Madison Jobing Community Blogs

A job seeker recently asked, "I have an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and an MBA and I'm having a difficult time finding a job that pays well ... I've been looking for some time now for positions in sales, marketing & business development. And I'm also looking for procurement positions. I've tried job sites, newspapers, targeting specific employers, job fairs, networking sessions, etc, etc, etc ... Help!!! What am I doing wrong?"

From what I can tell, this job seeker isn't necessarily doing anything wrong, but he may not be doing everything he can. One thing that he is doing RIGHT is trying alternative job seeking routes. Instead of getting stuck in a "job seeker rut", this job seeker has been attending job fairs and networking sessions and utilizing all the different forms of job posting services. Now, having variety in your job search is great, but sometimes, you need to put yourself out there a little bit more and try things you normally wouldn't. You may feel a little outside of your comfort zone at first, but being innovative in your job search can not only improve your chances of finding a job, but it can also improve your chances of getting hired by proving to potential employers that you're willing to take risks and do what it takes to accomplish a goal.

Here are a few things this job seeker and you can do to step out of the comfort zone and try a new way of landing your next job.

1) Define the companies that could potentially hire your skills and expertise. Then, try to develop networking leads with the people who have those jobs. A good way to get in contact with people in your desired position is to join any local professional organizations that focus on your field of work. Once you meet the people who have the job you want, find out how they got there and ask for career tips. Specifically, ask what skills, training, education, etc has been the most helpful to them in their career track. Finally, ask "who else should I be talking to?"

2) Contact a headhunter in your field. Find out if you are marketable. If yes, a headhunter should be able to start opening up interview opportunities for you. If no, a headhunter should be able to give you advice on what steps you need to take in order to make yourself more marketable within your field.

3) If you get interviews but no job offers, ask the headhunter for advice on your interview style, resume and self presentation. Find out why you didn't get the job and what you could have done better.

4) If you are particularly knowledgeable within your field, join a blogging community or start your own blog. Blogging is a quick way to make an online name for yourself and establish yourself as an industry expert and thought leader. You can also write and submit articles to websites with industry-specific content.

5) If the pool of potential employers within your area is small, you may want to open yourself up to the possibility of relocation. Go where the jobs are in your industry.

6) Contact your alumni association or any local universities. Ask professors or department heads to meet with you for an informational interview. Often times, recruiters will network with university officials to find top potential employees. Professors are also a great source for getting connected to professional organizations.

When you create your online resume, it is important to use keywords that employers will search for. Generally, to find candidates, employers enter one or two words in a keyword search field. These words are usually job titles or names of important skills. Search results then, are determined by word relevance; how many times the keywords are used within a resume. So, if you're looking for a sales position but only include the title, "account manager," in your resume, your resume won't turn up in an employer's search for "sales" or "sales representatives". Therefore, it is important to include words that an employer will most likely search for.

Tips for Creating Good Keywords

1. Use some industry jargon in your resume; for example, "CAD designer" or "SQL Server." A lot of times, employers are searching for key elements like knowledge of a particular computer software program. Don't just assume that employers will know that you are proficient with a program because of your job title. Instead, include a skills section in your online resume so that you will be included in an employer's skill-related search results.

2. Use different word forms like "manager," "management" and "managed." This way, you'll have all the bases covered, because you can never be absolutely sure which word form an employer will search for. A good rule of thumb is to repeat nouns and include action verbs.  

3. Vary your use of abbreviations. It's fine to write, "Human Resources," but it's a good idea to also write, "HR" elsewhere.

Think like a recruiter – if you were searching for your resume online, what keywords would you enter? Now, make a list of words – nouns and verbs – that would best describe your experience and incorporate them as much as possible into your online resume. Remember that every recruiter has a different style, so when writing your online resume, it's best to exercise variance.

According to a recent survey by Hewitt Associates, a human resources consulting firm, 90 percent of employers offered cash bonuses this year as reward for a job-well-done.  This at first sounds like great news for employees; but is it?  The move toward one-time cash bonuses and rewards allows a lot of employers to skimp on employee salary increases.  In 2008, base salary is expceted to increase 3.9 percent, which isn't much when compared to a 3.5 percent increase in inflation.

The benefits of providing a bonus instead of a salary increase are twofold for employers.  First, it means that employers do not have to make any long-term commitment to employees.  Second, it puts the onus on the employee to make more money by improving their own performance. 

But, where is the benefit in the switch from salary increases to bonus increases for you, the employee?   My advice would be to look at bonuses as an opportunity for you to take control of your career by asking early on, "What do I need to do in order to earn or increase my bonus?"  When I say, "ask," I not only mean you should ask yourself these types of questions, but you should be asking your management as well.  Creating clearly-defined goals for yourself will not only help you stay on-track for a bonus, it will also show your management that you mean business. 

If you consistently meet or exceed management's expectations, you'll have built a strong case for getting a salary increase and will have proven yourself as a strong candidate for promotion and career growth. 

Pay-for-performance is a growing trend that will most likely only keep growing. My advice would be to take advantage of the opportunity to shine.  So although you may not get a huge raise in 2008, you'll more than likely be given the opportunity to improve your financial situations, so don't let it pass you by.

"Life is 10 percent what happens to me, and 90 percent how I react to it."  -  Charles Swindoll

Most of the time, you will know right away if a job description appeals to you.  In those cases, by all means – apply now and get the process started to begin your new career.

Every once in a while you may find a job description you like - but you:

a.  need to think about if it is right for you

b.  need to talk it over with your significant other(s)

c.  want to learn more about the company or field before applying

d.  don’t have time at that moment to really focus on a great cover letter

If you chose any of the answers above, you may want to save the job for later.  To do this, just log in to your account and click on “save job” within your search results. 

To access your saved jobs in your account – click on your “My Jobs” tab. 

A special note:  check your saved jobs often to avoid missing out on a great opportunity – the job you save today could be filled and closed in the matter of a week or days.  

Best of luck to you in your search and enjoy the holidays!

One of my co-workers mentioned the importance of checking out one's own 'virtual tattoo'. When I asked her what she was talking about, she said she meant looking at what the web says about you when you type your name into a search engine.

Why should this matter? Well, many employers Google or Yahoo! Potential candidates as a part of their background checks. So, if you blog or have a MySpace (or Facebook) account, you may be surprised to learn that employers can and do view your information ou there. If you blog, make sure that you are posting information that you are comfortable with sharing with potential employers. For the social networking sites, it's easy to make your account private, so only your friends can access it. So keep your blogs and accounts, just be careful what you're sharing.

What kind of branding are you building out there? Google your name and see what shows up.

How about our resume builder…

Use the Jobing.com resume builder in your own My Jobing! Account.  Just fill in the blanks to get started with your new resume.  As you get more comfortable with creating resumes and want more flexibility/formats, log back on and create more using our text entry, “Create Your Own Resume”.  Whichever way you choose – remember a few key points:

•             Keep your resume concise - say what you mean and keep it brief
•             Keep it honest – fluff will look like fluff to a seasoned recruiter – be honest
•             Make it informative – be sure employers can tell what you’ve done / can do

Good luck with your resume and thank you for including Jobing.com in your search!

When searching for a job, I bet you notice how recently the position was posted – you might even filter your results to only view the freshest jobs around.  Similarly, employers search through resume databases looking for candidates that have recently updated their information.  To an employer, having recently updated information means:

1.  You are actively looking for new employment – now.

2.  Your information:  address, phone number, salary rate, and employment history are current and accurate.

3.  You are ready to interview, and perhaps even start your new job on a reasonable timetable.

Go ahead and brush the dust off your resume every two weeks.  Your information may not be changing that often – but there are always improvements to make.  If you need ideas on how to keep your resume fresh: use feedback and ideas from your friends and peers, use tips from online articles and books, or maybe even just reorganize your existing info.  Whatever you do - keep your resume fresh – and keep it on the top of the stack! 

Here are some tips for networking at a job fair:

Get contact information and take notes. 

Ask questions – and dig deep.  Find out:

a.  the employer’s current and future hiring needs

b.  the skills, knowledge and character traits the employer values

Use the above information to show the employer how you fit their needs (both at the fair and in any follow-up communication).

  

Keep conversations focused.   You need to meet as many people as possible, and so do the employers.  If you need more time, request an opportunity to discuss the position/company further.

Sincerely thank employers for their time. 

Tell employers if you plan on following-up with them and then follow through.  If you say you will call on Tuesday – call on Tuesday.  Being true to your word will speak louder than the words themselves.

Smile.  It is a simple tip – but it is also powerful (and easy to forget!). 

Good luck to you!  And let us know about your successes at the next job fair you attend.

Finding a new job can be a full-time position in itself! Reduce your work by signing up for jobs by email.  This feature allows you to receive email alerts on a daily or weekly basis of new positions that are relevant to your specific job search.

For instance you could set up an agent for “Healthcare/Medical” (Job Category) and the keyword “Nurse” and receive regular emails on the results of that search. To set up a Jobs-by-Email agent:

1. Log in to your My Jobing! account

2. Click on the Jobs-by-Email tab

3. Click on the “Add a Jobs-by-Email Agent” button.

Here are some handy tips on how to get the most out of your Jobs-by-Email agent:

1.  Limit the number of keywords you use per search.  Long strings of words will not provide very target results.  Using a title, particular skill, or a company name are all good examples of a focused keyword search.

2.  Create up to 10 Jobs-by-Email agents!  Each agent will come to you in one daily or weekly email, separated by the title you have given to differentiate your search. 

3.  Focus your search further by entering a job category.  For example you would like a position in a retail environment, select retail as your job category.  Choose as many categories as you are interested in - and as few as you would like to keep your search focused.

4. Choose an employment type for your search.  Full-time, part-time, seasonal or temporary – we know that scheduling can be a critical factor in determining the right job for you.  Be sure to check off which type of employment you are looking for a more efficient search. 

5.  Choose your location.  In some cases, you will be able to further limit your search by area.  If the cross-town commute isn’t what you are looking for, be sure to select the location nearest you. 

6.  If you have set salary expectations or if salary is negotiable, indicate that as well.  Keep in mind that checking the box to “show jobs with negotiable/unspecified rates” will produce the highest number of results.

You can update your agents as your needs change.  If you find that you are not receiving enough job postings, or if they don’t quite meet your needs – feel free to update or create additional agents at any time.  Log in and create your Jobs-by-Email agent today!