My Job Assistant

Job Fairs are starting to pick up, and Dice is running some nice ones, called Targeted Job Fairs.  At a Bay Area job fair in January, 10 companies as showing up, and Dice has 82 job fairs scheduled for 2010 across the US.

How do you compete at a Job Fair?  The competition can be significant, but you can help yourself stand out from the crowd with advance preparation.  At AA-Careers, we have a simple six-step process to get ready.  Don’t just go to drop off your non-customized resumes at all the booths!  (If that’s all you plan to do, save some time and gas and stay home.)  Plan to go?  Here’s how to prepare:

First, research the companies that are going and pick your targets.  Research the companies that are there ahead of time.  Go to their websites and see if they have their openings posted.  Pick a reasonable number to target, and get ready to spend up to an hour researching each one.  It’s hard to do more than 10 in a day, and 3-5 is a much more reasonable target.  For each company, you want to know: key product lines, recent news, and executive names.  Try to see if you know anyone at the target companies.  You’ll end up with a page or two of research for each company/job.

Second, if there are job postings on the web, read them to see what the hiring manager is looking for.  Create a mapping of your accomplishments and skills to the requirements of the job.

Third, create a ‘mini sales pitch’ for each likely company/job combination.  Write down a 90 second ‘thumbnail’ that you can repeat verbally describing why you are a great candidate for that position.  You’ll use this in your resume and when you meet people at the job booth.

Fourth, modify your resume for each job type.  The objective on your resume should exactly match the position you’re targeting.  The executive summary should be a written form of your “mini sales pitch” for the job.  Then choose the accomplishments and skills that most clearly match the job requirements.  Especially at a job fair, the purpose of your resume is a sales tool for you – to get you on-site job interviews.

Fifth, dress and prepare as if you’re doing on-site interviews.  Dress well and be well groomed.

Finally, practice your ‘mini-sales-pitch’.  Collect your research and the resume for each position – bring a couple of copies for each – and put each in a clearly labeled folder.  Keep them in a lightweight briefcase or folio.  Remember to smile, and good luck job hunting from all of us at AA-Careers!

Ed is a career consulting and job hunting professional with over 50 years of experience in HR – career development, job hunting, and training in the US, Europe, and South America.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/how-to-use-job-fairs-successfully-1782700.html

My Jobs Assistant Jobs Assistant Aa, Advance Preparation, Booths, Company Job, Crowd, Executive Names, Executive Summary, Hiring Manager, Job Fairs, Job Postings, Job Type, Key Product, Recent News, Resume Job, Resume Objective, Resumes, Sales Pitch, Target Companies, Targets, Thumbnail

A job search engine is a website that facilitates job hunting. Job search engines specifically deals with employment or careers. Many job search engines are designed to allow employers to post job requirements for a position to be filled and are commonly known as job boards. Through a job search engine a prospective employee can locate and fill out a job application or submit resumes over the Internet for the advertised position.

With the help of job search engines, users can submit their résumés to potential employers, while employers can post job ads and search for potential employees. The success of jobs search engines in bridging the gap between jobseekers and employers has generated numerous of job sites. Various job search engines offer job searchers the ability to find a job, post a resume, create job alerts, get job advice and job resources, look up job fairs, and much more. Some job search engines are dedicated to find only technical jobs. It offers a targeted place for finding exactly the technology position one might be looking for.

The job listings are updated daily, so one may always have the latest jobs at their disposal during their job search. With the help of these job search engines, one can post a resume which will be visible to thousands of employers worldwide. If an employer likes the resume, they may contact the job seeker through appropriate notification. One can also just set the job search filter and mark it as a subscription. After this one will receive the notifications about all the jobs that appear in the system according to his or her criteria. Some people do not know how helpful and rewarding a job search can be. Thousands of jobs become available with a click of a mouse with the help of job search engines.

These search engines will provide the job seekers with essential links and tools and will help in creating connection between recruiters and employers. Many career resource links like education, tips, and useful hints during interviews are also offered in such job search sites. Besides this, many resume critiques are also available. Many job search engines offer the job seekers to sign up, resume posting and job searches free of cost. With the aid of job search engines, there is no need to make physical contact with the hiring officials initially. This helps one in applying for an unlimited number of jobs based on their talent and skill.

for more detail on Jobs in India log on to http://www.itsmyascent.com

John Winstons is a well known author and has written articles on Jobs In Delhi and Jobs In chennai, Production and Manufacturing, Finance and Accounting and many other subjects.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/job-search-engines-1742719.html

My Jobs Assistant Jobs Assistant Bridging The Gap, Career Resource, Education Tips, Gap, Job Application, Job Fairs, Job Hunting, Job Listings, Job Resume, Job Search Engines, Job Searchers, Job Seeker, Job Seekers, Jobseekers, Post A Resume, Prospective Employee, Recruiters, Resume Job, Search Filter, Technology Position

      I have had the privilege of coming across an article by Kim Isaacs, who is Monster.com’s Resume Expert.  Kim helps us weigh out if summer job hunting is worthwhile.  If you wait until September to pick up your job search, you will be competing with many others that had the same idea.  Yes, people do vacation in the summer, but not so much that they have no availability at all.  It’s not school people.  We don’t get three month long breaks anymore.  Sometimes the hiring process can take a little longer because of vacations but corporations are still all about business.  Sometimes summer is prime time for hiring, especially if there are projects planned for the fall.  To keep your search moving forward you should:

• Capitalize on Seasonal Events
• Don’t Get Discouraged
• Keep a Job Search Schedule
• Build a Network
• Take Stock of Your Resume and Skills
• Get Outside

        Obviously, the point is to not slow down during the summer.  To see more details on the bullet points, go to http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-writing-tips/sizzling-summer-job-search-tips/article.aspx?WT.mc_n=CRMUS000096

Job postings that have high requirements are a line of defense to help cut down the number of resumes received.  Margot Carmichael Lester is a contributing writer for Monster.com and she has some key tips to share with us about overcoming degree requirements in job ads.  If you have everything it takes to get the job done besides the degree it is still worth applying for.  Matching your resume to there job specs can play a big role in getting noticed.  If you do not have the preferred degree, make sure you show achievements acquired despite the fact that you have no degree. 

If you have someone in your social network that might have a connection to the manager you most certainly want to put that to good use.  Inside connections are a good way to secure a spot in front of the boss.

It helps to have someone who will review your resume and cover letter to see if they match the job description.

Making the employer aware that you have the ability to learn new things quickly will make a good impression in the companies’ eyes, showing that you don’t necessarily need the credentials to get the job done.

The power of confidence can help you close the deal.  You need to show that you have no insecurities about your abilities.  I strongly encourage you to go to http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/getting-started/overcome-job-ad-requirements/article.aspx?WT.mc_n=CRMUS000096 and read the full article. 

Happy Job Hunting

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/job-hunting-in-the-summer-and-overcoming-ad-requirements-1623031.html

My Jobs Assistant Jobs Assistant Bullet Points, Career Advice, Carmichael, Corporations, Degree Requirements, Hiring Process, Job Hunting, Job Postings, Kim Isaacs, Monster, Preferred Degree, Prime Time, Privilege, Resume Job, Search Schedule, Seasonal Events, Sizzling Summer, Summer Job Search, Writing Tips, Wt

Going through job applications is a tedious process. With that in mind, you need to do all that is within your power to grab the attention of the person who will screen your resume.

1) Capitalize, bold, underline or italicize for a reason. Too often job seekers are putting the emphasis at the wrong place and, when asked why, don’t really know. One bad habit is to highlight the name of a previous employer. If your prior employer or employers are unknown companies, drawing attention to their name will not make your candidacy stronger, which begs the question, why should you do it then? If you worked for an “avant-garde” company like Google or Apple, it would be a good idea to draw attention to their name. There is a presumption that those big companies only hire the cream of the crop and so, the fact that you used to work there can surely bolster your standing. If, however, you worked at a small company, it might be a better idea to highlight the title of the position you held to draw the focus on you.

2) Be consistent. As you write your resume, be consistent with the formatting. That same formatting should also be used for the cover letter that will accompany your resume. Why is consistency important? The obvious answer is that it will improve the visual appeal of your resume. Beyond that, however, it will also allow recruiters to screen through your resume faster and locate the information they need more easily. Consistent formatting is key to having a clear and professional-looking resume.

3) Use boxes, bullets, images, tables and/or charts to draw attention to key aspects of your qualifications. This will help accentuate the impact that your resume will make. Again, keep in mind that recruiters will only spend a few seconds screening through each resume they receive. Without these visual aids, they may fail to see the full strength of your candidacy. Going through a resume should not be a laborious process. Make is easy for the recruiter and he or she will thank you for that.

4) Use the header and footer functions of Microsoft Word. If you are using another program, see if there are similar functions. These functions are very useful because they will ensure the consistency in the formatting throughout your resume. In the header, only put your name. At the top of the first page of your resume, below the header, include your address and contact information. The reason for not including your address and contact information in the header of your resume is that you don’t want this information to be repeated on all the pages of your resume. For the footer section, you should indicate the page number and reference to the total number of pages. Examples: “1/2″, “page 1 of 2″ or “1 of 2″.

5) If you email your application, make sure to email one Word version and one PDF version. It is important to email a Word version in case the recruiter has a program to scan the applications that are coming in. This will most often be the case for larger organizations. The PDF version is to ensure that, if the recruiter prints out a copy of your resume, it will keep its formatting.

If you use these 5 tips, you will improve the visual appeal of your resume and will be a step closer to landing a job interview.

John Stronack is a resume writer for Checkmate Resume. Checkmate Resume offers professional resume template packages at affordable prices.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/5-tips-to-improve-the-visual-impact-of-your-resume-1531273.html

My Jobs Assistant Jobs Assistant Aids, Apple, Bad Habit, Boxes, Bullets, Candidacy, Consistency, Cover Letter, Cream Of The Crop, Formatting, Full Strength, Google, Job Seekers, Presumption, Professional Resume, Resume Job, Visual Aids, Visual Appeal, Visual Impact, Write Resume

Most job applications are made up of two documents, the resume and the cover letter. A lot has been written about resume writing. The same cannot be said however about cover letter writing. Out of the two, the resume is definitely the most important document. It contains the substance of your candidacy. Does that mean that the cover letter should be downplayed? No. The cover letter should be viewed as complementing the resume. A resume without an accompanying cover letter would not be viewed by most recruiters as a complete job application.

Think of a resume this way. It is a document which purports to describe, as “objectively” as possible, your qualifications, including your education, work experience and professional background. Objectively was put in quotes because, although a resume should be written in the third person and, therefore, may sound objective, it is in fact very subjective as it reflects your views as to what your qualifications are. As impressive as a resume can be, it cannot convey one’s interest in a position. Further, some things cannot be said in a resume, yet, could be relevant or of interest to the recruiter. While a resume is relatively rigid in its construction, a cover letter is much more flexible and allows a candidate to put his or her personal touch to a job application. Hence, the function of a cover letter: to introduce, amplify and/or draw attention to specific aspects of a resume.

If there is something you’d like to convey, but can’t do it through your resume, the cover letter is there to give you that latitude. Smart job applicants will not miss the opportunity to fully utilize a cover letter to highlight their candidacy and prepare the ground for their resume.

Far from repeating what’s already in the resume, a cover letter should complement the resume. While a resume reflects what you have done in the past mainly, the cover letter can connect your qualifications with what you can bring to the new job you are applying to. It can serve as an expression of your interest in the position; not only stating that you are interested, but also why. In that regard, employers would rather hire someone a little less qualified but upbeat about the job than a qualified candidate that doesn’t necessarily show the same interest.

A cover letter is especially important for candidates that may not have as much experience or qualifications as other candidates. The initial screening process can be very subjective and recruiters may not necessarily have a pre-determined checklist as to what they are looking for. Want a wild card? Seize your opportunity through your cover letter.

One last word of advice: as mentioned above, a cover letter should be viewed as complementing the resume it is accompanying. The two should be viewed as a pair, so they should have the same general formatting and layout.

We hope the above will help you in your job search. Good luck!

John Stronack is a writer for WorkBloom. See our resume tips and cover letter tips.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/drafting-a-cover-letter-that-will-complement-your-resume-1531560.html

My Jobs Assistant Jobs Assistant Candidacy, Cover Letter, Education Experience, Education Work, Job Applicants, Job Application, Job Applications, Latitude, Letter Writing, Personal Touch, Professional Background, Quotes, Recruiter, Recruiters, Resume Job, Resume Letter, Resume Writing, Smart, Third Person, Work Experience