Job Tips and Job News – 10 Social Networking Tips for Job-Seekers

Are resumes going the way of the Commodore computer? Could be. More than one-third of hiring and employment managers say resumes could be replaced by profiles on social media/business networking sites, according to a recent survey of 500 HR execs from OfficeTeam. And three-quarters of these managers say poor online etiquette can hurt a person’s career prospects. All of which lends some relevance to a new guide to proper use of these networks for professional purposes, released by Robert Half International, OfficeTeam’s parent company. “Etiquette breaches – such as impulsively posting an offensive comment on Facebook or Twitter – can have serious, career-impacting consequences,” says Brett Good, senior district president of Robert Half International. Among the “tech violator” types to avoid are The Venter, who clutters up his or her profile by ranting about pretty much everything, and the Cryptic Communicator, whose profile appears to be assembled out of nothing but coded phrases and obscure acronyms.

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How to Thrive in Today’s Job Market: Five Tips for IT Professionals

The days of the IT department existing in the back office and not communicating with the front of the business are gone. IT professionals need to take a leadership role, take initiative when making decisions and understand the business. Here, Knowledge Center contributor Rich Milgram outlines the skill sets IT professionals need in order to improve their career and thrive in today’s job market.

You’re an IT professional. So it’s time to become aware of the changes happening in your industry and understand how they could affect your job and your company. You’ve had it pretty good over the years, but it’s no longer enough to simply be a “ticket taker” for your next project, leaving the strategy and big picture company goals to management.

To succeed in your career, it is important to demonstrate consistent value to your employer and take initiative when making decisions for the best interest of the company. Employers are more likely to hire and retain workers who carry out multiple technical functions in the business. They value those who understand how to leverage their knowledge to deliver the right technology to achieve company goals.

While there may not be a universal skill or attribute that can guarantee job security, here are five tips on how to position yourself as the indispensible go-to IT professional in your company.

Tip No. 1: Understand and apply project management and people management skills to your job

One of the most powerful ways to increase your job security is to understand the strategic direction of your company and how it relates to your position so you can make the most impact on the bottom line. As an IT professional, you are much more desirable if you understand project management, business process reengineering, and can effectively work and communicate with the management team.

These skills allow you to be more self-directed and not only do your job, but make wise decisions on how to tailor your work efforts to directly affect the profitability and success of the company.

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Job Tips – What Does the Ideal IT Resume Look Like?

Cross Posted from CIO Magazine

Everyone has an opinion on what information an IT resume should include and how it should be formatted. Please share yours.

Last week I interviewed Shana Westerman, a recruiting manager with IT staffing firm Sapphire Technologies, for an article on IT resumes. She has a fresh perspective on how to write an IT resume based on her experience matching IT professionals for contract and permanent positions with her IT line manager and IT executive clients.

Westerman’s thoughts on how to write an IT resume are informed by her need to know as much about a candidate as possible before presenting the candidate to a client. They’re also informed by her clients’ needs for detailed documentation on prospective employees. 

I found Westerman’s underlying message (be careful who you take resume advice from; make sure it’s tailored to IT jobs because not all resume writing advice is) refreshing, thought-provoking and sensible. But I knew some readers would consider her recommendation to write long, detailed resumes heresy, and indeed it stirred controversy (see the comments readers left.)

Who knew IT resumes could inspire as much debate and vitriol as President Barack Obama’s citizenship or Sarah Palin’s viability as a presidential candidate? Everyone, it seems, has an opinion on what an IT resume should look like, and often those opinions contradict each other.

For example, some professional resume writers and recruiters say the resume shouldn’t be more than two pages while others (including Westerman) say a three or four page resume is fine, especially for a high-level IT executive with several decades of experience. Some job search experts and career counselors recommend including fancy graphics, images or charts to make one’s resume stand out. Others say fancy formatting is unimpressive and irrelevant. 

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Job Search Tips – Leveraging Technology for your Job Search – Vol 1

Reposted from CareerAlley


"We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology." – Carl Sagan

Most (if not all) job searches must leverage technology to be successful these days. Even the "low tech" methods require that you have a resume in Word, pdf or some other electronic version. But to be honest, successful job search requires technology these days. I’ve written a number of posts on this topic, but the technology changes and improves so often these days, it doesn’t hurt to provide updates from time to time. Even CareerAlley is now "mobile ready" if you view it on your smartphone (or Blackberry) browser (take a look). Too much to cover in one article, so consider this volume 1 for now. So what’s changed, new or not covered before?

Podcasts: Most of you are aware of podcasts and many of you watch (or listen) to podcasts in some way, shape or form. There are free podcasts you can leverage in your job search:

  • Secrets of the Job Hunt – Great topics (the link to the left will take you to the podcast in iTunes) complement the Secrets of the Job Hunt website. Depending on the topic, which range from job search strategies to advice for recent grads, each podcast runs 2 to 25 minutes or so. You can listen to these while sitting in front of your computer (a few are video podcasts) or while using your iPod, this is a great way to get valuable information to help in your job hunt. By the way, did I mention that these are free?
  • JobDig – Another podcast for job search, the link to the left will take you to the podcast in iTunes (JobDig offers other formats as well from their podcast page at JobDig Podcasts). These podcasts (also free) range from 4 to 10 minutes or so and complement the JobDig.com website. Topics range from job advice to job search tips. Also worth a listen.
  • The Savvy Jobseeker – One more for you (and yes, the link to the left takes you to the podcast in iTunes), The Savvy Jobseeker (website = savvyjobseeker.com) also provides free podcasts with topics that range from "Tips to landing a high-paying job" to "How to choose job references". Each of the podcasts range from 14 to 30 minutes or so.

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Job Tips and Job News – Tips for Discouraged Job Seekers

Tired, discouraged, feeling like you’ll never find a job? Need a job, but nothing you do seems to be working?

When you’re having a tough time finding a job, or even finding jobs to apply for, it’s important to expand your job search. Don’t limit yourself to applying for the jobs you find posted online.

Companies may be hiring that don’t post job listings other than on their company web site – or not all. Expanding your job search will help you find unadvertised openings and enable you to proactively seek employment at companies of interest.

Make a Target List of Companies

If you don’t have a target list of companies yet – a short list of employers you would be thrilled to work for, it’s worthwhile taking the time to research company information and create a list of companies to target in your job search. All the information you need is available on the web, and it’s easy to find detailed information about potential employers online.

Once you have a list, the next step is outreaching to contacts at the company. Use LinkedIn’s companies section as a tool to find company information. You’ll be able see your contacts at the company, new hires, jobs posted, and company statistics. Check the company web site and Google the company to find more contacts at the employer who could be potentially be interested in hiring you.

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IT Staffing – Permanent IT Jobs ‘Returning to Growth’

The IT jobs market is showing signs of recovery, particularly on the permanent side, according to Reed Specialist Recruitment.

Computerworld UK — The IT jobs market is showing signs of recovery, particularly on the permanent side, according to Reed Specialist Recruitment.

Andrew Gardner, senior divisional director of the technology division of Reed Specialist Recruitment, said that the number of available permanent jobs was picking up again particularly in SMEs, as well as in the financial services sector and in software houses.

“As part of the downturn, our permanent team took a mauling, but over the last five or six months, it has started to pick up again.

“We are now looking to build our permanent teams back up to meet the demand,” said Gardner.

Reed currently has a team of 25 in the permanent jobs division, and Gardner aims to recruit a further 20 in the next few months, which takes the total “slightly higher than we had before”.

Furthermore, Reed said its lead time between interviews and job offers has shortened to that of before the recession.

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IT Staffing – I.T. hiring picks up

Salaries and hiring are both on the rise, Janco reports.

The I.T. jobs outlook is strongest among large companies, where many chief information officers have received the go-ahead to fulfill I.T. positions that were left unfulfilled last year, Janco Associates Inc., a management consulting firm specializing in information systems technology, says in its Mid-Year 2010 IT Salary Survey report.

In contrast, technology executives at smaller companies are being more cautious about hiring out of concern that the economic recovery will not be strong enough to support increased I.T. spending, the survey found.

Nonetheless, most chief information officers who participated in the survey said in post-survey interviews that they’re planning for 2011 with the assumption that the economy will improve early next year. If that holds true, I.T. hiring and compensation should rise for more companies, Janco says.

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Job Tips and Job News – Resume vs. Online Profile: What’s the Difference???

I was recently asked about the difference between a resume and an online career profile. Is there a difference? Should there be a difference? Are they considered in different ways? What should be included or avoided?

Good question… short answer… YES! They are different.

There are a number of things to consider when creating a professional profile online vs. creating a resume to email or present to a company, or when applying for a specific role.

Here are some thoughts that can help…

When creating a resume for a specific company or position you are pursuing, it’s critical that you tailor it for the specific recipient. Emphasize the experience you’ve had that would be most important to that particular company or position. Although your experience may be very broad, if they don’t very quickly see the direct related experience for the role, it’s unlikely you will be considered further. Using words from their job description, their terminology, and giving special attention to the skills you have that are directly applicable to their requirements is key. The extra effort involved in customizing your resume for each individual application will pay off in a greater chance at a response.

When creating an online profile, whether it be a LinkedIn profile, your personal professional website, a Visual CV, a job board, or any number of other venues online to post your information… it has to appeal to a broader audience. You won’t know who will see it, or what kind of role they have in mind when they’re looking.

Although you may be interested in a variety of opportunities when you are applying, the viewer generally only has one role they are looking to fill. Your online profile should help them understand all your experience and see the fit for multiple roles. 

~ An online profile isn’t limited to two printed pages! While it’s usually not a good idea to create a submitted resume that’s more than 2 pages long, you don’t have that kind of restriction with an online profile. You can include much more information, more detail, more accomplishments, more strengths, and more keywords. Keywords are important, as that’s the most likely way they will find you. Include as many keywords as you can think of that someone might use to find someone with your background. With more detail, the likelihood of being found in a search rises, and it gives the viewer a greater chance of finding what they are looking for.

In an online profile, just as in a resume, it’s important that your information is written in short, substantive, sentences and/or bullet points. When someone is scanning your information, short lines will get read, paragraphs will not. It’s important that they grasp your experience quickly and easily, in order to gain their further interest.

~ An online profile can include testimonials! A submitted resume doesn’t generally have the space, and it’s not the best venue to include third party comments. However, an online profile can be a great place to include reference information and comments to “back up” the assertions you make about yourself in your profile. It’s great to express your strengths and accomplishments, it’s even better when someone else confirms them as well.

~ Consistency is key! It’s critically important that a resume you submit to a company, and your online profile agree with each other! Nothing will torpedo your chances for an opportunity than the appearance of an attempt to deceive. Although the resume you present may not give the entire picture of your full responsibilities in a particular position, it should never contradict the more detailed description. If your role was as an Office Manager of a small business, and your responsibilities included accounting, your resume should never make it appear as if your entire role was as an Accountant.

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Tags: resumes, resume writing, job hunt, online candidate resumes, online candidate profiles, job tips.

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Job Tips and Job News – Resumes – Content That Grabs Attention and Builds Interest

Your resume has two main purposes:

1. To represent you and your career in a way that keeps you in the running for a job opportunity when you aren’t there in person. Therefore, it’s important that it gets enough attention that it actually gets read.

2. To build enough interest in the mind of the Hiring Manager that he or she invites you for a job interview. Your resume needs to position you as the uniquely qualified job candidate that can be a hero in their job.

Here’s how you grab attention with a first-rate Career Story. Tell a brief, interesting story that links you directly to the Hiring Manager’s needs.

Use descriptive words that show energy, action, and tell a winning story of a successful person. (Describe yourself as the hero!)

Include skills and experiences that match what the job requirements and qualifications.

In other words, present your career in a way that grabs the Hiring Manager’s attention. If you don’t, you’ve lost them for good.

For example, turn this Career Summary…

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Mike Hanes
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Tags: Job Tips, Resumes, Resume writing tips

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Job Tips and Job News – 5 Ways to Shine in Your Next Interview

By Beth Braccio Hering, CareerBuilder Writer

In a tough job market, landing an interview is a major accomplishment. When such opportunity knocks, be ready to show why you’re the candidate to hire. Here are five tips that can help job seekers make a great impression.

Do your homework

Erika Milonas, director of campus recruitment for The McTigue Financial Group (part of Northwestern Mutual) in Chicago reviews more than 1,000 résumés a year and interviews about 400 candidates to choose 40 for the company’s internship program. With such competition, it would seem that interviewees would be incredibly prepared, but that isn’t always the case.

Milonas finds some candidates unable to answer the simple question, "What do you know about The McTigue Financial Group and Northwestern Mutual?" She calls failure to be able to discuss the company at this basic level a "deal breaker," regardless of how the rest of the interview went.

Since most businesses have websites, learning about a potential employer is relatively easy. Find out what the company does and its main products/services, and be familiar with recent developments in the industry.

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Mike Hanes
ProVisionTech

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Dallas IT Recruiter Guy

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Tags: Job Tips, Interviewing, job market

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