How To Structure Your Job Search Stories To Get A Job

In this article, I will be revealing formulas in the form of acronyms developed by professional career counselors that will help you to frame your job search stories. These formulas while varied generally invoke a common theme.

Typically, you will identify a problem or challenge that you faced on the job, the hindrances you encountered while trying to fix the problem, what actions you took to overcome the hindrances, the results of your actions to fix the problem and what impact your solution had on your department or company.

Here are five of the most popular acronyms used when creating stories:

PAR: Problem, Action, Result
SAR: Situation, Action, Result
SHARE: Situation, Hindrance, Action, Results, Evaluation (by Fred Coon)
SOAR: Situation, Obstacle, Action, Result
STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result

You can pick any of the formulas above to use as the framework for structuring your stories. All of these formulas follow a logical sequence making it easy for you to present your stories in an organized fashion. Stories created using these formulas are most often used when interviewing. However, they can be applicable to other aspects of the job search such as resumes, cover letters and portfolios which will all bae discuss later in the report.

Hint: When detailing the results that you obtained in your particular story always try to quantify them by using numbers, percentages etc. Remember to keep the stories short and memorable.

Use adjectives and verbs that will help the interviewer visualize the story as you tell it. If there are any negative aspects of the story always end on a positive note and let the interviewer know how this experience impacted you and made you a better person.

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

How To Discuss Your Crime With An Employer

Discussing your crime will probably be both the scariest and trickiest part of the interview process. Consequently, it is extremely important that you:

1.) Think about what you are going to say.
2.) Write down what you are going to say.
3.) Rehearse what you are going to say.

Although, you are not required by law to tell all of the details of your crime to a potential employer, they are not necessarily bound by law to hire you either. Even though, it is illegal for employers to discriminate against you because you are an ex-offender. However, discrimination for that basis alone is often very difficult to prove. Consequently, the more information that you are willing to provide to the employer the more honest you appear and the more willing the potential employer is to hire you.

Please note, this does not mean that you should disclose every detail of your crime. It means that you have to learn how to strike a delicate balance.

As an ex-offender the whole objective of the interview is to give the potential employer the opportunity to put a human face to the crime(s) that you may have listed on your employment application.

This person needs to see you not as a victim but as someone who is:

1.) Competent and capable of doing the job.
2.) As someone who for whatever reason made some extremely bad choices.
3.) Someone who recognizes his/her past mistakes and is remorseful.

Violent offenders particularly those convicted of capital crimes such as manslaughter and first degree murder have to understand that regardless of how much time that they may have served in prison, in the eyes of a potential employer time can never make up for the loss of life incurred by the victim(s). Nor can it make up for physical, psychological and/or emotional trauma that living victims may presently be experiencing as a result of their actions.

The reality is that regardless of what circumstances led up to your committing a crime, the fact remains that you did commit one. In some cases, such as self-defense, you may even have felt that you had no options.

Unfortunately, in the eyes of the courts in particular, and society in general, there is no just cause for violence. This holds true whether it was done in self-defense or due to some psychological problems, childhood trauma, and/or alcohol and drug addiction.

The best advice I can give you, if you are a violent offender, is to face the fact that whether for seemingly right or wrong reasons, you committed a crime. Then try to determine what factors led up to it, explain what you are doing to rehabilitate yourself and provide evidence.

Visit My Site And Get My FREE eBook: 101 Tips For Ex-Offender Job Search Success

For the past 13 years, Sheila Savage has worked with ex-offenders to help them find suitable employment. To get more information about ex-offender employment and job searching please visit http://www.lifebydesignconsultants.com

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Brain Power for a Job Search

There were times when I woke up in the morning feeling like I didn't know "which way was up"... I had a hard time thinking, I felt spacy, confused, tired and many times I had a hard time focusing and concentrating. Through talking to my friends and family, I found out that I was not the only one that felt this way from time to time. Later I learned that the foods that I ate played a big part in the mental boost that I was lacking in the morning.

For many of us, preparing a healthy breakfast is time consuming so we try the quick fix by eating foods such as toast and coffee, waffles drowned in syrup or a bowl of our favorite cereal.

The following 5 foods were included in the list of "brain foods" by a September 2012 article posted by the Huff Post Healthy Living and can serve as a brainy substitute to the unhealthy quick fixes that we normally settle for. Now although there are many other benefits for consuming these foods as well, I am focusing on how they can give us the brain power boost that we need to maintain a focused job search.

1. Olive Oil

My favorite on the list is Olive Oil. Unlike other fats, olive oil helps to control blood sugar levels and prevent diseases that cause problems with brain function and memory.

2. Avocado

Avocados may be high in fat but it promotes blood flow allowing the brain to function at its highest.

3. Eggs

Although high in cholesterol, eggs are a great source of protein; they contain choline which is a nutrition that helps the brain to improve memory function.

4. Mixed Berries

Delicious berries such as blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and cranberries all have been shown through study to benefit our brains by boosting brain function and preventing age related memory lost.

5. Walnuts

Walnuts contain Omega 3's which are the essential fatty acids that help to keep the brain functioning normally. Ever wonder why this nut is shaped like the brain? It gives an ironic meaning when people say "Your Nuts!"

There are many other foods that are brain friendly and can help stimulate our mind in the right direction but these were the favorites on my list that I wanted to share with you. Have a nice day and don't forget to start your day right by a "brain powered breakfast".

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

5 Benefits of Working a Live-In Job

If you're looking for a career in the household staff industry, it is highly recommended to consider taking a live-in position, as there are many added benefits you can enjoy. Whether you have previous experience as a nanny, gardener or chef, to name just a few, there are many added bonuses to living on site and we have listed a selection of these below.

Comfortable accommodation

Live-in accommodation is generally of a high quality, which ranges from your own bedroom and bathroom, to separate houses which are usually furnished to a high standard. You can also expect accommodation to include a television and internet access, which will help to make you feel at home. You will also find that much of the housing is also on large estates, meaning you'll be able to enjoy beautiful grounds during your period of employment.

Top locations

Live-in staff are often placed in safe, family environments, which gives a sense of security while working. Also, if you're willing to move abroad, you can also experience a variety of different destinations across the world, ranging anywhere from Cyprus to Africa.

Live with your partner

If you and your partner both have a household skill, a number of households look to hire couples, meaning you will be able to live and benefit from the above together. You may even be provided with a building to yourselves, such as an apartment, and some positions are filled with the hopes that you will stay for periods of over five years, providing you both with security for the future.

Fewer outgoings

As your accommodation will be provided by your employer, your overheads will be much smaller than if you were living from your own home. You will not have to worry about everyday costs such as travel, food and utilities, meaning that what you earn can be spent or saved as you wish. It may also be included in your agreement that you can use the family car out of hours, so you can still travel around while enjoying your free time, but for a much lower cost.

Become part of a larger family

One of the most pleasant aspects of working as a member of household staff is the friendliness; you will make lots of new connections during your time of work, some that will prove to be long lasting. Whether this is with your fellow colleagues, or the family or employers that you work for, while living in a job you will get to know those you work closely with even better.

This article was written by Thom Sanders on behalf of Beauchamp Partners, a domestic staff agency that specialises in helping find careers for those seeking a role in household staffing.

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5 Tips to Jumpstart Your Career in Recruitment

Are you planning to pursue a career in recruitment? Well, it's not as easy as you think. With so many recruiters and headhunters out there, you have to be able to establish yourself above them, if not at least at par with them. It's best to get yourself ready and have a strategy in mind. To help you, here are 5 great tips that will help you get started.

1. Shadow a recruiter. No successful recruiter has it overnight. It comes with a lot of experiences, hard falls and triumphs. Even if you're thinking of flying solo, it's best to learn the basics first. You can start your own after that stint. You'll learn so much - screening candidates, rifling through resumes, phone interviews, client and candidate interviews. You'll pick up hints and telltale signs of what's to come. There are just some things that are best experienced.

2. Be ready to play the game. It's a tough world out there. It's never one dimensional. You have to pick through your candidates, ensure that they're fit for the job and even convince them that it's the best for them. Not only that, you have to convince your clients that you have the perfect candidate for them. There's a push and pull game either way and you have to know what works best for you while showing both parties that you're thinking what's best for them.

3. Market yourself. You have to brand yourself. Create a good profile. Let them believe in your potential. That's the greatest challenge for all recruiters out there. You're not just a face that provides candidates to fill in the positions of organizations. You are the person they have to turn to when they need help. You have to be the go-to person. That's the only way you can make a name for yourself, long after you leave the agencies.

4. Be connected. Connections are crucial. It'll be your lifeline. Use networking sites as much as possible. Join and connect via LinkedIn. Be sure to start as early as now. It's never an easy feat. You have to maintain good connections, not idle ones. Contact them once in a while. It'll help you get candidates, clients and a good lead that will open doors for you towards more opportunities.

5. Be prepared to put your neck in the line. If the situation calls for it, put your job on the line or your reputation. If that's the only way for your clients to believe you, do it. Even though it's just a bluff. They will fall for it. The fact that you're willing to risk everything means that you're confident about it. You're committed to the task. They will surely spare a few minutes of your time to meet that candidate.

Dougles Chan - A recruitment coach that helps Headhunters in Singapore and a mentors Recruitment agencies in Singapore

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What Is ATS and Why Should Jobseekers Care?

Applicant Tracking System or ATS is a software tool that is increasingly used today by the Human Resources Departments of all major companies as well as online recruitment websites. ATS simplifies and speeds up the process of sorting and sifting through the hundreds of thousands of resumes that a company receives electronically.

In other words, the technology used in ATS enables recruiters and hiring managers to screen applications and create a shortlist of the most suitable candidates from the large volume of applicants for a particular position. So when you write your resume, you have to keep in mind that before it is even read by a pair of human eyes, a computer system is screening it to check for compatibility to the position applied.

So, not only does it matter how you write your resume, but it is also important to take into account a host of other simple yet significant aspects. These include the words you use, the flow and structure of your application, punctuation, grammar, the format, the use of graphics and the length or size of your resume.

While the ATS can be a help to hiring managers, unfortunately, it can be a hindrance to job seekers. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to make sure your resume is not rejected by the system:

1) Pay attention to the job description.

Let's be honest. In today's world of short attention spans and 140-character comments, it is not very easy to read a lengthy description without getting distracted, especially online. So, despite what you think, you may not really be paying attention to the job description even if you read it.

Why is it important? The ATS is primed to sift and sort through applications received by matching keywords to the job description. So for example, if you are applying for a position of retail manager, it is important that you explicitly mention words and terms that are relevant to the job description. Using so-called creative words such as overachiever or out-of-the-box thinker may not help you much if you miss out on the key words that describe the functions of a retail manager such as display merchandising, stock-taking, inventory control or sales promotions.

2) Check your resume for consistency and relevance.

One of the biggest mistakes that job seekers make is underestimating the ease of sending applications today. Applying for a job is much easier than it was years ago. You don't need to write a fresh resume and mail it out every time you apply for a new job. All you need to do is click, right? Wrong.

The one-size-fits-all approach is exactly the reason why many candidates receive very few or even zero responses despite sending out hundreds of applications. Quantity will never get you what quality can. Be sure to customize your applications for each and every position that you apply to.

3) Make your resume resilient and relevant to ATS.

Imagine playing football in patent leather shoes or going for an interview wearing sneakers. You are killing your chances of succeeding even before you start. This is exactly the kind of mistake that you should avoid to prevent your resume from being banished to the black hole of incompatibility by the ATS.

Here are a few simple yet significant ways you can improve the chances of your resume scoring well in an ATS screening.

• Write keeping in mind the context of the job description. Use keywords that are similar, relevant or derivative of those that are originally used in the job description.


• Avoid keyword stuffing or overuse. Similar to search engines, many ATS systems use contextual parsing to eliminate attempts to fool the system. So instead of using a laundry list of keywords, choose your words cleverly and express yourself as naturally as if you are talking to a human at an interview.


• Make sure there aren't any spelling errors. By all means use spellcheck, but also read and re-read (and re-read!). Many a resume has been the butt of jokes because the candidate used the wrong word. The "utmost importance" could easily be spelled as the "utmost impotence" without your computer's spellcheck picking it up.


• Get rid of the graphics and fancy formatting. ATS systems can choke and reject a resume if it cannot make sense of it because of stylized formatting and images. Send your resume as a plain Word doc or in Rich Text Format. Avoid using headers and footers or sending it as PDF.


• Pay attention to punctuation and grammar. All lower case sentences or SMS language using emoticons and acronyms can potentially confuse the ATS system. If you have to use an abbreviation, then use the expanded full description next to it.


• Always be clear and consistent. For instance saying you have 7 years of experience in one place and 7.5 years in another place can lead the ATS to disqualify your resume on the grounds of inconsistency.

Finally, keep in mind that every word counts. Use every word with the utmost care. Do not crowd your resume with irrelevant or meaningless descriptions.

Donna Bradshaw is a Career Consultant and Speaker specializing in career development and transition guidance for men and women over 40. She can be reached at http://www.cacoaching.com Tel: 201-236-1158 or via e-mail at Donna@cacoaching.com.

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How the Internet Can Help You Sell Your Practice

In the age of the interconnectivity, it is impossible to avoid using the Internet as a tool for marketing and promotion. Not just a place for commerce of the most traditional definitions, even someone who works with finances can use the Internet as a method of communication with prospective clients in a way that traditional marketing never could.

Start Early:

Even a finance industry recruiter would encourage anyone in the field to get acquainted with the Internet early on and get a feel for how useful it can be in reaching out to potential clients and colleagues. In many ways social networks have trumped the importance of after-hour socializing. Combine that with the convenience to be connected anywhere, and the usefulness of the Internet makes itself known.

Keeping Clients:

While the initial connection with clients is a vital skill anyone in a service industry should learn to develop, it is not a guarantee that they will remain loyal clients or clients at all. Social media is a fun way to engage, and has the added benefit of making work more like play, it is not a replacement for an effected Internet presence that can also be considered professional to your clients.

With an effective website, visitors can learn who you are as a financial advisor and what benefits your practice can offer that competitors cannot. Irrespective of the product or service, consumers are known to go directly to the source of the information they seek thanks to search engines like Google and Bing. A presence here helps direct traffic of those seeking financial advisors to you without much trouble.

Having the Right Internet Presence:

When a visitor contributes to the traffic of your professional website or social media profile, it is counted with the expectation that the person looking found what they were initially looking for. This requires a properly display and dissemination of information to visitors who come across you over the Internet whether intentionally or accidentally. With information clearly presented, clients can learn how your services differ from previous financial advisors they may have worked with in the past and even remove some false notions they may have developed about finance or the hiring of an expert to help them manage their finances.

How to Know it's Working:

Though it is an open secret that the Internet can address many marketing woes for nearly all businesses, there has to be a degree of accounting to make sure it is working as intended.

There are customer services methods, such as the option to chat with a live representative or a questionnaire for visitors to fill out in order to know that a particular layout is easy to navigate through, that your site is on par with competitors, and learn of areas that are in need of attention if your business is to grow. Direct feedback is a sign that enough is being done correctly that visitors to your site are willing to hang around long enough to interact with it even when their purpose for being there has been addressed. And with clever design approaches, visitors won't even know they're participating.

Looking for a job in the finance industry? Check out our listing at Willis Consulting Inc. Our finance industry recruiters are always ready to accommodate questions and applications. View the listing here: http://www.willis-consulting.com/financial-advisor-jobs/

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