Being unemployed can take a major toll on your self-esteem, your financial situation, and your desire. If prolonged, it can also have a negative impact on your competency level (i.e., keeping up with skills, experience and attributes that are in demand in the job market). But don’t get down on yourself. As you look for a new job, you need to understand that there are thousands of others who are also unemployed and looking for a job.
To give yourself an edge and position yourself ahead of these other jobseekers, implement an effective job market strategy for overcoming unemployment. Here are the top 3 strategies you need to consider in overcoming your unemployment.
Strategy 1 – Create Your Own Job Opportunities: It is a statistical fact that 80% of job seekers concentrate on 20% of jobs available. You may find this puzzling, but it makes sense when you consider that these 20% of jobs are the jobs advertised through the mainstream job channels most job seekers use – newspapers and recruitment agencies. The other 80% of jobs are accessed via the hidden job market channels – and this is where you need to concentrate your efforts.
Strategy 2 – Take On Volunteer Work: It is rather shortsighted when jobseekers say they cannot do volunteer work because they don’t want to work for free. This is so far from the truth when you take the time to consider what you stand to get out of it. Volunteer work achieves 5 things: it keeps your skills and experience up to date; portrays you as a hardworking, proactive individual who uses his or her initiative; puts you into the know with regard to the internal job market industry, as you now have one foot through the door at your place of volunteer work; makes you more marketable as you can put the name of the company down as place of work; and, finally, naturally gives you an edge over other job applicants as a result of the first 4 reasons. Think of it this way. If you were the employer and you were considering 2 applicants, one who does volunteer work and the other who has just remained unemployed and has done nothing, who would have the edge in your eyes?
Strategy 3 – Continuous Improvement: Never stop developing yourself. Be highly committed to self-development, especially given the impact of the information age on today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world of work. Those who get jobs effortlessly are those who are on the cutting edge of their industry in terms of latest trends, technologies, training and specialized industry advancement. The good news is that there is a huge variety of affordable, sometimes free, ways to stay ahead of the curve. So commit to learning and improving yourself by participating in educational experiences such as classes or training, reading specialist publications, researching info on relevant websites, and so on.
Simply working on these top 3 areas will dramatically improve your chances of achieving your job goal in the quickest and most effective manner possible. But first a note of caution: the success of these strategies is very dependent on how well developed your job market skills are. Conduct a self-analysis of your current job market performance by taking this FREE Job Market Performance Assessment.
Tags: Attributes, career, career advice, Career Change, Competency Level, Desire, employment, Financial Situation, Hidden Job Market, Initiative, Internal Job, Job Opportunities, Job Seekers, Jobs, Mainstream, Market Channels, Market Strategy, Negative Impact, New Job, Recruitment Agencies, Regard, Self Esteem, Statistical Fact, Unemployment, Volunteer Work
A face-to-face interview is the most stressful part of the job search for many individuals, but it is also a critical component of the recruiting process. Up until this point, you have been able to hide behind your resume and cover letter. As the selection process starts to draw to a close, though, it’s time to impress the hiring team. A large part of a successful interview is avoiding potential pitfalls that can undermine your ability to impress the hiring team.
The top ten critical mistakes that people make when interviewing for a position are:
Arriving late to the interview
Arriving late makes a strong negative first impression and will raise questions in the interviewer’s mind about your reliability and punctuality. Always ask for directions to the interview site and double-check a map so that you know where you are going. Don’t forget to allow extra time for traffic and other unforeseeable events.
Poor dress attire and grooming
Remember that professional companies are looking to hire professional individuals, not the beach bum who just shook the loose sand from his hair. Dress conservatively in a well-fitting suit and keep jewelry, makeup, and fragrances to a minimum. It’s also important to always take a shower, brush your teeth, and comb your hair before an interview as well to present to clean, polished image.
Failure to do research about the company prior to the interview
Show you are interested in the company for by doing some outside research before the interview. This attention to detail sends a clear message to the interviewer that you are serious about the position and are willing to go the extra mile. This research will also help you determine if the company’s industry, products/services, and culture are a god match for you.
Failure to give specific examples of your experience and measure your skills against the position
Interviewers want to know more than just the bare bones of your experience. They are interested in the specifics of task how you performed, challenges you have faced, and the methods you have used to overcome those challenges. This is especially true of behavioral interviewers. Take the time to give the interviewer specific examples of how you have performed and how these collaborate to the duties of the position. If you can draw a clear parallel between your work experience and the position you are interviewing for, you have a much higher chance of being successful in the interviewing process.
Not taking the opportunity to ask intelligent questions about the company and/or position
The interviewing process is not just an opportunity for the company to evaluate your fit for the position; it’s also your opportunity to evaluate how well the company and the position match your ideal job. Asking questions not only helps you determine how well-suited you are for the position (and it for you), but also clearly indicates that you have done some basic research about the organization. Don’t ask questions just for the sake of asking questions. Intelligent, poorly-worded questions can frequently do more damage to your reputation than remaining silent.
Failure to practice
Even the best public speakers need to take the time to practice delivering and answering detailed questions. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will get with your answers and the material, allowing for a much smoother delivery.
Talking too much (or not at all)
The best answers are succinct, but detailed. Interviewees who ramble on and on come across as trying to compensate for some weakness, while those individuals who just sit there and stare appear as though they are in shellshock (and maybe in over their heads). Neither of these scenarios is ideal in an interview situation. Choose your words carefully and sparingly, but don’t be a mute.
Bad-mouthing previous managers or companies
One of the fastest ways to turn off an interviewer is to bad-mouth your current or previous employer. This raises questions about your loyalty and integrity, and labels you as unhappy and a complainer. Even if you worked in a sweatshop with no lights, running water, or meal breaks for 18 hours a day, keep all negative commentary to yourself.
Fail to explain why they are a good fit for the position (and the company)
If you leave it up to the interviewer to evaluate if you are a solid fit for the company, then you risk the chance that they might not make the decision you’d like to hear. Make it easy for the interviewer for hire you by connecting your experiences, talents, and strengths to the job description.
Don’t state that you want the job
Once the interview has concluded, if you want the job, let the interviewer know that you are still interested in the position. Since the interview is as much about your evaluation of the company and the position as it is them evaluating you, don’t assume the interviewer knows you still want the job. Reiterate your interest and inquire about the next step in the hiring process.
Tags: Beach Bum, career, careers, Comb Your Hair, Cover Letter, Critical Component, Critical Mistakes, Dress Attire, employment, Extra Mile, Extra Time, First Impression, Fragrances, Hiring Team, interview, Interviewer, Interviewers, interviews, Job, Job Search, Jobs, Loose Sand, Potential Pitfalls, Professional Companies, Professional Individuals, Punctuality, recruitment, Resume, Resumes, Selection Process
Have you ever gone through the interview process, felt confident that you’d performed extremely well, and then heard these dreadful words: “I’m sorry, but we feel you’re overqualified for this position.”
“Arrggh!!”
When I was told that after an interview, several thoughts went through my frustration-fogged mind… What kind of crazy excuse is that for not hiring me? So what if I’m ‘overqualified’ — don’t employers always want to hire the person with the best qualifications? If I’m willing to take this job, overqualified or not, why is that a problem? This isn’t fair! What’s the real reason they don’t want to hire me?
When interviewers say you are “overqualified,” here’s what they are concerned about:
(1) You’ll be bored in this position;
(2) You won’t be satisfied with the salary they’re offering;
(3) You’ll leave as soon as you get a better opportunity;
(4) They’ll have to go through the time-consuming and expensive process of hiring and training someone all over again.
They may or may not make you feel better about being “overqualified,” but you must admit those are legitimate concerns.
If you get the “overqualified” excuse once, you’ll be wary about getting it again. So if you apply for other jobs that may be at a lower level than warranted by your background, skills, education and experience, you may be tempted to “dumb down” your resume and omit things like college degrees. But lying about your background is not the way to go.
Here’s a better strategy: address it head-on. Be the first one to raise the “overqualified” issue with a potential employer. If you bring it up yourself, you can discuss it openly and convince the interviewer that it
won’t be a problem.
They key — as with every job interview issue — is to anticipate and prepare. Before you go to the interview,think about what you’ll say and how you will convince them that they should hire you, even if you are “overqualified.”
After explaining how you will be a great asset for their company, tell them why you are applying for a lower-level position. Do not say, “I can’t find anything else and I really need a job.” Though that may be the case, this approach is a little too honest and will reinforce their fear that you will leave
at the first opportunity.
Say something like, “You can tell that I’ve worked at a higher level before, but this position is exactly what I’m looking for.” Then, depending on the job and your circumstances, explain why. For example:
* “I’ve always wanted to work for your company [or in this industry], and I’m willing to take a lower-level position to get that opportunity.”
* “It will allow me to use my skills and expand my experience in a new field.”
* “I’m looking for something a little less stressful, with fewer responsibilities, so I can spend more time with my family.”
* “This position provides the stability and long-term growth potential I’m looking for.”
* “The salary is not my top priority. I’d have no problem with earning less than I’ve earned in the past.”
Be very enthusiastic about the job. Explain how you can meet their needs now and in the future as the company grows. And most important of all, convince them that you will not quit as soon as something better comes along.
If you are convinced that this job would be worth it, you might even try this: offer to sign an agreement stating that you will stay on the job for a minimum of 12 months. Whether the hiring manager actually takes you up on that offer or not, it will definitely make a very positive impression!
If you anticipate the “overqualified” issue and address it up front, it will not be a drawback to your success!
Tags: Background Skills, College Degrees, Excuse, Frustration, Interview Issue, Interviewer, Interviewers, Job Interview, Jobs, Legitimate Concerns, Real Reason, Recruitment Agency, Recruitment Jobs, Resume, Salary, Skills Education
Leaving a job is often a difficult step. Sure, there is the exciting opportunity to do something different, but if have been with an employer for over a year this can become an emotional step. People leave jobs for various reasons. The old job might just plain and simple suck. The pay is lousy and the boss is behaving like a dictator of a 3rd world country. Or the job might be target of outsourcing and the employee is pro-active by looking for his/her own way out. Or the job is a dead end. No opportunity and the daily routine is boring. It could also be that the immediate co-workers and managers are just not as nice and that there is no great work relationship that makes the employee to love to go to work. A not so exciting job can still be a great place to work if you have great co-workers and managers around. Work is about money, but the socializing part is important, too.
We’re not trying to get into the reasons for leaving a job here for the matter of this article. However - we want to concentrate on the actual part of resigning from a job. And again - there are several different ways of leaving a job. If you absolutely do not care about your old job you could just leave but this step can have severe impact on your career down the road. Keep in mind that employers like to check the places you worked at before they want to hire you. These sins of the past might come back and hurt your reputation. “Oh, he left that job without any notice. What if he does the same thing to me?” - This could be just one thought a new employer might have. Depending on the job a one week or two week notice should be given. In some cases 3-4 weeks can be appropriate. As higher you get up in the ranks this might be the way to go. An executive leaving a company without taking care of a proper transition might hurt himself if the company gets into problems afterwards and this becomes public knowledge. Treat the employer fair and do not burn any bridges. In the long run this will be the best decision an employee can make.
When resigning you should be prepared to avoid unnecessary stress. In most cases resigning is a stressful event. A well prepared employee can take some stress out of this big step with proper planning. Write a 2 or 3 line letter of resignation. Nothing fancy. Try not to explain why you leave. Just state that you are resigning from your position and let the company know what your last day at work will be. Sign the letter and hand it to the manager you are resigning to. Do not just turn over the letter and walk away. Say that you are resigning and then hand over the letter of resignation. Be prepared to answer questions why you are leaving. Do not make up things. Prepare a quick list of pain points if needed. You might even help your co-workers by giving constructive feedback about certain situations and problems. I personally recommend never to mention the word money as the main reason of leaving. If things come down to money if often gets dirty.
Eventually be prepared for an immediate counter-offer during your resignation. Some companies try to fix the problem of an employee leaving by throwing more money at him/her. Or they want to buy time and pretend giving you more money. They give you more money but work on your replacement at the same time. Things might also work out Ok for a while but when the going gets tough and it comes to layoffs the guy who took the counter-offer might be one of the first ones to be let go because of the cost factor. I see only one situation when it can be good or Ok to accept a counter-offer. Say you are leaving because of the work environment and you are able to point out problems and issues. Some employers are blind about these things and just don’t realize how employees feel about certain things. Suddenly a good employees leaves and the issue comes to the surface. Some employers are willing to fix the issue and these are rare situations a counter-offer can be accepted. Still - the employee has to carefully evaluate the situation. It is important to know who you are dealing with from a personal side. Can you trust the employer?
Sometimes a counter-offer can come up during the last few days at a company or shortly after the last day. We have seen cases when counter-offers were made within 60-70 days after the employee left. These situations are not good. I highly recommend not to accept such a counter-offer no matter how tempting the offer is. The employee has to keep in mind that he/she already left. This mark will always stick. One day the employer might be in a different situation and has to decide who to let go first. Will it be the loyal employee who is with the company for 8 years or is it the “Gung-Ho” who left just to be lured back by money and who eventually leaves again if the next employer is willing to hand out even more cash? Make a bet ….
These are just a few things to keep in mind when thinking about resigning from a position. Be prepared. Be strong. Change can be very good for your career
Tags: Boss, Bridges, Co Workers, Daily Routine, Deci, Dictator, Emotional Step, Exciting Job, How To Quit A Job, Jobs, Leaving A Job, Love, Old Job, Public Knowledge, Reasons For Leaving A Job, Recruitment Agency, Recruitment Jobs, Reputation, Resigning From A Job, Several Different Ways, Target, Transition, Work Relationship
Mystery shopping is otherwise known as undercover or secret shopping. Mystery shopping is a business activity aimed to improve customer satisfaction. To carry out the process a mystery shopper is engaged by the business owner to find out how the mystery shopper is getting treated or gets products and services in the business unit. The feed back from the mystery shopper is got in the form of a report to improve the services or treatment. The mystery shopper too benefits either as he gets products or services free of cost for conducting such an inspection. Internet is a place where such kinds of jobs are abundant in nature. The nice thing about this job is that anyone can become a mystery shopper or can be hired as mystery shopper. Mystery shopping is not limited to only buying products, it can involve getting a new haircut, or gambling, or traveling to a place, or dinning in a restaurant or even finding out the customer service offered at a work place. The next best thing about mystery shopping is that the companies do not charge any kind of registration fees.
Tips on becoming a successful mystery shopper:
Since there is no fee involved for registration, a person can register with many mystery shopping companies, so that he gets a fair chance to mystery shopping. The manuals, training and instruction are all free of cost. This will enable find out the difference between genuine mystery shopping company and a fake one.
When the person gets his first assignment, it has to be utilized in such a way that the person gets more and more assignments from the company. The success in getting mystery shopping assignments lies on the acceptance of the assignment within short notice, complete it within the time limit and submit the feedback or report in a professional way.
Even though mystery shopping may seem to be a fun filled activity, it calls for a professional approach to the whole activity. Commitment to the job is very essential. If the commitment cannot be met within the time frame, rescheduling or extension can be requested.
A genuine mystery shopping company or agency will reimburse the money spent on shopping and also for the service provided by the mystery shopper. Even though experience provides enough earnings, many mystery shoppers do this as a part time work and consider it as a secondary source of earning.
It is also a good idea to apply with scheduling companies as they work with many mystery shopping companies. The scheduling companies normally provide a challenging task and more earning for doing so, than the original company.
A great tip is to become an ace mystery shopper. This can be achieved by developing a good relationship with a particular company and perform the jobs with utmost care and perfection. To become an ace mystery shopper may take time and it is only worth doing with reputed companies. The mystery shopper should keep his eyes always open and do the best job.
If the person gets certified through the mystery shopping providers association, he has a better chance of getting hired than others. Attending seminars on this field will also enhance the chance of developing good contacts with mystery shopping schedules, who will provide jobs in turn.
Tags: Business Activity, Business Owner, Business Unit, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Service, Fun, Gambling, Job, Jobs, Mystery Shopper, Mystery Shopping Companies, Mystery Shopping Company, New Haircut, Nice Thing, Professional Approach, Recruitment Agency, Recruitment Jobs, Register, Registration Fees, Secret Shopping, Success, Time Limit
