Two IT Jobs for Non-Nerds

IT doesn't just need developers. Reportedly, they're having problems hiring enough salespeople and project managers.

Job clubs are great, says a division of the US Department of Labor who is promoting them.

Mistakes

There are some words that shouldn't be on your résumé .
Replace them with examples--prove what you did.

More interviewing no-nos: smelling like you've been smoking and long hair on men.

Online Presence

A company doing background checks for employers claims its software can find the real names of people using pseudonyms on the web.

Don't trust privacy settings to keep your secrets safe from inquiring employers.

You've deleted something an employer shouldn't see from the web. But you're worried Mama Google will still report a cached copy of the url.

You might look at Google's URL removal tool .

Another technique is to get so much positive stuff indexed about yourself, the questionable item disappears to page 34 of the results.


---More tips for successful systematic job searching: 99 cents ebooks

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4 fields and 1 country are HIRING!

Good news: fields with jobs

4 job titles not bothered by the recession are reportedly (all techie): engineer, programmer, developer, math professional.

Then there's India's problem. They can't find a hangman. Don't know if they're accepting online applications.

The Mechanics

It's a numbers game, one article suggests. The more people you network with, the more likely you are to find a job. The problem with that is do you have time to network well with any of them?

You can get 1,000 friends on LinkedIn or Facebook but at that level, how many of them are you actually interacting with? The idea of networking is to learn, help and show. You probably can't do that effectively with a huge number of people.

Here are suggestions on what to do for a job
fair--like bathe beforehand. These ideas work well for networking meetings or interviews too.

Know the company intensely at the interview. 38% of job hunters show up knowing little or nothing about the company. Why not eat their lunch from McDonalds in front of the interviewer too? Some hunters even answer their cell phones during interviews! (Maybe the competition isn't as stiff as you thought.)

Brief your references--they should know what the new job is all about, how you fit in and who is likely to be calling.

The US Department of Labor is concerned unpaid internships may be abused, giving the employers free workers but the interns little benefit. They've set up 6 rules.

Numbers

The unemployment rate for veterans in the US is 3 points higher (12.1%) than that of the general population. It's 16.2% for African Americans.

There's now a company whose whole mission is to report on your online presence for employers.


---The full story of How to Find a Job in sequenced steps is available here.

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Job searching: the new lifestyle

Get used to job searching. It will probably be a way of life as the workplace changes. Workers are likely to work for far more companies than in the past.

Only 20% of jobs are ever advertised, this astonishing estimate says.

Why is Monster so ineffectual at finding jobs? Employers may just be building their databases--they've purchased a block of ads and they have to use them. The listing doesn't mean there's a real job underneath.

Your skills have to remain current. This is especially true for older workers if they find themselves reluctant to update to new technology.

The nationwide 9.1% unemployment rate hides that in some areas, things are even worse. In Benewah County, Idaho, for instance, unemployment was at 15.1% in May. It's 15% in Kern County, California.

Of course, double that for teenagers (16-19). In Nevada, the teen unemployment rate is 36.2%.

One Florida man left a $90,000 job a year and a half ago to move nearer to family. He couldn't find a job at even $20,000 and have gone back to school.

Bad news doesn't mean give up--but it's different than it used to be out there.

---new ways to job search for 99 cents

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Billboard guy gets job! Congratulations!

The guy who put his job search on a billboard won. He got a 6 months initial contract out of the stunt. He'll be working as a communications executive with a bookmaker. The original story from 2 weeks ago is here.

One London student donned rollerblades to hand out his business card to prospective employers. The card had an url where his resume could be read. So far, no calls.

Some good insights on using LinkedIn reside amidst a bit of fluff.

Only 1 in 4 people between 16 and 19 will find work this summer, according to the New York Times. Students say all the jobs want experience--how am I supposed to get that? 55+ years olds are looking for work with postgrad degrees and 30+ years of experience--and not getting hired.


---more ideas for successful job searching are in my ebooks

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Move north: jobs on the prairie

Alberta has jobs but not enough workers. They expect this "problem" to get worse. Overall, Canada's unemployment rate is 1.7 points less than in the US. (The dissent: this article claims it's still tough for a graduate just out of college to get a decent job in Canada.)

Don't apply to more than 3 or 4 companies, this consultant writes. You don't have time to do do your homework and network with more than that.

Apply directly from company web sites and skip the big job boards. Set up a Google alert for your name so you know if anyone mentions you.

Here's a list of the 5 least effective job searching techniques. Might want to check to see if you're doing any of these. I don't agree some of these are the "least" effective. But none of them are "good".

They're telling freshmen in college to sign up with LinkedIn.


---more advice from the real world in my ebooks

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Posting online résumés not useful, author says

Someone besides me is going public with the truth: "In general, posting résumés online is not a useful strategy." I've heard that.

Writing an industry-related blog is a good way to show what you can do and to get your name out there. But it doesn't do that quickly. So start your blog early.

70% of employers have disqualified a prospect because of something they saw online, this article claims. That's twice as high as I've seen before. In any case--an useful reminder to monitor what employers can see about you on the web.

More than 1/2 of UK employees surveyed spent more than 3 hours weekly searching for another job on company time. Favorite excuses for interview time off: doctor appointment, home delivery, pet emergency. Having the present employer fund the job search is usually considered high-risk behavior.

If the interviewer asks do you want tea or water, always say yes, this author writes. I disagree. The interview is about them, not you. So let's get down to it. The last thing you need is a chance to spill something or show a shaking cup. In a long interview, do you really want to interrupt to use the restroom?

My advice--don't complicate an already fairly tense situation.

There are plenty of job apps for the Iphone. Enjoy but monitor how much time you spend with them. Is this time meeting my goals? Am I learning more about my target company? Am I coming up with ways to add value to their bottom line?

"QUALIFICATIONS: I am a very detrimental person." More amusing mistakes people have put on their resumes are here.


---brought to you by 2 great ebooks on how job searching works today


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Tough being teen

Teen unemployment for May was 24%--two and a half times higher than that for the general population.

If you're teen, black and male, the unemployment rate is 45%--four times higher than the general rate.

Many students give up after 5 to 7 applications. As well they should. They haven't heard about the right way to job search--targeting gets new jobs.

The time it takes to find a job and the number of people applying for each job have both doubled since before the rescession.


---brought to you by the people who know the right way to job search

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A new place to post

We've written about using Yahoo Answers to answer questions people ask about your field. Never thought of posting positions wanted there.

For networking, our top choice is LinkedIn. If you need help, check here and here--solid suggestions.

We always said to target your job searching. This author phrases it "Stop looking for a job. Start looking for a company." Good idea!

Florida is considering a law limiting the use employers can make of credit history in job decisions. As the rescession lengthens, more long term job searchers have to explain credit issues to prospective employers.


---More tips at How to Find a Job
Available for just $1.25 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download
Job hunting expenses may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant.

Image courtesy of photostock

Four Worst Mistakes You Can Make

1. Using general job boards. One study says 2/3 of job seekers' time is spent with ads and sending applications. What a waste.

I don't know of any study that shows the effectiveness of general job ad sites at better than 10%. Most estimates are much lower. So people are spending 66% of their time on a method that doesn't work 90% of the time. This makes sense?

For a start, get off the job boards and onto these web sites where people can see you.

2. Using a cookie cutter résumé. This suggests you think McDonalds has the same problems as Red Robin because they both sell burgers. This is like telling a girl you love her green eyes when you have no idea what color her eyes are (really not recommended.)

Every company has unique issues. If you don't know what they are, you're wasting your time showing them your résumé.

A better approach: You know the company's web site better than their webmaster does. Their newsletter shows up in your email--as well as Google or Yahoo alerts when something new happens to them. They didn't have a Wikipedia page--you wrote one. "Forbes" or "Fortune" has covered them? The company has blogs? You've read them all.

Why? You need to know the company that well to figure out what they need. And how you can supply what they're missing.

Your résumé has one purpose--to show the employer you can solve her problems. To do that, your résumé needs to be unique and tailored.

3. Going into the interview blind, not knowing anyone or the company. Building on the first two steps, you need to be on those websites mentioned in #1 looking for the people you found in #2, watching them, asking questions, contributing where you can.

Ideally, you've interacted with somebody important on LinkedIn. "I'm applying at your company. May I use you as a reference?" That's not a question you can ask the first day--or month--you've been on the site. It's the product (pay off?) of a lot of give and take.

4. Waiting for the phone to ring. Remember the phone not ringing in high school? Same story here. It probably won't, left to its own devices.

You need to out there hustling, doing the Job Searching Checklist.

---More tips at How to Find a Job
Available for just $1.25 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download
Job hunting expenses may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant.

Image courtesy of savit keawtavee

4 Best Interview Tips

1. Show up 10 minutes early for the interview. Don't fidget while you wait. Perhaps you could read something related to the job.

2. Treat the receptionist like she's interviewing you. Be nice to everybody--you don't know who the interviewer will ask about you.

3. "You can't overdress for an interview," this expert says.

4. Don't forget the note afterwards. Handwritten. Not an email. Everybody gets email, nobody gets handwritten notes (except birthdays and Christmas). Which makes you stand out?


---More tips at How to Find a Job
Available for just $1.25 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download
Job hunting expenses may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant.

Image courtesy of Michal Marcol

The One Minute Résumé

More than 1/2 of employers give a résumé less than 60 seconds. So the question (as always) is can you quickly demonstrate on paper how you can help the company?

Yes, a résumé is not about what you've done. It's about what you can do for them. Sure, your experience may support the solution. But your knowledge of the company and focus on its needs has to shine through.

86% of those employers called a cover letter unimportant. I wouldn't skip this step since your prospect might be one of the 14% that wants to see a cover letter. Writing one is a good exercise in getting you to tailor your presentation to where the company has a hole.

Don't get caught in looking too narrowly. Are your skills transferrable to another field? .

If you're in school or just getting out, don't overlook any job searching opportunities your school offers. You paid for it. Fewer than 1 in 5 graduates participated in a recent college's job fair that had 118 employers.

Gotta love those optimists: "By now it should be crystal clear - even to those who have either a clouded vision or a biased view - that our economy is rapidly making up much of the ground it lost during the Great Recession." The author later admits that under the brightest hopes, the end of 2011 will see only 1/2 the jobs restored which were lost during the recession. No word on how he interprets jobs created crashing 76% from April to May.

---How to Find a Job
Available for just $1.25 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download
Job hunting expenses may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant.

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New jobs take a nosedive

They keep talking recovery in the economy. But only 54,000 nonfarm payroll jobs were added in the US in May (down from 232,000 in April.) Nationwide unemployment stands at 9.1%. (Figures from the New York Times 6-3-11)

In Ireland (15% unemployment), one jobseeker rented a billboard to tout his cause. He reports being deluged with interview offers from his $2,800 investment.

Update: 6-18-11: The stunt worked. The jobseeker was hired.

Forbes has an article that recommends spending only 10% of the job search online. It's unclear what you're supposed to do with the other 7.2 hours a day. Although, hey, if you can set up networking meetings for breakfast, lunch and dinner, more power to you!

How much can an employer check? They want to see your Facebook account and your web presence. But in 5 states, they can't check your credit report. 17 other states are considering similar laws. Reportedly, 65% of employers check credit on job applicants.


--How to Find a Job
Available for just $1.25 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download
Job hunting expenses may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant.

Image courtesy of Idea go

One place NOT to look for work

Don't job search at work. Your company may have the ability to track keyboard taps or websites visited. (Clearing the cache or history won't save you.) I heard of one poor guy who got fired for looking for cars on a company computer.

CBS claims San Jose, California has the most jobs available in the nation. This is apparently based on the number of posting at a job web site. Uh, CBS did you ask how effective that website is at landing jobs? Or how many of those postings are for real jobs?

Your odds of successful job searching on a general job board are better than winning the lotto--but not by enough to matter to you.


---Is there a right way to do a job search? How to Find a Job
Available for just $1.25 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download
Job hunting expenses may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant.

Employers see (and do) the strangest things

Job searching today expects a certain level of enthusiasm. Not everybody has it. Purportedly real things people wrote looking for a new job might make you think the competition isn't all that stiff.

Some employers are asking applicants for the log in codes to their Facebook accounts. One writer says to tell them this violates Facebook's terms of service.

Don't slap up a LinkedIn profile and forget about it. This could be a key piece of the job searching strategy--and a first stop for recruiters.

In Washington, if you're on unemployment and not looking for work, the state could ask for their money back.


---The organized job search: How to Find a Job
Available for just $1.25 from Kindle or Nook or instant PDF download

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