JobMob

Only 5 More Slots Available in the 4th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest

Jacob Share — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:18:21 +0000

If $2000+ in prizes and a lot of exposure interests you, send your entry in by this Sunday, September 12th 2010.

I hope you’ve been enjoying the contest so far. There have been many terrific, insightful submissions. I’ve learned a lot and imagine that you have too.

We’re not done just yet though…

As of September 6th, there are still 5 (of 25) slots open for participants to join in, and every single contestant will win not one, but at least two prizes.

However, I don’t want the contest to continue forever, so whether 5 more people come forward soon or not, there’s now a final submission deadline of end-of-day Sunday, September 12th 2010, Pacific Time which is also 9am on Monday, Israel time, or you can check your own local time here (will open in a new window).

Remember: you don’t need to be a writer or a blogger!

You do need to have a job search story to tell – good, sad or funny – or advice to share, ideas to try…

For full details of all the prizes and how to enter, check the official contest announcement here.

Thanks again to our great sponsors for helping this become the biggest JobMob contest yet:

Thank you to our Gold Sponsor: Jason Alba and JibberJobber

“So what is JibberJobber? Is it a job search tool? Is it a networking tool? It is more like a personal relationship manager that allows you to do everything you need to do to manage a job search and optimize your network relationships – for the duration of your career!”

Thank you to our Silver Sponsor: JobSpice

“JobSpice is an intuitive online tool that makes creating and publishing a well-designed, custom resume easy and fun. In the last six months, JobSpice has been featured on NBC, PC World, and Fast Company, and has gained tens of thousands of “Word converts” from across the globe.”

Thank you to our 1st Bronze Sponsor: Brazen Careerist

“Brazen Careerist is a social network for Generation Y professionals. You come here to build a network of your peers, find jobs, and be recognized for your ideas.”

Thank you to our 2nd Bronze Sponsor: Dan Schawbel

“Dan Schawbel is the Managing Partner of Millennial Branding LLC, is a world renowned personal branding expert. He is the international bestselling author of Me 2.0, and the publisher of the Personal Branding Blog.”

Good luck!

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more contests bringing you the best job search ideas.

12 Free Tools To Promote Your Job Search Self

Jacob Share — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:00:05 +0000

Free tools to help the unemployed, underemployed and everyone else to package and promote themselves for hiring authorities.

This is a guest post by Doug Caldwell. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines.

“It ain’t braggin’ if you can back it up.” Dizzy Dean

Job seekers often limit themselves to a profile on LinkedIn, paper business cards and a written resume which may be posted on job boards. We often hear about the biggies such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, but there are others. Let’s review others to make you stand out as distinct and different in the labor market.

Cool tools to stand out in the labor market

Resume

I have sampled several online apps seeking the best features to promote and package myself with hiring authorities. I made this screencast about 5 different online resume websites. Find what works best for you to promote yourself to get the interview.

Beside a 2-page paper resume there is VisualCV to host your resume online. My resume at VisualCV allows for easy rewrites, inserting a photograph, making links to other web pages, adding video and audio. VisualCV makes it simple to share your resume with hiring authorities using a vanity name URL.

Or use Google Docs to create and share your resume online. While not as feature rich as Microsoft Word or OpenOffice Writer, a Google document can be an option. Google Docs does allow inserting photographs and links to websites into documents. I use Google Docs for my biography with a VisualCV resume.

Online Profile

Along with my LinkedIn profile, I took advantage of creating and expanding my Google profile.

Most important to me was to control more of what Google shows to others as a job seeker. And for employers, a better chance of finding me even when they misspell my name.

If and when you create a GMail account, search on your name in Google. Note what appears at bottom of the first page. Are those the search results you want them to find?

If not, add the features and links to improve the first impression viewers get of you from Google.

Schedule

Successful job seekers, at least the ones who land sooner than later, effectively use their time. Scheduling your day and meeting with others is an important component. TimeBridge and Google Calendar can be used separately or together (Calendar requires a GMail account).

Do you recall the challenges when you were trying to schedule meetings with missed emails, voice mail not returned, day timer misplaced? And then when it was confirmed, somebody had to change the meet and you started all over again. TimeBridge allows you to share your calendar with others who want to meet with you, like a recruiter. They see when you are ‘busy’ or available and propose meeting dates/times that fit your schedule. I posted a TimeBridge widget on my blog, website and Google profile to make it easy to schedule a meeting with me.

Once accepted the meeting can be inserted into your calendar system; Outlook, Calendar, or Apple iCal. If the meeting has to be canceled or rescheduled, all meeting participants can be notified with one email.

Business Card

The paper card has been around a very long time and is most convenient in many situations. Especially to write a note on the card in F2F meetings. However, you are limited to about 3 1/2 by 2 inches, not much room to package and promote yourself, even at 8 point font size.

Virtual business cards can add the glamor that is missing from the paper card with embedded video, social media links, and document attachments. They can be a mini-website. I am using the FREE BusinessCard2 app to host my card. Depending on your social media footprint size you can link the card to your Facebook page, blog, website, and LinkedIn profile. The card can be sent to your contacts one at a time or as group message which they can download into their contact management system.

The next step from virtual cards sent by email will be a ‘bu.mp’. I just installed the bump app on my phone, but haven’t had a chance to try it with someone. When we get to meet in person, let’s bu.mp.

Video

“So tell me about yourself,” said the hiring authority. You have been trying very hard to communicate with your resume, answering the verbal questions from the interviewer to finally be asked that question.

Why limit yourself to just written and verbal communications? You can now add the video component to your efforts.

Sidebar: Yes, I am in favor of showing your photograph and/or video across the web. Yes, I know that hiring authorities will be prejudiced against hiring a leading-edge baby boomer-seasoned citizen-real old fogey-bald white guy. I’d rather be screened out beforehand than waste time at that kind of interview. Besides, if they discriminate on gender, race, or age what else do they discriminate on, religion?

As you network, have informational and occupational interviews, look at using Eyejot to send video emails. The FREE account let’s you record a message up to one minute. You can say a lot in 60 seconds, and eliminate potential confusion with written emails. When the recipient gets the video, they can see your facial expressions, tone and volume and body language. You can create a distinct and different first-impression with the video.

If your hair and make-up stylist is not available for the video, try Google Voice. Google just made this service available for FREE with many features and benefits. You can pick a Google Voice number from their extensive list during registration or kept your existing number. I did get a unique Google Voice number to keep for life to use in the future.

3 features alone convinced me to switch to Google Voice:

Speech-to-Text transcript of call
Personalized greetings for frequent callers
Keep my current mobile number

Now I get an email when the caller leaves a message with a written transcript and the audio file. While the transcript is not perfect, it is sufficient to know who called and why. If necessary I can listen to the audio file. So when I call/text/email a reply, I know what to say and write. Saves time.

I created a default message for unknown callers on my current mobile number [+1-214-641-4084] using Google Voice. For those listed in my address book there is a personalized greeting – hi Judy or Bill or Tim or Susan – and instructions appropriate for that caller.

Google Voice does allow international calling for low-cost from either your computer or via an app on your Android-powered phone. For my international calls and many domestic calls I continue to use Skype on my computer. I especially like the FREE calls with other Skype users which can now include up to five callers in a video conference call.

One last thought on communication, your email service platform. Your email name and domain service title will be your potential employer’s very first impression. Make it your best. I strongly recommend making the investment in getting a unique vanity email address (doug@dougcaldwell.net) and robust email platform. Your name is THE most important brand feature and it deserves to be noticed.

My email service is with Google which does a great job filtering out spam, improving the contact management system, user-controlled message filter process, and instant messaging with optional video. As an added service you can send updates to Twitter and Facebook from your GMail in-box.

Internet TV

“All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.”

Film buffs will recognize the quote from the movie, Sunset Boulevard. You can have a close up as well on your own FREE Internet TV channel to promote yourself. With many barriers to get to meet the hiring authorities in person, why not offer an opportunity to see me on the Internet every week. (Shameless ad: watch 12:47pm central time USA Fridays)

As the station owner and host, my shows are about using social media for job search and career success. The easy part was getting a computer, web cam and a FREE account on Livestream. The hard part is creating interesting and compelling content.

Blatant Pitch: If viewers give me lots & lots of money, I can run an ad-free TV show. Otherwise you have to watch commercials from Livestream during my show. That’s why it’s free for you and me.

Along with my computer, I can also broadcast from my smartphone using an app from Qik. Mobile phone video can be sent to YouTube, Qik, or my Livestream account all at the same time.

Conclusion

Rarely does the best qualified candidate get hired, the job goes to the best packaged and promoted. How is your package and promotion working for you?

It’s time to start bragging.

About the Author

Doug Caldwell, the ‘Facilitator Extraordinaire’, is a wizard at creating learning WOWs! & O*M*G* moments at dougcaldwell.net. He is a featured presenter on Web 2.0+ applications and how their use will reduce costs and improve revenues for companies. Doug hosts a weekly Internet TV show on Friday at 12:47pm central time on Social Media for Job Search & Career Success. You can reach him at doug@dougcaldwell.net or follow him on Twitter at @doug_caldwell.

This article is part of the 4th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest, which was made possible thanks in large part to our Gold Sponsor, Jason Alba of JibberJobber. If you want Doug Caldwell to win, share this article with your friends.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more handy, free job search tools.

How To Vet Employers and Why You Should

Jacob Share — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:00:15 +0000

Choose the right jobs for a long and prosperous career.

This is a guest post by Rita Ashley. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines.

The Wall Street Journal reports, “40% of all executives leave their jobs within 18 months.” And every one who does potentially causes serious long-term career damage.

Employers believe people who stay in jobs 4+ years are better than those who move around. The first thing anyone who views a resume checks for is the pattern of longevity. You can offer all sorts of reasons for leaving but the fact is, any candidate with a sturdy work history aces those without.

Example:

Of 5 career coaching clients, 2 had less than 3 years in 4 recent jobs, 2 had a pattern staying 6+ and one had 11 years with the same company.

11 years = Job opportunities came to him which were all significantly more senior than current roles. He went from GM to CEO in a 3-month process. He had 6 CEO options from which to choose.

6-year pattern = Hiring authorities and investors tapped them for similar roles to the current role with greater responsibilities and or more $$. Any would be significant career moves.

Less than 2 years in more than 2 recent jobs = No one reached out and their job search was long and difficult. Only second tier companies were interested and compensation was not as high as in the other 2 scenarios.

There are no reasons or circumstances that employers accept when faced with a choice between short- and long-tenured candidates. Preserving your resume is critical to your career success and financial gains.

Thus, you must avoid taking the wrong job.

Problem:

Employers are very good at telling an potential executive what they want to hear. The Board is in on the game and because they pride themselves with hiring the best, tend not to feel one pang of conscience.

How do you know your prospective employer is the right employer for you?

When you interview, everyone is in “sales” mode to keep you interested in working for the company. Even if they tell you about challenges, they don’t tell you the real downsides to working there and every company has downsides. They distract you with manageable issues and encourage you to focus on solutions which are easily achieved. Don’t be fooled.

Why is finding out the dirt so important?

Your career/resume is sacred. Employers want to know you have lived through the results of your decisions and have built collaborative relationships.

Most people change jobs for reasons other than money. Which means vetting your prospective employer is vastly more important than negotiating every last dime. It’s not how much money you make, it’s about how successful you can be in that job.

Solution:

To get past the sales pitch and learn what the company is really like, talk to the techies. Once you are in serious consideration for an opportunity, ask to talk to the QA manager and both the Sales Support and Customer Services Managers.

Want to dive deep?

Talk to the customers, former customers and people who have left the company. Then talk to the sales person whose numbers are in the middle of the pack. Don’t let them force the high roller on you. Ask about the challenges, the competition, resources and anything else related to making or preventing the sale.

Other thoughts-

Take a look at glassdoor.com and other sites where employees comment on their employer confidentially. Don’t use them as the ‘be all to end all’, only as an alert and guide for questions. To test the sites, see what people say about your current or most recent employers and do a reality check.
Use LinkedIn to find former employees. Invite them to chat with you confidentially.
Use the search engines to find blogs that comment on that company.
Check Digg, Gist and other news aggregators to discover who the executives really are and what is top of mind for them. Find out what others say about the management and Board.
Are the investors well thought of? Will second or mezzanine financing be easy to get because of good press?
What is their financial run-way? A company with only 9 months spendable may be a short term employer. One former client was told he was the right person for the job and the Board and ‘Cs’ were unanimous. Checking online revealed the company was in serious financial trouble and they needed my client’s reputation and connections to gather new investors. Imagine his response had he taken the job and not known this.
Get a bead on their financial health from sites like Yahoo! Finance or Hoovers. For public companies, read their 10K and financial rags.
Observe employee morale. Do folks walk around and chat; are they smiling? Is the rest room clean? What does the lunch room look like? Are employees encouraged to engage with places to congregate? Are there office recognition traditions? What is the turn-over like, especially the sales force?
Since every company has a downside, keep a pros and cons list to provide balance in your decision. Consult your Go/No-go list to make sure none of the concerns rule this employer out of consideration.

It’s not about winning by getting the job, it’s about winning the right job under the right circumstances.

About the Author

Rita Ashley is a career development professional who comes to coaching by way of stints as a Silicon Valley executive and a decades- long career as an executive recruiter in Seattle. Ashley guides executives in their quest for new jobs, promotions and leadership skills. She is the author of Job Search Debugged and Networking Debugged which provide field-tested advice for job search. In the last 3 years, 98% of her clients achieved their goals in less than six months. Rita’s website is www.jobsearch4execs.com and you can follow her on Twitter at @JobSearch4execs.

This article is part of the 4th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest, which was made possible thanks in large part to our Gold Sponsor, Jason Alba of JibberJobber. If you want Rita Ashley to win, share this article with your friends.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas on how to rethink your executive job search.

10 Best Practices to Volunteer Your Way To a Paid Job

Jacob Share — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:00:59 +0000

Get your foot in the door with a volunteering position.

This is a guest post by Hannah Katsman. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines.

Volunteering in a non-profit organization is a great way to build up skills, make contacts for your job search, and keep up your morale. But merely offering your services is not enough. And you never know, your volunteer job might even become a paid position.

Become a great volunteer

1) Choose the right organization. Supporting an organization’s goals is critical, but not everything. Find out how the organization trains and supports volunteers, and what it expects from its workers. Volunteers may need to attend regular meetings, cover their own expenses, or donate money.

2) Be sociable. Satisfaction in a non-profit organization comes from working with others toward a common cause. You’ll get the most benefit when you participate in meetings and other face-to-face activities.

3) Follow through. When you aren’t getting paid, it’s tempting to move volunteer work to the bottom of your priority list. Remember that people are counting on you.

4) Give generously of your time. Decide how many hours a week you can devote to volunteer work while job-hunting, and try to stick with it. Before a big event you’ll want to give more time–less when you have to prepare for a round of interviews.

5) Learn to say no. Because there is always something more to do, enthusiastic volunteers are asked again and again for help. Make your limits known to avoid getting burnt out.

6) Don’t be too picky. Volunteers can and should enjoy their work, but unpleasant activities need to get done too. Remember that an organization is unlikely to give you interesting, responsible, projects until they know you well.

7) Respect the organization’s style. Your wonderful ideas to move the organization forward may not be appreciated when they come from a “newcomer.” Take time to learn the organization’s style and approach, and earn credibility with your hard work and commitment.

8) Promote. Use your contacts to raise money, bring in new volunteers, or publicize for your organization.

9) Support other volunteers. Ideally you have gained skills, knowledge and satisfaction from your volunteer activities. Pay it forward by sharing what you know with both old and new volunteers.

10) Don’t quit when you find paid work. Even though your new “job” will mean you have less time, you’ll continue to benefit when you are gainfully employed elsewhere. You, and those you are helping, will reap the most benefits when you volunteer for the long-term.

About the Author

Hannah Katsman is author of A Mother in Israel, a website on parenting and life in Israel. At Cooking Manager, she helps home cooks save time and money in the kitchen. With over thirty years experience volunteering in various organizations, she currently volunteers by supporting breastfeeding mothers. Follow Hannah at Twitter.com/mominisrael or on Facebook at facebook.com/amotherinisrael.

This article is part of the 4th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest, which was made possible thanks in large part to our Gold Sponsor, Jason Alba of JibberJobber. If you want Hannah Katsman to win, share this article with your friends.

If you liked this article, you’ll also enjoy 5 Reasons to Volunteer Your Way to Your Next Job.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas on how to volunteer your way to a new job.

How I Found My Blogging Job

Jacob Share — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:00:15 +0000

One woman’s story of how she became a professional blogger.

This a guest post by Kelly Wilson. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines.

I recently read an article that detailed how to make $30,000 annually by writing and maintaining a blog. Much of the article included abbreviations – like CPC and EPC, among others – that I still don’t understand after two years of blogging on my own website.

I’m not sure I want to understand what they mean. I got into blogging to write and market my work, not to be a corporate advertising portal. However, I do need to feed my family, and my chosen way to accomplish this necessary goal is to write in order to receive a paycheck. It turns out that you really can make money blogging.

So how do you do it? I’ve read many articles about this theoretical possibility, but not many about how to find these blogging jobs. Here are a few ways to turn theory into practice.

Define Your Areas of Expertise

When I quit my teaching job to write for a living, I applied for any writing job that looked at all promising, and even some that didn’t. My favorite experience involves an ad seeking writers to supply movie reviews for a website. I liked to write, and I liked to watch movies, so I thought it was a great opportunity.

I submitted the necessary materials for the initial screening and after a couple of days I was invited to participate in the next step of the hiring process. Enthusiastically, I clicked on the link, and up popped, “DO YOU LIKE TO WATCH PORN?” in bright red letters.

My mouth gaped open as I stared at my computer screen.

The simple answer was no, in fact, I didn’t. But I have to admit that for about 30 seconds, I considered whether or not I could just watch it so I could write for money.

Then I decided I was crazy, and closed the website. Clearly, I needed a strategy.

The easy way to make money blogging is to write for websites in your particular area of expertise. For me, this was easy. I had been an elementary school teacher for nine years, so I started to seek out writing jobs in the education field.

Once I narrowed down my area of expertise, my job search was no longer overwhelming. It became easier to find legitimate opportunities, and I could more thoughtfully research and apply for promising positions.

Start Stalking

After I narrowed down my focus to educational writing, I began hunting down opportunities. I wasn’t stalking in a criminal way, but I was definitely devoted to finding a writing job in my chosen field. I signed up through Yahoo Groups with people in the same area of expertise as well as other freelancers. I looked on Craigslist in the “Writing/Editing” and “Writing Gigs” areas, as well as “Education,” on a regular basis. I subscribed to writing newsletters that publicized professional writing opportunities, and looked specifically for those in the field of education.

I also scouted out educational websites. It will take a bit of research, but commit some time to find the websites that apply to your area of expertise and check them daily. Find and read the blogs in the professional areas in which you would like to write, occasionally making comments and linking your own website back to them. Networking, as well as the previously mentioned strategies, will help you get to know other professional writers and get a feel for available opportunities.

Before I found my current blogging job, I used all of the previously mentioned resources to apply for jobs that included test-writing, writing copy for educational websites, curriculum development, and transcription for the hearing-impaired. And, of course, educational blogging positions.

Try Again… And Again

All of these strategies combined will diversify your job search, but here’s the most important piece – don’t give up. Apply for every legitimate writing opportunity – many of these include blogging jobs.

I applied for several jobs before getting past the first level of submitting my resume and writing sample. But consistency refined my search as well as my submitted material.

I remember thinking that writing for money was a dream that was never going to come true. It turns out that, happily, I was wrong. My job-hunting strategies helped me find a job blogging professionally for an educational company, and my children continue to be fed. It’s a great balance.

About the Author

Kelly Wilson is a freelance writer and author of www.wilsonwrites.com. You can visit her at trcabc.com.

This article is part of the 4th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest, which was made possible thanks in large part to our Gold Sponsor, Jason Alba of JibberJobber. If you want Kelly Wilson to win, share this article with your friends.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas on how to find jobs blogging.

Job Search 2.0: Build Your Online Reputation to Attract Jobs

Jacob Share — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:00:29 +0000

Build a strong online presence with the tips below to earn a great reputation that will get you more business or job offers.

This is a guest post by Mohammed Al-Taee . If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines.

Today, you don’t need to pay $$$ to get more business or job offers. Your online reputation can speak on your behalf and get you your dream job.

Microsoft researcher Gordon Bell said in a CNN interview that “by about 2020, our entire life histories will be online and searchable.”

What ego do you want the next employer to hear when he searches on your name?

Remarkable Personal Brand

Jacob Share said “A personal brand is the impression you want to leave on people, the way you want to be remembered. Everything you do and create to reinforce that impression is also part of your personal brand. Protecting your personal brand means protecting your investment in yourself.”

Part of what Personal Branding can do for you:

Increase your recognition in your niche.
Make yourself interesting to potential employers.
Distinguish yourself from competitors.
Get more passion to learn, improve and maintain your skills.
Convey your message clearly to the world.
Attract the right people and opportunities.
Understand yourself better.
Help achieve personal and professional goals.
People will start following you.

Ultimately, your voice, image and smile can clearly give you an edge over many other people.

Brand yourself, in order for people to remember you; you need to position yourself on your social networks. Be remarkable so you become the first in other people’s mind when they want to share resources, an invitation for an event, a business opportunity or even a coffee meeting. Your personal brand is a key to build your network.
Do something for your brand that is offline. It’s not all about building an online brand if you have nothing active offline, your personal brand is a reflection of both your offline character and online identity.
Always give before you receive. Offer value and don’t expect something in return; this is a great way to build a promise aka personal brand.

Strong Social Media Presence

Social media is for everyone and it’s free. If you build your personal brand and work to maintain it, then someone will speak on your behalf.

Whether it’s Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, WordPress Blog or YouTube, you need to act more than just creating content. Content is a key but marketing is the door to earn more connections, more readers, and position yourself.

Engagement is a must-have skill in today’s social media revolution. Social media tools are just medium tools. Human conversations, caring and interactions are the secret, period.
Maintain your brand effectively on the social media sites. Find at least 10 things worth retweeting in your home feed and share it with your followers. Be interesting and not just old news but remember anything you post on your blog, Twitter, or Facebook is a representation of who you are.
Monitor your online identity as well as you monitor your bank account.

Own A High Value Network

Tim Sanders said “Someday this will be true for all of us: our network will equal our net worth.”

Think of net worth as a new opportunity that could bring a new business, employment or the most valuable thing- a new connection to your network.

Grow your network by connecting with more non-spam people. It’s true that the more connections you have, the less social interactions you make with your friends but it’s still worth it to have a big network. Think big when it come to social networking. I realized that the more people I connect with, the more people will connect to me.
Gratitude for your network. Write at least one LinkedIn recommendation to one of your colleagues even if he/she is overseas, Tweet 10 Follow Friday recommendations to the best Tweeple, and comment everyday on your favorite blogs. Do it and make it part of your brand attributes. Generosity is a great brand attribute.
Your network will be as strong as the way you manage it.

Other thoughts-

Don’t act or try to be someone else online. Maybe it’s difficult to show your inner person to the world, but you should practice doing that. With Twitter, your life is public in every interaction, conversation, traveling, etc. Since there is nothing to hide online, be professional and smart about what you share.

People will get the first impression about you by what your Google results say. Strong results provide credibility when searched by potential employers or clients.

Think of your activity online as writing in pen, not pencil i.e. they’re impossible to erase. You are using pens daily for your tweets, for Facebook fan pages comments, for online forum questions, for emails with clients and co-workers, posting family photos on Flickr, etc.

YOU are the one who is leaving a trail behind that everyone will see and judge you on.

About the Author

Mohammed Al-Taee is an information technology professional, social media leader, and next-generation project manager with an excellent reputation with all prior employers. You can reach him on LinkedIn, Youtube or follow him on Twitter @MAltaee. Read more on his blog, MohammedAltaee.com

This article is part of the 4th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest, which was made possible thanks in large part to our Gold Sponsor, Jason Alba of JibberJobber. If you want Mohammed Al-Taee to win, share this article with your friends.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas on how to attract your next job.

Resume 2.0: Blogging Your Way To A Better Job Search

Jacob Share — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:00:10 +0000

“A blog gives you the opportunity to show potential employers why you’re a good fit for them.”

This a guest post by Kelli Brown. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines.

Imagine the scene: A talented, young college graduate is ready to enter today’s job market.

He’s armed to the teeth with a CV chock full of great internships, excellent grades and collegiate honors, and three solid references certain to impress. Tucked under his arm is an impressive portfolio of work demonstrating that he isn’t only well-studied, but capable, too.

For so many of today’s job seekers, that’s where the preparation ends. Ten years ago, it would have been enough. Today, you need a Resume 2.0. You need a web site – and specifically, you need a blog.

Lucky for you, it’s never been easier to build a strong, professional site to showcase your talents for prospective employers.

Personal branding and your job search website

Before you start sending out CVs, build yourself a simple site. Purchase a domain name and hosting (yourname.com is a good bet if it’s still available) and install a simple content management system to build your site (I’m a big fan of WordPress).

Your site needs:

A page with your up-to-date resume/CV
An “about” page that summarizes who you are
Contact information
An updated blog – posting once a week should get it done

Why blog?

A blog gives you the opportunity to show potential employers why you’re a good fit for them.

Instead of boiling down a career’s worth of achievements into bullet points on a single page, a blog provides a podium to expand on your skills.

Updating regularly shows consistency. Writing professionally shows communication skills. Giving a quick tutorial shows an ability to teach others. And well-crafted analysis of industry news shows that you’re following the market and understand what’s going on.

In short, you can use your blog to convey what you can’t distill into a resume. How would you sell yourself to an employer if you were offered an interview? That’s what belongs in your blog.

Possible posts include:

What career you’re aiming at and why
“Case studies” of projects you contributed to or managed
Synopses of your key skills and how they served previous employers
Hidden talents – the ability to manage, multitask, work independently, work as part of a team, work with difficult clients and so on…

Going public

When your site is set and your blog paints a pretty picture of your skills, it’s time to promote yourself. Send your RSS feed to your social networks – LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter – and encourage your connections to share any articles that might interest a potential employer.

While Facebook and Twitter may not strike you as crucial to a job search, they’re quite likely to show up in a Google search if a potential employer looks for you – having professional content available can’t hurt (and it will likely help).

Success!

Personal branding doesn’t end when you get hired. Keep up the good work and you’ll be better prepared for your next job search.

About the Author

Kelli Brown is the owner and lead consultant at Pixel/Point Press, a boutique firm handling search engine optimization and social media marketing for corporations, small business owners and individuals who seek to maximize the effect of their web presence. She found her first job in Israel through a Facebook search. Follow Kelli on Twitter at @pixelpointpress and view her job search presentation given at Nefesh B’Nefesh on SlideShare.net.

This article is part of the 4th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest, which was made possible thanks in large part to our Gold Sponsor, Jason Alba of JibberJobber. If you want Kelli Brown to win, share this article with your friends.

If you like this article, you’ll also enjoy How To Use Blogging To Attract Job Offers and Other Benefits.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas about how to use blogs for your job search.

How and Why To Get A Job in Australia

Jacob Share — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:00:49 +0000

Paradise for vacationing… and for skilled job seekers?

This a guest post by Rob Kiernan. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines.

Australia is known as the lucky country, a phrase first coined by Professor Donald Horne back in the 60’s, although he did it with a sense of sarcasm at the time. But today, Australia really is regarded as a pretty lucky place to be.

Moving forward about 35 years, Ben Southall won a competition and landed “the best job in the world” and was sent to the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia. Paradise, yes. But it didn’t stop him from getting stung by an Irukandji. Ouch!

There is much talk about Australia being a land full of venomous creatures, but it is also a country of great opportunity, because…

Australia has jobs!

As a rough guide, every year around 100,000 people come to Australia to work, having been granted Skilled Long Stay Temporary Business Visas. The government allow this because it’s the only way they can solve their skills shortages.

As a wise old Australian once told me, Australia has everything it needs, all the resources it could possibly want, except one…

People!

I recently did a comparison of vacancies between Australia and the UK. Given that the UK has a population of over 60 million people compared with just over 20 million people here in Australia, you’d naturally expect to see more vacancies over there.

The experiment was simple. I chose three major online job search agencies for each country, I think I found the top three for each, and I searched for the most popular occupations common to both countries. Here are my results:

Those numbers with an * next to them are highly doubtful. The search results pages said there were 5,000 vacancies, but looking through there were more like 500 to 1,000.

That aside, I think you can see clearly which country has the most jobs. Man for man as a percentage, Australia is streets ahead.

But what about the wages?

I’m glad you asked.

I recently did a salary comparison between Australia and the UK too. Here’s what I found:

After converting the great British pound into Australian dollars, I concluded that salaries here in Australia were at least 24% higher and more likely 31.7% more, on average, than salaries back in the UK.

Yes, the money here in Australia is good.

The Australian government produces what it calls its Skilled Occupations List on a regular basis, of skills that are in shortage here in Australia.

It does this to encourage those with the skills this country needs to apply for work visas or permanent residency. Applying for permanent residency can be quite time consuming (worth it though) but many people have found a quicker way in is to get a job sponsorship.

Put simply, you need to find an employer who needs your skill but cannot find it locally because of the shortage. You will find many will be happy to sponsor you. That usually means offering you a job for a minimum of two years and putting that offer in writing.

Then it is a simple matter of getting your working visa and with good health and no criminal record, this is usually a rubber stamp job. Now you can work in Australia and at the same time find out what it’s really like to live here. Enjoy the beaches, the barbecues, the outdoor lifestyle and of course, the glorious weather.

What if you fall in love with Australia?

Well, once you are working here on a temporary work visa, you have taken your first steps in moving to Australia. Because if you stay the course and stick with the job for your minimum period, applying for permanent residency is usually another straightforward application. Permanent residency means you can stay. Not only that, now you can pick and choose your own jobs, no need for sponsorship.

It gets better. You are now closing in on citizenship. After four years of permanent residency, you will probably be able to apply for Australian citizenship.

So if you fancy the idea of living in Australia, opportunity and a fantastic lifestyle awaits you. With more vacancies than average, higher salaries than usual and those drop dead gorgeous beaches, what are you waiting for? If you fancy a bit of life down under, why not extend your job search to Australia.

Three of this country’s top online employment agencies are:

Happy job hunting!

About the Author

Rob Kiernan runs bobinoz.com, a website and a blog about what it’s really like to live in Australia.

This article is part of the 4th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest, which was made possible thanks in large part to our Gold Sponsor, Jason Alba of JibberJobber. If you want Rob Kiernan to win, share this article with your friends.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas about job search around the world.

No related posts.

How To Define Your Ideal Job and Why You Should

Jacob Share — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:00:14 +0000

Why your passions are more important than what you studied in college.

This is a guest post by Melvin Dichoso. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines.

I know the word “ideal” varies from person to person but here in this article by saying “ideal job”, what I mean is a job that you want and you think you can enjoy.

In this guest writeup, I’m going to cover up why you need to define your ideal job first and foremost and how it’s going to make your job hunting much easier.

A little background about me first.

I’m just 20 years old with a degree in Computer Science. I’m running my own small online business which has something to do with community-oriented websites and blogs yet still I prefer to have a day job, working as online marketing staff in one of the companies here in the Philippines. Now you know me :)

How do I define it?

By reading the title of this article, this is probably the first question that popped into your mind.

As a general yardstick, this can vary (I know you hate to hear that) but I thought I can give out some tips on how you can really define it for yourself based on my own thinking and some that came from my friends.

You need to definitely answer the following questions first before you can determine if you really like a particular job specification or not:

Do I really want it?
Am I going to be comfortable doing this thing for the next six months (or more)?
What’s my ideal work environment?
What’s my ideal workspace?
How do I want to work?
Do I want to face a computer for the whole 8 hours?
My college degree and what I want to do, are they congruent?
What’s my main goal in working? (financial benefits or intrinsic benefits)
Am I good enough to follow my passion and the job I want?

Let me cite an example

I know a guy who has a degree that would enable him to become a software developer. As we know that job pays pretty well. That guy applied to several companies to be an entry-level developer, he passed some and failed some.

To make a long story short, the guy ended up having a job that has to do something with search engine optimization, writing content and running Pay-Per-Click campaigns.

And that guy was me.

Why did I move away from that?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a pretty competent programmer who can code well and its not that I hate programming. Its just that I’m more satisfied doing things like the above rather than dealing with code. I have been running this online business for almost 3 years now; that speaks a lot about my enthusiasm in this field.

Why you need to define it

It doesn’t really take that much to figure out that 80% of people don’t really stay with their first job.

Here in the Philippines, most of my friends usually get employed by 3 different companies in a 2-year period, which is a pretty high rate. Sure, it may have something to do with the companies’ policies of not regularizing employees in the first place but still I believe its still mainly because most people don’t like their job.

And even though they don’t like it, they still take it anyway.

Another thing related to that would probably be the growth. If you’re switching companies quicker than anyone else, chances are good that your designation is not growing and neither is your salary. It’s simple math- if I stay for this company for 4 years, then how many salary raises would I receive as oppose to switching over and over after 6 months?

How defining it makes job search easier

Admit it, it’s hard to go outside wearing that funky eccentric dress while splashing that confidence if you’re not really sure you want what you’re going to do. Or in the case of a job search, most people just ignore so many job listings because they feel they aren’t ready yet, which is obviously related to not having enough confidence in yourself.

If you really think a job is ideal for you, why would you lack confidence? Why would you feel scared?

So here it is!

My belief with the whole job hunting thing is that people get employed more quickly depending on how much they like the job.

How is that so?

They’re more confident, they have the enthusiasm to exert more effort to pass all exams (if there are any), they have the exceptional confidence to answer all the interview questions.

No rocket science in my own opinion.

Another thing about following what you think is ideal vs. going with the flow of what you learned in college is that you are likely more experienced with the former one.

I myself didn’t have any formal education with marketing. I began doing internet marketing in late 2007, studied it myself and more importantly put it into work, implemented it.

So how about you? Are you following what you really want or are you stuck pretending that you want to be someone else? I’d definitely want to hear your opinion on this so let me know what you think in the comments below.

About the Author

Melvin Dichoso is your typical teenager, blogger, internet marketer and someone who has a day job. He blogs at MelvinBlog.com where he shares all his takes on things. Follow him on Twitter at @melvinblog.

This article is part of the 4th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest, which was made possible thanks in large part to our Gold Sponsor, Jason Alba of JibberJobber. If you want Melvin Dichoso to win, share this article with your friends.

If you liked this read, you’ll also enjoy The Secret To Finding Dream Jobs.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas on visualizing your job search goals.

Job Interviews: How You Can Benefit By Asking Questions

Goodbye Gatekeepers: Use Social Media To Target Hiring Managers

Jacob Share — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:00:26 +0000

Use social media to directly reach the people who will want to hire you most.

This is a guest post by Peggy McKee. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines.

Today’s job search is unlike any you’ve ever seen before.

In addition to the recession-fueled glut of workers, the explosion of web-based job searches and online social networking has turned the process into something entirely new.

That has resulted in candidates who previously, would have flooded the market with resumes, gotten several responses, a few interviews, and a couple of job offers, but now face online job applications that thousands of others have seen, too.

It’s all too easy to get lost in the shuffle, and never even get a “Dear John” letter. Instead of lamenting the cyberspace crush of candidates, you can use the same tools that work against you and turn them into aids in your job search strategy.

Use the same tools that work against you

What do I mean?

Candidates often ask me, “How do I go about this job hunt? Do I target companies, or is it better to go after individual jobs that are posted? Which way will get me the most bang for my buck here?”

And it is tempting to target companies.

It’s very easy now to extensively research companies online, find out everything you need to know, and target your search to 10 or so, and concentrate on the jobs that open up there.

It’s even more tempting to target jobs, partly because it’s just so obvious: you’re an XYZ kind of candidate, looking for an XYZ kind of job. What’s the problem with that?

The problem with those two approaches is that it limits your opportunities and puts you in the same boat with everyone else.

What should you do instead?

Target hiring managers

Here’s why:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Find hiring managers who look like what your manager should look like and introduce yourself to enough of them that you get a significant opportunity.

So, in a normal economy, if you knew 20 hiring managers in your space, you’d probably have a job right there. But it’s not a normal economy. So you need to increase that to five or even ten times that number to get an opportunity—but it’s worth it.

That’s how you get an interview. You target hiring managers. They are the decision makers. You’re going straight to the source, instead of taking the much more clogged route through HR or getting lost in the online black hole.

How do you find them?

Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Facebook is probably the least likely, but still shouldn’t be discounted: you probably know someone who knows someone, etc. Twitter is fantastic for following significant players and keeping up-to-the minute on job leads. But LinkedIn is king. You can absolutely use LinkedIn to research, target, and contact the hiring managers who can make something happen for you.

Finding a job is much more of a numbers game than it has ever been. Use the tools available to your advantage, and don’t give up. If you widen your scope enough, the right job is out there for you.

About the Author

Peggy McKee is the President of PHC Consulting, nationally recognized medical sales recruiting firm. She is, also, the Co-Founder of Career Confidential, an online resource for jobseekers. Peggy is a focused on providing cutting edge insight to those in the hiring/interviewing process.

This article is part of the 4th Annual JobMob Guest Blogging Contest, which was made possible thanks in large part to our Gold Sponsor, Jason Alba of JibberJobber. If you want Peggy McKee to win, share this article with your friends.

If you liked this article, you’ll also enjoy Success Story: How I Used LinkedIn and Facebook to Find a Job During the Recession.

Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter for more ideas on how to reach the right people to get your next job.