Your closest co-worker just got a new job...and it makes you crazy because that could have been you. You’re as qualified as her; you have the same background and experience…why weren’t you the one who got a new job? Oh yeah, because you actually have to apply for a job in order to be offered it.

How many times has this happened to you? You are technically job searching but you only casually look through job postings not having any intention to apply for any of them and you haven’t really gotten your resume and cover letter in the best shape possible. So what do you really expect to happen? It seems that many people are waiting for the Job Search Fairy to come and drop the perfect job in their lap. As you may have guessed, it doesn’t work that way. So, what can you do?

Get Out of the ‘Wish Mode’

Stop wishing for a new job and start actively looking for one. It’s a common situation: you look through job postings and picture yourself with that company, doing that job, earning more money. Sound familiar? Or someone close to you got offered their dream job and you’re still sitting on the sidelines wishing it was you who was moving onto bigger and brighter career endeavors?

You need to take your job search into your own hands and be proactive. Don’t sit and wish each day away. Work doesn’t have to be such drudgery.

You just have to…

Buckle Down and Do It

You’ve been putting off getting your resume and cover letter up to par and that can be a huge force that holds you back. If you’re not confident with your job search documents you send out, chances are you’re not going to get a whole lot of calls for interviews.

If it’s a task that you don’t want to tackle yourself, don’t. There is no law that says you have to write your own resume and cover letter. In fact, a professional resume writing service can garner very positive job search results, in most cases. It is money well-spent if you choose the right company for you.

It’s a win-win situation: you don’t have to stress about writing your resume package and you can be assured that the package you send out is above average…exceptional in many cases.

Now, It’s Time to Get Excited

You’ve got everything in place and you’re ready to start applying. So, instead of just daydreaming about the jobs you see listings for, apply for them. Today. Don’t wait until tomorrow or next week. Take the time to apply right now and you’ll see that you’ll get into a pattern of acting immediately. It’s a good habit to get into. You’ll get a lot more results that way. Why? Simply because you’ll end up submitting your resume package more often.

Every time you submit your resume, just think: “This could be it. This could be my new job.” Isn’t that exciting? You never know what will come of your applications right away but the possibilities are endless. That alone should get your blood flowing and your heart pumping.

Now get out there and take charge of your job search. There’s no time like the present.

Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer and owner of http://www.ResumeLines.com who is now dedicated to providing job seekers with resources and products that promote job search success from beginning to end.

Posted by Heather Eagar on November 30, 2006 at 4:33 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

Last week I surveyed 159 job seekers by email and asked them this question:
"What one thing could I do to make your job search easier?"

The responses were intriguing and I will share with you my answers to the most relevant ones in this and future columns.

Now, here are three problems that job seekers are experiencing as we near the end of 2006 -- and my suggested solutions. Will you find your problem solved here?

Problem #1: How can I find an "inside" contact at a company to send a resume to when applying for jobs? It would help to personalize communications between the job seeker and the employer.

Solution: When responding to a job posting, do whatever it takes to find out who the decision maker is. To get the names of these hiring authorities, try your personal network first, and Web-based tools second.

Remember this rule: Computers don't hire. Only people can hire. So any information about an employer you can gather from people you know (or the people they know) is of value. Go through your email address book for names, or use a resource like Linkedin.com to connect with more people.

Another Web resource worth a look is Jigsaw.com. The site aims to help you bypass gatekeepers by contacting decision makers directly, and it boasts more than 4 million contact names from more than 400,000 companies.
Jigsaw.com offers a free trial membership.

Problem #2: How can I locate unadvertised job leads? I want to get beyond the recruiter to someone who cares.

Solution: Spend more time talking to people who already care about you.
Start with your family.

Right now, the job opening you want is out there -- between somebody’s ears. Your task is to get into the minds of as many people as possible, until your qualifications match an employer’s needs. That’s how you get hired. And that’s what networking is all about.

Now. If you’re at all average, you probably think you've told "everyone" in your family about your job search. But have you, really? Have you:

1) Written down the name of every single relative you have, aged
18 to 108?
2) Shown that list to your family to make sure you didn't forget anyone?
3) Contacted everyone on that list to tell them exactly what type of job you seek, the company you'd like to work for and the city where you want to work?
4) Asked each relative for the names of at least 3 people who know of potential employment leads or who might know of them?
5) Thanked everyone you spoke to for their time?
6) Repeated this process every 30 days until hired?

OK. What about relatives who live far away? Should you spend time calling them for job leads? Well, you have friends in other states, right? Your relatives do, too. All it takes is one contact at one company and you'll be hired. So stop making excuses and start making phone calls.

In the end, you can't depend on a recruiter, the government or the Internet to come rescue you -- they don't care about you. Your family does. Start talking to them about your job search today.

Problem #3: How can I find model answers to the most common interview questions? And how should I conduct myself at the interview?

Solution: Try The Interview Center at Monster.com -- the direct URL is interview.monster.com. There you'll find tips for answering dozens of the most common questions, with advice on how to handle behavioral interviews, as well as virtual interviews that let you practice online.

However ... once you know what you want to say, there's no substitute for practicing your interview skills with another live human (we’re back to the importance of people again!)

Because there’s more to interviewing than words. You also communicate by your tone of voice, vocabulary, posture, wardrobe, food stuck in your teeth, etc. So you absolutely must get feedback on these areas from people you trust. And mock interviews are the way to do it.

You need to practice live interviews for the same reason airline pilots practice making emergency landings in a flight simulator -- to build "muscle memory" so that your mind and body will react correctly in real life. Whether it’s piloting your career or a 747, you can't afford to take chances.

Now, go out and make your own luck!

Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes. Since 1996, he and his team have provided resumes, cover letters and job search help to clients in all 50 states.www.gresumes.com

Posted by Guaranteed Resumes on November 27, 2006 at 6:48 AM | Leave a Comment (0)

Resumes that get results have one thing in common - they answer the employer's key question: what's in it for me?

Think about the manager who opens your email and starts to read your resume. In all likelihood, she is overworked and understaffed. She's probably working to tight deadlines and she desperately wants to hire that extra person to make her life easier. So when she looks at your resume, she wants to know one thing: how you will make her life easier? Yet 95% of the resumes she receives won't answer that question.

If your resume quickly and clearly conveys your value, it will generate interviews. It really is that simple.

To check how well you're doing, rate your resume against the following five criteria.

1. Does your resume have a clear focus? If you have more than one type of experience (say retail management and human resources administration) don't use one resume for all situations. Instead, create two resumes - one that shows your abilities as a store manager and one that conveys your HR expertise.

2. Do you start with a summary? Don't begin your resume with an objective statement that describes your desires and career goals. Instead create a powerful summary that shows how you will add value to potential employers. The key is to demonstrate to the reader that there is a clear fit between your skills and their needs. (If you don't know what skills are important for your target positions, you need to do some research. Look at job descriptions and at job postings for similar positions and make a note of the common requirements.)

3. Do you stress your achievements? You must present evidence that you add value. Too many resumes focus on job responsibilities, but describing achievements shows the impact you actually made. Achievements are a powerful way to show your ability to make a difference. If you outline how you have made improvements, solved problems, generated revenue, saved money or done innovative work in the past, people will want to meet you.

4. Do you quantify your accomplishments? Try to convey your experience to someone who doesn't know anything about you. Quantifying your achievements helps readers understand your background. For example, an administrative assistant may write that she: "centralized the purchasing of office supplies, saving $50,000 per year." A sales manager might emphasize having "increased hardware sales by 35% within 6 months."

5. Do you provide context? In order to really appreciate your achievements, the reader needs context. By being specific, you can help him understand the value of hiring you. An easy way to include this information is to describe each position you have held and include information about the situation in which you found yourself. For example, notice how the following job description provides context and allows the reader to imagine how this assistant might contribute in any office setting:

XYZ ASSOCIATION, WASHINGTON DC
Office Manager
Recruited to organize busy office of Washington non-profit organization. Established office procedures, organized 10 volunteers and implemented filing and storage systems to gain control of three-year backlog of disorganized information.

* Cleared 226 cartons of policy statements, memos and briefings within 3 months.

An effective resume presents a vivid picture for potential employers. If your resume has a clear focus, starts with a powerful summary, expresses and quantifies accomplishments, and provides context, your value will be clear to potential employers and they won't have to ask: what's in it for me?

Louise Fletcher is President of Blue Sky Resumes (http://www.blueskyresumes.com) and founder of the Career Hub blog. This article is an excerpt from Louise's free eBook, "The Insider's Guide to Job Search." To download a copy, go to http://careerhub.typepad.com/main/2006/09/free_job_search.html

Article Source: http://www.smsdictionary.org

Posted by Shawn Augustson, CollegeRecruiter.com on November 20, 2006 at 7:16 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

The following article is part of the CollegeRecruiter.com Blogswap. This article has been published with permission from CEC Search - Executive Restaurant Recruiters, Management Recruiters & Search.http://www.cecsearch.com

You came here expecting to find the number one way to make sure your resume isn't overlooked. No doubt that you have submitted it to your dream company or your dream job numerous times an never heard back. Don't worry you are not alone.

So without further adieu, let me get into the number one way....

Oh, alright, it might not be the number one way, but it sure is an easy way to make sure that your resume isn't filed in the 'circular file' or 'file 13' or any of those other places where you can be sure that no one will retrieve your resume, review it, and call you for an interview.

[drum roll please]

Yes, you may have guessed it, we are talking about the dreaded typo/misspelling which lands your resume right in the trash. Now I know that you are say! ing to yourself right now "I know about typos and misspellings" or " I use spell check already" or "It has been covered, let's move on." Well hold on to your horses, ou may not have this info. I wrote about it in an earlier post 'How important are typos in your resume?' but I have a hunch that quite a few people missed one of the most important parts... so I'm going to lay it out for you step by step, with pictures even. Once you do, your spellchecker will be customized for you - super charged if you will - so that all of your common spelling/typo mistakes will be flagged for correction... BEFORE you send out that ultra-important document.

First, let's get to some common ground. I'm assuming that you are using MS Office and its integrated (and shared) spellchecker. If that isn't the case, well then you won't get any use from t! his tip, sorry to have taken up your time. [But you could help! someone who does by learning the tip and sharing it].

50,000 Foot View - We are going to add unwanted variations of the word's spelling to the exclude dictionary (exclude dictionary: A dictionary with words that the main dictionary recognizes as being spelled correctly, but that you want to verify during a spelling check. For example, if you prefer "theatre" to "theater," add "theater" to the exclude dictionary.)

So if you have a good underestanding of our overall objective, here we go. If you don't, just hang on, it will become clear in just a moment.

Step one: Open a new document in MS Word. Of course you first have to open MS Word to do that, but you should already know how to do that.

Note: After opening the new document, make sure that you turn off "AutoCorrect option for capitalizing the first letter of sentences." To do this (if you aren't familiar) go to Tools >> Autocorrect Options >> click the tab "AutoCorrect" and then make sure the "Capitalize first letter of sentences" check box is un-checked.

Step Two: Type the words that you want to add to the exclude dictionary. Be sure to type the words in all lowercase letters. Press ENTER after each word. (Manger is a commonly misspelled word which gets overlooked by spellchecker all the time) Add as many words as you want, and whatever words give you trouble.

Step Three: On the file menu, click Save As

Step Four: In the Save in box, browse to the following folder: C:Documents and Settingsuser nameApplication DataMicrosoftProof

Note: If you don't see the Application Data folder in your user name folder, you may need to turn on the option for viewing hidden folders.

And then in the Save as type box, click Plain Text.

In the field where it allows you to enter the file name, type a name for the exclude dictionary.

Note: The exclude dictionary name must match the main language dictionary that it is associated with, except use the file name extension .exc. For example, the English (United States) dictionary is called Mssp3en.lex, so you should name the associated exclude dictionary Mssp3en.exc.

To view the file names of the different dictionaries available, you can use Windows Explorer to browse the directory C:Program FilesCommon FilesMicrosoft SharedProof

The last two characters of the file name, before the file extension, identify the language: "en" for English, "fr" for French, and so on.

Also make sure that the file extension is correct — for example, that .txt isn't appended to the file name extension.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: I actually save my file in the C:Program FilesCommon FilesMicrosoft SharedProof because then these changes work for everyone in all Microsoft programs that use spellchecker.

Step Five: Click SAVE

In the File Conversion dialog box that appears, select MS-DOS, and then click OK.

Step Six: On the File menu (of MS Word), click Close.

Finally: To activate the exclude dictionary, you need to restart Microsoft Word.

I would actually reboot, to make sure that ALL of the MS applications that I use would take advantage of the exclude dictionary.

That's it, you have just made changes that will keep you from making the "invisible" spelling mistake that keeps you from getting your dream job.

What you should have ended up with (again making some assumptions here) is a file that is named something like the one in the picture to the left, and if you took my advice, it is in the C:Program FilesCommon FilesMicrosoft SharedProof just like mine is.

Enjoy!