Job Search Tips

I sometimes read about video resumes and how they are the wave of the future. Trust me thay aren’t. Check out this Time article for more information on the subject

This article cracked me up. Don’t do this at your next job interview: Aticle

My company offers resume writing services. One of the easiest up-sells we could offer our clients is resume distribution. “Why don’t you give me $195.00 extra dollars and I’ll distribute your resume to hundreds of online job boards?”

So why doesn’t my company offer this service and pocket some quick cash? The simple reason why we don’t is the fact that blasting your resume to hundreds of job boards does not help you find a job. All it does is give you unwanted email and phone calls from people tying to scam you. (work at home and make $1,000 per hour stuffing envelopes).

Save your money and post your information on a couple of the top job boards. You should consider using a separate email and phone number to avoid spam. Remember that while it’s ok to post your resume online, your best chance of job search success will come from networking.

Are you looking for a job and wondering if improving your public speaking skills is a worthwhile investment? Let me kill the suspense and tell you that the answer is a resounding yes. Few self improvement projects will pay the dividends of improving your ability to communicate information to a group of individuals.

In my previous life I was a computer programmer. Like most computer programmers, public speaking was not my strong suit. The mere thought of giving a presentation gave me the chills. When I finally did get up to present, I always seemed to stumble and come off sounding like less then ideal.

Well I got fed up and decided that I was going to improve my public speaking abilities, and turn public speaking from a weakness into a strength. I read books; I listened to audio programs, and even purchased an expensive public speaking video series. The problem is that nothing worked. I still pretty much sucked at public speaking after consuming all of these materials.

What finally helped was joining my local Toastmasters club. If you are not aware Toastmasters is an international organization of local clubs dedicated to helping member’s developer their public speaking skills. These clubs meet weekly (sometimes bi-weekly). Each meeting is structured to maximize the opportunities for each member to speak. There are formal speeches, self introductions, impromptu speaking, and various roles that all require you to stand in front of an audience and talk.

The reason Toastmasters worked for me is because the meetings provide a regular dose of public speaking education mixed with tons of experience. You not only learn and observe but every week you will be speaking in some capacity or another. This is a very powerful one two educational punch.

If you want to improve your public speaking skills let me recommend that you join your local Toastmasters club. This could be the best self improvement project you ever tackle.

See you at the lectern.

Lying on your resume is very tempting, but please don’t do it. It can cause you so much heartache. Take the story of George O’Leary. Mr. O’Leary was a successful college football coach who finally landed his dream job as the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame. For non college football fans Notre Dame is the most storied college football program of all time, and being their head coach is a life long goal for many coaches.

George O’Leary was announced as Notre Dame’s new head football coach after a successful tenure as coach of Georgia Tech. Unfortunately, a few days into his new job inaccuracies in his resume surfaced. George had claimed on his resume to have earned a Master degree at a nonexistent University. He also lied about playing sports at the University of New Hampshire. The last straw was when it surfaced that he also falsified academic credentials. The University of Notre Dame asked for his resignation Mr. O’Leary was out as their football coach two weeks into his tenure.

This story is an extreme example, but I’m sure not a day goes by without someone getting caught lying on their resume. It may be tempting to enhance your resume a little but please don’t do it. In today’s world it is increasingly easy and cost effective to have resumes screened for inaccuracy. Don’t take the change of ruining your professional reputation.

What do you do when your over 50 and looking for a job. Age discrimination is a reality, but you can do things to combat it. Check it this great article on the subject.

Check out the guy at 9:40 into this clip. Make a note never do your reverse Pterodactyl bit in a job interview.

Yesterday I linked to an article listing the 10 jobs that companies had the most difficult time filling. One of those jobs was for IT professionals. IT is a great high paying field with ever increasing demand. But, how do you know if IT is the right job for you? Read on:

If you had teachers in school coming to you about school related computer issues then IT might be for you.

If you have ever installed a video card or sound card in you computer then IT might be for you.

If you love figuring out different computer related problems then IT might be for you.

If your friends and relatives ask you to fix their computer issues then IT might be for you.

If you are a regular ready of Slashdot.com then IT might be for you.

If you have four computers and only two of them actually work then IT might be for you.

If you grew up loving Star Wars and Star Trek then IT might be for you.

If you love working with computers and want to make it your career then IT might be for you.

If you see yourself in this list and are wondering if IT is the right field for you then look not further. The answer is yes. So brush up your resume and find your first IT job.

Here is great article in Forbes listing the 10 jobs that are hardest from companies. Two jobs are the list I would recommend to anyone is a position to retrain (which is most people by the way) are nursing and IT. Nurses are will paid and their demand will only increase as baby boomers get order.

IT professionals are always in demand. While programming is not as lucrative as during the dot com days, IT workers can make a good living doing something that is enjoyable.

Check out the article here!

You might be surprised at what networking can bring into your life. A new job or a private concert with Jimmy Buffet!