How can your priorities guide your career?
Developing and fulfilling career goals can be daunting tasks given all of the jobs that currently exist, plus the opportunities that are evolving as the world constantly innovates. There are many ways you can combine your skills and interests to fit with work opportunities. To set the course for a successful job search, it’s important to determine your priorities. Priorities vary, and it’s critical to identify what is most important to you. When it comes to professional priorities some things to consider include job title, company mission, work culture, location, salary, and benefits.
read moreHelp others and enhance your career through volunteering
Volunteering features many benefits, but do you know it can boost your career as well? Many people engage in volunteer work to help a cause or a community. Doing so gives them a feeling of satisfaction and the benefits for both the individual and initiative can be plentiful. Now, consider how that volunteer experience can support your career development, whether it’s in a personal (supporting a local nonprofit) or professional (serving on a committee for an industry association related to your job or career) context. Another thing to consider is that employers highly value volunteer experience, and in some cases, regard it as just as important as paid work experience! Consider how volunteering can help your career in terms of developing skills, building your network, and communicating your professional brand.
read moreWhat NOT to do on a video call!
Video calls, conferences, and webinars are becoming the norm. We use technology to connect with people in our professional, academic, and personal lives more than ever since are living in the midst of a pandemic. Live video communication isn’t a novel concept anymore and it’s important to navigate it successfully. If you don’t, it can negatively affect your professional reputation or ability to land your next job. Learn from other people’s mistakes! Here’s are some watch-outs of what not to do.
read moreHello candidate, meet our applicant tracking system!
Given the prevalence of technology in our world, it is critical to communicate digitally in an effective manner. The hiring process is no exception. In the current hiring market, employers can receive thousands of applications for a single job opportunity. How do they manage that volume? They use applicant tracking systems, also known as ATS. Applicant tracking systems are computer software programs that are designed to manage the candidate application process, as most companies don’t have the people power to manually view and then sort every single application that is received. A hiring manager programs criteria (consisting of keywords and phrases) into the system, which then scans each application that is received to identify matches. If there are enough matches, the applicant tracking system moves the candidate along to the next stage. If not, the candidate is eliminated. Yes, candidates can be eliminated by a computer upon the initial scan, so the application materials are never even seen by an actual person at that company or organization! In addition to scanning materials, the applicant tracking system also sorts and ranks applications, then tracks candidates through the entire hiring process. When you apply for a job, expect that you will need to get past the applicant tracking system. Here are some tips that can help!
read moreIs that great job a scam? It may be, especially in the age of COVID-19.
As I write this, it’s the summer of 2020 and the world is more than six months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment rates in our country have gone up and millions of Americans are out of work. Many of these people are actively looking for jobs, in addition to the recent college graduates who are entering the job market for the first time. While most employment opportunities are valid, a few are not. Unfortunately, some individuals prey on people in crisis. If you are looking for a job and the opportunity seems too good to be true, or something doesn’t feel right, pay attention to your intuition. Be cautious when job searching in the COVID-19 era and consider these signs that an opportunity is fake and may be a scam.
read moreVideo interviews are here to stay. Are you prepared?
Due to many reasons, including advances in technology and the recent COVID-19 pandemic, companies and organizations are conducting more video interviews as they hire for positions. Video interviews are becoming the norm as opposed to the exception, especially for initial screening interviews. Video technology is now a part of our daily lives. Expectations are higher and you must be able to navigate it! While many of the basic principles for successful interviewing still apply, there are unique elements to video interviewing. Whether your video interviews are live or recorded, these tips can help. It’s important to understand how video interviews are different from in-person interviews and prepare properly to be successful in your interview experience.
read moreA job search is competitive; here’s how to stand out!
Regardless of your target career field or industry, chances are you will be competing against other candidates during a job search. And if you are competing for a highly desired position, that competition can be even more intense. It’s important to focus on what you can do to stand out rather than getting stressed, or even worse, paralyzed by fear to the point where you are afraid to move forward with your application! Some of these tips may be obvious, but it’s amazing how many job seekers don’t follow them. As a former recruiter, I can tell you with confidence that you need to all the right things and stand out in a positive way.
read moreFast 5 Resume Tips (and a Bonus Tip!)
I recently offered a Fast 5 Resume Review to my college advising students, which featured resume reviews along with five tips regarding how they can improve their resumes. As I reviewed the documents, certain patterns emerged and I found myself offering many of the same tips to each student. The tips, listed below, reflect perspective gained from my past experience as a professional recruiter and current role as a college career advisor.
read moreCareer growth during a pandemic
Life as we know it has been turned upside down due to COVID-19, the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. Social distancing is the norm as countries desperately try to stop the spread of the virus. There’s been a shift in how we live our lives, from work to activities to taking care of our families. While professionals deemed to have essential roles are working in the midst of this pandemic, many others are working remotely or have lost their jobs. There’s no doubt that this is a difficult time for our society in the United States. What does this mean for your career? In any time of trial, there are challenges but also opportunities. How can you invest in your career right now based on the current situation? Consider how you can build your skills and connect with people in new ways.
read moreHow to get hired without looking for a job!
When you are in the midst of a job search and are looking for a new work opportunity, you’re considered an active candidate. You are actively looking for a job. Makes sense, right? You refine your resume, check out available opportunities, interview with potential employers, and hopefully land your next position. This is how most people define a job search. Do you know that a growing trend is to identify and then hire new employees that aren’t actually looking for a job? These people are called passive candidates, and they are seen as very valuable in the job market. They have skills and experience, and in most cases, are gainfully employed. How can you, as a passive candidate, attract the attention of a potential employer? The key elements are recommendations, reputation, and social media.
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