Blogging For Jobs For Community

Blogging For Jobs For Community 2 Bobby Revell has a problem with Google. In particular, he's annoyed with Google's Page Rank system, which assigns a numerical rank (0-10) to every page on the Internet that Google knows about. Bobby believes that the blogosphere should be about community, about people, and not about numbers. So he's doing something about it and the result should be useful to you. Share and Share Alike Bobby has started the Blogging For Friendship group writing project to incite bloggers to help their friends. The project got me thinking about what more JobMob could do for you and the growing JobMob Community. I'm surprised that this hasn't come up before- it would be great to start having cross-blog conversations among JobMobber bloggers. For that, we need to know if you have a blog. If you do, mention your blog's url in the comments and I'll add you to the list below. Please specify (when true) that you're already a JobMob subscriber, otherwise subscribe now via RSS or email and then say so.eval If you don't have a blog, why not? Add a comment on that instead. Blogging Friends To get other bloggers wondering about how they can help their friends, I'm tagging these JobMob buddies:eval David Slade Miriam Schwab Vivien Pete Aldin Adrian Wajsbrem Jason Alba Oren Todoros Lorelle Van Fossen Carolyn Manning Jennifer Harry Rubinstein Monika Mundell Isabella Mori Dan Schawbel Israluv Jim Stroud Joyce Babu Robert Hruzek Yvonne Russell Vincent Wright Deborah Tamar Weiss Andrew Rondeau Blogger-to-be?

My Job Search Journey

My Job Search Journey Todays guest post is by Rachel Esterline. Ive gone back and forth about whether or not to write about my job search. From the reason behind the decision to leave the agency world to the interview process itself, its been a roller coaster of a journey. However, Ive  received  several direct messages and emails from other young professionals who are thinking of making a move from their current job. I hope that sharing my story can help those who are starting their job search journey right now. Last January, I started to freak out  think about where I saw my career heading. Id always been very passionate about what I did, and I just wasnt feeling it anymore. Its hard to explain. Since my freshman year of college, I knew that I wanted to work at an agency. Id focused my internships and professional development on this for several years. Id even thought I wanted to start my own agency someday. It was very hard to accept that all I had worked towards no longer fit who I had become as a young professional. I called a former professor and he asked me what I wanted to do. I said I was most interested in getting a job in the nonprofit sector or in higher education. It was that month that I officially began my job search, applying to nonprofits, educational institutions  and even corporations. I didnt apply to a single agency. Heres the part that I dont want to admit, but will anyway: I applied for 21 different jobs between January and October. This resulted in 10 different companies conducting a total of five phone interviews and 10 in-person interviews (this includes first and second in-person interviews). I also turned down two in-person interviews one because it didnt sound like what I wanted after the phone interview and the other because the salary was too low. It was exciting, frustrating and overwhelming. I had to complete assignments after a long day at work. I had to find a way to deal with the seemingly never-ending rejections from people who said I didnt have enough experience for the position. I was thrilled every time someone called to schedule an interview and enjoyed the challenge of presenting myself just right for each opportunity. On Monday, Nov. 14, I was offered a position at a nonprofit community foundation. I was ecstatic. Throughout the interview process, I could tell the job would be a fantastic fit. I was excited that I would get to do it all from media relations to marketing to social media. One of my friends says that my face lights up whenever I talk about my job. I never imagined my job search would take so long or that I would go through so many fruitless interviews. Between January and November, I was interviewed by two universities, a community college, a credit union, a national construction company, one of the Big Three automotive companies, a health insurance company, a software company and two nonprofits. Here are five lessons I learned throughout the process: Only apply for jobs you want, dont be afraid to apply above your level of experience and only accept interviews if youre still interested.  I believe its disrespectful to waste other peoples time. You should only apply to places you actually want to work. Go ahead and apply even if you dont have the years of experience they recommend in the job description if the experience you have could support you in that position. And, you should only take the interview if youre still interested in the position. Ask bold questions. I started to ask, Is there anything about my experience that concerns you? Then, when the lack of experience issue was mentioned, I could address it head on. Plus, it was nice to know why I probably wasnt going to get the job (h/t to Nathan Burgess/@prcog for recommending that I start asking this). A few people stuttered. One company said, We wouldnt have brought you in if we had any concerns. But, often enough, I was able to address legitimate concerns that the interviewer had about me. Use your connections and references.  I often leveraged connections at companies to get me in for an interview. Dont be afraid to ask others for help. In terms of references , be sure to give people a heads up. I would always send a copy of my resume and cover letter to my references, along with the job description, so they wouldnt be caught off guard. Be yourself.  By the time I interviewed with both the foundation and the software company, I wasnt as affected by the pressure of interviewing. Id started to go in with the This is me. You either like me or you dont. type of attitude. A few times I said things in both interviews that were a bit too blunt. I winced when I thought of what I said, but then decided it was best that they see my true personality up front. Help with the transition.  Giving notice at the agency was nerve-wrecking. I knew it was a bad time to be leaving, but I also knew I had to do what was right for me. When I met with my bosses to tell them I was leaving in less than two weeks, I had a list of all my current jobs. I had noted which ones I could finish by the time I left, and who could take over the other jobs. Id begun to keep a binder of every single project I worked on for my primary client, and prepped that to be passed on. I also wrote a job description and helped bring people in for interviews. photo credit: @superamit

5 Ways to Make Faster Job Offers

5 Ways to Make Faster Job Offers Job offer rejections are on the rise and  concerns about salary, relocation, and benefits are not the main cause. The culprit seems to be the slow hiring process, leaving room for high-demand talent to receive offers from other companies. A surprising 49 percent of candidates declined job offers because they accepted an offer from another company during the second half of last year. The percentage increased 16 percent from the first half of the year, showing the increased haste with which companies are making quick offers to snatch up candidates. If you don’t want to lose out on top talent, you’re going to need to move forward quickly on making an offer. Follow these tips to help you make faster job offers: 1) Connect personally ASAP: You’ve heard the phrase “actions speak louder than words,” right? Well, we should follow that rule when assessing candidates. To speed up the job offer process, it’s best to read past the paperwork and get up close and personal to see what the candidate really has to offer. Depending on the type of position you’re hiring for, your candidate may have a lot of face-to-face contact with customers. For those candidates, personal appearance, body language, and presentation skills will matter. Other positions require communication with customers over the phone or online, so you’ll want to look out for clear communication and a friendly tone. Whether your initial meeting is in-person or through a video interview, you can gauge a candidates communication style quickly by simply initiating the connection. To speed up the process however, consider inviting candidates to a video interview that can be done on the ease of their mobile device. This easily can cut out a few days or even weeks from your hiring process. 2) Don’t let your schedule get in the way: Trying to match up candidate and employers schedules for interviews is a common roadblock we encounter in hiring. Instead of trying to coordinate an interview at a time that works for your candidate to come to the office and spend an hour or more, meet through video. With a video interviewing platform, the interview doesn’t even need to be live. You can send a set of questions to candidates that they can record answers to whenever it’s convenient for them. Then, once they send the interview answers back to you, you can review them at your convenience. Scheduling conflicts are a roadblock that can be diminished easily with an interview that can be conducted at any time, virtually from anywhere. 3) Collaborate with your team early: A candidate’s introduction to the team doesn’t usually happen until much later in the interview process, though it should probably be moved to the top of the priority list. You should introduce your candidates to your team early on to see if they might fit into your team’s culture. Instead of gathering everyone for a panel interview or passing physical copies of the candidates resume around the office, have a centralized digital process where resumes, portfolios, video interviews can all be accessed. You don’t need to involve everyone in every step of the process, but you will save time and heartache by collaborating to ensure team alignment. 4) Keep your top candidates in the loop: It’s common for candidates to not receive communication from employers about their application status. In fact, CareerBulider found 62 percent of candidates say companies have been unresponsive to their applications. Not only that, but unresponsiveness continues after the interview process, with 33 percent of employers not following up with candidates to let them know they didn’t get the job. When it comes to your top candidates, respond quickly because a slow response might be interpreted as disinterest. By the time you reach out for a second interview, your candidate may have already moved on assuming they were no longer in the running. Communicate your entire interview process from the start so the candidates know what to expect. Keep in touch with your candidate every few days to let them know where you are at in making a decision. 5) Be ready to negotiate pay: More experienced candidates tend to negotiate the first job offer, according to CareerBuilder.  Forty-five percent of workers aged 18-34 negotiate a first offer, and 55 percent of workers 35 and older said they would negotiate a first job offer. Have a plan in place for negotiations so you are prepared to gracefully handle the conversation. If higher pay isn’t an option, consider offering a perk like a flexible schedule, which 33 percent of employers say they’ve counter-offered in place of more money. If your candidates are really talented, you can’t expect them to wait around as your company encounters blockages in the hiring process. To fill vacancies with your ideal candidates you need to act faster than you think. Don’t let avoidable conflicts like schedules, slow team decisions, or unexpected negotiations get in the way. Communicate with your top candidates regularly to tell them where you’re at in the process and how much you appreciate their patience. Of course, the real time-saver is in the beginning, seeing candidates virtually in-person so you can make a decision for who you want to hire faster. The faster that decision is made, the faster you can make an offer. What are some other ways you can make faster job offers? Author:  Josh Tolan is the CEO of Spark Hire, a video interview solution used by more than 2,000 companies across the globe. Image: Shutterstock

5 Reasons Young Professionals Should Use a Credit Card

5 Reasons Young Professionals Should Use a Credit Card 5 Reasons Young Professionals Should Use a Credit Card Misc Tips / https://www.edenscott.com/blog I recently had a discussion with a few colleagues at work, debating whether it is necessary or even beneficial to make day-to-day purchases with a credit card (as opposed to a debit card or cash).My stance was, and still is, that everyone should be using a credit card for their purchases and then paying it off each month to avoid any interest payments or fees.This is all under the assumption that youre not actually using the credit card as a way to take on debt. Im talking about using it as a convenient form of payment and as a substitute for cash and debit cards.Oddly enough, less than a week after that discussion, an item I had purchased 2 months ago broke. I can only assume there was a manufacturing error, because this item would typically last for years.I called the store that I had bought it from and they coldly informed me that it was beyond the 30 day return period. I told them thats fine, and theyll be hearing from my credit card company.Most c redit cards offer consumer protection guarantees, and allow you to dispute charges even if an item is past its return period. Fortunately for me (and you), most credit card companies are a lot bigger than your average retailer, and theyre essentially able to push them around to get what they want.In the end, the credit card company chose to accept my dispute and refunded my card for the full amount of the purchase. They didnt ask me for a receipt. They didnt ask me to see the broken item. They simply refunded my money within 5 days of the dispute being filed.So why not let your credit card company work for youHere are 5 good reasons to use a credit card for every-day purchases:Building credit score. Having a record of your ability to pay bills on time is essential when it comes time to make bigger purchases in life, such as cars and houses. Paying everything on time with cash isnt going to help you prove to a mortgage lender that youre responsible.Consumer protection. Just like the story in the section above this- aquickcall to the credit card company has them working for you to fight the big retailers and withhold payment until a dispute is settled.Fraud protection. If your card is stolen, you’re not liable for any fraudulent charges. This is true of a debit card too, but the cash has already come out of your checking account if your debit card is used by somebody else. You’ll get the money back, but it’s a pain and takes more time.Free rewards. Cash back, airline miles, free hotel stays, etc. The list goes on and on. Plenty of free credit cards offer good rewards without any monthly fee.Learning responsible habits. Having a credit card teaches financial responsibility and helps you build good habits that will last you a lifetime.One extra benefit: credit card companies often offer extended warranties on electronics and other items. Laptops usually come with a one year manufacturers warranty for example. Did you know that purchasing your laptop with som e credit cards will automatically extend that warranty by a year?

How to Write a Great Resume Using Third Person

How to Write a Great Resume Using Third PersonIt is a common misconception that the use of third person in resumes can actually give an unfair advantage. In fact, in reality, using it for resume is just a smart idea.Why the use of the third person in resumes? The reason is quite simple: In a job application or resume you are basically giving an impression about yourself, about the company, and about your professional history. So, using the first person voice, which is the first person to state things like occupation, education, and age is what gives an impression about you and your experiences.And there is another good reason why the use of a third person in resumes is so much used: Because it is more important in the resume to be precise with the details. With the first person, you can also state details such as occupation, experience, and education, but you have to be more precise as to how you did those things and where you got the skills.Also, the use of third person is better fo r people who do not want to sound too formal while writing a resume. It would also be better if it is not too close to the personal data and does not mention too much about you personally.With the use of the third person, you can emphasize the accomplishments that were achieved within the career. You can even state some of the greatest achievements and skills you had when applying for a particular job.However, it is still best to use first person whenever possible when writing a resume. When you use third person, you can still tell a great story, but you will only be able to do it when it is already done in the second person. You can still use details from the first person, but the overall impression is not as great.If you want to write a great resume, the use of third person should be used mostly. This is one way of keeping your personal information out of the resume as much as possible.So, now you know why the use of third person is used. It is just a smart way of writing a resume and it is more effective than using the first person.

Chaordic leadership - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Chaordic leadership - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog While going through my bookmarks, I came across this article, where Dee Hock, the founder of VISA, explains his ideas of chaordic organization and leaderhip. Heres a sample from the article, that talks about when organizations achieve peak performance: Every choreographer, conductor, and coach or for that matter, corporation president has tried to distill the essence of such performance. Countless others have tried to explain and produce a mechanistic, measurably controlled process that will cause the phenomenon. It has never been done and it never will be. It is easily observed, universally admired, and occasionally experienced. It happens, but cannot be deliberately done. It is rarely long sustained but can be repeated. It arises from the relationships and interaction of those from which it is composed. Some organizations seem consistently able to do so, just as some leaders seem able to cause it to happen with consistency, even within different organizations. If this speaks to you, then you need to read Dee Hocks book birth of the chaordic age. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Just How Do I Go About Finding a Job - CareerAlley

Just How Do I Go About Finding a Job - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Long gone are the days of walking into an establishment after seeing a hiring poster on the window and securing a job. Today, hardly anyone takes applications at the retail establishment or office. With the advancement of online forms and job websites, many companies are putting their jobs online to get a wider pool of applicants. If you are one of the 86 percent of people looking for a new employment opportunity, here are some tips on getting a job: Get Social To really tap into the largest pool of job availabilities, you are going to have to use social media. Whether it is the companies posting jobs, or you working your network to get your resume out to the public, social media is quickly becoming an ideal way to get a job. It is the best way for companies to get targeted results and for job seekers to get the most ideal chance at employment. Sites such as LinkedIn and Google+ have better results with job seeking than Twitter, so make sure your LinkedIn profile has been endorsed and is up-to-date. Get Mobile Another great way to extend your job search arena, is to find great job apps on your mobile phone. Both iPhone and Android phones have job search apps that can help you find the career of your dreams. In todays fast paced world, it is all about the internet and your mobile, so make sure you arent negating them for your job chance. Apps can also help you beef up your resume and clean up your CV to look the best for potential employers. Dress Appropriately You are going to want to look the part when it comes down to the interview. Recruiters are looking for someone that is clean, confident, and competent. Even before you get that crucial interview, go to every profile you can remember creating and update the photo. Especially on social media sites, you are going to want a professional head shot for your photo and not one of you at last weekends frat party. When companies come looking, you want them to be pleased at what they see. More Niche Jobs Recently, there have been more job sites and job boards that are niche related. Employers are wanting candidates that fill a specific need or know a specific area of technology. In fact, the National Association of Colleges and Employers projects a 13 percent hiring increase for college graduates that have computer, business, and engineering niches. If you have specific skill sets, you may want to look into this specialized job boards to find recruiters looking for your job knowledge. Getting hired may seem more difficult, but in reality there are far more ways to get a job than ever before. If you make sure you are open to all opportunities and take care to adjust your social media profiles, you can reasonably expect to find a job sooner rather than later. About the Author: Tina Samuels writes on a variety of business-related topics for websites such as Reputation.com. This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Joey Trebif [emailprotected]