job hunting « The Jobs Free Forum

REVIEW: The Twitter Job Search Guide (Whitcomb, Bryan and Dib, 2010)

November 29, 2010

As someone who devours social media news, trends and interaction on a daily basis, I was intrigued by the title of a recently published book The Twitter Job Search Guide: Find a Job and Advance Your Career in Just 15 Minutes a Day. Written by Susan Whitcomb, Chandlee Bryan and Deb Dib, the guide promises to help you easily and effectively:

Access more than half a million jobs listed on Twitter
Build and leverage your professional network
Get the inside scoop.

So is it worth the read?

I recommend it highly for any newbie to social media, especially Twitter. Section 1 focuses on getting you acquainted with Twitter and setting up a basic profile. I especially liked their baker’s dozen of job-hunting tweeter success stories complete with their Twitter handles for easy following and modeling.

The tactical, step-by-step instructive style of The Twitter Job Search Guide makes it a useful companion for creating your social branding strategy and implementing their tools to create a “Twit-Fit Resume” or a cover letter in only ten tweets. There’s even a chapter devoted to helping both introverts and extroverts find their Twitter identity. There’s tons of information in this guide book and much of it’s actionable to reach your own job search or career networking goals.

The authors demystify Twitter and suggest recruiters and career gurus you can follow to get started. They also feature third-party Twitter resources to monitor followers, search Twitter, and optimize your Twitter experience.

The intention of the book is noble and I think it achieved the author’s stated goals: “This book is for everyone” and “Regardless of your background or circumstances, the principles covered in this book will work for you: they are universal.”

1 Comment | Jobseeker | Tagged: job hunting, recruiters, social media, twitter | Permalink
Posted by Social Maven

Most Important Tasks for today for jobseekers

October 4, 2010

MIT stands for the Most Important Tasks for today. As a jobseeker, being organized and focused about your MITs is valuable for your career transition and finding your next job.

To get started, review your overall to-do list for the day. Pick three as today’s Most Important Tasks. Then, complete at least the first of those three tasks before you do anything else. Following this daily regimen will help keep you productive.

What MITs should be on a jobseeker’s to-do list?

Create, update and/or refine your JobsFreeForAll.com profile and job alerts
Update and refine your resume and cover letter
Review interview schedules & appointments
Write thank-you notes for recent interviews
Submit applications
Search for new opportunities
Networking
Stay on top of news and trends in your industry
Make sure your interview wardrobe is ready to go
Stay healthy in body, mind and spirit

Leave a Comment » | Jobseeker | Tagged: appointments, calendar, interview, job hunt, job hunting, job search, Jobseeker, organization, resume | Permalink
Posted by HR Diva

7 essential tools for blue collar job hunting

August 30, 2010

For those seeking labor work, online resources to professionally job hunt can be few and far between. Here are some of the most useable essentials every blue collar job hunter should know:

Keep certifications and licenses handy. Have them ready to show potential employers. Some examples include: TWIC card, forklift certification card, Hazmat training, etc.
Make sure your contact information is correct. (Construction foremen and supervisors change companies often. if you are listing them as personal references, make sure to have their personal cell numbers).
Research what type of construction you want to do. demo, deconstruction, commercial, residential… or maybe specialized jobs like painting, plumbing, electric, solar, etc. Some companies will offer positions in a broad spectrum of specialties – while others will be highly focused on just one or two disciplines.
Stay in shape – even if you are laid off for months! It is imperative that you keep your body in shape to be able to meet the physical demands of a labor job. Staying fit, eating right and getting adequate rest ensures that your return-to-work transition will flow smoothly.
Union or not union? If you prefer to work in a non-union company, research the company before you interview with them. It’s important that you understand your benefits, rights and rules of order in either situation.
Keep your certifications and special licenses current. Renew them in a timely manner.
Even when applying for a labor job, have a good clean resume made. Include your skills, experience, list of licenses/certifications, special education/safety training, and details on any sort of project management you may have done while on the job.

Leave a Comment » | Jobseeker | Tagged: blue collar, certifications, job hunting, job requirements, job search, labor, labor work, networking, resume, safety training, skills | Permalink
Posted by HR Diva

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: hiring, job hunting, job search, staffing | Permalink
Posted by HR Diva

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: application, interview, job hunting, job search, resume | Permalink
Posted by HR Hawaii Kawaii

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: cover letter, experience, job hunting, job search, skills | Permalink
Posted by HR Diva

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: employee morale, job, job hunting, mobile apps, technology | Permalink
Posted by Social Maven

Make it Through the Interview in One Piece

April 12, 2010

Calm your nerves and review these essential tips to get yourself through the interview process.

Take a few deep breaths to calm yourself before you enter the interview.
Maintain eye contact with the interviewer, don’t look down or away when answering questions.
Remember your posture. Sit up straight, don’t fidget and try to relax your body. Don’t fold your arms across chest.
Listen carefully and when it time to respond, don’t rush. Speak clearly.
Don’t forget to breathe.
When you answer a question, be sure to highlight your skills and accomplishments and relate them to the position you are applying for.
Be honest and candid. Avoid making derogatory remarks about your present or former employer.
Ask the interviewer relevant questions, such as “What is the most important thing you are looking for in a new employee?” or “Can you describe a typical work day for someone in this position?”
Refrain from asking about salary or benefits at the first interview. If the interviewer brings up the subject or offers you the job, then it is acceptable to ask or discuss these topics.
Always be sure to thank the interviewer for their time and send a personal thank you note when you get home.

1 Comment | Jobseeker | Tagged: benefits, interview, interview questions, job hunting, job search, salary | Permalink
Posted by HR Diva

The Jobs Free Forum

Most Important Tasks for today for jobseekers

7 essential tools for blue collar job hunting

Free help finding the job.

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

Simon Cowell will Help You Write a Better Cover Letter

the 2010 iPhone Apps you need to find a job

Make it Through the Interview in One Piece

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