29 December, 2011
Interview Red Flags
I have heard many career specialists in the academic setting advising students that the interview is a two way process. I have also read many career advice pieces about how you the job candidate are interviewing the organization as much as they are interviewing you. This is just the latest example of such a piece about Interview Red Flags. The posts author, Joe Hardenbrook, is an academic librarian so the piece is written for librarians during their career search. I feel however that it is relevant advice for anyone interviewing. Just replace library with the type of company/business you may be interviewing with and you should find the advice relevant.
23 December, 2011
company research
At my last full time job as an academic librarian I visited about forty classes per semester. These were usually 20 - 30 minute lectures on performing some aspect of company research and which of the library's electronic resources would be the best fits for the assignment. We usually focused on what we termed the business triangle (see image below) and how the information they needed would most often come from three distinct sources.
About a year after I started this job, we began exploring collaboration with the career service office on campus. It turns out that the skills we were teaching the business students for performing their academic research was very similar to the skills that the students were not properly employing to prepare for job searching and interview prep. We began working with the staff in the career services office to teach these same skills to students both before and after career fairs, in hopes that they would be better prepared for the interviews. Going to a company's website is important, but should not be the only source of information to help prep you for your interview.
All of this was happening at a larger university with a very large collection of electronic resources for the students and faculty... but much of it can be duplicated by people who may not have access to such institutions. It is my intent to spend the next few weeks blogging about ways to gain access to this quality information from resources that are freely available to many through other means.
Most public libraries purchase electronic resources for the use of the residents of their community. While the number of resources would not compare, the variety of information is typically comparable. Additionally I have identified 20 states so far that make a suite of resources available to all residents of that state. When I have finished complying the list I will share it with additional tips.
States identified so far:
BTW if you live in a state not listed that you know has a similar suite of resources please send me a comment.
All of this was happening at a larger university with a very large collection of electronic resources for the students and faculty... but much of it can be duplicated by people who may not have access to such institutions. It is my intent to spend the next few weeks blogging about ways to gain access to this quality information from resources that are freely available to many through other means.
Most public libraries purchase electronic resources for the use of the residents of their community. While the number of resources would not compare, the variety of information is typically comparable. Additionally I have identified 20 states so far that make a suite of resources available to all residents of that state. When I have finished complying the list I will share it with additional tips.
States identified so far:
AR | IN | MT | PA |
CA | KS | ND | TX |
GA | MA | NJ | UT |
HI | MI | NM | VA |
IL | MS | OH | WA |
BTW if you live in a state not listed that you know has a similar suite of resources please send me a comment.
16 December, 2011
"CrossRoads - Stop Being Creative in Your Job Search" - are you serious?
A little over a month ago a message was posted to one of the LinkedIn groups I follow. It directed us to this article(Stop Being Creative in Your Job Search) at CrossRoads, a blog on the NetTemps site. The article is written by Kevin Donlin, the Co-Director of Guerrilla Job Search International.
I both agree and disagree with many points in this article. First he is correct that if you have been searching for a long period of time you need to evaluate what you have been doing and begin to tweak this process. My biggest caution to job seekers would be that in his step 2, he mentions that if emailing the resume is not working then mail, fax, hand deliver. I would just remind the searcher that following the posted instructions of the employer is possible the most important of the job search.
With most employers receiving hundreds (if not thousands) of applications for each opening, they will use any reason possible to weed out these applications. Remember that the number of unemployed Americans, 13.9 million, for a very narrow definition of unemployed is far higher that the number of job openings: 3.1 million. While these numbers are also about a month old, the trend has been holding for the better part of a year. For the employer a legal and easy way to reduce the amount of work of reviewing these applications is to throw out any that don't meet all the requirements or who didn't follow the directions.
Moral: Be innovative, and review your search process for ways to improve your job search. Just don't break a cardinal rule and let that innovation cause you to skip or ignore instructions of the employer.
I both agree and disagree with many points in this article. First he is correct that if you have been searching for a long period of time you need to evaluate what you have been doing and begin to tweak this process. My biggest caution to job seekers would be that in his step 2, he mentions that if emailing the resume is not working then mail, fax, hand deliver. I would just remind the searcher that following the posted instructions of the employer is possible the most important of the job search.
With most employers receiving hundreds (if not thousands) of applications for each opening, they will use any reason possible to weed out these applications. Remember that the number of unemployed Americans, 13.9 million, for a very narrow definition of unemployed is far higher that the number of job openings: 3.1 million. While these numbers are also about a month old, the trend has been holding for the better part of a year. For the employer a legal and easy way to reduce the amount of work of reviewing these applications is to throw out any that don't meet all the requirements or who didn't follow the directions.
Moral: Be innovative, and review your search process for ways to improve your job search. Just don't break a cardinal rule and let that innovation cause you to skip or ignore instructions of the employer.
15 December, 2011
Career One Stop
Resource: Career One Stop
Type: This is a true portal site. With sections on exploring careers, writing resumes, preparing for interviews, salary and benefits and much more.
Review: Most of the data and information comes from governmental sources, both federal and state. The searching and browsing functions are good, and the depth of information is very good. If a new user did not know the type of career they are interested in, then it can be a bit overwhelming, but if you have already zeroed in on a career path this site is a great wealth of information about that career. If you are in the first group you should start with the Career Exploration section. If you are in the second group then you will want to start by looking in the upper right for the more resources link and the America's Career InfoNet. The main sponsor of this tool is the U.S. Department of Labor.
Type: This is a true portal site. With sections on exploring careers, writing resumes, preparing for interviews, salary and benefits and much more.
Review: Most of the data and information comes from governmental sources, both federal and state. The searching and browsing functions are good, and the depth of information is very good. If a new user did not know the type of career they are interested in, then it can be a bit overwhelming, but if you have already zeroed in on a career path this site is a great wealth of information about that career. If you are in the first group you should start with the Career Exploration section. If you are in the second group then you will want to start by looking in the upper right for the more resources link and the America's Career InfoNet. The main sponsor of this tool is the U.S. Department of Labor.
12 December, 2011
What to be when you grow up: QC
Resource: QuintessentialCareers.com
Type: A portal site organizing free career related web resources, including some exclusive content.
Review: This site claims to be the best, though it is hard to review everything and objectively compare it to The Riley Guide and others in this category. It does have some important categories that were missing from other sites. Namely career assessment tools and exploration resources. If you truly don't know what type of job you might be interested in, these can be very helpful.
Type: A portal site organizing free career related web resources, including some exclusive content.
Review: This site claims to be the best, though it is hard to review everything and objectively compare it to The Riley Guide and others in this category. It does have some important categories that were missing from other sites. Namely career assessment tools and exploration resources. If you truly don't know what type of job you might be interested in, these can be very helpful.
11 December, 2011
Career Guide to Industries (CGI)
Resource: Career Guide to Industries (CGI)
Type: The online version of a Bureau of Labor Statistics print resource. This resource provides detailed information about the various careers broader industries (Educational Services - teacher, counselor, administrator, etc.)
Review: This governmental resource has been in print for years, and enjoys a resurgence in the digital age. For dozens of different kinds of industries—such as educational services, healthcare, and motor vehicle and parts manufacturing—the Career Guide to Industries tells you about:
Type: The online version of a Bureau of Labor Statistics print resource. This resource provides detailed information about the various careers broader industries (Educational Services - teacher, counselor, administrator, etc.)
Review: This governmental resource has been in print for years, and enjoys a resurgence in the digital age. For dozens of different kinds of industries—such as educational services, healthcare, and motor vehicle and parts manufacturing—the Career Guide to Industries tells you about:
- Occupations in the industry
- Training and advancement
- Earnings
- Expected job prospects
- Working conditions
10 December, 2011
Money Stress and Health
In this article from DailyFinance, Bruce Watson details how Dr. Travis Stork of 'The Doctors' feels that money problems can affect health. It is not just a matter of putting off doctors visits and prescription drugs. Cutting back on healthy eating and the gym membership as well as increase stress levels can be issues as well. Have long periods of unemployment had a negative affect on your health?
Salary & Employement Data
It is very important to know basic salary and employment statistics for the chosen position and geographic area you are living in. Most experts recommend not bring these issues up until at least the second interview or until the employer asks you your expectations. It is best to be prepared for these questions. The following resources can be a great help:
Once you know the relevant information for your desired position and location, practice the conversation with a friend.
Once you know the relevant information for your desired position and location, practice the conversation with a friend.
09 December, 2011
What does it mean to be unemployed?
As many people know the BLS calculates the 'official governmental' figure based on the number of individuals who collect benefits (had no job, could work, and actively was searching...). That rate has been hovering at or near 9% for the past 6 months or so... but a less known BLS statistic adds in discouraged or marginally employed individuals, and bumps the figure to around 16%. Some independent statisticians claim the number is closer to 22%.
I am going to do some research to see if I can verify this last claim... but whatever the number is, it is clear that the 'official' rate is to low by at least half. What does that mean for our economy? Personally? Nationally?
I am going to do some research to see if I can verify this last claim... but whatever the number is, it is clear that the 'official' rate is to low by at least half. What does that mean for our economy? Personally? Nationally?
What to be when you grow up: Wetfeet
Resource: Wetfeet.com
Type: This web site is the online face to publisher of career reference books. They have interview advice, resume tips, salary information, as well as company reviews.
Review: This publisher began their lives in the traditional print world. Their web presence has gone back and forth between a subscription site to a free site. Currently the free content seems limited to shorter articles of general advice and user supplied reviews of companies. The Advice section of the web site has good searching and sorting features to limit the content to articles tightly focused to the topic of choice.
Type: This web site is the online face to publisher of career reference books. They have interview advice, resume tips, salary information, as well as company reviews.
Review: This publisher began their lives in the traditional print world. Their web presence has gone back and forth between a subscription site to a free site. Currently the free content seems limited to shorter articles of general advice and user supplied reviews of companies. The Advice section of the web site has good searching and sorting features to limit the content to articles tightly focused to the topic of choice.
08 December, 2011
What to be when you grow up: The Riley Guide
Resource: The Riley Guide
Type: This comprehensive web portal pulls together information from accross the World Wide Web. The site does not post job leads or resumes. Instead they link to sites that do provide these services, as well as sites that help during the job search process.
Review: As a collector of information, the Riley Guide does an excellent job. The borwesability is good and the search features (powered by Google) are better. The main jon searching is powered by Indeed.com, and many of the supplemental materials come from governmental sites.
Type: This comprehensive web portal pulls together information from accross the World Wide Web. The site does not post job leads or resumes. Instead they link to sites that do provide these services, as well as sites that help during the job search process.
Review: As a collector of information, the Riley Guide does an excellent job. The borwesability is good and the search features (powered by Google) are better. The main jon searching is powered by Indeed.com, and many of the supplemental materials come from governmental sites.
What to be when you grow up: OOH
Resource: Occupational Outlook Handbook
Type: This resource is the online version of a traditional print reference source. This governmental resource details occupations (working conditions, required education, job prospects, etc.) Put together by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Review: Every few years the BLS compiles data about working conditions, salary information, educational requirements, and other detailed information organized by job type/title. This resource is typically used by people entering the workforce either for the first time or as a career change. When you are unsure about a career type this can be a good way to help decide if it is the right path to pursue.
Type: This resource is the online version of a traditional print reference source. This governmental resource details occupations (working conditions, required education, job prospects, etc.) Put together by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Review: Every few years the BLS compiles data about working conditions, salary information, educational requirements, and other detailed information organized by job type/title. This resource is typically used by people entering the workforce either for the first time or as a career change. When you are unsure about a career type this can be a good way to help decide if it is the right path to pursue.
07 December, 2011
How best to use Glassdoor.com
Resource: Glassdoor.com
Type: This is a portal site, mainly focusing on salary, company reviews, and interview information. The information is collected anonymously by employees of the companies, and can be viewed by type of company (industry), geographically, and/or job title.
Review: When this site first debuted, they had a subscription model to view the full database of information. Users could gain access to the database for free if they provided some personal information (their salary, questions asked in their interview, or reviews of their employer.) It is now a free, ad supported service that still relies on user supplied data about these three aspects. It can be a good resource to get a quick read on the salary for the type of job you are looking for in your geographic area. The interview questions can also be helpful to review as you prepare for a job interview. When using the company reviews, keep in mind that they are supplied by the users and may possibly be biased.
Type: This is a portal site, mainly focusing on salary, company reviews, and interview information. The information is collected anonymously by employees of the companies, and can be viewed by type of company (industry), geographically, and/or job title.
Review: When this site first debuted, they had a subscription model to view the full database of information. Users could gain access to the database for free if they provided some personal information (their salary, questions asked in their interview, or reviews of their employer.) It is now a free, ad supported service that still relies on user supplied data about these three aspects. It can be a good resource to get a quick read on the salary for the type of job you are looking for in your geographic area. The interview questions can also be helpful to review as you prepare for a job interview. When using the company reviews, keep in mind that they are supplied by the users and may possibly be biased.
06 December, 2011
Social Q's
'Times' Advice Guru Answers Your Social Q's
On the December 5th 2011 edition of Fresh Air host Terry Gross discusses modern day advice columns with Philip Galanes, a New York Times advice columnist. His column and new book are called "Social Q's." During the interview they discuss one of the questions he gets a lot about breaking up via email or text. It got me thinking about the number of employment rejections I have gotten via email. As a job candidate how does this make you feel?
On the December 5th 2011 edition of Fresh Air host Terry Gross discusses modern day advice columns with Philip Galanes, a New York Times advice columnist. His column and new book are called "Social Q's." During the interview they discuss one of the questions he gets a lot about breaking up via email or text. It got me thinking about the number of employment rejections I have gotten via email. As a job candidate how does this make you feel?
Hello & Welcome
Hello to all. Over the next few weeks I will begin this new blog by detailing many of the free resources on the World Wide Web for job searches, and how best to use them. When I last held a job at a major research university I learned from the Career Services staff that all the employers who visited campus agreed that while the students were receiving a good academic education, they lacked knowledge of them as a company and the industry they were hoping to work in. While I was still there I worked with the staff of that career services office to start to change this issue with our students. Now that I am myself unemployed I am going to try to bring the same types of advice to the general public through this blog.
In the beginning I expect that posts will come several times per week, though I expect once I get through detailing all the web resources I will settle into a publication pattern of about one per week. As we grow please feel free to leave comments about how these tools and tips have helped or if there are any tools or tips you would like me to investigate and comment on.
From time to time I may also bring in the opinion of my former colleagues in the career services sector to see how things are changing fro recent graduates.
Enjoy!
-George
In the beginning I expect that posts will come several times per week, though I expect once I get through detailing all the web resources I will settle into a publication pattern of about one per week. As we grow please feel free to leave comments about how these tools and tips have helped or if there are any tools or tips you would like me to investigate and comment on.
From time to time I may also bring in the opinion of my former colleagues in the career services sector to see how things are changing fro recent graduates.
Enjoy!
-George
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