Job Search Mistakes Ive Made

Job Search Mistakes I've Made 6 On the road to becoming a job search expert, here are some job search mistakes that I've made along the way. Not knowing how to negotiate job offers In 1999, I interviewed for the position of Web Developer at what would become Amazon.fr, Amazon.com's French website. After a few rounds of interviewing and a test of my HTML skills, I was back at the table sitting across from the head of HR as she made me an offer to join the team of people who would go on to build their new website. Since I didn't yet have a European (Schengen zone) work visa â€" Amazon would need to formally sponsor my visa application for that â€" the offer wasn't an actual contract, more like the outlines of one.eval I was unimpressed. Like most people, especially someone who was interviewing for their first ever full-time job, my initial focus was only on money. The number thrown out at me was a decent salary for an entry-level developer but I already had a standing offer with another company that was 5% higher.eval “I'd like 5% more,” I told her. “We can't give you any more, because…” Wait for it… “While you have a Bachelor's degree, one of your future team members has a Master's degree and will be paid the same amount. It wouldn't be fair to pay you more than her. That's how it is in France.” UGH. What she was saying made no sense to me but I simply didn't know how to respond to it. Actually, a better response would have been to tell me â€" if true â€" that all team members of equal responsibility would also get equal pay. That I would have understood, even if I didn't really care. I just wanted the most I could get. On top of my lack of response, I had already decided that I wanted the Amazon job more than the 5% higher-paying one. So I fell for it and eventually signed with them at the proposed pay. And the team member with a Master's degree? She didn't last 3 months in the job. Takeaway lessons Know the relevant laws and culture of the country where you're seeking work Research all companies you interview with (at the very least) Write prioritize a list of everything a company can offer you in salary compensation Learn how to negotiate for your compensation Unreasonable expectations In August 2001, I resigned from Amazon to leave France and move back to Israel after being away for 2 years. My timing could not have been worse. My plan was to take 6 months off to decompress and then start my first real Israeli job search. Coming off my success at Amazon, I expected that it would take only 1-2 months to find a good job since people would be impressed with a hotshot from the e-commerce powerhouse that Amazon was at the time. It didn't work out that way. After only 3 months of relaxation â€" mostly reading in the sun â€" I decided that I'd had enough and was ready to go back to work. I updated my resume, translated it to Hebrew and began looking for jobs and companies that I wanted to work for. The first obstacle appeared right away; there just weren't too many big Israeli e-commerce companies that could appreciate my skill set. Oh sure, people were impressed with my Amazon accomplishments but they couldn't see where to fit me in their (or their clients') own organizations. And I didn't know how to reposition myself to become more attractive to other companies. My next obstacle was a far more critical one- the bursting of the dot-com Bubble. This was November 2001. High tech companies were collapsing all around the world but especially in the meccas of Silicon Valley and Israel. The few companies left standing were the ones who tightened their budgets, laid off staff and stopped hiring. Wherever I looked there seemed to be no more jobs available, even after I opened myself up to relocation anywhere in the country. Nothing. I did eventually get some job offers but the best one involved moving back to France, which is what I did in September 2002. Looking back now, there were so many things I did wrong during that job search, it's almost laughable, as if the job offers came not because of my efforts but despite my efforts. If I had known more about how to job search, I almost certainly would have found at least a decent job, even in those hard times. Takeaway lessons Have a good grasp of your target industry/location/companies before making related decisions. Be realistic when making estimates, get second opinions, track adjust as necessary. Prepare yourself to adapt so as to increase your odds of reaching your job search goals. If you liked these stories lessons, you'll enjoy Older Job Seeker? Stop Making These Mistakes Immediately

Getting Your Resume Writing Started in Plymouth, MA

Getting Your Resume Writing Started in Plymouth, MAWhen you are looking for a job in a small city like Plymouth, MA, it is easy to get distracted by a summer job or a weekend job when you should be thinking about your resume. This can mean the difference between being offered a job and not being offered a job. Learn how to get your resume writing started when it comes to a small town.Well, you can start by remembering that you need to write on a daily basis. If you don't write every day, chances are you will get too lazy to do it when you should be. So be sure to write every day if you are going to continue looking for a job. The more work you do each day, the more work you will do in the future.It is also important to remember that you don't get a job unless you are good at what you do. In Plymouth, you will be required to sell yourself and the opportunity that you have to find a job. So take your time and don't let other things like the demands of work and family get in the way of writing your resume.Writing a resume is also very different from going to a small town. In a big city, there are many people who are going to have seen what you look like, and they will be able to tell if you are a good fit for the job. When you go to a small town, you need to make sure that you are meeting your potential employer's expectations.Make sure that you are getting ready to get noticed and not put yourself in any easy options. For instance, one way to get noticed is to have your cover letter done by an agency, but this is something that can make you look like you are trying to get the job. You need to get your resume ready by doing your research on the person and what you should be looking for. If you are a student who does not have a lot of money, it is a good idea to hire a professional writer to help you out. If you do this, you will get a resume that has the look that you want without spending a lot of money. And you will still be able to find a job when the right per son finds you.Plymouth, MA is a small town and there are a lot of jobs in the area. You can be an assistant in the restaurant down the street from you, a cashier, and even a mail man. So if you take the time to find out what you are qualified for, you can be looking for a job that you will be happy with.When you are looking for a job in a small town, you should not stop doing research on the person and what you are qualified for. This means that you will spend some time looking at the job descriptions and the company that you are applying to. Doing your research is important to your chances of getting a job in Plymouth, MA.

Will a Masters help you stand out

Will a Masters help you stand out This view has taken firm hold and it’s easy to see why. Just call it confirmation bias. You think a Masters will confer a competitive advantage in the job market? Well, chances are you’ll find the evidence you’re looking for; a quick search on Google generates some pretty compelling and convincing headlines. Throw in some media hype about devalued first degrees, and high levels of graduate un(der)employment and suddenly postgrad study seems like a wise move. Don’t drift into further study There are very few ‘heart sink’ moments within careers, but there’s one scenario which tests the resolve of the most optimistic careers consultant: students who drift into postgraduate study, with no discernible motivation or career direction. It’s easy to see why this happens: job hunting takes time and the sheer weight of information, events and advice can seem completely overwhelming, and sometimes impenetrable. Maybe it’s just easier to defer your job search for another year? Perhaps you’ve yet to find your niche and think an extra year’s study will help you find clarity and if not, you’ve always got qualification to fall back on. Does this sound like you? If so, stop and think. Everything we know about the current job market â€" and student behaviour â€" suggests that falling into postgraduate study, without understanding how and why it will benefit you, may compound your problems, and not alleviate them. A full time Masters is really intense, leaving little time to find work experience or further your job search. And when you finish, youll be competing with a new batch of graduates hungry for work. Postgraduate study can be a really positive, enriching experience, but it requires strong motivation and focus. Before you commit both time and money, ask yourself what you hope to gain. A Masters can help, but choose wisely… In some sectors a Masters qualification is almost a pre-requisite; you might get on the first rung of the ladder without one, but you won’t climb any higher not unless youre seriously impressive, with publications to your name or a patent up your sleeve. If you’re considering a career in museums, libraries, social work or RD a Masters degree is almost essential. Chartership in both psychology and engineering is similarly dependant on securing a Masters level qualification. And for the budding social scientists out there, an MSc in Research Methods presents a sound investment of time and money. For less vocational, more academic Masters degrees the career benefits are not immediately obvious. Thats not to say it wont pay dividends later on in your career; strong academic credentials and substantive work experience combine in a pretty powerful mix. Just dont expect a graduate recruiter to fall over themselves in awe; for the most part, Masters degrees have little intrinsic value at the entry or graduate level. Myths and the job market Last year, along with my colleagues from the *AGCAS Postgraduate Students Task Group I conducted some research into the myths surrounding postgraduate study (many and legion) as well as recruiter attitudes. I confess up front to a small sample size and relaxed approach to research methodology, but the results seem to reflect wider trends and the experience of colleagues working in careers and graduate recruitment. Most employers across most sectors will not distinguish between first and second degree applicants. Very few recruiters offer distinct recruitment streams for Masters graduates. In terms of a clearly differentiated market for Masters applicants, it seems the myth is well and truly busted. Dont assume theres a financial premium attached to those extra letters. Salaries vary according to sector, role and organisation rarely degree status. You might be able to command a higher salary if you are considered an experienced hire and have pursued Masters study to continue your professional development, otherwise you will simply start on the same salary as a graduate recruit. A Masters qualification will not (generally) compensate for a lower degree classification (2:1). Most graduate employers are looking for a 2:1 or above, but dont career success doesnt start and stop with the Times Top 100. Why not be more creative in your job search and consider the SME route instead? SMEs are crying out for bright, capable graduates and may have a more flexible approach to entry requirements. If youre looking for a more forensic analysis of employment rates for Masters graduates, then Id certainly encourage you to take a look at Graduate Market Trends (Summer 2012). Charlie Ball, Deputy Director of Research at HECSU, labour market specialist and all round stats whizz has crunched the numbers from destinations data (2007-10) and found no evidence to support the (oft-repeated) claim that, you need a Masters just to stand out. Charlie continues the theme on his HECSU blog, and manages to convey in one chart, whats taken me a whole post: An informed choice is a good choice Before you commit to further study and further debt, ask yourself this: what do you hope to gain? If it is career advantage, then make sure you have fully researched whether an MSc or MA is needed for your area of interest. Look at the destinations information for graduates from prospective courses and see whether this fits your (desired) career trajectory. The destinations data is not wholly reliable as it only captures graduates six months after graduation; nonetheless, it can still help you spot patterns and trends and weigh up the pros and cons of further study. Im certainly not going dissuade you from studying at postgrad level; I took an MA in Contemporary History and Politics (hardly a recruiters dream!) and loved every minute. My dissertation topic has proved to be an interesting talking point at more than one interview, and theres no question I developed skills Im still using today in my current job. However, whilst there’s been a fair passage of time since my student days , one thing holds true: a Masters will not automatically fast track you to better, more satisfying, and more remunerative jobs. * Postgraduate Premium: Fact or Myth, appeared in the October 2012 issue of Phoenix (AGCAS)

15 Ways to Build Your Personal Brand Online - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

15 Ways to Build Your Personal Brand Online - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I have a very small digital footprint. What is one step I can take to proactively build my brand online? The following answers are provided by members of  Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched  BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses. 1. Get Published Publishing online, whether thats social media, a blog or even e-books, is the best way to establish an online brand. For founders, theres no shortage of topics to blog about, but finding time is a problem. Use a platform like Medium or LinkedIn, then just write, edit, publish and promote. It doesnt take as much time as you think; Ive found the results to be well worth the effort.   â€"  Vik Patel,  Future Hosting 2. Set a Measurable Goal Whether you want to become a repeat guest blogger or gain more followers on social media, you need to set a measurable goal. Write out your measurable goal. For example, gain 2,000 followers on Instagram or become a guest blogger for two business outlets. The best part? You can easily track yourprogression through social media, digital media and online tools.   â€"  Shalyn Dever,  Chatter Buzz 3. Start Publishing on LinkedIn I’d stick to an editorial calendar, publishing a substantial piece of content at least once a month. I’d start on LinkedIn because it’s their stated goal to become the world’s No. 1 professional publishing platform. Even with a small digital footprint, you can get disproportionately large distribution inside LinkedIn when you know how their formula works. Then you can share to other social platforms.   â€"  Joshua Lee,  StandOut Authority 4. Dont Rule Out Paid Ads The words  Paid Ad  have gotten a bad rep lately. Many small business  owners  think it’s too expensive or too competitive, so why even try? But the truth is that companies use it because it works. And if properly researched, planned and executed, paying for ads that target the exact clients that you are looking for can be a fast, effective and profitable way to grow your online business.   â€"  Mikhail Zabezhinsky,  OceanTech 5. Start With Your FAQs Building a digital footprint  that matters comes down to showing value to your key audiences (clients, employees, investors, and the like). To deliver value, start with 10 of your most frequently asked questions in each audience group. Begin answering them in individual blog posts on your own website. Share each post on social and content platforms (Medium, Pulse, Thought Catalog, etc.).   â€"  Wesley Mathews,  High Level Marketing 6. Find Out Where the Tribe You Want to Lead Is Hanging Out Its easy to spread yourself too thin, so think about what keywords, blogs and social media sites your ideal clients and/or partners might be hanging out on. Its much better to get known in a smaller niche than to try to be everything to everyone, so hone in on the particular topics you want to be an industry leader for and start writing authoritative articles on the leading blogs in that space.   â€"  Nathalie Lussier,  AmbitionAlly 7. Try Article Marketing An often overlooked step that can be very useful for proactively building your brands online presence is article marketing. Many people say that article marketing isnt worth the time, but if you find the right balance of fresh, quality information and SEO terms to reach the correct audience, your articles can improve your brands overall reputation and passively attract clients for years to come.   â€"  Brandon Stapper,  858 Graphics 8. Have a System Digital can feel overwhelming with all of the platforms to manage and with new things to try popping  up all the time. Make it easier on yourself and start with a schedule and system. Compose  and publish posts in advance using a tool such as HootSuite, at a scheduled time each week. When you  dedicate time to create  content and distribute it regularly,  youll notice it becomes easier to expand.   â€"  Kayla Wagner Faires,  Revel Interactive 9. Create A Personal Website Theres no more surefire way to grow your digital footprint than by building a website on a domain name that matches your full name. That way, when people Google you, your website will be the first or near the top of the results. Just register your full name in the .com version, and create a website under your  personal domain. Then, link to this domain on social media accounts and youre set.   â€"  Brett Farmiloe,  Markitors 10. Focus on One Social Media Channel to Begin With Trying to expand your brand via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. at the same time will likely lead to poor results and frustration. Id strongly advise choosing one social media channel and focusing your entire efforts there for at least 90 days. Reflect after that timeframe and adjust as necessary. Yourresults will  be far better this way versus spreading yourself too thin.   â€"  Alex Miller,  PosiRank LLC 11. Seek Out Local Media Opportunities Network with local media personalities both journalists and local TV reporters and let them know what you are an expert at. You cant expect overnight results, but with some solid relationship building you can receive some nice exposure in local online publications and local news websites. This can be a great launching  platform to use to attract attention from larger publishers.   â€"  Jonathan Long,  Market Domination Media 12. Start With Simpler Social Sites Like Instagram Instagram is great because essentially all you need to do is share an image. On most other social media sites, video and text content thrives but it can be more time consuming to produce.   â€"  Andrew Namminga,  Andesign 13. Guest Blog I would start guest blogging on trade publications in your niche. Just reach out or try and meet them at an industry event. See if you can start writing articles for them on a monthly or weekly basis. This will start to establish you as an expert as well as expand your digital footprint within your niche. It will also giveyour business a lot more credibility as you become the expert.   â€"  John Rampton,  Due 14. Don’t Overdo It Instead of taking the shotgun approach, focus on three main marketing channels and really own those before branching out to more.   â€"  Afif Khoury,  SOCi, Inc 15. Create Relevant and Engaging Content One of the best ways to increase your digital footprint is to create engaging content that your audience can use because it helps them solve issues or provides them with tips that can make their life more convenient, increase their business efficiency, or maximize available resources. The relevant content can be easily shared across multiple channels, rapidly increasing your digital footprint.   â€"  Peter Daisyme,  Hosting

Writing a Teaching Resume After Staying Home

Writing a Teaching Resume After Staying HomeWriting a teaching resume after staying home with your children is a big decision for parents. It is a big decision, because you are putting your professional experience on the line, and because you may have little time to devote to your job search after being in the workforce for several years. This is where you need to keep in mind that the process of crafting your teaching resume after staying home can be tricky. It will take a lot of trial and error, as well as perseverance and a positive attitude to successfully craft your teaching resume after staying home.The first thing that you must do when preparing your teaching resume after staying home is to write down everything. Your personal and professional experience, including all of your school experiences, which could be any number of subjects including psychology, philosophy, language arts, and others. Then, add in every teaching credential and job title that you have had. Once you hav e done this, do an outline of what the writing will look like, keeping your most important information and educational titles separate from the other information.Once you've done this, it's now time to consider the different industries that you're learning more about as you become a teacher. Depending on what you want to include in your teaching resume after staying home, there are a variety of industries that would be a good match for you. For example, if you're looking at teaching in elementary education, you will want to include this in your teaching resume after staying home.Elementary education generally has a lot of different aspects to it that may make a good match for you. You may work with children from pre-school through their high school years, including some of the summer school programs, while you are teaching. This means that you'll also be teaching in an academic environment as well as working with students and their families, and you may be able to further your educa tion in other areas as well.If you prefer to work in a public elementary education, you will also be looking at the range of different industries that are in the field. You may find that there are very many different types of careers available, which is why your teaching resume after staying home will be quite varied. This is why it is very important to research each possible career you're considering, and talk to other teachers that have had success in the same field as you.Another thing that you may be interested in doing is heading down to your local college campus to take a look at what the schools have to offer, and you may find that there are some organizations that are in place to help people like you get back into the workforce after they have been out of the workforce for a few years. These are usually very helpful to individuals who are currently employed but do not have much experience that they can use as a reference. It's always a good idea to check out these organizati ons, as they can really help you with your teaching resume after staying home.In addition to the jobs that are available at your local college, you may be interested in exploring the specific academic career paths available at your area colleges and taking a look at the career options available for someone in your teaching resume after staying home. Some of the careers that you may be interested in pursuing include being a teacher for a number of different subjects, or being a classroom teacher. You may also choose to work in the educational system as a teacher coordinator, or even as a counselor for a group of students. There are many possibilities, so don't be afraid to explore them.Writing a teaching resume after staying home is a big decision. Keep in mind that you may have a limited amount of time to be researching for your teaching resume after staying home. It will take a lot of perseverance alone but don't give up. When you see an opportunity that interests you, you will be able to take advantage of it, and once you've completed your teaching resume after staying home, you'll feel more confident about the future.

The Real Use of Video in the Jobsearch - CareerEnlightenment.com

If you notice in their video, they were fun. What they said was funny, showed their personalities and their passion for the company, and kept the viewer engaged. In contrast to a lot of video résumés out there, Steven and Gareth were smiling and having a good time. This type of personality demonstration is very important for differentiation.Notice the light-hearted background music. Most video résumés don’t have a soundtrack at all, yet it can completely transform the feel of a video. Just look at how a new soundtrack can turn the scariest movie ever into a romantic comedy: The Shining Recut They Had Websites to Demonstrate their SkillsSteven and Gareth didn’t just get the job because of a great video. They had three ecommerce websites that took advantage of Big Commerce’s more advanced features. It wasn’t just “We have great HTML skills.” It was “We have great HTML skills which you can see for yourself by looking at our websites.” They let their work speak for th em. Demonstration of skill goes much further than mere statements. For your own job applications, find ways to accompany them with portfolios showing your body of work Take as Many Takes as it TakesThe video you watched was not their first take. I interviewed them and they told me that they spent hours recording footage. They knew they had one chance at this job. So they took their filming very seriously.After getting hours of footage, they spent more hours editing the best scenes to compile a video that is just a minute and 44 seconds long. When using video, you must do it well, or don’t do it at all.

Where the Jobs are, and the Degrees to Get Them - CareerAlley

Where the Jobs are, and the Degrees to Get Them - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Source: BestMastersPrograms.org 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+ Visit Joeys profile on Pinterest. Job Search job title, keywords, company, location 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 find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. 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