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R.D.com Website |
How
to begin
a job search
on the Internet |
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Here's
some Advice from the Experts
Interview with
Daryl Hulme, Vice President of Human Resources for HotJobs.com
and Brenda Nixon, Career Communication Expert |
So
you think it's time for a change. The old job just isn't providing
the
challenges it used to. Or maybe you are looking
to move up the
career ladder. Now is a great time to make the
leap. Not only is
the economy strong, but you can look and apply for jobs all over
the globe without ever leaving your computer. With all of the
online job resources available, it's hard to know how to begin. We
sought the advice of Daryl Hulme, Vice President of Human
Resources for HotJobs.com, an online job board and career
communication expert Brenda Nixon. Nixon developed the content for
WinWay PayRaise and WinWay Resume, software
aimed at helping the
job seeker, and has
authored several books. She is an adjunct
professor for Concordia University Wisconsin in its Management and
Communication program for Adult Learners and the Communication
Wizard at Mountain Systems, Inc.
Here is what they had to say.
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RD.com: |
What is the best way to put the variety of online job
resources to work for you?
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NIXON:
There are thousands of job sources on the Internet, but
fortunately you do not need to search all of them. Find an online
job bank that specializes in your area of interest. For example, BrassRing.com is mainly for IT (information technology)
professionals. To cover multiple online banks in one search, use a
powerful search program such as the Agent 2000 feature included in
WinWay Resume. It searches through multiple job banks with a
single mouse click.
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RD.com: |
How should you go about your job search, and how should you
approach a potential employer? Does it make sense, for example, to
send
a blind email to a
company?
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NIXON:
Many blind e-mails suffer the same
fate as blind letters that are
snail-mailed
... they are
trashed without opening them. However,
if you find a company that you are interested in applying to,
learn all you can about the company BEFORE sending them an e-mail.
Include something in the subject line of your message that
will
entice the
recipient to open your message. Bad idea: "Resume
enclosed." Great idea: "Results-oriented sales
achiever
available."
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HULME:
In general,
people tend to be less formal when using e-mail. This tendency
carries over to candidates applying for positions via e-mail. But
the old
adage that says, "You only have one chance to make a
first impression," still applies. So I think it's important
for candidates to ensure that their on-line application sends the
message that they intend to send. For example, in applying for a
job, a candidate should use the resume to convey his or her
qualifications and
accomplishments and the
cover letter
to express
interest and professional objectives. A less formal approach might
entail sending an e-mail note with 2 or 3 sentences, in place of a
cover letter, simply expressing interest in a particular job. This
approach may not provide the potential employer with sufficient
information to accurately assess the
candidate-job
match. It's in
the candidate's best interest to take advantage of the application
process and provide the employer with the information needed to
accurately
assess skills and determine whether there is a
potential fit. Applying for a job is the first step in the
hiring
process —
make it count.
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RD.com: |
How can you make yourself
stand out from the crowd in cyberspace?
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HULME: Use
words in your resume that will easily be picked up by an employer
conducting an online search.
Recruiters conduct on-line searches
for candidates
by
keying in a few words that are descriptive of
the candidate for whom they are
seeking. That said, you should
selectively include words for your resume that have a high
probability of being identified. For instance, if you are a sales
professional, you should indicate whether your experience includes
"inside sales," "outside sales," or "ad
sales." You should also indicate how much
revenue you
generate and the types of clients with whom you have worked —
i.e.. Fortune 500, mid-sized companies. Another way to make
yourself stand out is to ensure that you demonstrate in your
resume that you possess the competencies that an employer
deems
critical to success in the job and to the organizational culture.
You can extract these competencies from the employers' job
postings or ads, marketing literature, or
word of
mouth. Certainly
in today's market of
start-ups and reorganizations, for instance,
competencies such as the flexibility, speed,
resourcefulness, and
the ability
to drive execution and results are in high demand.
This suggests that you slightly
tailor your resume or cover letter
for each employer to which you apply. It requires a little extra
work, but it can have a big
payoff.
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NIXON:
In the olden days - the 1990s - action verbs were what made
stellar resumes stand out over mediocre ones; keywords or keyword
phrases are critical in the new millennium. Why? Because it's
quite likely that your resume -- at least the one you e-mail or
submit online -- may NEVER be read by a human. Computers process
your information and store it in databases. When a need for a
person to fill a position comes up, someone enters keywords
related to the position into the database's search function. You
need to be sure you include a section at the top of your resume
that is filled with 10 to 15 keywords that people will search for
when they need to find YOU. And remember the adage that you should
never have a resume longer than two pages? That's a thing of the
past, too, when you're talking about your online resume. Include
all the relevant information that you think will assist an
employer in determining if you are the right fit for a position in
your online resume. Then, when you are
called in for an
interview,
bring along a traditional paper-based resume.
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RD.com: |
What sort of candidates stand the best
chance of being chosen when employers are using online resources?
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HULME: Candidates
who reply to online job postings quickly stand the best chance of
being chosen. The internet has made life faster for both the
candidate and the employer. Resumes once submitted through the
mail are now submitted with a quick click. Candidates still
relying on the mail stand a good chance of being beat to the punch
by candidates clicking their resumes through on line. The
tight
labor market has forced employers to make faster hiring decisions,
or risk losing candidates to the competition with a blink of the
eye and a click of the mouse.
Those
who successfully communicate their skills, competencies,
qualifications and who match the job profile for which they are
applying stand the best chance. I once received the resume of a
firefighter in Kansas who was applying for a Human Resources job
in New York City. I had no doubt that the guy was a great
firefighter, and while one can argue that
HR professionals today
need to be skilled in
"putting out
fires," the
candidate-job match was not one that
jumped
out. This example
might sound extreme but the point can generally be applied: To
stand the best chance of being chosen, you need to demonstrate
that your skills and qualifications fit the job profile.
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NIXON:
The candidates that stand out to employers are similar to those
who use traditional methods... ones who can clearly and
concisely communicate to an employer how they can add value to the
company. It's as simple as that.
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RD.com: |
If emailing a resume or samples of work,
what is the best format to use?
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NIXON:
With all the fear of viruses these
days, many companies do not allow unsolicited attachments to be
opened by their employees. So you may have
the jazziest and best looking resume on the planet which will soon become the jazziest and best looking and QUICKLY
DELETED attachment in someone's inbox. My best advice is to send
your resume in plain text as the body of your e-mail message. If
you want to include all the
bells and
whistles, then include a
hyperlink to your online resume, where you can get as jazzy as you
desire. (Be careful, though, about divulging too much personal
information in your online resume. . . your current employer may
just
stumble across you and wonder why you're seeking another
position.
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HULME:
I discourage graphics or designs, as
they are not likely to transmit successfully. Most employers
specify their desired format for sending resumes and work samples.
For example, some employers request that information be sent via
web-based script. Others request attachments in Microsoft Word.
You should adhere to individual specifications to ensure that your
submissions are successfully transmitted and in the employers'
preferred format.
Deviating from such basic instructions could result in your resume
not finding its way to the proper source and missing out on an
opportunity. |
Source: R.D.com Website |
GLOSSARY |
challenges: stimulating
situations (desafíos)
to move up the carer ladder: to be promoted
(para ser promovido, ascendido)
leap: transition (in this context)
(salto, cambio)
sought: enquired for
(buscamos)
to seek / sought / sought / seeking
(buscar) aimed at: directed at
(dirigido
a)
authored: written
(escrito, sido autor de)
a blind email to a
company: a mail with many hidden copies (CC - CarbonCopy)
(un mensaje con copia oculta a una empresa)
fate:
destiny
(destino, suerte)
snail-mailed: sent by regular or standard mail
(enviadas por correo postal)
trashed: disposed of
(tiradas a la basura)
willl
entice: will provoke or stimulate
(estimule)
recipient: the person who receives your mail
(destinatario)
achiever: a winner, a person with a record of successes
(ganador)
carries over to: persists
(persiste para)
adage: proverb
(adagio, proverbio)
accomplishments: abilities acquired by training
(logros)
cover letter: letter attached to the CV
(carta de presentación)
entail: imply
(implicar)
candidate-job
match:
compatibility between candidate and job
(compatibilidad postulante-puesto de trabajo)
assess: judge, analyse
(valorar)
hiring process: employing process
(proceso de contratación)
make it count: take it into consideration
(tenlo en cuenta)
stand out: distinguish yourself
(sobresalir)
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recruiter: someone who gives advice about employment
(los consultores, los reclutadores)
by keying in: identifying
(identificando)
seeking: searching
(buscando)
ad sales: advertising sales
(ventas por aviso)
revenue: amount of income before any deductions
(ingresos)
deems: considers, views as
(considera)
word of mouth: gossip spread by spoken communication;
grapevine
(boca a boca)
start-ups:
settings in operation
(emprendimientos)
resourcefulness:
the quality of being able to cope with a difficult situation
(ingenio para salir de apuros)
to drive execution:
to carry into action
(poner en marcha)
tailor: create,
adapt
(adaptes, crees)
payoff:
recompense, benefit
(recompensa, beneficio)
stellar: the
most important
(estelar)
called in for an
interview: asked to participate of an interview
(citado/a para una entrevista)
tight: scarce (fewer jobs)
(escaso, ajustado)
firefighter: fireman
(bombero)
HR professionals: Human Resources pros
(los profesionales de RRHH o Recursos Humanos)
"putting out fires": extinguishing
"fires" (problems)
(solucionar problemas, "apagar incendios")
jumped out: highly noticeable, stood out
(se destacara)
the jazziest: the showiest, in poor taste
(el más llamativo)
bells and whistles: unnecessary ornaments
(adornos innecesarios)
stumble across you: find your resume on line
(toparse contigo)
deviating: turning away from
(desviarse)
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CLICK HERE to check the glossary
for JOB INTERVIEWS.
PULSA AQUÍ para consultar el
glosario de ENTREVISTAS LABORALES. |
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INICIO |
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