Just a thought--
If you are intent on finding a job in a given field, submit applications to open positions regularly. This may seem like common sense, but in so many cases, we fail to do this. We submit to just a handful and wonder why we aren't finding success...
If it's something you really want, keep at it. Make sure you are submitting your best customized resume, try to make personal contact (even if it's just a phone call) with a person who has the authority to hire, write a good cover letter, and KEEP TRYING. Even if you don't succeed for a month, three months, or longer, you're certainly going to have a lot better chance for success if you keep submitting!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
What other temporary jobs can you get fast?
There is an under-abundance of quality, responsible child care providers in our society. You'll likely find this is true in almost every community. For all the dual breadwinner households in the United States, there need to be great individuals to take excellent care of their children.
This has been a constant source of stress for me in my own life. Not just getting "someone", but getting a really great daycare provider. A sitter would have been great, too (as opposed to a daycare center), but I had more than my share of irresponsible individuals early on, and couldn't afford to endanger my job (again) because of it.
The point is this--if you need money NOW and you are a mature, responsible person who is dedicated to taking great care of children in your care, you can probably find someone who needs your help--and will pay you for it, of course--to watch their kids while they go to work.
The hours can be any time, depending on the needs and working hours of the parents, and responsibilities may vary.
A word of caution: Before you take on this kind of position, make sure to find out the legal requirements in your state, and make sure you are not violating any laws or regulations by doing this kind of work.
That being said, this is the kind of job that you may be able to get fairly quickly because it is an absolute necessity in our society today, not a luxery we can skimp on to save a few bucks.
Another temp job that is often available, in addition to substitute teaching jobs with the local public schools, is substitute bus drivers and cafeteria workers. Check with your local board of education.
This has been a constant source of stress for me in my own life. Not just getting "someone", but getting a really great daycare provider. A sitter would have been great, too (as opposed to a daycare center), but I had more than my share of irresponsible individuals early on, and couldn't afford to endanger my job (again) because of it.
The point is this--if you need money NOW and you are a mature, responsible person who is dedicated to taking great care of children in your care, you can probably find someone who needs your help--and will pay you for it, of course--to watch their kids while they go to work.
The hours can be any time, depending on the needs and working hours of the parents, and responsibilities may vary.
A word of caution: Before you take on this kind of position, make sure to find out the legal requirements in your state, and make sure you are not violating any laws or regulations by doing this kind of work.
That being said, this is the kind of job that you may be able to get fairly quickly because it is an absolute necessity in our society today, not a luxery we can skimp on to save a few bucks.
Another temp job that is often available, in addition to substitute teaching jobs with the local public schools, is substitute bus drivers and cafeteria workers. Check with your local board of education.
Free Resume Templates
Lots of great free resume templates, download from Microsoft Web site:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/FX103504051033.aspx
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/help/FX103504051033.aspx
Friday, June 5, 2009
Resumes--should you always include all relevant job experience?
In the past, this would have been an easy question to answer.
With the unemployment rate in the United States nearing ten percent, the job market is more competitive than ever. What should you do if you've been sending your resume out, applying for lots of jobs that you're well-qualified for, but you just aren't getting any takers?
Ideally, none of us would ever be in a position where we would make less money than we deserve. And certainly, no one wants to take a new job for less than he or she was making at their last one. But if you've been on the job market for a while without having any luck and you don't have another source of income, you may want to consider taking a position that you're overqualified for.
I know, you're probably yelling at me through your computer screen right now at the mere suggestions. But just consider for a moment that the positions you're really qualified for, the one's you really want and you've been targeting with all those resumes you've been sending out, are going to the guys and girls who are already working for the employer you're applying to.
Companies often feel compelled to advertise their available jobs to the public, and even to collect resumes, but this doesn't mean they have to hire any of those applicants, or even interview any of them. More often than not, the person whose going to get your dream job is the one who's been working for the company for a while. They're a known quantity, and the company knows from experience what kind of work they're going to get from them. As qualified as you may be, you're still an unknown.
I don't say this to upset you--only to offer one possible explanation as to why you may be lacking the results you may be expecting.
What should you do? How can you get that job of your dreams?
1. Network--every day, in every way. Whomever you talk to in a day, make sure they know you're on the job market, and what you do. You can also join your local chamber of commerce, usually for a very low cost, and you can meet lots of local employers at the chamber-sponsored networking events.
2. Try attending a career fair. This can be a great opportunity to get a face to face meeting with those elusive HR professionals and project managers.
3. Work for a temp agency for a while. This will give you the chance to show potential employers what you're made of and see you in action.
4. Take a lower position with the company you want to work for, and work your way up. If you're well-qualified, you may be able to move up very quickly. And, this way YOU can be the person on the inside that is chosen to fill that next higher position. (This is the option that may require you to "dumb down" your resume a bit. This is understandingly bothersome, but if you don't do it, the employer will likely suspect that you won't be happy or perform well in the position.)
With the unemployment rate in the United States nearing ten percent, the job market is more competitive than ever. What should you do if you've been sending your resume out, applying for lots of jobs that you're well-qualified for, but you just aren't getting any takers?
Ideally, none of us would ever be in a position where we would make less money than we deserve. And certainly, no one wants to take a new job for less than he or she was making at their last one. But if you've been on the job market for a while without having any luck and you don't have another source of income, you may want to consider taking a position that you're overqualified for.
I know, you're probably yelling at me through your computer screen right now at the mere suggestions. But just consider for a moment that the positions you're really qualified for, the one's you really want and you've been targeting with all those resumes you've been sending out, are going to the guys and girls who are already working for the employer you're applying to.
Companies often feel compelled to advertise their available jobs to the public, and even to collect resumes, but this doesn't mean they have to hire any of those applicants, or even interview any of them. More often than not, the person whose going to get your dream job is the one who's been working for the company for a while. They're a known quantity, and the company knows from experience what kind of work they're going to get from them. As qualified as you may be, you're still an unknown.
I don't say this to upset you--only to offer one possible explanation as to why you may be lacking the results you may be expecting.
What should you do? How can you get that job of your dreams?
1. Network--every day, in every way. Whomever you talk to in a day, make sure they know you're on the job market, and what you do. You can also join your local chamber of commerce, usually for a very low cost, and you can meet lots of local employers at the chamber-sponsored networking events.
2. Try attending a career fair. This can be a great opportunity to get a face to face meeting with those elusive HR professionals and project managers.
3. Work for a temp agency for a while. This will give you the chance to show potential employers what you're made of and see you in action.
4. Take a lower position with the company you want to work for, and work your way up. If you're well-qualified, you may be able to move up very quickly. And, this way YOU can be the person on the inside that is chosen to fill that next higher position. (This is the option that may require you to "dumb down" your resume a bit. This is understandingly bothersome, but if you don't do it, the employer will likely suspect that you won't be happy or perform well in the position.)
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Great Action Words for Great Resumes
Continuing from yesterday's blog, some excellent action words to use when describing work history on your resume include:
For management positions
For management positions
- chaired
- directed
- managed
- enabled
- delegated
- organized
- prioritized
- scheduled
- arbitrated
- formulated
- lectured
- persuaded
- translated
- compiled
- generated
- retrieved
- systematized
- tabulated
- clarified
- diagnosed
- examined
- identified
- reviewed
- devised
- engineered
- fabricated
- overhauled
- upgraded
- adapted
- encouraged
- facilitated
- persuaded
- stimulated
- allocated
- budgeted
- developed
- forecasted
- marketed
- created
- fashioned
- invented
- performed
- revitalized
- designed
- adapted
- encouraged
- guided
- persuaded
- stimulated
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
What Makes the "Perfect" Resume?
It is vital that you target each resume you send out or submit for the job you're applying for....unless the job descriptions are identical for all the jobs you're applying for. (This goes for your cover letter, too. I'll talk more about cover letters in another post soon.)
An employer reading your resume usually wants to see very specific kinds of experience--experience that will enable you to slide into your new position fully competant and ready to work. When deciding which job experiences to include, look closely at the responsibilities for the job you're applying for; include experiences that show you've done exactly that kind of thing before, and that you're proficient at it.
You're probably better off leaving extra information off your resume; this way, the employer will focus on the relevant tasks you have listed rather than be destracted by unrelated information.
Whenever possible, use action words when discussing your experiences; action words such as managed, coordinated, edited, wrote, directed, etc., will help illustrate your level of authority and accomplishment.
More on resumes soon.
Please subscribe to my blog--it's the easy way to stay in the loop as updates become available!
An employer reading your resume usually wants to see very specific kinds of experience--experience that will enable you to slide into your new position fully competant and ready to work. When deciding which job experiences to include, look closely at the responsibilities for the job you're applying for; include experiences that show you've done exactly that kind of thing before, and that you're proficient at it.
You're probably better off leaving extra information off your resume; this way, the employer will focus on the relevant tasks you have listed rather than be destracted by unrelated information.
Whenever possible, use action words when discussing your experiences; action words such as managed, coordinated, edited, wrote, directed, etc., will help illustrate your level of authority and accomplishment.
More on resumes soon.
Please subscribe to my blog--it's the easy way to stay in the loop as updates become available!
Monday, June 1, 2009
How to Get a (Paying) Job by Working for Free
It all comes down to networking!
If other avenues of job-searching are slow to bring results, slip some volunteer time in there. There are so many opportunities to do this. I know it can feel like you're wasting your time doing this when you really need to get income coming in, but volunteering a minimal amount per week, even 2-3 hours, can give you a chance to make contacts you didn't have before, and some of those contacts may be in a position to hire you at their place of full-time employment--or at the very least, make recommendations to the people who can.
Some good places to consider volunteering:
- Contact your local department of social services and ask if they have projects helping people in the community that you might be able to get involved with.
- local humane society or animal shelter
- charitable community events (look in the newspaper for these, or on a local online news site for your area; contact someone in the information office for the event, and ask if there's a way you can get involved)
- your local Red Cross chapter
- your local public schools may have tutoring or other after-school opportunities
- local churches, even if you don't attend
- local hospitals and nursing homes
There are lots of other opporunities to volunteer, and all of them give you the opportunity to let others see you, and your good work, in action--then, be sure to let them know you are looking for a full-time job, and stay aware of any opportunities that present themselves!
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