Welcome December! This month I am participating in a 30 Day Blogging Challenge with some other bloggers. As you know, this blog is all about helping people find a new job. Not just any new job, mind you, but rather, the perfect career. That’s why we write about . . . (Continue reading at: http://careeradvice4u.com/30-days-blogging/)
I decided to reprint of the most asked for post we have ever published. It’s a bit of free job search advice that you can’t live without, because networking is the key to finding your next job. Read it and enjoy!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Fellow Toastmaster Jim Nudelman has a simple 4-step process for writing an Elevator Pitch — a 10-15 second focused introduction of your “value proposition” that can be given in an elevator when someone asks, “tell me about yourself.” Jim (”the Noodle” as he is known to friends and family) is an experienced National Sales Trainer, so he should know something about putting your best foot forward to capitalize on a brief window of opportunity. Here’s his process: (continue reading at http://careeradvice4u.com/4-step-process…elevator-pitch/)
Guest editorialist, Larque Goodson, wonders if we REALLY love our jobs so much then how come we live for these four day weekends? I’m wondering the same thing!
“Social media posts this week confirmed the three most popular reasons to give thanks – family, friends and a four-day weekend.
Scores of posts and tweets about blissful days away from work have me wondering … does anyone like his job? Do hundreds of thousands of unemployed Americans spend every day grasping for a chance at a job just so they can dream of a four-day weekend?
One friend gave me this perspective; “Don’t get me wrong, I like what I do and I don’t mind my job, I just don’t want to be there.” (continue reading at: http://careeradvice4u.com/flexible-work-options-bring/)
In my last post I recommended 5 things you can do over the holidays to help you find a job. In this post I want to encourage you to volunteer as a way to find your perfect job. That’s right, volunteer. There are many ways to go about it, and lots of organizations need you – especially during the holiday season. Here are some suggestions followed by reasons why this is great career advice! In fact, volunteering may be better than a great resume for getting your foot in the door.
Where to show up. (Continue reading at http://careeradvice4u.com/find-perfect-job-volunteer/)
While preparing to write a post on staying positive during the job search I posted a tweet on Twitter and Facebook. I thought I would glean some of the thoughts of my friends and followers – thinking perhaps one or two would respond. Boy, was I surprised when I got more than 15 amazing comments! Instead of compacting them, I thought I’d just share them with you. There are some gems here . . . as well as some, well, let’s just say “tongue in cheek.” I’ve condensed the name to just the initials, because I don’t have copyright permission to share the names. Here’s what I posted, and the responses. (Read more at: www.careeradvice4u.com/blog)
In an article Saturday in Slate magazine, Daniel Gross makes a case for a job recovery sooner than later. Using productivity as a key economic indicator, Gross writes, “we’ve just witnessed the fastest two-quarter productivity surge since the first year of the Kennedy administration. . . but just as hamsters can run only so fast on their treadmills, there are limits to productivity growth.”
Gross goes on to relate a footnote by Michael Darda, Chief economist at MKM Partners, who says, “Should the economy expand in the fourth quarter at the same 2.5 percent annual rate it did in the third quarter—as it shows every sign of doing—companies won’t have any choice but to hire.”
It’s an interesting argument. I’m not sure I agree with Mr. Gross (or Mr. Darda either, for that matter). Most other economists are telling us that it’s going to be Q3 or Q4 of 2010 before we start to see any real job growth in this country. But what is Gross and Darda are correct? Are you ready to get hired when things start picking up again? If not, here are 3 things you can do to prepare yourself: (to read the entire post go to www.careeradvice4u.com/blog)
[Editor’s note: Guest blogger, Larque Goodson, has been unemployed for 7 months and has become a Careers 2.0 client within the last couple of weeks. She says that the resources in the Premium Membership are some of the most valuable tools she has found in her entire job search. She lives in Portland, Oregon and is searching for a communications job that utilizes her excellent skills in writing, presenting, photography, marketing and sales. If you would like to share your story, please send an email to: info@orcms.com.]
It has been seven months since I was laid off. My credit cards are maxed and my husband and I juggle bills like circus performers on a tight rope. Yet, this journey is helping me examine my own self-awareness and work on my personal ideology. I have gained some invaluable insights, like the following (read more at: www.CareerAdvice4U.com/blog)
We’ve all heard the advice. “You must have a great resume in order to get a good job.”
That piece of career advice is one of the reasons why resume writing services are so popular these days. Many professionals will shell out anywhere from $500 to $1,000 just to have a professional write their resume for them. I’m sure you’ve seen the websites for these resume writing services. They promise you will make over $100K or increase your income by $10k per year, just because you have a professional resume and cover letter. But do these resumes work any better at getting the job? I don’t think so, and here’s why.
In a traditional job search the purpose of a resume is to help you get an interview. Nothing more. A good resume gets your foot in the door and allows you to talk to the person (or persons) who make the hiring decision. In the old way of finding a job a resume is pretty much a blind introduction. (read more at: www.careeradvice4u.com/blog)
There are no tricks to finding your perfect career, but going about it in the wrong way can distract from your job search and making it take longer to find your next position. For instance, many job seekers spend much of their day on the Internet searching the job boards. Unfortunately, only about 6-10% of all jobs are ever posted on these job boards. Smart job seekers understand that the key to finding the perfect career fit requires them to conduct a career marketing campaign. (continued at: http://careeradvice4u.com/real-cost-unemployment/)
Powered by WordPress