5 Data Driven LinkedIn Tips for Your Job Search [SLIDES]

5 Data Driven LinkedIn Tips for Your Job Search [SLIDES] A new year, a new you. And why not make 2015 the year when you jump ship and seek pastures new? With nearly two and a half million job opportunities on LinkedIn, it can be difficult to know where to start. Focus on the facts â€" these tips backed by data from LinkedIn prove that they really matter. Be ready when opportunity comes knocking. A complete LinkedIn pro?le will make you more likely to receive opportunities through LinkedIn aim for what the now call All-Star. Increase your pro?le views 12x by adding your two most recent work positions, 13x by listing your skills and 14x by including a photo (more stats at How to Build the Ultimate LinkedIn Profile). Don’t leave your job search just because you’ve left your desk. Join the more than 1 million people who are already using LinkedIn’s Job Search app for iPhone. 30% of job applications are submitted within the ?rst three days a job is posted. Applicants who apply to a job within the ?rst three days are 13% more likely to land the position. Be sure to also check out other useful job search apps for iOS and Android. Take some cues from the higher-ups. VP’s and Partners in the US who were newly hired from March to August 2014 showed some common trends in their LinkedIn activity in the three months prior to their new jobs. 80% were sending connection requests, 50% were participating in groups and 40% were engaging on LinkedIn via shares, likes, and comments. Nurture your professional relationships.  When looking at the pool of all new US hires from March to August 2014, approximately 83% were using LinkedIn in the three months prior to their job changes,  45% were endorsing their connections  and  65% were sending connection requests. Got questions? Pop them in the comments below! RELATED: How to Attract the Best Recruiters on LinkedIn

What Does Your Resume Say About You

What Does Your Resume Say About You What Does Your Resume Say About You? Be honest now â€" when was the last time that you edited your resume? How long has it been since you last updated your information? Have you even remembered to tailor your resume to fit with each job application that you made? It can be quite a chore for you to continually tweak, amend and tailor your resume to fit the requirements of each position you apply for, but if you start to slack off and get bored of doing this, what do you think your resume would say about you to an employer? They wouldnt be too impressed would they if you had sent out a resume that looks like a pitch for a job at a rival company.When saving time saves you nothingWhen you first started to look for a job, you would have read up about building the perfect resume, what to include, what to leave out, etc. You may well have created a very polished and grammatically correct work of art that looks great and is easy to read. However, no matter how polished your first resume was, and how great your family and fri ends thought it was, you still didnt get that first job you went after. So, then you started spending long hours rearranging your resume content to highlight your skills better and tailor it to fit with each new job application as they came up. You may have even landed yourself an interview or two as a result. But after a while, you become weary of amending your resume, so you come up with the perfect solution, or so you think!“What if I make my resume as simple and basic as possible? Then I can save loads of time having to tweak it each time I apply for a different job! Genius!”Or is it? Actually, this is taking a step backwards to when you created your first resume where you had no specific direction for it.Writing a bland and boring generic resume that highlights nothing special about you will quickly result in your application being rejected.When you include nothing that allows you to stand head and shoulders above your competition, how are you going to get yourself notic ed and selected for the next stage of either a place on the shortlist or an interview slot?Dont be genericNo matter how accurate your resume is, if you are using it completely unchanged for every single job application then you will just come across as yet another generic applicant. Employers are very good at spotting a generic resume. Their eyes glaze over as they sweep across your information. They know as well as you do that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all resume, so why would you try to create one?Does your resume stand out? Make sure your resume ends up on top of the stack with a confidential, expert review. Submit for a free review- ADVERTISEMENT -What you need to do is to put some effort into studying the job description that the employer has issued. Read up about the role on offer, research the company history, ethos and culture to get a real feel for what the employer is looking for in a recruit. They will want someone to fit in smoothly with their existing t eam and procedures, so make sure you understand them.Be descriptive, but use their languageYou can be really good at describing your previous duties and responsibilities, but make sure the language you use to list your previous experience matches their own company speak. Your previous company may have used certain terminology and descriptive language within the workplace that most employees tend to absorb and use over time. The job you are applying, for now, may be the same or very similar to what you did before, but rephrasing your descriptions using language that your new company would be familiar with can help you to be seen as one of them and more likely to seamlessly fit in well with your new co-workers.Use desirable keywordsAnother point about using company language in your resume is remembering to include hot keywords that the employers will like. It is relatively easy to spot favorite keywords and key phrases by carefully reading the job application. You should also conduct some background research on the company website to spot frequently used descriptive keywords that the company favor.With larger business using more sophisticated applicant scanning software to weed out many job candidates, the ones that make it through the initial scanning process are the resumes that carry relevant keywords that the company is looking for. Without doing your research and weaving desirable keywords and key phrases into your resume, your job application will not pass the first cut.This is why it is essential to match the way you describe your area of expertise and experience as closely as possible to the wording used by the company in the job description.Why not take a fresh look at your resume right now. Ask yourself what it says about you. Are you committed to landing yourself a great job, or are you just winging it and hoping for the best by sending out a generic resume? Why not start over with a fresh resume template from Freesumes.com to help you land that perfe ct job. previous article Freesumes Hits 250,000 Download Milestone! next article Sweet Summer A Free Creative Resume Template you might also likeHow to Write About Your Accomplishments on Your Resume

Secret to Answering Personal Life s During Holidays

Secret to Answering Personal Life s During Holidays On any given holiday gathering with your (sometimes dysfunctional) family and friends, you can bank on one thing: people are going to ask about your personal life. It’s stressful. It feels like you need need a survival guide. A plan. If you want to lower your anxiety heading into large social gatherings this season, then read on for  tips on answering questions about your personal life during the holidays. Start by brainstorming a list of the life journey questions you think you can expect to receive. Here are some examples: School: “How’s school going?” Work: “Do you have a job yet?” Home: “When are you going to get your own place?” Dating: “Seeing anyone special?” Marriage: “When are you going to get married?” Babies: “Are you going to have children” Children”: “Are you going to have more children?” Now that you have a slew of potential questions, map out your feelings, thoughts, and yup, draft realistic responses to each one. It is your personal life and you can keep it just that if you would like! Some answer ideas for you guys are below … notice how each one ends with an open ended prompt to redirect what can feel like an attacking question into a more socially appropriate convo.  School: “Great! My fave class is psychology because understanding humans can help me be successful in my personal and professional communications. What did you study in school?”  Work: “I’m currently exploring opportunities in the finance industry. Can you think of anyone who might be a good connection?”  Home: “By living at home, I am saving for a future apartment purchase. Do you remember your first home?”  Dating: “With my great group of friends and my professional priorities in place, I know that a relationship will come into my life when the timing is right. Have you tried that new restaurant yet? (Note this is a TOTAL pivot away from dating and into dining and things to do!)  Marriage: “(Giggling) Isn’t that why they call it “pop-ing the question?” Because it is supposed to be a surprise!? If everyone knew I think that would take the fun out of it.” (This is a pretty coy reply; you really aren’t giving them anything, lol. Get ready for the re-direct in 3…2…1…) “Hey tell me your engagement story â€" werent you guys on vacation somewhere when you asked her?”  Babies: “Babies are such a joy! We will see! For now we love spending time with our nieces and nephews. Did you see that Facebook post from Kimmy where Daniella emailed her teacher? OMG let me read you the letter!” (Whips out screenshotted pic of post and reads it to conversation partner.) “Tell me  about the last time you saw your grandkids!”  Children: (Depending on your comfort level, craft your own response accordingly.) “That’s the plan â€" are you guys close with your siblings?” OR “Time will tell, for now we have our hands full with Lucy â€" did we tell you she just started reading?! What is your favorite kids or adults book?” So what is my secret to fielding personal questions during the holidays? Preparation with a dash of pivoting. . Image credits. Main. Contemplation.     Flash.

Graduate Schemes are they for me University of Manchester Careers Blog

Graduate Schemes are they for me University of Manchester Careers Blog Why has everyone started talking about graduate schemes all of a sudden?! If you’re not sure about what a graduate scheme actually is and if it’s for you, we’ve got the basics covered. Written by Kareem Belfon, Communications and Marketing Intern at the Careers Service.   So, what is a graduate scheme? Graduate schemes are structured training programmes that allow recent graduates to gain experience in large organisations. They usually last for 1-3 years. Although many different organisations offer graduate schemes, they are typically found in sectors such as banking and finance, business and management, consulting and healthcare. There are some graduate schemes focusing on HR, public sector and charities but not as many. A large number of graduate schemes open their application window in September and October in preparation for intake the following year (i.e. when you graduate). You don’t have to apply for graduate schemes straight after you graduate. You can usually apply a few years after you graduate too. Its best to double check this with each individual company. Sounds good! If you’re thinking about applying for a graduate scheme â€" great! You’ll probably be working for a large and well respected organisation with a well-structured programme that provides you with tonnes of training and a great chance to network. If you like the idea of working for a larger organisation, a graduate scheme might be for you. Not to scare you off, but it’s important to take into account just how competitive graduate schemes are. As many graduate programmes are open to students from all degrees, there are often a vast number of applications for a very small amount of positions. Of course, I know you’re all brilliant and more than capable of succeeding, but it’s important to size up the competition. As well as this, the applications for these positions open earlier than you might think. You should really be thinking about preparing your applications as early as possible as a lot of the large companies will close their applications by December or January.  Because of this, it would be a good idea to get to grips with things like psychometric tests, video interviews and assessment centres. Yep, I know, they’re kind of daunting. The very thought of these types of interviews used to scare the life out of me. To get over my fear, I used The Careers Service website to read up on the different types of assessments and how best to tackle them. Using the information on our website will give you a better understanding of what will be asked of you and youre given loads of opportunities to practice too. Not for you? As a recent English Literature and Linguistics graduate, I know more than anyone the confusion that comes with graduate schemes. As someone who wanted a creative career I knew that a graduate scheme wasn’t for me, but I felt like it was the only option. A lot of my mates studying STEM subjects were on the ball with their graduate job applications by October time whilst I watched on in confusion. I wasn’t interested in working for a large corporate organisation but I was worried I would end up without a job if I didn’t apply. This couldn’t be further from the truth! There’s a large emphasis put on graduate schemes for a number of reasons. Partly because they recruit a lot earlier than other positions, partly because of how well known the companies that usually offer grad schemes are. In fact, only around 10-15% of graduates actually end up in a graduate scheme, with the majority going into entry level graduate jobs or internships for smaller companies. Don’t feel disheartened if the prospect of a graduate scheme doesn’t appeal to you; there are so many different ways you can land a graduate job. If you’re thinking about applying for a graduate scheme, get in touch with the Careers Service for advice on how to best prepare yourself for the interview process. You can visit our website to read some application advice and take a look on CareersLink to find out which graduate schemes are already accepting applications. Good luck! All Graduate Graduate jobs advice applications Graduate jobs graduate schemes Graduates

How Can I Write an Email For Resume? How Professional Services Can Help

How Can I Write an Email For Resume? How Professional Services Can HelpHow can I write an email for resume? This is one of the most common questions asked by young and experienced professionals alike. To understand your best position in order to choose the best solution, let's discuss why you should be using a professional resume writing service.The first reason why you should use a professional service for resume writing is that you are doing it for your own good. You don't want to waste your time writing your own resume because there are so many resources on the Internet that offer professional services at affordable prices. You also want to hire a service that offers quality services and not a generic service that can be easily identified as a waste of time and money.Another reason why you should use a professional service for resume writing is that the service is knowledgeable in their craft. A lot of times, the professional writers from these types of companies are not only educ ated, but they are also passionate about what they do. They know exactly what they are doing when it comes to creating resumes and are able to tell you exactly what type of information you need to include and how to include it.Finally, you should be using a service for an email for resume because you want to promote yourself to the companies who are in need of your services. There are hundreds of people who are self-employed or work for other companies that have what you need to help you in your job search. A company that specializes in these services will be more than happy to take your call and help you find a company that needs your services.Not only will they give you a list of possible businesses that can use your services, but they will give you a specific list of things that they can use to get you in touch with these businesses. Many companies are quite hesitant about working with someone who is not highly trained and certified. You may be surprised how many companies only w ant to work with companies that are already fully trained and certified.On the other hand, you may want to avoid a company that is not qualified in their own right. There are a number of people who are very good at what they do but are not well-versed in marketing themselves in this particular area. Many of the people who are very good at this kind of work are those who have some of the highest demands in these fields.They may be very good at what they do, but they just don't know how to market themselves in the best way. These professionals know exactly what they are doing when it comes to generating interest for their services and then writing the best resumes possible. They know exactly what people expect when they go through the resume.Many of the professionals that work for these types of companies have been in the business for a long time and know the ins and outs of getting the most out of their resumes by professional resume writers. These types of professionals are able to turn resumes that are filled with information that no human being could understand into convincing business letters that are professionally written. Your professional resume writing service can help you get a job.

Changing Your Career Could Be The Best Thing You Do This Year Heres How - CareerAlley

Changing Your Career Could Be The Best Thing You Do This Year Here’s How - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Right now you may be in a job that you dislike. You dread the moment the alarm pings, only to snooze it as much as you can before you have to get up. You reluctantly dress for the day, head out to the job and do what is only necessary to come home. It is the same routine five days a week until the weekend comes. But then they go too fast, right? Maybe now is the time to think about a career change and really think about what you want to do. If you know what that is, then here are some of the steps to take to make it happen. Could learning help you get there? One of the first things to think about would be whether or not learning could help you get to where you need to be in terms of your dream career. So it might be time to consider going back to college or learning something from home. You could look at even heading back to university to help learn things like nursing skills or other specific qualifications you may need for your chosen career. It might not even be about gaining qualifications, but volunteering and getting experience could prove valuable when the time comes to be in that interview and hopefully secure yourself a new job. Maybe now is the time to think about a career change and really think about what you want to do. If you know what that is, then here are some of the steps to take to make it happen. Tweet This Make sure your resume is eye-catching Once you have your ideas and have made attempts to learn new things in order to get it, you now need to make sure your resume sings your praises. This is your chance to make a decent impression in order to get to the next crucial stage, the interview. Your resume needs to be eye-catching and full of relevant information without it feeling like it is too much. Listing your previous jobs, and qualifications you have and awards you may have received could be critical. But dont forget that you can tailor your resume to suit the new job, highlighting exactly what experience is a necessity for the new job and career you are applying for. Seek out potential opportunities and be proactive Sometimes the job you want is not there advertised for you in plain sight, so you may need to take some time to focus on the potential opportunities that are there hidden and be proactive. Looking online at potential companies within the job sector you want is a great place to start. Contacting them directly could enable you to get on mailing lists which will notify you of when jobs become available. Another thing to consider would be to use recruitment agencies, as this can also be a great way to become aware of jobs that have not yet been fully advertised online. Make a decent first impression Finally, you need to be able to make a decent first impression when you get that interview. This means presenting yourself in the best possible way, from the cleanliness and personal hygiene side of things to what you wear and dressing appropriately. You will also want to ensure that you are fully prepared in terms of potential interview questions, so think about your answers ahead of time and work out how to communicate your points validly. Lets hope that these steps help you to change your career which could eventually change your life for the better. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to identify and land your dream job. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

3 Ways to Make Sure Your Job References are an Asset - Not a Liability

3 Ways to Make Sure Your Job References are an Asset - Not a Liability 3 Ways to Make Sure Your Job References are an Asset Reference checking is no longer just a formality you have to get through before you start a new job. More companies today realize that one of the best indicators of future success is past performance. As employers start to put greater emphasis on what previous managers and co-workers say about job candidates, job seekers should take steps to make sure that their references are assets, not liabilities. A private coaching client of mine shared a tragic scenario where, two years ago, a client sailed through the interviews, got the offer, and the company was “doing routine reference checks.” A few days later the client got a phone call saying, “Sorry, we are unable to employ you. Thank you for your time.” Here’s some advice from Ray Bixler, CEO of SkillSurvey, a company that is changing the way references are being contacted via an online approach. This not only improves feedback from references, but allows companies to check references earlier in the hiring process. Employers use SkillSurvey to get a detailed picture of candidates’ past performance. The key thing to understand is that hiring is a leap of faith. “Without having actually seen a prospective employee at work, companies have to depend on résumés and interviews, or even personality assessments,” Bixler said. “But these are all areas where the job candidate is self-reporting. A few strong job references can set a candidate apart from the crowd.” Here are a few tips to keep in mind: 1. Choose your references carefully You might be most comfortable selecting peers at your past jobs as references, but be careful. Hiring managers want to see a good number of former managers as well. Their word counts for a lot, so make sure you have a balanced list of references. “Beyond picking people who are confident in your abilities, make sure they can speak to the skills you will need in the job you’re applying for, especially those all-important soft skills like professionalism, interpersonal skills, problem solving and adaptability, and personal values,” says Bixler. 2. Cultivate your references â€" stay in touch You know the drill. When you leave a job you promise to stay in touch, but few actually do. This could be a big mistake. Former managers and co-workers will make much better references if you keep them in the loop. “Schedule a check-in once or twice a year with people you’ve enjoyed working with at former jobs â€" it’s a great way to keep people updated on your latest successes and your future plans,” counsels Bixler. “Always show your gratitude and keep building the relationship by asking what you can do for them. Plus, keeping in touch will show you where you stand in their eyes, which is very useful when it comes to picking references.” 3. Make sure you’re the first person to contact your references Before you provide your references’ contact information as part of your application process, you reach out to your potential references and ask if you can give their names. If they say yes, you tell them why you’re looking for a new position, why you hope to work at the company where you’re interviewing, and how all of this fits into your long-term goals. You also remind them of the time you worked with them, your good memories, and your key successes. When the hiring manager calls, your references will have plenty of detailed information to share with them. If your references get a call from a potential hiring manager or an online survey out of the blue, they will be caught off guard. Sure, they might say nice things about you, but they probably won’t have many details come to mind.