Job Tips For The Frustrated Job Seeker

Job Tips For The Frustrated Job Seeker

by: Tom Smith

There is nothing more frustrating and depressing when you are out of work and trying to find a job and your job search is going no where. Don't feel bad, you are not alone and there is a good reason why searching for a new job can be so difficult. There is no doubt the job market has changed. 30 years ago when I applied for my first job I remember answering an ad in the paper, calling and speaking to a real person, going in for the interview, filling out a application, had the interview and was offered the $3.75 and hour shipping job.

Things are not that simple today. Back then there was no voice mail, no email, you mailed in a typed resume, who had a fax at home? You called and talked to a real person. You may of filled out a application but not the dozen forms you need to today. And you never had to prove you were legally allowed to work in the United States. Today if you are looking for a job how to you stand out in the impersonal hiring environment that exists in most companies. If you apply online you are competing against dozens if not hundreds of others. Competition is stiff for a most jobs and a human may never even see your resume.

Are there steps you can follow that will improve your chances? After being unemployed for several months after 3 years of self employment and becoming more depressed and frustrated in not finding a job, I took my job search to a new level which finally paid off in a new job. I had been self employed for 3 years but after a divorce and starting life over, my self employment was no longer working. I had to bite the bullet and start looking for a job. The first mistake I realized was my resume was not working. I had updated it to reflect my self employment which was not related to my previous career. I was trying to find a position similar to my previous career in the graphics and computer support industry. By starting my work history with my self employment it made it look like I had been out of the industry even longer and my skills even more outdated. I was just shooting myself in the foot. I changed my self employment to reflect my computer skills so while I had been out of the industry for awhile I wasn't out of touch. Some employers have doubts about people who have been self employed. They think they are going to go back to their own business or worse they only want a job so they can use company resources for their own gain. In my case I was able to explain that I had an opportunity to work at home and spend time with my preschool son, it had been for family reasons. Most employers respect that.

To begin with you really need to take a hard look at your resume. If you have always worked in one area and are applying for a position similar to those you have had in the past then your resume may just need some updating and polish. There are a number of good books and websites on resume writing. If you really need help then a resume service may be money well spent. How many resumes do you have? There is no reason you can't have several. I was applying for a variety of unrelated positions. I would of looked "over qualified" or my experience would of been too unrelated for the position if I stuck with just one standard resume. I created a "general" resume that listed a variety of skills that could fit any number of non specific jobs. You can have one that is very specific for the industry you are applying for and there is no reason you can't change it to a specific company especially if it will be scanned in and checked for "keywords" Some companies scan for keywords or buzzwords related to the position, their company or industry. Even if you are the most qualified person for that position, if your resume doesn't have those keywords, it will never get seen. In addition to having a few different resumes you should have it in several different formats also. If you need to mail it in then a nice easy to read printed resume is in order. Same if you will be faxing it in. If you email your resume then your cover letter will be the body of your email and your resume will be attached. Most employers request it be in a word .doc format or text but you can also use a pdf format. If you have your own website why not post it online with a link in your email. That way if your attachment can't be read they can print it off the internet. For example the link could be http://www.yourwebsite.com/yourresume.html. You should also have a unformatted text only resume for uploading to online job sites. Be sure to include several ways to contact you. Home phone, cell phone, email. I had the unfortunate luck of having my cell phone and my home phone cut off for non payment within a few days of each other. As luck would have it someone I sent a resume to tried to contact me and couldn't get through. They did send me a email saying they couldn't reach me. I was able to call them and get a interview. Don't leave anything to chance. And if they leave you a message get back to them ASAP while your resume is still on their desk.

When you get a interview, be on time, be prepared, do your research about the company you are interviewing with. You can usually find most everything you need off their company website. Come prepared with extra resumes, helpful if you have to fill out a application. Also have copies of your updated references. It is best to have more than 3. Some companies want professional references including past employers, others want personal references of persons not related to you. Be prepared for both. Where to find a job? Dig! And keep digging! You may never know where one will show up. In some ways the internet has made job searches easier with a variety of job sites to search. You should probably set up accounts at the large sites like hotjobs and monster which will allow you to post your resume and apply directly to postings Also take a look at sites like indeed.com. They are a search engine of sorts for jobs. They search several jobs sites at once. Saves time from going to each site. Post your resume so employers can find you. ASK! Don't be afraid to let everyone you know that you are looking for a job. Drop a email to anyone who might know someone who might have a job opening. You might be surprised how many people really do want to help you. Network your pants off! If you don't ask no one can help you. Search everyday. Try and send out at least one resume a day if not more. Pick up the early edition of the Sunday paper. Send out 5-10 at a time. And keep sending them even after you have interviews set up. You can easily fall behind two or three weeks if you stop sending resumes in hopes of that job offer coming through. Nothing better than telling someone, "I'm sorry I accepted another position" Apply for every job you are remotely interested in even if you don't think you are qualified. Every job listed always has a laundry list of qualifications and requirements. In a perfect world they would find the perfect person that would match every requirement. But employers know that person doesn't exist and they are looking for someone who closely matches and they feel will be a good fit. At the worst you will never hear from them. At the best they will offer you a job or maybe something different within their company. You can always turn it down. Even if it turns out to be something you really don't want to do, it might help you get by for awhile until a better position comes along. Never be afraid to apply to any job! Most of all don't give up hope, the right job will happen at the right time. Remember to take care of yourself. Go for a walk, get plenty of rest, do something you enjoy just for yourself. As long as you keep moving in a forward direction, if someone asks you what you have been doing to find a job you can proudly say "this is what I have been doing" Persistence will pay off. Good luck.

About the author:Tom Smith runs http://www.workingnews.com/a job, career, employment and resume site. Free career articles along with links to employment sites. Permission to reprint with credits attached. He can be reached at tjsmith@workingnews.com copyright 2005

What Is A Virtual Office Assistant?

What Is A Virtual Office Assistant?
By Renee Flowers

A virtual office assistant is really just a more descriptive way of also saying virtual assistant. This is a growing profession with the ever growing use of the internet for full time jobs. Virtual office assistant is sometimes confused with a secretary, and this could not be more wrong, a virtual office assistant does so much more than a secretary could imagine.

So What Is The Difference Between A Virtual Office Assistant And A Secretary?

To begin with a virtual office assistant you never see, you strictly work with them over the phone and on the internet, where for a secretary they are a full on contact worker, using a desk and computer, phone and all. A virtual office assistant also has to know how to do a variety of work not just filing papers. A secretary would most likely be in charge of filing and answering the phone and such tasks. Also a secretary will be an in office person that a employer would have to give benefits and do paperwork on, where as a virtual office assistant basically never exists on paper, and does not receive any benefits, like insurance.

So What Might I Expect If I Work As A Virtual Office Assistant?

A virtual office assistant is really a “jack” or “jill” of all trades. Virtual office assistants will be asked to do a variety of tasks and should be qualified to do most anything done with a office or business. They may be asked to make doctors appointments, any secretarial work, accounting, and even web page design. To become a virtual office assistant you must first have training, this training should be prepare a you for a position.

So How Is The Pay?

The income depends on the company you are with, what jobs you are performing, and most likely how good you are at what it is that you are doing. Usually though a virtual office assistant can expect to make about $45 an hour on average and depending on the employer. Your hours may also vary depending on your employer, so make sure it’s talked over and clear. Annually if you do make $45 an hour you can expect to make about $12,960.

For More Information on Virtual Assistants Please Visit After Hours Assistant

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Renee_Flowers
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Is-A-Virtual-Office-Assistant?&id=467413

Resume Training Series Chapter 5

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE JOB THAT YOU WANT.

People think of their resume as a collective of their education, skills and professional experience. Many employers rely on resumes as a form of job applications for the open positions within their organizations. So it is very important that you have a well-written resume prepared when searching for jobs.

Creating a resume is not an easy task, even if you are a professional with years of experience and many skills. However, composing a resume when you are looking to completely change careers, or when you are fresh out of school is much more difficult, because you do not have any experience to highlight.

If you are changing careers, and nothing from your past professional experience qualifies you for the new job you are seeking, highlight those qualifications that can be transitioned along the various industries.

For example, if you’ve managed people, no matter the type of business, you should highlight this under your experience. Rather than not highlighting your professional experience, even if it is not directly related to the job you are seeking, you should consider writing a professional profile, or summary at the start of your resume.

The summary will allow you to address the career change by highlighting your skills and how they relate to your career objective. In addition, this is one situation where it is ok to reference any volunteer or community service work that you have done if it can help promote your qualifications for the job.

If you are fresh out of college, and don’t have much to bring to the table in terms of full time professional experience, don’t get discouraged in creating your resume. Focus on highlighting your skills and your education. Avoid using a professional profile, or summary. Rather, list your career objective and start the resume by listing your education. Make sure to mention any awards or honors you received while in school. Following your education, list all the skills that will qualify you for the job you are seeking. Make sure to mention any courses, such as project management or business communication that you have taken and can apply at work.

Instead of listing any experience, title the section “Pre-professional Experience” and divide it into categories applicable to your career objective.

• For example, instead of say that you spent a summer working at the Gap, use a sub-heading of “Customer Relations” and list any responsibilities where you have provided customer service.

Tap into any community service, volunteer, or school club positions you have held in order to highlight your abilities and showcase that you are the best candidate for the job.

Don’t be afraid of not having the right experience, or not having any professional experience to include in a resume. Focus on what you can do rather than what you don’t have the experience in doing and you will have a winning resume. Trust Yourself!

Resume Training Series

Materials of JobsInClerical: November 2008

Resume Training Series Chapter 4

HOW TO FORMAT YOUR RESUME

Having a well-formatted resume is almost as important as having a well written resume. Most employers receive a stack of resumes of qualified candidates and scan them quickly before they decide whether or not hey want to read further. In addition to key words, what stands out the most about your resume is its format. It is essentially the first thing people will notice, whether on paper or in electronic form.

There are a number of rules you should keep in mind when formatting your resume.

First, start with a blank page. Avoid using templates that are already available in Microsoft Word. These templates are outdated, and they will make your resume appear generic and uninviting. Additionally, these templates, while well formatted in Microsoft Word, will not translate well when emailed or uploaded to job search engine web sites. You can find samples of resumes on the Internet; search for resumes by your industry to find the templates that make most sense for the job you are seeking. Than work on a blank page to replicate the look and feel of the resume you like.

Ideally, your resume should fit on one page; if you have extensive experience, limit the length of the resume to two pages, but only list experiences and skills relevant to your career objective. Even if you are applying for a job in a creative field, do not insert images or pictures into your resume. If you are looking to show off your creativity, you can do so in a separate portfolio of your work.

The page should have one inch margins, top and bottom, right and left. Use left justification only – as a rule, do not center the content of your resume. The font and font size should be consistent. Remember, don't get too fancy... Your name, and any headlines in your resume should be displayed in the same manner.


Typically, the headlines will be in all caps, and in bold. Try not to underline any of the information in your resume. In the world of Internet driven job applications, underlining in a document implies a web link. Thus, using underlining for emphasis is not appropriate. The font size for headlines should not exceed 14 points; the remainder of the text in the resume should not exceed 12 points.

When trying to align your resume, be ware of spacing and tabbing. Stay consistent in the way that you are spacing out the information on the page. Use tabs, rather than spaces. You always have to anticipate that the person you are sending your resume to may have a different version of the software than you and thus may not see the exactly the same resume you are sending – it is possible that the margins will reset, paragraphs will shift, bullet points will change shape, etc. This is why you must keep the spacing consistent, as well as try to keep the font and the bullet points as basic as possible.

As a last formatting check point, ask your friends or your family for help in reviewing your resume. Send the resume file via email to a few of your friends – ask them to review the resume and make sure nothing seems out of place. Print out the resume on paper and review to make sure that margins are accurately set, and that the content doesn’t appear crowded on the page.

Keep in mind – when it comes to your resume, sleek simple appearance, and great writing, will get you the job you are looking for.

Resume Training Series
Materials of JobsInClerical: November 2008

Resume Training Series Chapter 3

MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO STATE YOUR RESPONSIBLITIES IN JOB DESCRIPTIONS

If you have never written a resume, the blank page you are facing can be very intimidating. While you can describe your job responsibilities to your friends, listing them out in a resume and showcasing how your experience to date meets your career objectives is a very difficult task.

To get started, you must first consider what type of a job you are seeking. Much like your career objective or summery should reflect your professional goals, your current and past experiences must showcase that you are the best candidate for the job you are applying for.

In listing your current and past professional experiences, try to focus on those responsibilities that indicate you are qualified to take the next step in your career. Due to the fact that more and more companies as well as job search sites use scanning software to pick out candidates, it is very important that you use key words, including active verbs, to describe your skills.

Instead of beginning your job descriptions with “Responsible for” try to use active verbs such as:-

• managed


• developed


• created


• communicated


• interfaced


• achieved, etc.

These key words get straight to the point of describing your responsibilities, which is exactly what the employers are looking for. Choose these words carefully – don’t say that you “managed a project”, implying you were responsible for the whole task from start to finish if you were only responsibly for communicating the project to other associates. Instead state that you “Developed and executed the communication strategy for associates,” describing your role more accurately and emphasizing your strengths.

Typically, the first job listed on your resume is the one you currently hold. In this case, make sure that your responsibilities are stated in present tense, as you are still responsible for them.
For example, say “Manage accounting activities” instead of “Managed accounting activities.” This will indicate to your potential employer what your day-to-day activities are like and how they compliment responsibilities of the job you are submitting your resume for. All previous jobs should be listed using past tense, and should start with active verbs such as managed, developed, accomplished, etc.

Additionally, make sure that responsibilities you are listing are relevant for to your career objective. List only those responsibilities which help you put your best foot forward.

For example, if you are looking for a job that requires managing a team of people, focus on your development and participation in group projects instead of focusing on solitary activities such as office organization.

In terms of formatting, make sure that your responsibilities are listed in bullet points. This formatting is preferred to paragraphs on a resume because it is easier to review quickly. Employers simply scan the resumes and look for key words – if the resume looks overwhelming, with a lot of copy and poor formatting, they will likely discard it. Thus, it is very important that your resume is formatted with enough white space and doesn’t contain any errors.

Resume Training Series
Materials of JobsInClerical: November 2008

Resume Training Series Chapter 2

HOW TO WRITE A PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY FOR YOUR RESUME

In today’s competitive job market, employers relay on well-written resumes to screen potential candidates. In many instances, employers look through job search web sites, such as HotJobs.com or Monster.com, to find professionals with skills, education and experience that fit their needs. These employment search web sites, along with many companies’ own online applications, require candidates to upload their resume in order to express interest in a specific opportunity. Without an opportunity to send a personal email, or a cover letter, you have to make sure that your resume expresses your personality in addition to listing your professional and educational experiences and achievements. To do so, you can include a professional profile or summary at the beginning of your resume that allows you to market yourself through a narrative. This section allows your potential employers to learn something unique about you and your career, as well as get a good feel of your communication skills.

To write an effective summary, you should first understand what information should not be communicated in your resume. While a summary provides an insight into what is unique and competitive about you, it is not a place for you to indicate any personal information that does not relate to your career. Information such as ethnicity, marital status, sexual orientation, religious beliefs and affiliations, etc. should be left out of your resume. While descriptive of who you are, this information is not relevant to your potential employer in order to pre-screen your qualifications for their opportunity.

Additionally, the summary should not contain your previous professional experience, unless you can clearly demonstrate how such background can be of value in your future career development. Beware of generic statements, such as “I am well organized and detail oriented.” Uughh... Employers want to hear your unique voice and get a sense of your communication skills while reading the summary portion of your resume. Using generalizations about your abilities will make the employers believe that you are either a poor communicator or are using such statements to fill up space on your resume.

Your summary should be in form of a short paragraph or bulleted statements, containing only several sentences. There isn’t a sentence limit, but as a rule do not take up more than one quarter of the page.

Your summary should begin by a headline that summarizes your professional title and/or your professional statement. Emphasize your title by featuring the headline in bold and larger font, as it allows your potential employer to grasp who you are quickly.

For example:
Financial Planning ProfessionalAchieved Double-Digit Return for All Clients through Well-Balanced Financial Portfolios
It is important that this title is well crafted, as it is the first impression your potential employer will have of you.

There are three things a well-written summary should address:

• Your experiences and skills as they relate to your idea job


• What you can bring to the organization and the open position that no other candidate can


• Your professional goals

Even though your resume summary is written by you, it should be composed in third person, in present tense. Think of it as a summary of what one of your best colleagues would say about your professional achievements. Reinforce your title, and sell only the experiences and skills that meet your career objective. If you have multiple career objectives, such as you wish to get a position in either marketing or public relations, develop separate resume summaries for each of the objectives. A summary can also contain a brief bulleted section highlighting only a few vital competitive skills that you bring to the table.

An example of an effective summary would be as follows:

Successful financial planning professional with over 15 years of personal and retirement planning experience. Managed a small financial planning firm, achieving double-digit financial returns for all clients by developing personalized investment portfolios. Leader in development and professional growth of four other financial planners in the firm through effective and motivating mentoring strategies.

Key competencies include: Personalized portfolio developmento Financial forecastingo Retirement portfolio managemento Development on-going professional growth strategies.

Much like your overall resume, your summary should be well-written and error-free. Make sure to review your summary, and customize as necessary for the various opportunities of interest. An effective summary will help you “hook” your employer; it should sell you as a primary candidate for the job, leaving your employer with a great first impression of you.

Resume Training Series

Materials of JobsInClerical: November 2008

Resume Training Series Chapter 1

WHAT IS A RESUME AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

A resume is a one- to two-page document summarizing your career objectives, professional experiences and achievements, and educational background. The heading of the resume should contain your name, address and contact information.

The body of the resume should be broken into the following sections:

• career objective


• profile/summary


• professional experience


• achievements, scholastics


• references

Your career objective should be brief, up to two sentences; it should give your potential employers an idea of how you wish to move forward in your professional life. A concise profile or a summary should discuss who you are and how your skills and experience best apply to the job you are interested in. The summary, as well as other parts of your resume, should not contain personal information that discloses ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, age, living situations, or any other personal information that is not directly related to your career. Personal profile/summary should only contain a few well-written sentences that convey what you can bring to the table in terms of the specific job. Use this section to attract the employer’s attention, but don’t go overboard in trying to be creative – stay professional. Your experience listing should include information on one to five jobs you’ve held, starting with your current or last job, and listing previous positions in chronological order.

The listing should include:

• the date range of your employment.


• name of the companies or person(s) you have worked for.


• and the city and state where the place of employment is located (full address of employment is not necessary).

List your title and your main responsibilities, with emphasis on duties that are applicable to the type of work you are seeking.

Your education should include college, graduate and post-graduate work, as well as any courses or professional certifications that are relevant to your career development.

Achievements, volunteer positions, publications and interests should only be listed if they apply to your professional work experience References should be listed if requested; best practices suggest not to list generic statements about references being available upon request as this is understood.

In the competitive, internet-driven world of job searches, your resume represents you to potential employers. It serves as your tool to attract attention, get the interview and/or get a job. A great resume will make you stand out from other candidates by showcasing your aptitudes. Think of your resume as your sales pitch – you need to sell yourself in the best possible way.

Invest some time and research into developing your resume. You will want to make sure that your resume is error free – double check your grammar and spelling, make sure that all company and school names and cities are spelled properly. A resume containing errors, no matter how minimal, will give your potential employer an impression that you do not have attention to detail, that you don’t take time to double check your work, and that you are a poor communicator. Additionally, make sure that your resume is formatted well. Stick to basic fonts, like Arial and Times New Roman. Keep the font size and color standard; don’t use large fonts or multi-colors in your resume. Don’t go overboard with bold, italicized, or large-cap text. Keep your format consistent and make sure that the resume looks great when viewed online as well as when printed out. Keep your resume to one or two pages – any additional pages give an impression that you either don’t know how to concisely summarize your education and experience, or that you are listing unnecessary information for the sake of taking up space. If you’ve never written a resume before, reference books, Internet resources or seek assistance from a professional resume writing service. A well-written resume can make a difference between being stuck at your current job and getting an interview to land the job of your dreams.

Resume Training Series
Materials of JobsInClerical: November 2008