Showing posts with label Job Seekers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Job Seekers. Show all posts

Thursday, December 2, 2010

I Need Work

Feel like you will never get a job? Getting desperate?

Do you need work now?

You have been searching for jobs for hours on end, day after day, but still aren’t having any luck. Maybe you can’t find the right jobs to apply to, can’t get to the interview, or can’t get past the first interview. Whatever it is, there is a solution to those thoughts that are constantly running through your head — “I need work.. and I need work NOW!” We understand what it’s like to need work in order to pay the bills, get health insurance and put dinner on the table for your family. Here are some tips to help you find work now:

1. Look in the right places. If you need to find work, online job boards, such as EmploymentSpot and CareerBuilder, are the easiest ways to find and apply to jobs. You can search by location or industry, or use specific keywords to narrow down your job search as much as possible. It is also smart to look through newspaper help wanted ads for jobs that aren’t being advertised online. Talk to friends, family and neighbors and get the word out that “I need work.” Finally, stop in local businesses with your suit on and resume in hand. Whether or not they have a “Help Wanted” sign on their door, it never hurts to stop in and ask.

2. Perfect your resume. If you need work now and are applying to jobs but aren’t getting any phone calls, maybe your resume needs some helps. Get a second (and third) opinion by having someone with good judgment review your resume. Spelling and grammar errors are the first thing to look for. Next, focus on the layout of your resume. The easier it is to read and understand, the more likely it is that an employer will take the time to look it over. Finally, pay attention to the wording and order of the items in your resume. Most people use a chronological format, but if your most recent or current job has nothing to do with the job you are applying to, this may not be the best method. Also, doing something as simple as rewording your bullet points by making them more active and descriptive can help you find work now, helping your resume go from the bad pile to the good pile. What you say in your resume and how it looks can make all the difference in getting a job.

Current Employment Opportunities

3. Don’t forget a cover letter. Many employers will throw away resumes that do not come with a cover letter. No matter how much of a hassle it seems, if you really need work now, writing a cover letter could be your key to landing the interview. By taking the time to write a cover letter, it shows the employer that you are truly interested in the job. Employers can tell when you mass-mail resumes and use the same cover letter template for each job application, so it is important to address the specific job requirements in each cover letter and write about how your skills and experience relate to fulfilling those requirements. Your cover letter is the place to sell yourself, especially if you are lacking experience on your resume.

4. Master the interview. First of all, if you are headed to an interview, it means that you did something right. The first thing to remember in interviews is to show the employer what you can do for their company. When asked why you want the job, it probably isn’t smart to say to the HR manager, “I need work.” This shows that you are only thinking about yourself. Instead of saying why you need them, tell the company why they need to hire you. It is important to be prepared for interviews and know what questions to expect. For example, have some idea of how you would answer the infamous “So, tell me about yourself” and “Why do you want to work for [insert company name here]” questions. For interview help, check out “Interview Tips to Get the Job.” For more interview tips straight from the employers, check out “Master the Interview: Insight from the Inside” and “Hiring Manager Secrets: The 5 Smartest Interview Moves.”.

5. Be professional. If you are still saying to yourself, “I need work,” then maybe you aren’t as professional as you think you are. How is your phone and e-mail etiquette? How are you behaving during the interview? How are you dressing for the interview? These may seem small in comparison to the skills you have to offer, but a lack of professionalism is a warning for employers. First impressions make all the difference in the working world, so when you need to find work you must act and look your best.

6. Stand out from the crowd. Standing out from the crowd does not mean submitting a hot pink resume — it means differentiating yourself. Employers want to see why you are better than the other 100 applicants applying to this job. Imagine that you all have the same work experience and education. What is it about you that makes you different — and better — from the rest? Find out what this is and sell yourself with it. For example, everyone in sales is friendly (or at least they should be), so how do you go above and beyond to find more clients and secure the most sales?

If you are still saying to yourself (and everyone you know), “I need work,” consider starting out in an entry-level job. Or, maybe you just aren’t in the right place at the right time. If you need work and are willing to move, look for jobs in other cities and states. Maybe you will be lucky enough to have your employer pay for you to relocate! Here are some of the states with the best prospects for employment:

Go to a career fair. If your resume isn’t getting you in the door, attending a career fair gives you face-to-face time with employers. Show a genuine interest in the company and ask lots of questions before telling them about yourself and what you are looking for. This is you chance to make a lasting impression!

After all this, do you still need to find work? Make sure there isn’t something you are overlooking. Is there a chance that you are unemployable? Read this article to find out: “Are You Unemployable?”

Do you already have a job but need more work? Consider taking an extra job on nights or weekends. While not the ideal situation, it may be a temporary solution if you need more work to get you through some tough times. Look into working somewhere that is open on nights and weekends, such as in retail or food service. You may also enjoy the entertainment industry, such as working at a casino or being an usher or concessions worker at a music or sports venue. If you need more work you can also pick up some extra hours by working in security, construction and general labor. These are all great jobs if you need more work because they allow for flexibility so you can continue at your current job.

Do you need work but aren’t sure where to start? Find out what job is right for you by exploring these different industries:

Thursday, October 14, 2010

11 Helpful Sites for Job Seekers Find a Job.

Many people think of career sites as websites with job listings, but the job seeker has many more web tools at hand. There are experts dishing out great advice for free, as well as data resources for subjects like unemployment benefits or career trends. Here are 11 such sites you should be using:

National Employment Law Project

This site can help the long-term unemployed keep track of relevant legislation, particularly concerning unemployment benefits and COBRA subsidies.

Fistful of Talent

Reading the posts on this blog is like listening to a lunchroom full of HR professionals, hiring managers, and recruiters talk about their likes, dislikes, and strategies. You’ll learn things like how recruiters find candidates online, or the kinds of questions they like, or their own worries about the recruiting process.

JobBound

The folks behind this career consulting firm were kind enough to share some free advice. Get rock-solid, up-to-date advice on how to write and style your resume and cover letter, and how to handle yourself in an interview.

Brazen Careerist

A necessity not just for the Gen-Y audience it focuses on, this site offers boatloads of insight into how young up-and-comers view and critique the workplace. That’s crucial if you’re going to be interviewed by a twentysomething, which will likely happen at some point.

LinkedIn

It's simple: You should be on here and your profile should look sharp and fresh. Your goal is to make it easy for people to find the very best side of you.

Seeking Alpha

This website graciously transcribes public companies’ earnings conference calls. That allows you to brush up on all the crucial, timely details about the public company you really want to work for (or its competitor), giving you the kind of insight that can elevate a cover letter or interview.

Careers at Alltop

This aggregator of topical RSS feeds puts an army of well-known careers bloggers right in front of you. Career expert Anita Bruzzese might give you a lesson in how to network without hating it. The folks at Careerbuilder’s Work Buzz blog will keep you updated on companies that are hiring.

CareerDiva

Eve Tahmincioglu describes her site as “the thinking man or woman’s career blog.” But even if you’re not much of a thinker, her advice will make you smarter because she has her nose in the news and her eye on solid career wisdom.

Facebook

Presumably, you have (or could have) hundreds of Facebook friends all over the country and most of them have listed their various employers in their profiles, or “Info” tabs. If you use an application like those offered by SimplyHired or Indeed, you’ll be able to search for jobs where your friends work and ping them for extra information on the company, or ask for the name of the person who’s hiring so you can contact them directly.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

This site is a bit of a beast, but it’s incredibly useful. To start, hover your mouse over the "Employment" tab on the left and click on “Employment Projections” in the drop-down menu. The most straightforward data is in the tables that start at the middle of the page. Back on the homepage, you’ll see a tab indicating resources for job seekers on the left. Click it.

Indeed's Job Trends

Indeed's Job Trends screenshot

Wondering what kind of positions are growing in demand? You can search any term to see the growth in percentage of posts that include the term. Bonus trend charts: job postings per capita, job market competition, and industry employment trends.


Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Who’s Hiring This Week

It’s Tuesday, and that means another list of companies hiring right now! The gist of this is pretty simple: We highlight some companies who are looking for workers right this very moment. You can click on their name to see what positions they have open.

Get clicking!


Brown Mackie College
Industry: Education
Sample job titles: Academic department – director, of business, adjunct sociology instructor

Fidelis Care
Industry:
Management
Sample job titles: Benefits manager, marketing manager

New Breed
Industry:
Manufacturing
Sample job titles: Warehouse supervisors, operations manager

TransTechs
Industry:
Transportation
Sample job titles: Diesel technician, body shop technician

State Chemical
Industry:
Manufacturing and business development
Sample job titles: Entry-level account manager, entry-level strategic account manager

Cogent Healthcare
Industry:
Health care
Sample job titles: Nurse practitioner, program medical director

Butler America
Industry:
Engineering
Sample job titles: Sr. systems engineer (federal systems security standards), quality engineer

Hancock Bank
Industry:
Finance
Sample job titles: Senior service desk analyst, Insurance Specialist

Bayer
Industry:
Biotechnology
Sample job titles: PV case associate/PV case specialist, Bioanalytical assays and pharmacokinetics

Sony Electronics Inc
Industry:
Retail
Sample job titles: Sales specialist (part-time retail sales), manager of product training

Most Popular