3 Keys to a Successful Job Search

With all the layoffs that have taken place over the last couple of years, it's no wonder that many of those who are still employed often feel stretched to the maximum of their productivity. It can be very demanding looking for another job when your current one is continually stressing you out. After all, when you get home from a long and frustrating day, the last thing you want to do is give any more thought to the world of work. Unfortunately, most new jobs don't just fall into your lap-you have to go out and get them. Approaching your job search as strategically and as systematically as you would approach your next business deal can help keep the process manageable.

Initiation

If you were going to start a huge new project at work, would your first step be to just sit down and start the project? Of course not! A lot of planning and preparation go into any major project, and your job search should be no different. Therefore, the first step is NOT to sit down and start sending out dozens of generalized resumes to any job that sounds OK. Your first task should be to determine exactly what you're looking for in your next position. Just like you can't write a project plan until you know what the project is, you simply cannot write an effective resume or cover letter without some idea of where you'd like your career to go. You may find this part of the process to be the most time-consuming, as it requires some soul searching, however, it's an essential step in the process that must not be skipped.

Planning

Once you've determined your professional goals, you're ready to spend some time assembling your marketing tools-a cover letter, resume, and any other pertinent documents that support your message. This is essentially the same process as setting up a project at work; you need both plans and human resources for an effective job search. A professional resume writer can be an invaluable tool for a job seeker who's incredibly busy with his or her current vocation. Any resume writer will need you to gather and submit information about your past positions and achievements, but then let go of the reins; allowing the professional to agonize over each individual line on your resume will remove that weight from your own shoulders.

Execution

Only when you've established a goal and pulled together the tools needed to accomplish it should you actually start looking for and applying to jobs. Setting up e-mail alerts through sites like simplyhired.com or indeed.com can save you hours of scouring through online employment ads. If you tackle your search in a strategic and systematic manner, you should soon reach a place where you can go to your inbox, look through positions that may be a good fit for you, and then simply customize your polished resume for each application. Consider each quality job application you send off as a deliverable in the project of finding yourself another job. Whenever you successfully land your next position, you'll be able to close out this project and move on to the next one!

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez

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Job Search - The Paperwork Requirements in a Paperless Society

In job search there are some basic documents you require to be successful. Even in the society that is moving towards e-everything we are still required to carry around pieces of paper that allow us to present our best face forward. In this article we will examine the paperwork, what it should contain and how it should be used.

Business Card - More common in the world of the employed smart job searchers have taken this small card to heart and are using it to its maximum effect. A typical card will contain basic contact data including email (sensible, businesslike one please) telephone number and name. Some people have a job title printed on the front such as "Sales Guru" or "Project Leader". Be careful how you use this as it could limit your opportunities unless you are totally focused on a single career path. Others use the reverse side of the card to list their skills and strengths.

Use this card as your message when you meet people in a situation where a Bio or Resume is not appropriate.

Bio - A one page summary that is NOT a resume. A more text focused document that emphasizes you the person, your experiences, a short story or two that bring out the qualities that best define you and perhaps some reasons why others would look up to you.

Included in the Job Search Bio is often found a short summary of the employment highlights, Company Name, Title and Dates. To round it off if you are using this document at networking events then a short list of your target companies and the target positions you are looking for. This should be a document designed to let people help you in your search.

Use this is networking situations where you want to have a short synopsis available for a large group of people or where a resume is a little to much.

Resume - We are not going to rehash the development of a resume but a good resume should include:

A summary that captures the essence of your strengths, this section should have white space and a clean layout. It should be liberally sprinkled with keywords.

An experience section that where possible quantifies your achievements in such a way as to demonstrate your value.

The resume is a tool that should be used to obtain an interview, which is its sole purpose.

Cover Letter - Accompanying the resume is often a cover letter. A document no longer than one page and designed to capture the interest of the reader and persuade them to read the entire attached resume.

The cover letter shares certain characteristics with the resume summary in that it should capture the essence of your strengths, should have white space and a clean layout. It should also contain a "call to action".

Portfolio - Copies of published articles, presentations delivered at conferences or other noteworthy documents can be gathered and stored in a site such as LinkedIn. You can have a link on your email signature that points people to your profile and allows them to view those paper documents that have now been scanned in.

Keep copies in a folder and have them with you as you attend networking meetings or interviews.

Good hunting.

Barry Simpson

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Online Search - The Best Way to Find Your Ideal Job Vacancy

Thanks to the continuous growth of the internet, finding a job vacancy of your own satisfaction becomes very easy in modern society. A simple mouse click can provide you a large number of job positions for selection.

It is true that there are many other methods to find a job vacancy. For example, you can find the employment job lists through the classified segment of the newspaper; however, it deserves time to do. What is more, the small prints make it a tiring thing to do and you are restrained for where you live. For those who want to find jobs overseas, this method is not so accessible. Even though you can get the newspaper of your requirement, you have to spend a lot of time to find the ideal job vacancy.

While if you find the employment job lists through internet, everything becomes easier. You are allowed to possess your own membership accounts, free or chargeable. Though the free account has more limitation t than the latter one, it is enough to complete your personal information that is essential in finding an ideal job. Now, there are millions of people are using this method to find their dream jobs.

The details that you are asked to complete in the employment website include the personal contact information, your education and employment history. For verification purpose, you may be also asked to add a photo. After everything is settled, you are able to begin the job vacancy search through their search engine. The searching results will come out based on the job type, area of expertise, location, country, etc. Then, what you need to do for the interested job is to click the apply button and the resume will be automatically sent to the related employer.

Searching a job vacancy online is really convenient and effective. Moreover, the website is 24-hours available for you. Wherever you are and whatever time it is; you can do the search work to find your satisfying employment job lists. Finally, good luck!

Jane Ye

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Job Search Seminar

What is a job search seminar? A job search seminar is basically a type of fair or program conducted by an individual or a company for the purpose of training people to better their job prospects. In these seminars there are usually trained professionals who impart important information to job seekers and teach them how to cope with job hunting and how to do their best at it.

What does a seminar teach you?

First of all you learn how to prepare and go for an interview. What type of questions may come your away and the best way to answer those questions. They also teach you how to answer questions if you have been laid off.

They speak to you about how to write an effective resume and cover letter so that you can stand out from the rest. They also teach you how to get the correct references and from whom.

They train you on how to present your skills to the company you are applying to. Depending on the type of education and work experience you have they tell you how to highlight your skills and present yourself as a package to the company.

Who should go for these seminars?

The people who can benefit from these seminars can be students who have never worked before and don't know anything about how to go about making a resume and basically looking for a job. People who are getting back to work after many years and are not aware of current trends can also go for these seminars. People who have been fired from their previous jobs and don't know how to get it across to employers can also gain a lot of valuable knowledge from these seminars.

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The Top 5 Green Jobs For 2011 in America

According to the United Nations Environment Program, a green job, or a green-collar job is one that helps protect and preserve biodiversity and ecosystems. Green workers reduce materials, water consumption, and energy by increasing resource efficiency. These jobs are minimize pollution and all forms of waste.

Below are the top five Green jobs available in America today.

1. Farmer - Do you know the shocking truth about farmers in America? There are only 2 million, and their average age is 55. This market is screaming for more workers on the local and small scale, particularly for young farmers who know organic production methods and avoid the use of pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizer. The U.S. Job market has capacity for ten million farmers. However, the job is not as easy at it might seem to some. Modern farmers must be skilled businesspersons knowledgeable in heirloom genetics and marketing.

2. Energy Efficiency Builder - In the US, buildings actually account for 48% of greenhouse emissions and energy use. We are way behind the rest of the world in this. Switzerland and Germany, for instance, use 75% to 95% less heat energy than a building built to environmental code in the U.S.

There is a huge opportunity here for one of the major green building certifications today. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) has given accreditation to more then 43,000 professionals. When the U.S. standards get stricter, the country will need a workforce of retrofitters to go with its millions of engineers and architects.

3. Urban Planners - The linchpin of America's campaign to lower its carbon footprint. Urban planners will help us reduce our use of cars and encourage the utilization of bicycles. They will also strengthen mass transit, limit sprawl, and help us plan for heat wave, garbage creep, and flooding contingencies.

4. Recycling Professional - More than 1 million recycling jobs are available in America. A shocking number of people engaged in this area have been continuing to grow. This is primarily because recycling still continues to be the most economical alternative to high disposal fees. Hiring in this sector will always be active.

5. Solar Power Installer - There are 770, 000 jobs worldwide for installing and making solar power systems. Opportunities for this work are still relatively high and high paying too. In fact at the present, 3,400 companies are still employing power installers--some as many as 35,000 workers in one company! This job will definitely promote the welfare of the environment and the economic sectors, and the job prospects of its skilled workers.

While we continue to face a recession and our young adults decide which jobs will be available when they graduate from college, green jobs are looking more attractive all the time.

Jeff Deutsch

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Keeping it Real - WAHM - Part-Time Working Mums

So you have heard of all the benefits of being a WAHM (Work at home mum) or opting for flexible work options, but before you take the plunge, make sure you have your 'realistic glasses' on. Such work-family friendly options are not without limitations.

Take a quiz and see if Work-from-home options/ Part-time work options are meant for you:

1) Are you expected to contribute to more than 60% of the monthly household income?

2) Is being able to mingle with colleagues and spending lunch hours with your co-workers and important part of your 'office experience'?

3) Do you hope to get a promotion after working for a year?

4) Are you expecting to earn an income equivalent to at least 70% of your last drawn monthly income?

5) Although you work from home, are you able to seek child-care help (such as child-care, nanny, domestic help) during certain working hours?

6) Are you comfortable with the possibility of experiencing negative reactions from coworkers and clients?

7) Are you a disciplined person who sets monthly or week goals for yourself?

8) If a part-time job/ freelance work is not as "high-leveled" as previous positions, will you still do it?

If you answer 'YES' to more than 4 of the above mentioned questions, then you might seriously want to reconsider taking on part-time work.

The truth is: Part-time work will never be able to generate the same income as a full-time job. For many mothers, this is actually a huge problem - and one that we need to discuss with the other family members before making a decision.

Realistically, most part-time positions (even if they are Professional or Executive level) are not high-ranking positions. You are not likely to manage staff or take up assignments that require much time-commitment.

Working part-time or from home can also cause some unhappiness amongst your colleagues, who might deem your arrangement as being unfair. Not being in the office throughout the day also means less 'bonding time' with your co-workers. It's probably less likely you can build strong friendships in such working conditions, and such isolation can result in loneliness. (As one WAHM told me, she feels starved for adult conversation 5 days a week!)

Working from home does not solve your childcare problem. As any mother knows, children need undivided attention at times. So unless you are prepared to multi-task (and do it well), it's going to be a challenge to meet your deadlines and complete your household duties. WAHM or Part-time Working mums need to be very organized and plan their day-to-day activities. Time becomes even more of a challenge to manage.

Singapore (and most of Asia) is still not very new in setting up Work-from-home / Part-time Work arrangements for mothers. This can result in employers not being able to clearly come up with distinct, clear working arrangements when making decisions about (i) workload (ii) compensation (iii) promotional opportunities. Part-timers/ WAHM can sometimes be passed over for advancement opportunities. Occasionally you might also meet employers who form the misconception that part-timers are less committed or not as valuable. Workload can often be too much for a part-timer (who is actually doing a full-timer's work)

Having said all that, it is undeniable that work-from-home arrangements or part-time work options are still the best ways of getting work-family balance. So the question is: Are you ready to take the plunge?

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Video Resumes - The Time Is Now!

During this awful economy, there are so many applicants and so few jobs. Why would an employer choose you rather than resume #1177? Within that the flood of resumes are many that are impressive. So how do you break through and win?

Not by obsessing about the beautiful font, luxurious paper and chronological order of your printed resume. Or thinking you didn't get "that job" because you went to a state university rather than Harvard?

The differentiator is you! Not the "you" on paper or the raves you received from your previous employers, but the "you" who looks at the camera and has a sense of humor, is comfortable with the camera, has a winning smile-someone an employer would like to see on staff each morning.

While your impressive background and previous successes are essential, video resumes are now opening doors. In fact, polls show 89 percent of employers have said they would view a video resume. These potential employers also indicate that job candidates gain the edge when their "actions speak louder than words."

So how do you create a video resume? Numerous websites say all you need is a handicam to make a video. While that is true, your "on-camera" performance is equally important. If your "time in the spotlight" is limited to waving at the handicam, here are a few important tips in conveying "likeable" and "expert."

• Keep it short: Two minutes or under is optimum according to 78% of employers.

• Know your audience: Tailor your video to your target industry.

• Talk to me: Don't read. This is your opportunity to establish a relationship.

Or, click, it is on to the next candidate.

That's why Executive Speak/Write helps clients define their "best you," and capture that essence on tape. We encourage them to determine:

• Are you relating directly to the camera, but not staring?

• Is the information you're giving in such a short time the best way to present yourself?

• Are you unforgettable-from wardrobe to charm to confidence? Packaging is essential.

Job applicants are appropriately obsessive about being immaculate in print. They ask friends and experts to make sure resume format and wording are perfect. Shouldn't you have the same sense of being "immaculate" when the prospective employer sees you on tape? You must be trained and supervised to guarantee your two minutes is strong enough to convince a prospective boss you're the best choice for the job.

Steve Clements

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