resume

How the Holiday Season Can Boost Your Career

Tom Musbach — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:35:01 -0500

It's the most wonderful time of the year, so the song says, but that's no guarantee for people who are looking for a new job or worried about the viability of their current one.

That's why it's critical to take advantage of the great opportunities this season offers to enhance your career.

Get Ahead by Giving Thanks

Tom Musbach — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:35:03 -0500

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Office Gossip: The Pros and Cons

Tom Musbach — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:26:08 -0500

Office gossip is irresistible. Most of us find it entertaining in a perverse way, especially when it involves somebody we don't like. And in a time of great uncertainty and anxiety -- like the time we're in now -- gossip is hard to avoid.

A recent survey by The Creative Group, a staffing firm for advertising and marketing professionals, confirms that office gossip is pretty routine. Of the accounting and marketing executives surveyed, 84% called the gossip habit common.

Unemployment Report: Some Positive News

Tom Musbach — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:51:50 -0500

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' unemployment report for October caused a big stir last week. The rate jumped to 6.5 percent from 6.1 percent in September. This is reportedly the highest national unemployment figure in 14 years.

While that's certainly not good news, the unemployment figure isn't cause for widespread gloom, either. After all, the U.S. still has at least 93 percent employment.

How's Your Emergency Fund?

Tom Musbach — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:14:56 -0500

Living in California, I have grown used to the idea of keeping an "emergency kit" in the event of an earthquake. It makes sense to have water, canned food, flashlights, spare clothes and cash on hand to carry you through a temporary disaster.

But what if the temporary disaster is the sudden loss of your job? That's an earthquake of an entirely different nature. Do you have an emergency kit -- or fund -- ready?

Wasting Time on the Job

Tom Musbach — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:01:11 -0400

A new Salary.com survey reveals that nearly 3 in 4 workers admit to wasting time at work. But don't we all?

Specifically, 73% of respondents spend part of their workday on activities that aren't work-related, like personal email, talking with coworkers, or surfing the Web.

Best-Paying Seasonal Job: Santa?

Tom Musbach — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:29:56 -0400

Many Americans were upset earlier this week that a mall Santa had been fired without cause, but outcry over the incident has reportedly forced Tysons Corner Center, one of the biggest malls in Washington, D.C. area, to reverse course.

Michael Graham, who had played Santa there for 18 years, reached an agreement with the mall to get his job back, according to the Associated Press. The surprise in the article, however, is that Graham makes $175 per hour as Santa!

Put Some Risk into Your Job

Tom Musbach — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:19:12 -0400

"What are you doing outside your comfort zone?"

It's a great question, one that Arianna Huffington posed to her friends at a swanky party a few years back, according to a profile in the New Yorker magazine.

The simple question has stuck with me in the past few days. Not many of us have friends as probing or challenging as Arianna, so we may have to ask it of ourselves. How you answer it could benefit your career.

Control Your Career Destiny

Tom Musbach — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:22:35 -0400

Tom Musbach, managing editor for Yahoo! HotJobs, writes a careers blog offering information and advice on everything from where to find hot jobs in our current economy to dealing with proper work environment etiquette. His blog also offers HR managers and recruiters valuable insights into the state of the job seeker market, helping them keep a close pulse on the talent in this rapidly evolving work environment.

Five Tips on Finding a New Job

Phil Rosenberg — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:38:58 -0400

This U.S. News & World Report article (Five Tips on Finding a New Job) appeared February 26, 2008, and provides a great overview of how to be successful in today’s job search market. The article talks about the importance of personal branding, Social Networking, Blogging, and promoting yourself as a Subject Matter Expert as specific job search strategies.

Careers

Opportunity of a Lifetime

Phil Rosenberg — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:22:38 -0400

I’m quoting this blog entry by Seth Godin, author of a dozen brilliant marketing books and Seth Godin’s Blog. Seth’s comments are simple, yet remarkable. Incredibly encouraging and powerful. Our greatest opportunities are borne from our greatest problems. Think about it….the greatest inventions and companies are founded because they solve a problem.

Careers

FaceBook Strategies (1)– The Power of FaceBook Groups

Phil Rosenberg — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:02:46 -0400

Want to communicate your subject matter expertise to a targeted audience, or would a scatter shot approach be more effective? If you want a tightly targeted audience, that will have a high likelihood of facing problems that you are uniquely qualified to solve, then check out Facebook’s groups, one of its most powerful features. Facebook is all about database segmentation, to allow highly targeted marketing. So why not use the same features that financial services, auto, and CPG companies see in Facebook, and use them in your career search?

Careers

How to Take Control of the Interview

Phil Rosenberg — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:41:54 -0400

Ever get all excited for an interview, only to be frustrated that it didn’t go as well as planned? Maybe your experience wasn’t portrayed in its best light, or your many accomplishments weren’t valued. How can you avoid this outcome, and take control of the interview? It’s really not that hard….partially it’s how you approach the interview, and partially how you employ some interview tactics. Change your approach:

Careers

Top 50 Web 2.0 Tools for Job seekers

Phil Rosenberg — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:43:30 -0400

So what’s all the fuss over Web 2.0? Web 2.0 is the interactive web, where users provide the content. Why does that matter to a job seeker? Because Web 2.0 gives every job seeker the opportunity to promote subject matter expertise. Web 2.0 gives multiple formats and platforms and tools to allow job seekers to announce to the world “I know my stuff!”. In addition, Web 2.0 can help job seekers get found on Google, Yahoo, and other popular search engines. So what does Web 2.0 look like? Here’s a listing of my favorite 50 Web 2.0 sites for job seekers:

Careers

Top 50 Web 2.0 Tools for Job seekers

Phil Rosenberg — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:30:57 -0400

LinkedIN strategies – Tight vs Broad Network

Phil Rosenberg — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:20:33 -0400

There’s been a controversy going on within the LinkedIN crowd for years. Is it more effective for your job search to build a LinkedIN network of close personal connections? Or instead, build a network with a broad reach, but weak connections? It depends on your purpose, and networking style. If you’re reading this blog, chances are your purpose is to change careers or jobs. Also think about how your network can be beneficial AFTER you land your new job. So let’s consider your networking style… Are you: 1) A broad networker who tries to know everyone OR

What to Wear? Acing the Interview

Phil Rosenberg — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:11:08 -0400

A client of mine feels like he always comes in second in interviews. He does well, but he wants to do more than just do well. He wants to Ace the interview.

So how do you Ace the interview? How do you communicate that you're the top person for the job? I'll be publishing interview tips in an "Acing the Interview" series. First – What do you wear in an interview?

LinkedIN Strategies: Recommendations

Phil Rosenberg — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:49:27 -0400

One of LinkedIN’s more powerful features for job seekers is their recommendations feature. LinkedIN allows users to ask for recommendations from past managers, co workers, business partners and service providers. Some on LinkedIN have collected hundreds, others don’t use this at all.

Careers

LinkedIN Strategies: Recommendations

Phil Rosenberg — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:40:54 -0400

Turn Your 15 Seconds into Interviews

Phil Rosenberg — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:01:35 -0400

15 Seconds.... That's how long the average reviewer spends on your resume, before making an interview/no interview decision. That's IF your resume gets beyond a database search. To put it in perspective, think about what you can do in 15 seconds: Brush your teeth, kiss your significant other, uncork a bottle of wine, pour a beer, load the washing machine, pour coffee, tie your shoes, put on your shirt, tie your tie, or watch Monty Python's Slapping Fish Dance. So how can you maximize your 15 seconds of fame?

Send Fewer Resumes

Phil Rosenberg — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:26:14 -0400

Which do you think is more effective: 1) Sending 100 resumes for many jobs in the hope that a few will be interested in you? or 2) Send a few resumes to a few jobs that you are a perfect fit for? While this strategy is counterintuitive, sending fewer resumes is a much more effective method. An effective and customized resume can get a 25-50% "hit ratio" (phone screens or interviews divided by total resumes sent) using a send fewer strategy. Why does this work?

How in the world can you demonstrate leadership in a resume?

Phil Rosenberg — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:26:32 -0400

You can't. Leadership is a skill that you can only demonstrate in person. So why do professional and managerial career changers take up valuable resume space trying to convince their reader that they are leaders? I find that managerial career changers want to define themselves as leaders. Not for their audience, the hiring manager, but for themselves. Since many experienced job changers write egocentric resumes (writing for themselves as the audience, not the hiring manager), this shouldn't come as a surprise.

Facebook 101 for Job Seekers

Phil Rosenberg — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:22:00 -0400

You’re a manager. Why would you want to be on Facebook with a bunch of college kids? Simple…There’s 60 Million people on Facebook now, up from 25 Million 9 months ago. There’s only 15 million college students. Who do you think everyone else is? The highest growing segment of Facebook is the over 25 crowd…the hiring managers you want to network with and meet.

Benefits of Consultant-think

Phil Rosenberg — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:26:19 -0400

Tip #123: Think like a consultant. Search for a new job like a consultant. Why think like a consultant if you're looking for a full time job? Because today's hiring managers hire consultants and Full Time Employees the same way, and look for the same thing. Most full time jobs today can be filled by a consultant or an employee, and there's not all that much of a difference in cost.

In Which Subject am I an Expert?

Phil Rosenberg — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:16:14 -0400

An early challenge job changers face is determining who they are professionally. If you've been in the workforce 5 years or more, you've worked in LOTS of areas where you could demonstrate expertise. Depending on your career, this could take even less than 5 years.