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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Some of today’s most popular websites are social network sites. These include sites such as Facebook and Myspace. Account holders can create their own social pages, update their status, and stay informed of what their friends and family members are doing. Photos can be added, as well as likes, dislikes and all sorts of other information. However, when it comes to important job interview tips, cleaning up these social networking pages is close to the top of the list.

Do Employers Really Check?

The answer is yes. Employers do complete background checks on potential employees and today, that includes checking out the social networking sites. They want to know more about potential employees before they make an offer of employment. If these social pages contain items that may cause the company embarrassment, chances are that the applicant would not be hired. Many employment services are now providing job interview tips on how to clean up these public social pages so that job hunters aren’t pulled out of the employment process because of something that is posted.

What You Should Get Rid Of

While you may love that picture of the night you danced on the table at your favorite bar, it’s not likely to score many points with a potential employer. You should remove any photos that might not be looked at too favorably. These include pictures that may not even include yourself, but someone else in a very compromising situation. Any nudity should obviously be avoided, but you may not want your employer to know that you smoke or drink, either. Some companies do not want to hire a potential employee that spends their free time skydiving, riding motorcycles, or mountain climbing.

While it’s not always fair, it is simply what employers have started doing to help ensure their employees are not at a greater risk for injury. These are important job interview tips that can improve your chances of landing that dream job.

Does Blocking an Account Work?

Most of the major social sites do allow you to limit who sees all of your information. This can be an option for most people. However, with sites such as Facebook that show updates from friends, your comments to other people may be seen, as well. Keep this job interview tips in mind when you are commenting on what your friends did this past weekend or what plans you have for the upcoming weekend.

A Few Final Thoughts

Most applicants will agree that there are probably a few things they should change on their social networking pages. It’s difficult because you want to share your life with your friends and family members. If you can do so privately, it’s a much better idea than leaving nothing to the imagination for a potential employee. The age of the internet has certainly brought these kinds of job interview tips to the forefront. It would be a shame to lose a fantastic job opportunity because your social pages weren’t exactly flattering.

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Job Interview Tips: Clean Up Your Facebook Page

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Facebook is one of the most visited websites today. With over a half a billion accounts, this social media network is has revolutionized the way that people keep others informed about what is going on in their lives. However, Facebook has also been the downfall of many job applicants. In the following job interview tips, you will find all the information you need to clean up your Facebook page so that potential employers get the right impression of you when they do some research on you.

What Does Your Facebook Page Say about You?

While you may not think that employers look at Facebook pages, it really couldn’t be further from the truth. There is a wealth of information to be found online and social media websites are no exception. Think about what is on your Facebook page. Does it contain photos of you that might not show your best side? For example, the last night you were out at the club and dancing on the table may not be what you want a potential employer to see. Job interview tips include removing photos that show excessive drinking or even worse.

If you have strong political beliefs that may not coincide with a potential employer views, you may want to reconsider what your profile says. Consider what your likes and dislikes include. If you list your favorite activities as skydiving, riding motorcycles, bungee jumping, or other dangerous activities, an employer may not want to take a chance that you will be hurt and miss work. They could choose to hire someone who enjoys reading, poetry and basket weaving! These are job interview tips that really can help you in the long run.

Another thing to remember is that you don’t want potential employers to see any risqué photographs of you. You don’t need a photo of you on Facebook that shows you any type of compromising position. It simply isn’t worth it. Far too many college students post up pictures from fraternity and sorority parties that should be filed away for private viewing. Good job interview tips include those that limit the amount of skin that you should show online!

While there is no law against being yourself on your Facebook page, if you are job hunting, the wrong content can cause you problems. You may want to limit access to your wall or profile to only your friends. This means that potential employees will not be able to view all of your information unless you give them access. Other people have changed their name slightly so that their account will not come up when a search of their legal name is done. These are really important job interview tips that can help you stay in the running for your dream job.

In Closing

Facebook is quite a phenomenon, but it can also damage your chances of getting a great job. Employers do look at Facebook accounts of potential employees. Keep the above job interview tips in mind in order to stay in the running for that next job.

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.

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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.

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.

More Job Search Tips from CareerRush

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