Job Hunting Articles

Tuesday 19 May 2009

Tips for Job Seeking Executives

Take time to polish and perfect your resume as it is such an important matter to consider in an executive job search. You have to make sure it is first-rate and contemporary.

Know what the trend in resume-making is and update your formatting. It goes without saying that you should include all your previous jobs, including the most recent one. Resumes in today’s world usually have an introduction that gives an idea of the applicant’s intangible personality traits. These traits are important for the company considering an executive job search.

What are hirers looking for with executive Job candidates?

  • Strong leadership
  • Management abilities,
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Mature attitude
  • Integrity and
  • Working in a team

Lots of people know these are desirable qualities in an executive but expressing them to show you possess these skills in interview situatioans can be difficult.

Your resume should somehow do the job of highlighting and showcasing your positive traits in an executive job search.

Sunday 17 May 2009

How to Create Your Own Job Openings

If you're searching for a job today, you certainly are not alone. Many people are finding themselves out of work and the market is very competitive and tough to navigate. Unfortunately for every job opening there is, there are literally hundreds of applicants that reach out for it. This can be discouraging to someone that is out of work as it seems as if an opening is swamped with other applicants before you can even get a chance to put in your own application or resume. However in today's tough job market the best thing to do might be to consider making your own job opening. What do we mean by that?

Better Financial Position through your own Job Opening

Many people that are out of work are finding that it's very advantageous to start their own company or to become self-employed. This might mean doing something like office cleaning, house cleaning, babysitting or daycare, landscaping, snow shoveling, or catering. When you consider starting your own company for these things you're making your own job opening and aren't relying on a corporation or company to have an opening for you. It also means that you're responsible for each and every client and customer that you get. If you build up enough of a client list you may find that your new business venture is just as profitable as any job you had in the past. By making your own job opening this way you may be in a better position financially than you ever were.

How To Keep Your Job Opening Longer

Of course when you make up your own job opening this way you still need to work hard to get and to keep those customers and clients. If you clean or do snow clearing you'll need to work hard during every visit so that your customer keeps you as their service provider. You also need to be receptive if they have problems or concerns and be willing to work toward a resolution, just as you would when working for another corporation. Remember, just having a job opening is only half the battle. Keeping any job once you have it is going to require effort, and this means when you're self-employed or in business for yourself.

What Are the Legal Requirements for Job Opening?

And when you want to make a job opening for yourself in this way you need to be sure that you're complying with any legal requirements there might be for your chosen line of work. Sometimes you need to get a license or be bonded or will need insurance for being self-employed. You can't simply create a job opening without being informed of these things and complying with the legal requirements as this might hurt you more in the long run. Usually your state's website will have these regulations outlined for you, as well as having instructions on how to get certain licenses and so on. But if you're industrious and work hard, you can usually have great success with making up your own job opening and with being successful after you get your own clients as well.

Sunday 3 May 2009

The credit crunch isn't not making job-seeking easy. Companies are making redundancies and not filling vacated posts . People in jobs are less likely to move on, preferring to rely on the certainty of their current positions, other people are desperate and will accept the first thing that comes along. The thought of finding a an specific job in a specialised field with great prospects can seem very daunting.

Nevertheless, recessions also create some winners and even in the midst of a troubled economy, specialised sectors continue to require both experienced and entry level employees. There are several examples where some industries have strengthened, needing more employees, while others are taking measures to fine-tune their operations during the credit crunch - which means many require specialists to deal with these circumstances.

So, if the jobs you want are out there, what’s keeping you from finding them?

Often, it’s just a matter of using the right means and searching in the right places to enable to to seek out that perfect job.

Some handy hints are to look for job websites that:
  • specialise in the type of work you're looking for or
  • are dedicated to your industry or
  • feature companies you are targeting
  • store your CV so they can market you to companies with vacancies
As a fall back plan, also send your CV with a covering letter to HR departments of companies that you are interested in working for, so that if a vacancy becomes available, your details are on record.

You shouldn't feel that you can’t find a job that’s right for you, despite the credit crunch tightening the job market; however, if you use the right tools and look in the right places, your chances of success increase greatly.

Wednesday 29 April 2009

What Cereal are You and Other Strange Interview Questions

Reuters reported this week:

"When is it OK to lie? What would you do with 100 Christmas trees in July? If you were a cereal, what kind would you be? Knowing that those and other questions await in an employment interview could have a huge impact on a candidate's chances of landing a new job and, beginning on Tuesday, a Web site called Glassdoor.com aims to provide that insight."

Candidates who have just undergone and interview with a company are able to anonymously post up the questions they were asked at the interview, adding a "give and ye shall receive" philosophy to job hunting. By submitting your own interview review, you can see other's full reports.

Participants going for an interview as a summer intern at Merill Lynch may be pleased they had an opportunity to practice their response to "Walk me through a discounted cash flow analysis?" before their appointment.

If you're looking for a new job, perhaps do a search on http://www.glassdoor.com/Interview/index.htm - remember the boy scout motto - be prepared!

And..don't forget my guide to getting your dream job.

Thursday 16 April 2009

Don't Rule Out Retail!

What do you think about working in a store or behind a counter? Do you assume those types of jobs are for kids or those with little education and experience? It's easy to dismiss retail jobs but in reality these can be great stepping stones to other careers and positions you may enjoy. Sometimes people also give retail jobs a chance and find that they really enjoy the work that they do and wind up keeping the position because they like it, not because they feel stuck with it. Let's take a closer look at how these positions can be a great choice for anyone looking for a career today.

Opportunity to Learn the Business

For one thing, retail jobs can give you a behind the scenes look at how the retail industry works overall. People that work the counter or cash register are not the only employees in these types of companies; you need buyers, store managers, personnel managers, regional directors, and even franchise directors as well. Sometimes those who start working the cash register can learn the business so well that they move up to selling and training franchise interests, and this usually pays a lot of commission. Starting with retail jobs in the stores themselves gives you a great advantage over the competition as you know the "ins and outs" of the business and the company overall.

Purchasing and Management

Purchasing and management are two great career paths for those who start with retail jobs. Someone that works in purchasing needs to decide what inventory to keep on the floor and how much. This can be very exciting as you get to see new lines of merchandise before anyone else and have a real hands-on approach to how stores are run. As for management, there are endless opportunities from actually running a store or franchise to managing personnel, tracking inventory, and areas such as these. The opportunities to move up with retail jobs is virtually endless!

Is the Retail Job Enjoyable?

Some too have found that they really enjoy the fast pace of most retail jobs and wind up staying right where they are. There are of course problems dealing with customers and keeping a store running, but usually keeping everything stocked and organized can be very enjoyable. There is usually an entirely different atmosphere with retail jobs than there is with most offices. Everyone works as a team to keep the store running and yet no one is stuck in a cubicle or office. And times seems to pass much quicker during their shift for those who work retail jobs than for those who work in an office where they may have some downtime or may need to constantly wait on responses and feedback from coworkers before they can move forward with projects.

Use the Opportunities

There are many opportunities with retail jobs that most people don't even realize, so don't turn your nose up at them. They're not just for students and kids, and they can offer some great career paths and choices for anyone!