Things that SHOULD be “tweaked” every

10 Jan 2013 Leave a Comment

by Barb Stauffer in Career, Ecomomy, Resume

I hope everyone is off to a wonderful 2013 and had a great holiday with friends and family!!

With the new year, comes resolutions.. weight loss… new goals… and even a career change.

I noticed this article, 5 things to tweak on every resume you send, and thought… “huh, I wonder If people still don’t do this?”  Apparently the answer is “Yes”.  REALLY? So if you’re serious about changing your career / position, and you’ve not done some of these, then that’s a HUGE mistake.  I can’t tell you the number of resumes I over look because their address is out of state, and they’ve recently relocated without updating the resume.  Or, the worst for me is the resumes I see that have nothing to do with the position they’re applying to, but they REALLY do have the skills!  SERIOUSLY! That’s just a big DUH!

I don’t think individuals realize you have to help the reader see what value you would bring to their organization, especially in this economy!  Or help that recruiter see your skills and find that perfect position for you!  I makes me wonder how many people are “stuck in dead-end jobs” but haven’t taken the time to update their resume.

OK, I’ll get down from my soap box! =) But this is a great read, something everyone should look at.  And do yourself a favor, before applying to that GREAT position, did you “tweak”??  5 things to tweak on every resume you send

Cheers to a GREAT 2013!!!

Non-Negotiables clients look for…

01 Jun 2012 Leave a Comment

by Barb Stauffer in Career, Ecomomy, Internet, IT, Resume, Technology Tags: , , , , ,

I’ve recently reviewed several articles about the economy and how technology fits with in the down turn as well as hiring has changed because of it.  One article really stuck in my head.. “Seven “Non-Negotiables” to prevent a bad hire”.    Not only is the article informative in regards to what traits company’s are looking for now, but it can help applicants fine tune their interviewing process.

Obviously companies have a “screening” process they follow and some even look at personal characteristics that have morphed into becoming more of a primary criteria for making hiring decisions.  These “characteristics” are  Respect, Belief, Loyalty, Commitment, Trust, Courage and Gratitude… it all boils down to integrity.. “is this someone that will benefit my organization long term?”.

Bottom line is, company’s really looking for talented individuals that are looking to make a difference… not someone looking to build their resume anymore.

Still not using Social Media to look for a new career? seriously???

26 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment

by Barb Stauffer in Career, Ecomomy, Uncategorized

It’s soooo very surprising to me in this economy how many individuals I talk to who are NOT using Social Media to look for work or even to just network.  Everyone will take specific time out of their day to check Facebook, but they won’t think about using Twitter, Blogs or even Facebook to search out companies or a new career.  Personally I think LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are the main platforms to network and search out what others are saying about a specific organization or what opportunites are open or coming open.

Here’s a few stats that should be looked at.. I’m surprise LinkedIn isn’t top “dog”..

  • 18,400,000 people found a job through Facebook
  • 8,000,000 people found a job through Twitter
  • 10,200,000 people found a job through LinkedIn
So the long and short of it.. if you’re NOT networking through social media…. WHY??

Taking your job search “mobile”

22 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment

by Barb Stauffer in Android, Apple, Career, Ecomomy, Gadgets, Google+, Internet, LinkedIn, Mobile, Resume, Social Media, Social Networking, Technology, Twitter, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , ,

It’s become a fact of life that EVERYTHING is mobile theses days, from scheduling a lunch with a friend, and social media to searching for a new position.  I find myself dumbfounded by the number of companies that haven’t reached out to the masses via Mobile communication.  The article “Seekers go mobile while employers lag behind”  breaks down the percentages and frankly I was definitely taken off guard….  ”Only 7 percent of corporate career sites are optimized for mobile devices… and 19 percent of job seekers reported using their mobile device for career activities”.  All I have to say is wow.

The question is.. are you going mobile with your search??? If not, it’s probably something to think about!

side note… HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!

How to use Social Media to help with your job search…

27 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment

by Barb Stauffer in Ecomomy, Google+, LinkedIn, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , ,

There are many resources available to job seekers looking for that great new opportunity.. One of those resources most definitely would be Social Networking… and Twitter is one of the front runners.

Here’s a wonderful article “10 Tweeple to foll0w during your job search“, by Heather Huhman from US World & News Report.  The article lists some of the most popular and respected individuals in Social Media who are very active and up to-date on the current events when it comes to searching for a new career choice.

In regards to other Social Networking resources, don’t forget about LinkedIn as well as the new and popular Google+.. both are great avenues to search for a new career as well as research the companies.

Hope this helps!!

Interesting Article… “Career” versus “Job” — surprising attitudes on how working mothers feel about their work

07 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment

by Barb Stauffer in Career, Ecomomy, Working Women Tags: , ,

I stumbled over this article and found it VERY interesting and informative, and being a Woman in a “mans” field I feel it  hit the proverbial ”nail on the head”… what are your thoughts??

‘“Career oriented women feel more respected at home and say their spouses are more helpful” – so state the results of a national survey of more than 4,600 men and women. The study, What Moms Think: Career Versus Paycheck, was spearheaded by Working Mother Media with sponsors Ernst & Young, IBM, and Procter & Gamble.

Comments Carol Evans, president of Working Mother Media, “The study, which was designed to focus attention on work-life and the advancement of women, reveals previously unknown attitudes and ideas about how women feel about their careers, men’s views of working mothers, workplace flexibil¬ity, the current state of gender roles, and what we all want to get out of work.”

Surprising results from the study include:

  • Women who identify with having a career report they are more satisfied and feel more positive in every area of work and life, versus women who state they merely have a job
  • Career-oriented working mothers are more satisfied with the opportunities available to develop their skills, the level of respect they receive at work, and their manager’s support in meeting demands from family and home
  • Career-oriented women were more likely to report they felt healthy, that their life was in balance, and that their work fulfilled a higher purpose than “just making money”
  • The bad news is career-oriented mothers were more likely to feel like they could not get away from work and were more likely to believe managers and co-workers questioned their work commitment

Where do men stand when it comes to career-oriented women? According to the study, working fathers had favorable impressions of working mothers. However, men without children tended to rate working mothers as less committed to career advancement, less willing to take on additional work, and less committed to job responsibilities than working women with no children. Sadly, women without children also tended to have harsher views of working mothers.’

Read more….

Is the economy really changing???

08 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment

by Barb Stauffer in Career, Ecomomy, Resume Tags: , , ,

“Is the economy getting any better?  There seems to be more jobs out there, but I’m not getting hired.”  … ”What would you recommend I do to increase my eligibility to get hired? Are certifications an asset or should I get another degree?”

Honestly I’m not any kind of “expert”, but I do see the changes every single day in the economy – which is DEFINITELY a good thing!!. So the first thing I say is, “YES” it is changing, but in the Technology industries there is still the need for highly skilled individuals.  Those individuals MUST have experience with multiple technologies and a BA or BS degree - some companies will also take a Technical college.   Most companies these days are trying to save money and therefore combining two positions into one, so the individual with multiple technologies and methodologies are always their first choice.

It’s hard to believe the amount of resumes I receive per position that need a TON of work to make them presentable to our clients.  So one thing to remember is ALWAYS make sure to check, double check and triple check  your resume.  The MOST common error on a resume is spelling and second most is not tailoring your resume to fit the position.  Companies want to see all your pertinent experience that measures up to their job description, NOT your experience waiting tables, or working in any other non-technical field.

Another thing to remember is Recruiters are here to HELP you with your career change or questions … we’re not the enemy, and therefore use us as a resource!! That’s what we’re here for.  Individuals I work with always know to contact me anytime with questions they may have on the economy, industry and even what certs/education they should get.  OH and another thing to remember is we’re also here to HELP you write your resume.  Speaking for myself, I WON’T write it for you, but I will work with you to make it “fit” the position.

I hope this information helps!!

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 206 other followers