By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Sean Harry As a job seeker, you have a resume and you send it to every possible job opening you can find. You make sure every recruiter in town has at least one copy on her desk. It's posted in six places on Monster.com and four places on ...[Read Entry]

Almost every article - or career coach - will tell you that in order to do well in an interview - and to ultimately get the job offer, you must "Be Prepared.” But what if you don't know how to prepare?

- "What does prepared look like?”
- "How do I know what they are going to ask?”
- "How can I make them I hire me?”
- "What if I'm not REALLY qualified or able to do this job?”

These are common concerns and questions - but where do you find the answers?

Tough Job Market

You are more than aware that you are in a tough job market and that you will have to do something to make yourself stand out from the rest of the crowd. You realize that you are competing against the odds.

The question is, "How can you make yourself stand out when there are so many other candidates looking at the same job?”

The answer is: "BRAND YOURSELF.”[Read Entry]

Do you need to write a cover letter or create a resume? Well-written letters and resumes can make a big difference in the outcome of your job search.

Rather than starting from scratch and trying to figure out what to write, it's helpful to review examples to get ideas for your own letters. Find a resume or letter that fits your circumstances, then edit it so it's personalized.

Here are a variety of resume and letter samples including resumes, CVs, cover letters, thank you letters, reference letters, resignation letters, follow up letters, letters requesting time off from work, letters accepting or rejecting a job offer, letters requesting help from a networking contact, and more of the employment letters you'll need to write when you're job hunting or making connections who can help grow your career.

There's also a collection of student resumes and letters, just for high school students, college students, and recent graduates.  And when you're applying via email, here are job search email samples to review.

More: Resume, CV, and Letter Samples | Share Your Letter | Email Message Examples

_{Image Copyright Alejandro Raymond}

Cover Letters and Resumes originally appeared on About.com Job Searching on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 06:00:48.

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I HATED not being able to see the salary listed on jobs I was applying to. I HATED IT. I didn't know if I was applying to something for $45k or $90k or $130k. I don't know when companies stopped listing salaries but I think they should PUT THEM BACK IN. Kudos to Funding Universe who blogged about an [...][Read Entry]

Dear Experts, I had the interview today, at a major publisher. The HR person requested I fill out a form, that included a blank for my driver's license number. I wrote down my driver's license number. I think the interview went well, although it's really hard to tell. I met with the ...[Read Entry]

It is no surprise to anyone that the high unemployment rate in the U.S. has made it very difficult for talented, experienced people to find jobs. What is not discussed as frequently is how difficult it is for college seniors, and recent college graduates to find jobs. According to a CNN article, the projection for 2010 is hiring of grads with any degree will decline by 2% compared to 2009. In this tough environment we have some good news and hope for college students and graduates.

There is a new resource designed to help both the college graduate and the employer. 1stGiG.com is the first career service of its kind specifically designed to connect college undergraduates and recent college graduates and the companies that value their skills. There are no jobs posted, but there are countless opportunities for internships and employment.

Here's how it works:

• A precision matching matrix identifies compatible profiles between young career-bound talent and potential employers

• When the talent accepts the match, an introduction is made with the prospective company

• Over time, both parties make multiple connections, establish a relationship and create "opportunity pools” based on their mutual interest

• When the right opportunity arises, the parties are prepared to move forward in the hiring process â€" eliminating the time-consuming process that has been the status quo.

1stGiG.com sources, screens, and presents the graduate with internship and/or career opportunities that meet their specific interests and requirements. Between 70 and 80% of jobs are never advertised. 1stGiG.com expands the opportunity network to put the college graduate on the radar of companies and industries that typically wait for job seekers to come to them, not the other way around. It's a richer, longer-term approach to career development designed to make the "first gig” a better experience for everyone involved.

 

1stGiG.com has partnered with Vonei to add a video interviewing service to their site, allowing employers and college graduates to quickly and easily conduct video interviews over the Internet from their computer. In today's economic reality, employers don't have the time and money to visit as many campuses as they would like. Video interviewing allows the employer to recruit from anywhere without travel. Video Interviewing service starts as low as $99/year, so it is an extremely cost effective method to link employers and college graduates.

 

Now is a perfect time to consider using these innovative services. Help graduates start their career and begin benefiting from what only 1stGiG.com offers the early career professional!

For more information about Vonei LLC see www.vonei.com. For an online demo of the video interview service email us at info@vonei.com or call us toll free on 888-698-6634.

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Sidestepping the question of "are resumes relevant,” I want to talk about something else: what is the purpose of a resume? In my job search I thought my resume was to help me get branded, and help me in my networking efforts. It was also to impress people that I gave the resume to. I think that those [...][Read Entry]

Guest article by Jimmy Sweeney, Author of the new, Job Interview "Secret” Today it's more challenging than ever to land a great job. It's possible you'll have to go through several interviews before you find the position you're looking for. You might feel a knot in your stomach, your pulse rate jump, and your hands suddenly [...][Read Entry]

Guest article by Jimmy Sweeney, Author of the new, Amazing Resume Creator Are you problem solver? Someone who can save the company money? Someone who can make the company money? A person who can organize and categorize without effort? If so, step up and sell those skills. What do you do well that will bring the [...][Read Entry]

When you are using email to job search  it's important to send your messages the right way - or they won't get opened, let alone read.  I've received emails with no subject lines (the chances of me opening them are slim), emails applying for jobs that I'm not hiring for and never heard of, and emails written in abbreviations, acronyms, and slang better suited to texting.  To be honest, if I have to figure out what it says, it's going to get trashed.

Annoying for me, but worse for the sender, are when my replies bounce because they got their own email address wrong (it happens) or their account is full. 

Some of the most important email messages you send are when you apply for jobs.  When you're sending email cover letters it's really important to follow the employer's instructions on how to submit your cover letter and resume, and to make sure that your email cover letters are written as well as any other correspondence you send.

As I mentioned, it's important to include Subject Line. Your Signature is important, as well,  so it's easy for employers to get in touch with you. Don't forget the basics, as well. Hotbabe@anywhere.com or anything similar is not a good email address, obviously, to use when you're job hunting. Instead, get a dedicated (and free) email account to use just for your job search.

Here's information on what to include in your job search emails, how to format your email, and how to make sure your email message is read.

Related: Sample Job Search Email Messages | Email Cover Letters | Ask a Cover Letter Question

_{Image Copyright Alison Doyle}

Email Cover Letters originally appeared on About.com Job Searching on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 at 10:00:39.

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Yesterday, G.L. and I were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to participate in a Careerealism webinar for job seekers organized by career advice expert J.T. O'Donnell. During the discussion about how to effectively use online resources in a job search, we mentioned the risks associated with traditional pay-to-post job sites such as Monster and [...][Read Entry]

Nick Corcodilos, aka Ask The Headhunter, has written an outstanding article on his blog about what an absolute scam The Ladders is and how fraudulent their claims are about delivering to job seekers ‘only $100K+ job listings.' I have written about what a rip-off The Ladders is in the past, and I applaud anyone who [...][Read Entry]

It seems like rejection letters have gone by the wayside. Employers used to take the time to, at least, let candidates know after an interview that they weren't getting the job. That doesn't happen so much these days.

How often do you receive an email or letter letting you know that you're not being considered for a job for which you have applied?

Related: Job Interview Follow Up | Ask a Follow-Up Question

How Often Do You Receive Rejection Letters? originally appeared on About.com Job Searching on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 13:18:49.

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Guest article by Jimmy Sweeney, Author of the new, Amazing Cover Letter Creator Want to draw attention to your cover letter? So much so that the hiring manager can't put it down? Here 's the secret. Meet the employer's needs. Show him or her how you, the job seeker, can benefit his or her companyâ€"â€"if you're hired to [...][Read Entry]

Guest article by Jimmy Sweeney, Author of the new, Amazing Cover Letter Creator Have you ever heard or read a quotation you just had to share with someone? How about one of these? "Plan your work for today and every day, then work your plan.” Norman Vincent Peale "Real success is finding your lifework in the work that [...][Read Entry]

There are lots of different opinions on what a resume should look like: one page, more than one page, objective, no objective, fancy fonts, pack your life story into it, keep it simple, just to name a few.  What should you do when you're getting lots of different and sometimes conflicting advice? 

First of all, what's most important is that your resume reflects you.  A cookie cutter resume that looks just like everyone else's isn't going to serve you as well as a resume that is customized to reflect your relevant skills and your experience.

Renowned career expert, columnist, and author Joyce Lain Kennedy sums it up better than I can:  to each his own.  In a recent column,  Joyce's shares the story of the "remarkably rotten resume of Juan S., a graduating senior at a local high school":

"Not only was his resume disjointed and useless, Juan had decorated it with his picture -- think mug shot on a wanted poster. Alongside Juan's  "bad" resume sample, I placed several "good" resume samples and, of course,  exhorted  readers to emulate the latter. Yep, Juan was the first person in his graduating class to be hired for a decent job."

Following the solid theory that one size doesn't fit all when it comes to resume writing, Joyce Kennedy's book Resumes for Dummies, has terrific resume writing advice, especially for those (and that's most of us, at one time or another) whose employment background isn't quite perfect.

There's information on resumes for different phases of your life and special circumstances, as well as advice on how to target your resume, which is something we all should be doing.

Related Resources: Resume Tips | Resume Samples | Share a Resume Writing Tip

_{Image Copyright Amanda Rohde}

One (Resume) Size Doesn't Fit All originally appeared on About.com Job Searching on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 06:00:59.

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Do you have a job search question?  Not sure about your unemployment benefits?  Not finding enough job leads?  Do you have a question on your resume? 

When you need job search help, visit the About.com Job Search Forum.  You will be able to ask questions and get (and give) advice and tips on topics including:

• Job Search and Employment Questions / Answers
• Resume, CV and Letter Questions / Answers
• Unemployment Questions / Answers
• Recommend a Job Site

Related: About.com Careers and Job Search LinkedIn Group | About.com Job Search Facebook Page | Follow Alison on Twitter

Need Advice? Visit the About.com Job Search Forum originally appeared on About.com Job Searching on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at 17:03:17.

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‘JT & Dale Talk Jobs' is the largest nationally syndicated career advice column in the country and can be found at JTandDale.com. Dear J.T. & Dale: I am starting to write my resume for a job hunt. I'm curious if a small picture of myself would be appropriate. The ...[Read Entry]

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Abby Locke Has it been more than 10 years since you launched an executive job search campaign? If you are among the few fortunate executives who have enjoyed a long, consistent career with the same company, an unexpected thrust in unemployment or career transition can really turn your ...[Read Entry]

The following is a short article to help you get started on the RIGHT road to applying for jobs in 2010.

*Read the job description completely! Make sure you have all or most of the qualifications required.

*Provide the exact information required by the job description! If an MS Word attachment of your resumé is requested, don't send a PDF file. If there is a request for the job title or job code, be complete in your response.

*Send a cover letter highlighting your experience! Focus on your experience and not a lot of flowery words that don't make you look any better anyway!

*Respectfully ask for an opportunity to discuss your qualifications further on the phone with the recruiter or hiring manager. I've often seen people apply for any job they can, jobs that they don't even remotely qualify for, then brag about how many they applied for today! Is this YOU?

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