Job Talk

by Susan K. Maciak, career consultant, www.cameoconsulting.com

Will more pages make your resume more impressive? The short answer: NO!

In today’s job market, where a thousand or more people apply for every position, longer resumes are pushed to the bottom of the pile. Interview candidates are usually selected from the first 20 or so resumes that are read.

The key to topping the pile is making your one-page resume look interesting. It doesn’t pay to go overboard with graphics, but your brag sheet needs to look special. And - keep your best attributes near the top. The average HR person spends less than 30 seconds reading what you have to offer.

by Susan K. Maciak, www.cameocareer.com

As new ideas and inventions pop up, old job titles are often on the chopping block. The key to career success is to recognize change and regroup accordingly. In other words, you need to be ready to change with change.

There’s been much said about how automation changed the assembly line, but not as much ado about changes brought about by our new computer culture.

Some old jobs that are losing their luster in this new online era include: Advertising Managers, Travel Agents, Broadcast News Analysts, Newspaper Journalists, Law Clerks, Proofreaders.

by Susan K. Maciak, Career & Corporate Consultant Author of JOB SHOPPING: Don’t Settle for a Job that Sucks! www.cameocareer.com

March Madness signals the Final Four and the NCAA basketball championship for some students. For many, it’s time to start searching for a summer job.

If you wait until April, you’re already behind the crowd of college and high school students looking for summer work. Spruce up your resume and start sending it out now!

The best type of jobs for 16-22 year-olds are those that could lead to a future a career. If you’re good at math, like numbers or you’re pursuing a finance major, try your local banks, for example.

If you enjoy the outdoors and know a lot about nature, send your stats to parks, recreation centers, campgrounds, wildlife refuges, and nature centers.

If you’re creative, apply for work at art museums, summer theaters, or colleges, schools or children’s agencies that offer summer enrichment for kids in crafts and other activities.

If you can’t find work in the field you’re pursuing, you can also send or drop off resumes at fast food chains, restaurants, resorts, golf clubs and other places that do more business in summer.

Let us address your job-seeking concerns in future issues of JobTalk. Send questions to ask@cameocareer.com

by Susan K. Maciak, Career & CorporateConsultant/www.cameocareer.com Author of JOB SHOPPING: Don’t Settle for a Job that Sucks!

What kind of training do I need to be employable again? This is a question often asked by jobseekers who can’t seem to qualify for a new job.

“Should I go back to school,” frustrated job seekers ask, “or simply take on targeted training in hot areas?” Targeted training is your best bet.

Technical topics are a great way to go, since most jobs require some level of computer expertise today. Training for the medical field also makes sense. Both are hot areas in today’s economy.

Before you decide on any training course, research the field to find out if your new skills will lead to job openings.The food industry is still strong, for example, so training as a chef might make sense.

New training is a good step toward building on an already successful career. Whether you’re employed or not, it’s always a good idea to keep up as times change. Capitalize on what you already have. Bring yourself up to date with training you need to kick your skills up a notch to new ways of doing business, such as the web or online sales, for example.

Getting another degree is usually not necessary — unless you’re going from something like teacher to a school administrator, nurse to physician’s assistant or doctor, or associates degree to CPA. Another degree is only necessary if you have your heart set on something that requires an additional degree or you need a specific degree to get the job / raise / promotion you really want.

In most cases, short courses in relevant subjects will take you where you want to go. Make sure you add any additional training to your resume.

Order JOB SHOPPING, a jobseeker’s workbook, at www.cameocareer.com

by Susan K. Maciak, Career Consultant, www.cameocareer.com

You are highly unlikely to get a job just by answering ads on the internet or responding to job postings in the paper or anywhere else. Even if you get an interview from an ad, someone else may already be waiting in the wings for the job. Job postings are often just a formality.

Don’t spend more than 10 percent of your job-seeking time answering ads. You should, instead, be thinking of ways to get your foot in the door somewhere in other ways.

You can do that through volunteer work, part-time employment, temporary employment, consulting work, or self-employment that could lead eventually to a job. You can even pound the pavement knocking on doors. Starting today:

1. Sign up at all the temporary agencies in your          area.

2. Find volunteer work in a field where you have expertise.

3. Start your own business in a field where you have expertise.

4. Network–go someplace new to network every day!

5. Drop in at places of employment and ask to discuss job possibilities.

Looking for a job is a full-time job — with overtime. You need to spend at least six days a week, eight hours a day pounding the pavement. Keep a check list to make sure you really are.

It’s all too easy to let hours go by sitting at the computer and feel that you are looking hard for a job. The problem is that about 500,000 other people are looking for the same job on the same sites.

If you went to a chamber of commerce meeting, a local business forum, or a professional or trade group gathering, you might just sit next to someone who knows about a job opening for you. That’s how most people find jobs

by Susan K. Maciak, Career Consultant, www.cameocareer.com

Everything seemed to be going so smoothly, but after the second interview, a ‘Dear John’ letter arrived in the mail. “Oh, no,” you groan. “What did I do wrong?”

Probably nothing you did or said in your interviews made a difference—in this economy. Many employers today get nervous about hiring after they interview people and put it off indefinitely.

The competition is also so daunting during a recession that it’s far more likely than usual for someone to beat you out with just a small edge.

When job candidates find themselves getting interviews, but not jobs, they often grow progressively more nervous. They forget to smile, or don’t feel like smiling, and they may fidget or sound flat when answering questions.

If that’s your case, find ways to relax before going to interviews. Treat yourself to a good breakfast beforehand, read something uplifting, or listen to relaxing music in your car while driving there.

Whatever the cause or the case, there are a few other things you can do after an unsuccessful job interview to change your luck next time:

1. Always call or email the interviewer and ask: “What could I have done better in my interview?”

2. Have someone who will ask tough questions practice with you before your next interview .

It’s also good advice to analyze your interview outfit, your hair style, your posture and other body language to make sure you’re not sending any negative messages. One recent study discovered that female candidates who wore red blouses had more trouble acing interviews than anyone else. Male job-seekers with beards also lose out more often than those who shave their whole face. You may be able to change your luck, simply by changing your look!

by Susan K. Maciak, career consultant, www.cameocareer.com

JobTalk was notified this week that it has over 7,000 followers now. Thanks to everyone who has visited this blog for career advice!

If any of you have unanswered questions about your job search or the job market, email your question to ask@cameocareer.com

We’ll try to address your specific concerns in an upcoming post.

B O O O! It’s downright spooky not having a job . . . or doing work you don’t like.

Take advantage of Job Talk’s Halloween special:

JOB SHOPPING: Don’t Settle for a Job that Sucks!

Order your career manual now. Just $15 with free postage through Oct. 31, 2010

(This job-seekers’ workbook sells on Amazon.com for $21.99 plus postage)

Send check or money order for $15 to: Cameo Career Manual

3031 Green Meadow Drive

Jenison, MI 49428

Include your name and mailing address. You will receive your JOB SHOPPING workbook within two weeks. Follow each step to your next job!

by Susan K. Maciak, Career Consultant, www.cameocareer.com

What skills do I need for today’s job market? This question baffles the unemployed who thought they were well-prepared for work not so long ago. But things have changed with the economy.

One set of job skills is no longer enough. Employers are looking for folks who can do more than one job. Aside from using a computer, which is an additional requirement for almost everyone in the 2010 job market, what else can you do?

Go back over your work history — and your personal history — for all tasks you’ve ever performed. Squeeze them into your resume.

Let’s say, you’re a production worker, but you were put in charge of the line when your boss was out of the plant. Add “Accepted supervisory roles when asked” to your list of achievements. If you usually worked in powder coating, but occasionally lent a hand in the packaging department, put it in your resume. The more varied your experience, the better.

Some of your natural talents, hobbies or interests could count, too.  Let’s say you’re a master gardener at home, but a builder in the workplace. Letting future employers know about your hobby could be your ticket to one of few construction projects available today. You could save the company the expense of hiring a landscaper to plan the grounds around the new building by doing it yourself.

If you’re a teacher who happens to be certified in CPA or lifeguarding, those skills could separate you from the crowd. If you’re a mechanic who can repair windshields, sell cars, detail a vehicle or even build one from the bottom up, put it in your resume.

The more versatile you are, the better off you’ll be in tough times. In the last few troubled years, employers got wise to the advantages of hiring someone who could step in and do the jobs of three people, instead of just one. When business is down, multitalented employees can keep a company from closing.

Today’s key to getting your foot in the door is a resume that reflects not just job-related skills, but every valuable skill you have.

For Cameo Career services on skill assessments and resume revision, see www.cameocareer.com

by Susan K. Maciak, Career Consultant, www.cameocareer.com

Do I need to go back to school to claim a job in today’s tight market? Probably not.

If you haven’t graduated from high school the answer is YES. Go back at once for a G.E.D. (General Education Diploma). In most communities, it won’t cost you a dime. Your state, your local schools or other community agencies are likely to provide a G.E.D. program. Your G.E.D. will count the same as a high school diploma, sometimes even more. Most employers will be impressed that you made a special effort to take care of unfinished business.

If you already have a college degree, don’t waste your money on another one–unless you crave to know more. Many people never work in the field in which they earned their degree. Training programs, certification or on-the-job experience can turn any degree into the right one. Exceptions: careers in law, medicine and education that require certain degrees to practice. In that case, make sure the field isn’t already overcrowded with candidates before you go back to school.

In many cases, an internship, volunteer experience or working as an independent contractor in a new field will open doors for you. These  won’t cost anything except your time. Check out all your options before signing on the dotted line for more years of college loan repayment.