by cjxpadmin | Mar 3, 2014 | March 2014 Magazine
By Ayunne Collins
When preparing for a job search, what are the appropriate steps to take? What do you have to do to get ready? What items should you put together for purpose of ease? How should you conduct this job search? All these questions come to mind when you get out there trying to find that perfect job for yourself.
There are ten steps to easily follow from the book Ten Steps To A Job Search from ADAPT Publishing Company.
Pay attention to this format because it is a very simple process, but if executed correctly, it can lead to a successful job search.
Step 1: Accept the Job of Finding a Job
Plan out the types of of jobs you would like to do. Write down the skills required. Then, write down your thoughts and goals with the jobs you find that fit you and your needs. Write down the date the job offer closes so you don’t miss it; put multiple reminders in your phone and jot it down in multiple places so you can be reminded.
Step 2: A Winning Attitude
Have a positive attitude while searching for jobs. Make sure your mind always says, “I am successful and I am smart.” Don’t sell yourself short. Make sure you stay confident and strong-willed. Do NOT let anyone tell you that you can’t do it because you can.
There are 18 tips for powerful ways of approaching your job search:
| 1. Be curious |
2. Be confident |
3. Be gutsy |
| 4. Be prepared |
5. Be and feel challenged |
6. Be connected |
| 7. Be frugal with your time |
8. Be fearless |
9. Be friendly |
| 10. Be easygoing |
11. Be creative |
12. Be active |
| 13. Be diligent |
14. Be proactive |
15. Be positive |
| 16. Be promotable |
17. Be sellable |
18. Be successful |
Step 3: Get Organized
Being organized while searching for a job is very important. This is true, not only while searching for a job, but more importantly, when you get hired for the job. While job searching, create a To Do list to help you keep up with what you need to do in order to find that job. As you complete the things on your list, you should check them off, so you know what has been completed. For the things you weren’t able to complete in that day, start a new list for the next day, and start it off with the ones you weren’t able to complete the day before. This way, you won’t leave anything undone.
Keep a daily record of jobs you find with notes for each one to help you remember which jobs had more benefits than others or which jobs would be a better fit for you. Also on this daily record, keep track of contacts and phone numbers to help you stay connected.
Step 4: Target What You Want
As I said before, look for the jobs that you would like to do and want to do. Getting a job you don’t enjoy or a job that you have no passion for will make it harder for you to be motivated or even want to go to work. Always research the job and read up on it to make sure that is the job you really want. Don’t just jump in for the money; make sure you are going to enjoy that job and give it all you’ve got. Make sure it’s the right fit for you. Use the internet and keep track of everything you research on the job as well as the company.
Step 5: Discover Leads
Keep your lines of communication open to everyone you know and ask them for help in searching for a job. Ask them (family, church members, former co-workers, etc.) if they know of any open job openings or places you can check out.
Step 6: Create A Network
Job searching requires you to establish a network — a network of people, agencies, resources, internet, social media and anything else that will assist you in finding your perfect job.
Step 7: Produce Great Materials
By materials, we basically mean, write a great and successful resume Use the following tips to help you:
|
Use the following tips to help you produce your resume.
|
| 1. Carefully prepare what you want to say or present. |
| 2. Use a format best suited to make your resume say its best about you. |
| 3. Use a format which will be easy to read by the potential employer. |
| 4. Carefully check and correct any all errors. |
| 5. Use very good resume paper for printing and/or copying purposes. |
| 6. Use a format that will make your resume look appealing. |
| 7. Read your resume out loud to test its impressiveness. |
| 8. Be specific, accurate and truthful while presenting yourself in the best light. |
| 9. Match your experience and qualifications to fit the job(s) for which you apply. |
| 10. Learn all you can about creating a resume by reading a book, taking a class, researching the internet or seeking the assistance of an expert. |
Step 8: Make Contacts
Design contact sheets for yourself. These sheets can contain information on individuals who you speak to on a daily basis or people you know who may be able to help you. Maintain a list of their name, address, telephone number and e-mail address for ease of contacting them. You may also be able to keep little notes about what job they referred you to or what company they told you to research. This way, when you do your references, it’s a breeze in filling out your reference page.
Step 9: Stay on Schedule
Applications and contacts should always be followed up with requests for interviews. You have a lot to do in planning and scheduling your job search. Find the time to create a Daily Action Log as well as your follow-up information. When filling out your applications, it’s very important to remember things you’ve done and when you’ve done them.
Step 10: Give A Great Interview!
You make think you’re done after all that, but you have one more step. Your interview! Go into your interview with confidence and a big smile. When you are greeted, give a nice firm handshake, not a floppy fish handshake. Walk with your back straight. Sit tall with your back nice and straight, but look relaxed. Make eye contact and be honest. Most of all be you and you will do great!
These steps are excerpts from Ten Steps To A Job Search by ADAPT Publishing Company. To read these steps on a more thorough basis, go to campusjobxpress.com and click on WPMG Network and click on Workforce Partners. Scroll down to Books and there you will find, not only the Ten Steps Job Search Workbook, but you will also be able to view and read other books, videos and other services that may be helpful in your job search or even in your life.
by cjxpadmin | Mar 3, 2014 | March 2014 Magazine
By Yolanda L Salazar
With the job market the way it is today, it is not only difficult to get a job, but it is becoming extremely difficult in just getting an interview. There could be many reasons why you are not getting an interview. Take a good look at your resume.
Is it concise and easy to read?
Does it have a good appearance?
Does it state the qualifications needed for the job for which you are applying?
Is it error-free?
Does it capture the employer’s attention?
Let’s take these one at a time!
First, Is it concise and easy to read?
Make sure that your resume is not over two pages long. A one-page resume is ideal; however, it is understandable if you have had various jobs that require you to show the experience that you have, it may need to be two pages long, but never more than that! I cannot tell you how many resumes I have seen that are as long as 6 or 7 pages and very difficult to read and understand. Many times, people get too wordy or too explicit about the job they performed and essentially, it is not really necessary to state everything that you did in a job. You only need to mention the most specific and vital duties necessary in carrying out your daily assignments and responsibilities. Also, make sure that you list your duties in a bulleted format to make those duties pop out. Do not use sentences, rather use phrases.
For example, I answered all the telephones for five people who worked in my area and I gave them all their messages on a daily basis.
Instead, say, Answered telephones on a daily basis and distributed messages to 5 department staff
Second, Does it have a good appearance?
When preparing your resume, select a format that is pleasing to the eye. The regular traditional resume is a good format because it allows you to list your entries in a way that can make your resume balanced. Try not to leave sentences or phrases hanging. Don’t crowd your resume; ensure that it looks well spaced and neat.
Third, Does it state the qualifications needed for the job for which you are applying?
Don’t use skills or qualifications that don’t even matter to the employer. If he is looking for an accountant, don’t tell him about your nursing degree. Whatever the position is, focus your attention to those qualifications. If you don’t have extended experience in a certain field, but you have, in your jobs, done something similar to what the employer is seeking, then build that up. Make it noticeable and gear your words and statements to make a better fit for that job. Do the same thing with your education and training. Have you completed courses in that field or perhaps, you have been enrolled in some sort of training that could possibly be the thing that gets you noticed. If you see a job and it is no where near what you do, don’t apply for that job. You are just wasting your time as well as the employer’s.
Is it error-free?
After you have done your resume, look it over and read it thoroughly, down to your name, telephone number, address and email. Check it to make sure that you have not made any mistakes or have any typos. After you have read it, re-read it. After you have done that, give it to a family member or a friend who will take the time to read it thoroughly as well. Don’t give it to your brother who doesn’t even like to read and expect him to point out any errors. Give it to your friend who is a good editor or looks for attention to detail. Those individuals will help you find all the errors and they will also correct any wording or phrasing to make your resume sound awesome.
Does it capture the employer’s attention?
Is there something on your resume that will make that employer look at you more than the other 99 people applying for his job? Let me give you this small tidbit of information. I like to create resumes with a Summary of Qualifications. This summary is a list of phrases that will address everything that is on your entire resume. When employers have 100 resumes to review, they will only take 15 to 30 seconds to glance at a resume. That is hardly enough time to read the entire resume and you have some very important things that you want the employer to know about you. Therefore, create this Summary of Qualifications and say everything that is important in about 8 to 10 phrases or bullets.
For example:
- Over 15 years experience in the Nursing Industry
- Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Alto College
- Certified in CPR and First Aid
- Completed Training in Emergency Medical Shelter Management
- Supervisory and Management Skills
- Punctual and Dependable with Strong Work Ethic
- Dynamic Communication and Organizational Skills
- Ability to Work in Fast-Paced Medical Environments
- Willing to Accept New Challenges and Learn New Tasks
- Work well independently as well as part of a team
From this summary, an employer can see that you have extensive experience in nursing plus you earned a degree from Alto College. You are certified in CPR/First Aid and you have also completed courses in certain programs. An employer can see from this summary that you possess leadership skills because you have supervised and managed staff, plus you have the ability to convey assignments to them with your dynamic communication skills. You are also telling the employer that you are a responsible and dependable employee. An employer likes to see that an individual is always willing to learn new things and does not shy away from accepting new challenges. Lastly, that employer can see that you work well alone but you are also a team player. This summary could very well catch the eye of the employer or hiring manager
Now, the beauty of all of this is that reading through that Summary of Qualifications will probably only take 10 to 15 seconds to read. That is enough time for the employer to know just about everything about you. If he sees something in this summary that intrigues him, then, he will look further at your resume to read some more comprehensive information about you. It could very well catch his eye and have him wanting to see more. This is where you will get noticed.
Are you using the technology that is available to you?
There are many different websites that offer various services for little or no money. Find these job search sites and learn what they can do for you.
You definitely want to make yourself stand out in a crowd! You want to do something different from everyone else. At CampusJobXpress.com, you can create an Employment Profile Page. This is a web page of your very own. You will be able to download your resume, a professional photo, your bio or summary of qualifications plus you can create a one-minute or less video of yourself. In this video, you will answer the question an employer will make of you, “Tell me a little about yourself.” You can tell the employer all about your education and training, your experience, your knowledge, skills and abilities in addition to awards, certifications or licenses that you may possess. This video allows you to talk to the employer as if you were sitting directly in front of him at his office. The video creates a link that you can send to the employer by e-mail or simply place the link on your resume. In this way, the employer will be able to determine whether he wants to grant you an interview and possibly hire you.
Check out the page below and check out the rest of this website. Should you have any questions and want to find out more, simply send an e-mail to info@campusjobxpress.com. Someone will respond to you.
Get Noticed! Get an Interview! Get Hired!
by cjxpadmin | Mar 3, 2014 | March 2014 Magazine
As you conduct your job search, besides considering the usual — dress for success, arriving timely, questions to ask, knowledge of company, knowing your interviewer’s name, etc., realize also that upon getting the interview, you may be asked to go through various assessments, surveys or questionnaires prior to you getting the job. In fact, how you take some of these tests WILL determine IF you get the job.
CampusJobXpress has created a General Employee Assessment and Evaluation format that we provide to our website users who would like to see where they stand with regard to Common Knowledge. The assessment consists of 5 sections: Grammar, Vocabulary, Reading, Basic Math and Organization/Filing.
For your entertainment, I am going to select a few questions from each of these sections and provide them to you so that you can test yourself for the purpose of knowing some of the questions that are asked on assessments of this type.
Ready? Okay, see how you do.
GRAMMAR SECTION:
1. How many nouns are in this sentence? “The elderly woman thoroughly enjoyed the ride on the Lakeshore bus.”
a. 3
b. 4
c. 2
d. None of the above
2. You, your, yours, yourself and yourselves are all:
a. Nouns
b. Verbs
c. Pronouns
d. None of the above
3. An adverb describes a verb or another adverb. What is the adverb in “Karen ran excitedly to meet her father.”
a. excitedly
b. Karen
c. ran
d. None of the above
4. Which statement is correct?
a. A verb describes a noun
b. A noun describes a pronoun
c. An adverb describes a verb
d. None of the above
VOCABULARY SECTION:
5. The meaning of abridge means
a. to shorten or cut off
b. to delay
c. to express resentment
d. to bind together
6. Chronically means
a. irritably
b. sickly
c. habitually
d. due to a run-down condition
7. Select the correct meaning of the underlined word. “Tim preceded John in serving as mayor of the city.”
a. to come before
b. to come after
c. to function simultaneously
d. to advance
8. Select the correct meaning of the underlined word. “Tom was very credible.”
a. irritable
b. sick
c. believable
d. run-down
READING SECTION:
One day on a cool breezy afternoon, Tammy decided to go for a walk because she was feeling lonely and depressed. She ventured down to the park where she knew she would see children playing, dogs barking and maybe a balloon or two in the air. Tammy loved balloons. When she arrived at the park, she noticed that there was an empty seat on the bench next to a small fountain. She thought to herself, “What a lovely fountain and what a lovely seat to help ease me out of my depression.”
9. What was Tammy feeling on that cool breezy afternoon?
a. bored and depressed
b. lonely and depressed
c. tired and depressed
d. None of the above
10. What is the thing that Tammy loved?
a. puppies
b. kittens
c. balloons
d. None of the above
11. How was the afternoon Tammy decided to go for a walk?
a. hot and humid
b. cool and breezy
c. cool and windy
d. None of the above
12. In her state of depression, where did Tammy venture down to?
a. store
b. church
c. movies
d. None of the above
MATH SECTION:
13. How much money does an individual pay per month for a life insurance policy that costs $144.00 semi-annually?
a. $26.50
b. $32.00
c. $24.00
d. None of the above
14. Bob’s telephone service for a year is $1,152.00, plus an upfront one-time connection fee of $50.00 and a monthly processing fee of $5.00. What will be Bob’s first quarterly payment?
a. $96.00
b. $126.00
c. $152.00
d. None of the above
15. Write one-eighth (1/8) in decimal.
a. .8
b. .125
c. .08
d. None of the above
16. Write the number 18 in Roman numeral.
a. XIII
b. VIII
c. XVIII
d. None of the above
ORGANIZING/FILING SECTION:
Select the correct alphabetical order of filing for the problems below.
17. a. Bennett, Inez b. Benson, James c. Carter, Dennis d. Neans, Yvonne
a. d,c,b,a
b. a,b,c,d
c. d,a,c,b
d. None of the above
18. a. Smith, Amy b. Smith, Bob c. Smiths, Ana d. Smith, Anna
a. a,d,b,c
b. a,b,c,d
c. a,c,d,b
d. None of the above
The following drawers represent a numeric filing system.
a. Drawer 3000 — 4500
b. Drawer 5600 — 6900
c. Drawer 7500 — 8900
d. Drawer 1000 — 2500
File the following invoices as shown to fit in the appropriate drawers.
19. Where would you file Invoice #8744?
a. b. c. d.
20. Where would you file Invoice #3358?
a. b. c. d.
What do you think? Good? Check your answers at the bottom of this page.
For a more complete examination of this type, please send an e-mail request to
info@campusjobxpress.com and a staff member will provide you with a code for taking the exam.
Answers: 1a; 2c; 3a; 4c; 5a; 6c; 7a; 8c; 9b; 10c; 11b; 12d; 13c; 14d; 15b; 16c; 17b; 18a; 19c; 20a
by cjxpadmin | Mar 2, 2014 | March 2014 Magazine
By Silvia Seelig
As the cold weather days dwindle into the ends of winter, look ahead to Spring — a time for regeneration, a time for cleaning out and throwing away the old and bringing in the new. As we look at ourselves, let us think how we can perform some regenerative skills to spring into action for that new job.
Whether you’ve lost your job recently or whether you are currently trying to find employment due to a job layoff, the loss of a job can completely turn your life upside down leaving, not just you in turmoil, but your home life as well.
You find yourself concerned about how to pay your bills and how to provide the day-to-day needs for yourself and your family. You may find yourself in a situation where you don’t know what you should be doing. While it’s a difficult situation you find yourself in, don’t despair because there are plenty of resources available to you.
The key to managing this difficult time is to make the decision to use it as an opportunity to pursue something better. You have to make the decision to not allow the situation to cripple you and make the decision to use the situation to pursue new opportunities. You may be thinking it’s easier said than done but in essence, there are many resources available to you that will make your job search easier. Look at your situation with the mindset that this is the perfect opportunity to re-invent or regenerate yourself and pursue a career that you can be passionate about having. Take the time to re-evaluate your skills, your gifts, your training, and determine the best fit for you in the future.
In seeking a new job, take the time to determine your strengths and weaknesses. Review the job you had and figure out what you liked about it or what you didn’t like about it. Assess your skills and really take the time to determine what you have to offer an employer. Empower yourself with the knowledge of what makes you employable and why an employer should hire you.
You have the chance to take a bad situation and turn it into an opportunity to explore a new career path. You may find that along the way of everyday life, you’ve lost track of what you’re passionate about and you may have settled for a job just to pay the bills.
You now have the opportunity to change things for the better. Use this time to pursue a job that invigorates you and one that will make you happy. Yes, we all need to make money in order to provide for ourselves and our families, but you can seek opportunities that allow you to do both … provide a living and make you happy.
Entering the job market again, you will find yourself needing a resume and some assistance with interviewing techniques. You may have been at your job for a long period of time and are out of touch with the whole job searching process.
Before you step out to apply for jobs, make sure you are prepared for success. Don’t let your unpreparedness make you lose what could possibly be the “perfect” job for you. There are many online services that help you with resumes and you can use the assistance of family or friends in doing mock job interviews.
Practice answering questions and prepare yourself mentally for job interviews. Research employers you want to work for by doing online job searches and finding out the type of employees they are looking for and make sure you meet the criteria stated. Many companies today are taking applications online so make sure you provide accurate information and provide the best information that sets you apart from others that are applying for those same jobs. The more you find out about the companies you are applying with for a job, the better prepared you will be at an interview.
There are many job listing sites online that you can utilize in your job search. You can also seek the assistance from an employment agency. There are also job seeking sites like CampusJobXpress.com that provide you with services in seeking a job. Most of these services are free of charge to you so take advantage of the assistance they are offering you.
Losing a job can be devastating and it can be the cause of much stress, but you have the power to turn it into something positive. As I said before, take advantage of any free services available to you in your job search and pursue that job that have always wanted. Turn your job loss as an opportunity to become a better you and to find the time you need for you to explore new things. The key to your success lies in your hands. Make sure they don’t come up empty!
