Category Archives: job hunting tips

Applying For Employment At A Previous Employer’s Competitor

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Among any employer’s worst fears is the one that their prize employees will be lured away by a competing firm offering higher salaries and more attractive privileges. This is a very real possibility; after all, what better way is there to get trained, motivated employees than by attracting those very same employees over from a rival company? This very same desire also provides anyone looking for employment with a unique opportunity.

While you were working with a company, you are sure to hear about and get to know about other companies operating in the same industry. This information will serve you very well if you are now looking for employment in the same market but can no longer work for your previous employer.

Approaching Old Competition

As someone who used to work in a competing company, you might even be acquainted with people from rival firms. These are the first people you should look up if you are now looking for a job in their companies. This is because you are likely to have built up a name or reputation for yourself while you were working in the industry, and in most industries, people are at least aware of the other professional working in the same markets. If you are able to leverage on respect that you might have earned as a worthwhile competitor, then you might be able to secure a job with ease. If not, then you will still have to go through the regular job application process.

Do not be discouraged however, if you find that you have to send in your resume like any other regular job applicant. As long as you have listed your previous firm under your prior employment, you are sure to be granted an interview almost immediately. This is because employees who are familiar with the business and do not require the same amounts of training as brand new employees do, are considered extremely valuable to a business.

At your interview, you should emphasize the fact that you know the ins and outs of the business and the markets in which it operates. Your interviewer is sure to appreciate the fact that you know what you are talking about and that you can be a valuable asset to the company.

You also need to make sure that you are clear about why you left your previous employer. If it was not by choice, then you can downplay it by saying that you had a falling out with your previous employer or something along those lines. If it was because you had a problem with the organization or with your fellow employees, then make sure you are explicit with the details. The one drawback of coming from a competing firm is that prospective employers will be wary about whether you are honestly applying for a job or are a corporate spy tasked to find out more about the inner workings of a rival company.

All in all, applying for a job at a previous employer’s competitor is a great way to get yourself into a relatively high-paying position without having to start at the bottom rung and work your way up the corporate ladder.

More Jobseeker Advice from CareerRush.com

Jobseeker Tips: Avoiding Age Discrimination Within Your Resume

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Sure, everybody knows that with age comes wisdom; however, this truism is often disregarded in the recruiting world. When applying for jobs, age discrimination is a harsh reality that older jobseekers have to face as most employers think of older applicants as people who have passed their prime. In fact, even younger job applicants who have just graduated from college tend to face age discrimination in that they are typically dismissed because of lack of experience. It is Catch-22 situation.

The truth is, an individual’s employability peaks midway through their working years. There are ways to downplay the age angle however and avoiding age discrimination within your resume is merely another exercise in proper resume writing.

Navigating the Age Minefield

The main factor driving the reluctance of employers to consider older workers is that employers are usually concerned that older employees would be too set in their ways and would be stuck in older methods of getting their job done. Employers are constantly seeking out new and innovative ways to change systems, so as to stay ahead of the competition. As a mature job applicant, there are ways for you to respond directly to this need by constantly renewing yourself and your working habits, thus aiding you in avoiding age discrimination.

One good tactic in avoiding age discrimination within your resume is to leave out any details from which your prospective employer might be able to glean your age. Your date of birth, for example, is something that you can safely leave out. While most people include their date of birth in their resumes, it really isn’t necessary. If you have a family of your own, leave their details out of your resume. Your prospective employer hardly needs to know whether you have kids when you have not even reached the interview stage yet. These tips will help you keep your resume professional but without any hint of your age, so your prospective employer will judge your resume based purely on the merits of your achievements and qualifications when deciding whether or not to interview you.

Keeping Up With The Times

In recent years, one problem that mature workers tend to have has quickly become a chief reason for employers seeking younger employees – computers. Use of modern computers only became widespread after many of today’s mature workers joined the workforce. As such, many of them had to learn through painful trial and error how to perform even the most basic functions on a computer, and many remain barely computer literate even today. The fact of the matter is that computers have become an integral part of the modern workplace, however, as the improvements they bring to productivity simply cannot be ignored.

It is not so difficult to learn to be more than merely literate when using computers. Common office applications such Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint are good starting points. Becoming proficient in their use will help you improve your productivity and score huge brownie points with current and future employers.

By updating your skills regularly, you can include these skills in your resume and show prospective employers that you are just as current with modern advancements as fresh job applicants. This is one of the best ways of avoiding age discrimination within your resume.

How to Avoid Age Discrimination When Searching for Employment

Finding Work Directly By Skipping The Classifieds

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Chances are that you have watched a movie or television show before, which involves one of the characters frantically searching for a job, poring through the classifieds everyday and following up on all those leads only to get nowhere. While you may have thought that this only happens in television shows and movies, the reality is that those shows are based on real life. Too often, jobseekers find themselves scrambling about, responding to one classifieds ad after another to no avail.

The key to finding a good job lies in knowing exactly what you want. You can hardly expect to find appropriate work opportunities if you have no inkling of what it is that you are looking for in a career. You need to take the time to decide what industry, position and department you would like to work in, and use this as the starting point for your job search. Knowing exactly what you want will also come through when you write your resume, and employers like job applicants who are sure about themselves and their chosen career path. Once you know what you want, you can begin your search in earnest.

Most people who scour the classifieds for job openings are usually people who have no idea what they want. This is why other methods of job hunting will not work for them because those other methods require a person to be sure about what they want to work as. These other methods of finding work are much more direct than circling advertisements in a newspaper.

Jumping Straight Into The Job Market

The internet is an excellent tool for finding work if you know how to use it properly. In recent years, many websites have been created that are great for finding the right job. These websites are also known as resume databases. Despite their somewhat banal-sounding name, resume databases are actually an exciting new development. With a resume database, you need only craft your resume to reflect the exact type of work and workplace that you are looking for, and wait for an employer to come to you. Contrary to popular belief, many employers are constantly on the lookout for new employees. They merely hold out until they find employees that they think are worth hiring. By listing your resume on one or more resume databases, you greatly increase the chances that an employer will find your resume who thinks that you would be the perfectly addition to his company’s workforce.

Networking is another effective method of finding work directly by skipping the classifieds. Even if you are currently unemployed, you are sure to have contacts from your previous workplaces, family, relatives, and even friends whom you can talk to. You never know which of them might know of a job opening somewhere that suits you, or who might know a friend of a friend of a friend who is looking to hire someone such as yourself. The power of networking as a job seeking tool is often underestimated, but by putting feelers out, you will soon find that there are a great many job opportunities right below the surface just waiting to be found.

More Job Search Tips from CareerRush

Important Jobseeker Tips: Email My Resume

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In this day and age, sending anything by regular post is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Email has left regular post in the dust when it comes to communication over distances, not least because of its reliability and speed. The same can be said of sending in resumes. Earlier, the only way to send your resume to a company was to send it by means of regular post. Nowadays, however, it is considered acceptable or even standard for prospective employees to email their resume to a company’s human resource department. In short, it would be best for you to simply select an ‘email my resume’ option instead of sending it by post.

What do I mean by ‘email my resume’? The answer is simple – with so many people having trouble writing their resumes, enterprising individuals have developed a wide range of online tools to help jobseekers with resume writing. Among these are resume builders, which allow a user to input their information and details, which the builder will use to construct a complete resume. These powerful tools are extremely useful for people who truly struggle with writing a resume. Besides that, they also offer a host of other features, among which is usually the option to ‘email my resume’.

With most resume builders or databases, once you have completed your resume you have a few options. Among those are the options to print your resume, or to email it. The first option is for those people who are not comfortable with approaching a company by email and would much rather do it the tried-and-tested way – through regular post. The second option is for people who place more faith in technology and would prefer the convenience of not having to print their resume, seal it in an envelope, buy and stick on stamps, and head down to the post office to post it. If you are thinking about applying to more than one company for a job, then you should definitely make use of the ‘email my resume’ option.

Why Email My Resume?

One good thing about choosing to email your resume instead of sending it by post is that you communicate directly with the human resource department of the company you are applying to. Sending a resume by post is a relatively impersonal way of sending in your resume as compared to emailing it, because the person who receives your resume immediately knows your email address without even having looked at your resume. This makes it that much easier for the company to get in touch with you if they have questions or would like to schedule an interview with you.

Another thing to consider is that statistically, email is far more reliable than regular post. The computer code and hardware that controls emails has been refined over the years to the point that it is almost unheard of for an email sent by someone not to arrive in the intended recipient’s inbox. Regular post, however, is still subject to human errors and as such is far less reliable.

When it comes to your resume, you should not take any chances. So what are you waiting for? Get online, create your own resume and hit that ‘email my resume’ button.

More Tips for Emailing Your Resume

Job Interview Questions: Going Above And Beyond At Work

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When conducting job interviews, employers will inevitably look for employees who display their eagerness to go above and beyond at work. The best employees are always those who take the initiative to do more than just the basic requirements when dealing with their responsibilities. There are some employees who simply follow their instructions to the letter. While they may do their jobs well, employees who merely follow instructions and never innovate when carrying out their tasks will never be of the same standing in their employers’ eyes as those who are used to going beyond the call of duty.

The important thing at your job interview is to be able to convey the message that you are the kind of person who will always go above and beyond at work. The tricky part lies in working that aspect into your interview without sounding arrogant or desperate. The best way to do this is to subtly let it slip in when answering a question that your interviewer asks you.

How To Work Going Above And Beyond Into One Of Your Interview Answers

You need to remember not to rush to insert your description of yourself as someone who goes above and beyond at work. Some people are so focused on saying what they want to, that they forget that they are there to answer their interviewer’s questions and not to make a presentation. The key is to respond appropriately when you are asked a question.

A good example of a question where it would be appropriate to give a description of yourself as going above and beyond at work is if your interviewer asks you to list your strengths or describe your best attributes. This would be an excellent opportunity for you to include your best personal characteristics, including your inclination to go beyond the call of duty.

You also need to frame your answer properly. If you were to simply tell your interviewer that you go above and beyond at work and leave it at that, you will most probably not leave a lasting impression on your interviewer. If you include a concrete example in your answer however, you will have a much more lasting impact on your interviewer. If you are just entering the workforce and do not have prior job experience, then you might wish to use a college project or something similar as an example.

Be sure to use the right tone of voice when answering this question. You do not want to come across as cocky but you also want to add the right amount of enthusiasm so your interviewer knows you are telling the truth. Take pride in your work, but also be humble in realizing that your achievements would probably be outshone by those of your interviewer.

Going above and beyond at work is a trait greatly desired by employers and if you are able to show your interviewer that you possess this trait, you will be well on your way to making a good impression and landing that job you are applying for.

Examples of Going Above and Beyond at Work

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Preparing A Job Interview Checklist

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The most common mistakes that applicants make when they attend an interview is not preparing themselves for their interview. If you truly want to succeed in your interviews and want to truly impress the individuals who are interviewing you, then you must truly focus on preparing yourself for these interviews even before you step foot out of your door. 

With that in mind you need to consider the information presented in this checklist. The preparing for an interview checklist presented herein has assisted hundreds of thousand of individuals in truly getting into the right frame of mind before venturing off to their interviews.

Checklist Item #1: Supplies – The first thing you want to make sure you have on hand are supplies that you may need to take advantage of during your interviews. These supplies should include a folder to carry extra resumes in and to place items in that the interviewer may give you while you are in the interview. You should also bring an ink pen with you so that you can take notes during your interview and jot down important information that you may discover.

Checklist Item #2: Extra Resumes – Always be sure to bring an extra resume or two with you. You never know when a potential employer may have misplaced your original resume. If you bring extra resumes with you, you can be prepared to provide them your credentials immediately.

Checklist Item #3: Etiquette Concerns – This is one of the most important items on the preparing for an interview checklist. Make sure that you allow enough time for you to arrive at your interview on time. The worse thing you can do is show up late. It’s always better to arrive early for an interview.  Secondly, if you carry a cell phone with you leave it in your car or shut it off before entering your interview. Don’t even leave it on vibrate as it could prove to be hugely distracting if it keeps ringing constantly.

Checklist Item #4: Food And Drinks – Before conducting your interview you may be tempted to down a gallon worth of energy drinks just to keep your energy level up! However, this could be a mistake. These types of drinks can generally leave you unfocused or even cause you to be shaky.  Therefore, you should avoid them at all costs prior to attending an interview.   In this same regard be sure to eat something light before attending your interview. This way your blood sugar is maintained and you don’t appear shaky. It will actually calm you down whilst you are going through your interview.

Checklist Item #5: Relax – Above all else relax! Though these interviews are important you don’t want to seem over eager or nervous. Take a deep breathe and relax. Speak slowly and think before you answer any question.  The calmer you appear, the better your chances are at obtaining the position that you are being interviewed for.

Follow the steps in this preparing for an interview checklist and you will surely find much relief and will truly be prepared for whatever may come in your interviews.

Watch the CareerRush Job Interview Example Videos!

Lunch Interviews: Treat Every One Respectfully

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Lunch interviews are becoming more and more popular amongst major companies and organizations who are seeking out personable and engaging staff members to fill their vacancies. Lunch interviews allow a potential employer to see an applicant in a normal setting wherein they can gauge how the person interacts with the public and other individuals outside of the work place. This can be valuable information that an employer can use in order to choose the best staff to hire for their job openings.

There are several rules of etiquette that you must keep in mind if you are asked to take part in a lunch based interview. The first thing you will want to consider is the attire that you will be required to wear on your interview. You will want to check with the individual who is setting up your interview to determine how you should dress. Secondly, you will want to know if you are expected to pay for your lunch or if the company is covering the cost. In most cases, if you are invited to attend a lunch interview, the interviewer will cover the cost of your meal.

The third thing you want to determine is the exact location of the restaurant where you will be visiting or if the lunch will be hosted and catered within the company itself. This way you can obtain proper directions in order to ensure that you know where you are going and so that you can get there on time. This is very important! You should arrive for the lunch interview at least 15 minutes early. This way you can connect with the employer prior to being sat down at your table.

There are a few more things that you should pay particular attention to. One of the most important is the way you treat those around you, including the waiter or waitress who will be serving you. Treat every one respectfully! Not many people are aware of this but most interviewers who conduct lunch interviews are very curious about the way in which you will engage with these servers. They will be constantly scrutinizing you to determine how courteous and respectful you are when you are being catered to. Whatever you do, it is absolutely crucial that you go out of your way to treat every one respectfully.

You will also want to consider what you are ordering! Don’t be over zealous and order the most expensive item on the menu. Instead, see what everyone else at the table is ordering and place your own order around this budget.  Additionally, be sure not to order foods which are generally messy. For instance, don’t order foods such as ribs, which you would typically eat with your fingers; you don’t want to be sitting opposite your interviewer all covered in barbeque sauce!

Also observe other respectful factors such as not placing your elbows on the table and not talking with your mouth full. Be sure to politely excuse yourself if you happen to leave the table. The more courteous and respectful you are in these matters, the more friendly and professional that you will appear to those individuals who have invited you out for a lunch interview.

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Printing Your Resume Professionally

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When you set out to compose your resume, one of the aspects you will need to take into consideration is the manner in which your resume will be laid out. The layout of your resume is a key factor to creating a professionally designed resume. If you use a layout that is not professional and effective, chances are that your resume will never gain the attention that you desire.  Moreover, you should also consider printing your resume professionally in order to further create an air of professionalism around your resume.

The content that you place within your resume is of course the most important element of your resume. However, if you don’t present your resume in a professional manner, then chances are that many employers will not even give your resume a second glance. Therefore, you must seek out a way to successfully go about printing your resume professionally. 

The first step is of course choosing the perfect layout for your resume to enhance the manner in which it will be printed out.

Choosing The Perfect Resume Layout

The first thing you will want to consider when it comes to selecting a resume layout is the type of industry for which you are seeking out employment. Once you have this determined, you can begin to search online for layouts that are designed with your specific industry in mind. If your resume is for general employment, then you can avail of general employment layout samples which you find online. 

Just be sure that you only shortlist and use recent and updated layout resume templates that have been released in the past year. This way you can be sure your resume layout is up to date with the current industry standards.

How To Go About Printing Your Resume Professionally

Once you have composed your content and decided on a proper layout, you will then need to be sure that you go about printing your resume professionally. You will first want to consider the grade and type of paper that you use when printing your resume. It is usually best to go with a medium grade paper that is an off-white shade. Flimsy or cheap paper tends to tear easily and paper that is brilliant white can actually hurt the eyes of the reader and you want to avoid both these scenarios, which is why you want to take serious consideration when choosing the type of paper that you will be using.

It should be noted that there are several paper manufacturers that actually offer specialized resume printing paper. This may be the easiest route to choose when you are considering printing up your resume at home on your own. However, you are not limited to this form of printing. There are several professional services that you can take advantage of that offer professional printing of resumes for a fee. 

Either way, just be sure that you take your time when laying out and printing up your resume in order to ensure that you are being as professional as possible. Remember, your resume is your first impression! Make it count!

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The Importance Of Being Honest In Your Resume And Interviews

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When seeking out employment at any type of company, it is crucial that you are completely open and honest in all aspects of your interviews. This also includes being honest with the information that you are presenting in your resume. Oftentimes individuals will blatantly lie in their resumes or will provide false information in hopes of gaining attention from potential employers. Other applicants will place what they consider to be little “white lies” in their resumes in order to make themselves appear more experienced and more valuable.

The problem with these types of lies is that you are completely getting off on the wrong foot with these potential employers. Not only that, but you also run the risk of being terminated from the company to which you are applying. If a company discovers that you have been dishonest in the way that you presented yourself in your resume or in the information which you provided them during your initial in person interviews, they are legally able to terminate you. This is just one of the main reasons and most important reasons that you should consider when it comes to not being honest in your resume.

Why Are People Dishonest In Their Resumes?

There are two main areas of interest on resumes wherein most applicants are dishonest. The first area of interest is their job history. Many applicants may have gaps between years and places of employment. They are fearful that these gaps in employment will present a negative image for themselves and they go to great lengths to fake or decrease the amount of gaps in their employment history in order to convince a potential employer that they are reliable and are responsible. 

The problem with lying about these gaps in work history is that a potential employer can quickly and easily check your past employment history when running your references. They can contact your past employers and can determine what your exact years and months of employment were. They can also determine if you left the company on your own terms or if you were terminated from your position.  

Given the many loopholes that are bound to arise once you start lying, you should never even consider not being honest when it comes to this section of your resume. Keep in mind that it is relatively easy for a potential employer to check out any of the information mentioned in your resume. It is crucial to be honest if you truly want to gain employment.

The second most common area of interest within resumes wherein applicants are dishonest is in their education section. Most applicants are under the impression that employers will not bother to check out the education of their applicants before hiring them. That’s not true; many employers will actually ask you to provide them with proof of your diploma or degree before they will even consider hiring you.

Whether it is your education or your experience, it is always best to be honest when it comes to your education or lack thereof. Just be ready to explain to a potential employer why you have not graduated or sought out further education or why you chose to leave your previous employ.

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Using Examples During An Interview

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When you attend a job interview you will either make or break your chances of winning the job that you applied for. Given the utmost importance of the interview, it is imperative that you take a few moments and truly prepare yourself for the way that you will present yourself in your interview. You should consider each and every part of the interview process and should look into using examples during an interview. Interviewers enjoy it when a potential employee can take an example from a past work experience or life experience and can use it to answer a question backed with facts.

If you truly want to make an impact during your next interview, you should begin by researching the types of questions that you may be asked during your interview. The good news is the Internet features numerous websites and references that you can take advantage of in order to obtain sample interview questions. Once you have acquired such a list, you should begin to determine how you will answer each question prior to attending your interview. You may even want to enlist the help of a friend to assist you in this process. Your friend can read the questions to you and you can simply practice how you will successfully answer them.

Once you have a sample list of questions, you will want to begin figuring out how you can begin using examples from your past experiences to add more depth to your answers. Some common interview questions will already encourage example use. For example, a common interview questions is: “In the past how have you dealt with a negative complaint from a customer?”  A question like this requires using examples during an interview.

How else can I go About Using Examples during an Interview?

Using examples during an interview is very simple if you compare each and every interview question that you are asked with another job in mind or with a past experience in mind. For example, when asked a question such as: “What do you bring to our company?” You should be able to quickly consider any positive effects that you had in your previous place of employment. You can then reveal what it was you did at your past place of employment in order to use this experience as an example of what positive effects you will have at this new place of business if you are potentially hired.

Every interview question that you are asked is an opportunity for you to take advantage of examples. This allows you to show a potential employer your various achievements and the positive effects that you had at your previous place of employment.

This method of using examples during an interview is much more productive and effective than just giving general answers during an interview.  With the use of examples you can prove to a potential employer that you are well worth your weight in gold.

When taking part in your next interview be sure to prepare yourself with examples in mind so that you can truly impress your interviewer.

How to use examples during a job interview…

Job Interview Example Videos…