Take a look around and you will see that most people think nothing of changing jobs at the drop of a hat! Each one is interested in going where the money beckons! The result is that job hunting has become an industry by itself today!
Why do I call it an industry? Some people have realized that these job hunters require help and have come up with the perfect resources. There are entire books and web sites that offer expert advice regarding a great variety of professions and career options. Social groups provide personal counseling. TV has become a great medium to advertise jobs as well as have programs on careers. The radio is not far behind! Whatever be the resource, contact information is provided too.
Some career development professionals have made it their business to stick to a certain area of expertise only, where job hunting is concerned. For instance, some of them find another form of gainful employment for those workers who have been laid off at their previous jobs. Others aid those people who have constrained themselves to the house for 10 years or even more, and then discover that they need to go back to work once again. Basically, these experts take care of the special needs of each individual.
Of course, with the emergence of the Internet, job hunting has taken on a new meaning! There are many advantages to be gained from browsing the Net. One gets a bird's eye view of all the jobs that are advertised out there. So finding a match becomes easier, and right from the comfort of one's living room! There are no time constraints involved in job hunting here, even midnight is okay! The best part of the whole thing is, you are "seen" by everyone, everywhere!
Before uploading a resume, it would be wise to do some research on the company and position being applied for. What are the employers like? What is the professional background of the company? What do past/current employees feel about the management and the company itself? Pay and perks offered? These are just a few basic questions which come to mind; there could be many more. The answers to these questions can help the job hunter to narrow down his/her choice of preferences.
There are other aspects to job hunting too. It may be a fresh college graduate or it may be someone who has gone through a number of jobs already, but each one finds job hunting a strain. It is not just a question of sending a resume (even a resume has to be written out properly); there are other skills that are required, such as personal grooming and demeanor, facing an interview, and so on. Hence, quite a few employment services and schools have come up, offering to train the individual in developing these skills.
To conclude, job hunting does bring on a lot of stress, especially if quick results are not to be seen. It hurts that so much of searching has come to naught. One has to have a lot of patience for the right job to come along. Also, to put everything in a realistic perspective, there is nothing wrong in working one's way up from the bottom of the ladder if top positions are not immediately available. Maybe one could spend less time on brooding, and instead concentrate on developing a different set of skills or some kind of useful activity till an excellent job shows up
Download Abhishek's FREE 66 Page Ebook, "How To Play And Enjoy Hunting Video Games" from his website http://www.Hunting-Guru.com/100/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Agarwal
Thursday, 5 November 2009
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Top 10 Job Hunting Mistakes - How to Avoid Them
Recently a group of 12 experienced Human Resource Managers and recruiters, with a collective 105 years of experience, got together and listed the top 10 job hunting mistakes. These mistakes are regardless of the type of job the job hunter was looking for-the jobs ranged from part-time, an internship or a professional looking for a full-time job.
Avoid these top ten common job hunting mistakes and you'll be a lot closer to the right career and the best job possible. Here's the top ten list in no particular order:
1. Applying for a position that you are obviously not qualified for. The HR managers were clear on this mistake. They were not saying when the job announcement asked for at least 3 years of experience, that it's a mistake for you to apply for the job when you only have 2 ½ years experience. Rather, the job announcement listed as a key requirement, a college degree, and the job applicant hadn't graduated from high school.
In another frequent example, the job requirement listed a specific certification or license and the applicant had neither basic qualifications.
2. All of the HR managers stated they filled many positions by never advertising. The estimates ranged from 40% to 90%, of individuals hired through referrals, the candidate came knocking and later an opening occurred or the HR manager found a good candidate working somewhere else and encouraged them to apply.
So another big job hunting mistake is waiting for the job to come to you rather than you hunting down possible job openings and opportunities.
3. Many job hunters, the HR managers stated, did not take the job search seriously. The job hunting process takes time and if currently unemployed, should be looked upon as a full time job. The HR managers all had stories to tell of the applicant who was sending out a couple of resumes a week and was expecting to quickly find the right job.
4. Not doing your homework has doomed many an applicant. An applicant who lacks knowledge about the employer will quickly go the bottom of the list. With the internet, and other resources, it's a quick study to learn basic knowledge about a company or organization. A candidate who knows the company's products or services, its competitors and current issues affecting the company will have a considerable advantage in the hiring process.
5. A small item but easy to correct. Sending in an application packet and addressing it to "To whom it may concern." All the HR managers gave credit to the applicant who called the company and asked for the name of the HR manger or the hiring manager and directed their information to that individual. Also, much of this information may be available on the internet.
6. At the job interview the applicant who has great difficulty talking about their accomplishments. So many applicants never adequately explain why they should be hired. The interviewer is no mind reader so the applicant doesn't get hired.
7. The applicant who shows up for the interview overconfident and unprepared. The HR managers all stated they see applicants every week who apparently expect to be hired because they showed up, were witty and expected that to impress the interviewer.
8. The applicant who never follows up on the interview. No thank you letter to add to the information learned in the interview, no phone calls, nothing. This doesn't mean the applicant should be calling every day, but reasonable contacts show the hiring manager that you are still interested.
9. A lack of professional appearance. This not only includes yourself personally, but how your resume is put together, the type of paper. Purple paper will stand out but is not professional. A "cute" email address like studmuffin@cozy.com will not make it; get a new email address.
10. Not being organized. Several of the HR managers related stories of calling the applicant for more information and getting a confused response. It's a good practice to keep a log of your job hunting activities; notes of interviews, material sent to employers, if you customize each resume and cover letter copies of each, dates of follow-up calls and results, all show a level of organization that will help you find the right job.
So there you have it, the top 10 mistakes way to many job applicants make that keeps them from being hired. Their job hunt takes to long and many times when they do get hired it's the wrong job for the wrong employer. Take these top 10 to heart and you'll more quickly find the right job with the right employer that you'll be happy with.
John Groth is a former HR executive and career coach. Find Job Hunting Ideas, valuable articles and up to date career and recruitment strategies. For a Free seven day career planning guide go to his career site Career Network all to assist you in advancing and managing your career.
Avoid these top ten common job hunting mistakes and you'll be a lot closer to the right career and the best job possible. Here's the top ten list in no particular order:
1. Applying for a position that you are obviously not qualified for. The HR managers were clear on this mistake. They were not saying when the job announcement asked for at least 3 years of experience, that it's a mistake for you to apply for the job when you only have 2 ½ years experience. Rather, the job announcement listed as a key requirement, a college degree, and the job applicant hadn't graduated from high school.
In another frequent example, the job requirement listed a specific certification or license and the applicant had neither basic qualifications.
2. All of the HR managers stated they filled many positions by never advertising. The estimates ranged from 40% to 90%, of individuals hired through referrals, the candidate came knocking and later an opening occurred or the HR manager found a good candidate working somewhere else and encouraged them to apply.
So another big job hunting mistake is waiting for the job to come to you rather than you hunting down possible job openings and opportunities.
3. Many job hunters, the HR managers stated, did not take the job search seriously. The job hunting process takes time and if currently unemployed, should be looked upon as a full time job. The HR managers all had stories to tell of the applicant who was sending out a couple of resumes a week and was expecting to quickly find the right job.
4. Not doing your homework has doomed many an applicant. An applicant who lacks knowledge about the employer will quickly go the bottom of the list. With the internet, and other resources, it's a quick study to learn basic knowledge about a company or organization. A candidate who knows the company's products or services, its competitors and current issues affecting the company will have a considerable advantage in the hiring process.
5. A small item but easy to correct. Sending in an application packet and addressing it to "To whom it may concern." All the HR managers gave credit to the applicant who called the company and asked for the name of the HR manger or the hiring manager and directed their information to that individual. Also, much of this information may be available on the internet.
6. At the job interview the applicant who has great difficulty talking about their accomplishments. So many applicants never adequately explain why they should be hired. The interviewer is no mind reader so the applicant doesn't get hired.
7. The applicant who shows up for the interview overconfident and unprepared. The HR managers all stated they see applicants every week who apparently expect to be hired because they showed up, were witty and expected that to impress the interviewer.
8. The applicant who never follows up on the interview. No thank you letter to add to the information learned in the interview, no phone calls, nothing. This doesn't mean the applicant should be calling every day, but reasonable contacts show the hiring manager that you are still interested.
9. A lack of professional appearance. This not only includes yourself personally, but how your resume is put together, the type of paper. Purple paper will stand out but is not professional. A "cute" email address like studmuffin@cozy.com will not make it; get a new email address.
10. Not being organized. Several of the HR managers related stories of calling the applicant for more information and getting a confused response. It's a good practice to keep a log of your job hunting activities; notes of interviews, material sent to employers, if you customize each resume and cover letter copies of each, dates of follow-up calls and results, all show a level of organization that will help you find the right job.
So there you have it, the top 10 mistakes way to many job applicants make that keeps them from being hired. Their job hunt takes to long and many times when they do get hired it's the wrong job for the wrong employer. Take these top 10 to heart and you'll more quickly find the right job with the right employer that you'll be happy with.
John Groth is a former HR executive and career coach. Find Job Hunting Ideas, valuable articles and up to date career and recruitment strategies. For a Free seven day career planning guide go to his career site Career Network all to assist you in advancing and managing your career.
The Correct Job Hunting Process - An Impressive Resume
Almost 60% of the people working in various industries worldwide seem to be either unhappy or dissatisfied with their work, or are stuck at the wrong job. On studying several such cases it is found that the reason for this discontent is primarily the wrong method of hunting for jobs.
The first step of job hunting involves having a great resume. This is the root channel, which establishes the first and most impressionable connection with an employer. Thus, be very careful while you are making your resume. Few tips that will help you make a descriptive and impressing resume are discussed in details below.
While preparing a resume for your prospective employer, take the job description or profile as the clue and prepare your resume accordingly. It will provide you with an insight into three major avenues of the potential interview. The job description will tell you what the company expects from you, what kind of experience they are looking for in you, and what their qualification requirement is.
While making your resume always put your recent job profile and designation on top of the list of your experience, since your employer will be interested in knowing what you are doing in your current job. Prospective employers always try to link your current acquired skills and profile with their requirement and see if it is of any help to them. To get more clues about the company and their profile go through their website and check out their works and clients. This shall also give you a fair idea as to what they precisely require.
Your resume should speak about you. Provide good information about your educational and professional qualification. Highlight your technical and soft skills generously. The trick here is to be modest, yet to provide a complete insight into your skills and qualities.
The three prime areas of your resume are your educational, professional and personal details, which includes your skills. If you so desire, you might even mention any remarkable achievements and awards that you have received.
Just providing information in your resume is not enough and does not confirm that the employer will actually see all of them. Framing of your resume is equally important. Ideally the content in a resume occurs in the following sequence.
Top of the resume should always contain your name, your title if applicable, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. You can also center align these information to make them prominent in your profile. Experience, educational qualification, skills and awards follow personal details. Some people also like to provide their expected remuneration and write a few lines on their goals and objectives, which is a personal preference though.
There are a few basic norms that should be followed while preparing a resume. The most important factor is not to make your resume too long. Try and concise the content of your resume to fit into one page or at the maximum to two pages. Secondly do not get too creative with your font colour and type. Stick to the usual font and normal text size, which will be legible and attractive too.
The most important step is to do a thorough proof reading of your typed resume before taking a print or sending it across. Possibilities are that you might miss out few point while doing a self check, therefore there is no harm in getting a check done from a few friends before you finally send it across to the prospective employer. One last but essential factor is: do not fill your resume with unwanted and undesirable information.
Keep these tips in mind while preparing a professional resume and there are fair chances that your candidature will be noticed from the rest and carry your forward.
Preetu Misra is a contributed writer for Batchmates.com the largest Alumni portal in India. With her research work and articles she has added an additional edge to the entertainment e-magazine BM Times. Her articles reach to millions of readers every day which are varied in subjects.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Preetu_Misra
The first step of job hunting involves having a great resume. This is the root channel, which establishes the first and most impressionable connection with an employer. Thus, be very careful while you are making your resume. Few tips that will help you make a descriptive and impressing resume are discussed in details below.
While preparing a resume for your prospective employer, take the job description or profile as the clue and prepare your resume accordingly. It will provide you with an insight into three major avenues of the potential interview. The job description will tell you what the company expects from you, what kind of experience they are looking for in you, and what their qualification requirement is.
While making your resume always put your recent job profile and designation on top of the list of your experience, since your employer will be interested in knowing what you are doing in your current job. Prospective employers always try to link your current acquired skills and profile with their requirement and see if it is of any help to them. To get more clues about the company and their profile go through their website and check out their works and clients. This shall also give you a fair idea as to what they precisely require.
Your resume should speak about you. Provide good information about your educational and professional qualification. Highlight your technical and soft skills generously. The trick here is to be modest, yet to provide a complete insight into your skills and qualities.
The three prime areas of your resume are your educational, professional and personal details, which includes your skills. If you so desire, you might even mention any remarkable achievements and awards that you have received.
Just providing information in your resume is not enough and does not confirm that the employer will actually see all of them. Framing of your resume is equally important. Ideally the content in a resume occurs in the following sequence.
Top of the resume should always contain your name, your title if applicable, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. You can also center align these information to make them prominent in your profile. Experience, educational qualification, skills and awards follow personal details. Some people also like to provide their expected remuneration and write a few lines on their goals and objectives, which is a personal preference though.
There are a few basic norms that should be followed while preparing a resume. The most important factor is not to make your resume too long. Try and concise the content of your resume to fit into one page or at the maximum to two pages. Secondly do not get too creative with your font colour and type. Stick to the usual font and normal text size, which will be legible and attractive too.
The most important step is to do a thorough proof reading of your typed resume before taking a print or sending it across. Possibilities are that you might miss out few point while doing a self check, therefore there is no harm in getting a check done from a few friends before you finally send it across to the prospective employer. One last but essential factor is: do not fill your resume with unwanted and undesirable information.
Keep these tips in mind while preparing a professional resume and there are fair chances that your candidature will be noticed from the rest and carry your forward.
Preetu Misra is a contributed writer for Batchmates.com the largest Alumni portal in India. With her research work and articles she has added an additional edge to the entertainment e-magazine BM Times. Her articles reach to millions of readers every day which are varied in subjects.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Preetu_Misra
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