currency. Tell the recruiter all about your past employer, about current interviews, about jobs you've seen.
• Provide introductions where you can. Set up in person meetings with hiring managers and candidates.
• Be positive and friendly. A recruiter doesn't want to put a bitter candidate in front of clients.

Thanks to Phil and Chris for providing an inside scoop on the candidate/recruiter relationship, which is often misunderstood and fraught with peril.

Article by Alexandra Levit and courtesy of Water Cooler Wisdom blog.

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 1, 2008 at 8:14 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

Take time to prepare well for an interview, nothing beats a good preparation and practice. And of course the little details which matter a lot: Dressing up for an Interview, and of course you must be ready to Sustain a Long Interview in case it turns out to be one.

Your Personality and Confidence
How instantaneously people make decision about you is amazing, the non-verbal aura reaches much more before you utter your first word, make sure you are refreshed and have a great attitude before you even walk into the interview room or even the building where you being interviewed.

DURING THE INTERVIEW

Your Non-Verbal Impressions
You are assessed much before you even speak the first word. A substantial amount of your impression is put forward through your body language and other non-verbal skills. If you have prepared or done a role-play earlier it might make you more confident and get your non-verbal skills up to mark.

Be attentive and give your undivided attention to the interviewer. Don't be distracted if there are others in the room moving around or looking at the time, focus completely on the questions and the interviewer.

Do not be apologetic or send negative feelers about being out of the workforce for the time period that you have been (in case of reentrants). Being confident about your decisions and showing what work-life balance means to you tells a lot about yourself. A like minded person would appreciate you more as opposed to someone with a great track record no resume gap.

'Tis the Time to Market Yourself
Don't assume that the interviewer has gone through your resume and already knows your skills and abilities. In many situations, an interviewer could have been summoned at the very last moment before the interview and could have just brushed through your resume or even not had time t look at it than during the interview! You have the responsibility to talk about yourself. How well can you market yourself and how well you are prepared is what is at test now. There is also a possibility that the interviewer does not have the right interviewing skills , you can have the edge over the situation if you know how well you can present your case where you can apply your skills to the position you are applying for. To get the interviewer's perspective and to be on track during the interview, take the initiative to ask the question, "What are you looking for in a candidate who would be perfect for this position?"
With such a question, you are already on the way to use the keywords your interviewer uses to apply directly to your skills and experience.
Take on from there and you shall be on the right course.

Exude Confidence
Present a confident you others will feel the same about you. Underestimate yourself, and others will demoralize you even more. You are what you project yourself to be. Your appearance, knowledge and practicing for the interview are the key to having the much required confidence on the day of the interview. It cannot be overemphasized.
Some of the actions which display confidence:

• A firm handshake
• Good eye contact
• Alert posture
• Attentive body language
• Positive acknowledgements
• Gathered / organized accessories

If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started.- Marcus Garvey

Be Assertive
Women have to learn to be more assertive and more communicative of their skills and achievements. The interview is the time to talk about what you accomplished and it is OK to flaunt your achievements. A modest approach might not work in all cases, you have to showcase your abilities, tell your future employer how you can help them with solutions that you could have used in your day to day life.

Radiate Enthusiasm
Your voice, posture and actions must exude enthusiasm. Right from the first handshake to the making good eye contact, your enthusiasm must reach out to the interviewers. Are you keen enough to have this job or is this "just another interview"?

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

Let Go of the Negatives
If you feel you have said or done something wrong during the interview, which you would rather have not, just let it go. Thinking about it will only shake you miserable or shake your confidence. However, if you feel you can set the records straight don't just start speaking about it right away it could make the conversation awkward or perhaps get to the wrong direction. If here is a break period and you are meting with the panel / interviewer again you might get a breather for the mind and body to relax and think on exactly what you want to talk about.

But the best advice is to let it go right there. Focus on the positives, focus on your strengths and you can take the interview where you want to - towards the positive flow towards directing your interviewers to what you can do for them.

There is always a possibility of getting back to clarify your point through a follow-up letter or a phone call within 12 hours of your interview.

Recommendation for Books on Interviewing Skills

Knock 'Em Dead by Martin Yate (Adams Media, publisher). It offers 200 + interview questions and answers, including what the interviewers are looking for when they ask those questions.

Article by Shweta L. Khare, founder and president of Careerbright and Speakbright and courtesy of Careerbright blogspot

Posted by Candice Arnold on April 1, 2008 at 7:53 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

In Salary.com's 2006/2007 Employee Job Satisfaction and Retention Survey (from last year but still relevant), half of people who said they were looking for a new job were doing so because they felt they were underpaid. It's the money, honey!

The question is, how do you decide if you're not getting the compensation you deserve?

You can use Internet searches (Salary.com is a start) but it's harder than it seems. Some tips:

1. Use job descriptions, not job titles, to compare your salary. A lot of titles don't accurately reflect the job. Sometimes a boss gives you a title that makes you sound more important than maybe you really are (yes, it's true!-they do this to

   (a) make you happier and
   (b) make you more credible to clients).

   A title that is more important-sounding than the job makes you look underpaid.

2. If you work for a small company, compare your salary to similar jobs at other small companies. If you work for a large corporation, look at what people like you are getting paid at other large corporations. Don't compare your small-company paycheck to what your colleagues at the big companies get. It will only make you crazy.
3. Similarly, if you live in the Midwest, compare your salary to other jobs in the Midwest. If you live in New York City, compare yourself to other jobs in NYC or other big expensive areas. And so on.
4. Experience counts. If you've worked at a position for two years, you should count on earning less than someone doing the same work but who's been doing it for ten years.
5. So does education. If you have four-year degree, compare yourself to other college grads. Same goes for master's and Ph.Ds.

Do all this and you may find out you're actually overpaid. It can happen. Salary.com did a big analysis of their survey and found out that of their respondents, 22% were underpaid, 15% were overpaid, and 33% were paid just about what was fair.

By: Karen Burns, Working Girl, Working Girl

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 entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Posted by Lisa Colbert, CollegeRecruiter.com on April 1, 2008 at 2:15 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Reprinted courtesy of TheCareerNews.com

PULLMAN, WA -- You have a great interview and wait to hear the good news - but it never comes. The employer felt someone else was more qualified but didn't let you know. Unfortunately, rejection is often part of the job search process, but courtesy works both ways. Question: What should I do after an interview to follow up with employers if they do not call me back?

Answer: The must-do after every interview is writing a thank you letter (or e-mail ). It should be sent out within 24 hours of the interview. The thank you letter is an opportunity for you to reinforce why you are right for the position! In your letter, briefly restate what qualifications you have which fulfill the employer's needs perfectly. If there were any points from the interview you feel resonated as high points, mention these to jog the employer's mind about how great you are!

One last note: If you have interviewed, sent your thank you letter and not heard from an employer, it is perfectly acceptable to call them and ask about the status of the position. The bottom line is always write a thank you letter after interviewing. Respect potential employers and, hopefully, they will respect you.

Article abridged from The Daily Evergreen, and reprinted from TheCareerNews.com. Get the latest breaking News, Tips and Tools for your job search, Free!

Posted by Sarah Ennenga on April 1, 2008 at 10:21 AM | Leave a Comment (0)