Posts

Clean up your act before you start job searching or networking!

When you search for information on a product or a person online do you find what you want? I’m guessing that you often don’t, at least not easily. What often happens is that you end up spending a lot of time searching until you really find what you were looking for.

That’s because you get to see what Google and Facebook (and increasingly many other companies and search engines and solutions) think you want to find.  And here is the real bad part of the news.  It can also be because you have likely left a lot of personal online garbage out there on the internet. So, don’t be too surprised if you get hit with some embarrassing content from the past.  With this in mind, I strongly suggest that you clean up your ‘online shrapnel’ before you kick off your networking for a career change or before you embark on your job seeking mission. Read more

Hidden Job Market – really?

What’s behind all the hype and buzz of the so called hidden job market?

Where are all these jobs and how can you access them?

Part 1      Seriously what is it about the mystery of the hidden job market that has us enchanted and eager to cling to a belief that there is sea of undiscovered job opportunities out there somewhere? I am sceptical that we are missing out on 80% of the jobs out there so I’ve done some digging and here is what I have found for you. Read more

Don’t just select cookie cutter applicants – look out for the resourceful Job Seekers

If you are a recruiter or hiring manager who adheres to strict submission guidelines, then you probably won’t read beyond the headline of this article….

However, if you struggle to attract truly new and resourceful talent, then you probably end up with an ad plastered with catchy key words such as: self starter; creative; resourceful; hungry; gutsy; etc.

Maybe you resort to punch lines like “pursue your passion”, “leverage your network”, “tailor and tidy up your resume”, “do your homework” and “dress for success” — among other things.

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Help Me ! instead of telling me how to suck eggs…

Have you heard this one before?  Don’t tell me how to suck eggs!

If you live in Australia, then I’m sure you’ve heard it and maybe even experienced it first-hand.

Employees, work mates, peers or friends who tell you that, are really saying they don’t care for your advice.

But, they would like you to help or they wouldn’t have asked in the first place!

They usually have a valid point, since advice is often not delivered properly. There are endless examples of managers and executives who do not know their staff and therefore do not know about their strengths and weaknesses.  There are also tonnes of experts, forums and online portals which prefer to post generic–type advice and information instead of really helping their audience to work out issues or problems.

 

The same applies to people looking for a career change or new work.  Job Seekers don’t need intervention and help from content providers or experts who live and work in countries which have no relationship to their situation. What Job Seekers want is tangible solutions and good direction.  I found some of that for you – if you are a Job Seeker and if you are interested, that is…

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Are you using all the right tools?

It doesn’t matter if you are currently employed and seeking to move to greener pastures, or if you’re an unemployed job seeker who wants to get back in the game, a proper resume is the best start for a successful job search.

I know…. bla bla …. yes we’ve all heard it hundreds of times before, so what else is there to do to secure more interviews?

Well, for starters, recognise that different job seekers require different tools.  A Blue Collar Professional who is seeking a new position over $40k a year may benefit greatly by including 1 or 2 more documents in their job search whilst the professionals seeking a position over $75k a year may need to get more creative with their documentation attachments. Read more

Rookie Recruiters in Australia

When Your Recruiter is a “Rookie”

Yeah, the phone rings and it is an enthusiastic recruiter. Brilliant! I am enthused too and I am keen to hear what the caller has to offer, but as it turns out, my new contact has lots of question and no genuine job opportunity. And to make things worse, I realise pretty soon that my new recruiter is also a “rookie” because she asked some bizarre questions to prove that she knows her “people” stuff.  I am not kidding – these two questions gave it away:

  •  “If Germans were the tallest people in the world, how would you prove it?” and     “Does life fascinate you?”

  Read more

Cool Apps for Job-Seekers

Imagine how cool it would be if you had a tool at your fingertips that shows you instantly which of your current LinkedIn or Facebook contacts is currently at the Expo or Career Conference and how nice it would be if you had a tool that gently shows you when you are falling out of touch with someone.

I would like to introduce you to four tools out of my JobSeeker toolkit which you should use wisely and only when you need them. I don’t want to promote gadget time. That is far from what I do here in this blog.  Use these apps when you need them and ensure to set up your settings in a manner that you are not constantly fiddling with your tools.

These four tools can help you to manage your digital life or collate information for your next job interview or client meeting. Oh, and if you think you have a better tool, let us know about it! I’ll test and re-post your gadget or app if it will help my Blog’s audience. Read more