Chandler Hill Partners Blog - -
Revitalizing your career in the middle of a job search involves two important steps: Step 1: Begin acquiring a new skill or refreshing one you already have. You might, for example, take a course in a second language at a local community college or attend a new certification program offered by your professional or trade association. You can choose almost any topic just as long as it will clearly and meaningfully enhance your ability to contribute on-the-job.
Step 2: Add the fact that you're back in school to your resume. Note it in the summary at the beginning of that document and, in its Education section, provide the name of the course you're taking, the institution or organization that's offering it, the formal outcome if there will be one and the term "On-going. Those two simple steps will instantaneously transform you into a new person. They'll enhance your skill set and also demonstrate your attributes to employers.
Most importantly, this course of action will set you apart from other candidates by demonstrating that you have two very special attributes: you understand that in today's rapidly evolving world of work, staying competent in your field is an ever-moving target AND you take personal responsibility for keeping yourself at the state-of-the-art. You recognize the responsibility and accept it.
Peter Weddle, Build Career Fitness
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Chandler Hill Partners Blog - How to empower your job search
Chandler Hill Partners Blog - -
Job hunting can seem like the most tedious and disheartening task you set out for yourself, especially in this market. It can get to the point where you get so frustrated that you want to give up or you figure, "What's the point?" The trick to job hunting in today's market is to be versatile. Don't follow the same stale standards that everyone's been doing for centuries. Branch out and try new tactics, and learn how to utilize all of your time looking for a job.
One key tip to empower your job search is to read trade magazines. You may be wondering, "What in the world is a trade magazine?" To newcomers, a trade magazine or journal is almost like a secret society where there are industry trends and updated information about what is currently going on in the market. From a learning standpoint, you can get a lot of insight and information about the constantly shifting industries in today's economy by reading them. Many of these trade magazines even post current job openings. Keep yourself in the game by being knowledgeable and also find out who's currently hiring.
Admittedly it takes effort on your part--but it pays off in your understanding about a particular area of the marketplace and who is doing what. Job seekers need to keep their skills current and continue to learn about the marketplace. One of the ways to track this information is by consistently reading trade magazines and journals.
Abridged: HUB Pages
Job hunting can seem like the most tedious and disheartening task you set out for yourself, especially in this market. It can get to the point where you get so frustrated that you want to give up or you figure, "What's the point?" The trick to job hunting in today's market is to be versatile. Don't follow the same stale standards that everyone's been doing for centuries. Branch out and try new tactics, and learn how to utilize all of your time looking for a job.
One key tip to empower your job search is to read trade magazines. You may be wondering, "What in the world is a trade magazine?" To newcomers, a trade magazine or journal is almost like a secret society where there are industry trends and updated information about what is currently going on in the market. From a learning standpoint, you can get a lot of insight and information about the constantly shifting industries in today's economy by reading them. Many of these trade magazines even post current job openings. Keep yourself in the game by being knowledgeable and also find out who's currently hiring.
Admittedly it takes effort on your part--but it pays off in your understanding about a particular area of the marketplace and who is doing what. Job seekers need to keep their skills current and continue to learn about the marketplace. One of the ways to track this information is by consistently reading trade magazines and journals.
Abridged: HUB Pages
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Chandler Hill Partners Blog - How the web has changed job searching
The Internet has changed a lot of things over the past decade or two--including how we search for jobs. Sure, the basics are the same: Find an opening and apply for it. But the Web has permanently altered the employment process. And with more than 1.2 million info tech jobs lost this year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a lot of people are going to be using every tool they can get to find their next job.
While networking is and has traditionally been the best way to find a new job, other effective tools are networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Here's how the Web is changing how we look for jobs. Social networking sites are exploding in popularity, as people look to connect with pretty much everyone they know. Facebook claims it has more than 250 million users; Twitter's traffic has grown tenfold in the past year; and LinkedIn is perhaps the most useful of the bunch for job hunting because of its employment and recommendation focused profiles.
Employment-focused Web sites and job search engine sites have been popular as well. At the same time, it's estimated that privately held craigslist will generate more than $100 million in revenue this year. Other job search sites, like Monster.com and CareerBuilder are also seeing huge increases in traffic. The Internet is definitely making a huge impact on how we search for jobs. Those who rely on only one tool will take longer to find a position.
Abridged: Business Week
While networking is and has traditionally been the best way to find a new job, other effective tools are networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Here's how the Web is changing how we look for jobs. Social networking sites are exploding in popularity, as people look to connect with pretty much everyone they know. Facebook claims it has more than 250 million users; Twitter's traffic has grown tenfold in the past year; and LinkedIn is perhaps the most useful of the bunch for job hunting because of its employment and recommendation focused profiles.
Employment-focused Web sites and job search engine sites have been popular as well. At the same time, it's estimated that privately held craigslist will generate more than $100 million in revenue this year. Other job search sites, like Monster.com and CareerBuilder are also seeing huge increases in traffic. The Internet is definitely making a huge impact on how we search for jobs. Those who rely on only one tool will take longer to find a position.
Abridged: Business Week
Chandler Hill Partners Blog - Resume tip: Give employers what they want
I've seen it yet again - a functional resume that goes to great lengths to "hide" work chronology and the current job title of the applicant. Of course, this resume isn't producing any interviews, and the job hunter is desperately seeking a critique to identify the problem!
Employers in today's market are savvy, seasoned, and perhaps even a bit weary. They've probably seen it all by now, including resumes that don't give up credible, easy-to-find information in a way that makes sense. So, give them what they crave! Your resume will make an ethical, professional case for you, but only if you "come clean." By this, I mean showing your full work history with descriptions of what you did.
Now, if you have past experience that qualifies you for a new job, but you don't want the employer to miss it, add a Career Achievements section on the first page that shows this information. However, DON'T peel your work chronology off in order to do this! Work history is an important part of your background. Even if your experience seems unrelated. You'll be able to make a connection to the skills needed for the job you are targeting right now.
Abridged: Examiner
Employers in today's market are savvy, seasoned, and perhaps even a bit weary. They've probably seen it all by now, including resumes that don't give up credible, easy-to-find information in a way that makes sense. So, give them what they crave! Your resume will make an ethical, professional case for you, but only if you "come clean." By this, I mean showing your full work history with descriptions of what you did.
Now, if you have past experience that qualifies you for a new job, but you don't want the employer to miss it, add a Career Achievements section on the first page that shows this information. However, DON'T peel your work chronology off in order to do this! Work history is an important part of your background. Even if your experience seems unrelated. You'll be able to make a connection to the skills needed for the job you are targeting right now.
Abridged: Examiner
Friday, August 21, 2009
Chandler Hill Partners Blog - Uncouth Facebook postings closing doors for job candidates
Chandler Hill Partners Blog - -
More employers than ever are researching job candidates on sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter in order to find out more about their activities and character. And, it turns out, many candidates are doing a great job of showing their potential bosses poor communication skills, inappropriate pictures, and even how many workplace secrets they can leak.
Some of us had the luck of doing stupid things online before most employers knew what social networking was. (I'll admit it: in my early working days, I said some not-nice things online about some of the people I worked with.) These days, however, those looking for jobs have had many years to build up an unsavory history across the Internet, and employers now know how to do their homework. In fact, nearly half of the employers in the US now search for job candidates on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, according to survey results from CareerBuilder. The job-finding firm said that the numbers reflect a twofold increase over those who reported doing so in last year—45 percent in 2009 versus 22 percent in 2008—and cautioned that many employers choose not to hire based on information they find online.
Facebook was the most popular site for researching job candidates this year—no surprise there, since Facebook has exploded in popularity as of late. "Professional" networking site LinkedIn came in second at 26 percent, MySpace came in third at 21 percent, 11 percent read blogs, and seven percent followed candidates' updates on Twitter. Paranoid yet about any of your recent tweets?
If you're looking for a job, you probably should be. More than a third of survey respondents said that they found info that caused them not to hire the person applying for the job, including "provocative or inappropriate photographs," content related to drinking or using drugs, and finding postings that badmouthed previous employers, coworkers, or clients. Other candidates showed poor communication skills on their social networking profiles, made discriminatory comments, lied about their qualifications, or shared confidential information from a previous employer. The one that made us cringe? "16 percent dismissed a candidate for using text language such as GR8 (great) in an e-mail or job application."
On the other hand, some candidates are doing a good job of presenting their professional side when posting online. Half of those who screened candidates via their social networking profiles said that they got a good feel for the person's personality and fit within the organization. Other employers said that they found the profiles supported the candidates' professional qualifications or that they discovered how creative the candidate was. Solid communication skills, evidence of well-roundedness, and other people's good references (we assume this one came from LinkedIn) helped boost people's credentials, too.
For most of us, it seems like common sense not to talk trash on your Facebook wall or post drunk pictures where potential employers can see them, but people are still catching up to the idea that their future bosses are on the same sites as they are. Anecdotally, I have worked at many an office that has casually looked up interns and new employees online, only to find sides of them that were less than flattering (one intern publicly declared that our company's parent company could "f-ing suck it!" immediately after we offered her the job).
Some may argue that employers shouldn't use information they found through a little bit of online stalking (something we've heard in our forums)—after all, what someone does after hours is his or her own business. At the same time, it's hard to deny that discovering truly alarming information—such as leaked workplace secrets—would be good cause for choosing another candidate. These days, everyone hunting for a job needs to exercise some judgment on what to post online and who they let access it if they want to stay in future employers' good graces.
More employers than ever are researching job candidates on sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter in order to find out more about their activities and character. And, it turns out, many candidates are doing a great job of showing their potential bosses poor communication skills, inappropriate pictures, and even how many workplace secrets they can leak.
Some of us had the luck of doing stupid things online before most employers knew what social networking was. (I'll admit it: in my early working days, I said some not-nice things online about some of the people I worked with.) These days, however, those looking for jobs have had many years to build up an unsavory history across the Internet, and employers now know how to do their homework. In fact, nearly half of the employers in the US now search for job candidates on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, according to survey results from CareerBuilder. The job-finding firm said that the numbers reflect a twofold increase over those who reported doing so in last year—45 percent in 2009 versus 22 percent in 2008—and cautioned that many employers choose not to hire based on information they find online.
Facebook was the most popular site for researching job candidates this year—no surprise there, since Facebook has exploded in popularity as of late. "Professional" networking site LinkedIn came in second at 26 percent, MySpace came in third at 21 percent, 11 percent read blogs, and seven percent followed candidates' updates on Twitter. Paranoid yet about any of your recent tweets?
If you're looking for a job, you probably should be. More than a third of survey respondents said that they found info that caused them not to hire the person applying for the job, including "provocative or inappropriate photographs," content related to drinking or using drugs, and finding postings that badmouthed previous employers, coworkers, or clients. Other candidates showed poor communication skills on their social networking profiles, made discriminatory comments, lied about their qualifications, or shared confidential information from a previous employer. The one that made us cringe? "16 percent dismissed a candidate for using text language such as GR8 (great) in an e-mail or job application."
On the other hand, some candidates are doing a good job of presenting their professional side when posting online. Half of those who screened candidates via their social networking profiles said that they got a good feel for the person's personality and fit within the organization. Other employers said that they found the profiles supported the candidates' professional qualifications or that they discovered how creative the candidate was. Solid communication skills, evidence of well-roundedness, and other people's good references (we assume this one came from LinkedIn) helped boost people's credentials, too.
For most of us, it seems like common sense not to talk trash on your Facebook wall or post drunk pictures where potential employers can see them, but people are still catching up to the idea that their future bosses are on the same sites as they are. Anecdotally, I have worked at many an office that has casually looked up interns and new employees online, only to find sides of them that were less than flattering (one intern publicly declared that our company's parent company could "f-ing suck it!" immediately after we offered her the job).
Some may argue that employers shouldn't use information they found through a little bit of online stalking (something we've heard in our forums)—after all, what someone does after hours is his or her own business. At the same time, it's hard to deny that discovering truly alarming information—such as leaked workplace secrets—would be good cause for choosing another candidate. These days, everyone hunting for a job needs to exercise some judgment on what to post online and who they let access it if they want to stay in future employers' good graces.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Chandler Hill Partners Blog - Great careers you can do from-home...
Chandler Hill Partners Blog - -
With 70% of adults using the Internet, working-from-home can be a viable option. Here are 5 job ideas for which a work-at-home career would work:
1. Web Design: Every company or group has a website, putting web designers in high demand. A freelance graphic artist or web designer can make upwards of $60,000/year in their career with a degree and experience.
2. E-Commerce: There are many ways to get involved in e-commerce from selling things on eBay to setting up a website to offer your services or expertise.
3. Photography: After getting your education in photography, you may not be able to work as an independent photographer right away, but over time, you can build a consistent client base as well as doing weddings, special events, and working on your own creative projects.
4. Bookkeeping: Your best bet is an accounting degree and some training on bookkeeping software. Many part-time jobs in bookkeeping can be found allowing you to work-from-home, giving you even more flexibility with your schedule.
5. Interior Design: Many states now certify interior design as a profession. With a certificate in interior design and some good self-marketing, you can create your own business and work the hours you please.
Abridged: LearningandLife.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About Chandler Hill Partners
For more than 30 years, the leaders of Chandler Hill Partners have earned a reputation for integrity, innovation, dedication to quality, and commitment to results.
Today, the success of Chandler Hill Partners comes from the experience, people, technology, and consistent methodologies available to the organizations and the individuals who trust us with their employment needs.
Our sole determination is helping individuals and organizations achieve their employment goals.
With many locations nationwide, Chandler Hill Partners is the nation's leader in career advancement and job search, providing a wide range of services for job seekers and employers.
With 70% of adults using the Internet, working-from-home can be a viable option. Here are 5 job ideas for which a work-at-home career would work:
1. Web Design: Every company or group has a website, putting web designers in high demand. A freelance graphic artist or web designer can make upwards of $60,000/year in their career with a degree and experience.
2. E-Commerce: There are many ways to get involved in e-commerce from selling things on eBay to setting up a website to offer your services or expertise.
3. Photography: After getting your education in photography, you may not be able to work as an independent photographer right away, but over time, you can build a consistent client base as well as doing weddings, special events, and working on your own creative projects.
4. Bookkeeping: Your best bet is an accounting degree and some training on bookkeeping software. Many part-time jobs in bookkeeping can be found allowing you to work-from-home, giving you even more flexibility with your schedule.
5. Interior Design: Many states now certify interior design as a profession. With a certificate in interior design and some good self-marketing, you can create your own business and work the hours you please.
Abridged: LearningandLife.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About Chandler Hill Partners
For more than 30 years, the leaders of Chandler Hill Partners have earned a reputation for integrity, innovation, dedication to quality, and commitment to results.
Today, the success of Chandler Hill Partners comes from the experience, people, technology, and consistent methodologies available to the organizations and the individuals who trust us with their employment needs.
Our sole determination is helping individuals and organizations achieve their employment goals.
With many locations nationwide, Chandler Hill Partners is the nation's leader in career advancement and job search, providing a wide range of services for job seekers and employers.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Chandler Hill Partners Blog - Don't fall into a job search rut
Chandler Hill Blog - -
How you approach unemployment can really make or break you. When you're not working a nine-to-five, your job is to find a job. However, job searching eight hours a day may leave you somewhat brain dead. So, a schedule is in order. You have to figure out what you realistically can accomplish. Set some job search goals for yourself so you don't fall into a pit of jobless despair.
Dedicate a certain amount of time each day to your job search. Do this in the morning or early afternoon. And yes, the responses you receive may be less than pleasing: "We have already filled the position," "Your qualifications don't meet our needs," yadda, yadda, yadda. However, don't take these rejections personally. It just may mean that your qualifications don't meet the job criteria or the person hiring didn't see a good fit.
Job searching is, unfortunately, a little like dating - it will either click or it won't. There isn't always going to be a clear cut reason why. Also, it's important that you go out and do something. Anything. Don't let your brain rot while searching. It can be something as simple as taking a walk. It's better than doing nothing, because job searching can inevitably get you down. You have to work hard to do at least one thing a day that will make you happy.
Abridged: Denver Unemployment Examiner
How you approach unemployment can really make or break you. When you're not working a nine-to-five, your job is to find a job. However, job searching eight hours a day may leave you somewhat brain dead. So, a schedule is in order. You have to figure out what you realistically can accomplish. Set some job search goals for yourself so you don't fall into a pit of jobless despair.
Dedicate a certain amount of time each day to your job search. Do this in the morning or early afternoon. And yes, the responses you receive may be less than pleasing: "We have already filled the position," "Your qualifications don't meet our needs," yadda, yadda, yadda. However, don't take these rejections personally. It just may mean that your qualifications don't meet the job criteria or the person hiring didn't see a good fit.
Job searching is, unfortunately, a little like dating - it will either click or it won't. There isn't always going to be a clear cut reason why. Also, it's important that you go out and do something. Anything. Don't let your brain rot while searching. It can be something as simple as taking a walk. It's better than doing nothing, because job searching can inevitably get you down. You have to work hard to do at least one thing a day that will make you happy.
Abridged: Denver Unemployment Examiner
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
