Why Cleaning Up Your Social Networking Pages Is So Important

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Today’s social networking sites have become as familiar as your favorite bathrobe. It’s estimated that people spend over two hours a day on Facebook, updating their status, chatting with the friends, and looking at pictures. However, if your social networking pages are not professional in nature, then potential employees might not be so interest in your skills, experience, and qualifications.

A Sign of the Times

Because of the popularity of social networking, more and more employers are searching for pages of potential employees. They want to know the type of person that they are considering hiring. Are they one to badmouth a previous employer or other people? Do they portray an image that could cause the company embarrassment? These and other questions are frequent today and the number of applicants that are not getting hired because they didn’t clean up their social networking pages is increasing, as well.

What You Should Not Have on Your Social Networking Pages

There are a few things that immediately come to mind. Nudity, excessive use of alcohol, and racial comments are some that top the list. However, you should also be aware of what others post on your wall, too. You should immediately delete anything that may reflect negatively on you. It’s often hard to keep up with everything that your friends or family might post or even worse those who aren’t your friends! Don’t have an account if you can’t keep up with what is on it.

Limit Access

One of the best ways to have a little more control on what goes on your pages is to limit access to those you know will “behave” themselves. This will also limit what potential employers might see. Keep your profile page up to date and informative, but in a positive light. Focus on your education and skills, but don’t make it look like one large resume. A bit of humility and tact will go a long way.

If All Else Fails…

If all else fails and you find that for some reason you cannot remove some of the more negative information, then you may want to consider closing your account. It can seem like a drastic move because most people have had their social networking pages for a long time. However, if it is causing you problems, then it’s simply not worth keeping. You can also start another page, but remember that your current page name may no longer be available.

Social Networking Pages Can Work For or Against You

Social networking pages can really do a lot for or a lot against your job hunting efforts. Because many employers are including these pages in their background check efforts, you can bet that someone will see those pictures of you drunk at spring break. Clean up these pages by deleting offensive or questionable content, watching what other post on your page, and consider limiting access to those who will help you in your quest for a job. These are the best tips for cleaning up your social networking pages.

Temporary Staffing: Why You Should Give It a Chance

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If you have never worked for a temporary staffing agency before, you may want to give it a chance. Today’s temporary agencies can offer you a lot of benefits, one of which is that you can still search for a full time job while you are getting a paycheck. It’s not difficult to get hired by a temp agency and here are some reasons why it is so beneficial to many people.

Employers Love Temporary Workers

One of the reasons why companies like to hire from a temporary staffing agency is because they save money. Full time employees usually get a benefit package that can be as much as 30 to 40 percent of the employee’s base income whereas temporary workers do not get permanent employee benefits. The companies can choose those temporary workers who have experience and skills necessary for a specific job. Companies also don’t have to worry as much about harassment lawsuits or wrongful termination as they can simply fire any employee that is not performing as expected.

One downside to temporary employees for employers is that there could be privacy and confidentiality concerns with temporary workers who are not loyal to the company.

Flexible Schedules and Varied Work Environments

For those who enjoy a flexible schedule and varied work environments, then a temporary staffing agency may be just right for you. It some cases, people actually prefer this type of employment. You can fine tune your skills and even learn new ones, all while earning a wage that might be higher or at least comparable to what you would make as a full-time employee.

Possibility of Full Time Employment

If you are looking for permanent work, then you may have the possibility of landing a full-time job through a temporary assignment. Many companies use temporary staffing agencies as a way to evaluate employees. They will offer full time jobs to the temporary workers that exhibit the skills and dedication that will fit will in the company. You can consider it something of a trial period, so put your best foot forward.

How to Get the Most from a Temporary Agency

When applying for work at a temp agency, you should make sure you have your resume ready. It should be a general resume, as you may not know which jobs are actually available. You may need to take a couple of skills test to show employers that you have the experience necessary to complete your job. These might include typing or data entries skills. Do the very best you can on these tests to increase the number of jobs that you are eligible for. The temporary staffing agency can become a great asset that can lead you to full time employment.

A Final Thought or Two

There are many benefits to a temporary staffing agency. You can find the work you need quickly and it can lead into something more. You can find several agencies online, in your local newspaper, and through career centers in your area.

Job Interview Tips: Clean Up Your Social Pages

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One of the most important job interview tips for today’s job seeker is to clean up your social pages. Employers are now spending time on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter searching for accounts for potential employees. It’s worth their time when they come across an account for a very qualified individual, but what is posted isn’t what an employer should see.

What to Get Rid Of

Obviously, there are some things that should be avoided on your social pages. For example, nudity, profane language, illegal drug use, or excessive alcohol use can all portray you in a very negative light. However, these things are not the only ones that will get you into trouble. Perhaps you post up a status on Facebook about how you “snowed” the interviewer. Maybe you rave about a competitor’s product. Some employers state that they have come across social pages that list an array of past-times, some of which include skydiving, motorcycling or bull riding. Obviously, these could be a concern for some employers. Most job interview tips will tell you to avoid disclosing these types of favored pastimes.

There are other things to consider, as well. Perhaps you exaggerated a bit on your resume and the real truth lies in your profile. Maybe you have listed ten different organizations that you belong to or volunteer for. While this isn’t a bad thing, it could show a potential employer that you are simply too busy for a position that might require overtime or traveling. It’s hard to know what each employer will think, so when considering job interview tips, take as much to heart as possible about your social pages.

Change the Access

If you do not want to get rid of all those posts, pictures, and videos then perhaps it’s time to limit the access to them. Most social sites allow you to say who can see all of your information and who can only see a small part. Limiting the access to your pages to only your closest friends and family is a good way to ensure that what you did in Vegas really stayed in Vegas! Some people create two accounts, but make no mistake. Employers are very resourceful. Cleaning up your social pages should be at the top of most job interview tips!

What to Leave Up

If you don’t want to limit the access, then use your social pages to represent someone any employer would be glad to hire. For example, highlight your education, training, and experience in your profile. List a couple of organizations you belong to and make a comment every now and then about how excited you are about an upcoming interview. This is what employers want to see. They do not want to be embarrassed due to content on social pages that belong to their employees. Remember not to bash your previous employers, either. This is one of those job interview tips that everyone should pay attention to.

In Closing

The best job interview tips today include those about cleaning up your social pages. Employers are searching the social sites before they make a hiring decision. They want employees that are more concerned with working hard than playing hard. This does not mean that you can’t play hard – just hide it better!

Preparing for a Job Interview: Tips for Success

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One of the most stressful meetings you’ll probably have in your life is the job interview; however, there are some job interview tips that can help make this a bit easier on you, especially if you have never had an interview before. Consider the following:

Don’t Be Late

Probably one of the worst things you can do is arrive late to an interview. It is disrespectful and it shows poor time management. Arrive early, but not too early. Ten minutes is plenty of time to compose yourself for your interview. Be ready, though. You may be ushered right in to the interview when you arrive. This is one of the best job interview tips you’ll hear.

Dress for Success

Now is not the time to show off your new fun and funky wardrobe. Choose business attire, even if the job you are interviewing for doesn’t require it. For men, slacks, dress shirt, jacket and tie are necessary; for women, slacks, skirt or a dress. Avoid jeans or even khakis. Women should not wear short skirts or revealing tops. Also, avoid too much jewelry, makeup or heavy perfumes. Men should go light on the aftershave. Make sure your hair is neat and your shoes are polishes. Most job interview tips will tell you that appearance is everything and it is.

Shake the Interviewer’s Hand

While a limp handshake can be your downfall, this is not the time to show your great strength either. You want to give a firm handshake and look your interviewer in the eye. This shows confidence and that is one of the most important qualities during an interview. Other job interview tips include allowing the interview to sit first, sitting up straight and not crossing your legs. While these may seem minor, these little gestures can have an impact on the large picture during the meeting.

Think Before You Speak

When you are asked questions, take a moment to think about your answer. This does not mean you should sit there until the silence becomes uncomfortable but you should give yourself enough time to think about what you want to say. This can also help calm your nerves on those really tough questions. Other job interview tips include practicing the interview with a friend. This will help you formulate the right answers ahead of time and lessen the chance that you will be surprised with a question.

Shake the Interviewers Hand when You Leave

Before you leave, take the time to shake his or her hand and thank them for their time. This is one of those job interview tips that are often forgotten, as many people just want to get out of that room as quickly as possible! You should show your composure throughout the interview and this even includes when you’re walking out the door.

In Closing

These are just a few of the job interview tips that will help you perform better and feel more confident. The most important is to arrive on time. If something happens that will delay your arrive, call the company as soon as possible to let them know.

Getting Beyond Human Resources To Speak To A Hiring Manager

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There is a principle that applies to any contact that you might have with any employee of a company, whether in a private or commercial context – every employee answers to a superior. Of course, this assumes that the definition of employee in this context does not include the senior management of a company. When you talk to the salesgirl in a department store, for example, and you find that she is being unreasonable about something, you need not engage in an angry conversation with her. You simply ask to speak to someone with more authority and in a higher position – in most cases this will be a manager of some sort. The same principle applies when you deal with personnel from the human resources department of a company.

When applying for a job, the most common point of contact with any company will be the human resources department. This is simply because the human resources department is directly responsible for almost all contact that a firm has with private individuals outside the company. The human resources department is therefore also directly in charge of hiring and firing employees of the company.

While the typical process when applying for a job with a company is to make an application to the human resources department of a company and send in your resume, there are times when a more direct approach could be rewarding. You might, for example, be applying for a hotly contested position and you need to do as much as you can to set yourself apart from the crowd of other people applying for the same position. This is when simply sticking to the rules established by the company will not do, and you need to take more positive action.

Making An Impression Before Your Interview

One good way to make an impression even before your interview is scheduled is to speak to someone with even more authority than the general personnel in the human resources department. This usually means someone occupying the position of hiring manager, who ultimately controls all of the employees joining or leaving the company. A short introduction and a few words of appreciation over the phone might be all you need to leave a lasting impression on the hiring manager and get you hired.

The problem, however, is overcoming the barrier presented by the human resources department. Companies guard their privacy jealously, and it can be difficult to find the phone number for the hiring manager of a company. If there is any place that will find it, however, that is online, and you will need to do several extensive searches in order to locate the contact number of the hiring manager. By going behind the human resources department and contacting a hiring manager directly, you show resourcefulness and initiative, making it that much more likely that you will be remembered when the time comes to decide which applicants the company should call in for interviews.

More Jobseeker Tips

Have You Distributed Your Resume to the Thousands of Niche Job Boards Online?

Free Resume Distribution Resources

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One of the problems commonly experienced by jobseekers, particularly those who are looking for jobs for the first time, is the difficulty they have in getting prospective employers to even look at their resumes. Prospective employers are usually on the lookout for experienced individuals, and as such, they tend to ignore resumes sent in by those who have had little or no prior job experience. The only solution that was previously available to first time jobseekers was to send their resume to as many prospective employers as possible, in the hopes that at least some of them would be more willing to consider hiring someone without much job experience. With current methods of resume distribution, however, a much more effective solution is available to first time jobseekers and those with little prior job experience.

Simply put, resume distribution is the solution to the problem of not being able to get your resume out to enough prospective employers. In reality, the more prospective employers you get your resume out to, the more likely it is that you will find a job, sayings about quality over quantity notwithstanding. By getting your resume out using the right resume distribution service, you will be able to reach a much wider pool of potential employers, thus greatly increasing your chances that one of those potential employers is looking for just someone like yourself.

Of course, the process of getting your resume listed on a resume distribution service is not as straightforward as it might seem at first. You can definitely be forgiven for thinking that it is simply a matter of finding some form of online resume database and listing your resume there, alongside the hundreds of thousands of other resumes that other people have already uploaded.

Niche Job Boards

While listing your resume on a generic resume distribution service is definitely a legitimate course of action, it would be much quicker and more effective to list it on a niche resume distribution service. A niche resume distribution service is one that offers a variety of different categories that are based on much more specific factors, such as geographic location, industry, position, skills, and other similar factors. This helps to narrow down the pool of potential candidates and allows potential employers to focus their attentions on a smaller pool of more suitable job applicants.

You will find a variety of different resume distribution websites listed on the home page of the CareerRush website, and all of these resume distribution websites offer effective means of getting much wider exposure for your resume on the internet. Before you choose to list your resume on any one of them, however, you should definitely determine exactly what sort of category your preferred job falls in and try to list your resume on a niche job board that has a corresponding category. This will ensure that the exposure your resume gets is of the right sort and to the right prospective employers so that you will find employment in a shorter time.

Tip: Have You Tried Submitting Your Resume to Beyond?

Interview Tips: Clean Up Your Facebook or MySpace Page

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The advent of technology and the spread of the internet across the world has led to the development of several phenomena that were previously unknown, and among them is the sheer availability of information. The internet has allowed much more information than was previously thought possible to reside in a single, virtual place. With nothing more than a computer and an internet connection, there is practically nothing that you could not find out through the internet. Among these many new developments is the availability of interview tips on the internet and also social networking. As you will see, these two seemingly unconnected topics are, in fact, highly relevant to each other.

One of the most important interview tips that you should take note of if you are applying for a new job is that social networking sites are most definitely a danger to your career aspirations. Regular websites make impersonal information available on the internet, but social networking sites make your personal information available on the internet. While this might be perfectly fine if the only people who have access to this information are your friends and family, the situation becomes a lot more complicated when other people, such as your prospective employers, gain access to that information as well. Thus one of the most important interview tips that you should definitely pay attention to is to clean up your Facebook or MySpace pages.

By cleaning up your Facebook and MySpace pages, you can ensure that any information, posts, photographs, comments, and any other personal information that might cause your prospective employer not to hire you are all deleted and removed from the internet.

How to Clean Up

Among the most incriminating things that you might have on your social networking pages are photographs. Among the most useful interview tips is to go through all of the photographs that you have posted on your social networking pages and ensure that none of them show you in a compromising light. You should delete any photographs that depict you engaging in activities such as gambling, hardcore partying, boozing, and other activities that a prospective employer might find distasteful or morally reprehensible.

You will also have to pay attention to the pages belonging to your friends. While this is not so much a problem on MySpace, Facebook allows friends to tag one another in photographs, so you will most likely feature in photographs that you have not uploaded to Facebook personally. You do have the option of viewing these photographs as well, however, and either untagging yourself or getting your friend to take down any compromising photographs.

You should also go through the entirety of your Facebook and MySpace pages, and look for any posts or comments that might be offensive to a prospective employer. Remove all of these posts and comments. If there are any that you are unsure of, you should remove them as well just to be on the safe side. If you follow these interview tips, your social networking pages will be much cleaner and will stand up to inspection by your prospective employers.

Resume Writing Tips: Clean Up Your Social Pages

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If you have been keeping up with the daily news over the past few years, then you most probably know about the various scandals and unfortunate occurrences that have taken place involving employees having their careers and reputations ruined by social networks. Facebook is without doubt the most prevalent of all the social networking sites. Other social networking pages such as MySpace and Friendster are also extremely popular among adults and adolescents alike. The difference in the situations of the adults and adolescents, however, is that adults have to be accountable for their personal material that is available on social networking sites while adolescents do not face such high expectations. This is one of the most important resume writing tips to keep in mind when writing your resume.

Thus while it might be perfectly acceptable for a teenager to post pictures on Facebook of himself getting extremely drunk at a party and engaging in various stupid acts, the same cannot be said of an adult. In the case of an adult, particularly an adult employed by a company, there is always the danger that his boss might decide to look at his photographs on Facebook and be shocked to discover that his employee was out partying on a weekday night when a business meeting or a presentation was scheduled for the following day. This is just one of the many examples that can be found in real life, and a great many employees have lost their jobs because they were careless with the personal information they divulged on social networking sites.

When it comes to important resume writing tips, one such tip is to ensure that your social networking pages are squeaky clean. This might mean having to delete your social networking pages entirely and start them afresh, but this is small price to pay to keep your job or to help yourself secure a new job. Among the important resume writing tips is also that you should discreetly notify all of your friends, family and acquaintances that you do not wish for any unsuitable photographs of you to be put up on social networking sites.

Privacy Settings Are Not Foolproof

Due to the sheer number of people who have had their careers ended by social networking pages, many social networking sites now offer improved ‘privacy settings’. These settings allow you to restrict access to your social networking page and the information contained therein. While this might be sufficient as a casual deterrent, it is definitely not sufficient when your job or prospective job is at stake.

One of the most important resume writing tips that you must keep in mind is that anything that is on the internet can be found, no matter how securely you hide it or lock it away. With these resume writing tips in mind, you can now go about cleaning up your social networking pages even before you finish writing your resume, so that you will not have a bright future ahead of you destroyed by a few inappropriate pictures or comments.

How To Write An Ad Response Cover Letter

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A large proportion of job offers are made through advertisements in publications such as the local newspaper. Also, in this current age of information technology, more and more job advertisements can also be found online. In fact, it is quite safe to say that a large percentage of job ads are found online today. If you are looking for a job, then chances are fairly high that you will be responding to more than one job offer advertisement. To maximize your chances of being hired, you will need to know how to write an effective ad response cover letter to accompany your resume.

An ad response cover letter conforms to the basic design of a regular cover letter that you might write in response to a direct job offer, with a few additional details. The most important and evident of these details is the direct response to the job offer ad. Prospective employers are always interested in exactly where you found out about the job offer, so it is definitely good for you to tell them before they even have to ask. The place where you found the job offer ad will also tell your prospective employer something about you and your reading habits.

Layout Of An Effective Ad Response Cover Letter

A good way to write an effective ad response cover letter is to have a layout in mind before you even start writing or typing your ad response cover letter. A good example of an effective ad response cover letter can be found on the CareerRush website, and it provides an example of an excellent layout to use when writing your ad response cover letter.

A typical ad response cover letter should consist of three paragraphs. This is a general guideline, however, and it is certainly open to you to decide that your own cover letter needs more or less paragraphs. Each paragraph should answer a separate question, making it very clear exactly what you wish to bring across to your prospective employer.

• First Paragraph: The first paragraph should talk about where you found the ad that you are responding to in your ad response cover letter. Following that, the rest of the paragraph should provide a concise summary of why you think you are suitable for the position in the company. This might include having work experience in the particular industry or field the company is involved in, or having prior experience in the particular position in question.

• Second Paragraph: In the second paragraph you should then get into the details of exactly why you are interested in the position and what it has to offer. In line with this, you should also give your prospective employer an explanation of how you can be of value to the company, and what skills and talent you will bring to their employment line-up. While this is definitely a good place to sell yourself, remember not to exhaust all of the points that you will also cover in your resume.

• Final Paragraph: The final paragraph can either be a straightforward summary of your interest in the job and your suitability for the position, or it can also include a carry-over from the second paragraph if you ran out of space and it would have been too awkward to make the second paragraph any longer.

By following these general layout tips and content guidelines, you will be well on your way to crafting an effective ad response cover letter that will perk the interest of your prospective employer and make them want to read the rest of your resume.

Check Out Our Example: (Download Text or MS Word Format)

Download This Cover Letter Example (In MS Word or Text Format)

How To Contact The Human Resources Department Of Most Companies

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If you are looking for the opportunity to get hired at a particular company, then you will need to get in touch with the company one way or another. Your best bet is to talk to someone in the human resources department of the company. This is because the human resources department is the department that is responsible for dealing with everything that has to do with the employees in the company; this includes present employees as well as potential employees. Moreover, if you make it to the interview stage, your interviewer will usually be a person from the company’s human resources department.

Traditional v/s Modern Ways of Contacting the Human Resources Department

The traditional method of communication with the human resources department of a company is through regular post. Many people still use this method of communication even today because most of the time, people communicating with the human resources department are doing so as part of the job application process and so they need to send their printed resume in by regular post. If you are looking to contact the human resources department of a company to apply for a job, then you can send your printed resume in through regular post, unless you are absolutely sure that they will accept your resume in a digital format.

In this day and age, the most convenient way to contact the human resources department of a company is through email. Technology is now reliable and widespread enough that almost every human resources department is used to communicating with job applicants through email.

If you are thinking of contacting the human resources department of a company through email, however, you must remember to keep the tone of your email formal. One mistake that many people make when they choose to contact the human resources department of a company through email is that they forget to keep a formal tone. Many people are simply too used to the informal tone that they use in regular email communication and they forget that communicating with the department of a company requires a formal register.

A Better Form Of Contact

While you can definitely contact the human resources department of a company through post or email by obtaining their physical or email address through the internet, there is another way that you should explore first.

One of the best ways to get in touch with human resources personnel in a company is through your personal contacts. If, for example, you have a friend or family member who works in the company you wish to contact, you should definitely ask them for an introduction to the best person to talk to. People working within a company will know exactly who you should approach depending on what your purpose for contacting them is. If you are looking for a job, for example, then your contact can introduce you to the manager of the human resources department. This sort of recommendation can also greatly increase your chances of landing a job.

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