ExitBuddy

A career portfolio provides prospective employers with a tangible sample of accomplishments acquired across an individual’s employment life. Presenting a well prepared portfolio during an interview enhances a job candidate’s professionalism, and provides evidence of stated achievements. Education Educational items included in a career portfolio must support the job seeker’s candidacy for a given position. Include such items as awards, diplomas, transcripts, and internships, to name a few. Be prepared prior to the interview, and have all documents compiled neatly. Professional Activities Joining networking groups or professional associations outside of work can compliment employment skills. The individual should focus on including information about the organizations he or she is currently participating in, and any leadership positions held. Work-Related Activities Including work-related information in the career portfolio is the most important element. Make sure the resume...

Michael writes: I have a question about the types of skills employers are searching for from job-seekers. I’m about to start my last year of college and if I can pick up a course or two during this year to make it easier for me to find a job in May when I graduate, I want to do it. So, can you help me? The Career Doctor responds: Great question! I actually encouraged my juniors and seniors when I weas teaching to conduct a SWOT analysis in preparation for better career planning and job-searching. A SWOT analysis examines your strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats in your chosen career field. And it’s something that ALL job-seekers can and should do occasionally. Matching your SWOT with the skills employers are seeking then gives you some directions for finding educational opportunities or experience to fill the voids of any skills where you are weak. You need the so-called hard skills of your chosen career, and I am ass...

In a world where many job applications seem to disappear into a “black hole”, job seekers often wonder if there is any point in sending a cover letter with their application.  The answer is absolutely yes!  An effective cover letter communicates to an employer why you’re specifically interested in the open position.  With so many job seekers indiscriminately applying for hundreds of jobs, your application will automatically stand out if you can demonstrate that you truly have a personal interest in a particular position. Effectively explaining to an employer why you want the job requires you to cite those qualities and skills that personally make you a good candidate.  Generally, the likelihood that you would be a good fit for the position is directly related to your relevant experience and education; for example, a CPA could perform accounting duties for any number of companies.  But, telling a hospital that you’ve considered obtaining a master’s degree in h...

Transitioning into the workforce from school or switching from one career to a new one can be a scary move. It’s a big step, but one that you can easily make with a few pointers. Each job has certain rules and procedures that are common knowledge, but you might not have heard them outright or saw them on your orientation agenda. So, take note of these tips to you navigate the workday without breaking the rules. Following these rules will show your employer that you want to do a good job and be an employee they can’t live without. Don’t be late. Check and double check your work schedule and be sure you’re at work on time. Showing up late – even five or ten minutes – could earn you a negative reputation. There are some environments that are more laid back with their attendance policy, but others are sticklers about not being a minute late. Be sure you know your company’s culture and don’t assume because co-workers are late it’s OK to follow their lead. You want to set a good example...

Here is a list of forty personal branding quotes that I’ve come up with over the past three years. Feel free to use them on your website, as long as you link back to this post and cite my name. I hope they inspire you, make you reflect on your own life, or make you put your ideas into action today. If you have a quote you would like to add, please leave it in the comments section of this post. “Brand yourself for the career you want, not the job you have.” “By focusing entirely on your personal brand, you become unemployable.” “Create your own career, instead of letting your company do it for you.” “If you want to be known for everything, you’ll be known for nothing.” “When you have passion, expertise and a support system, you can do anything!” “Make your life one giant networking event.” “You have to be as committed to your personal brand as you are to your husband or wife.” “Just like content is king on the internet, your experience is king when it comes ...

I’ve been exploring conversational marketing lately, both for some of the talks I give and to advise clients on appropriate and effective ways to not just engage our audiences in conversation, but also persuade them. If we, as social media marketers, are not using the engagement opportunity to motivate those audiences to do something, then there’s little business purpose in having the conversations in the first place. At Social Media Plus last week, I talked about conversational marketing and came away from the presentation thinking a lot about trust. My theory around conversational marketing is that success occurs when our genuine participation (that without marketing as motivation) earns enough trust from our audience to share information that is driven by our business. But trust is earned in a variety of ways. Public relations professionals can take months to earn the trust of a media member. You don’t immediately trust a child care professional with your children. Search eng...

Given we do a lot of work helping individuals prepare for their interviews - we get asked about interview technique and how to go about acing an interview.  Here are a few tips to help you along your way.  This is what you should avoid doing in an interview so not to damage our chances of success... 1. Being too dominant In every conversation there tends to be a ‘leader’. The leader can change as you move through a conversation or interview. Make sure that you aren’t the one leading the whole time. You don’t want to come across too dominant or domineering as this will make the interviewer wonder how you will be with others you work with. People want collaboration and a ‘team’ approach, so make sure that the conversation works both ways and isn’t all led by you. 2. Clock Watching Have you ever been with someone who constantly clock watches? Isn’t it annoying? Don’t do it – especially in an interview. It’s distracting, annoying and rude to the interviewer. If you’re ser...

“ A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. ” – Francis Bacon Like most things in life, there is no “magic” to successful job search. It is a mix of luck (being in the right place at the right time), networking (it’s who you know), hard work (review the job search boards every day), credentials (what have you done lately) and marketing (great resume). But also like most things in life, inspiration breeds successful job search. Inspiration can take many forms. It may be a friend who has landed a great job, a mentor that gives amazing guidance or just a great idea that gets you going. Of course “I hate my job” offer its own inspiration. So what inspires you? Jobgoround.com – Their tag line “The First Website Devoted to the Whole Job Search Process” tells their approach. There are tabs at the top of the page for Job Search, Resume Writing. Cover Letter, Resume Services, Interview, Career Articles and more. Each of the sections have embedded links with related content....

When I pull into our garage at home, I have to make a hard right turn from the driveway. Backing out is an equal challenge. The opening around the garage door is a testament to the several failed attempts over the years to successfully navigate this turn. Unfortunately as a result, I’m on a first name basis with the local body shop. Blind spots are expensive. Virtual blind spots can be just as expensive, if not more so. People don’t think about Google or other search engines as having blind spots, but they do. Searching for everyday people is a big problem for search engines, yet “Googling” and being “Googled” are now standard practice for professional, personal and other reasons. We use search engines to learn more about people and validate their backgrounds. And we trust what search engines tell us. In 2008, Google was the most trusted brand in America according to Advertising Age. Worldwide, Google’s brand ranked 7th in 2009 according to Interbrand. Disney ranked 10th. Search engin...

In a job interview, you may field questions about your situational behavior and decision making. That’s based on the premise that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. Behavioral questions (often not even framed as a question) typically start out: “Tell me about a time…” or “Describe a situation…” Example questions are: “Tell me about a time where you confronted an unexpected problem,” “Describe an experience when you failed to achieve a goal,” or “Give me a specific example of a time when you managed several projects at once.” Equip yourself to answer the questions thoroughly. Obviously, you can prepare better for this type of interview if you know which skills the employer has predetermined to be necessary for the job you seek. Researching the company, studying the job description, and talking to people who work there will enable you to zero in on the kinds of behaviors the company wants. In the interview, your response must be specific and detailed. Candidates...

Lately, I’m a bit burned out on business cards. I think they’re important tools. I don’t think we can manage our identity transfer ONLY online, but I’m just a bit tired of handing them out. The reason? Every time I give someone a business card, I have about a 70% chance of receiving someone else’s dumb email newsletter that I didn’t opt into receiving. Or, I’ll get a pitch. If you’ve ever done this to me, please reconsider before doing it to someone else in the future. Please? A business card is the start of a relationship, not permission to sell to me. Lately, I notice that lots of people use various online services to make digital versions of a business card. That feels like you’re giving away an opportunity. That’s like buying the store cards they sell at Staples or OfficeMax or wherever. Instead, why not make your own business cards. Want to see mine? Chris Brogan’s business card . Well, that was easy. In person, I hand out paper cards. When I’m not being cheeky, my car...

Posted by Bill in Employment News , Resumes Technology has started to play an important role in the hiring of employees. In order to create an effective resume, you must now get through a scanner before it is ever seen by human eyes. In order to make sure that your resume gets into the hands of real person, your resume must include pre-determined buzz words or keywords that the scanners search for. If your resume does not include any of these buzz words, then there is a good chance that your resume will be discarded before anyone even looks at it. Fortunately, if you know how to use this technology to your advantage, you can quickly see your resume at the top of the list instead of gathering dust. These computers will scan thousands of resumes and focus entirely on a prioritized set of keywords. Resumes that have the most important or a large amount of keywords are much more likely to get passed on to the people who will actually be offering you an interview. What Buzz Wor...

‘JT & Dale Talk Jobs’ is the largest nationally syndicated career advice column in the country and can be found at JTandDale.com . Dear J.T. & Dale: I am a 47-year-old homemaker and mother. I have begun applying for entry-level positions. I honestly do not have the best work history, having worked as an administrative assistant, a real estate title examiner, court clerk and have sold advertising. What can I do to gain the notice of a potential employer? — Olivia J.T.: I’m going to be completely honest here, and I hope the following isn’t too direct: You are not attractive to potential employers. Why? Because your past is shouting you lack focus. I realize that doesn’t seem fair, but in a competitive environment, hiring managers use all sorts of criteria to eliminate candidates. So, right now, the best thing you can do is stop looking for a job and start looking for a career. Dale: Which sounds simple enough, given that there are hundreds of books and websites with ...

When you’re applying for a new job, your resume is often used as a fast way to assess whether you look like a good candidate for a position — at least on paper. That’s just as true if you’re looking for a position that allows you to telecommute as it is if you’re looking to work in an office. But the skills and characteristics that a hiring manager is looking for on a telecommuter’s resume aren’t always the same as when you’re looking for other jobs. Among other things, employers are looking for the following: Prior experience. While it’s not always possible for an employer to find an applicant that has already telecommuted, having prior experience can move your resume to the top of the stack. There’s a learning curve that goes along with becoming a telecommuter, and every employer would prefer to hire someone who’s already figured out the nuts and bolts of telecommuting. Self-direction. Telling a hiring manager that you’re able to work at your own direction...

It’s a nice idea: getting a new job, or at least an interview, from the comfort of your own home by using Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . In reality, it’s not as simple as it seems and there are a few things to bear in mind if you’re going to make social networking sites part of your job search. Here are five tips for getting a new job through social networking. 1)    Review your online reputation It’s all very well planning to woo potential new employers and contacts through your tweets, Facebook updates and LinkedIn recommendations, but don’t forget that employers can see all your status updates, photos, videos and groups. Unless you lock your social networking profiles, potential employers can view them even if you don’t initially contact them through Facebook or Twitter. All they have to do is Google your name and some of the first results that come up will be for your profiles on LinkedIn and other such sites. So if you want a new job, it’s time to remove th...

While monitoring a lot of chatter on Twitter recently regarding the usage by companies of social networking to fill jobs, something struck me that I had not processed previously: not everyone is doing it! Talk about a revelation.  I am aware of the slow adoption of social networking for some companies, but this week something was really clarified for me.  While having many conversations (don’t worry I won’t name drop ), it became obvious that the “old school” recruiting mentality is still a big deal for many recruiters to either accept and use or get their organization to approve. But what does this mean for you as a possible job candidate?  For one, don’t exclusively use social networking to find your next position.  Yes, social networking is important to get you in contact with the right person/people within organizations.  However, you still need to continue to use more traditional job searching tools.  Ideas about where...

From Brand-Yourself.com Today we have a special guest post from Ozzie Saunds .  Ozzie is an experienced Career Specialist who has worked with North America’s largest job board and the world’s second largest international recruitment firm. Currently the founder/owner of a successful recruitment organization, he is committed to continuing his efforts of maximizing the potential of every career professional he works with by consulting them through the job search process. You can visit his blog at WriteMyResumeNow.com — A typical approach to a job search includes creating resume profiles on popular job boards, such as Careerbuilder, Monster or Yahoo Jobs, and then targeting professional social media websites like LinkedIn, Google Profiles and Brazen Careerist. Perhaps the very ambitious job seeker takes it a step further by creating a blog which showcases all of their qualifications. While searching for employment, job seekers can improve their chances of being hired by being ...

Building a personal brand is a marketing process. The hallmarks of a well-constructed brand include consistency, authenticity, specificity and all the brand parameters we discussed last week . Following on that lesson, let’s remember the first law of marketing: perception is reality . What this means in the context of branding yourself is that success is more about how others perceive you than what you say about yourself. In the arena of personal branding, there’s too much talk about the technology. There’s scarcely any talk about content. The technology is fine. We all need to understand the technology behind social networking and social media. Moreover, we should leverage the opportunities afforded by social technologies. Build a great Web presence—absolutely! And by all means, use social networks to connect with people who can inform, advise and amuse you. But technology is just the medium. And what really matters when it comes to branding yourself is the message . I’m tal...

Employers and clients are looking for ways in which you are different from everyone else – your unique selling proposition (USP). And if you don’t know your USP, there’s no way you’re going to be able to articulate it and sell others on your abilities. What do you bring to the table others can’t? That’s the question you need to ask yourself. Try this exercise: W rite down every skill, piece of knowledge, ability, and characteristic you have. I find it’s often hard to evaluate yourself, so ask friends and family to add to the list once you’ve given it a first shot. This list becomes your “unique you.” What do you need to market your “unique you”? Professional website or online portfolio Presence on relevant social networking sites Business cards Elevator pitch Accomplishment stories What are “accomplishment stories”? When you’re applying for a job, employers want to hear about the results you’ve had in the past and how you could repeat those results at the...

Reposted from CareerAlley " New ideas pass through three periods: 1) It can’t be done. 2) It probably can be done, but it’s not worth doing. 3) I knew it was a good idea all along! " - Arthur C. Clarke If it helps you get a job, it must be a good idea. Now I won't go as far as to say there are no bad ideas in job search (there are plenty - see below), but the good ideas are all time tested. Some are basic, like " Prepare for your search " while others are more complex like "create an elevator speech ", but all of these are essential to finding a new job. Even if you've been on the job hunt for awhile, some of these basics may help jump start your search. As an example, have you leveraged your college career center (it doesn't matter how long ago you graduated)? What about professional associations? Broaden your approach and follow these tips. LOOKING FOR A CAREER, NOT JUST A JOB - This article, from The University of Akron , pro...

The other day I received an email asking me to do someone a favor. The request made me feel uncomfortable and I pondered for a day on how to respond. As an active networking job seeker, I am fairly certain you run into these kind of scenarios as well. "Could you introduce me to..." "Would you give my resume to..." "Can you call your contact and ...." If my dear friend, past colleague, family member or someone else close to me were asking for this type of favor, I wouldn't think twice. Would you? (well, in 99% of the cases). I probably wouldn't have a problem telling them why I couldn't do it either. The problem lies when the person making this request in a virtual unknown. Maybe you've met them once before, maybe even a couple of times. However, you feel uncomfortable being able to carry out their request. Being the straight forward, no-nonsense kinda gal I am, I emailed him back and explained to him as nicely ...

Career fairs (or job fairs as they are sometimes called) are not created equal. A few weeks ago I wrote about the pros and cons of going to a career or job fair .  They are not for everyone. And once you’ve decided to attend one, it is time to get choosy.  Just because you have time, doesn’t mean you should attend them all. So, how do you choose?  Well, it may be that there is only one game in town.  Your choice is made for you. But if you live in a major U.S. city, you will likely have many to choose from.  So here’s my criteria to use: 1.  Who is the organizer? Some events are organized by companies.  Some by industry or local networking groups.  It is important that the organizer be a big enough group to attract quality companies and to pull together a well-planned event.  Look for evidence of “organization” such as agendas, announcements and the like. 2.  Who are the sponsors? Is someone (a sponsor of the event) ...