The Hiring Process, The Internet, The Job Seeker

The internet has certainly changed a lot of things, and one of those is the hiring process, especially in regard to the applicant or job seeker. As a staffing consultant with over 20 years of experience, I have witnessed, implemented and survived the business changes in managing the hiring process for several major Fortune 100 companies. As an outplacement consultant, I have observed job seekers’ frustration and disappointment due to the lack of communication from companies concerning their applications. This is especially true if the internet is the only vehicle the job seeker is using for their job search. In today’s fast-paced, action-packed world, the job seeker must utilize a variety of strategies and tactics when seeking the next career. Otherwise they are left alone staring into the black hole of cyberspace.


During the emergence of the internet in the early nineties, many companies were downsizing; plus, the consolidation and buy-outs during the first decade of this century has created a very unstable job market. Unfortunately, this has resulted in companies creating smaller Human Resource departments, asking employees to “do more with less”, outsourcing and a host of other programs aimed at keeping corporate costs under control.


However, companies still need to hire new employees. The first wave of babyboomers is ready for retirement. Companies look for the most effective method to conduct their business, and computers, along with the internet, offers a plethora of systems and techniques. They now have a whole array of options for placing job ads versus the old standby of putting them in the classifieds. Companies can place them on their own job board at their website; place it on a “universal or global” website or professional association websites, etc for nominal costs. It is much easier for them to get the word out about their opportunities in today’s internet environment. Also, in some large companies, it is standard practice for one human resource recruiter to have between 50 and 150 open positions at one time.


From the job seeker perspective, the internet has made it possible for hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals to press a button and submit a resume to a company for an opening, and it becomes a numbers game. It is no wonder companies have turned to applicant tracking software to handle the massive amounts of traffic some of them receive each day from job seekers. While the software does help sort through the barrage of resumes, it is not “smart” by any means. It only matches words or key phrases from the resume to the position. (That’s the main reasons job seekers are encouraged to use key words or phrases in their resumes from the job description.) Unfortunately, this software is used as a siphoning funnel by companies where all the information is received but there is none given back. This causes frustration for the seeker who submits resume after resume but gets nothing in return. From my experience, this is standard operating procedure in today’s job market. There are a few, select companies, who actually will email applicants once the job has been filled. Consider yourself fortunate if you are given any feedback.


I believe the lack of personalization, in the hiring process over the internet, has increased the importance of networking when searching for a new position. Many times, the job seeker must find ways around the Human Resource Department and the system software. The human touch, going directly to a hiring manager or other individuals who can personally deliver your resume, is the best method for securing a second look. This often leads to an interview and a job offer.


Networking has always been the best way to find the next job. However, successful networking takes work. It’s getting involved with people. It’s about “putting on your best face” and talking to people about job opportunities.


Networking can be subtle, cunning, overt, simple or complex, to name a few. Networking is all about letting others know of your desire for a position. The most successful job seekers hone their craft. They have several different strategies and techniques to use at their disposal in a moment’s notice. While computers are a great tool, hiring, to me, is a human resource function. It is all about the person to person contact – and that’s called – networking.


By Joy Jung

The 7 Deadly Mistakes Of Job-Seekers

I have been a professional career consultant for more than 20 years having worked with high school students, college students, graduates and professionals looking for career change. Job seekers consistently make the same mistakes but these can be avoided.
Job hunting has become a lot more difficult with a slow economy and a higher unemployment rate. Looking for a job can be stressful and daunting not to mention a tedious process. To compound the difficulties, most job seekers fall trap to some of the deadliest job hunting mistakes but the problem is they don’t know it.


In today’s competitive job market, it’s imperative that job seekers recognize these deadly mistakes in order to counter them and increase their chances of landing a job. So if you’re reading this then chances are you are looking for a job or know somebody else who is. Check out the seven deadliest mistakes that should be avoided.


Deadly Mistake 1: Jobseekers can be Clueless in Writing a Good Resume. Let’s be frank here. Many job seekers don’t truly know what employers want and know even less about how to write a good resume or cover letter that reflects what the employer is looking for. Tip: Avoid doing what most job seekers do – that is, most people try to write a job application without any help or the right tools. Even if you think you’re a brilliant writer the chances are you don’t truly know how to write a job application to the standard that employers expect. The best way to get those resume writing skills up to scratch is to get help from a professional career coach or get access to a quality resume builder. If dollars are a bit tight then you might choose to buy a good resume software program as professional coaching can be a little expensive. Now you might find a free website builder out there but frankly you generally get what you pay for. Want quality? Tip: Pay for it.


Deadly Mistake 2: Not Recognizing the Skills You Have. Job seekers consistently make the same mistake – they just don’t highlight their skills and abilities to employers, or at least, not enough. Want to know why? They just don’t recognize the many skills and talents they have or find it difficult to articulate these skills into words. Tip: Do some quick online research with keywords such “skills in the workplace or work skills.”


Deadly Mistake 3: Not Doing Enough Research about the Company or the Job. Veteran job hunters know the importance of research and how it can increase the chances of success. As a contrast, many first time job seekers make the mistake of not researching the company they’re applying to. During a job interview, there can be some challenging questions relating to the company you’re applying to so be prepared. Tip: Make sure you check out the company website to get an insight into its projects and trends and study the company values and mission statement if there is one. The organization may also have an annual report which can be very useful to get the inside edge on what’s going on.


Deadly Mistake 4: Arriving Late during a Job Interview. Arriving late for a job interview is absolutely in the no go zone. Arriving late will be seen as a sign of being unprofessional which can certainly hurt your chances of getting the job. Remember, first impressions last. Tip: Arrive around 10-15 minutes early and always phone ahead to the employer if you are going to be late.


Deadly Mistake 5: Being Complacent or Too Confident. Being over overconfident or too complacent can be two of the worst mistakes a bright and talented job seeker could make. Tell-tale signs of these two mistakes can emerge in your written applications or at the job interview. Tip: Get someone to critique your application prior to sending it or conduct a mock interview with them. The important thing is to find the right balance between being too complacent or over confident.


Deadly Mistake 6: Uncomfortable Body Language. Body language plays an extremely important role in job interviews – it will make or break your chances. It’s normal to be nervous when you are being scrutinized by a potential employer. Often we are not aware of our distracting body language. That is how we sit, fidget or our awkward facial expressions. Tip: Do an online search of the worst job interviews of all time – then avoid doing those annoying mannerisms.


Deadly Mistake 7: Mentioning Negative Things about Past Employers or Co-workers. Badmouthing your past employers or co-workers is a huge mistake because the rationale from a prospective employer could be that if you badmouth a past employer then you are likely to badmouth them also. Tip: Just don’t do it ever, period. Instead, predict that you may get this question and think ahead of some positive aspects of your previous job or boss that you can mention.


Job hunting can be tricky especially to first time job seekers who don’t know the seven deadly mistakes when looking for a job. It is essential that you figure out how to best sell yourself and your abilities in order to increase your chances of landing the job. If you want to get the edge on applying for jobs and beating your competition then you will need the right tools to help get you there.


By Trudy Byrnes

Employment Search – Top 10 Tips for Seeking Jobs

Jobs are an important part of our lives. We all want to make sure that our career take the right kind of turns so that we can develop our career fast. Therefore it is always very important to make sure that you land yourself in the right job. Employment search is one of the most important things that we need to do.

People who are seeking jobs need to follow certain tips which will help them to get the right job. There are people who tend to ask the basic question which is how to find a job.

It is somewhat true the job search is quite a tedious task and it requires lots of time investment. There are certain things that are required for this search. You need to learn about these things and make sure that you are ready with all these things.

These days’ people look for the jobs on the internet. Internet has become one of the most preferred sources searching for jobs. There are certain tips which can be helpful for the job seekers.

1. The first thing you need to do is search frequently. If you are looking for the jobs on the internet then you need to be careful because the information on the internet changes quite frequently. One of the benefits of internet is that the job application can be posted within a few seconds.

2. The next job search tip which you need to keep in mind is creating a good resume. If you are unable to write your own resume then always try to take professional help. Most of the job search engines offer professional help to write your resume. They usually charge for this.

3. Thirdly you must always begin with the beginner’s job. They will not only help you learn the job but will also help you to gain experience which will enrich your resume. If you can increase your years of experience then you will get lots of good opportunities in future.

4. Research is one of the best ways for the job seekers to search for the jobs. Internet can help you perform the research for employment search.

5. When you are hunting for a job try to treat it as a job itself. This will help you to concentrate on it in a better way. It is very important to maintain a discipline for searching a job.

6. It will be better if you find out the name and contact number of the hiring manager of the company in which you applied for your job. You can then send in your resume directly to the hiring manager.

7. One of the best ways to ensure interview calls is to increase your visibility. You must always update your profile in the employment search engines to make sure you stay on top.

8. You must be open to every kind of possibilities.

9. After you go for employer search find out details about the employer you are interested in.

10. Make sure you take up self assessment before you find a job.

By Silas Reed