The Danger Of Banking On One Opportunity

The Danger Of Banking On One Opportunity Keep your pipeline FULL! This is a long story, so Im not going to write anything more than THIS IS NOT MY STORY. I kind of had this happen to me, but this particular story is from a JibberJobber user, and reader of this blog. If you area job seeker this story will make you sad and mad at the same time. Jason, Ive just had an experience which you may want to share with your readers in a blog post. Perhaps others can learn from it. As you know, its been tough to find my next position as my work spans over multiple departments. Last year I went through an interview process for a position that had a job description that seemed perfectly suited to me. I had several interviews over a few months. In addition, someone who worked at the organization worked with me previously at my current organization and had supposedly put in a good word for me. At the end, I came in #2 to another candidate. This summer, I saw the person who I used to work with in the park near my office, only to find out that the person they hired hadnt worked out and they would be soon looking for a replacement. He added they should have hired you. I followed up with an email to the organization executive director to keep my connection open but not mentioning my conversation. A few months later, I was contacted by the organization and the interview process started again. I met three times with practically the entire executive staff, which seemed very promising. I also joined the organizations email lists and made sure that I prepared well for every conversation, tracking my interactions in JibberJobber. Suddenly about a month ago the process stopped. I followed up with an email to the executive director, and received a response that he would call me the next day. The next day came and went no response. Three weeks later, I followed up with another email and received a response that he wanted to call me but didnt have my phone number. This seemed a bit strange, but I sent back my full contact information and we arranged to chat the next day. After an exchange of voice mails, I finally spoke to him yesterday. Needless to say, I wasnt expecting a positive experience, but the conversation was very discouraging. He started off by saying that the recent financial crisis had made them re-evaluate whether or not to fill this position. While I could understand the concern, the role of this spot in maintaining all of the organizations online communications seemed a bit too important to discontinue in the face of the recent stock market fluctuations. He then continued to say that even if they decide to go forward, they probably would not continue with my candidacy, even though I had been given more interviews than most others who had applied for the position. This still seemed a bit hard to understand, so I asked whether there was some part of my qualifications that didnt match the position. I was told that they were now looking for a different set of skill sets, but that he hoped I had benefited from the experience. Needless to say, the conversation left me angry and frustrated about having devoted so much resources to an organization that clearly doesnt have its act together. On the positive side, I was grateful that I didnt end up working there for someone who didnt even have the decency to probably wouldnt have given me any type of update had I not followed up several times. The lesson? While its useful to focus on opportunities that seem to be especially the right fit, its dangerous to spend too much time concentrating on one possibility. I received several signs that this would at least result in an offer, and twice I was burned. Now having had my job hunt go on for two years, Im wondering what it takes to move to the final stage. One thing Im planning to do is to do some mock interviews with my career coach to hopefully find out if theres anything I can do to improve my presentation. Please keep my name anonymous but please emphasize to your audience the importance of having multiple possibilities going at all times and to be aware of any warning signs during the interview process that an organization may be dysfunctional and is NOT a good place to work, even if the job sounds perfect. Ill just repeat one line: While its useful to focus on opportunities that seem to be especially the right fit, its dangerous to spend too much time concentrating on one possibility.   Keep that pipeline full! The Danger Of Banking On One Opportunity Keep your pipeline FULL! This is a long story, so Im not going to write anything more than THIS IS NOT MY STORY. I kind of had this happen to me, but this particular story is from a JibberJobber user, and reader of this blog. If you area job seeker this story will make you sad and mad at the same time. Jason, Ive just had an experience which you may want to share with your readers in a blog post. Perhaps others can learn from it. As you know, its been tough to find my next position as my work spans over multiple departments. Last year I went through an interview process for a position that had a job description that seemed perfectly suited to me. I had several interviews over a few months. In addition, someone who worked at the organization worked with me previously at my current organization and had supposedly put in a good word for me. At the end, I came in #2 to another candidate. This summer, I saw the person who I used to work with in the park near my office, only to find out that the person they hired hadnt worked out and they would be soon looking for a replacement. He added they should have hired you. I followed up with an email to the organization executive director to keep my connection open but not mentioning my conversation. A few months later, I was contacted by the organization and the interview process started again. I met three times with practically the entire executive staff, which seemed very promising. I also joined the organizations email lists and made sure that I prepared well for every conversation, tracking my interactions in JibberJobber. Suddenly about a month ago the process stopped. I followed up with an email to the executive director, and received a response that he would call me the next day. The next day came and went no response. Three weeks later, I followed up with another email and received a response that he wanted to call me but didnt have my phone number. This seemed a bit strange, but I sent back my full contact information and we arranged to chat the next day. After an exchange of voice mails, I finally spoke to him yesterday. Needless to say, I wasnt expecting a positive experience, but the conversation was very discouraging. He started off by saying that the recent financial crisis had made them re-evaluate whether or not to fill this position. While I could understand the concern, the role of this spot in maintaining all of the organizations online communications seemed a bit too important to discontinue in the face of the recent stock market fluctuations. He then continued to say that even if they decide to go forward, they probably would not continue with my candidacy, even though I had been given more interviews than most others who had applied for the position. This still seemed a bit hard to understand, so I asked whether there was some part of my qualifications that didnt match the position. I was told that they were now looking for a different set of skill sets, but that he hoped I had benefited from the experience. Needless to say, the conversation left me angry and frustrated about having devoted so much resources to an organization that clearly doesnt have its act together. On the positive side, I was grateful that I didnt end up working there for someone who didnt even have the decency to probably wouldnt have given me any type of update had I not followed up several times. The lesson? While its useful to focus on opportunities that seem to be especially the right fit, its dangerous to spend too much time concentrating on one possibility. I received several signs that this would at least result in an offer, and twice I was burned. Now having had my job hunt go on for two years, Im wondering what it takes to move to the final stage. One thing Im planning to do is to do some mock interviews with my career coach to hopefully find out if theres anything I can do to improve my presentation. Please keep my name anonymous but please emphasize to your audience the importance of having multiple possibilities going at all times and to be aware of any warning signs during the interview process that an organization may be dysfunctional and is NOT a good place to work, even if the job sounds perfect. Ill just repeat one line: While its useful to focus on opportunities that seem to be especially the right fit, its dangerous to spend too much time concentrating on one possibility.   Keep that pipeline full! The Danger Of Banking On One Opportunity Keep your pipeline FULL! This is a long story, so Im not going to write anything more than THIS IS NOT MY STORY. I kind of had this happen to me, but this particular story is from a JibberJobber user, and reader of this blog. If you area job seeker this story will make you sad and mad at the same time. Jason, Ive just had an experience which you may want to share with your readers in a blog post. Perhaps others can learn from it. As you know, its been tough to find my next position as my work spans over multiple departments. Last year I went through an interview process for a position that had a job description that seemed perfectly suited to me. I had several interviews over a few months. In addition, someone who worked at the organization worked with me previously at my current organization and had supposedly put in a good word for me. At the end, I came in #2 to another candidate. This summer, I saw the person who I used to work with in the park near my office, only to find out that the person they hired hadnt worked out and they would be soon looking for a replacement. He added they should have hired you. I followed up with an email to the organization executive director to keep my connection open but not mentioning my conversation. A few months later, I was contacted by the organization and the interview process started again. I met three times with practically the entire executive staff, which seemed very promising. I also joined the organizations email lists and made sure that I prepared well for every conversation, tracking my interactions in JibberJobber. Suddenly about a month ago the process stopped. I followed up with an email to the executive director, and received a response that he would call me the next day. The next day came and went no response. Three weeks later, I followed up with another email and received a response that he wanted to call me but didnt have my phone number. This seemed a bit strange, but I sent back my full contact information and we arranged to chat the next day. After an exchange of voice mails, I finally spoke to him yesterday. Needless to say, I wasnt expecting a positive experience, but the conversation was very discouraging. He started off by saying that the recent financial crisis had made them re-evaluate whether or not to fill this position. While I could understand the concern, the role of this spot in maintaining all of the organizations online communications seemed a bit too important to discontinue in the face of the recent stock market fluctuations. He then continued to say that even if they decide to go forward, they probably would not continue with my candidacy, even though I had been given more interviews than most others who had applied for the position. This still seemed a bit hard to understand, so I asked whether there was some part of my qualifications that didnt match the position. I was told that they were now looking for a different set of skill sets, but that he hoped I had benefited from the experience. Needless to say, the conversation left me angry and frustrated about having devoted so much resources to an organization that clearly doesnt have its act together. On the positive side, I was grateful that I didnt end up working there for someone who didnt even have the decency to probably wouldnt have given me any type of update had I not followed up several times. The lesson? While its useful to focus on opportunities that seem to be especially the right fit, its dangerous to spend too much time concentrating on one possibility. I received several signs that this would at least result in an offer, and twice I was burned. Now having had my job hunt go on for two years, Im wondering what it takes to move to the final stage. One thing Im planning to do is to do some mock interviews with my career coach to hopefully find out if theres anything I can do to improve my presentation. Please keep my name anonymous but please emphasize to your audience the importance of having multiple possibilities going at all times and to be aware of any warning signs during the interview process that an organization may be dysfunctional and is NOT a good place to work, even if the job sounds perfect. Ill just repeat one line: While its useful to focus on opportunities that seem to be especially the right fit, its dangerous to spend too much time concentrating on one possibility.   Keep that pipeline full!

How Should You Handle Gaps on Your Resume

How Should You Handle Gaps on Your Resume A gap in employment is one of the things that many job seekers stress about and fear.  When an employer sees an unexplained gap on your resume, he or she may think that you  have something to hide or struggle to hold down a job. Therefore, in order to gain the trust of an employer, it is best that you  explain these gaps. Most employers understand that people may not work continuously, but they also want to know what you did during your time off. So how do you go about explaining gaps on your resume? 1. Explain an  extensive gap in your cover letter If you have an extensive gap between employment, you may want to address it in the  cover letter that accompanies your resume. You have more room to address the gap on your cover letter than on your resume, so you can let your prospective employer know  the reason why you were out of the workforce, and explain that you are ready to return. If you have been out of work to go travelling, explain what you have gained from the experience and anything you have learnt that will benefit your career. You do not need to go into detail about a frustrating job search or a serious illness. Keep it brief. If the gap happened a long time ago, do not mention it at all. 2. Give the section the right title Rather than calling the section on your resume “Employment History”, call it “Work  History” instead. It is because the word “employment” implies that you were paid for  what you did. Calling a section “Work History” allows you to include any non-paid work  that you did during your employment gap(s).  For example, volunteer work or work done  for the community. These may not be relevant to your profession, but they are  great experience and show strength of character. 3. Use a different date format In the “Work History” section of your resume, use years but not months. This makes your  information more reader-friendly as readers can quickly glance through the section and  have an idea of the length of time you spent at each job. In addition, listing only years  may conceal some of the gaps in your work history. For example: 11/2013-04/2014, Project Leader, ABC Company, NY 05/2011-01/2013, Project Leader, XYZ Company, NY If you eliminate the months, you will eliminate the 10-month gap: 2013-2014, Project Leader, ABC Company, NY 2011-2013, Project Leader, XYZ Company, NY 4. Avoid a strictly chronological resume Instead of using a strictly chronological resume, use a chrono-functional resume that  highlights your job functions and skills. This resume format is especially useful if you  have some large gaps in your work history. Regardless of the reasons and sizes of your employment gaps, you should always  maintain an optimistic, positive attitude during your job search, and make sure that your  prospective employer knows that you are eager to return to work.

4 Steps to Building a Company Culture You Can Be Proud of

4 Steps to Building a Company Culture You Can Be Proud of Each year, Fortune and Great Place to Work publish a list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. For the past six years, Google has topped the list. Its company culture is legendary, and by most accounts, it truly is a great place to work. In addition to free, healthy meals; free transportation; colorful bikes for getting around its vast campus; and college tuition reimbursement, Google employees enjoy work-life perks such as extended paid leave for new parents (dads included) and the ability to devote up to 20 percent of their work time to work on creative projects that they believe will help the company. Your company may lack the resources of a tech giant, but that’s okay. Building a company culture that you can be proud of doesnt require spending a lot of money it requires a strong commitment to making your company a place people love to work. Start with a Solid Foundation: As with any successful construction project, you need a solid foundation to work from. While a number of components, perks, and values can go into a great company culture, focusing on these four core areas listed below is an excellent starting point: Vision and Values Does your company have a clear vision and core values, and if it does, are employees clear on what they are? Do they share them? Are they excited about them? Engagement Engaged employees are less likely to leave the company in favor of a better job. Increasing engagement at work is win-win, but its an initiative in its own right. Some of the keys to inspiring engagement include: providing meaningful work, clarity and direction; offering positive feedback; giving employees a sense of ownership over their work, and allowing employees the opportunity to contribute to the companys success. Balance   Employees look for balance between their professional and family lives. A company culture that allows for the occasional school play, sets aside time for volunteer work, and offers flex time or telecommuting options makes it easier for employees to find that balance. Recognition Have you ever worked really hard, only to have your efforts go unnoticed? Its demoralizing, and youre not incentivized to repeat the effort if no one seemed to care one way or the other. In contrast, a few appreciative words can make all the difference. A small reward, even something as simple as getting out of work a few hours early on a Friday afternoon multiplies the impact of that recognition. Take Action: If youre reading this, you’ve already taken the first step building a company culture you can be proud of. Lets transform it from a well intentioned thought and turn it into reality. You can use Google’s culture statement for inspiration. Now define your vision for your companys culture. What does it look like? Write it down. You now have vision to guide you as you build a foundation of values, engagement, balance, and recognition. Be generous with positive feedback, and recognize contributions large and small. Implement policies that give employees a greater sense of control over their work so they can truly shine. When the company culture you want is clearly defined, and within your reach grab it. Author: George Dickson specializes in content and customer success at Bonusly, a web platform that helps companies reward and motivate employees through peer-to-peer bonuses.

How Job Seeking (and the Workplace) are Going Mobile

How Job Seeking (and the Workplace) are Going Mobile This post is sponsored by Adecco Group. You can  download their 2015 Work Trends Study here. As things go in life, practice makes perfect, and this is also true when it comes to social  media and using it  for your next job search. At least, this is what we have seen in the  results of the 2015 Adecco Work Trends Study, which we conducted earlier this year across 26  countries. We wanted to know what job seekers think about social job searching and also what they  think about smartworking solutions, so here are the results. Consider where you apply: If you want to understand how someone  reacts to a situation, you first need to understand them as a person it is very similar  when it comes to organisations. For example: the bigger the company, the more likely it is that your  online behaviour and profiles will matter to your potential employer in the application process. If you  apply at smaller companies, the likelihood that the recruiter assesses you online will decrease. It also depends in which country you apply: eastern European countries and Asia are more likely and North  and South American and central European countries are less likely to reject your application based on  your online profile. However, it is very easy to avoid this situation: Make sure the information on your CV and your online profiles are not contradictory. Do not post improper or unsuitable images. Try to avoid political opinions. Although, what is out of your hands and up to the recruiter to decide is: how your personality fits in with the  company culture. Being a social pro lets you shine: Its very simple: the more active you are with your online job searches and activities, the  more likely it is that a recruiter will contact you through a social network. Through the study, weve  seen that, when  job seekers use only one network, the probability was at 16% and, if all of the “big five” are used, the  likelihood increases to 46%. Blogging also  increases your chances: candidates with a blog were  more likely to be contacted online by a recruiter, as it all boils down to visibility. Recruiters use the  social networks as contact databases and the more keywords you feed into these databases about  yourself, your experience, your knowledge and qualifications, the more likely it is that your profile  will get noticed. Additionally, the more information you make available about your professional  qualifications, the better equipped the recruiter is  to assess whether you are a good match for the  position he/she is trying to fill. This is true regardless of whether you are actively or passively looking  for a new opportunity. We know you want so go and get it: Our work environment today is more connected than ever most of us own a smartphone to monitor our work e-mails or to be available via phone and chat to colleagues and clients. We connect via the web  and through video chat around the world and our workday begins when we commute to the office. It is true that  with a laptop, a smartphone and an internet connection, we can set up shop anywhere and be  almost as (or even more) efficient than working from the office. That’s why, even though many of us  are not aware that this concept is summarized in the idea of ‘smartworking solutions’, we love each  single part of these solutions and we want to have more of them! So why don’t we? Part of it is due to age: many respondents in the Work Trends Study above the age of 50 years have  never tried remote working; and respondents below the age of 24 have a higher concern about  remote working, probably due to the limited knowledge about the job market or their own abilities. According to recruiters, they would offer more flexibility in work time and location to middle or  senior manager in a permanent position. If you belong to this group, the likelihood that your  employer can offer you more flexibility is extremely high. Is this all? Nope, there is more to find out in the Adecco 2015 Work Trends Study and we have put all of the  documents in one place for you to download: adecco.com/worktrends. You can also follow  @AdeccoGroup on Twitter and Instagram and receive even more insights from the study! Info: Over 31,000 job seekers and more than 4,100 recruiters from 26 countries took part in Adecco’s  survey, sharing their opinions and experiences on the use of social media for recruitment and job  search practices. The survey, the most comprehensive in this field to date, was conducted in  collaboration with the Università Cattolica di Milano, Italy.

Resume Writing Services

Resume Writing ServicesAs with any resume service, you may be concerned about the quality of your resume's content. It is understandable to be somewhat worried about how the design and content of your resume will impact its content after all, having poor content in a professionally-written resume is not a good look. If you are concerned that your resume is lacking in the presentation area, make sure you understand the resume latex software that is on the market today.Resume latex is a powerful content creation tool that has been developed to help professional and personal use, professionals creating resumes for employers or clients who have hired you, or that you have created yourself, to create resumes that are as good as professional resumes, but far less expensive. The best part about it is that you do not need to be a computer whiz to use it. All you need is a computer with a printer that prints.It's good enough to use to make a professional resume, if that is what you want to us e. In fact, it is one of the many types of resume writing services that you can use for professional resume purposes. No matter whether you are the one making the resume or you are being asked to write it, resume latex is a very valuable tool to help you present yourself as an excellent candidate for an open position. By providing an easy-to-use resume writing tool, you can use resume latex as your way to get your message across to employers about your qualifications and abilities.Resume latex is unique from other resume writing programs simply because it not only allows you to edit your resume to any standard size, but it also allows you to have different styles for each section. For example, you can have a much smaller font for a statement of purpose section, and a larger font for each bullet point section. In fact, you can even have custom styles for each of these sections.With this revolutionary capability, you can really make your professional resume stand out from others. Inst ead of having to depend on a large industry standard to help you present yourself, you will be able to write your own resume. You can select the styles and types of information you want to put in the resume.When you are done creating your resume, your resume will be ready to submit. You will no longer have to worry about getting your resume scanned by human eyes to determine whether it will make the cut or not. With the resume latex, the only factor that needs to be considered is the length of the resume.With the resume latex, you can choose to upload it to a template or to a professional resume. You can also choose to be listed at the bottom of the resume in an at-a-glance format. Another feature is a photo section that allows you to insert a photo of yourself, either of you in your resume or just of your education background. You can even add your name in a signature section and your contact information.With the ability to use resume latex, you can customize your professional resu me into the best option for your type of job. Make sure you take a look at the resume latex on the market today to see if you can get a better deal on your resume.

5 Tips for Incredibly Obvious Job Search - CareerAlley

5 Tips for Incredibly Obvious Job Search - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. A few months back I was doing some recruiting. My companys HR department subscribes to some of the big job search engines (as well as LinkedIn). What I got from the HR department was over 100 resumes which broadly fit the job description. I started browsing through the resumes and quickly started looking for those that stood out from the rest, you know, those that were incredibly obvious (so many resumes, so little time). Chances are I passed over some really great candidates, but you know know what they say you snooze, you lose. So whats the point? There is just sooo much competition out there and your best chance of getting an interview is to make sure that it is incredibly obvious to the reader that you are a viable candidate for the job. Todays post is all about getting the attention you job search needs. Cover Letters: CoverLetterCentral.com A cover letter is the first thing a prospective employer sees and yours needs to stand out if you expect to have any chance at an interview. This site provides tips, tricks and examples you can use. There are related links on the left hand side of the page (like 5 cover letter mistakes) as well as links to books that can help as well. Related Article:6 Tips to Improve your Cover Letters SIX SUREFIRE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR COVER LETTER STAND OUT STAND OUT FROM THE REST Short and to the point, this link lists 6 suggestions for helping your resume stand out from the crowd. There are additional job search related links on the left hand side of the page and quite a few of those are cover letter related. Related Article:Why Should We Hire You? How to get Noticed: Get Noticed for a Job This article provides a few additional job search sites and resources. Leverage your existing job search resources and add a few new ones. This is a CareerAlleypost and the linksare worth a look. 5 Steps to a Great Resume Ensuring you have the best resume possible will give you the best shot at getting interviews and getting the job. You need to get your resume in shape and this multi-part article provides some useful tips. As you may (or may not) know, many times the first set of eyes on a resume arenot human, they are first reviewed by screening based on key words. That tip, please a few others are provided in thisseries. Five Resume Writing Secrets that get you Noticed TopTen Reviews provides these 5 quick resume writing secrets. Tips like do your homework and first impressions count are two of my favorites. There is a resume builder review section on the top left hand side of the page. that are worth a look as well. Career Tip of the Day:7 Fatal Resume Errors Suggested Reading:The Job you always wanted today! We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ what where job title, keywords or company city, state or zip jobs by What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to make a resume and cover letter that gets you hired. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

One Person You Need for a Successful Career

One Person You Need for a Successful Career These days, having a career is a creative act. When I talk about careers, I mean your life’s work, not just your job. While jobs are certainly a component, our careers have bigger meaning that goes beyond stringing together a series of tasks to keep us occupied and with a roof over our heads. Create your own path The world of work is changing so fast that the old formulas no longer work â€" there are no more career “ladders” and we certainly don’t have guaranteed outcomes. So if you aspire to a career that’s rewarding beyond a series of jobs, then you have to carve your own path. That means being creative in putting together the series of projects, jobs, roles and “side gigs” that allow you to thrive. To be your best self and share your talents with the world while also providing for your daily living needs. What every successful creator has Since we’re all creators now, it’s important to know the one thing every successful creator has had: a “true believer”. Someone who recognizes your talent and cheers you on to your wins. People who support you through the tough times and help you believe in yourself when there’s doubt. For Thomas Edison, it was his mother who helped him become one of the greatest inventors in the world after he was kicked out of school for lack of intelligence. For Vincent van Gogh, it was his brother who supported him as a starving artist. In my own case, I’ve been fortunate to have true believers in my parents, then my husband, and now also my team and the mastermind communities I belong to. They helped me during the many times I was about to quit but really wanted to stay. They also supported me when I needed the courage to say ‘yes’ to that stretch assignment. And more recently, they believed in me when I finally left my comfort zone to try something new. Beyond sponsors and mentors While your true believers might include your sponsor or mentors, it’s really a different role. Frankly, true believers are people who have your back in a way that goes way beyond what it means to be a sponsor or mentor. In my experience, your true believers are typically behind-the-scenes and personal to you. That also makes the relationship portable â€" it’ll travel along with you whatever you do and whichever job you have. That’s why true believers are often family members or old friends. Using famous people as an example, their true believers are likely to be people who knew them before they became the equivalent of Oprah. People who can be trusted and whose motives are not in question. Nurture your true believers But being a true believer doesn’t mean blindly supporting someone where there’s no substance. In fact, when someone is your true believer, they know your capabilities, passions and aspirations. And they also know how and where you shine. To deserve a true believer, you must continually invest in your own growth and learning. By demonstrating your commitment to yourself and your career, you’ll have a better shot at holding onto those true believers and making your aspirations a reality. As you create the career and life you want, who are your true believers? Take a moment to really think about this and then commit to nurturing those relationships because they are gold. Hopefully, your life and career path will be long. And having those true believers by your side will make it more meaningful and prosperous as well. Be a true believer Then, most importantly, for whom are you a true believer? Treasure this role. Your contribution is significant and I’m sure you’re helping that person more than you can ever know. Now it’s over to you. How do you show appreciation for your true believers? And what will you do to support someone else you believe in? Leave a comment and let me know.