How to help people help you in your job search

How to help people help you in your job search Let me share the message I get from a lot of job seekers, almost to the word: I am looking for a new job do you know of anything? Or, just as bad: Do you know any recruiters I should talk to? Heres another lame attempt: Will you check out my resume? I get these questions regularly and they make me cringe. I dont know you, or what you do, where you want to work, what title(s) you have had, or what titles you want to have. I dont know what kind of recruiter to introduce you to, and honestly, I dont want to introduce you to any of my recruiter contacts because if you came at me with such ambiguity, youll probably just send a generic resume to my recruiter introductions, which I bet will go to their deleted folder. Please reevaluate your communication to people, when you ask for help, and see how close to those vague inquiries your requests are. What is better than that?  Simply let people know exactly who you want to be introduced to.  For example: Id like an introduction to someone who works in the XYZ industry.  Do you know anyone you could introduce me to? Or, Im looking for project managers in the area do you know any project managers here? The first part of this is exactly who you are looking for. The second part is a simple yes/no question, asking if they know someone.  The next step would be to ask for the introduction, of course. People want to help you but they cant if they dont know how.  I realize that one of the most important things we can do, as job seekers, is to help people help us and to do that, they need the right information, and an invitation to help.  Are you giving both of those? How to help people help you in your job search Let me share the message I get from a lot of job seekers, almost to the word: I am looking for a new job do you know of anything? Or, just as bad: Do you know any recruiters I should talk to? Heres another lame attempt: Will you check out my resume? I get these questions regularly and they make me cringe. I dont know you, or what you do, where you want to work, what title(s) you have had, or what titles you want to have. I dont know what kind of recruiter to introduce you to, and honestly, I dont want to introduce you to any of my recruiter contacts because if you came at me with such ambiguity, youll probably just send a generic resume to my recruiter introductions, which I bet will go to their deleted folder. Please reevaluate your communication to people, when you ask for help, and see how close to those vague inquiries your requests are. What is better than that?  Simply let people know exactly who you want to be introduced to.  For example: Id like an introduction to someone who works in the XYZ industry.  Do you know anyone you could introduce me to? Or, Im looking for project managers in the area do you know any project managers here? The first part of this is exactly who you are looking for. The second part is a simple yes/no question, asking if they know someone.  The next step would be to ask for the introduction, of course. People want to help you but they cant if they dont know how.  I realize that one of the most important things we can do, as job seekers, is to help people help us and to do that, they need the right information, and an invitation to help.  Are you giving both of those?

Does Resume Parser Really Works?

Does Resume Parser Really Works?Resume Parser is a word processing application that works in the background and keeps track of all your job applications. It will keep a record of all the job applications you've sent to them. Once it's downloaded, it'll also keep track of all the dates when you sent them as well. The application also allows you to create new resumes and send them to different employers.The great thing about this application is that it's completely automated. You won't even have to think about it. You won't have to write or type your resume anymore. All you have to do is type it into the correct fields, and click a button. You don't even have to know how to format a resume anymore.The best feature of resume parser is the automatic removal of resumes with poor quality resumes. When you send an email to a company, they will receive it, but not even the most professional and upstanding person will be able to edit the document the way it was intended. That's why resume par ser can help you. Once it's set up, it will automatically take care of all the bad resumes by marking them as such.You will still be able to enter your personal details though. They just won't be entered by the application itself. If you are a person who wants to change your resume once you've sent it, you can do so.Many people use resume parser for their resume and cover letter and then put it all together to create a workable work experience resume. It also makes it easier to make sure your cover letter is comprehensive enough and isn't too generic.A course letter for example is perfectly fine for anyone without any experience but could cause problems for someone who has been in the industry for years. It would be much better to have a bit of previous experience as well, but there are plenty of cover letters that do not require this.The best thing about resume parser is that it has the ability to save you time. As mentioned earlier, it takes care of all the basic things that need to be done. You will no longer have to worry about sending out your resume and cover letter to many different companies, you will just need to fill in one form and let it do the rest.If you want to see how it works, you can find it on the official website of resume parser, or you can try it out for free online. Either way, I'm sure you'll be happy with the results.

8 Essential Steps to Hire the Best Employees

8 Essential Steps to Hire the Best Employees Many companies had to make  significant changes to their HR programs during our prior  recession including layoffs, salary cuts and hiring freezes.  The  companies that were more strategic though used  innovative human resource practices to  weather the storm. Today, we want to dive into what some of these strategic practices are so you arent scrambling last minute to make last minute decisions in your HR department. A  key principle for innovative companies is to only hire the best employees. But how do you do that? Thats what we are exploring today! Here are 8 essential steps to  hire the best and retain the best: 1. In order to hire the best, make sure that you only hire people that are too good to let go. 2. Hire when business is slow so layoffs are not required during the slow times.   3. Think twice about  laying off someone if you  would hire them back when business picks back up. 4. Visualize recruits having a 40 year career at your company  instead of a stepping stone to the next job. 5. Ask yourself if  you could see the applicant contributing in new ways that are  unknown today. This is a very crucial part to hire the best. 6. Dont overlook the red flags in interviews!   Recommendations and referrals are very, very  important! 7. Create individualized, customized training plans  that  allow your employees  to learn faster than your competitors.    Companies must continue to be flexible to changing customer needs which means continuous learning is required. 8. Ensure your company is a fun place to work to keep employees happy. The Best Practice Recruiting excellence awards are also a great place to see examples of companies following these principles. (These companies  came out on ere.net).  The award recipients have  each started new  approaches to recruiting and talent management, despite the tough economic times.   Here is a bit about the winning companies. CACI International, Inc. CACI International, Inc. supports the Department of Defense and intelligence communities’ IT needs,  it plays a vital role in keeping America safe.   CACI has allocated $500,000 in bonus compensation to motivate managers to make hiring a top priority and only hire the best.    In addition,31% of all hires came from referrals and the company has a great employee mobility program allowing employees to transfer to different jobs around the company.   It has effective search engine optimization on Google, Yahoo, and Bing which successfully increases the visibility of CACI jobs.   Finally, it has implemented a successful social media strategy which includes visibility on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Sodexo USA The winner, Sodexo USA, is an integrated global food and facilities management services provider with over 110,000 employees.   This company has had a 300% organizational growth  since it started four years ago.   The company invests in training and  has  organized  its recruiting function to support remote work.   Its web presence effectively communicates Sodexo’s company, culture, and opportunities across a Careers blog, Facebook page, LinkedIn group, You Tube Channel, Twitter, and Flickr.   Its associated sites and social networks contribute an additional 127,000 page views and over 5 million media impressions annually and it has launched a major boomerang program known as the “Alumni Program” resulting in 123 rehires in 2009. Maybe next year your company will make the list with your help!

8 Reasons to Quit Making Excuses and Go Back to School

8 Reasons to Quit Making Excuses and Go Back to School The academic dream of many adolescents is to graduate from high school and then immediately transition into college to snag that career building degree. However, that dream doesnt always come true.  A nationwide study  conducted  in 2011 determined that a little over sixty percent of high school graduates immediately enrolled in college and only forty percent graduated within four years. For many students, life gets in the way and college takes a backseat. Some students drop out because of finances, family obligations or pressure while others choose not to attend due to lack of support or because they failed to see the importance of an advanced degree. Nevertheless, in the past few years the percentage of adults enrolling in college and graduating with degrees has drastically increased.  As the trend of going back to school continues to grow in popularity, many more adults are putting down their excuses in lieu of textbooks and study cards thus proving to the world and to themselves that it is never too late to finish what was started and live the dream. 8 Reasons to Quit Making Excuses and Go Back to School: Flexible schedules: Long gone are the days when you had to cater to the schedules of a university. Thanks to technology and demand, college schedules are becoming more flexible to meet the needs of busy students. If you have small kids at home or other time-consuming obligations, you can choose go to school part-time or on the weekends and even take most of your classes online. In fact, you can get your bachelors of business administration in two years  as less time is required to achieve a degree online opposed to getting the degree at a physical campus. Increase your career opportunities:  Holding an advanced degree can drastically increase your opportunities for securing a rewarding career and achieving financial freedom. Availability of financial assistance: Money doesnt have to stop you from going back to school as most quality universities offer financial aid and you can apply for grants, crowd source and apply for low-interest loans. Gets you back into the workforce: You may be a stay at home mom or dad that feels the desire to jump back into the workforce. Going back in with a degree will help you transition into a position that you are passionate about. Learn new skills: Learning new skills as an adult can improve self-confidence, as well as self-value. Going back to school will help transform you from a novice to an expert in the field that you will be studying. Gain a sense of personal achievement: Many people choose to go back to school to finish the race that they once started. To gain that beautiful sense of personal achievement that never giving up and going for the gold can bring. Inspires others: Going back to school as an adult is very inspiring to other adults as well as to younger people. Seeing you do it will give them the courage to walk in your footsteps. Fuels a passion: You may be at a dead-end job and you know that the only thing stopping you from doing what you truly want to do is an advanced degree. Finding the courage to get that degree and fuel your passion will help increase your quality of life and your overall happiness. Education is the key to success regardless of what your interests may be. Being older, busier and less financially secure should not be excuses to not further your education, instead, they should be the reasons in which to do so.

Nurse Resume Skills - How to Be More Comfortable With Your Resume

Nurse Resume Skills - How to Be More Comfortable With Your ResumeNurse resume skills should focus on not only your professional accomplishments, but also on what you can offer to the patient. You will want to be very specific about your certifications and years of experience. The success of your job search depends on how well you deliver that information to recruiters.You should also mention any certifications that you may have received that would qualify you for further schooling, such as nursing assistant, dental assistant, or other such medical related professional titles. If you hold one of these titles, it is a great idea to make sure you mention it on your resume. Additionally, if you hold a different title such as teacher, you can include that as well. This way you will be more compatible with the people you are interviewing with.Keep your experience updated on a regular basis. This could be yearly, bi-annually, or even monthly. The important thing is that you have a good flow of information. Keep your doctorate in nursing-certification from ten years ago to today. You should keep a fresh record of everything that you have learned throughout your career so that you do not have to explain yourself to every interviewer.Make sure that you list all of your achievements, regardless of the time period that they came about. If you have completed a research project within the past year, make sure you mention it on your resume. In addition, if you have had a lot of education in a short amount of time, you should talk about it, too.Your personal and professional references will play a big role in helping your interview. If you have an employer who is looking for someone who is going to mentor or counsel new nurses, you should list your professional associations, such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center. If you have someone who can refer you to a doctor of nursing practice that may be a big help to you, list them on your resume as well.If you have completed a research paper within the past year, make sure you mention that on your resume. The person who writes the recommendation is doing so based on information from the research paper. The information will show on your professional resume.Once you have gone through all of this and added the information listed above, you will have many great, tailored options for nursing schools, employers, and even friends and family. Don't make the mistake of becoming too nitpicky about what you put on your resume. That will put you at a disadvantage.Nurse resume skills should be focused on giving specific examples of the kind of work that you can do. Put some thought into your professional CV, and you will end up with a much more impressive resume.

How and Why Sleep Improves Your Productivity CareerMetis.com

How and Why Sleep Improves Your Productivity â€" CareerMetis.com Photo Credit â€" pexels.comSleep is an automatic occurrence. We can’t avoid it and most of us wouldn’t want to even if we could. Sleep is healthy and restorative, allowing us to recharge and tackle the new day.When it is plentiful and good quality, sleep feels incredibly pleasant and has a vast array of positive impacts on our daily life. We feel more energized, our focus is better and our mood tends to be far more stable and controllable.On the other hand, when it is not good quality, sleep can feel stressful. Some people have trouble shutting off their brains and drifting off, while others have trouble staying asleep.evalSome wake up in the middle of the night and cannot go back to sleep and others still simply do not get enough quantity of sleep every, or most, nights.Both the benefits and the drawbacks of sleep have a profound influence on individual and group productivity and performance.This article outlines some issues that come with a lack of sleep, as well as what the in dividual and the company can do about it.Sleep StatsIt is estimated that the grown-up individual requires 7-8 hours of sleep a night. More liberal estimates extended the duration up to 9 hours.Toddlers, children, teens and the elderly have their own estimates and the amount decreases as the person ages, but the healthy range usually doesn’t drop below 7 hours.Naturally, there are always exceptions and small variations, but for every person, it is very easy to tell if they are not getting enough sleep. These symptoms are discussed in the following sections.It’s been conventional wisdom that sleeps is hugely important and its benefits have been noted long ago, but recently, some scientific studies have been done and the corporate world has taken notice.evalA Harvard and Hult sleep study has both found that many working people are regularly sleep-deprived and that this deprivation becomes worse the higher the position of the subject. With this in mind, let us take a look at some of the tangible consequences.Effects of Sleep on The Bottom LineYour own personal experience is likely to be a very clear and persuasive indicator of the information in this paragraph. While operating under a lack of sleep, the first symptom is grogginess or lethargy.This directly affects focus and performance, especially in terms of volume. It is immediately clear how both the employer and the employee lose when this occurs.More seriously, a lack of sleep adversely impacts memory and speed, which can significantly hinder decision-making. Couple this with the fact that managers, who are in a higher position, are on average less likely to sleep well, and this becomes a threat to their job.evalA chronic lack of sleep was found to lead to other physical symptoms, most prominently and dangerously, a lowered immune system, making the person more susceptible to all sorts of illnesses.Most commonly, these manifest as colds and seasonal illnesses, but all the same, they lead to days off and l oss in time and output.When you combine all these problems, which can ultimately be traced back to something as simple and necessary as sleep, it becomes obvious that both the individuals and the companies need to take it very seriously and actively work on improving it.Increasing The Quality of SleepThe issues people have with their sleeping habits are often diverse and quite complex. There are steps to take and pieces of advice to follow that are very general and can’t hurt to try, such as slowly plugging out of the day by not doing work-related things or watching TV at least an hour before bed.These stimuli tend to shift your brain back into gear and make it all the more difficult to nod off. For some, a walk or a run helps them get good and tired before hitting the hay.However, many people also have easily identifiable issues they might need help with and this is where sleep gadgets come in. There are apps for your smartphone that can change the quality of light so that it doe sn’t wake your brain up, apps that play expertly selected noises to help you sleep, timers that wake you up in the optimal moment to avoid grogginess, and more.Other sleep gadgets include smart clothes, eyeglasses, masks, devices and diffusers that either target specific areas or the entire process of sleep to make it better. There are also courses and programs that are designed to help if nothing you have tried has worked.Measures Companies If this practice is not possible, companies should at least make sure to educate their employees and encourage them to get enough sleep outside of work.Finally, the ethical thing to do when it comes to persons in the highest positions would be to reduce their workload if it is such that it requires overly long hours and activity outside company hours on a regular basis.A bad decision or a sneaky chronic illness does nobody any good and the few hours the manager or CEO takes off every week can be more than made up for with an improved dispositi on and sharpened focus.

3 Keys To Being A High Performer

3 Keys To Being A High Performer “So, what does it take to excel at what you do?” That’s the question I asked a senior partner at one of the top corporate advisory firms in the world. His answer surprised me. I had been sitting on the 11:12pm train waiting for it to leave Waterloo station after an evening at the ballet, when two people came on board and sat opposite me. It turned out to be a neighbor and one of her colleagues, Ken (not his real name). They were also commuting back to their respective homes after a business dinner. About halfway through the journey when the train was about to pull into the next station, a man greeted Ken and had a quick chat before getting off the train. Ken explained that Doug was a former member of his team who had parted ways with the company a year ago. Through our conversation, I learned that Doug previously was seen as a solid citizen rather than a high performer, and Ken was pleased to hear Doug was doing well in his new job. That’s when I became curious about what it takes to be a high performer and asked Ken “what does it take to excel at what you do?” The keys to high performance Ken looked at me, laughed and said, “that’s simple” and confidently rattled off the following three points. 1. Self-awareness In Ken’s view, this is the first and most important key to high performance. This is about knowing not just what you’re good at, but especially figuring out what you are bad at. Then, having the maturity to accept that you’re bad at those things, and getting to work to improve. 2. Self-discipline This one is about work ethic. Doing the work necessary to become a high performer. And Ken added that self-discipline extends to your attitude as well. “There’s no room for whinge-ing (the British word for whining). You cannot be a ‘whinger’ and be successful. Instead, you have to come up with strategies to cope.” 3. Liking yourself Ken explained that when you like yourself, you treat yourself well physically and mentally, you invest in yourself, and you trust yourself. This is the basis for the self-confidence and self-belief that is a foundation for high performance. Another commuter who overheard our conversation interjected that it’s about loving yourself. To which Ken said, “no, you must like yourself and not love yourself.” What Ken meant was not falling in love with yourself, getting carried away, and losing the ability to recognize your own weaknesses. When you fall in love with yourself, it leads to what is termed “hubris” in Greek tragedies: excessive pride or confidence that leads to your own downfall. Two things that surprised me Listening to Ken, I was surprised by two things. It’s all about you First, that all three of his keys to high performance were about one’s self. On the one hand, it makes it easier to become a high performer because all three of those are within your own control. On the other hand, there’s nowhere to hide and no one else to blame. Nowhere did he talk about job-related skills or relationships with others. He acknowledged that those are important, but it all begins and ends with how you understand and manage your self. It pays to address your weaknesses Second, I was surprised that he talked about focusing on weaknesses rather than strengths. As a proponent of focusing on your strengths rather than shoring up your weaknesses, I challenged Ken on this point. He then explained that he takes a sports approach to focusing on weaknesses that others might otherwise exploit. A tennis player can only excel if she can hit both forehand and backhand shots. In basketball, a player who can only dribble with his right hand will be at a disadvantage. And so forth. He then gave the example of his son, who was up late studying his entire chemistry book for the upcoming exam. Ken told his son to stop wasting time, saying instead, “pull out your answers to the prior week’s mock exam, identify the answers you got wrong, and study that. Focusing on the mistakes â€" your weak areas â€" will help you more than going over the things you’re already good at.” Fair enough. Then, it was my train stop and Ken and I parted ways. Whatever field you’re in, it comes down to this… In the days since that chance meeting, I’ve concluded that Ken is really onto something. And I’m so glad I asked him the question. No matter what field you choose, his points are relevant to being excellent at what you do. Not only that, they will help you to remain excellent as the stakes get higher and the expectations of your performance rise as well. What it comes down to is this: Be open to looking at yourself dispassionately and in the cold hard light of day. Yes, including those proverbial “warts and all”. Learn to accept feedback without getting defensive. Otherwise, you’ll stop getting the really useful information needed to keep learning and growing. Don’t take things personally. This requires maturity and indeed, this is where liking yourself is key. Stay grounded. Work on not letting your achievements and successes get to your head. Stay humble. “Yoda moments” In life, you never know when you might come across wise people who provide special opportunities to share ideas and reflect. With the renaissance of Star Wars, I’ve come to think of these as “Yoda moments”. So in addition to practicing these keys to high performance, I hope you will engage with people and ask questions. You never know when you might happen upon a valuable Yoda moment! I’d love to hear how you’ve been working on yourself to improve your performance, so scroll down and leave a comment to let me know. If you’re interested in more on Self-Awareness, take a look at Chapter 7 of my book, ACCELERATE: 9 Capabilities to Achieve Success at Any Career Stage, available on Amazon.

What to Eat Before Your Interview -

What to Eat Before Your Interview - Who would have thunk it? It turns out that eating yogurt and nuts can help reduce anxiety, according to a new study by scientists in Slovakia. (Hat tip: Speechworks) Joey Asher reports on Speechworks blog: The scientists gave either amino-acid supplements or a placebo to a group of men and asked them to give a speech. The men who had taken the supplements experienced half as much anxiety according measurements of stress hormones in their bloodstream. Yogurt and nuts have very high levels of the type of amino-acids used in the study.   So a healthy snack might help reduce your anxiety. It seems logical that this stress-reducing snack might be a good choice in advance of an interview, which is kind of like a super-stressful speech and presentation all rolled into one! So, prepare for your interview, and give yourself an extra boost by downing some yummy amino acids! If you want to receive free up-to-date tips to help with your job hunt, Click here to subscribe to receive future blogs sent directly to you via email! Prefer to subscribe in a reader? Click here for a link to receive Keppie Careers feed sent to the reader of your choice. Anxious about your job hunt and dont think that eating yogurt and nuts will solve all of your problems? We can help you with a successful job hunt. Need a great resume? Career search advice? Mock interivew? Visit Keppie Careers online for information about our services: www.keppiecareers.com. photo by josephp