Looking for a Job - Conduct a Self Assessment and Appraisal

When it comes time to look for a job or gainful employment – whether it be an entry level position or a major upgrade up the corporate or career ladder one major step that is often overlooked is a clear self evaluation and assessment of a person’s own skills and abilities. After all who knows your inner strengths and personal weaknesses better than yourself and none other?

Self evaluation is often a most difficult process. That is why is so often gets overlooked. If it is hard to take criticism from others – whether it be at a baseball or football game , a spouse or a boss in what is so supposed to be a most positive and learning experience – the oft feared "yearly or even quarterly "evaluation" it is never pretty nor a fun task to enjoy or endure. It is the same and similar as to why people usually miss this step in the job seeking process – that is the self evaluation.

Yet a self evaluation can make the difference between you getting or not obtaining that offer of employment – be it that promotion you never seem to get or that entry level job which gets you up the ladder from that ordinary "Big box" store somewhat menial and certainly lower paying job.

The product that you are selling in job interviews is "you". Most likely you spent a fair amount of time and expense preparing that resume and cover letter. Yet the general and overall purpose of a resume is not to get a job – few people ever got a job offer simply by submitting a resume. If they did gain employment its most likely because either the firm or the field was desperate for employees or it was not a good place – indeed a terrible place to work. The purpose of the resume and cover letter is to get the product into the door – into an actual face to face interview situation.

Most people in an interview situation generally only think of the skills and attributes that they have used in the last while or in their current or last job. They short change themselves and even the potential employer. Most people have skills and attributes that may never have thought of to portray or mention. It is a situation analogous to the iceberg that hit the Titanic – only a small percentage of any people being interviewed actual and inherent skills and talents come to the surface and are visible to the naked eye – the interviewer and indeed the interview subject.

A full self appraisal may well identify these traits, talents and attributes to you, before that actual interview – perhaps even before the resume is made and updated as well. By being forewarned and informed you are in a much better situation to identify yourself as self as the talented soul best suited for the job at hand and as well market yourself well and hopefully better.

As well if you do have faults or shortcomings that either have not been identified by yourself , or need explanation a self evaluation is the best place to start either becoming comfortable to an answer to that situation or questions or take steps to rectify any situations or provide yourself with extra training or education.

It’s about getting that job, seeking employment, getting ahead in life - all by presenting yourself in the best possible light and manner.

If you do not take the time and effort to present yourself in the best way and means in order to either get better employment and remuneration who else will ? It’s all up to you.

A genuine and real self assessment and appraisal is one of the best things you can do. It is more than worth the time and effort spent in the ordeal. Believe it.

By Syd Nohcud

careers, Jobs Indonesia, Indonesia Vacancy

 

Should You Opt for Extreme Job-Hunting Tactics?

There is no doubt that the job market is tougher to squeeze into than ever. For some, finding a job has turned into a month-to-month, or even year-to-year process. When you are out of employment for an extensive amount of time, you may feel tempted to take some extreme routes to get your foot in the door of a company, but is this something you should really consider?

What Are Extreme Job-Hunting Tactics?

Extreme job-hunting tactics are those that have probably never crossed your mind before. Okay, well maybe they have. Let’s test this theory. Have you ever thought about writing up a sign on a huge piece of construction paper that displays your name, phone number, and skills, then walk up and down your city’s downtown? Well then, have you ever thought about taping copies of your resume all over the outside of your car?

If you have thought about doing either of these then you may have been a sanely desperate job seeker ready to work. However, if you have actually done either of these then you are an extreme job hunter – and someone who may be a bit insanely desperate. At least this is what some think of those who have taken on similar strategies to find work. Now the real question is does this really work?

Should You Take This Route?

Depending on the career you’re looking for, it may not hurt to take this route. For instance, a cab driver living in New York taped his resume to the back of his cab’s passenger-side seat in case any occupants were looking for help. While his attempt was bold, it still was subtler than other tactics and could actually work.

But it’s good to keep in mind that there’s no proven track record showing that extreme job hunting works. Essentially, you will probably hear about the rare cases where the bold individual was able to snag the job of a lifetime only to become a successful businessperson and millionaire (everyone’s dream, right?). But this is by no means the norm. Most employers aren’t going to take you seriously if you stand on the corner with your resume taped to your chest. Instead, they may toss you some change and keep walking by.

So How Can You Find a Job?

The tried-and-true ways to find work include applying the traditional way and networking. While the economy is going through a tough time, leaving many employers at a stand-still when it comes to hiring, there are still jobs available. This means, if you’re qualified, you can get hired. Tweaking your resume, building a professional presence online through social networking, and stepping away from the computer to network in person can help get your foot in the door. If you take all of these steps, you are more likely to find a job faster than participating in an extreme job-hunting strategy.

So are you ready to get out there and snag the job you want? Then don’t wait another minute. Get started on your resume and cover letter, catch up with your old contacts for networking purposes, and update your online profiles. You’ll get that job you want in no time flat.

By Heather Eagar

careers, Jobs Indonesia, Indonesia Vacancy

 

Presenting Yourself as a Brand During Your Job Search

When you are in a place where you want to make sure that you are going to get the job that you need, you will find that you are going to have to find the best way to ace that job interview. Your job interview is going to be the time when you wow your prospective job employers and more than anything else, it is going to decide whether you get a job or not. Why, then, do so many people prepare badly for this event or fail to prepare at all? This is something that can make a huge difference when you are looking at moving forward and at the end of the day, you will discover that this is the best time in the world to market yourself as a brand.

A brand, even more than a person, is something that any interviewer is going to be interested in. Isn't a brand more exciting and doesn't it stand for more in the mind of the viewer? For instance, are you someone who is interested in moving forward and getting the right kind of attention? How do you feel when you recognize the brands that you like and respect when you are on the job hunt? What brands make you interested in what you are doing, and what brands are going to teach you a lot more about the kind of work that you are looking into doing? Take some time and learn more about branding and what it can help you do.

With the right kind of branding under your belt, you are going to be able to make a much deeper impression on the interviewers in questions. When you are going to find the career that suits you and when the career of your dreams is on the line; remember that you are looking at something that can make a huge difference in the way that you are moving forward. Take some time and learn more about your job and what kinds of brands are most important.

For instance are you in an industry that values a lot of off the wall creativity or are you in an industry that needs reliability and steadiness above everything else? When you are looking at moving forward in your industry, you are going to have to look into how things are marketed and how you can market yourself. The more you learn about the industry and the more that you look into what is necessary, the better your options are going to be. Take some time and make sure that you look into how you are going to be able to brand yourself and how you would market your services.

Also remember that you are going to need to know yourself. Are you someone who is interested in moving forward and in making sure that you are going to be at the top of your field? What are your interests and where do your strengths lie? The more you know about the work that you are doing, the more you are going to be able to really sell yourself. Marketing is for everyone these days, so look into how your brand is going to affect the way that you can get work.

By Elizabeth Martinez

careers, Jobs Indonesia, Indonesia Vacancy

 

Top 10 Job Search Mistakes to Avoid

It is easy for any Job Seeker to launch out into a job search market with great enthusiasm but no real plan to help see them through to their goal. Take time to look at plans for finding your next job and make sure you are avoiding these 10 Job Search Mistakes.

1. A job search requires much time and research to find job openings and many job seekers make huge mistakes when they do not put in enough time. Without doing the job research they do not send out enough resumes to get call backs for interviews. A. Harrison Barnes recommends his job research website Hound. It can provide the job research so the job seeker has plenty of opportunities for which he can apply.

2 It is a mistake when job seekers confine their job search to one media like newspaper advertisements. CEO of Hound, A. Harrison Barnes, offers his clients every job that can be posted by anyone, any where in the free world. A team of researchers and high end servers locate and post jobs continuously for Hound members.

3. Mailing or posting resumes for jobs everyone else is competing to get is a limiting effort. A huge mistake for a job seeker is to apply to a job that is being bombarded by resumes from all the classified ad readers. When applying for a well advertised position there will be competition for the job opening. Your chances for landing the job are greatly decreased.

4. Many job seekers make a big mistake when they use a cookie cutter resume style which is not tailored to a specific employer and a specific job. The A. Harrison Barnes website will coach members at Hound.com that a resumes should be very unique because it describes skills, experience, and who the applicant is as a person.

5. A job seeker applying to positions for which he has less than minimum requirements, experience or education is a mistake.

6. The job seeker does not have a system for organizing and tracking job search materials. This is a mistake and can result in missed interviews and missed opportunities.

Job seekers accumulate a lot of information and notes for specific job opportunities. Candidates can have different resumes, multiple cover letters, and a long list of jobs to which they applied. The applicant may get several business cards while networking with contacts or doing research on different companies. A Harrison Barnes suggests it is important for the job seeker to stay organized and have notes and business cards at hand should a call back come after an interview.

7. Many job seekers do not realize it is a numbers game to get an interview and to get hired. They do not apply to enough employers to get any interviews. The mistake is underestimating the amount of contacts and interviews that need to be made before the fish will bite.

Research has found the average job seeker in the market for an annual salary range of $30,000 to $100,000 talked to 26 different people about jobs and hiring before they were actually hired.

8. It is a mistake to take rejection personally. The self confident job seeker knows she has got to kiss a lot of frogs before the prince of a job appears. A good way to deal with the rejection of a job opportunity is to have the next one lined up.

9. No plan to get the job. There are many things a job seeker can do to research and make contacts for jobs. Meet with a recruiter? Interview a person already doing a similar job in which there is interest? A. Harrison Barnes suggests putting 20 hours a week into the job search, unless working and looking for a job at the same time. Then, 10 hours a week is a good goal for job searching.

10. E-mail communication only can be a mistake. There have been several articles written on the mistakes that can happen when only using email as the communication tool. To avoid making most mistakes, call the hiring firm or business and verify their e-mail address so a hefty security system does not send communications into Spam when it comes into your mail box.

In conclusion, there are many mistakes to avoid when searching for the perfect position. Remember, whether the job hunt is a do-it-yourself project or whether assistance is hired in the form of a job research website, the search is yours. The results depend upon the job seeker and his investment in the organization and steps required when completing every goal necessary to land the job. Good luck in the job search!

By Elizabeth Martinez

careers, Jobs Indonesia, Indonesia Vacancy

 

Smart Job Search - How to Find The Perfect Job in Employment Websites

Smart online job search is defined as the process of mastering the job search tools in employment websites and then using those search tools to find the perfect job for you. Thereafter you apply and take the job interviews.

Why would you want to spend valuable time in employment websites? Why master the art of online employment search?

The reason is pretty obvious.

Without a job, you're likely to be in a big mess. People who are unemployed end up being broke and unable to meet their financial commitments to their family as well as stakeholders.

Yes, being gainfully employed and getting regular consistent income is absolutely important. That is why job search sites or employment websites are the best place to relax and unwind . . . if you are unemployed or badly need to change your job.

Who are the stakeholders that you can't afford to disappoint?

Some of those key stakeholders are . . .

1. Your landlord or home owner . . . he wants his rent paid as and when due or you're out on the streets cold and hungry

2. The utilities company . . . you won't get gas or electricity if you don't pay your utility bills as and when due

3. Your bank . . . your home will be foreclosed if you don't pay your mortgage commitments as and when due

The list goes on and on.

Bottom line.

Staying out of job is not an option. To be happy and proud, you need to have regular consistent income. You need a decent paying job. And employment websites, otherwise called job search sites, are the best place to hang out and make your dreams come true.

How do these job sites work? And how can you get the most value from them?

Employment websites are essentially employment databases or job banks devoted to hosting job openings posted by employers.

Who are the customers or clients of these job banks?

They consist of the unemployed who desperately need jobs and employers who want the best hands for the job vacancies in their organization.

However, the employed also visit these job banks fairly regularly especially when they are bored or pissed off with their current employer and desperately need a job change.

Job sites recognize that they need to provide user-friendly and easy-to-use tools to continue to enjoy patronage of job seekers. So, most do just that . . . they provide simple search and navigation tools that entice customers to keep coming again and again.

So, how do you get the most from these job search sites and find your perfect job?

I recommend you do three basic and simple things.

1. Understand how the database is organized and start your search with this basic structure of the database. For example, global employment search sites may be organized in three broad categories, namely, . . .

* jobs by country

* jobs by profession and

* jobs by industry

Country employment websites may be organized by profession and also in terms of state-by-state job categorization. That is, job categorization in terms of the states in the country in question.

2. Use the job search sites employment search tool.

Virtually every job bank or job database has a search tool that can be used to search the entire database to find specific jobs. The good news is that the employment search tool of most job search sites are simple to use and visibly displayed so it is difficult to miss.

Use this job site search tool to narrow your search and find that dream job you've prayed for all year.

3. Subscribe to the RSS feed of the major employment opportunity web sites. The beauty of RSS feed is that you get notified every time a new job vacancy hits the job market. That way, you won't miss your preferred job when it becomes available.

Job search sites offer great value especially in these days of global economic recession with fewer jobs. Therefore the smart thing to do is to keep your ears to the ground by staying connected with news from job opportunity web sites.

Do this right and you're likely to find that dream job sooner than later.

By Samson Itoje

careers, Jobs Indonesia, Indonesia Vacancy

 

Are You a Determined or Desperate Job Seeker?

When you’re anxiously awaiting your next job opportunity, sometimes it’s easy to walk the fine line between being a determined job seeker and desperate one. Of course, it’s not uncommon to feel desperate when you’re ready to get a job, but being desperate is something that should be practiced in the privacy of your home – not where others, namely prospective employers, can catch wind of it. If you’re not sure whether you’re giving off an air of determination or desperation, here are some ways to make sure you’re coming off as a determined job seeker.

Keep the Usual Formatting In Your Resumes

Desperate job seekers have been known to do some crazy things when trying to find work. One has been creating the crazy resume that is meant to garner attention but actually steers people in the other direction.

You may feel that you’re in the middle of a last ditch effort to get someone to pay attention to you so you want to submit your resume in a quirky font or add hearts as bullet points – what do you have to lose, right? Well, there is actually as much to lose today as there was when you started your search right after leaving your last job.

Don’t allow the search to drive you to do crazy things. Instead, keep your composure, submit your great traditional resume and feel confident that it will help you get hired.

Follow Up but Don’t Harass

While you may feel anxious to get out there and tackle every hiring manager you see, pin them down and stuff your resume in their face, of course, this is something you wouldn’t do. However, in the midst of your job search, there are ways to actually come off as though you’re just that desperate.

For instance, you could hound a hiring manager with whom you’ve shared your resume or pester a person who may be a networking contact for you. In both cases, it’s good to hand over your information and let the people do their job. There’s nothing wrong with following up, but harassing someone is not acceptable.

Don’t Overstress Your Search

It’s good to dedicate quality time each day to your job search. In fact, many say that it’s good to give an entire work day’s effort to the search. However, you don’t need to spend every waking hour looking for a job, contacting individuals, blogging and sending out blasts on Facebook. You have to allow some of the search to manage itself.

A good way to remedy this is to spend time outside or enjoying some other favorite activities. Being anxious and desperate doesn’t really help you and won’t have a hugely positive impact on your search.

Whether you’re turning in crazy resumes or telling an interviewer how anxious you’ve been to find work, there is a such thing as being too desperate. So take time to pace your job search and make sure to relax so that the process doesn’t overwhelm you. Most important, feel confident that the hard work you’ve given will inevitably offer the results you desire.

By Heather Eagar

careers, Jobs Indonesia, Indonesia Vacancy

 

Creating a Web Presence for Your Job Search

Many people don’t realize just how important it is to create a positive web presence when in the midst of a job search.

Unfortunately, it is almost inevitable that a major employer will spend some time Google-ing you before they decide whether they want to consider you as a candidate. So instead of avoiding creating a web presence, it’s good to just dive right in and get started.

Get Social Networking Profiles
One of the first steps to consider when creating your web presence is acquiring some social networking profiles. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are the key sites because they allow you to connect with millions of other professionals in a variety of ways. Also, they help to get your name listed in the search engines so that if a recruiter Google’s you, you’re there and you’re a professional.

Purchase a Domain in Your Name
Another way to create a web presence is to purchase a domain in your name. There are a few good reasons for doing this. First, you get to control what is put out there about you by adding another listing in the searching engines. Second, you get to take the name before someone else does - someone who could ruin your name’s reputation. And third, purchasing a domain using costs less than $10 for an entire year.

Start a Blog
Some job seekers have found success in their search after starting a blog that’s relevant in their field. By starting a blog, you add to your web presence, increase the listings in search engines under your name and show recruiters that you’re knowledgeable in your field. Depending on the success of your blog, you could even find that you don’t need to find a job. Some bloggers have been able to support themselves with their blogs alone - after a lot of hard work and dedication, of course.

Network with Care
When you social network and begin making connections, it’s good to make sure that you also network with care. In the middle of your networking, you’re bound to run into old friends from college and probably some old high school buddies as well. This is great. But be sure to keep your wild frat and sorority stories to a minimum. In fact, it’s better to reminisce about them in private messages. If you’re concerned that your professional and personal lives won’t mix well then leave your social networking sites for professional purposes only.

Manage You’re Web Presence
Once you’ve created your social networking profiles, purchased your domain name and started a blog, it’s good to make sure that you keep your online presence current. This means sending out updates on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages and keeping your blog up-to-date. Also, if you’ve purchased your domain, you could create a simple web page that directs readers to your other profiles.

Creating a web presence is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to light a fire under your job search. So if you haven’t already hopped on this bandwagon, there’s no better time than now to get started.
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By Heather Eagar

careers, Jobs Indonesia, Indonesia Vacancy