Blogging your way into a Job

With the 2008 recession looming in the distance (depending on what part of the country you're in, it's not all that distant at all), it might be time to start a blog.

Even if you're still employed you can supplement your income with a website. Have a passion? Start writing about it. Network online with like individuals, then start writing timely and targeted informative posts that answer key questions that others who share your passion have. By timely, I mean keep an eye out for trends in the news that will cause people to search for terms in your area. Then quickly get a post up answering exactly those questions. Even if its just pointers to where to get the right information, you'll start to become known as an authority on the subject. By targeted, I mean stick to the subject at hand. If you want to have a personal website, or a meta-blog that talks about blogging, keep that on the side. The sole purpose of this blog is to build your authority in the community that surrounds your passion.

Who knows, the end result just might be you get employed doing the very thing your most passionate about. All because you write an authoritative blog on the subject matter.

For a quick five minute set up to your own blog, I recommend you give either Wordpress.com or Blogger.com a try. If you want something more professional with reliable hosting and plenty of other bells and whistles then TypePad is the choice for you. There's a monthly charge for hosting. But I use it for my other professional blog.

Any of the above can be set up by the average internet user in five to ten minutes. For the slightly more advanced user, I recommend that you also purchase your own domain name for your website then use the domain masking service provided by all three of the above services to make it appear as if you're hosting your own website at your domain, even when you really aren't. This allows portability in the future should you wish to move to another service. My recommendation for affordable domain registration is www.GoDaddy.com .

Blogging is the first step. In the future I'll be writing about what other social media steps you can take to further your career. Good luck, I hope you won't need the services of Resume Upgrade in the near future, but if you're hit in the recession. A little planning ahead may make your next job search easy.

Tags: resume, job+hunt, career, job+blog, blog, blogging, weblog, career+advice

How thinking like management can help your career

Here's some good advice for anyone looking for career advancement: think like your boss.

The first key to thinking like management is to understand their motivations. What or who do they fear? Who do they need to impress? What will make them look bad (or good)? This might mean thinking macro and seeing things above your pay grade, but it will help you understand the good and the bad decisions they make. Just as a good boss takes the time to understand things from his employees’ point of view, the wise employee tries to understand her boss.

Not only can this help you in your current job, but if you're applying for a new position, put yourself in your future bosses shoes. Ask what pressures are affecting their job and then be clear on how you can help relieve that stress and solve those problems. (Via The Job Bored)

Tags: job, career, job interview, interview, career+hunting, hunting, resume

Ten Tips For Writing A Resume That Will Get The Right Kind Of Attention

The Simple Dollar has Ten Tips For Writing A Resume That Will Get The Right Kind Of Attention. I do disagree with the first point, keep it to one page (it's a guideline, not a rule), but the rest of his points are excellent.

1. One page only, period.
2. Write everything with active verbs.
3. List everything positive that you can think of about past positions, and use the best.
4. Be concrete.
5. Assert your abilities strongly right at the top, but be sure they’re backed up by the concrete achievements that follow.
6. Lead off with home runs.
7. Leave accurate and professional contact info.
8. Write a one-page cover letter, always.
9. Be professional on social networking sites.
10. Don’t be flashy in the design of the resume.

(Read)

Tags: resume, career, jobhunting, job hunting, coverletter

How To Write A Resume, a new guide.

Mahalo, a different kind of search engine with people moderated results, has posted a how-to on writing a resume. Lots of good stuff there. Particularly the example of how not to make a video resume.

I would make one recommendation opposite of the guide however. Don't include an 'Objective' section on your resume (see my previous post). That information goes in your cover letter.

The recipient of your resume already knows you're interested in the position, to state so again is redundant. Instead, use that space to sell yourself with a 'Summary' that highlights the specific skillset needed for the position you're applying to and how you're the perfect candidate.

Tags: resume, howto, guide, mahalo

Six Figure Jobs Await, Don't Be Shy.

Consistently named Forbes "Best of the Web" by Forbes Magazine, 6FigureJobs is ranked the industry-leading site for Executive Job Seekers and Career Resources. They offer thousands of jobs ranging from senior manager level to "C-Level" (CIO, CFO, CEO, etc.). Membership at the site is free to the career seeker.

At 6FigureJobs you'll find the largest database of $100K+ jobs from the leading companies, including hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies to smaller organizations, as well as executive recruiting firms. The site is also a frequent destination for thousands of Corporate HR and Executive Recruiters looking to find and hire top professional talent for their $100K+ positions.

6FigureJobs is the leading online executive career portal. FREE! Resume posting with full confidentiality! Search through thousands of $100k+ executive and management level opportunities. Also find all of the tools and resources you need to enhance and advance your successful career.

Post your Resume Today!

What to put for College Education if you never graduated

One interesting consideration for your resume is what to put under education if you have only a partial completion at the university level. The most important thing is not to lie or imply. Don't make the interviewer think you earned a degree but did not, because if they follow up on that point and believe you were lying, there goes the job. This thread a Ask Metafilter explores the issue.

My inclination would be to put something like this

Education

Whoville High School 1990-1994
University Nevada 1994-1997 (course of study: business admininstration)

Always include your most recent complete degree. If you don't have a AA then that would be high school. If you have additional studies after that, such as computer classes, etc. You could list them as well. The goal is to show that while college may not have been for you, you are still very interested in learning new things. Which is exactly what I'd emphasize in the interview as well.

Dissecting the Job Interview

Seth Godin, marketing guru and purple cow author, dissects the Job Interview Process. His point of view is from the companies, but as a candidate you might pick up a few pointers if you're astute. For instance, Godin notes:

At least half the interview finds the interviewer giving an unplanned and not very good overview of what the applicant should expect from this job. Unlike most of the marketing communications the organization does, this spiel is unvetted, unnatural and unmeasured.

Well, what if you as a candidate were prepared with research on the company and was ready to give this speil yourself. Explain the history of the company as you see it and how you fit in. Then to top it off you ask to see some current projects you would be working on so you can talk about them with your future team.

Find some way to add value even in the applicant process and that's a foot and a half in the door.

27 money saving tips for college students

Wish I had read these when I was an incoming freshman. I might actually have a few more dollars saved away toward retirement than I do now. Funny thing is, many of these pointers apply now some *cough* 15 years after my graduation.

Bad news for America's workers, but we already knew it

Bad news for America's workers:

The median hourly wage for American workers has declined 2 percent since 2003, after factoring in inflation. The drop has been especially notable, economists say, because productivity — the amount that an average worker produces in an hour and the basic wellspring of a nation's living standards — has risen steadily over the same period.

Lest you think this is just a blip to be ignored:

Ben S. Bernanke, the Federal Reserve chairman, did not specifically discuss wages, but he warned that the unequal distribution of the economy's spoils could derail the trade liberalization of recent decades. Because recent economic changes "threaten the livelihoods of some workers and the profits of some firms," Mr. Bernanke said, policy makers must try "to ensure that the benefits of global economic integration are sufficiently widely shared."

It's important that "unequal distribution" get turned around soon. Unless your congress critter has a clear plan for doing so, it's probably a good idea to vote them out this election. This article in the New York Times seems to think Republicans will take the hardest hit.

What do you think? Has your earning power actually declined when you consider inflation (gas prices anyone?) or are you better off today than you were three years ago? (Link)

50 common job interview questions and how to answer them.

50 common job interview questions and how to answer them. It's not a comprehensive list, but it's pretty good. Most answers can be summed up with: stay positive, always talk about your strengths (even if it's turning a weakness into a strength), and be prepared - do your research on the company before the interview. (Via)

Middle Aged Men Dropping Out Of The Workforce

The New York Times has a long article that looks at the growing mass of middle aged men (30-55) who once had successful careers and now find themselves on the outside of America's economy.

About 13 percent of American men in this age group are not working, up from 5 percent in the late 1960’s. The difference represents 4 million men who would be working today if the employment rate had remained where it was in the 1950’s and 60’s.

Many are unwilling to take low paying jobs even if that's all there is. 13% of Men who should be driving America's economy are staying at home instead of participating in the new economy of lower paying jobs, fewer benefits, and longer commutes. How did things go so wrong?

Steps into the nonprofit workplace

Looking for work in the nonprofit field, but want to try out the organization first, then volunteer. Volunteering gives you a chance to see if the organization is really doing good, and it gives the organization a chance to see if you'll be a good fit in its family.

Volunteering is also a good way to show your strong work habits when inbetween jobs.

There are a number of websites that collect Volunteer listings. Here are a few of the biggies: Idealist.org, Volunteer Match, Network for Good, and Points of Light.

Of course, you don't need to be looking for a job to volunteer.

ID Theft and your resume

It's a sad fact of living in the world today that one must be constantly on the guard for ID Theft. But if you're doing a job search you're constantly sending out your personal information potentially into the hands of those who would use it to do you harm.

So how can you mitigate the chances of ID theft happening to you. The most important is probably to never give out your social security number on anything but an official application you fill out in the HR office. Mail can be intercepted. Online applications may not be sent securely over the net.

More controversial is to not put your street address on your resume. Instead do something like

Joe Strong
(street address withheld for privacy)
City, State

This would prevent anyone who intercepts your resume from associating details of your background (such as current employer) with your current address. I'm not sure how I feel about this. If I were reviewing resumes would I doc that person for points, or reward them for being cautious with their personal information and hoping they would do the same with the companies info.

A quandary for sure.

Fired! Laugh along with these famous firings.

Before you get hired in a new job you've either quit or been fired from your old job. If it's the latter then you'll probably want to get this book to comfort yourself in what could be a depressing period in your life. Fired! : Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized, and Dismissed, by Annabelle Gurwitch, is a hilarious look at the firings of some famous people who've been fired at one time or another.

Some of the celebrities interviewed include: Felicity Huffman, David Cross, Bill Maher, Brian Unger, Anne Meara, Tate Donovan, Judd Apatow, Jeff Garlin, Tim Allen, D.L. Hughley, Robert Reich, and Andy Dick.

You may also want to visit Gurwitch's web site which encourages people to turn in tales of their own firings.

[ Tags: job, career, fired, annabelle+gurwitch, celebrities, humor, funny, book+review, resume ]