Career

Do you have a burning career question you want answered? At CareerHMO, A Cure For Chronic Job Search, we are trying something new and we would love if you would be a part of it! We discovered Vine, a new smartphone app that enables you to video record something for seven seconds or less. Need assistance finding your dream job? We thought it would be helpful to answer career questions from our readers. So, using this video application, J.T O’Donnell, an experienced career coach, will answer any questions you throw at her on Twitter. This will allow you to have a person on the other side of your tweet answer your question! Sounds neat right? Take a whack at it. Below is an example of what to do to get started. It’s really simple: STEP #1: Follow Us On Twitter STEP #2: Send Us Your Career Question Via Twitter STEP #3: J.T Will Answer It Via Vine (Video) We look forward to your questions! Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post Have A Career Question? Get It Answered! appeared first on CAREEREALISM.

How would you feel if you possessed a nicely polished resume that projects and elevates your level of professionalism? More confident? More positive? I bet! Crafting a dynamic resume that is also a great selling tool is more time-consuming than 30 minutes. Yet, with the following quick and easy visual and marketing ‘styleover’ tips, you will begin to distinguish yourself from the job search mob in half an hour! That sounds good. Doesn’t it? 1. Check Spacing Check spacing and make sure your page margins are set to at least a .07 all around. This will not only ensure your resume is inviting but also that it meets universal printing standards (abating printing issues). 2. Style Your Name Bold your name and enlarge the font to 16 pt. or 18 pt. Also, centering your name is a great way to make immediate impact. 3. Separate Contact Information Separate your personal contact information with a bullet or divider, providing great visual appeal and easy e-mail and phone number identification. 4. Add Target Job Title Add your target Job Title to introduce your Summary or Profile instead of the more common labels such as “Qualifications Profile or just Summary.” This will help you add a great resume keyword right at the top and will lend to your expert image/ brand. 5. Edit your Summary Or Profile Ensure sentences end quickly, combine ideas, and try to limit this introductory paragraph to five to six lines. This will help create a nice crisp look and you will deliver your marketing message more clearly. 6. Remove Orphan Words Go through the rest of your resume and remove all orphan words (words left on a line by themselves). This just causes an unorganized look and it really isn’t necessary. 7. Bold Sections Bold resume sections (Employment, Education, etc.) and enlarge the font size to 14 pt. This will nicely separate the areas of your resume and guide readers through. 8. Group Job Accountabilities Together Group job accountabilities together in a paragraph form, separating from achievements. Keep the number of sentences to no more than six. People lose interest when paragraphs are long-winded. Plus, long sentences and paragraphs makes it easier for your message to become convoluted. 9. Separate Your Achievements Separate your achievements (how you actually performed and the results you generated) from the job description. Bullet them to no more than five to six bullets; any more than that will look too busy and unwelcoming to the reader. 10. Use Action Words Ensure you have begun all bulleted sentences with action verbs. 11. Make Sure Everything Matches Make sure all your bullets line up and match! Inconsistency screams sloppiness and conveys unprofessionalism. 12. Delete Hobbies Eliminate any hobbies or personal information (picture, marital status, age, religious associations). These do not belong on your resume. 13. Read It Out Loud Read the entire resume aloud to catch awkward phrases end errors. As you read aloud, analyze if what you have just read is relevant to your new career target, if not – remove it! 14.  Make Sure Your Second Page Is 1/3 Full If you have created a second page, make sure it’s at least a third full. There is no excuse for a second page with just a few lines on it. 15. Remove “References Available Upon Request” Remove the phrase, References Available Upon Request—this is very antiquated and unnecessary. Now, get to work! Invest time in preparing a resume that you have polished, in turn, fortifying your professional image. Can you list a few of your favorite resume polishing tips? Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post 15 Tips For Sprucing Up Your Resume In 30 Minutes Or Less appeared first on CAREEREALISM.

In a perfect world, candidates would only be asked questions that are 100 percent legal. Unfortunately, job seekers have to deal with illegal interview questions all the time. It’s very easy for an interviewer to go into those illegal areas without even realizing it. Sometimes, interviewers are untrained and don’t realize the error of their ways, and sometimes they just mess up. Either way, candidates should know their rights and responsibilities about what can and cannot be asked in an interview. Here’s a brief summary of topics that may come up during an interview, what can legally be asked, and what’s illegal: Family Status Legal question: Do you have any responsibilities that conflict with attendance or travel requirements? Why this question is legal: The position requires the person filling the job to have regular attendance and the ability to travel. This question pertains to the job duties. Discriminatory questions: Are you married? Do you have children? Are you pregnant? Why these questions are illegal: The questions have no bearing on whether or not the person can perform the job. Race Legal question: None. Discriminatory question: What is your race? Why this question is illegal: The EEOC protects people from discrimination based on race. A person’s race does not impact one’s ability to do a job. Religion Legal question: None. Discriminatory questions: What church do you attend? What is your religion? Why these questions are illegal: The EEOC protects people from discrimination based on religion. A person’s religion does not impact one’s ability to do a job. Residence Legal question: What is your address? Why this question is legal: Prospective employers may ask a candidate’s address to correspond with the person during the interviewing process. Illegal questions: Do you own your home? Do you rent your home? Who lives with you? Why these questions are illegal: A person’s residence has no bearing on whether or not he or she will be a good employee. Gender Legal question: None. Discriminatory question: Are you male or female? Why this question is illegal: The EEOC protects people from discrimination based on gender. A person’s gender does not impact one’s ability to do a job. Age Legal question: If you are hired, can you provide proof that you are at least 18? Why this question is legal: Some employers are only able to hire candidates who are legally adults. If this does not apply to your workplace, you shouldn’t ask this question. Discriminatory questions: How old are you? When is your birth date? Why these questions are illegal: The EEOC protects people from discrimination based on age. A person’s age does not impact one’s ability to do a job. Interviewers are allowed to ask candidates if they have ever been convicted of a crime, but they may not ask if they have been arrested. The interviewer should inform you that the conviction will be considered only as it relates to the ability to do the job. For example, many positions require security clearances. Depending on the type of convictions, a candidate may have difficulty in obtaining a security clearance. An interviewer may also ask if a candidate can show proof of eligibility to work in the United States and if the candidate is fluent in any other languages other than English. However, the candidate may not be asked if he/she is a U.S. citizen. If you’re in an interview and the interviewer asks you a question that you know is illegal, try to steer the questions back to something that’s a little more job-related. In most cases, interviewers aren’t intentionally trying to ask illegal interview questions, so a friendly reminder may be all that’s needed. If you still feel uncomfortable after the interview about the questions you were asked, be sure to share this with the recruiter or HR professional who arranged the interview. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post How To Handle Illegal Interview Questions appeared first on CAREEREALISM.

How many times have you been asked 'what's your five year plan'? Do you reply with enthusiasm, happy to explain in detail your life mapped out in intricate detail, or do you inwardly groan, and wonder why so many people are so concerned about planning way into the future instead of relishing the here and now, adapting to what the future brings? Planning can be an effective way to achieve goals and help motivate towards desired outcomes however the problem is, life isn't predictable, and the best plans in the world can't be guaranteed to succeed in getting what you want. Where are you left then? Despondent, feeling lost, and without the career you were expecting as a result from your five year plan. Things don't always pan out as you'd want or expect. Some jobs are guaranteed, right? Not the case. Nursing is one profession that is often seen to be a sure thing. 'We'll always need nurses'. That's probably what the student nurses in parts of the UK thought while doing their training during several years in the last decade. But, due to major financial cutbacks in the National Health Service, many completed their training with no job opportunities available to them. The situation was so dire, some were offered six months work, to gain experience, but with no pay! Some would have taken this opportunity and then used the experience to apply for positions requiring experience to work for private health companies. For many, working for six months without an income was just not financially available, and employment away from nursing was the only option. So you see, even a 'sure thing' my not be just that, and no amount of planning can make it so.

Whether you only have a few days of vacation time or several weeks, it is important to take a breather from the office once and awhile. Our question is, when do you normally take your vacation? Do you try to get vacation time during the summer, fall, winter, or spring? Why do you usually choose this time of year? What do you do? Please take our poll and tell us your thoughts in the comments section! Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post Poll: When Do You Take Your Vacation? appeared first on CAREEREALISM.

Want to make sure you won’t get the job? Of course not. You want to do everything you can to get the offer. However, some people don’t completely grasp this concept. The following are 10 true stories. These have all happened to me or my colleagues over the years as hiring managers. I know the job search process can be hard to maneuver. Add the fact there’s a whole set of “new rules” you need to follow to get employers to even want to hire you and a job seeker can feel pretty overwhelmed. That being said, some things are just common sense. For example, I wouldn’t suggest being any of these: 1. Underdressed Candidate came to the interview for a professional job in a suit and dress shoes – but with no shoelaces or socks. AND THEN, proceeded to sit with his leg across his knee, tapping his foot, drawing attention to his lack of proper attire. 2. Overly Honest When asked what the person’s greatest weakness was, she replied, “I hate getting up early and tend to be late to work a lot.” 3. Greedy When I asked if the candidate had any questions, he said, “Ya. How long will it take until I get a raise?” 4. Not Being A Team Player When I asked for references, the candidate said, “You can’t call anyone from my old company because I hate them all and they probably wouldn’t say nice things about me.” 5. Ignorant Of Your Professional Persona When I called to schedule an interview, the recorded message was playing “Funky Cold Medina” and had people making noises in the background. (Do I need to explain more?) 6. Unmotivated When I e-mailed the candidate about scheduling an interview, she e-mailed back, “Now’s not a good time for me, can I call you in two weeks?” 7. Impatient After the interview, the candidate called and left me five voice mail messages and sent me an e-mail everyday saying he was just “checking in” to see if I’d made a decision. He did this in spite of the fact I told him, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.” 8. Insincere After the interview, I contacted a person in our company who the candidate said would be a reference for her. The employee said, “I should tell you she doesn’t really want the job and is planning to quit if she gets accepted to grad school.” 9. Unprepared When I asked the candidate what he liked studying the most as a Finance major he said, “I liked the financial stuff.” 10. Desperate When I asked why she wanted the job, she said, “Because nobody else will hire me.” Your Next Step School teaches you everything except how to get the job. You must invest time in learning the right way to job search. Check out our training videos – they’re all about executing an easier job search in this economy. My videos are completely free and I’m confident you’re going to find them useful. The link to access the first one is below. WATCH VIDEO NOW ? Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post 10 Ways To Make Sure You Won’t Get The Job appeared first on CAREEREALISM.

Word of mouth (WOM) is the oldest form of advertising, public relations, and spreading information. In today’s world, word of mouth has added great reach, deep dimension, and lightning speed like never before. Just ask Tiger Woods, Penn State, Herman Cain, Bank of America, Apple, Lady Gaga, and Egypt. But how can you use word of mouth to help your job search? I get most of my viral, real time news from social media. That’s how I learned about of the death of Michael Jackson and that Osama Bin Laden was killed. These are just some examples of how powerful the speed of word is today to spread both good and bad in a nanosecond. It can shape, change, and alter perceptions dramatically and indelibly. But be very careful what you say and how you say it. Get really savvy about how to use it to your advantage and most importantly respect it. One sound bite from a Tweet, post, or video can be and is used every day by traditional and new media to shape our ideas about everything. The bottom line is word of mouth remains the most effective way people learn about things, information, companies and the people who are behind them. It really can, as they say “make or break you,” and much, much faster than ever before. The 2011 Pew Research Excellence in Journalism and Internet Statistics reported… 55% of all adults get local news and information via word of mouth once a week Adults 40+ prefer word of mouth for politics, government, housing , real estate Adults under 40 get news events primarily from word of mouth Most of the job and career sites confirm that 80% of jobs right now are not posted on job boards – they are only accessible through networking, or word of mouth. Yep, people who know people who know people telling people about opportunities, or making referrals, or connections. A big change job searchers have had to embrace. How do you and your business become the subject of and object of more of that “good” word of mouth, which builds brand leadership, establishes your credibility, and builds big buzz about you, what you do, and the great results you get? Using Word Of Mouth To Boost Your Job Search Here are five lynchpins of trusted, viral word of mouth that are common sense, timeless, and proven: Relationships Build strong relationships with people based on a solid foundation, commonality, respect, and reciprocity. Results Leverage, lead with and share results with your tribes and communities. Toot your own horn in a good way about the value and benefit you have brought to others. Referrals Get referrals when you do great work and turn that into living testimonials that are your most powerful word of mouth tool. Success leads to success. Recommendations Getting recommendations created around the buzz of people are talking about you is priceless. Imagine having recommendations from people you may not actually know because someone they trust is talking about you! Customer Retention Making customer retention a priority ensures longevity with those relationships you worked so hard to build. Don’t slack, don’t skimp, don’t cut corners, and don’t say no! Always find solutions, compromises, and ways to make things happen. Here are some great reads from people who have built their success on stand out customer service: Customer Service-New Rules for a Social World by HARO’s Peter Shankman Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh from Zappos.com Also, check out womma.org, the national word of mouth marketing organization. Putting your customers first and setting them up for engagement, acknowledgement and reward will ensure consistent word of mouth and higher customer retention. It should be a priority. The higher, the more personalized and customized your customer service priority the more word of mouth you will get. It’s a simple formula: more customer service = more word of mouth = more customer retention. When your word of mouth makes you top of mind with people consistently saying “you mu

Why is it that some people seem to have “all the luck?” Here you’ve been, slogging away at a focused job search for weeks, months, or even years, yet certain contacts in your circles just seem to “pop” between jobs with nary a blink of the eye with little or no “downtime” in between. Say what? What’s wrong with this picture? It just doesn’t seem fair that you put a ton of elbow grease into a job search, yet those folks seem to flit by without going through the roller coaster of emotions, personal struggles, and financial desperation that you’ve been through this entire time. Not that you would wish this on anyone, but still… what do they have that you don’t? It’s a fair question to ask. Time to take a second look. It could be that there are barriers in front of you that you don’t even know that exist. Referrals evolve through a series of circumstances. But in order to make those circumstances happen, you need to purposefully work towards making the pieces align at some point in the future. By working in the present, you are creating the opportunities that will come together later – which is likely what these other folks have done. Barriers To Contact Referrals In A Job Search This process isn’t magic. It has been the culmination of a much longer process that goes beyond the immediacy of a job search. Here are the top five barriers to job or contact referrals: 1. You Didn’t Maintain Relationships With Key Influencers How are you managing your network? Are you so focused on moving toward the next event and the new people that you forget to circle back to last week’s function? Many people are so busy trying to be a networking ice-breaker ship that they forget to keep the waters clear on the channel that they just broke open. Don’t neglect those you just met. Many times, the contacts who aren’t particularly helpful to you in the present can actually be the ones who deliver in the future. Don’t bank on the immediacy contacts from the present moment… make a long-term investment of your referrers of tomorrow. Build long-term connections that will make your pipeline as smooth 2. You Don’t Ask For Them The most successful people in life are the ones who aren’t afraid to ask for what they want. There is no “beneficent” angel looking down upon each one of us, waiting for that one moment to reward us. Instead, hard work and willingness to express ourselves at the appropriate time can open the doors that seemed closed. But be careful: coming across as “entitled” will dampen your referral prospects. There is a fine line between assertively stepping up and being obnoxiously egotistical… make sure you understand it and don’t cross that threshold! 3. You Don’t Have A Skill Or Culture Fit Sometimes, in the throes of despair, job seekers start floundering and begin using the shotgun approach. They do this in hopes of hitting something or anything if they stretch their field wide enough. This never works. Remember, whoever might be referring you is actually putting their credibility on the line by making that referral… and if you don’t deliver on the goods (i.e. the necessary job qualifications and culture fit), that has a negative impact on their reputation. So, have the honest conversation with yourself as to whether you are actually qualified for the job and feel that you would be the right fit before asking someone to go to bat for you. 4. You Came Out Of Left Field Every relationship has a beginning, and as the old adage goes, “There’s only one opportunity to make a first impression.” There’s obviously always that awkward moment when you make contact with someone that you do not know where you need to establish credibility and build a connection. This means there is a “honeymoon” period to the relationship where trust and rapport are being cultivated. Jumping into motion too soon with a referral request will send the wrong message that you are a “user” only bent on accessing this person’s ability to refer for your own gain.

This seminar will show you how to make the most of your 20s so that you can set yourself up for an engaged, fulfilling life. We’ll have four days of live video sessions with chat from June 10-13 at 9pm-10pm est each evening. The cost is $195. If you sign up in the next five days, the cost is $150. Sign up now. The most important thing to do in your 20s is figure out where you fit. Find your place in the world, pick your friends and family. You will make 85% of the major decisions in your life by age 35. And your earning in the first ten years of your life has exponential impact on your earning throughout the rest of your life. So act like your 20s matter, because if you act like they don’t matter, then they won’t matter. To make the most of your 20s you need to make mistakes, because mistakes show that you’re moving forward and trying new things. But it’s important to make intentional mistakes. This means that you need to have goals, and plans, and when they don’t work out, you make new goals, and new plans. This four-day seminar will show you how to do that: Day one: Figure out where you fit in the work world. June 10 9pm est / 8pm cst Understand your personality. Personality type is so important when you’re choosing your career that all Fortune 500 companies use personality type testing in order to make sure employees are in the right job. I will show you how to understand your personality in a way that many people don’t understand until later in their career. If you understand your type, you’ll understand which jobs you’ll be great at and which jobs will be fulfilling. Create a short-list of job types that will be right for you. It’s overwhelming to feel like you can do anything. But the truth is that each of us will be rock stars at only a few things. Once you identify your strengths the list of jobs you will like becomes much more clear. And that’s the list that will effectively guide all your decisions for most of your life. Part of living with intention in your twenties is having a clear vision for the type of life that will feel best to you. I will show you how to find that life early on, so you can guide yourself to it. Pick your location. Location is important at this time in your life because it will determine the range of companies available to you, range  of lifestyle, and  probably location will be the determining factor in who you meet to marry.  Understanding how location impacts your happiness levels and your career potential will enable you to confidently narrow the list of locations where you apply for jobs. Day two: Get a job even though you have no experience.  June 11 9pm-10pm est Learn the secret language of resumes. Most people in their twenties have way better experience than they show on their resume. The language of resumes is one that makes any job sound important. I’ll show you how to use this language  so you’ll not only have a better resume, but you’ll have more self-confidence in what you are worth to employers. Turn a tiny network into a job. You probably feel like you don’t have a network. But you actually only need one or two well-employed people to help you get a job. I’ll show you how to leverage your network by giving very clear directions about what you want the person to do for you. Skip entry-level jobs to make your job hunt easier. Often entry-level jobs are harder to get than jobs that requires a few years experience. I’ll show you how to skip entry-level jobs by writing a resume that looks like you’ve already done that work. If you’re applying to jobs that fit your personality type, then you’ve already done a lot of that work in your life. You just need to convey that on your resume. Day three: What to do if you don’t get a job. June 12 9pm-10pm est Spot-check yourself. Usually there is a particular reason that you are not getting a job. I’ll

For most of us, the first and only time we ever take career assessments is in high school or college. But, if you are unfulfilled in your current job, unsure of your motivated values and talents, looking for confirmation on a possible career passion, or in search of ways in which you could make money using your natural skills, taking a self-assessment—even 5, 10 or 20 years out of college—just makes sense! While many valuable career “tests” costs money, there are several that require only your time and focus to generate results that—depending on the test—can help you clarify your values, skills, or even specific job titles that may be a good fit for your next career! What’s A Self-Assessment? Self-assessment is a process by which you can learn more about yourself—what you like, what you don’t like, and how you tend to react to certain situations, and knowing these things can help identify and isolate occupations that could be a better fit for you. Some of the best career assessments may sound or look familiar to you, and you may even recall taking them when you first began your career discovery process, but a refresher may yield new and even surprising results, so don’t hesitate to try them again. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of career exploration tests available, but the following five are both enlightening and, best of all, free. My suggestion: 1. Take the Motivated Appraisal of Personal Potential or MAPP if you need to discover your strengths, uncover your preferred communication styles, or see what career is best for you. 2. Look no further than The Keirsey Temperament Sorter®-II. This is the most widely used personality instrument in the world and a powerful tool in helping you discover their personality type, which can help lead you to your perfect career. 3. Check out the O*NET Online Career Exploration tools to find occupations, and conduct skills assessments. My favorite? The Skills Search which is designed to help you use your skill set to identify occupations for exploration. 4. Head over to LiveCareer to identify your career interests (highest to lowest) and learn what jobs match your results; includes workplace fit using seven approaches to work based on the Holland Scale. 5. Consider another great choice called, CareerPlanner which provides online career testing to help career changers discover their calling and ideal career. Career assessments are not intended to tell you what you should do in life; rather, they are simply a way to safely explore options and gather clues that may help on the road to a career change. So, if you are unsure what you want to do with your life, or you need some career direction, a career assessment is a great first stop along your career journey. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post Top 5 Career Assessments To Direct Your Career Change appeared first on CAREEREALISM.