Welcome to the Recruiter Carnival!

Welcome to the Recruiter Carnival! I agreed to host a blog carnival today but I did a really bad job promoting it! So, hopefully the following bloggers are cool with me pulling in some of my favorite links. Im only going to do five because my last carnival had way too much reading, plus I have a business to run and a book to sell! Heres the first carnival and today, at JibberJobber, is the second carnival! These are some of my favorite posts John Reinke is one of my favorite off-topic bloggers he is smart and unafraid to say what he thinks. His post about the recruiter from Hell makes me laugh, my worst recruiter was never that bad, but Im sure there are punks out there with complete and utter disrespect for the anxious, hungry job seeker! Read about his experience here. (John, by the way, is the only person that reacted to my quiet call for posts for this carnival thanks John!!) Carl Chapman wrote So how did you think I got to be a recruiter? last November, and explains his very interesting story. I love this post because it helps remind that, for all the no-call-backs, no-e-mails, and all that other stuff we endure when we are desperately looking for help in a job search, recruiters are human too. They arent our silver bullets, and they arent our whipping boys (and girls) and sure there are things that are broken and that suck about the process, but they are human. And they deserve our respect. Harry Joiner got kicked off of Facebook, probably because hes a no-good, degrade-the-quality-of-our-network recruiter. He did nothing wrong, really. Well, he only did what Facebook designed into the system, which was upload his Gmail address book and invite his contacts. Over 4,000 contacts. FB got ticked and kicked him out, for using the tools they made. Harry wasnt aware he was doing something wrong. But they kicked him out. Heres the kicker. Harry is one of the more popular recruiters that I know. He has a super-strong network, and is connected to a lot of bloggers (and non-bloggers). He got slapped in the face and wondered what the heck went wrong so he went to his network. Bottom line: Keith Ferrazzi says that recruiters are power connectors. Two lessons here: 1. dont offend a power connector. 2. Try and network (and build a relationship with) a power connector! If you can help a recruiter NOW, when you dont need it, imagine how they will help YOU when you do need it! So now we know recruiters are human, and they are connected, and they can be absolutely rude. Ill tell you what, when you are looking for a recruiter to develop a relationship with, the one that you dont turn requests down from, you want to find a smart one. This will vary depending on what your profession/industry is, but let me give you an excellent example of a recruiter who is very smart in his space: Rob Merrill. How do I know? His blog drips of IT geekness. It may be a turnoff for the non-techie but guess what, Rob is developing relationships with techies. And when they can come see that he knows something about design (like calling LinkedIn out on bad design) or marketing and personal development (like getting excited that Guy Kawasaki is coming to Utah, and tickets are only $10!!!), or something as techie and abstract as the hCard format, you know he is going to be seen not as the clueless tech recruiters, but as a guy who knows his stuff. All recruiters can blog if th ey can do it like Rob does. Dave Lefkow further proves that recruiters are human. How human? So human that there is turnover in recruiting. He was a recruiter until last month when he invented Bacon Salt (you gotta read about it here), and sales took off to the point where he decided to move on and, well, push fake bacon! Dave, best wishes to you as you try out this new venture! If nothing else its a great experience! For the rest of us, its a good reminder that aside from pushing papers around, calling people to only hear NO! and doing all that other recruiter stuff, they have a life, with dreams and ambitions, just like we do! Recruiters are ultra-clever, and always on the lookout for new tools. Jim Stroud shows us non-recruiters what one of the common problems are, and how they are handled (this post is about Sullr, something useful for you when you dont recognize a caller ID number). Yep, recruiters have problems and challenges and are astutely looking for solutions. Just like the rest of us. Okay, so this is sappier than I meant it to be I wanted stories (good or bad) or your recruiter experiences but since I didnt advertise you are stuck with links to things that show that recruiters are human, too Pursuing a home based business opportunity is not worth the effort if you see imminent loans or mortgages right in the beginning. Granted, that personal loans are oft involved during startup, but in limits only. One should first have a look at the free insurance quotes before going ahead with the deal. Prevention is always better then looking for an effective debt management solution. Welcome to the Recruiter Carnival! I agreed to host a blog carnival today but I did a really bad job promoting it! So, hopefully the following bloggers are cool with me pulling in some of my favorite links. Im only going to do five because my last carnival had way too much reading, plus I have a business to run and a book to sell! Heres the first carnival and today, at JibberJobber, is the second carnival! These are some of my favorite posts John Reinke is one of my favorite off-topic bloggers he is smart and unafraid to say what he thinks. His post about the recruiter from Hell makes me laugh, my worst recruiter was never that bad, but Im sure there are punks out there with complete and utter disrespect for the anxious, hungry job seeker! Read about his experience here. (John, by the way, is the only person that reacted to my quiet call for posts for this carnival thanks John!!) Carl Chapman wrote So how did you think I got to be a recruiter? last November, and explains his very interesting story. I love this post because it helps remind that, for all the no-call-backs, no-e-mails, and all that other stuff we endure when we are desperately looking for help in a job search, recruiters are human too. They arent our silver bullets, and they arent our whipping boys (and girls) and sure there are things that are broken and that suck about the process, but they are human. And they deserve our respect. Harry Joiner got kicked off of Facebook, probably because hes a no-good, degrade-the-quality-of-our-network recruiter. He did nothing wrong, really. Well, he only did what Facebook designed into the system, which was upload his Gmail address book and invite his contacts. Over 4,000 contacts. FB got ticked and kicked him out, for using the tools they made. Harry wasnt aware he was doing something wrong. But they kicked him out. Heres the kicker. Harry is one of the more popular recruiters that I know. He has a super-strong network, and is connected to a lot of bloggers (and non-bloggers). He got slapped in the face and wondered what the heck went wrong so he went to his network. Bottom line: Keith Ferrazzi says that recruiters are power connectors. Two lessons here: 1. dont offend a power connector. 2. Try and network (and build a relationship with) a power connector! If you can help a recruiter NOW, when you dont need it, imagine how they will help YOU when you do need it! So now we know recruiters are human, and they are connected, and they can be absolutely rude. Ill tell you what, when you are looking for a recruiter to develop a relationship with, the one that you dont turn requests down from, you want to find a smart one. This will vary depending on what your profession/industry is, but let me give you an excellent example of a recruiter who is very smart in his space: Rob Merrill. How do I know? His blog drips of IT geekness. It may be a turnoff for the non-techie but guess what, Rob is developing relationships with techies. And when they can come see that he knows something about design (like calling LinkedIn out on bad design) or marketing and personal development (like getting excited that Guy Kawasaki is coming to Utah, and tickets are only $10!!!), or something as techie and abstract as the hCard format, you know he is going to be seen not as the clueless tech recruiters, but as a guy who knows his stuff. All recruiters can blog if th ey can do it like Rob does. Dave Lefkow further proves that recruiters are human. How human? So human that there is turnover in recruiting. He was a recruiter until last month when he invented Bacon Salt (you gotta read about it here), and sales took off to the point where he decided to move on and, well, push fake bacon! Dave, best wishes to you as you try out this new venture! If nothing else its a great experience! For the rest of us, its a good reminder that aside from pushing papers around, calling people to only hear NO! and doing all that other recruiter stuff, they have a life, with dreams and ambitions, just like we do! Recruiters are ultra-clever, and always on the lookout for new tools. Jim Stroud shows us non-recruiters what one of the common problems are, and how they are handled (this post is about Sullr, something useful for you when you dont recognize a caller ID number). Yep, recruiters have problems and challenges and are astutely looking for solutions. Just like the rest of us. Okay, so this is sappier than I meant it to be I wanted stories (good or bad) or your recruiter experiences but since I didnt advertise you are stuck with links to things that show that recruiters are human, too Pursuing a home based business opportunity is not worth the effort if you see imminent loans or mortgages right in the beginning. Granted, that personal loans are oft involved during startup, but in limits only. One should first have a look at the free insurance quotes before going ahead with the deal. Prevention is always better then looking for an effective debt management solution.

Easy Ways to Make Your Own Business Resume

Easy Ways to Make Your Own Business ResumeThe format of a business resume should be flexible enough to allow for everything from bulleted lists to tables and the ability to include footnotes. For students who are serious about pursuing a career in business, their resume should be thorough, yet simple to understand. There are several ways you can use to make your own business resume.One of the easiest ways to do this is to have it printed out on paper. You can then lay it on the desk and follow the directions in the manual that came with the computer. This will take a lot of the stress off of you. You should also ensure that the copy you get is clean and error free, which means checking the margins and all other printed areas to make sure they are free of any errors.If you don't have a business on the tip of your tongue right now, you could start with an online business. These are great for your education as well as for networking purposes. You should look at as many resources as poss ible when learning how to create a business resume.A good resource that you can use is your local library. They usually have many business books available and many times will have on-site staff that can help you with anything you need help with. It's always best to ask if they have anything that you need in particular, since they may be able to recommend something you may not have heard of before.The internet also has many resources that can provide you with information about business resume formats. Many people are a little intimidated when it comes to writing, but once you become familiar with it you'll find it easier to write and understand. You can also make sure that you are able to find a resource in your area that can help you with your education and should have a great website where you can learn more about business resume writing.Keep in mind that if you need information on what your options are, you should be able to use the search function to locate it. You should be able to find just about any type of information that you need regarding business resume format from business libraries, the internet, and even local universities. These resources are great for you to be able to find a specific answer for you.When you are looking through various business resumes, you want to take a look at how it looks and how much information is included, especially if it has not been formatted specifically for you. There are some things that you may want to include in your resume and others that you may want to keep away from. You want to ensure that you are able to find the information that you need at a time when you need it, and it shouldn't be hard for you to find.Once you have your business resume, you want to go over it and ensure that it is all in order. You want to make sure that you use the proper formatting so that you are able to see everything you need to know. It is important that your business resume is able to be reviewed quickly to determine if you shou ld continue with your education or not.

New Site Launch and Free Mini-Course and Assessment

New Site Launch and Free Mini-Course and Assessment As you have probably observed, I made a HUGE change on my blog. I have had the same site for two years so this is a BIG move. It has been in the works for quite some time so I am glad to have it finally for you all to see!  I love it because it fits me and my content better. Hopefully you will love it too. Let me know in the comments below what you think of my new site! Also to celebrate the new look, I created a brand new FREE Mini-Course and Career Assessment for you. My mini-course will help you learn how to find work you love and get ahead in your career. You will get an email from me every other day for the next two weeks with videos, audios, worksheets and advice.  You can sign up now on the top right side of my blog! Thats it for today, back to my Lake Tahoe vacation!:) Make sure you like my Facebook page to see all my photos of my trip! Hope you are having a great week!

How to Stay Calm in a Job Interview - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Stay Calm in a Job Interview - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career We all know that job interviews are stressful. Hiring managers and recruiters can understand a little bit anxiety and some stress but being too stressful can prevent showing your true nature and professionalism. As a result, you may end up not getting the offer. Also, some hiring managers and recruiters think that if you are too nervous in a job interview, then, you cannot handle the pressure when you are doing your job. Therefore, you need to learn to control yourself during an interview. Below you can find tips for staying calm during a job interview. Don’t forget that if you stay calm, you can show your confidence and reflect your true self to the others and increase your chance of getting the offer. Go There Prepared: Do your homework before the interview and research the job responsibilities, the company and its culture. Go there knowing why you want the job so much and what you are bringing to the table. Make a mock interview with a friend or with yourself in a mirror and cover the possible interview topics. Also, make a list of questions to ask to the interviewer. You can get help from my previous post “Best Questions to Ask During Interviews” from here. Plan Ahead: Print out copies of your resume a few days before. Don’t wait until the day of the interview. Prepare your clothes and make sure they are ironed. Get at least eight hours of sleep the night before. Plan your travel route to the interview location and try to arrive there 15-20 minutes early. Never be late to the interview. Listen: Be an active listener and answer what is being asked of you. Don’t answer the question just to answer it or talk about something totally different from what is being asked. Don’t cut the interviewer off while s/he is talking. Remember that an interview is a two-way conversation and it is not an inquiry. Therefore, give yourself a break and take the time to listen to the interviewer. Think Positively: Think positively and don’t try to second-guess what the interviewer is thinking about you. Thinking positively will help you relax. As a result, you can focus on your skills and accomplishments easier. Show your strengths and reflect on the key points about yourself to state why you are a great fit to the job.

Resume Writing Perspective

Resume Writing PerspectiveWhen writing your resume, you should take into consideration your resume writing perspective. This is something that many people don't think about when they're writing their resumes. To be successful in your resume writing career, you need to know what you should and shouldn't include on your resume.There are a lot of different things that you can write on your resume. If you aren't familiar with your resume writing perspective, here are some tips for you. Some of these tips are common sense, while others might surprise you.o Include your most important information first: If you're looking for a job, you have to have your resume up to date. Don't leave this important information off of your resume. Make sure that you include the exact name of the company, as well as the exact position that you are applying for. You also need to mention how long you have been with the company. All of this information should be included on your resume.o Include a summary of yo ur previous work: By including a summary of your previous work, you will make your resume easier to read. People often write their resumes on a napkin and throw it in the garbage. You want to make sure that you keep your resume current so that it will look presentable on the interview. This summary could contain things like your name, date of birth, what you did, and more. This is going to help people remember your resume on the first visit to the company.o Include a list of everyone who you have worked with before: You have to list everyone who you have worked with before. This might sound like an odd thing to do, but if you have worked with a lot of people in the past, you should put them on your resume. This will help the interviewer or hiring manager to see who you have been working with previously.o List previous employers' contact information: Many times, your resume will be used to determine who you are going to interview with. As soon as the person sees that you are listing the companies that you have worked with, they are going to remember who you were working with before. You want to list this information down so that they can contact you.o Save all of your information: By saving all of your information on your computer, you will be able to find it easily when you need it. Some people tend to write their resumes off of scraps of paper, but if you keep it on your computer, you will be able to see the information quickly. It will also be easier to navigate through the resume once you have found the information that you need.It's important to think about your resume writing perspective when you're writing it. You should include what you know about the company, as well as the work that you have done for the company.

8 Mistakes You Should Stop Doing In a Skype Interview

8 Mistakes You Should Stop Doing In a Skype Interview Whether you are going to a face-to-face interview with an employer or via Skype, both are still going to be nerve-racking, especially if it’s your first time to be interviewed.Whether it’s an interview for your first job or another job to earn extra money, being nervous is a natural reaction but there are many ways to look more confident. We’ll share with you how in this post.evalThese days, more and more recruiters and employers prefer conducting interviews with job candidates through Skype. It is more efficient and it saves both time and money, both parties would agree.If you are the candidate, you don’t have to go to the employer’s office or get into much trouble as you find your way about when you’re looking for the right building or office.But how will you, as the job candidate, effectively pitch your credentials over a video interview?So many mistakes have been made ever since employers and recruiters began to use Skype as a tool for interviews.In this post, we’ll share with you some of the mistakes in a Skype interview that you can avoid so that you can put your best foot forward and hopefully land the job.1. Not Preparing the BackgroundevalWhen you take the Skype call, most likely, you will be at home, your bedroom, or your home office. Apart from dressing the part just like what you would do in a face-to-face interview, you have to be able to prepare the background as that’s what the interviewer is going to see.Secretly, you may be a slob. That’s something that can be fixed, don’t worry. But you don’t need the interviewer to know that though. Try your best to clean up and organize your things so that you will have a good background. Make it look as professional as you can.evalIf the employer sees a cluttered space, they are going to have a bad first impression of you even before you tell them about your outstanding credentials.2. Not Asking If the Connection is ClearAs soon as you begin with the video interview, ask if the connect ion is clear and if the interviewer can see and hear you clearly. This way, you can avoid any technical difficulties.If you are having some Internet connection problems, it will be better if you don’t proceed with the interview. Apologize, explain the reason, and ask if you can be rescheduled for another interview so that you can secure a proper connection.A poor Internet connection has the potential to contribute to how the interviewer perceives you. Other than that, the interviewer will have a hard time focusing on you and what you are saying if the line is choppy. It may not be your fault but it is still a factor that can affect the overall results of your interview.3. Not Focusing on the InterviewerevalYou may have noticed that whenever you do a video call, you are shown in the bigger screen where the video of the person you are speaking to is displayed and then there’s a smaller video screen where you can see yourself.The trick in doing an effective video interview is to no t get distracted with these video screens. When you talk, look into the camera of your computer directly, that way, you can create a strong eye contact even if it’s just a Skype call.If you can’t resist watching yourself talk, you can easily turn off the video screen and focus on maintaining eye contact, even if it’s with the camera.4. Not Maintaining a Good PostureWhenever you are in a Skype interview, be as presentable and as attentive as you would if you were in the office of the interviewer. Having a good posture is one that you should watch out for.For your video interview, your posture shouldn’t be so stiff yet it shouldn’t be too relaxed either. Strike the balance between these two. Sit a good distance from the camera, not too close so as not to crowd it.Lastly, remember to sit up straight. It will make you look more confident.5. You Don’t Wait for the Interviewer to FinishevalSometimes you may experience some connection delays and you mistakenly talk even before the interviewer is finished talking. Avoid this uncomfortable conversation by waiting for him or her to finish speaking before you give your answer.That way, you are sure that you are not talking over him or her. Also, it will give you a moment to think about how you would answer the question presented to you.6. You Don’t SmileSpeaking to a video of a person on your computer monitor can feel so distant and artificial. It may seem silly to smile but know that there’s another real person at the end of the line who is watching how you conduct yourself during the interview.evalTake the opportunity to show a bit of your personality by smiling. Your face is also a factor when it comes to landing the job. They wouldn’t want a grumpy employee.The trick that you can do here is that before the interview put a sticky note on top of your computer monitor that says “SMILE” so you don’t forget to do so.7. Touching Your Face Too MuchEspecially when nervous, we touch our face too much. Sometimes, we scratch our nose or touch our hair. The fact that you are in an interview is unsettling enough. But you have to be careful not to show that you are nervous. That won’t land you the job.Confidence would. Keep your hands on your lap and resist any temptation to touch your face. You may be conscious of how you appear on the interviewer’s monitor but don’t worry about that. Just look straight into the camera and smile.8. You Don’t Check the LightingIt’s challenging enough to converse with a person over a video call. You don’t want to add more difficulty into it by sitting in a dark room. Make sure that the room you will be in is well-lit and that the interviewer can see you well.evalBefore the interview, ask a friend to help you practice in a mock interview. That way, you can check everything: the connection, the lighting, the background, your posture, and how you conduct yourself.Photo Credit â€" Pixabay.comTakeawayNow that you know the mistakes that you can a void during a Skype interview, you are only a few steps away from landing that job. What you should remember is that above all these things; you should be comfortable and just be yourself.The interviewer would want to get to know you so show some personality. You will be sure to nail that interview!Do you know other tips that can help others with their Skype interview? Share them with us by posting a comment below!

Summary Sunday Up Your Job Search Knowledge

Summary Sunday Up Your Job Search Knowledge Wouldnt it be great if you had all the answers you needed to your job search questions? If this is your first job search, you may not even know what you dont know. If you havent looked for a job in awhile, then you should know that things have changed a bit. Well, Im doing my  part to help build up your job search knowledge. Every week, I compile the most popular articles related to job search. You can see them all here Summary Sunday Archives. If you find this helpful, please, share it with someone! SOCIAL MEDIA How Your Social Media Reputation Impacts Hiring Decisions by Jeff Lipschultz | Job-Hunt.org This thoroughly lays out the how and why social media is being used by over  70% of employers to screen candidates. JOB INTERVIEWING 7 posts that can help you interview better by Bob McIntosh | Things Career Related These articles walk you through the 7 most important things you need to know in order to interview better! JOB SEARCH 50+ Best Websites For Job Search I have vetted all these sites and use them regularly. If you are starting (or re-starting) your job search, I know you will find answers to your questions on one of these sites. CAREER 11 Signs You’re Stuck in a Career Rut (and How to Get Out) [Infographic] Infographic by NetCredit | YouTern Life is too short to be in a job you dont like! This infographic lays out what you can do to  get unstuck!

Interview thank you notes what NOT to write -

Interview thank you notes what NOT to write - Interview thank you notes are important, but a lot of people fail to take this basic step. While unlikely to make an employer totally reverse an opinion about you, when done well, thank-you notes can help you stand out from a crowd of applicants. Consider that a lot of employers interview numerous candidates, many of whom gave similar answers to a series of basic questions. If you want hiring managers to remember you favorably, write a knockout thank-you note; it may make a difference. Interview thank you notes If your messages dont go beyond the following trite and inappropriate phrases and sentiments, youll want to up your game to help your cause. Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the position. If you really want to stand out, consider briefly referencing an off-handed comment the interviewer made, especially if you think it will help the person remember you favorably. For example, Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the position. Since you mentioned you are swamped with the XYZ project, it was so thoughtful of you to spend an hour with me. I hope youll agree, based on my qualifications and background in ABC, I could quickly and easily jump in to help your team achieve its next big goal. I believe my qualifications are perfect for this job. Dont write a note saying youre qualified unless you can back it up with some specifics. Im sorry its taken me so long to get back to you. This is probably one of the worst things you can say in a thank-you note, as you effectively point out that you cant manage your time well enough to get a basic project finished. Please enjoy this gift as a token of my appreciation. Do not expect a grand gesture, such as sending flowers or cookies, will help an employer decide to hire you. Im calling to follow up. Its OK to call to follow up via phone after a certain time frame. (Hopefully, a time period you determined before you left the interview.) However, a phone call is not an appropriate or effective way to thank the interviewer. If anything, it could cause you to receive negative attention, as it may annoy him or her. A thank you note is your chance to stand out; make sure the employers impression of you after reading your message is positive and youll have a much better chance to move on in the process. Read the rest on my U.S. News World Report column. photo by  maher berro