How to Present Yourself at a Career Fair

Things you should do before you go to the career fair. And how to present yourself to a recruiter once you're at the job fair.



video by ClearedJobsDotNet

Negative Attitude Hurts Your Job Search

Recruiters notice when a job seeker is frustrated or angry during a networking event. Listen to this:

Find Your Hidden Job Market

Recruiter Peggy McKee says the hidden job market has four times as many jobs as the number you see posted online in your field. Here's how to find those unannounced jobs:



As you can tell from this video, Peggy is a dynamic person. She's created some great job search products. Check them out!

Does Networking Scare You?

If the word "networking" scares you, watch this video by Patricia A. Frame. She'll help you understand that networking is really just a very natural human interaction that can lead to a successful career.



More articles on networking:
The Power of My LinkedIn "Update" -- Easy One-Minute Networking!
Important Social Network Tool: How to Write an Email of Introduction
Networking to Find a Job

The 16 Best Facebook Pages for Job Search

Facebook has become far more than a site for photo sharing and chit chat with friends and family -- it's now used for job search. I've been compiling my list of the best Facebook pages for job search, and thought I'd share it with you.

As you click through the following Facebook pages, notice that some allow comments, others do not. I especially like the ones that allow you to ask questions and encourage dialog with fellow readers. They make you feel like you've joined a community for online support, even if you don't ask a question or leave a comment.

Which are your favorites?

Susan Ireland's List of The Best Facebook Pages for Job Search

In alphabetical order:

• About.com Job Searching
• CC Career Services (federal career counseling)
• Career Savvy
• Careerealism
• DeniseMpls Career Services
• Encore Careers
• Futures in Motion
• The Job Connection
• Job-Hunt.org: The Online Job Search Guide
• Keppie Careers
• Profilia CV - Resumes, Cover Letters, Career Advice & Translations
• reCareered
• The Riley Guide
• Susan Ireland's Resume Site
• Tim's Strategy
• What Color is Your parachute? FOR TEENS

As a job seeker, you may know of others that should be added to this list. Tell us about them in the Comments section. Remember, we're talking about the best Facebook pages -- not regular websites -- for job search.

More posts on using social media for your job search:
4 Ways to Manage Your Online Reputation
Excellent Email Example to a Job Search Network
20 LinkedIn Subgroups to Tighten Your Job Search Focus
42 Job Search Quotes for Twitter

Make Your Professional Business Cards a LinkedIn Tool

A few months ago I attended the National Career Development Association (NCDA) conference. I brought home fifteen professional business cards from valuable career development contacts with whom I hope to collaborate on this or that project.

I decided to invite each of them to join my LinkedIn network as a way of reaching out for further contact. Sadly not one of those professional business cards had a LinkedIn address on it. And, to my dismay, I realized I had committed the same mistake: I'd handed out a gazillion of my own professional business cards that didn't have my LinkedIn address on them! That's when I said to myself sternly:

"You need to make your professional business cards work as a LinkedIn tool, not just an in-person networking card."

Of course LinkedIn has People Search, which I used to find almost everyone on those cards, but it took a good four or five minutes per card. Four or five minutes may not seem like a long time but multiply that by fifteen business cards and you'll see that that search-and-find project ate up more than an hour of my time. On a really busy day I would have put that chore off for later, which could have meant weeks.

Most employers and recruiters are too busy to spend that kind of time searching for someone on LinkedIn, unless the job seeker has already shown he's worth the investment.

Do you have your LinkedIn address on your professional business cards?
If not, think about putting it on there. (I added my LinkedIn profile address to my cards!) Doing so will make it quicker, easier, and therefore more likely for recruiters and employers to use it as a LinkedIn tool to find and connect with you online.

More posts on LinkedIn and your job search:
The Power of My LinkedIn "Update" -- Easy One-Minute Networking!
Important Social Network Tool: How to Write an Email of Introduction
How to Say "I Do" to a LinkedIn Invitation
How to Upload Your Resume to LinkedIn

4 Ways to Manage Your Online Reputation

It may feel a little silly to Google your own name. Kind of self-absorbed and vain. It is called “vanity Googling” in some circles.

However, in fact, this is a very necessary part of job search today – monitoring your online reputation.

Why is vanity Googling necessary? Because employers research potential employees more than 80% of the time, according to some recent research funded by Microsoft. This means that - if you have applied for a job or are being considered for a job - the name you put on your resume or application will probably be Googled.

Do you know what will be found in a search for your name on Google?

People have had their job searches hurt by their own mistakes – posting inappropriate photos or videos online, posting nasty comments on blogs and in other public forums, or trusting a website that cannot be counted on to protect their privacy (Facebook springs to mind for me).

People have also been hurt by the dumb or nasty things done by other people who have the same name. Perhaps you are the perfect candidate for a job, but someone with the same name has robbed a bank or shared some very revealing personal photos online. And, the employer finds those photos or that arrest record in a Google search on your name. Unless the job specification includes experience robbing a bank or being photographed in revealing poses, you probably won’t get called in to interview for that job.

With the competition for jobs, few employers will take the time to deeply research the person who applied for their job. If there is any confusion or uncertainty, they will usually just move on to the next applicant – saving time and money.

So, what should you do?

1. Know what’s going on associated with your name.
Search to discover what potential employers will find. If there are no issues, consider yourself very lucky, and move on to the other steps below. If there are issues, the steps below will help you address them.

2. Pick a clean, relatively unique version of your name to use publicly.
Assume that, unless your name is very unique (there was even another “Barack Obama” – Barack Senior, father of the U.S. President), assume someone else with the same name will appear eventually, so use more than your first and last name.

If you have done dumb things online that are visible or if you share a name with someone who has a bad online reputation, find and claim a “clean” version of your name.

Add your middle name or middle initial, turn your first and middle name into initials, or some other change that makes your name unique.

For example, if you are currently known as “Mary Smith” and your middle name is “Jane”, you could use “Mary Jane Smith,” “M.J. Smith,” or “Mary J. Smith,” even “M. Jane Smith” if necessary.

3. Establish, or re-name, your LinkedIn and Google profiles with the clean name.

You have two powerful platforms to use to put out your version of who you are - LinkedIn and Google. They are powerful for you because you can control what they tell the world about you. They are also powerful because Google gives both good ranking on Google search results pages.

Go to Linkedin.com and profiles.Google.com to set up or to modify your profiles - using or changing to your “clean name.”

So, use that “clean name” on your LinkedIn and Google Profiles, on your resume, on everything public that is associated with your work/professional life. Be sure to connect those dots for employers; don’t be “Mary Smith” on your resume and “M.J. Smith” on your LinkedIn profile.

4. Keep watching.
Continue to monitor what Google shows the world associated with your name by setting up Google Alerts on a search for your name. And don’t forget Bing and the other search engines that will appear over time.

Bottom Line
Monitoring your online reputation to manage it is not an option in today’s job market, and probably not in tomorrow’s either. So the sooner you get started, the better for your job search and career.

For more information, check out these pages on Job-Hunt.org:

Online Reputation in a Connected World, a very interesting study funded by Microsoft, done by CrossTab
Unlocking a Successful Job Search from Job-Hunt.org

This guest post is by Susan P. Joyce, Editor/Publisher of Job-Hunt.org.

The Power of My LinkedIn "Update" -- Easy One-Minute Networking!

Six minutes after I typed a message into my Update window on LinkedIn, I got two responses asking more about what I was doing. My message was simply that I was attending a professional conference in San Antonio, Texas last week. A few minutes later I set up a time to meet my two online colleagues face-to-face at the conference!

Week-before-last, one of my updates solicited a response that gave me some good advice, which in turn enriched the blog post I was writing.

Awhile back, I used my Update window to ask if someone could help me with a Powerpoint presentation. My friend Bob read it and sent me a link to just the right information.

Ask and ye shall receive. Don't ask, and.. well it probably ain't gonna happen.

How do people see your LinkedIn updates?

• If they go to your profile page.
• If they're connected to you and they get the weekly update email.
• If they're connected to you, they'll see your update in the list of updates from all their connections on their LinkedIn homepages.

LinkedIn expert, Brenda Bernstein, recommends everyone post an update to his or her LinkedIn profile at least once a week. She's right. There's power in that little Update window, and it's the easiest one-minute networking you can do.

As a job seeker, what updates have you posted that made a difference? What update will you post this week?

Do You Rely Too Much on the Internet for Your Job Search?

Is there a danger of relying too much on the Internet to find a job or advance one's career?

Here's how job search advisor and author Lavie Margolin answered that question in a recent interview:

There is a danger of relying on any particular method too much. Applying online without a targeted method can feel like sending “emails to the abyss.” The Internet is one resource in your bag of tricks. Go to industry gatherings and alumni events to network. Find industry specific career fairs in order to get some face-to-face time with recruiters and hiring managers. Look through local newspapers for job leads, as much of the hiring today is being done by small businesses.

How to Build a Civilian Network When You Only Know Military People

When exiting the military, you'll need to build a network of contacts in the civilian world if you want to succeed in your military-to-civilian career change. Why? Because most available jobs are found in the "hidden job market" (i.e., job openings that employers don't make public).

The key to the hidden job market is in your network. You need a network of people in the civilian workforce -- people who:

• Have their fingers on the pulse of the industry in which you want to work.
• Know about job openings that haven't been posted for public access.
• Will recommend you for those job openings and help get you in the door for a job interview.

So how do you build a network in the civilian world when most of the people you currently know are inside the military? That's what this video by Patra Frame is about. Check it out:

Important Social Network Tool: How to Write an Email of Introduction

Most job seekers spend a lot of time networking online through LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social networks. Email introductions are becoming more common, as one person will want to introduce two friends or associates. It's one way we build our professional social media networks, so it's good to know how to make those introductions effectively.

Here's a template for an Email of Introduction Continue reading...

How to Prepare Your Job Reference to Make the Best Impression for Your Job Search

Are you worried about having a good job reference? Not sure if your former employer will say the right things to help with your current job search?

In this video, Human Resources Expert, Patra Frame, explains exactly how to prepare your reference in advance so he or she will make the best impression when a potential employer calls for a recommendation.

How to Answer "Tell Me About Yourself"

Words can't say it better than this video of nervous, self-conscious, tongue-tied job seekers trying to respond to questions like:

What do you do?
Tell me about yourself.
What are you up to?

Watch this video and decide if you need to brush up on how you express your career and life goals.




This video was created by Tim Tyrell-Smith and published here with his permission. Thank you, Tim!

Networking to Find a Job

This video, Networking to Get a Job, from the AARP's Job Search website, explains who to include in your in-person and online network. It also talks about how to approach members of your network to ask for job leads and how to create an "elevator speech" for networking introductions.

Take a peek:

What to Do About Depression When Your Job Search Stalls

In hard economic times such as we face today, it's easy to fall into depression if your job search isn't producing results. I asked job search advisor and author, Lavie Margolin, what a struggling job seeker can do to avoid or get out of depression? Here's his answer:

It is important not to forgot to do things for yourself in order to relieve stress and anxiety during a potentially difficulty time. For example:

Take a morning walk to get some fresh air and reset your circadian rhythm. We forget that part of our daily work routine was the commute to work, the stroll to the subway or bus, and the time it took to walk to the job. These brief moments in the sun are extremely helpful for charging your batteries for the rest of the day.

Do some work outside your apartment. When you get anxious after staring at job listings on the computer screen for a few hours, change your setting. If you have a laptop, work on your cover letter or resume revisions at Starbucks or the local bookstore chain.

Take some time to relax and enjoy your pastimes. When one does not have a consistent income, they often have to cut back on doing things that they enjoy, whether this is going to restaurants, movies or baseball games. Take a realistic approach to your financial needs. If you can afford it, continue to do one to two things a week that are not necessities and that you really enjoy.

Making sure to take care of yourself and your needs will help you in your job search. You will be more relaxed when interviewing.

Lavie Margolin is the author of Lion Cub Job Search: Practical Job Search Assistance for Practical Job Seekers. His blog is Lion Cub Job Search.

What Email Address Should I Use for My Resume and Job Search?

What email address should a college student use for his or her job search? Does a personal or college email address look more professional? Continue reading...

The Latest Scoop on Job Search and Resumes: An Interview with Susan Ireland

What job search techniques should you be using to succeed in this job market?
What is the best way to get your foot in the door for a job?
How has the role of resumes changed in the last several years?

See my answers to these questions in my online interview, Susan Ireland Discusses Resumes And Job Seeking In A Dynamic Marketplace

Could It Pay to Say "I'm Unemployed"?

After all the talk that employers prefer passive (employed) job seekers to active (unemployed) job seekers, there may be a new twist: Employers get a tax advantage for hiring the unemployed.

According to the Reuters article, Obama Signs $17.6 Billion Jobs Bill:

The legislation would exempt businesses from paying the 6.2 percent payroll tax on new employees who had previously been out of work. Employers would also get a $1,000 tax credit if those workers were still on the job a year later.

Here's how my tax professional explained it in his recent newsletter (reprinted here with his permission):

It's part of the HIRE Act, passed March 18. Employers normally "match" the 6.2% FICA tax on the first $106,800 paid to each employee. This year, employers who hire anyone who certifies he/she was not employed more than 40 hours in the 60-day period before hiring get a tax "holiday." Key rules: employee must be hired after February 3, can't replace another employee unless former left voluntarily or for cause, applies to wages between March 19, 2010 and end of year. IRS issued a revised Form W-11 for the hire to certify the unemployment, and is revising Form 941 to allow for the credit. In 2011 the law expires, but a credit of up to $1,000 can be earned for any qualified employee who is retained for at least 52 weeks.

Does this mean the active job seeker now has a leg up on the passive job seeker? Maybe... if the employer knows about and values this tax advantage.

So here's the big question: Which employers want unemployed job seekers and the corresponding tax advantage? I did some research, hoping to find a list of such employers, but no luck.

Then, I remembered stories about creative job search strategies that had actually worked, like the sandwich board resume, a clever YouTube resume, and the $6 Google ad campaign. Does the Jobs Bill open the door for another unconventional approach... like marketing your unemployment status as a tax benefit to a potential employer?

In other words, when approaching the right company, sell yourself as the ideal unemployed job candidate who's going to save the employer tax dollars. You could actually use the dreaded "unemployed" (or "available") word in your cover letter or email.

Now, this goes against the grain of most job search advice -- including mine. But it's creative! And it could possibly work -- at least the Obama Administration is hoping it will.

When to Say You're Unemployed

It might pay to state that you're unemployed if you:

1. Try to get a job at a new or growing company. Is there a new plant or branch operation that's looking for new employees? Such a company might be open to hiring quality unemployed job seekers in order to get on board with the Jobs Bill tax incentives.
2. Apply for a job in a struggling company. What companies are not thriving, and therefore might be looking for every way to save a dime -- even from Uncle Sam? Working for a struggling company probably doesn't fit with your image of job security, but it might be a place to park yourself for a spell.
3. Find a job with a tax-savvy company. What companies are financially smart enough to understand the value of a good unemployed job candidate and the tax savings he or she brings along with the deal? Maybe a company in or related to financial services?
4. Seek employment with a small business. What small business is open to your suggestion that they save on taxes by hiring you? This might mean taking the bold step of educating the employer -- very concisely -- in your cover letter.

If you take an "I'm unemployed" job search approach, I suggest you look busy on your resume by listing a current activity (professional development, volunteerism, or personal project) that's relevant to your job objective, even if you're not getting paid for it. You want the employer to see that you're relevant and involved in your profession, no matter what your employment status.

The Jobs Bill will expire at the end of this year. The clock is ticking! How can you take advantage of it in your job search? Let's brainstorm here in the Job Lounge and add ideas to this list.

For another idea for solving your unemployment, check out Barbara Safani's article, Unemployed Need Not Apply. Barbara suggests networking in your community where employers won't be put off by your unemployed status because they know and trust you.

And, for a lively discussion on whether it's fair for employers to prefer passive job seekers over active job seekers, read the Why isn't this illegal? discussion in the Job-Hunt Help Group on LinkedIn. You must be a member to access the group, but it's free to join.

How to Upload Your Resume to LinkedIn

LinkedIn has made another big step toward becoming the major job search player on the Internet. Now you can upload the Word version of your resume to your LI profile so recruiters and employers can download it with one click. Continue reading...

#1 Job Search Value: 2nd Degree Contacts on LinkedIn

The power of LinkedIn is in the second degree. When scouring LinkedIn for a job opportunity, look for a second-degree contact with hiring power. Then ask your first-degree contact to introduce you! This type of referral implies a recommendation, which can serve you very well.

How to Find a New Job on LinkedIn
This video by InstruxionAE demonstrates the three steps to get connected to your next job:

1. Determine what type of job you want, what job titles represent that type of work, what types of organizations might have those job openings, and what job titles (managers and recruiters) have hiring power for that job.
2. Use LinkedIn's Advanced Search function to find hiring managers and recruiters for the type of job you want, paying special attention to anyone who is your second-degree contact. Make note of the first-degree contact who is associated with your second-degree contact.
3. Ask your first-degree contact to introduce you to the hiring manager or recruiter via email.

For clarity on these steps, watch the video: