21
Feb
14
Feb
Landing a High-Paying Job in Tough Times
As the Australian job market is softening, finding a well paid job is becoming a more challenging task than before. National Australia Bank’s quarterly business survey, released in February 2013, shows a clear majority of firms cut their payrolls in the December 2012 quarter and intend cutting further in the March 2013 quarter. Landing high-paying jobs in the current business environment requires not only education and talent, but also a lot of work invested by job seekers. Here are four solid tips to help you land a well paid job.
Keep a close eye on company websites
Go direct. A comprehensive research of sources-of-hire from SilkRoad concluded in 2012 that company career sites were the number one online recruitment source for interviews and hires in the US. This research results showed that the number of interviews and hires from job applications made on employer websites exceeded any other online source – including individual Job Boards and vertical job search sites. In Australia, Snipey lists more than 20,000 jobs directly from employer websites – many are not advertised on commercial Job Boards, which charge advertising fees. Applying for direct jobs can save your potential employer significant recruitment costs and may put you in a better position to negotiate an increased salary package.
Develop your soft skills
Great managers usually have outstanding soft skills. So get used to the idea that achieving a well paid leadership position requires more than just being technically good at your job. Soft skills revolve around personal relationships, character, and attitude. If you are finding that some of these soft skills do not come naturally to you, you must learn how to improve them so they’ll become a natural reflex for you in dealing with people every day. Some of the basics are: make eye contact, monitor your body language, practice speaking and develop your writing skills. Remember that soft skills are something you’ll need to cultivate on an on-going basis if you want to land a high-paying job.
Keep your technical skills updated
Knowledge professions (e.g. IT, Engineering, Marketing and Finance) require you to keep learning. Professional development is a key whether you are employed or not. If you are employed try to expand your skill set through new and diversified assignments. Look for new opportunities within your organisation that will leverage and expand your skill set. Try to seek broad tasks of increased responsibilities to establish a more diversified professional experience. Whether you are employed or not aim to participate in courses that enhance or update your professional development, especially in the case of IT jobs , Accounting jobs and Marketing jobs , which often require frequent update in knowledge base.
Be a strategic networker
Well-paid jobs are often filled through personal networking, sometimes before there is an official opening for a job. Being an effective networker often involves being influential, relevant, honest, consistent and thankful. There are important avenues to demonstrate your expertise and establish yourself as a leader in your industry. For example, you can volunteer for industry trade associations, speak at conferences and publish a blog to establish your leadership position. Try to go for specific networking groups – online and offline – and remember to be patient. Being a ‘job hopper’ may be regarded as a red flag for some employers and recruiters.
By Chris Jones, Snipey Job Search
07
Feb
Creating a Personal Brand
Building a brand for yourself has become a relatively new and stressed concept for job seekers and career coaching. In today’s world more focus has been placed on the individual ensuring that we are handling our own careers and career path and moving away from focusing on defining yourself based on a job title. Regardless of age, position, or the business we are in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding as a brand ensures you are being represented the way YOU want. Everyone has the opportunity to learn how to market their brand, improve and build upon their skills and market themselves. The following are some ways to create your personal brand:
Rethinking the way you view your career: Like we mentioned previously, you shouldn’t be focusing on your job title or viewing yourself as an employee. Instead you should be asking what do I bring to my job of value and what of my skills or experiences that I am most proud of. It is these skills, experiences and assets that help create your brand.
Reassess your loyalties: Your brand and loyalty to yourself should be placed first, then loyalty to your team, your project, your customers, and your company. You should still maintain your high level of work quality but remember to always be protecting your brand.
Authenticity: You can’t promote an honest brand about yourself until you are honest about who you are, meaning your skills, attributes and qualities.
Learn from the big “boys”: Big brands highlight what makes them different form their competition and you need to do the same. Identify what makes you distinctive from the competition, what makes you stand out and your greatest strengths compared to others.
Visibility: Build your profile internally and externally to make yourself more visible and stand out from t he competition. Examples include networking, volunteering for high-profile projects, showcase your skills in presentations, submit articles for internal or external publications, and use social media platforms, such as LinkedIn and Twitter to promote yourself.
Consistency: Once you have developed and designed your brand, you have to make sure that your message is consistent. Everything you do, or choose not to do, impacts your personal brand, this means from the way you talk on the phone to the way you behave at meetings or write emails all affects your brand.
Your network: Your friends, colleagues, clients, and customers are an important marketing vehicle for your brand. What is said about you by them helps influence and also determine the value of your brand.
Look for feedback: It’s critical to keep checking the value of your brand and this is done primarily be seeking feedback and asking those around you for honest constructive feedback. Another way to check your brand influence is to go for job interviews, regardless of whether you wish to change jobs, which will help you test your market value.
Perform regular checks: You should keep checking what motivates you as your goals or desires could have changed and then your brand should reflect those new changes as well. Write yourself a personal statement about why you work and check it regularly to see if it has changed.
Author: Vlasta Eriksson
Founder and Managing Director
Signature Staff
www.signaturestaff.com.au
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28
Jan
6 Tips To Finding Success At Job Fairs
Register ahead of time. There are many different types of job and career fairs, including informational fairs about graduate programs and post-graduate service programs. Many job fairs, especially ones at college campuses, allow job-seekers to register online prior to the event to see a list of companies attending the fair. Some even allow you to submit your resume or set up interview appointments ahead of time. This is an easy step that can help you make the most of your time at the job fair and find the companies that interest you.
Do your homework. I’ve gone to several career and post-graduate fairs without doing any research beforehand to browse the companies and schools attending. Take it from me; this will be a waste of your time. About half of the career/post-graduate fairs I’ve been to had few, if any companies that even interested me. Had I simply gone to the job fair website and looked at a list of companies/ organizations attending I could have skipped looking around at companies I had no intention of working for and gone straight to the booths of companies that did interest me and possibly set up an interview ahead of time. Find out the companies attending the job fair, do some research on them and make the most out of a chance to meet and possibly interview for a job.
Have a professional resume ready to go. Companies use job fairs to meet and screen a large number of candidates at once. Don’t miss your chance by not being prepared with copies of your professional resume ready to hand out. Most hiring managers won’t waste their time following up with you to get your resume, having copies will show that you’re serious about working for the company.
Dress for success. If a job fair is located on campus, you might get the impression this is an informal occasion and that it’s okay to stroll out of class in your sweats and t-shirt to take a look at the companies—please don’t! These are real companies and representatives attending the fair, it’s imperative that you make a good first impression if you want a chance at landing a job. The person you meet may or may not remember you later, but don’t risk your first impression being a bad one if you care about the position.
Network. Use your time at the job fair to meet with representatives from companies, ask about any questions you have and pick up information they may be giving out. It’s also a good idea to talk to other students and job-seekers that share the same interests in organizations. You can actually learn some valuable information from peers looking in the same field as you.
Market yourself. If you’re not able to set up an interview ahead of time with companies attending the fair, you only have a brief chance to market yourself and make a good first impression. Prepare a quick list of some of your key strengths and top achievements to easily tell employers about when you get the opportunity.
© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com
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16
Jan
Benefits of Using a Job Recruiter To Help With Your Job Searching
If you are reading this article then you are probably looking for more information regarding the benefits of using a recruiter to help you find a job. In this article, you will find some useful information on how a good recruiter can help you with your job search.
It is important to point out that an expert recruiter can give you a major advantage over your competition. You should be aware that there is a “hidden job market” and a recruiter has inside knowledge that can enable you to find and access jobs that you would otherwise never get to know about.
It is important that you are aware of the roles of a recruiter and these are to find jobs that need to be filled and then to find the right individual to fill that particular role. Therefore, the recruiter will firstly find positions which are open and then they will try to find suitable candidates to help that particular company fill that role.
Another benefit of using a recruiter is the fact that they can help you to prepare for the interview process. If you are using a recruiter then you will have a big advantage over other people, as the recruiter will be able to tell you specific information which will enable you to stand out from the crowd and therefore increase your chances of getting the job. It is important to point out that those people who have applied independently will not have access to this information. Understanding the culture of the organisation you are applying for is vital for success. It is highly likely that an experienced recruiter will have a long lasting relationship with their client and therefore be able to pass on key tips and information to help you stand out during the interview process. The more inside information you can attain about the company or hiring manager, the greater your chances are of securing that new job.
In addition to helping you prepare for the job interview, the recruiter can help you with the actual interview process through role-play exercises. The more prepared you can be for the job interview the greater you will be able to answer those tough interview questions. Nothing is worse than stuttering your way through an interview because you are unprepared. Utilise the expertise of recruiters and their knowledge of probable interview questions that will be asked.
Using a recruiter to help you find a job has many advantages and benefits. With knowledge of the job market, a skilled recruiter can help guide you towards success and give you a big advantage over your competition who are applying for the same jobs.
© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com
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01
Dec
6 Tips To Help Organize Your Time While Job Searching
Job searching can be overwhelming, long and tiresome. In order to use your time productively and get the best results, you should organize your activities and set short-term goals. Organizing your time will help you to stay focused, avoid burning out and help you to achieve maximum results.
Below are some tips for activities you can focus on to organize your time, but remember there are many ways you can do this according to your objectives, schedule, career field, and any interviews, new job postings or contacts that emerge. You can choose certain days to focus on a couple of activities, adapting your schedule to any contact leads or interviews you get from employers:
It’s a good idea to spend some time each day checking the top career websites in your field. You may even want to choose one or two career sites to focus on each day. Make a list of the positions that interest you and that match your skills and experiences. You should make time to fill out an application, customize your resume and cover letter to the position and include any other specifications to apply for the job within the same week.
Research companies or organizations in your field that interest you. Save your top companies and frequently refer back to their websites for job postings. Remember to also research small companies in your field of interest. It can often be easier to land an entry-level position in a smaller company when you’re first starting out.
Spend some time building your social networks and relevant career site profiles.
Make time to talk to family and friends about anyone they may know in the field you’re interested in. Ask them for contacts to set up an informational phone call or meeting so you can network and learn about any hiring fairs or updates in the field.
If an employer contacts you to set up an interview, your first priority is to research the company and prepare for your interview.
Read up on relevant news or information in your field. Employers like to see that you stay updated on developments in the field and you’ll also gain more insight into the job market.
Try to create goals for yourself each week. They can be simple goals, such as: find and read 3 articles related to your field; find and apply to 5 relevant positions, catering your professional resume and cover letter to those specific jobs; create your LinkedIn profile and join groups in the type of work that interests you; create a list of organizations you want to research—you get the idea!
Setting goals each week will help you stay focused and motivated so that you can find the right positions and eventually land a job.
© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com
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14
Nov
Tips On Selecting The Best Job Recruitment Agent
Every job market is unique and in order to gain the most out of your job search, working alongside a specialised recruiter can be your ticket to success. Just as you may use a mechanic to help you with your car or a plumber to help stop your leaking tap, an expert recruiter can help you find a new job that matches your requirements. Best of all, it’s completely free for you to use. Even if they find you a job, you will never have to pay a cent. The employer fits this bill.
In order to find the best recruiters, the first thing you need to do is spend some time researching recruiters in your industry. For example, if you are a senior accountant, you need to align yourself with accounting recruiters who specialise in senior management accounting positions. There is no point in wasting time speaking to accounting recruiters who only specialise in graduate recruitment. To further maximise your research, do some investigating into the recruiter company’s clients. Many times, recruiters will work with the same set of clients. If you wish to work for a large multinational company, you will need to find recruiters who have these contacts. A small boutique recruitment firm is more likely to work with smaller clients as they don’t have the size to be able to recruit for larger organisations.
How can I begin to find a job recruiter who can help me?
Creating a LinkedIn profile and networking would be my number one piece of advice to job seekers. Once you have a professional LinkedIn profile that highlights your experience, achievements, skills and expertise, you can begin to network and research recruiters in your field. Typically, most recruitment firms are listed on LinkedIn and you can search within their company profiles to find individual recruiters.
How do I know if a certain recruitment agent is right for me?
Building up trust and rapport with your recruiter is vital to finding success. Many people send their resume blindly to a recruitment company and wonder why no one calls them back. In order to have the recruiter searching for jobs on your behalf (remember recruiters don’t get paid until they place you) they need to know that you’re serious about the job search. Go and meet your recruiter face to face. Be upfront with your recruiter and tell them the types of roles you require and the companies you wish to work for. If you can provide a recruiter with all the information that they require they will be able to work as best as they can on your behalf.
Final thought:
Finding the right recruiter can certainly help you in your job search. Having someone with inside knowledge will increase your odds of finding a new job. However, just because you have a recruiter working on your behalf don’t think that you can just sit back and relax. Finding the right recruiter is only one aspect of job seeking. In the competitive job environment, you need to be constantly networking to ensure that you are ready when the opportunity presents itself.
© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com
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07
Nov
Should I Use A Specialist Recruitment Agent to Help Me Find A Job
These days, landing a regular job can be quite an arduous task. The world economy is in turmoil and job seekers are experiencing uncertainty and distress. Even though jobs are hard to find that does not mean that there are none available, you just need some help in tracking them; and this is where a recruiter comes in handy. If you are still unsure about using a specialist recruiter to help with your job hunt, then maybe these benefits will be able to change your mind about job recruiters.
Three Benefits to Using a Specialist Recruitment Agent
Job Recruitment Agencies Know Where the Jobs Are:
As mentioned previously, due to the financial crisis, many companies have started downsizing their workforce in order to cope, but not all of them are doing that. There are still quite a lot of companies that are looking for skilled workers to help them with day-to-day operations, and these companies often hire recruitment agencies to help them find the best employees. If you go to a recruitment office and they believe that you may be a perfect fit for a job opening that they have, then they will send you to the company with their recommendation.
Recruiters Know What Kind of Person the Company is Looking For:
Companies do not just hire any person to fill in the vacancies; they need people who have certain skills, experience and qualities that will make them perfect for the job at hand. If you consult with a recruiter about a job opening at a certain company, they will usually tell you what kind of people that company is looking for and type of culture of that company. When the time comes for you to interview, you can use this inside information to stand out against your competitors.
Recruiters Know What Kind of Job is Perfect for You:
If you have recently been laid off from your job, you may be in a situation where you need to think about changing your career. A professional recruiter can provide you with advice on alternate career paths where you can transfer your current skills into a new role. Just because you have experience in one particular industry or one particular position, this does not mean that your skills are not required within different industries.
What Else Can I Do?
Using a recruiter to help you find a new job is only one strategy you should employ. Ensure you network with as many people as possible to find out different opportunities that may exist. Also, don’t forget to keep your resume up to date and keep practicing your interview techniques.
© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com
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27
Sep
Tips On How To Make Your Accounting Resume Stand Out
How to make your accounting resume stand out from the crowd:
The most common questions I receive from accounting students and graduates are “what do I do if my accounting grades are not fantastic?” and “what can I include in my resume that will make it stand out?” The first thing to remember is that most organisations are looking for students and graduates who are willing to learn, are able to be innovative and who work well in a team environment.
My advice for students that don’t have distinction average marks is to focus on highlighting other areas where you can add value to an organisation. Just like the major accounting firms are instant recognisable brands, as a graduate you need to think of yourself as a brand that you are trying to sell to a hiring manager. Think about what makes you unique and how you can sell yourself to that particular organisation. When a hiring manager reads an accounting resume, he or she presumes that all candidates share relatively the same type of skills. In order to stand out, you need to market yourself effectively.
How To Make Your Accounting Resume Stand Out:
Include Accounting Keywords:
With the demand for accounting internships and graduate jobs so high, graduate hiring managers can often receive upwards of 500 – 1000 resumes. As such, many firms now use software programs as a way of performing “first round interviews”. Using selected accounting keywords will ensure that your resume passes the first stage of selection and will not be deleted before a hiring manager has even had a chance to read your application. The best way to find these keywords is by simply reading the job positions. See what the company is looking for and make sure your resume is full of these keywords!
Provide Specific Accounting Examples:
Hiring managers hate to read clichéd resumes. It’s boring and adds no value to your resume. Use examples as much as possible to highlight your examples and the value-added skills that you can bring to the job.
Target the Position that you are applying for:
As a graduate (or soon to be graduate), everything you include in your resume needs to reinforce the message to the reader that you are the right candidate for the position. Don’t waste time on information that doesn’t reflect your suitability for this particular position. Being a good skier and having an interest in tennis is not relevant to an accounting job. Although you may not have relevant job experience, you can still highlight relevant skills that you have acquired throughout your university career and target these skills toward the role you are applying for.
© RedStarResume Publications – http://www.bestresponseresume.com
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