BIO - I was with HireQuest for the past 5 years on their Sales team and have recently moved to a new firm called Symmetry Search. I was familiar with your company through HQ and wanted to see if there is a way I could introduce Symmetry’s services to you.
Symmetry Search is a leading national full service recruiting firm based in Irvine, CA, who has worked with nearly half of the Fortune 500. Our recruiters specialize in the areas of Sales, Management, Retail, Marketing, CPG, Healthcare, Engineering, Finance, Human Resources, Technology, and much more.
We offer many low cost, customizable recruiting solutions that can be implemented nationally for you, including Volume Hiring events, Open Houses, and full Contingency Search. Whether you need help sourcing and screening candidates, or finding your next star producer, we have virtually unlimited sourcing tools and a full team of recruiters that can help with any part of the hiring process.
I would love to chat with you about how our services can help lower your recruiting costs while getting you access to candidates you wouldn’t normally see on your own. Will you be available early next week to discuss? If so, please let me know when will be convenient for you.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Durazo
949.341.0010 x424
kdurazo@symmetryhire.com
www.SymmetryHire.com
Friday, November 21, 2008
Jobsite w/online certifications
http://www.odesk.com/w/
I heard about this site on Good Morning America. It was featured as a
source for folks looking for specific work. There are online battery
of test for computer skill certifications. I don't know how successful
this site is but worth looking into for certifications. Check it out.
I heard about this site on Good Morning America. It was featured as a
source for folks looking for specific work. There are online battery
of test for computer skill certifications. I don't know how successful
this site is but worth looking into for certifications. Check it out.
Find the right school & increase your marketability
Find the right school & increase your marketability
Staff Writer, The Career News
NEW YORK, NY -- According to the U.S. Census Bureau the difference in lifetime earnings between a high school diploma and bachelor's degree is a million dollars. Add on a master's degree and you can expect to receive an additional half a million dollars in earnings. Those with professional degrees earn much more - about 4.4 million dollars during their working life.
Jennifer Day, Chief of the Education and Social Stratification Branch at the U.S. Census Bureau says, "In 1999, average annual earnings ranged from $19,000 for high school dropouts, to $26,000 for high school graduates, $45,000 for college graduates and $99,000 for the holders of professional degrees. That includes medical doctors, dentists, veterinarians and lawyers.
If you think that the only way to earn a degree is to spend gobs of money and traverse across a complicated college campus, taking anywhere from two to eight years to get your Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's or even doctorate degree...think again. With advances in technology, you can now get your degree online, from an accredited university in your spare time and from the comfort of your own home. To learn more about available schools & programs, and instantly request free-course catalogs, go to Find-The-Right- School.
Staff Writer, The Career News
NEW YORK, NY -- According to the U.S. Census Bureau the difference in lifetime earnings between a high school diploma and bachelor's degree is a million dollars. Add on a master's degree and you can expect to receive an additional half a million dollars in earnings. Those with professional degrees earn much more - about 4.4 million dollars during their working life.
Jennifer Day, Chief of the Education and Social Stratification Branch at the U.S. Census Bureau says, "In 1999, average annual earnings ranged from $19,000 for high school dropouts, to $26,000 for high school graduates, $45,000 for college graduates and $99,000 for the holders of professional degrees. That includes medical doctors, dentists, veterinarians and lawyers.
If you think that the only way to earn a degree is to spend gobs of money and traverse across a complicated college campus, taking anywhere from two to eight years to get your Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's or even doctorate degree...think again. With advances in technology, you can now get your degree online, from an accredited university in your spare time and from the comfort of your own home. To learn more about available schools & programs, and instantly request free-course catalogs, go to Find-The-Right- School.
Strategies for frustrated job seekers
Strategies for frustrated job seekers
Abridged: USNews.com
SACRAMENTO, CA -- If you have been looking for work for many months and you are growing increasingly frustrated or hopeless, you aren't alone. Here are some job search tips to consider. Start by launching a profile on LinkedIn, which lets you: reconnect with former co-workers; seek out hiring managers at desirable firms; request introductions to managers through their network; make your profile and resume Google-able.
It can also be very useful to establish yourself as an expert in the local community and online. Could you give a speech to your local chamber of commerce about something? Could you start a blog about the same subject? Your method: Get off the Internet for a few hours each day. Use your phone book to track down local companies in a field that interests you--and a field where your skills would be relevant.
Your targets: While the current economic slowdown is now affecting nearly every industry and business sector, some will tend to hold up better. Can your skills transfer to the health care industry or the accounting industry, both industries that will weather the downturn well. Your requirements: The more you're able to loosen up your immediate requirements, the shorter the search will be. Consider taking on temporary or contract work. Look for opportunities to freelance. Figure out how much money you need to survive. Be open to industries and jobs that you might never have considered previously.
Abridged: USNews.com
SACRAMENTO, CA -- If you have been looking for work for many months and you are growing increasingly frustrated or hopeless, you aren't alone. Here are some job search tips to consider. Start by launching a profile on LinkedIn, which lets you: reconnect with former co-workers; seek out hiring managers at desirable firms; request introductions to managers through their network; make your profile and resume Google-able.
It can also be very useful to establish yourself as an expert in the local community and online. Could you give a speech to your local chamber of commerce about something? Could you start a blog about the same subject? Your method: Get off the Internet for a few hours each day. Use your phone book to track down local companies in a field that interests you--and a field where your skills would be relevant.
Your targets: While the current economic slowdown is now affecting nearly every industry and business sector, some will tend to hold up better. Can your skills transfer to the health care industry or the accounting industry, both industries that will weather the downturn well. Your requirements: The more you're able to loosen up your immediate requirements, the shorter the search will be. Consider taking on temporary or contract work. Look for opportunities to freelance. Figure out how much money you need to survive. Be open to industries and jobs that you might never have considered previously.
How and why to grow your LinkedIn network
By Christine Kent
chrisk@ckeditorial. com
Bragging to your friends about the dozens of connections you’ve amassed on LinkedIn? Chuck Hester kicks your butt
With 6,000 LinkedIn connections and counting, Chuck Hester, corporate communications director for iContact, has built a massive network of colleagues, business associates and friends that he can call on for anything from prospective hires to the name of a good seafood restaurant in San Francisco.
But, as he’ll hasten to tell you, this is not just a numbers game. Hester views his network on LinkedIn as a valuable resource and actively works to stay in touch (and even meet in person) a healthy number of his 6,000 connections.
If you’ve doubted the merits of adding new names to your network, or you haven’t seen the logic of joining LinkedIn at all, Hester is here to tell you to that LinkedIn can change your life. For one thing, Hester got his current job through LinkedIn. He searched out the CEO of iContact, got another connection to introduce him, and sounded out the exec on a position with the company. Voila—a new gig.
Hester points out that LinkedIn has become the default location for CVs and resumes, to the point where recruiters, partners or clients may search LinkedIn for your credentials and stop there. (And if you’re not there, you won’t look like a player.)
“I consider LinkedIn to be an online portfolio,” Hester says. “When I first met the CEO at my current job, the only thing he had in front of him was a printout of my LinkedIn profile—no resume, nothing else.”
Hester counts about 150 journalists as part of his LinkedIn network, and these connections have recently helped him land ink for his company in The Wall Street Journal, Inc., and Fast Company. The Fast Company coverage came about because Hester works hard to build LinkedIn relationships in the real world, as well as the virtual world.
“Whenever I go to a city, I’ll try to meet personally with some of my contacts,” Hester explains. One of these recent meetings was in San Francisco with Rusty Weston, who writes Fast Company’s “Job World” blog. In the course of chatting about social networking and technology, Hester told Weston about iContact—and got a prominent blog mention.
In May, Hester won some personal ink in a New York Times article about networking via LinkedIn. Times reporter Stephanie Rosenbloom found Hester via a Google search and, for a story about job-hunting via social networks, Hester told her about his own experience with iContact. Hester was featured prominently in the finished piece, “Status: Looking for Work on Facebook.”
(For the record, Hester doesn’t think much of Facebook as a vehicle for business networking. “I don’t like to talk about business in the same place where I’m talking about where I had dinner last night,” he says.)
Last year Hester began organizing “LinkedIn Live” meetings around the country, inviting recruiters, job seekers and consultants to get together in person. These meetings typically draw 50 people, although he’s had as many as 200 show up.
While the chance to do some face-to-face bonding is a bonus, Hester hopes the meetings also remind people that they need to apply “old-fashioned rules of business” to their online interactions. Says Hester, “Always treat your LinkedIn connections as though they were right in front of you.”
LinkedIn do’s and don’ts
Struggling to break a hundred with your LinkedIn network? And what do you do with your connections once you start getting them? Here’s Hester’s advice for becoming a LinkedIn superstar:
1. Search LinkedIn for the top people in your industry area or region; that is, the people with the most connections. Find the connections that you have in common, even if they’re via “2nd level” or “3rd level” connections, and ask these connections to introduce you to the big players.
2. Always be on the lookout for new connections. Whenever you meet or talk to a new business or media contact, search for the name on LinkedIn and send out an invitation right away.
3. Don’t send out the generic invitation template provided by LinkedIn. Customize the invitation with some information about yourself and explain what you can do for the invitee.
4. Follow up the accepted invitation with a personal e-mail that offers more information about what you do, and how you can help out the other person. This is how you build strong LinkedIn relationships—not by simply making the connection and then fading away.
5. Don’t start asking favors right after you’ve made a connection. “I’ve had people ask me for a recommendation right after we connected,” Hester says. (LinkedIn members can post recommendations about their connections’ services.) “I don’t know them well enough to do that. It’s like going to a cocktail party—you don’t walk right up to someone and say, ‘Hey, buy my products.’ The old-fashioned rules of business still apply.”
6. Boost your LinkedIn cred by answering questions that members of your network post to the community. The numbers of questions you’ve asked and answered appears on your profile, and other LinkedIn users can rate the quality of your responses. (Tip: Journalists often post questions for story sources.)
chrisk@ckeditorial. com
Bragging to your friends about the dozens of connections you’ve amassed on LinkedIn? Chuck Hester kicks your butt
With 6,000 LinkedIn connections and counting, Chuck Hester, corporate communications director for iContact, has built a massive network of colleagues, business associates and friends that he can call on for anything from prospective hires to the name of a good seafood restaurant in San Francisco.
But, as he’ll hasten to tell you, this is not just a numbers game. Hester views his network on LinkedIn as a valuable resource and actively works to stay in touch (and even meet in person) a healthy number of his 6,000 connections.
If you’ve doubted the merits of adding new names to your network, or you haven’t seen the logic of joining LinkedIn at all, Hester is here to tell you to that LinkedIn can change your life. For one thing, Hester got his current job through LinkedIn. He searched out the CEO of iContact, got another connection to introduce him, and sounded out the exec on a position with the company. Voila—a new gig.
Hester points out that LinkedIn has become the default location for CVs and resumes, to the point where recruiters, partners or clients may search LinkedIn for your credentials and stop there. (And if you’re not there, you won’t look like a player.)
“I consider LinkedIn to be an online portfolio,” Hester says. “When I first met the CEO at my current job, the only thing he had in front of him was a printout of my LinkedIn profile—no resume, nothing else.”
Hester counts about 150 journalists as part of his LinkedIn network, and these connections have recently helped him land ink for his company in The Wall Street Journal, Inc., and Fast Company. The Fast Company coverage came about because Hester works hard to build LinkedIn relationships in the real world, as well as the virtual world.
“Whenever I go to a city, I’ll try to meet personally with some of my contacts,” Hester explains. One of these recent meetings was in San Francisco with Rusty Weston, who writes Fast Company’s “Job World” blog. In the course of chatting about social networking and technology, Hester told Weston about iContact—and got a prominent blog mention.
In May, Hester won some personal ink in a New York Times article about networking via LinkedIn. Times reporter Stephanie Rosenbloom found Hester via a Google search and, for a story about job-hunting via social networks, Hester told her about his own experience with iContact. Hester was featured prominently in the finished piece, “Status: Looking for Work on Facebook.”
(For the record, Hester doesn’t think much of Facebook as a vehicle for business networking. “I don’t like to talk about business in the same place where I’m talking about where I had dinner last night,” he says.)
Last year Hester began organizing “LinkedIn Live” meetings around the country, inviting recruiters, job seekers and consultants to get together in person. These meetings typically draw 50 people, although he’s had as many as 200 show up.
While the chance to do some face-to-face bonding is a bonus, Hester hopes the meetings also remind people that they need to apply “old-fashioned rules of business” to their online interactions. Says Hester, “Always treat your LinkedIn connections as though they were right in front of you.”
LinkedIn do’s and don’ts
Struggling to break a hundred with your LinkedIn network? And what do you do with your connections once you start getting them? Here’s Hester’s advice for becoming a LinkedIn superstar:
1. Search LinkedIn for the top people in your industry area or region; that is, the people with the most connections. Find the connections that you have in common, even if they’re via “2nd level” or “3rd level” connections, and ask these connections to introduce you to the big players.
2. Always be on the lookout for new connections. Whenever you meet or talk to a new business or media contact, search for the name on LinkedIn and send out an invitation right away.
3. Don’t send out the generic invitation template provided by LinkedIn. Customize the invitation with some information about yourself and explain what you can do for the invitee.
4. Follow up the accepted invitation with a personal e-mail that offers more information about what you do, and how you can help out the other person. This is how you build strong LinkedIn relationships—not by simply making the connection and then fading away.
5. Don’t start asking favors right after you’ve made a connection. “I’ve had people ask me for a recommendation right after we connected,” Hester says. (LinkedIn members can post recommendations about their connections’ services.) “I don’t know them well enough to do that. It’s like going to a cocktail party—you don’t walk right up to someone and say, ‘Hey, buy my products.’ The old-fashioned rules of business still apply.”
6. Boost your LinkedIn cred by answering questions that members of your network post to the community. The numbers of questions you’ve asked and answered appears on your profile, and other LinkedIn users can rate the quality of your responses. (Tip: Journalists often post questions for story sources.)
FDIC is in Irvine
Here is an 800 number to call!
Thank you for your inquiry regarding employment at the FDIC's West Coast Temporary Satellite Office in Irvine, California. The FDIC has set up a dedicated WCTSO Employment Call Center Hotline at 1-800-523-8517 to answer questions about job opportunities.
The hours of operation for the Call Center are 8:00am to 6:00pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Friday.
Thank you for your inquiry regarding employment at the FDIC's West Coast Temporary Satellite Office in Irvine, California. The FDIC has set up a dedicated WCTSO Employment Call Center Hotline at 1-800-523-8517 to answer questions about job opportunities.
The hours of operation for the Call Center are 8:00am to 6:00pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Friday.
10 Reasons Why You're Not Getting Interviews
10 Reasons Why You're Not Getting InterviewsRobert Half International No matter how strong your skills or experience are, you won't land a new job without first securing an interview with a prospective employer. Job seekers often consider this step of the hiring process the most difficult -- and perplexing. After all, how many times have you considered your qualifications ideal for an open position only to never hear from the hiring manager about the résumé and cover letter you submitted?
If you're looking for an edge, make sure you're not falling into these common traps:
1. You only focus on the Googles of the world.
Companies that continually grab headlines and are highly recognizable can be exciting places to work. But so are many companies you've never heard of. Keep in mind that organizations that are household names often receive thousands of résumés for each opening. Consider exploring opportunities with small and midsize companies. They make up the vast majority of businesses in the United States and sometimes have trouble locating qualified candidates. If Google is your dream employer, don't give up the good fight, but also keep your eyes and ears open to other opportunities.
2. You don't follow directions.
Each company has a different procedure it asks applicants to follow for submitting employment applications. Some ask that you use a form on their Web sites while others prefer traditional phone calls or faxes. Make sure you understand what the prospective employer seeks by carefully reading the job listing. Then, follow the directions to the letter. If you don't, your application may never reach the hiring manager.
3. You need to revamp your résumé.
Sending out the same cover letter and résumé to all companies isn't likely to capture the attention of prospective employers. Hiring managers want to know why you're a good match for their specific business needs. So take the time to research employers and customize your job search materials by explaining why you're interested in a particular position and how you could make a contribution to the company.
4. Your cover letter isn't enticing.
Think of your cover letter as an appetizer that convinces the hiring manager your résumé, the main course, is worth sampling. The best cover letters take select details from the résumé and expand upon them, explaining in depth how your talents and experience can benefit the prospective employer.
5. You don't reference keywords.
Companies that receive a high volume of résumés often use scanning software that looks for certain keywords to determine which candidates to call for interviews. More often than not, keywords come directly from the job description. Terms such as "Microsoft Office," "accounts payable and receivable" and "Cisco Certified Network Administrator" are examples. As much as possible, ensure your résumé and cover letter contain keywords.
6. Your application materials aren't perfect.
Submitting an application that contains typos and grammatical goofs is perhaps the quickest way to foil your chances of securing an interview. In fact, 84 percent of executives polled in a recent survey by our company said it takes just one or two errors to remove a candidate from consideration. The reason: These types of mistakes show a lack of professionalism and attention to detail. Make sure to carefully proofread your résumé prior to submitting it and ask a friend or family member to do the same.
7. You don't know who to send your résumé to.
Though it's fine to start your cover letter with the generic salutation "To Whom It May Concern," hiring managers pay special attention to applications that are addressed directly to them. If the job advertisement doesn't include the hiring manager's name, call the company and speak to the receptionist or a member of the person's department. More often than not, you can obtain the information fairly easily if you're candid about your reason for wanting it.
8. You don't have an 'in' with the company.
Using the name of a common contact to make the connection between you and the hiring manager is by far the best way to ensure your cover letter and résumé get optimal attention. So, keep in touch with members of your professional network; you never know who has a contact at the company you hope to work for.
9. You don't follow up.
One way to improve the odds a hiring manager gives consideration to your résumé is to follow up with him or her. According to a survey by our company, 86 percent of executives said job seekers should contact a hiring manager within two weeks of sending a résumé and cover letter. Often a brief phone call or e-mail reasserting your interest in the position and strong qualifications is enough.
10. You're not as qualified as you think.
The bottom line may be that you're simply not as perfect for the job as you think. Before submitting your résumé, take a close look at the job description and compare your skills and experience with those required for the position. If a job calls for five years of retail management experience, and you have only two, you might not be as qualified as other applicants. While sometimes it's possible to make up for skills gaps if you excel in other areas, hiring managers frequently have specific criteria in mind, and they use it to determine whom they call for interviews.
By avoiding common pitfalls, you can improve your chances of landing a job interview. Often something small -- fixing a typo, for example -- makes all the difference.
If you're looking for an edge, make sure you're not falling into these common traps:
1. You only focus on the Googles of the world.
Companies that continually grab headlines and are highly recognizable can be exciting places to work. But so are many companies you've never heard of. Keep in mind that organizations that are household names often receive thousands of résumés for each opening. Consider exploring opportunities with small and midsize companies. They make up the vast majority of businesses in the United States and sometimes have trouble locating qualified candidates. If Google is your dream employer, don't give up the good fight, but also keep your eyes and ears open to other opportunities.
2. You don't follow directions.
Each company has a different procedure it asks applicants to follow for submitting employment applications. Some ask that you use a form on their Web sites while others prefer traditional phone calls or faxes. Make sure you understand what the prospective employer seeks by carefully reading the job listing. Then, follow the directions to the letter. If you don't, your application may never reach the hiring manager.
3. You need to revamp your résumé.
Sending out the same cover letter and résumé to all companies isn't likely to capture the attention of prospective employers. Hiring managers want to know why you're a good match for their specific business needs. So take the time to research employers and customize your job search materials by explaining why you're interested in a particular position and how you could make a contribution to the company.
4. Your cover letter isn't enticing.
Think of your cover letter as an appetizer that convinces the hiring manager your résumé, the main course, is worth sampling. The best cover letters take select details from the résumé and expand upon them, explaining in depth how your talents and experience can benefit the prospective employer.
5. You don't reference keywords.
Companies that receive a high volume of résumés often use scanning software that looks for certain keywords to determine which candidates to call for interviews. More often than not, keywords come directly from the job description. Terms such as "Microsoft Office," "accounts payable and receivable" and "Cisco Certified Network Administrator" are examples. As much as possible, ensure your résumé and cover letter contain keywords.
6. Your application materials aren't perfect.
Submitting an application that contains typos and grammatical goofs is perhaps the quickest way to foil your chances of securing an interview. In fact, 84 percent of executives polled in a recent survey by our company said it takes just one or two errors to remove a candidate from consideration. The reason: These types of mistakes show a lack of professionalism and attention to detail. Make sure to carefully proofread your résumé prior to submitting it and ask a friend or family member to do the same.
7. You don't know who to send your résumé to.
Though it's fine to start your cover letter with the generic salutation "To Whom It May Concern," hiring managers pay special attention to applications that are addressed directly to them. If the job advertisement doesn't include the hiring manager's name, call the company and speak to the receptionist or a member of the person's department. More often than not, you can obtain the information fairly easily if you're candid about your reason for wanting it.
8. You don't have an 'in' with the company.
Using the name of a common contact to make the connection between you and the hiring manager is by far the best way to ensure your cover letter and résumé get optimal attention. So, keep in touch with members of your professional network; you never know who has a contact at the company you hope to work for.
9. You don't follow up.
One way to improve the odds a hiring manager gives consideration to your résumé is to follow up with him or her. According to a survey by our company, 86 percent of executives said job seekers should contact a hiring manager within two weeks of sending a résumé and cover letter. Often a brief phone call or e-mail reasserting your interest in the position and strong qualifications is enough.
10. You're not as qualified as you think.
The bottom line may be that you're simply not as perfect for the job as you think. Before submitting your résumé, take a close look at the job description and compare your skills and experience with those required for the position. If a job calls for five years of retail management experience, and you have only two, you might not be as qualified as other applicants. While sometimes it's possible to make up for skills gaps if you excel in other areas, hiring managers frequently have specific criteria in mind, and they use it to determine whom they call for interviews.
By avoiding common pitfalls, you can improve your chances of landing a job interview. Often something small -- fixing a typo, for example -- makes all the difference.
Write Attention Grabbing Cover Letters
Get Your Cover Letter Read From Start to Finish!
By Jimmy Sweeney, President of CareerJimmy
and Author of the new, Amazing Cover Letter Creator.
Want to grab a hiring manager's attention like a magnet? Then lean a little closer because I have the secret for doing just that--a smashing title or headline that practically forces him or her to read your cover letter from the first line to the last without a breath.
This amazing technique is the 'gold nugget in the sand' that puts a cover letter over the top--that special something everyone is looking for. Now it is yours to use and you don't have to comb the beach to find it.
How can this 'bit of gold' distinguish your cover letter from others? Read on.
First create a powerful headline and place it at the top of your cover letter just above the greeting (Dear Ms. Jones). Use boldface print and center it on the page. (Two lines maximum.)
Following are three examples of fabulous gold-nugget cover letter headlines--- the secret to landing more quality job interviews:
Why I believe I'm the job candidate you're looking for
regarding the [insert job title here].
After visiting [company name] website I feel certain I'm a solid match for the [insertjob title here].
May I please have an opportunity to speak to you in
person regarding the position of [insert job title here]?
Create attention-grabbing headlines
By creating a first-class headline you are showing the hiring manager that you are confident, professional, and polite and that you know how to bring attention to what is important-landing a position that he or she is trying to fill with a high-quality candidate.
Opening your cover letter with an attention-grabbing headline is a most effective means to garner the attention you want and need in order to get an interview. But remember, it's a secret-so don't whisper it to anyone! Put it into practice today and then be ready to accept invitations to interview for the job you want.
Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the brand new, "Amazing Cover Letter Creator." Jimmy is also the author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, "Job Search Secrets."
Visit our friends at Amazing Cover Letters for your "instant" cover letter today. "In just 3.5 minutes you will have an amazing cover letter guaranteed to cut through YOUR competition like a hot knife through butter!"
By Jimmy Sweeney, President of CareerJimmy
and Author of the new, Amazing Cover Letter Creator.
Want to grab a hiring manager's attention like a magnet? Then lean a little closer because I have the secret for doing just that--a smashing title or headline that practically forces him or her to read your cover letter from the first line to the last without a breath.
This amazing technique is the 'gold nugget in the sand' that puts a cover letter over the top--that special something everyone is looking for. Now it is yours to use and you don't have to comb the beach to find it.
How can this 'bit of gold' distinguish your cover letter from others? Read on.
First create a powerful headline and place it at the top of your cover letter just above the greeting (Dear Ms. Jones). Use boldface print and center it on the page. (Two lines maximum.)
Following are three examples of fabulous gold-nugget cover letter headlines--- the secret to landing more quality job interviews:
Why I believe I'm the job candidate you're looking for
regarding the [insert job title here].
After visiting [company name] website I feel certain I'm a solid match for the [insertjob title here].
May I please have an opportunity to speak to you in
person regarding the position of [insert job title here]?
Create attention-grabbing headlines
By creating a first-class headline you are showing the hiring manager that you are confident, professional, and polite and that you know how to bring attention to what is important-landing a position that he or she is trying to fill with a high-quality candidate.
Opening your cover letter with an attention-grabbing headline is a most effective means to garner the attention you want and need in order to get an interview. But remember, it's a secret-so don't whisper it to anyone! Put it into practice today and then be ready to accept invitations to interview for the job you want.
Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the brand new, "Amazing Cover Letter Creator." Jimmy is also the author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, "Job Search Secrets."
Visit our friends at Amazing Cover Letters for your "instant" cover letter today. "In just 3.5 minutes you will have an amazing cover letter guaranteed to cut through YOUR competition like a hot knife through butter!"
The Power of Choice
The content of this article may be a bit controversial, but it's something to think about. I relate to the third sentence. I've been looking for 8 months and keep getting those same questions from family members about why I'm not employed yet. Hopefully, there's something in this article you can relate to and find it helpful. THE POWER OF CHOICE "Find Your Perfect Job" published by The Renegade Job Coach -
Judi Perkins, Editor and Author
All articles are by Judi Perkins and written expressly for the
newsletter unless otherwise stated. You can send your feedback
to Judi@findtheperfect job.com
************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *
I know a lot of you don't have a job. I browse the newsletter
sign ups every so often and so many of you select "unemployed. "
And here come the holidays, which means stretching the money to
buy gifts, answering questions from family and relatives about
your job hunt, why you aren't employed yet, what you're doing
about it, etc.
I don't care if you're just out of college or 55. You'll always
be a kid to your mother and as for everyone else, they're either
genuinely interested or they have advice they're darn sure you'd
benefit from if you'd only listen and follow it.
It's very easy to become tired of the questions, get stressed,
and perhaps want to say "Oh, just leave me alone, will you
please?" and "Can we please talk about something else?"
Those of you who have been reading me for a while, and may even
have read some of my stuff on Vault, know that while I provide
specific direction, steps, advice, reasons, and all that, I
absolute believe that what you think is what you create.
Hang with me here while I get a bit far out.
Everything is always in a state of flux, constantly changing,
dissolving, dissipating and realigning into new forms according
to the strength of force of whatever causal elements are focused
on them. Why do objects disintigrate, rust, or break down over
time? It's made of atoms which are constantly moving, even
though you can't see them and even though it might take 10 or 15
years or more for that item to break itself down.
Atoms manifest into substance, and substance is fluid. It's held
in place by the power of your attention until - or unless - you
create a new thought or desire or goal or manifestation. An
inhabited house retains its essence much longer when lived in,
while a deserted one falls apart much faster. Mountains
eventually erode into plains. Curse your car everyday, and it
will give you problems just as sure as plants respond better to
loving attention. I know a lady who was always afraid of her
house burning down. She constantly worried about it and talked
about it. In other words, she gave energy. Then one day her
house did exactly that.
Recognizing that all manifestion is an end-product, all we have
to do is turn our mental and emotional attention away from that
which doesn't. But let me be clear: it's a conscious choice.
That's why I talk about knowing specifically what you want in
your job. Focus your desire on achieving it. Know what it must
be composed of and what it looks like. We are in complete
control of the quality of our experience, and to a large extent,
the characteristics of it.
Your situation is what it is. If you don't like it, change it.
If you can't change it, change your attitude, because you have
the power to make that choice. Happiness breeds happiness,
sorrow breeds sorrow, and conflict breeds more conflict. So this
Thanksgiving, you can stress out, whine, think about how little
money you have, and how everyone else is employed and so lucky,
or you can think about something else - like how much you HAVE
instead of how much you DON'T have.
Because no matter what's going on with you, someone else always
has it worse.
Some people who have jobs, hate them and wish they were
unemployed, but it's nice to have a regular paycheck while
you're job hunting, isn't it? Some people are unemployed and
worry about money, but on the other hand, you have no
restrictions on your time - to go hiking or grocery shopping in
off-peak hours, or job hunt full-time. My point is, the grass is
always greener on the other side of the fence, so take whatever
it is you don't like, and choose to put a different spin on it.
There is something very profound about gratitude - expressing it
for the smallest thing and expressing it often. If you think
lousy negative thoughts, you have lousy negative things
happening to you. If you think thankful positive thoughts,
you'll find little windows of blessings opening all over. Try it
if you don't believe me.
That's not to say life doesn't get hard. Be thankful for that
too! Because it's in times of crisis that we learn who we are -
precisely because we have the ability to choose who we want to
be at that moment that crazy things are happening to us left and
right. Start looking at problems as opportunities. Make that a
conscious choice.
As Tim Allen said: "The world's a mean place. It's unfair, then
it's fair. It's hateful, then it's loving. It's a very peculiar
place on philosophical and metaphysical and religious levels. I
love human beings because we're very courageous in the peculiar
place that we live: reality."
So make different choices. It's not "Why don't I have a job yet?
" It's "Hey great! I got an interview!" It's not "I can't
believe they didn't hire me!" It's "Well, maybe there was
something about that place I wouldn't have liked. It's probably
a blessing I didn't get the job anyway. I know the right one is
waiting for me!"
Yes, yes, I know I sound like PollyAnna (um, that was a sappy
Disney movie with Haley Mills sometime in the 60s or something).
Here's an exercise for everyone - employed, unemployed, happy,
unhappy, whatever. I do this too, by the way. Pay attention to
your speech. Pay attention to your thoughts. Stay conscious in
the moment and see how many times you think or say something
negative. If you catch yourself, turn it positive.
Beyond that, look for everything around you that you can be
grateful for - nothing is too small. Try finding something to be
thankful for every half hour or every time it occurs to you to
do so. In fact, end every day with tallying up five things for
which you are grateful that happened to you that day. And yes, I
do this too, just before I fall asleep.
It can be as silly as discovering you still have strawberries in
the fridge when you thought you'd eaten them all, to suddenly
noticing how totally neat the clouds look scudding across the
sky; from calling your friend and finding her home, to
appreciating your mechanic who just told you that you didn't
actually need new brakes yet (not just for the money, but
because he's an honest and trustworthy guy!)
Think about all the things you take for granted: your car
starting (especially if it's old or falling apart or you live in
a very cold part of the US where batteries routinely fail), your
house, being able to buy food, having a table at which to eat
it, having friends to talk to, having furniture to sit on, a
television to watch, a pet to talk to and play with. Then be
thankful for those and stop taking them for granted.
From a child's simple prayer to exclamations of "Thanks a lot!"
the business of being grateful seems like straightforward stuff.
Yet in recent years, research and therapy has increasingly
targeted gratitude and other positive emotions. People who are
grateful experience less stress and depression and are less
materialistic and more spiritually connected. A sense of
gratitude also has been found to speed healing for people who
have experienced loss or trauma. This Thanksgiving, think of all
the things you have to be grateful for, and then when
Thanksgiving is finished, keep the gratefulness going.
Judi Perkins, Editor and Author
All articles are by Judi Perkins and written expressly for the
newsletter unless otherwise stated. You can send your feedback
to Judi@findtheperfect job.com
************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* *
I know a lot of you don't have a job. I browse the newsletter
sign ups every so often and so many of you select "unemployed. "
And here come the holidays, which means stretching the money to
buy gifts, answering questions from family and relatives about
your job hunt, why you aren't employed yet, what you're doing
about it, etc.
I don't care if you're just out of college or 55. You'll always
be a kid to your mother and as for everyone else, they're either
genuinely interested or they have advice they're darn sure you'd
benefit from if you'd only listen and follow it.
It's very easy to become tired of the questions, get stressed,
and perhaps want to say "Oh, just leave me alone, will you
please?" and "Can we please talk about something else?"
Those of you who have been reading me for a while, and may even
have read some of my stuff on Vault, know that while I provide
specific direction, steps, advice, reasons, and all that, I
absolute believe that what you think is what you create.
Hang with me here while I get a bit far out.
Everything is always in a state of flux, constantly changing,
dissolving, dissipating and realigning into new forms according
to the strength of force of whatever causal elements are focused
on them. Why do objects disintigrate, rust, or break down over
time? It's made of atoms which are constantly moving, even
though you can't see them and even though it might take 10 or 15
years or more for that item to break itself down.
Atoms manifest into substance, and substance is fluid. It's held
in place by the power of your attention until - or unless - you
create a new thought or desire or goal or manifestation. An
inhabited house retains its essence much longer when lived in,
while a deserted one falls apart much faster. Mountains
eventually erode into plains. Curse your car everyday, and it
will give you problems just as sure as plants respond better to
loving attention. I know a lady who was always afraid of her
house burning down. She constantly worried about it and talked
about it. In other words, she gave energy. Then one day her
house did exactly that.
Recognizing that all manifestion is an end-product, all we have
to do is turn our mental and emotional attention away from that
which doesn't. But let me be clear: it's a conscious choice.
That's why I talk about knowing specifically what you want in
your job. Focus your desire on achieving it. Know what it must
be composed of and what it looks like. We are in complete
control of the quality of our experience, and to a large extent,
the characteristics of it.
Your situation is what it is. If you don't like it, change it.
If you can't change it, change your attitude, because you have
the power to make that choice. Happiness breeds happiness,
sorrow breeds sorrow, and conflict breeds more conflict. So this
Thanksgiving, you can stress out, whine, think about how little
money you have, and how everyone else is employed and so lucky,
or you can think about something else - like how much you HAVE
instead of how much you DON'T have.
Because no matter what's going on with you, someone else always
has it worse.
Some people who have jobs, hate them and wish they were
unemployed, but it's nice to have a regular paycheck while
you're job hunting, isn't it? Some people are unemployed and
worry about money, but on the other hand, you have no
restrictions on your time - to go hiking or grocery shopping in
off-peak hours, or job hunt full-time. My point is, the grass is
always greener on the other side of the fence, so take whatever
it is you don't like, and choose to put a different spin on it.
There is something very profound about gratitude - expressing it
for the smallest thing and expressing it often. If you think
lousy negative thoughts, you have lousy negative things
happening to you. If you think thankful positive thoughts,
you'll find little windows of blessings opening all over. Try it
if you don't believe me.
That's not to say life doesn't get hard. Be thankful for that
too! Because it's in times of crisis that we learn who we are -
precisely because we have the ability to choose who we want to
be at that moment that crazy things are happening to us left and
right. Start looking at problems as opportunities. Make that a
conscious choice.
As Tim Allen said: "The world's a mean place. It's unfair, then
it's fair. It's hateful, then it's loving. It's a very peculiar
place on philosophical and metaphysical and religious levels. I
love human beings because we're very courageous in the peculiar
place that we live: reality."
So make different choices. It's not "Why don't I have a job yet?
" It's "Hey great! I got an interview!" It's not "I can't
believe they didn't hire me!" It's "Well, maybe there was
something about that place I wouldn't have liked. It's probably
a blessing I didn't get the job anyway. I know the right one is
waiting for me!"
Yes, yes, I know I sound like PollyAnna (um, that was a sappy
Disney movie with Haley Mills sometime in the 60s or something).
Here's an exercise for everyone - employed, unemployed, happy,
unhappy, whatever. I do this too, by the way. Pay attention to
your speech. Pay attention to your thoughts. Stay conscious in
the moment and see how many times you think or say something
negative. If you catch yourself, turn it positive.
Beyond that, look for everything around you that you can be
grateful for - nothing is too small. Try finding something to be
thankful for every half hour or every time it occurs to you to
do so. In fact, end every day with tallying up five things for
which you are grateful that happened to you that day. And yes, I
do this too, just before I fall asleep.
It can be as silly as discovering you still have strawberries in
the fridge when you thought you'd eaten them all, to suddenly
noticing how totally neat the clouds look scudding across the
sky; from calling your friend and finding her home, to
appreciating your mechanic who just told you that you didn't
actually need new brakes yet (not just for the money, but
because he's an honest and trustworthy guy!)
Think about all the things you take for granted: your car
starting (especially if it's old or falling apart or you live in
a very cold part of the US where batteries routinely fail), your
house, being able to buy food, having a table at which to eat
it, having friends to talk to, having furniture to sit on, a
television to watch, a pet to talk to and play with. Then be
thankful for those and stop taking them for granted.
From a child's simple prayer to exclamations of "Thanks a lot!"
the business of being grateful seems like straightforward stuff.
Yet in recent years, research and therapy has increasingly
targeted gratitude and other positive emotions. People who are
grateful experience less stress and depression and are less
materialistic and more spiritually connected. A sense of
gratitude also has been found to speed healing for people who
have experienced loss or trauma. This Thanksgiving, think of all
the things you have to be grateful for, and then when
Thanksgiving is finished, keep the gratefulness going.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Secrets of the hidden job market
Secrets of the Hidden Job Market: Change Your Thinking to Get the Job of Your Dreams is a no-nonsense guide to getting hired. Chapters cover how to avoid the traps inherent in the traditional system of networking ("Executive recruiters are not in business to get you hired. Never forget you are there for the recruiter's benefit; they are not there for yours."), the crucial importance of properly preparing a resume ("The design of your resume is irrelevant; the only things that matter are what your resume says and how Mr. Bigg feels as he reads it."), the importance of maintaining a positive outlook ("Like everything else, your belief about your age becomes your experience. When you stop believing your age is a problem in your getting hired, it will cease to be one.") and much more.
Written in plain terms for readers of all backgrounds, Secrets of the Hidden Job Market is a go-to guide for making a good impression and successfully competing for opportunities.
The Midwest Book Review
Written in plain terms for readers of all backgrounds, Secrets of the Hidden Job Market is a go-to guide for making a good impression and successfully competing for opportunities.
The Midwest Book Review
Free Computer Training for Individuals Who Are Unemployed or Underemployed
www.saddlebackoutreach.org/clc.html
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