Free help finding the job.

June 21, 2010

When searching for a job, don’t overlook a vital resource: local staffing companies — organizations who specialize in helping businesses and jobseekers find one another. Their services are usually paid for by the business client, so jobseekers never have to pay a fee. In turn, staffing companies save businesses time and money by delivering prescreened and prequalified job seekers.

Staffing companies also receive job orders from hundreds of different companies, so one interview with a staffing company means you’re considered for hundreds of jobs.

They assess your skills and match you to the perfect opportunities, but they do so much more. They also offer training, plus provide help with resumes, cover letters and interview techniques.

If you’ve recently graduated from trade school or college, consider working temporary assignments with a staffing company. Why? You could get your foot in the door of companies who may not be hiring.

Accelerate your experience and work skills by working temporary assignments with various companies and industries. Try out many companies to see what you like without tarnishing your resume.

Leave a Comment » | Jobseeker | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by HR Diva

What not to do in social-networking when job hunting

June 14, 2010

So you’ve got a social-network profile or two and want to maximize their use for your job search? Here are the essentials you should know to keep your social etiquette in line with job hunting smarts.

  1. Don’t Overshare. Friends, networking pals and potential recruiters will grow weary of too many tweets or status updates, especially if they are auto-updates from your Mafia Wars or Farmville escapades.
  2. Don’t be “Template.” Try to customize your profile as much as you can. Don’t add animations and blinking gif animations, but do tell your story; be unique.
  3. Don’t under-update. A lack of activity can be just as detrimental as over-updating. Be sure to have some current updates in your news feed. Use them strategically, especially if you’re actively seeking a new career. Choose your updates and conversations wisely.
  4. Don’t add phony friends.  Grow your network carefully.  Understand your goals and the networking group with whom you’re affiliated.  Who you’re connected to on LinkedIn may vary widely from your connections on Facebook.
  5. Don’t auto-DM.  Personal updates and direct messages are far more powerful than setting up an automatic response.  Followers will appreciate the personal attention and won’t feel like you’re spamming them.

Leave a Comment » | Jobseeker | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Social Maven

Job makeover tips

June 7, 2010

If you don’t like the job you have, change it. Your next best job just might be the one you already have with a few makeover tips.

  1. Publicity. Be sure to keep your supervisor and your team informed about the value you bring to the organization. Sometimes, you need to take the initiative to communicate about the items you’re working on that will benefit your team. You’ll feel good about your accomplishments too and set a standard for future goals.
  2. Be an active contributor. Be on the lookout for trends in the industry, ways to improve on existing processes and bring efficiencies to business. Are you missing opportunities to share ideas with management?
  3. Step up to the plate. Not getting that promotion you want? Then take on additional duties and responsibilities anyway and prove that you can already do the job. If you’re helping a manager with their projects and successfully deliver, they’ll be more inclined to recommend you for the position if they feel confident you could fill their shoes.

Your job is what you put into it. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out.

Leave a Comment » | Jobseeker | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by HR Diva

Job Hunting Tips for Recent Graduates

May 31, 2010

The job market has different characteristics when the unemployment rate is high and when it is low. However, some best practices always apply when you’re looking for a job:

1. Know what to put on your resume.

  • When mentioning jobs or internships, list specific responsibilities and include numbers to emphasis the size of the business or tasks involved. (For example, you may state that you assisted a staff of 20 or you were responsible for the distribution of 2,000 newsletters.)
  • If you have no work experience, write down relevant classroom and volunteer experience.

2. Prepare for the interview.

  • Research your potential new employer immediately. Visit their website; Google news  about the company, and talk to people that work there.
  • Practice the interview process by role-playing with a friend.
  • Prepare a typed reference list.
    • Send a thank you letter or email within 24 hours of your interview.

3. Dress for success.  

  • Studies of decision-making behaviors by human resource professionals and hiring managers reveal that most make a decision to hire or not within the first 30 seconds of the interview. This is why dress and grooming is so important.
  • Until you know the corporate culture it’s always a good idea to dress conservatively and professionally. 

4. Use the Internet to network.

  • Join Twitter and connect with professionals in your potential field.
  • Post a message on your wall on Facebook to let friends know you are job hunting. Join and make connections on LinkedIn, an online career network, for professionals.
  • And, of course, there’s JobsFreeForAll.com where people can look for jobs and companies can post job ads for free.

Leave a Comment » | Jobseeker | Permalink
Posted by Social Maven

ALERT: JobsFreeForAll.com @ Neal Blaisdell Center Workforce Job Fair Today!

May 19, 2010

Visit us at Booth #502 at the Workforce Job Fair from 9am – 3pm to learn more about how JobsFreeForAll can help your job search.

This is Honolulu’s largest annual job fair event.  Admission only $3.

Read more about it in the Honolulu Advertiser  ”Hawaii job seekers flocking to WorkForce 2010 at Blaisdell”.

Leave a Comment » | Jobseeker | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by HR Hawaii Kawaii

Discover New Jobseeker Extras on JobsFreeForAll.com

May 10, 2010

Aloha! Exciting news – we’ve just released another new version of JobsFreeForAll.com!

The new release includes 32 enhancements. To discover what’s new visit our website and give it a try. A couple of items you won’t want to miss:

The Jobseeker Profile “Extras Section”
We’ve expanded the Jobseeker profile. Now we allow you to include:

New Feature:

1. Custom Sections

  • Awards & Honors
  • Certifications
  • Community Involvement
  • Interests
  • Licenses
  • Military Experiences
  • Professional Affiliations
  • Specialized Training

2. A default public resume (visible to employers from your profile if they so choose)

3. Links to your Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn pages or personal website

New Feature: A New “Help System” (and it’s really easy to use)

Click the “Help link”, from anywhere in the JobsFreeForAll website, or simply visit:

Help.JobsFreeForAll.com

We have many enhancements planned for each of our upcoming releases, however if you have any suggestions to make we’d really like to hear from you.

Mahalo for using JobsFreeForAll.com!

Mark Dawson
President & CEO
JobsFreeForAll.com
(808) 791-4988

Leave a Comment » | Jobseeker, New Release | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Big Kahuna

Find a Quality Mentor

May 3, 2010

A mentor acts as a positive role model.  They’re the person you want to be in your career, and if you’re matched with the right one, they’ll want you to get there, too.  Follow these tips for finding a mentorship match:

  • Know yourself and what you want out of a mentor.  This is an essential starting point for anyone considering the benefits of finding a mentor.
  • A great mentor will empower you. They will want you to develop your own strengths, beliefs and personality to be the best person you can be.
  • Find someone willing to share.  Your best mentor will be someone trustworthy with a positive outlook who’s willing to share the secrets of the trade. The mentor will impart knowledge, advice and skills that are necessary in your career path.
  • Be sure that they are good listeners.  You want to be able to have an open dialog with your mentor and be able to trust that they are listening to you and your needs as you face career changes and challenges.
  • Ask for referrals. Those who know you or people in the industry may know someone who might take you under their wing.
  • Consider where your mentor sources might be. Your perfect mentor might be part of your management team, from an industry association, your online communities, your clergy and/or congregation, and professors.

Leave a Comment » | Jobseeker | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Social Maven

Simon Cowell will Help You Write a Better Cover Letter

April 26, 2010

Not sure what planet you’d have to be from NOT to know the infamous American Idol judge, Simon Cowell.  His bold and straightforward criticisms of Idol hopefuls bring some contestants to tears, enflames the audience with boos and jeers and has even ruffled the feathers of his co-judges and emcee. 

His quips are brash and colorful, but they may help many contestants learn how to take constructive criticism to present their best selves.  As a job applicant your cover letter can make or break your introduction with recruiters.  Apply these three Cowell quotes to your cover letter creation:

Relevance: “It’s not relevant, I’m sorry”

Make sure that you cover your relevant skills and experience as they relate to the position and your ability to be the “right fit” for their organization. 

To the Point:  “It’s like you want one scoop of ice cream, and you got 11. It was almost too much.”

Your cover letter should be concise, focused and easy to read.  You’re not writing an encyclopedia entry; you’re writing your introduction to get an interview.

Be Unique:  “It was like listening to an ’80s cover band. There was no effort, no originality, nothing different.”

Don’t just recycle a generic letter you found online.  Make an effort to be unique.  Organizations want to hire people that understand their organization and how they might fit in.  Ensure that your letter reads and sounds original and not like a textbook sample.

Leave a Comment » | Jobseeker | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by HR Diva

JobsFreeForAll featured on AOL DailyFinance!

April 21, 2010

It’s not often that we get to toot our own horn, but even better when somebody else does, too. 

The AOL Money and Finance site, DailyFinance recognized the power of FREE and JobsFreeForAll’s unique ability to empower businesses and jobseekers in the article “Jobsfreeforall Aims to Upend the Online Employment Market” by Alex Salkever.

Leave a Comment » | Employer, Jobseeker, New Release | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Big Kahuna

the 2010 iPhone Apps you need to find a job

April 19, 2010

Last year Mashable writer Dan Schawbel offered the “10 iPhone Apps to Manage Your Job Search on the Go.”  So what’s changed in the land of apps to move you from unemployed to hired?

LinkedIn made strong improvements with their latest release of their app. This FREE app has a simple interface but powerful features to work your professional network and sync contacts to your iPhone.

Craigslist is still a viable resource for any jobseeker and a flurry of apps exist for interacting with Craigslist on the go.  Be wary of listings from anonymous sources before you share personal information.  The Craigs Pro with a “favorites” feature can help you to keep track of various listings.  Their other app option, Craigs Pro + Search Agents has some addional functionality depending on your search needs.  These apps are available from the AppStore for FREE or just $.99 for full versions from developer IOCo.

JobCompass is a fun app that lets you search by job title, keyword or company in a location or using a radius or GPS point. A map displays jobs locations as pin drops.  If you’re a Foursquare or Gowalla fan, then this app is definitely for you.

Beyond is another FREE app and boasts access to top-tier industry and local career websites worldwide.  Features include an RSS feed of industry news and career articles, push notifications to alert you on matches to recent job searches, and the feature I like the best: History and Saved Searches.

High Paying Jobs lists U.S. jobs only.  Jobs are ranked and there’s a handy menu choice for $100k+ jobs.  Favorite jobs you like  to the Bookmarks tab. FREE in the AppStore from Next Mobile Web.

SnagAJob is a niche app that helps jobseekers find hourly positions. This extremely simple app lets you find full-time and part-time hourly jobs within a five-mile radius. Search by the map or by zip codes. FREE in the AppStore.

If you’re not an iPhone owner, there’s still hope for job hunting on the go.  Many developers are releasing apps for other smartphone operating systems and platforms such as the Droid, Blackberry and Pre.

1 Comment | Jobseeker | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Social Maven

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.