[POLL RESULTS AND ANALYSIS] How Much MONEY Have You Spent on Your Job Search

[POLL RESULTS AND ANALYSIS] How Much MONEY Have You Spent on Your Job Search 8 Given various taboos about money and job seekers, I was really curious how this poll would turn out. The poll results and what they mean Here are the official results of the poll: How much MONEY have you spent on your job search? $0 (35%, 35 Votes) $0-$100 (24%, 24 Votes) More than $1000 (20%, 20 Votes) $100-$500 (18%, 18 Votes) $500-$1000 (2%, 2 Votes) Started: April 14, 2010 @ 10:00 amTotal Voters: 99 35% $0 Most people â€" especially in Israel â€" will NOT be surprised that this was the #1 response. However, most people will be surprised that so FEW people responded this way. When I was job searching in Israel after resigning from Amazon.com in 2001, I thought it was my duty to avoid spending any money on the job search itself. After all, I was living off my savings, and who knew how long it would take to find my next job? Many people are still thinking that way, which is why 0$ was the #1 response.eval However, job seekers have begun to understand that spending some money can have an impact on job search success, which is why %65 of poll voters have done so. 24% $0-$100eval This job search budget was likely used for: Buying a resume template, or just printing up resumes Buying job search learning materials such as books and DVDs Paying for memberships to sites like JibberJobber to organize your job search, or Alljobs for targeted job listings (in Israel) Having business cards made up, such as for networking purposes Or even just for buying regular items that can still be important on a job search, such as new clothes to look your best 20% More than $1000 If you were surprised at how few people polled said ‘$0', then what do you think about so many people spending more than $1000 on their job search? Although some people may have spent this money on flights to job interviews in other cities or even countries â€" I spent over 1000 euros flying back and forth between France and Israel during my 2006 job search â€" the more likely use of the money was for personal coaching, such as a job search coach. 18% $100-$500 Budgets in this range are probably a combination of things here above, except for coaching. Any voters for this price range might have been able to get an expert consult call or meeting, but no regular coaching. 3% $500-$1000 Similarly, these budgets also contained a combination of the things mentioned here above, but still no regular coaching. However, the low number of votes for this budget range suggests that people who are spending money on job search are either being conservative, picking and choosing the few things that can make a good search great, or else they're going all out, spending whatever it takes to get the best results as soon as possible. How have you spent money on your job search? Tell us in the comments! If you liked this article, you'll enjoy Where NOT to Spend Your Job Search Budget.

Writing a Writing Summary Statement Resume

Writing a Writing Summary Statement ResumeWriting a writing summary statement resume is really an effective way to get a job. Most professionals know that a writing resume or CV is a great way to get hired. So if you are thinking about creating one, here are some things to consider:Why do you want to write a writing summary statement resume? It is probably because you want to make it easier for hiring managers to get to know you. This is actually true, because they usually find it hard to tell a great resume from a poor one. But with a summary, you have already made it easier for them.You may think that you are not a good writer. However, if you can put your thoughts in writing, then it makes sense that you will be a good writer. When writing a writing resume, do not be afraid to take risks and be creative.In creating a writing summary statement resume, it is best to give it more information. Since writing this type of statement is also required by many businesses, it makes sense tha t they would want to know more about you. Give them information such as the last employer you worked for, what you do in your spare time, etc. A writing summary statement is one of the most effective methods to give information about you.If you know how to create a resume, you probably already know how to use it to present your details. Therefore, you should also know how to describe your job and your education. In writing a writing summary statement, you just need to focus on the main points of your education. It does not matter if you are using a transcript or your transcript may be different from the employer's transcript.Another thing to consider when creating a writing summary statement resume is your experience. Use the experiences you had when completing a project. The goal is to show employers that you have the experience needed to do the job that you are applying for. When writing a writing summary statement, do not forget to include the most important part of your job: the project.Before you write a writing summary statement resume, make sure that you have taken the time to read the job description and consider what you need to do to become a good candidate. If you cannot take the time to learn about the job requirements, then you should not waste your time. It is best to just submit a written statement that will just end up wasting everyone's time.Once you have created a resume, you will have to send it out to everyone. Therefore, you need to make sure that it has a chance to get noticed. Once you have done this, you can continue to get jobs!

Arouse Dont Assault - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Arouse Don’t Assault - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I have a client who persists in assaulting unprepared “prospects” with sales messages on social media. Not that this “jump them” attack can’t result in someone buying something. It is just the lowest percentage approach when it comes to actually generating revenue. Selling tactics of the past In the early days of selling, sneak attacks had a kind of novelty to them. A door-to-door salesman would ring the bell of a lovely suburban home, and on the homemaker’s smiling appearance â€" he would throw a small cup of dirt on the rug inside. Then, pulling out the vacuum cleaner he hoped would soon be on an order form, he’d suck up the dirt and then some. For the unsuspecting homemaker alone with her housecleaning, laundry and gardening chores, the interaction with the itinerant peddler (in a suit and shiny shoes) was itself a lift from a lonesome day. If she had the budget much less the need, she saw this unexpected visitor with a gee-whiz appliance as a welcome break, plus the visit threw a bit of optimism onto her self-esteem and status. So, in the earliest iteration of selling tactics it was true that you could compel people into buying products and services with tricks, sleight of hand approaches and high-pressure techniques. Selling tactics of the present That worked until it didn’t. Today selling assaults do not work in part because we have become accustomed to building relationships â€" even faux relationships â€" that qualify sellers by their personalities and behaviors: their personal brands. We expect to come to know the people we buy from, although we generally know them only through their interactions on social media, like their contributions to LinkedIn group discussions. Note that the bar of familiarity is “interactions” not “appearances”. Appearances are posts and pins. Interactions are responses and comments. Simply linking your latest blog post or announcing your new product, and doing it relentlessly as you create or make news, may get your photo and link pasted up thereâ€" but it won’t make relationships. Success with social, outreach calls and emails, and in-person networking now demands that you don’t just offer something of value â€" or that you push who you are or what you have on other people’s desktops. Success demands that you become interested in the lives, businesses, activities, accomplishments, concerns and needs of these other people. If you’ve stopped progressing or you’re stumped completely even after you have nailed down your personal brand, your strengths, talents, skills, interests, and social media activity: your lack of forward motion might reflect your failure to focus on someone other than yourself. Rather than force yourself on us, consider how you can arouse our interest in you. It starts with your arousing your interest in us â€" and expressing that in a way that causes us to think, “Wow, this person gets who I am, and that’s why I want what he or she has.” Remember, this is an audience economy. Until you’re more interested in your audience than you are in yourself, you may find yourself on the margins of not just society but also the economy. Author: Nance Rosen is the author of Speak Up! Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen

Dont Scare People Away With Your Email - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Don’t Scare People Away With Your Email - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Building up a sizable email list takes a lot of work, and late nights. For all your trouble, you want to continually grow your list, or at the very least, keep good numbers. However, if you take a closer look, you’ll always notice a few drops now and then. On the flip side, your direct actions may be causing the drop in email numbers. As a wise business person, you want to avoid this at all costs. The following are some of the things you should do to avoid driving away email subscribers. Consider them keenly, and apply changes accordingly. 1. Provide relevant content Does your email content provide relevant information? Stay away from the self-promotional material. Focus on information that is engaging, helpful, and adds value to the customer experience. That way, a subscriber is more likely to read through and follow-up on the message given. 2. Frequency After relevance, the frequency of your emails plays a big role in how susceptible you are to opt-outs. There’s isn’t a general rule of thumb when it comes to frequency of sending out emails, but once you start emailing people twice a day, every day of the week, you are asking for trouble. Many times, your frequency will depend on the type and quality of information you are sending out. As such, focus on providing great content, even if you email your list once a month. 3. Email “readability” Your email content has to be information that is easily readable, regardless of the medium used to access it. First, appearances are everything and if your email doesn’t appeal to the eye of the reader, it will be deleted even before they get to see who sent it. This is something to consider as a lot of audiences rely on mobile devices to view emails. Make sure your design team comes up with content that reads as well on a tablet as it would on a desktop. Keep the unnecessary clutter and ads away, and you’re sure to keep that list happy. 4. Lengthy emails Just as off-putting as a poorly designed email is, a lengthy one is just as quickly discarded. Few people have the time to pore over paragraphs of material in the few minutes they have to scan their inbox. Keep things short and concise. Clearly state the purpose of the email, elaborate on how the offer/product/service helps them, then give them a reason to act on the message. Quick and simple, it shouldn’t take more than half a page to communicate your message and sign off. 5. Clear communication Your subject line has to connect to what the rest of the email conveys. If the subject line says “Best tips to writing resumes,” but the email offers tips on how to prepare for interviews, then there’s clearly a disconnect between what you promised the readers, and what you actually serve up to them. 6. Feigning familiarity Feigning familiarity with the old-age personal greeting “Hi Susan” may work well if you know the person personally, but won’t be taken well by a new subscriber who doesn’t know anything about the business. Rather than go for the personal approach, focus on providing relevant content. All the work you put forth in managing the way you communicate your personal brand can be thwarted by just one poorly created email. [tweet this]  Everything you’ve put in to create a valuable email list may be undone by easily correctable tactics

What Is the 5 Basic Resume Skill Levels?

What Is the 5 Basic Resume Skill Levels?There are five basic resume skill levels. It is important to understand these levels in order to be better equipped to write a resume that is appropriate for the job being sought. The ability to understand these skill levels and what they mean is an essential key to a successful job search. After all, it is not enough to know which skills are important or whether you have them.The first basic resume skill level is the first of the four executive skill levels. This is where you focus on your job experience, responsibilities, education, and skills for the position being sought. This is the skill level where the first thing you want to do is write a resume that reflects the importance of what you bring to the job and includes all of the skills that employers would want to see when reviewing your resume.The second executive resume skill level is the second level of resume skill level. This is where you list the abilities that are most important to you. In addition, you will have to show how your educational background matches up with this level. You also want to include the educational levels that you have achieved at. These may vary based on your professional goals.The third executive resume skill level is the final level of resume skill levels. This is where you start to show some leadership skills. In order to do this, you will need to show your leadership through examples of accomplishments, and also through your work history.The fourth skill level is known as the technical skill level. Here you list the experience and knowledge that you have had. For example, you may have experience in marketing, sales, service, or technical skills such as programming or accounting. This is a great skill level to pursue because it shows that you can put together a resume that looks impressive and presents the employer with a complete picture of your skills. It also shows that you know what you are talking about and can make connections q uickly and efficiently.The fifth skill level is the administrative skill level. This is where you list your abilities related to being a manager. Some examples of this would be speaking with an intelligent, humorous, and encouraging tone. It also shows that you can set an example in terms of maintaining the flow of a smooth process while also dealing with tough situations. It also includes the ability to manage others while keeping yourself focused on the work at hand.As you can see, there are many different resume skill levels and it is important to remember this is an essential key to a successful job search. To better understand what skill level in a particular job opening requires, it is important to understand the basics of each of the skill levels. This will help you create a resume that will be functional and also gives the employer the information they need about you.It is important to consider how your skills and personality will impact the abilities needed to be successful . By learning the most basic resume skill levels, you will be able to better understand the job requirements and put together a resume that is more effectively written to meet these needs.

5 Job Interview Tips for Success - CareerAlley

5 Job Interview Tips for Success - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. There is nothing more exhausting and challenging than the process of trying to find a job. It is time consuming and sometimes overwhelming. Lots of ups and downs. Leads, the hope of an interview and finally the ever challenging interview process. Interviews are, without a doubt, the hardest and most stressful part of any job search. We so often forget to put in the time and effort to properly prepare for our interview. Your interview is like the final exam, fail this and you will fail your job search. As difficult and anxiety-inducing as interviews can be, however, making a good impression at an interview is a skill that can be developed, practiced and honed to a point where you have the confidence to not only have a great interview but get the job offer as well. There are some focus items that will help you ace your interview. 1. Practice Makes Perfect: Instead of trembling in your house, waiting for the big interview, take every opportunity to interview that you can. Practice with friends and relatives. Interview for jobs even if its for a job that you dont necessarily want, nothing will give you interview experience like an actual interview. Interview practice is one of the keys to success. See if a recruiter will do a mock interview with you. You need to know how the process works, and you need to figure out what you do well and what needs some work. 2. Focus on Relevant Experience: Lets face it, the interviewer is only interested in one thing can you do the job. Focus on relevant experience based on the job description. Also discuss any pertinent projects or key achievements that seem relevant to the job description, information the interviewer has given you or questions the interviewer has asked. The thing to remember is that no one has your specific experience, the interviewer is not a mind reader and no one can tell your story except for you. Before you go into your next interview, plot out the major points of you know you will want to discuss, this includes meaningful experiences that have shaped you, your values and your work ethic. People like stories and interviewers are no exceptions. 3. Know Your Target Company: Nothing is worse than not knowing as much information as possible about the company where you are interviewing. Do as much research as possible and then work on adapting that your pitch to fit the particular workplace philosophy of the job and company where you are interviewing. Also find out as much as possible about your interviewer(s). LinkedIn is a good place to start. If the interview is as a result of a recruiter, see how much information they can give you about the company and the individuals you will meet. If you cant find specific information on the Internet, see which of you network connections can help. The more you know about who is interviewing you, the better your chances of succeeding. 4. What You Dont Know Will Hurt You: Relevant questions are key (more on that in #5 below), but also very important to you decision process is understanding why the position is open. Some key questions are: Is it a new role? If a new role, why was it created, who does it report to and who had these responsibilities previously? Did the prior person quit (or get fired)? Does the role manage any individuals (and are any of them problematic)? 5. So Many Questions, So Little Time: The theory is that, as the interviewee, you should try and control the pace and direction of the interview. In reality, that does not always work and, if it does, the interviewer is probably not going to be happy. Make sure you have an extensive list of relevant questions. The reason I say extensive is that many questions on your list might be answered by the interviewer(s) before you get a chance to ask them. Saying Youve answered all of my questions before youve had a chance to ask one is not a winning strategy. Some of your questions should demonstrate that youve done your research on the company and the role. Other Resources: 6 Tips You Want to Consider When Going for a Job Interview [easyazon_link asin=B00L3XPSNC locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=default]The Art of Job Interview Preparation: A Job Interview Guide Book Including Secret Preparation Tips, Tricks and Routines That Will Get You Hired![/easyazon_link] We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+ Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by

Are Wrong Assumptions About You Damaging Your Career

Are Wrong Assumptions About You Damaging Your Career What assumptions are people making about you, and what can you do about that? A young woman I’m mentoring, let’s call her Tara, asked me whether she should keep wearing her engagement ring to job interviews. She had just gotten engaged in the middle of her job search and saw that once the interviewer noticed her ring, the whole conversation felt different. Whether they asked about it or not, she felt sure they were making the assumption that she would soon start a family and be less committed to her career. That frustrated her because she’s highly committed to her career and it was taking something very happy and making it into a negative for her. I’ll tell you in a minute what I advised, but this made me realize that people are always forming impressions and making assumptions. People can’t help doing that and, frankly, we do it as well. Make it work in your favor So what really matters though is to make it work in your favor. You can do this by: Figuring out what people are likely to be assuming about you. Identifying those assumptions that serve you well versus the ones that don’t. Being proactive in addressing the ones that are not true and not helpful. Let me share an example from my own career. About five years into my career, I started noticing that things weren’t going quite as well as they had been. I reflected on it and realized that people were making assumptions about me based on the stereotype of the “nice Chinese girl”, which meant sincere and hardworking, smart, quantitative and very good at math, and obedient and not very assertive. Which assumptions are true and which ones are helpful? I started asking myself, which ones of these assumptions are true and which ones of these are helpful? Sincere and hardworking: both true and helpful. I was in great shape there. Smart, quantitative and good at math: well, I was pretty good but my reputation or their assumption was probably a bit ahead of my actual capabilities. So I decided that, there, I needed to tread carefully and make sure that I was not taking on assignments where I had to be super quant, because I wasn’t. Obedient and not very assertive: well, this was the one that was a big problem for me. So I focused then on how can I be proactive about addressing this assumption that really doesn’t work well for me at all. On the obedient front, I was not blindly obedient. In fact, I was probably more of the resourceful in getting things done category. So I needed to help people shift that assumption. I did this by saying things like, “Oh, Joe. You asked me to talk to Jim about this. Well, he was on vacation but what I did was find a different way to get to the same outcome.” On the not assertive part, that was more difficult because it was absolutely true about me and that required a significant behavioral shift for me. And I did that by starting to change my behavior, such as going proactively to the assignments manager and requesting to be put on particular live deals, rather than sitting back and waiting for them to come to me. Leave people with the accurate impression What I told Tara was, yes, you can decide not to wear your ring. Plenty of people don’t wear their rings. Others wear their rings when they’re not even married or engaged. But if you want to wear your ring then what’s important is that you leave people with the accurate impression. We started on this path by: Identifying the three most important reasons that these assumptions about Tara were wrong. Then we created a script for how to convey those. She’s now equipped to convey the truth with confidence and address these assumptions in an authoritative, authentic way. Now, since I don’t want to reveal Tara’s personal information, let me use my own situation from back in the day to illustrate. So, for me, those three reasons would have been based on family heritage, cultural expectations and the fact that I’m actually very, very driven. And my script would have been something along the following lines: “I come from a long line of achievers. My father is a prominent scientist. My mother is a physician and my uncles are senior officers in government. And in a Chinese family of girls, I’ve always considered myself to be the son. My career is therefore hugely important to me and I’m very driven to succeed. I have a lot to live up to and I hope I can do that here.” People are going to make assumptions about us. People are going to make assumptions about me. They’ll make assumptions about you, and it’s your job to figure out what those assumptions are likely to be, and how do you convey your message in a way that lands accurately with people. By doing that, you can move onward and upward in your career. Let me leave you with this question: What assumptions are others making about you, and what myths do you need to dispel? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below so that we can all help you to move ahead even faster.