5 Outdated Job Search Myths

Now that you are searching for a job I am sure you are getting tons of unsolicited advice on what you should be doing to land that dream job.

But let me ask you a question: Are you sure the tidbits of advice you have received are not outdated? What if the advice is just downright wrong? Following outdated job search advice will likely hurt your chances of being competitive as a Job Seeker. So how do you find out which advice is sound and which advice should be avoided?

To arm yourself against poor job search advice, take a look at the following top 5 outdated job search myths listed below:

Myth #1: Your resume can only be one page. This is one of the most ridiculous pieces of advice out there! Of course all your content should be relevant; however you should focus on providing enough great job qualification content to show the hiring manager you are competitive for the position. So don't worry about some arbitrary page limit!

Myth #2: Include "references available upon your request" on the bottom of your resume. This statement is about as relevant to your ability to do the job as you stating you love long walks on the beach and know how to needlepoint. Believe me, if the hiring manager wants references, she will request them! Be sure to only include content relevant to how you meet the job qualifications in your resume.

Myth #3: Include an objective. Including an objective in your resume can be catastrophic. One of my applicant's resume objectives stated "To obtain an entry level position as a financial analyst in a company where I will be able to grow and meet new challenges". Not a bad objective, right? The problem is he was applying for a position with me as a recruiter... YIKES!

I recommend leaving the objective off and if you feel you need to craft a message, a well written cover letter will be a million times more effective than an objective!

Myth #4: Mail or fax your resume to perspective employers... or better yet, drop your resume off in person. Believe me when I say you won't stand out... you will look outdated! It is extremely rare for businesses to accept applications or job inquiries any other way except electronically. I would recommend you not even invest in good resume paper as hard copy resumes are a thing of the past.

Myth #5: Frame your "weakness" as a positive. Being asked to describe one of your weaknesses is probably one of the toughest questions to expect during an interview. When a Hiring Manager asks you this question, she is not only analyzing whether or not you recognize your weaknesses, but wants to know if you have a plan to do something about them.

Answering this question is a chance for you to show your self-awareness as well as your willingness to continually improve as a professional. Spend time preparing for this question so you dazzle your future employer with your maturity. Whatever you do, do not attempt to fluff your way through this question by using a false positive, self-serving statement like "I work too many hours", "I am too hard on my team", or "I am a perfectionist". Your interviewer will see straight through this type of answer and will not be impressed.

Have any questions? Ask the clinical trial staffing team here and we will be happy to help.

I do hope this "myth buster" article has been of benefit.

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts

craresources is a professional niche clinical recruitment firm specializing in the contract and permanent placement of high quality Clinical Research Professionals. Contact us at http://www.craresources.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ang_Roberts

Improving Your Job Search - An Employer's Perspective

These are thoughts about the job search process expressed by employers I talked with recently. They were rather blunt about a few items, but don't take offense. It may prove useful to know how they feel about the process.

Why Jobs Exist

Jobs exist for one reason only - A company is in business to make money; and they hire people to make more money!

So you have to keep in mind that it's not personal; the hiring process, that is.

The Job Search Funnel

One of these employers told me he received 200 resumes when he advertised for two open positions. These 200 resumes were reduced to 20 by a quick review of each resume. For him, a quick review amounts to a 6-10 second glance! Those 20 people were then interviewed by phone where he asked the same three questions of everyone. By this telephone interview, he reduced the 20 people to 7 finalists who were then interviewed in person. Two positions were then filled by this process.

Beating the Job Search Funnel

To start with, the resume must be outstanding, especially the Summary paragraph. The Summary paragraph may be the only part the reviewer reads to determine which stack the resume goes in. One employer said that if the Summary paragraph doesn't "grab" him, he doesn't even look at the employment history. By the way, at this point, an "Objective" statement just wastes my time, so please don't put one on your resume! I really don't care what your objective is; I care whether you can help us reach our objective - making more money. Remember, it's not personal!

During the phone interview, you must be an outstanding Phone Salesperson of yourself while sounding genuine. During the in-person interview, you must confirm by your statements that you can do the job, that you will do the job, and that you will fit in the company culture.

Building an Outstanding Resume

An overworked HR generalist is looking for reasons to say no - don't give them one. Learn about the company and tailor your resume to the company and the specific job description. Active voice stands apart - led, designed, improved, directed; don't use passive voice, like "I was responsible for... "

Tell me about your last company - how big, what industry. Help me understand the depth of your responsibilities. I may not have taken time to look it up myself, so don't make the assumption I know all about your last (or present) company.

To be perfectly honest, at this point, I don't care about your hobbies, unless you're an Eagle Scout or it helps you build a personal connection. For example, if you discovered the company CEO is a big supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters, and you have volunteered there, by all means, let us know.

Quantify yourself; every bullet point on your resume should include a quantifiable fact. How many? How much? How long? What impact? What benefit? Help us understand your accomplishments.

Master Resume

Build a master resume - then cut it down to fit the specific job. You should be able to create at least 3-5 short, concrete, quantifiable bullet points for each role in each job or volunteer activity.

More is better - your "master" resume should be 2-3 pages, or even longer if necessary. Then look at your target company and target job, and cut out everything that doesn't fit what they want - get it down to 1 page, if possible. But two pages are okay.

Every final resume will be unique - save it on your computer as a unique version so you know what you told them.

Some Practical Resume Tips

If you can, look at your resume using "Preview" in Outlook - headers don't show up! If your name and contact information is in a header, it disappears if the HR person looks at it in Outlook's preview mode. Don't use headers and footers on your resume!

A one page resume is best, unless you are applying for academia, or engineering or technical jobs.

I cannot say this enough - spell check, spell check, spell check. Let the computer do it once, then you proof your writing once (or twice!), then let someone else proofread your resume. Remember, we get so many applications that we look for reasons to exclude an applicant; sometimes a misspelled word is all we need to move to the next applicant.

Clear and concise are bywords in a resume; never use four words when one will do. Use a font size that doesn't challenge the reader; at least 11pt. In addition, this isn't the time to be creative - use a traditional format and be consistent with sentence length, grammar, and punctuation. Having said that, you can afford to be creative if the job is in the creative world, like interior designer or graphic designer.

Remember the "objective statements" referred to earlier? They take up a lot of space without telling us anything useful to us. If you want us to know something about you not on your resume, why not use your cover letter for this kind of information?

Telephone Interview

A telephone interview is usually nothing more than a screening process. Phone screening - welcome to phone sales! They cannot see you, so your words have to say it all! Be brief, but provide complete answers. They have an agenda - give them the time they need to satisfy their requirements.

Many companies use professional HR people to do the phone screen. Their job is to cut the list of "possibles" to a short list for the business leaders to interview. They can't say yes, but they can certainly say no! You need to be on your best behavior!

They use a script - the same questions for everyone. So you have to stand out by being personable, having a sense of humor, and by highlighting a few reasons why you're a perfect fit.

In-Person Interviews

Fit! It's all about fit! "Would I enjoy being stranded with you in an airport for 5 hours?" It only takes one "no" to finish you, and everyone you meet has a vote. From the receptionist to the CEO; they all have a vote. The receptionist cannot hire you, but her "no" vote carries almost as much weight as the CEO.

Many companies use personality profiles to screen for specific attributes for certain jobs; you can't beat them, and you don't want to. Remember, the fit has to be good in both directions.

Show the interviewer that you understand the role and help them see that you have the skills to be successful. Don't leave it up to their imagination! If you are not familiar with it, review the Hines Lumber Yard Story at: http://www.tsilogistics.com/itemsofinterest.htm.

Show them you understand the challenges they face; the questions you ask tell them a lot about you. Be proactive about identifying potential objections and addressing them.

And Finally

Yes, the resume is important. Yes, the telephone interview is important. Yes, the in-person interview is important. But the most important part of your job search is your preparation!

The more you understand the motivations of the people who will read your resume, talk to you on the phone, and visit with you in-person, the better you can prepare.

Following these guidelines will help you improve your job search skills, the first step to that new position!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bryan_W_Neville

All You Need to Know Before You Apply for Data Entry Jobs

What is data entry?
Data entry is the activity to create, maintain and curate large set of data into accessible information, which can be further used by a business to make decisions, make projections for the coming months or to keep a record of clients or customers.

What tasks are assigned to an operator?
This data can be in the form of handwritten documents, digital text documents, numbers on a worksheet etc. As a data entry operator, you need to manage data, in an organized format, so they can be accessed easily and accurately, whenever the need be.

This job may sound technical, at first, however, with no prior experience and the ability to use word processing software, can help you score your first job as a beginner. Later, once you have developed an overall understanding of this job domain, you can perform large volume of data processing, which would certainly give a boost to your earning potential.

How much time do they demand?
These jobs are mostly for, part-timers and hence, initially the investment of time on a daily basis would be 3 to 4 hours. The tasks that you would perform would be fairly simple, demanding precision and accuracy. Furthermore, 3 to 4 hours during any time of the day is what initially is required and once you have developed an expertise in all the activities associated with these jobs, you can easily accommodate your data processing tasks with your daily schedule.

What are the skills attached?
These jobs are essentially backed by strong organizational skills, ability to multi-task, close attention to detail, computer literacy, and problem-solving skills. Primarily, as a beginner, computer literacy is of significant importance, as you would not be able to get started in this role, unless you are able to work on a computer, rest will follow later.

With the increase in the amount of time you spend in this role, you will hone your craft and develop an expertise in your role. All along, you would need to learn and un-learn, practices, tools and software that would make you efficient.

What would be my earning potential?
In this job domain, the payouts depend on certain variables, which is based on your employer, what basis they want to pay you for your services. Per word, number of keystrokes or the number of man-hours put to work, are the three parameters, on the basis of which your earnings are calculated.

So your earnings in this role are based on the number of hours you invest on a daily basis, which will level up once you move forward with your skills and experience.

Since, you are aware of everything about data entry jobs in Bangalore, its time you should jump the bandwagon of this job domain and give rise to your earnings.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shivali_Sharma

Best Online Job For Dads

Working from home as a stay at home dad is a way for you to spend quality time with your family while also generating a supplemental or even a full-time income with enough hard work, commitment and dedication. Choosing the best online job for you is possible with a bit of preparation and creativity when entering the workforce from home, regardless of your age and where you reside. Finding an online job for stay at home dads can be done with persistence and an understanding of how to go about landing new potential clients and customers for the position you have envisioned for yourself.

Consider Your Skills and Experience

Whenever you want to take the plunge into working from home as a dad it is vital to inventory your current skills and the level of expertise you have in any field or industry you are interested in. Having confidence in your skills and what you have to offer is not only a way to find new opportunities for revenue online, but it is also essential when you want to appeal to hiring managers and potential employers who have a vested interest in you. Jot down a list of skills you have obtained or worked towards to get an idea of the type of jobs that are likely to be most rewarding for you once you begin submitting applications and reeling in new clients.

Search Online Job Boards

Browsing online job boards is another way to gain additional insight into various industries and work at home careers that are currently available. Take note of positions that are most appealing to you to help hone in on the proper keywords required to find matching jobs in the same or similar industries. The more familiar you are with job titles that are appealing to you the easier it is to begin submitting multiple job applications simultaneously or within one work day.

Read and Subscribe to Relevant Blogs

Following other dads who are working from home with their blogs and official websites is also necessary when you are new to the idea of generating an income from your own house itself. Following and subscribing to relevant blogs is a way to remain current with the latest job trends in your industry while also giving you access to additional leads necessary to generate revenue while finding new clients who are interested in working with you.

Commenting and becoming actively engaged on blogs and within online forums and communities is also a way to make a name for yourself while getting the feedback necessary to move forward with the earnings you are capable of generating. The more actively engaged you become online the easier it is to adapt to lingo and required skills necessary before seeking a new position.

Knowing how to go about choosing the best online job requires an understanding of the skills you possess and the qualities you want to put to work for you once you begin generating an income. Any time you are seeking an online job for stay at home dads it is essential to keep in mind the time you have available, your skills and the passion you have to put forth the effort necessary to maintain your position, whether you are freelancing or if you want to work from home for years to come.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Russell_D_Armstrong

How To Kick Start Your Job Search In 2015

Finding a career and a job that is just right for you can be an extremely taxing process. You would need to make the right decision and make all the important considerations at the same time ensuring the job will provide you with the kind of lifestyle you wish for and meet with every one of your desires. Fortunately, you always have a time to start all over again in your search for the perfect job. If 2015 is the year you have decided to kick start your search, here are steps that can help make your new search a success.

Select a job title

This means you need to be sure of the kind or type of job you are looking for. Are you steering in the same career direction or do you need to steer to a whole new field and direction and find something new? In case you are making changes to your field, take time to list activities you enjoy doing including mental, social and physical activities.

It will also help to write the skills you possess including education level and any abilities to operate machinery. Unique skills and your areas of knowledge should not be left behind. Analyze skills and interests you personally possess and then determine the kinds of jobs that would be most suitable for the characteristics you have. You can narrow it down by targeting at least two descriptions you like holding.

Find open positions

Local newspapers are some of the best when it comes to finding open positions you can apply for. Write all the potential positions down as long as they are relevant to your job search. You can also find the position from job postings on different websites and you can list them down.

Another option to help you find open positions is to contact employment agencies or even state agencies within your locality. After you have prepared a list of all openings, you can go ahead to prepare cover letters before then sending them along with a well prepared resume to all the potential employers. It is important to follow the guidelines given by potential employers when sending out the letters and resume to increase your chances of making it.

Get prepared

Using the prepared list of skills, interests and others, start preparing a resume. Most programs will include resume templates. Using the right template, you will manage to assemble your resume. Create a generic cover letter that's targeted towards the job positions you are applying for. It is important to make all letters different ensuring that they are well written.

Part of the preparations is to get ready for the interviews. The preparation should include choosing the most suitable outfits appropriate for the jobs you have applied for. Cosmetic work and haircuts should also be done in advance since you do not know when the potential employers will start calling. Some will give you very short notices and you must ensure you are ready.

With the right job search strategy, it is possible to find casual jobs Hobart. You can easily find the job you have been yearning for when you know just how to create your resume right and put together a good cover letter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Satvik_Mittal

Abundant Employment Opportunities in Chennai

Chennai is one of the South India's major commercial, cultural and educational centres. It has an assorted economic base anchored by the IT, automobile, medical tourism, hardware manufacturing and financial services. Other major industries include petrochemicals, textiles and apparels. Here, it is worthy to mention that the key growth drivers of the Chennai's burgeoning economy is the IT and BPO sector. The city ranks second after Bangalore for being the largest exporter of IT and BPO services in the country.

The top reason why you should be searching a job in Chennai is the city offers plenty of lucrative employment opportunities for people across all backgrounds and education levels. Chennai was among the three Indian cities listed as the fastest growing cities of the next decade by the U.S magazine, Forbes.

Boost to Entrepreneurship in Chennai

Chennai is widely recognized as the "Detroit of India' for its foothold in the automobile industry. Talking about the present scenario the city has moved beyond the auto sector and is now bustling with a lot entrepreneurial activities. The city boasts of a highly literate population and an easy availability of intellect workforce at feasible price-point. This is the prime reason for the rise of entrepreneurship in Chennai. The three business enterprises that have done exceptionally well are listed below-

Freshdesk

Invention Labs

OrangeScape

As more and more people are taking the entrepreneurship route, it is expected that in the near future multitude of job vacancies in Chennai would be created ranging from technology to FINANCE and pharma to healthcare.

Booming tourism and Entertainment & Arts Industry

The dynamic travel & tourism and entertainment and arts industry is one of the rapidly expanding sectors in Chennai throwing up abundant job opportunities for job-seekers especially for those belonging from fields like hotel management and arts background. The Tamil film industry popularly known as the 'Kollywood' is a massive entertainer and employs millions of people. On an average the industry produces about 150 films per year which has an annual turnover of USD 500 million. If we talk about the travel and tourism industry then, Chennai attracts innumerable visitors from around the world. As per the Tourism secretary foreign tourist arrival increased 40 percent in 2013 as compared to 2012. Thus one can expect lucrative employment opportunities in this sector and set sail for a high flying career.

CyberVale IT Park, Chennai

CyberVale IT park is Ascendas' second IT park project in Tamil Nadu after the acclaimed International Tech Park Chennai (ITPC) and Ascendas' first IT SEZ park project in India. Ascendas is the Asia's leading business space provider which is synonymous with quality and high-class development. The park offers state of the art infrastructure in a completely integrated business environment with plush lifestyle amenities. Moreover, employees at CyberVale are served to a business conduct that personifies the work life balance and splendid ambience.

A Galore of job vacancies in Chennai

If you will scroll through any of the ONLINE JOB portals or employment websites, you will realize there is plethora of job vacancies listed there. No matter to which background you hail from, the city has something to offer! You can easily find jobs in hotel management, hardware networking, logistics freight forward, event management, banking, sales and marketing, IT software jobs, engineering jobs and so on.

The author works for CareerBuilder, where you can find a wide array of job vacancies in Chennai. Visit the website and apply for various job openings as per your suitability.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sana_Siddiqui

How To Get 'Luckier' Getting Your Next Job

Tips & Hints for Better Covering Letters, CVs & Interviews

From what we've seen in the recruitment process and sitting on interview panels, we reckon about 85% of people get lucky when they get a job.

And by lucky, we mean the 'chance, accident, coincidence' type of luck, not the "luck is when preparedness meets opportunity" & 'the harder I work the luckier I get' types of luck.

They get lucky because by accident rather than design their experience just happens to match enough of what the employer is looking for. This generally isn't done by planning or conscious thought, it just fortunately happens that way because the job they're going for is similar to their current one.

That's OK if your current role happens to be [very] similar to your new one, but this isn't always the case. And it regularly isn't, especially if you're looking for a promotion, or moving to a different agency or organisation, or where you have to demonstrate transferrable skills that may not immediately be obvious. That's why people often fail to even get an interview. Relying on 'luck' isn't really a strategy!

Most people talk about examples of what they do in their current role, often writing/talking very good answers and with great results to prove how good they are at it. However, the example they have given is not so relevant to what they'll be doing in the new role, and consequently they're unlikely to even get an interview let alone get the job. I'll give you an example:

Let's take the Communicate Effectively at an Adept level in the NSW Public Sector Capability Framework. The first point is "tailor communication to the audience", which let's say you do a lot of in your job & is also asked for as a capability in the new role you're applying for.

From experience in your current role, you talk about how you tailor your communication to the people you deal on the phone & face to face, how you take great care not to use any agency specific acronyms & language, saying what you say in plain, easy to understand English, how you 'keep it real & down to earth', & you round out with a great result about how you regularly get people saying thank you & sending complimentary emails to your boss because they appreciate your down to earth style & the easy to understand way you say things, & how your boss regularly gives you the more difficult cases to deal with...

However, what they mean in the new role by "tailor communication to the audience" is how succinct your briefing notes need to be, how well you will use agency-specific language & terminology in your internal reports & how you'll be extremely polished & even a little guarded in talking to senior external stakeholders & briefing the new director.

So, if you don't find out exactly what they mean in the new role by Communicate Effectively at an Adept level, and "tailor communication to the audience", then you're at risk of missing the boat. You may have that experience, and what you do may be very similar, but if you don't talk about it in the context of the new role, then you're not going to get 'lucky'.

So, the key thing to remember is to make sure you put the capabilities you're being asked to demonstrate in the context of the new job - what that means in that world, not in yours.

Once you understand that, then you can look at what you've done & angle what you say & tell stories about those things from the perspective of the new role, not your current role. That way you'll have more of the "luck is when preparedness meets opportunity" luck than the 'chance, accident, coincidence' type of luck.

JOB APPLICATION & INTERVIEW SKILLS

Southern Cross Coaching & Development are recognised experts in the field of Job Application & Interview Skills in the Public & Private Sectors. We've had great feedback & results from courses across the board, from non-management staff including specialist field staff to middle managers to very senior Executives (including Chief Executive level).

"Trainer's knowledge & practical, informal approach provided immediately implementable solutions" Chief Executive, NSW Government Agency

About the Job Application & Interview Skills Program

Over 4000 participants have graded this course, on average, 90+/100 (4.5 out of 5). Practical, easy to understand job application and interview skills that give you the best possible chance of getting a job in the Public & Private Sectors. Executive version available. Every course is customised for each particular organisation & tailored to every group wherever possible.

This course has been widely presented to 4000+ State (NSW & QLD) & Federal Public Sector participants across country & metropolitan NSW, including: NSW Department of Premier & Cabinet, WorkCover NSW (NSW SRWSD), NSW FACS (inc. Housing, ADHC, Businesslink, FACS Royal Commission), Department of Veterans' Affairs, Department of Education & Communities, NSW Police & Fire Brigades, NSW Office of Environment & Heritage, NSW Parliament, Commission for Children and Young People, QLD Transport & Main Roads, NSW LRCSSL-SS plus many others.

"The best CV/interview course I have attended" Participant, NSW SRWSD

What does the course cover? The course can be tailored to each organisation's exact needs.

• Understanding the Public (& Private) Sector selection processes & what they mean for your application
• NSW Government GSE Act 2013 compliant - explains the new, post-GSE Act process to participants
• How to effectively apply for almost any role/job. Includes:
• How to apply under the NSW Capability Framework & QLD Government Capability Leadership Framework (can be adapted to any State or Local Government). Covers most application methodologies.
• Covers applying for a job in the Private Sector
• Tools to use when writing an Expression Of Interest and/or limited length/word count application
• Covering Letters (including Targeted Questions for NSW Government)
• A range of skills to improve your interview techniques (Public & Private Sectors)
• Practical behavioural interview skills, techniques & tools to answer questions
• Overcoming anxiety & nerves, making a good first impression, what to wear, etc
• Referees - selecting & getting the best from them
• How to prepare a Best Practice CV/resume that works (Public & Private Sectors)
• Includes developing CVs for Private & Public Sector applications
• Includes a soft copy best practice CV template for all participants
• All skills are equally applicable to the Private Sector

"I have attended other similar courses, but I feel I got much more out of this course. The speaker was highly articulate, made the subject matter interesting and highly relevant." Participant, NSW OEH

Who should go on the course?

Anyone who wants to learn practical and easy to remember techniques to do better job applications & interviews. From frontline staff to Senior Executives, all will benefit.

From those who haven't applied for a job for a long time to those who think they're OK but who want to brush up on their skills - all will benefit from this course.

"Southern Cross Coaching & Development delivered the Job Application and Interview Skills course several times to our staff at NSW Businesslink. Feedback from participants from all courses was excellent. The facilitators know their content and provided great examples that people could relate to. I learnt a lot from the course that I will share with my colleagues." Organisational Development Specialist & Participant

Please contact us to discuss what you might be looking for & how we may be able to help or more information:

Call: 0430 180 555 61 or (0)2 7901 5618 - you will need to dial 02 even if you are in NSW as this is a VOIP number

Email: getresults@southerncrosscoaching.com.au

Simon Smith founded & runs Southern Cross Coaching & Development Pty Ltd ( http://www.southerncrosscoaching.com.au ).

SCC&D has a team of 15+ qualified coaches & trainers and is one of the very few organizations that offers a 100% money-back guarantee^ around their coaching & training. And we have never had to refund any money since we started in business in 2006.

SCC&D can look after most of your Executive Coaching & Training, Emotional Intelligence Coaching & Training, Business Coaching & Sales Training and Career Coaching & Training needs.

We have a unique, proven Coaching Matching Matrix to match coaches to coachees - and we have never got a coach match wrong since we started business in 2006.

SCC&D has been coaching in Public & Private Sector organisations and SMEs since 2006, so has in-depth experience of organisational coaching (Career Coaching, Executive/Leadership Coaching, Emotional Intelligence Coaching, Resilience Coaching, Business Coaching, etc). Prior to that, the Founder, Simon Smith, was Business Development Manager for a national coaching organisation.

^ The only conditions are: providing participants attend voluntarily, our invoice is paid on time, & in-depth feedback is given if the guarantee is invoked as to what we could do better next time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_M._Smith