Ace Your Interview By Learning About The Interviewer

In today's video training we talk about ways that you can connect with the person that will be conducting your interview. In the video I posted with Harvey McCay, he mentioned that this was one of the biggest mistakes job seekers make.

Enjoy the video and please leave your comments below.

-Greg

After 40: How to Make a Successful Career Transition

Today we have a special guest post from Christina Archer. Christina is a career agent, recruiting specialist, resume writer, and author. You can visit her online at i-CareerSearch.

photo by prosto photos

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate currently sits at 9.9%, as reported on May 7, 2010. The good news is a burst of hiring in April added a better than expected 290,000 jobs to the U.S. economy, the biggest monthly total in four years, the Labor Department reported. While it may seem like a bad time to consider making a career change at any age, looking for new opportunities seems particularly challenging for those over 40. Regardless of the economic factors locally, statewide, nationally, and even globally, every job seeker who has reached their 40s can make a successful career transition if they follow these guidelines.

1. Get up to speed on the latest job search techniques.

Prior to the late 1990′s, most job searches were conducted utilizing a local Sunday newspaper and a highlighter. Today, the Internet has made it possible to completely automate the process of uncovering qualified job leads through a job aggregator. It’s important to know the playing field prior to engaging the competition. Books on creating a successful job search process are available from merchants and local libraries in your area.

2. Perform in-depth research about local companies.

Many job seekers choose to move in to a particular field or industry without ever determining whether there is a local demand. Websites like LinkedIn and Hoovers can provide invaluable information about companies, including the number of employees company wide, statistical data about the age and types of jobs within the organization, and more. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook is another career resource for transitioning professionals. The job seeker should look for growth trends in their new target field, and create a list of those companies who are prospective new employers.

3. Take an inventory of skills acquired.

Even though an individual may choose to transition to an entirely new profession, it is imperative to create a list of all skills and experience obtained to date. Hiring managers in the new field will expect the job seeker to articulate why they wish to change careers, and how past accomplishments are applicable to the new field/industry.

4. Make a deliberate choice, and start the transition process.

After performing the necessary research, and taking a skills inventory, the job seeker is in a position to choose a new target career. At this point, the individual’s resume must be updated, and their career portfolio tweaked to match the new goals. The job seeker is then ready to begin their official search within the new field.

5. Have a job search plan.

Whether an individual chooses to contact one target company per day or ten, it’s important to have a plan with daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Keep a list of where each resume is submitted, and follow-up until either an interview is scheduled or a rejection letter is received.

Making a career change after 40 should not be a frightening process. Simply taking the time to research local companies, gaining an understanding of what types of jobs are growing, and making a deliberate career decision based on all the facts will enable any job seeker to effectively transition.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

For additional resources on finding employment "after 40," please visit Wiser Worker. A job board and resource center built for those with experience!

Use Your Head To Get Your Foot In The Door

I just saw this interview with author Harvey McCay on the Larry King Show. Harvey recently released his book, "Use Your Head To Get Your Foot In The Door," aimed at helping people find jobs today in today's economic landscape.

Some highlights from the interview:

• There are 6.3 million Americans that have been out of work for at least 6 months according to the Bureau of Labor Secrets.
• The biggest mistakes job seekers make is not learning about the person giving the interview before the interview. They Google the company, but do not get to know the people at the company. People buy from people. Take the next step and get to know them when you are preparing for an interview.
• The best thing you can do right after you lose your job is to volunteer.
• Learn to accept that rejection is not permanent. The example Harvey gives is of his best friend Lou Holtz, who was fired from the University of Arkansas. Instead of going crazy and suing the school, he changed his attitude, realized that the rejection was not permanent and wound up coaching Notre Dame for a Hall of Fame-esque coaching career.

Let us know what you thought of the video in the comments below. Or tell us over on our new Facebook Page.

-Greg

Florida's Guide To Careers

Twice a year all the Florida Employment Guide offices (Orlando, South Florida, Jacksonville and Tampa) get together to help job seekers find their next career opportunity, or explore new possibilities. We package this into a nice book we call the Guide To Careers.

For this issue we have a very special online edition that reads like you are holding it in your hands. View the newest Guide To Careers here.

In this issue we feature the following industries:

• Broadcasting
• Surgical Technicians
• Advertising Sales Professionals
• Dental Assistants
• Auto Service Mechanics
• Respiratory Therapists
• Security Officers
• Computer Systems Designs
• Medical Assistants
• The Armed Forces
• and more...

If you are looking for a career change, or are looking to find a carer that suits your needs, pick up the Guide To Careers. Knowledge is power and like the good ole G.I. Joe's used to say, "knowing is half the battle."

(Click on the image to view the online version.)

Be sure to follow us on Facebook for more job resources and jobs from the EmploymentGuide.com.

-Greg

Having Persistence In Your Job Search

Being Persistent In Your Job Search

When you are looking for a job, it becomes very easy to get frustrated. Countless applications, resumes, interviews and phone calls all start to talk a toll on your sanity! Persistence is very important to finding that ideal career that will both put food on the table and lend to a satisfying lifestyle.

One big player in persistence is to know your skills and how skills can impact your career and the business you work for. I am currently reading No Excuses, The Power Of Self-Discipline by Brian Tracy. In the book he outlines the power of self discipline to have no excuses in your life. One of those disciplines is persistence. Having persistence allows your confidence and self esteem to increase. He says that:

"the primary reason for success is persistence and, likewise, the primary reason for failure is lack of persistence, or quitting too soon."

And...

"Each time you persist and force yourself to continue on, even when you feel like quitting, your self-esteem goes up."

In the video I talk about 3 activities that can help boost your confidence and help you to persist during your job search. The 3 exercises are:

Skill Sheet

Write down a list of skills you possess. Everytime you are faced with rejection, look at the skills and know that there is an organization that needs what you have to offer.

Accomplishment List

I do this one all the time. Everytime that I feel like someone got something that I would be perfect for, or when I don't get the desired result that I am looking for, I take a look back at the accomplishments I have been able to achieve. If your list isn't as big as you'd like, start making opportunities and creating this for yourself.

Look Back At Times You Persisted

When in your life have you overcome failure and still succeeded? Was it school, maybe a big project, working with a nonprofit? Write this down.

Put all 3 of these sheets together and use them to create some self-discipline and persistence in your life. And keep going. There are jobs. The JobSpot is here to help. See you next time in another video and as always, please leave a quick comment and let us know if you have any questions or ideas for a future video or post.

I hope you enjoyed the video and please leave your thoughts and comments below.

-Greg

Study Recruiter Behavior To Get Into Their Office

The goal of looking for a job, for better or for worse is to get into the office of the hiring manager and see if the position is a fit for both parties.

So if your goal is to get the interview, you really need to know what the recruiter is looking for in order to line up that call that leads to the in-person meeting. One such way is to study the things and tools that recruiters use to find candidates. Articles run rampant these days on major media outlets on using the latest buzz tools and how recruiters are finding great people for their opportunities.

Recently in Inc. Magazine, they ran a story focused on recruiters using social media to recruit. The article went in depth on using the Big 3 - LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for their efforts.

LinkedIn

For LinkedIn it notes to look for people who are connections, people that have respected recommendations and referrals and by looking at their work history in their profile. Knowing this you can start to build those relationships, start to acquire recommendations and build out a profile that is appealing.

Facebook

On Facebook, recruiters may use applications, the marketplace or general searches to find candidates. Is your profile searchable for these keywords? Does your profile match the jobs that you are looking for? Are you interacting on a company's Facebook page (especially if they have a specific careers page)?

Knowing how recruiters use Facebook can help you build a profile that is appealing to their needs.

Twitter

The last of the Big 3 mentioned in the article, Twitter is another beast in itself. The biggest thing to look out for on Twitter is keywords and hashtags (#). Are you tagging your Tweets properly? Are you searching for companies and getting information from the right account?

Again, knowing how a company utilizes this technology can greatly enhance your chances of getting that meeting, aka the interview.

The same tactics can be applied to job boards, like the EmploymentGuide.com. Seeing how the company is set up to receive their applications can tell you a lot about how they bring people into their company. Submitting resumes via email is much different than filling out an application on their site which is still different from using the internal application on EmploymentGuide.com.

Make sure you cater to the recruiter's needs. Doing so will help you get into the hot seat faster.

Let's hear your thoughts.

Have you thought of studying recruiter behavior online? How are you using technology to your advantage? Let's talk in the comments below.

-Greg

You should follow us on Twitter, or "like" our FanPage on Facebook. It's what all the cool job seekers are doing!

Image by escapedtowisconsin

Alternate Transportation In Orlando

photo by Major Clanger

This past weekend I was visiting friends in San Francisco, California and I was very intrigued at the ways many people commute to work. There is a monorail - subway-esque system, buses, rail cars, trolleys and a very large population of people on bikes. Yes bikes.

Now Orlando is not San Francisco and things here in Central Florida are separated by more than 7 miles (the main city is 7miles by 7 miles) in many cases. I travel about 20 miles to work every morning. Biking is really not an option. However there are some people that can use alternate transportation to save more than just some gas money.

While saving the gas money is a plus, there are plenty of other benefits for ditching the car and looking for other means.

Lose the car payment.
As someone that is looking for a job, and is financially hurting - losing the car payment can help the bleeding. Even if your car is paid off, repairs, new tires, oil changes and other factors contribute to your monthly output of cash flow.

Help the environment.
You may not think that one car off the streets makes a difference, but every individual choice can easily be multiplied when others take action. You are helping the environment by your choices, which judging by the unusually cold winter and very steamy spring (not to mention some freaky earthquakes and floods in other parts of the world), the environment needs our help.

Exercise.
One of the overlooked features of both public transportation and physical activity is the increase in exercise. This can be time spent walking to and from the bus stop or station, biking the few miles to work or strolling the city to gather your thoughts. This extra exercise time is stimulating for both your body and your mind. Seems like a win-win to me.

While doing some reading before writing this post, I found a great article from Inc Magazine on incentives for employers to implement a biking system for their work place. There can be tax breaks, a bike-share or loan program and even sponsoring bike related events that benefit community organizations.

I also found out that May was bike month? Yea, didn't know that this existed, but apparently it does. Wikipedia even shows that the 3rd Friday in May is "Bike To Work Day" where:

...national, regional, and local bicycle advocacy groups encourage people to try bicycle commuting as a healthy and safe alternative to driving by providing route information and tips for new bicycle commuters. On Bike-to-Work Day, these groups often organize bicycle-related events, and in some areas, pit stops along bicycle routes with snacks.

Using Alternative Transportation In Interviews

Many employers want to know if you have reliable transportation upon you coming on board. For some, having that vehicle is the answer you think your boss wants to hear, and many times that answer may be correct. But having alternate transportation is also highly reliable. How many times has the bus not shown up?

This question can also work in your favor. Turn it around and ask if they offer any form of carpool, or have rewards systems for people that bike to work or utilize public transportation. This can make you sounds "green friendly" and also shows a vested interest to learn more about the culture of the company.

Have a great week Orlando and let us know what you think about using alternative transportation to get to and from work. We'd love to hear your thoughts.

-Greg

Have Starbucks On Us During National Nurses Week

At a time when customer service is being applauded with online platforms like Twitter, Yelp or Facebook, the appreciation we show towards people who do great work that impacts our lives should go back to square one, shouldn't it?

HealthCareerWeb.com is trying to bring it back to where appreciation matters. With health and family on the top of the minds of many Americans these days, we need to show gratitude to those that keep us healthy and balanced. This created the initiative for "We Appreciate Nurses A Latte," a new Facebook campaign on HCW.

The campaign corresponds with National Nurses Week, which goes down May 6th through 12th. The week recognizes the 3.1 million nurses across America that work in our hospitals, emergency rooms, schools, nursing homes and all the other duties and responsibilities that come with making sure America stays healthy.

To celebrate, HealthCareerWeb.com wants to know why you chose to enter the nursing profession. To show our appreciation, we will choose one nurse who shares their story everyday on May 6th, 7th, 10th, 11th and 12th, to enjoy a latte on us (in the form of a $25 Starbucks gift card)!

All you need to do is head on over to the HCW Facebook page, "like" the page and give us a few words on why you made the decision to join the fastest growing career field in the country. Here is a video that breaks it down:

Maybe it was a relative that was saved by a nurse when you were young, maybe a family member is in the healthcare field, or maybe you just want to feel like your job is making a difference in the lives of others.

No matter the reason - We Want To Hear From You!

If you know a nurse, send them over! Show them your appreciation and maybe they'll get a latte (or 2 or 3) out of the experience. Some may even become re-engaged after reading the stories of others.

See you on Facebook. I can't wait to read the stories that inspired you.

-Greg