Recently in Job Search Category

(from Julia Thahar, Recruiter)

With all the social media sites available, you would think that Recruiters and Hiring Managers would have an easy time finding great candidates by what each is blogging or Tweeting about, right? Unfortunately, when someone runs keyword searches they will find hundreds of prospective candidates, more than anyone could ever hope to contact.

So you might be asking, "How can I have Recruiters find me through Facebook, or Twitter, or LinkedIn?"

At Mashable.com, Search Firm CEO Boris Epstein shares his tips on how you can "pass the social media recruitment test" and have Hiring Managers and Recruiters find you instead of the other way around!

Pop over here for the rest of the story.

I was recently flicking through a newspaper's weekend magazine lift-out really just staring mindlessly at the photos of B-grade "celebrities", when the headline of one particular article caught my eye.

"How many of us become the things we dream about, before we lose track of our inner-child and take up a career we loathe?"

Think about it ...

Now I am not saying that I loathe my career (far from it!) ... but I am definitely not doing what I hoped or dreamed I would be doing when I was younger. I am ignoring the fact that I failed physics (tragically) and get motion sick on the local ferry - but by now I had hoped I would be flying 747s (or maybe even the new A380) across the world.

Aside from those careers which you have every intention of embarking on either through high school or university (such as medicine, law, veterinary science or architecture just to name a few), many of us stumble into our careers or fall into them by default. I am sure there are many stories of just "ending up" where you are today.

So whether you wanted to become an astronaut and are now working in finance, or whether you had aspirations of becoming a world-class concert pianist and are now a blog host (it's still active exercise for your fingers ... just on a different keyboard!) ... it's never too late to dream ...

Don't lose sight of your inner child ...

If you have a particular story to tell about dreaming of one career and ending up doing something totally different, please share it with the Oracle.

Image courtesy of: inhuman tsar

Can you believe it? Barbie is 50! Yes, that pint sized plastic being who is, or has been, good friends with most young girls on the planet is officially middle aged (I must check out her beauty secrets because she still looks great)!

Anyway, Barbie has been a busy girl and is the ultimate example for those who want to switch careers. Did you know that Barbie has had more than 100 jobs? As well as being a doctor, astronaut, zoologist, air hostess (sorry ... flight attendant) and police officer, she has served in the US armed forces and even stood for presidential election. No doubt she was fast tracked through medical school and various other training facilities.

What Barbie's résumé highlights is the fact that just because you have a certain occupation today, you are perfectly capable of doing something different tomorrow. Now we all know the employment scene has changed somewhat in the last few months and getting the perfect job is now a little more challenging. This means that many people will choose to stay longer in roles they perceive as 'safe' and therefore may feel frustrated on the personal development front.

If this sounds like you, why not take the opportunity of channelling that excess energy into a course of study to broaden your skills. There's a number of great industry operated courses (eg ADMA or the AFA in Australia) to choose from as well as certificates, diplomas or post graduate degrees at technical colleges and universities.

Find your passion and develop it so when the employment market picks up, you'll have something extra to offer your current or future employers. Who knows... you may even be able to give Barbie a run for her money!

Image courtesy of: Angelina:)

Although warmer temperatures have been reported in the UK recently, (a whopping 15 degrees!), more and more of you Brits are leaving your local shores for a new life Down Under. You have heard tales from various folks about how good life can be here - a work/life balance - ocean swims before work - surely it can't be true!

You jumped on to the internet did your research and found that yes, Sydney is booming, plenty of jobs, not too many candidates - name your salary. So you packed up your bags and your life, took the plunge and arrived in Sydney, full of hope, promise and motivation.

Unfortunately, in the time between you doing your research and jumping on a plane, the 'GFC' hit and it has hit Sydney hard. Not only have you got no local experience, you also have visa restrictions. Did you really leave behind a great job/life/friends in London to take a big step back career wise?.Don't fear, and don't lose your stiff upper lip, something will come up, but it might mean you end up spending more time on the beach than you previously thought you would.

So how can you to land yourself a job during this tough time:

• Ensure your CV is mistake free, two pages maximum, with all your local contact details;
• Make sure you research your industry sector very thoroughly - don't fall down at the first job interview hurdle, when it becomes really apparent that all you have been doing is just sitting on the beach;
• Networking is key in this relatively tight job market. It really can be all about who you know, you might find out about jobs even before they are advertised to the wider public;
• Take advice and listen to what other people are telling you, especially when you are going to interviews - make sure to take notes of names mentioned, brands to research etc;
• Be realistic with salary expectations, don't convert from other currencies - the most frustrating thing is pricing yourself out of the market;
• Be flexible with jobs opportunities - perhaps you could take on part-time work/contracts while looking for that ideal permanent job; and
• Don't apply for every job under the Australian sun, make sure your job search is highly targeted capitalising on your skills and experience.

Most important of all ... remember don't give up, you aren't the only one in this situation, and most certainly won't be the last ...

Image courtesy of: griffs0000

I was flicking through a magazine while sitting in the waiting room at my osteopath earlier in the week, and came across an article on the primary causes of chronic back pain (which I have unfortunately become too accustomed to of late!).

Now whilst I know that the cause of my own back pain is simply the result of two slipped discs in my lower lumber spine (too much information perhaps?), I was intrigued to read that the two most common causes for the equivalent level of (often quite excruciating) discomfort can be moving house and changing jobs.

Having been actively involved in helping people change jobs (and careers) for many years now, I have always known that the process of applying for a new role, interviewing and then ultimately starting in a new position can certainly be a mentally stressful period. However I wouldn't have put two and two together to think that such mental stress could also leave someone experiencing such levels of physical pain.

So I asked my osteo what he thought about it, and he was adamant that it was true. He quite simply recommended that if you are feeling mentally drained or anxious by the prospect (or process) of changing jobs, then you should immediately ensure that you are stretching your back (and neck) for 20 - 30 minutes every day. This will help prevent any unnecessary related spasms or snaps which could see you on the torture table at an osteo, physio or chiro begging them to help relieve your pain.

Just remember, stretching will help you through the stresses of changing jobs and have you back on deck in no time ... pardon the pun!

Image courtesy of: filipe ferreira

I came across an interesting article this morning about the Top 10 Social Sites for Finding a Job written by leading personal branding expert Dan Schawbel, who stresses the importance of actively engaging these sites - from the old guard of LinkedIn and Facebook to rookies like VisualCV and Ecademy - to help you build an online resume and network across various job posting platforms. It's a thorough list with insightful tips on how to best utilize the social web space to land your next gig.

But, like several people who posted comments, I can't help but wonder: Where is love for the staffing agency? Or more pointedly, does the growing prevalence and effectiveness of this job search strategy threaten to render the staffing industry obsolete? I mean, if you can go it alone with the help of the web, what do you need us for?

Obviously, I am biased here, but I truly believe that sites like these make the staffing agency that much more powerful, and here's why: While these sites and countless others like them are a great tool in your job search (principally to help you create and shape your ever-important "cyber self"), they still lack what is perhaps the most important cog in the wheel of job-landing, the human connection. Putting yourself out there on as many social networking sites as possible can increase your chances of finding a job, but it can't make a personal introduction or advocate for you to a potential employer.

That being said, I think that social networking sites and staffing agencies are two great things that go great together. While these sites make it a whole lot easier to create an online presence and connect with recruiters, they also provide recruiters with great tools for representing you to their clients.

Or does this just sound like I'm trying to keep us relevant when social networking sites are making us irrelevant?

Image Courtesy of batega.

I'm still trying to figure this out. When you ask web professionals and the people who recruit or hire them to evaluate the importance of the various attributes used to distinguish one Web professional candidate from another, you get some strong agreement - both groups are in accord that work experience and a specialized skill set are the most important attributes - but you also get some interesting disagreements.

To whit, personality/cultural fit is only important to 90% of web professionals, while it's important to a full 98% of employers. I've made my views on the fit issue crystal clear, so I won't repeat them here, but I will say that, in the staffing industry, there's an old saw that goes, "Hire for skills, fire for fit." In other words, fit definitely impacts on-the-job success. So why the gap?

There are two things I mentioned in my last post on this subject that may explain why web folk view "fit" as, if not totally unimportant, then, at least, less important.

First of all, web professionals want flexible work schedules and the ability to work from home (87% see it as important when considering a new job opportunity). Could it be that "fit" declines in importance when you realize that you won't actually be working directly with others in a particular environment?

Secondly, as we discovered, 43% of working web professionals plan on looking for a new job within the next 12 months and another 35% say they would consider making a move if the right thing came along. It makes sense that fit is going to matter less to you if you're a short-timer, then if you're settling in for the long haul, right?

So much for my speculation on this topic. How sound do these explanations, er, sound?

Note: I'll probably be mining the research on the state of the web profession we conducted with Monster for a while here. If you'd like to dig into it yourself, please do so and then feel free to share your insights.

Image Courtesy of freeparking.

Aquent partnered with Monster to uncover the key to "attracting, keeping and developing Web talent in an uncertain economy" and we presented our findings in an AMA webcast today (I've embedded the slides below for your viewing convenience).

It would seem that, while others in the creative class may be struggling, the web folk are feeling fairly confident. 72% of our respondents said they would rate their current position as moderately to highly secure. 52% feel that they would have a good or excellent chance of finding another web position were they to look (a belief that is semi-bolstered by the fact that 37% of our client respondents said they plan on hiring web talent in 2009). And 51% saw their compensation increase over the last twelve months.

This level of confidence amongst the web-enabled is understandable. From the standpoint of companies looking for web talent, it also makes these folks "available." Indeed, 43% percent of the people we asked said that they will actively seek another position within the next 12 months, while an additional 35% said they would make a move if the right opportunity presented itself. In other words, 78% of working web talent are "out there."

I'm not a math guy, but all signs point to this being a good time to be looking for web talent (and a good time to actually be a talented web professional). If you are in the hiring game, you might want to consider the following to lure the interactive moths to your particular flame: web folk are looking for stable positions, flexible schedules, and access to professional development. If you've got that on offer, then get busy offering!

As mentioned, the slides:

This post was contributed by long-time Aquent veteran, Julie Hiipakka. Here's a picture of Julie with her cat.

Whether or not you're one of those people who's been to a Sound of Music Sing-a-Long-a (if you are one of those people, I'm secretly jealous, because I am not), it might surprise you to learn that the timeless wisdom of the Von Trapp Family saga actually relates to your 2009 job hunt. Go figure!

Lesson Number One: Climb Every Mountain!

Leave no stone unturned! Go the extra mile! Give 110%! You've got to do everything in your power to get your next gig because, frankly, your competition is already doing everything in their power to get that same gig. Here's a few things you may not (yet) be doing:

* Pick up the phone and call (yes, call, not email) people. Ask them to refer you to people who are hiring or people who in your industry. Then call those people. You have to get the word out that you're looking. If your entire personal network (family, friends, Facebook pals, drinking buddies) is not aware you're on the job market, get over yourself and tell them.

* Invite people to breakfast and learn how they got to be successful at what they do. Then, get them to refer you to people who are hiring. You'd be astonished at how these non-interviews eventually lead to job offers.

* Follow up at every stage. Send a "thank you" note, offer to show work samples (that goes for you, too, Ms. Marketing Manager), offer to provide references. And after you've done all that, find out what else you need to do to show that you're better than the other people they're considering. Then show them that!

Lesson Number Two: The Reverend Mother was right.