Tips to Landing Your Dream Job

Need a Job Fast?

2009-03-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

The state of the economy could make job searching much more competitive than it usually is. If you are finding that you aren't having any luck and need to get your bills paid there are several options that are available to you.

1. Temp Agency- The purpose of a temp agency is to help you find a job. What you want to do is apply just like you would do for a normal job and interview just like any job. Depending on the requirements for the temp agency you will be required to take a few assessments and they will ask you questions about your skills and trade. You will be hired on and when a job opens that matches you they will call you to let you know. A temp agency works as a middle man in helping you find a job. They get a cut from what you make for finding you. This is a good way to get your foot in the door or if you are looking for something temporary. When you get hired for a job with a temp agency it allows the employer to see what your work ethics are like and if they like you they may hire you on permanently.

2. Craigslist- You can always post your skills and services on Craigslist and offer to do it for a discount or cheaper price than most competitors. This is beneficial because you can build work references and also earn money at the same time.

3. Make money online- There are so many ways to earn online and some people have been able to quit their job to work full time online. One site that has a great list of money making opportunities can be found here

4. Start your own business- This can be hard to do at first or if you are a natural born entrepreneur this will come to you easily. You can start a business in almost anything such as computer services, beauty, professional services. You can sell items that you make, open your own pawn shop, etc. The skies the limit.

Good luck!

Furthering your Future through Education

2009-02-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not sometimes just having a degree doesn't help. Many people end up with general degrees or degrees that aren't relevant. You have to learn how to apply your degree so that it benefits you. Often times people make the mistake of starting out in college and spending money on classes never knowing where they are going. It is best to start off at a community college or even enroll in online classes. Figure out which field it is that you want to go into. If you already know which field you can enroll in a school that is specifically geared towards your field. For instance, computers (tech school), beauty (beauty school), fashion design (fashion design school. It is good to take classes in a tech or trade school. This way you can get hands on experience and you want to make sure that the school is accredited. Employers like to see that their potential employee has experience and knowledge in the field they are pursuing. Education is becoming much more convenient with the help of the internet which makes it easier for busy professionals, parents, etc. There are many schools to choose from. When you have a degree employers are more likely to give you a higher salary and pay raises.

Sometimes even an associates degree suffices; it all depends on your employer. If so, you can always choose to continue your education for a bachelors or masters.

Benefits
-Save money because you focus on one field
-Gain hands on experience
-Looks good on resumes
-You will seem more knowledgable

Which Job is Best for You?

2009-01-26T15:11:00.000-08:00

Are you stuck in a dead end job and find that you start to lose interest fast? The reason might be that you are pursuing something that doesn't match with your personality. Maybe you aren't performing so well at your latest job because you don't have that passion and it's probably not right for you. There are many career assessments online where you can figure out different career paths that match with your personality. It's worth trying because you don't want to be stuck in a dead end job or raise your stress level and endanger your health. Finding the job that matches your personality allows you to use your natural talents. Below are a few career assessments that are available for free.

1. Project Career
2. Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential

Increase Job Options

2009-01-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

There are many ways to increase your chances of getting exposure and preparing for your dream job.

Career Fairs- Many times companies host career fairs or sometimes your University will host one. Companies set up booths about their company and job openings and this is a great opportunity to speak to a hiring manager face to face and to ask the questions you've always wanted. This is also an opportunity to hand out your resume to prospective employers.

If you are interested in finding out if your city is hosting a career fair simply look it up on google.

Job Shadowing- This is a great opportunity to see what kind of field you might be getting into. Job shadowing is where you get to see from experience what your future job will entail and getting to work with the professionals and asking them questions. This is popular with high school students.

Internships- Internships are popular among college students. This is where you get to be in the actual field and do the actual work or some of it. Most internships don't pay money or below what they would actually make. However, this is a very good way to get your foot in the door and allow employers to see how well you do. This may lead to being hired as an actual employee and you gain experience.

Volunteers- Looks good on your resume and allows you to gain real world experience. If you are volunteering in the field you desire this may also be an opportunity to get hired on or gain positive references.

Following up after the Interview

2008-12-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

After you have completed your interview you want to make sure to follow-up with a Thank You e-mail or letter right away. This is more personalized and shows that you are interested in the job and working with the company and are professional. When you write a thank you letter you want to make sure you have the persons direct contact e-mail or address. You can usually obtain this information on the business card they gave you or you can call the office and ask for their contact information. In your thank you letter you want to make it short and sweet.

Business Format

Your Name:
Your Address:
Phone#
E-mail

Date:

Interviewer's Name:
Title:
Company:
Address:

Dear (Interviewer's last name):

Thank you for taking the time to interview me. I really enjoyed speaking with you and getting to know more about the company.

(Write about something that impressed you during the interview)
(Reiterate how your qualifications are a match for the position)
(Thank the interviewer again and talk about how much insight you gained during the interview and how you hope to be a part of the great company and hope to hear from them soon)

For more detailed descriptions on how to write a follow-up letter:

Interview- Catch them and Keep them

2008-11-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

You've taken all the steps that were outlined in the previous post, you did your follow-up call or e-mail and have now been scheduled for an interview. Congrats! and good for you:) Whether the interview is over the phone or face to face the key to catching and keeping them is to be CONFIDENT!

RESEARCH the company before interviewing

Here are some of the most common questions that are asked:

1- What are some of your strengths?
2- What are some of your weaknesses?
3- Why did you leave your last job
4- What were your duties in your last position?
5- Describe to me a situation where you demonstrated customer service, etc
6- If you were put in a difficult situation how would you handle it?
7- What did you like about your last job?
8- What didn't you like about your last job?
9- How long have you been searching for work?
10- What can you bring to the company?
11- Why should you be hired?
12- What would you do if you didn't know how to do a certain task or duty?
13- Are you competitive (if it's a sales job)
14- What are some of your achievements?
15- What were your numbers? Sales Ratio? (Sales job)
16- Make sure to do your research on the company so you know what they stand for and how they function, etc. I've been asked questions about the company many times.

As you can see there are different questions for different positions but as long as you are confident in yourself and your ability to do the job you will definitely get some brownie points:)

Types of Interviews:

Phone Interview-
Make sure you are ready to take the call and have a quiet place, take a few breaths and have your resume in hand. Do not be late for your interview because you will miss out. Smile because they can tell over the phone and stay calm. Listen when the interviewer is speaking and do not interrupt. Be professional and courteous. Remember to be confident in your skills and ability if you feel confident you will sound confident.

Face to face Interview-
Dress professionally and make sure to have a copy of your resume and references. Arrive at your appointment time early 10 or 15 minutes is good, this will give you some time to scope out your potential workplace and learn more about the company. Review your resume and try to relax. When you are called in for the interview make eye contact and smile, listen to the interviewer and when answering questions take a few seconds to think. Sometimes you can reiterate the question so that you can get some time to think. If you miss the question you can say,"I'm sorry can you please repeat that?" However, don't do that too much. Always make eye contact, smile and sit up still and try to keep your hands on your lap. I keep my hands crossed on my lap so it seems more professional and you can't really tell if I'm nervous. After you are done being interviewed they will more than likely ask if you have any questions. This is a chance for you to really show that you are really interested in the position and the company. Come prepared with a few questions about the company and shake hands and thank the interviewer for their time after you are done. They will usually let you know when to expect a call or they will give you their business card. If not, you can ask them when they will be done conducting interviews and will be getting back to people.

How to dress for the interview

Ladies- It is always important to stay conservative. The best dress for ladies would be either black pants and a business like shirt or a professional top. You can also wear a knee length skirt with a business like top. You want to look clean and professional. This would be a good time to dress up a little such as grooming and putting on some makeup. You can put on some perfume but not too much.

Men- Long sleeve business shirt you can choose to wear a tie depending on how professional the company is. Slacks are a good choice for men, usually beige or black with clean shoes would be considered professional. Remove earrings if they are not allowed and grooming is also important. You can put on cologne but not too much.

Ok so now that you know, go get em'!!:)

Following-Up

2008-11-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

Some people think that all they need to do is apply for a job and wait for the call. In most cases this is not true, there are so many applicants each day that employers hardly have any time to sift through each application. This is the reason why a cover letter is so important because if you don't catch the employer's eye on the first impression you miss out. Basically, the employer or hiring manager will toss out your application. Other important factors are spelling, alignment and grammar because again you are trying to sell yourself through the computer. The process does not stop there, after you have applied it is important write a follow-up email.

1. How soon is too soon to follow-up?
Do not follow up to soon because if you do you will look desperate. Less than a week is usually to soon.

2. When is the best time to follow-up?
The best time to follow-up is usually after a week, sometimes a week might even be too soon because the company may have many applicants and need time to contact people for interviews. I would say to follow-up 1 week to 2 weeks, no more than 2 1/2 weeks.

3. How do I write a follow-up e-mail?
Dear (Hiring manager),

I am writing to follow-up on the status of my application and also the status of the job position as (position here). Please let me know if you require further information, thank you and have a wonderful day.

Sincerely,
(Your name here)

These follow-up e-mails usually work and you will get a reply as to whether you got an interview, need additional information or the position has been filled.

Good luck!

On another note: I would love to hear success stories if you've been reading my blog and following the tips:) and it worked for you. Feel free to just drop me a comment or e-mail also let me know if you have any questions:)

Writing a Cover letter

2008-11-10T13:58:00.000-08:00

A Cover letter is very important when applying for jobs. Basically a cover letter is a letter that distinguishes you from all the other candidates and it's what makes the hiring manager want to read your resume. When writing a cover letter I always try to keep it simple, up to 3 paragraphs is good. This is the format that I use.

To Whom it May Concern or Dear Hiring Manager:

(1st Paragraph talk about how you found the job and how you are qualified for the position).
(2nd Paragraph talk about your experience and relate it to the position you are applying for).
(3rd Paragraph talk about how if you were to get the position it would benefit the company and the skills you will bring).

Thank you,
(Your name)

(E-mail)
(phone#)
Enclosed: Resume

When applying for the position you want to compose an e-mail with the cover letter in the body and attach your application to the e-mail. This way since you hooked the reader they can learn more by clicking on your resume. That is why a cover letter is important, it's the thing that initially sells you.

Please stay tuned as I will be talking about Following-up and later interviews

Job Searching Basics

2008-10-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

You may be reading this because you are a newbie to job searching, need refresher courses or have been off the job market. Whatever the case is, I would like to share tips with you that I have found have been successful in my job search.

1. Find out what you are good at- I believe this is a very important step in job searching because once you start that job you do not want to end up being miserable and plus the sooner you can define your dream job the sooner you are to your goal.

-Is the pay range what you are looking for?
-Location convenient enough?
-Is this a job that would be enjoyable
-What are the benefits? 401K, health benefits

2. Search for jobs that interest you- There are a ton of job sites where you can search for jobs and submit resumes, a few of them are listed on the sidebar. Sites such as:Fresho.com,,monster Beyond.com,CareerBuilder,Snagajob,Jobplanet,There are also classified ads that have job listings such as Backpage, Craigslist, Indeed and also your local newspaper. The sky is the limit with job resources, you can even do searches on google. It's best to try to apply good keywords, for instance sales+job openings+Dallas Texas, you kind of just have to play around with words until you get nearer to what you are looking for. When I search for jobs my main ones are Craigslist, Monster, Indeed, Kijiji and Jobdango. Once you have found the job you are interested in applying for you want to make sure to read over the job description carefully. There will be some Keywords that you see in the posting that you will want to apply to your resume.

3. Create a Resume- The software that I use is Microsoft Word, pick a template that you feel defines who you are. REMEMBER you are trying to sell yourself through the paper so you want to be a little personable without being too personable and giving too much info while staying professional. I usually keep my resume to 1-2 pages in length. You want to make sure that your resume is free of spelling errors and everything is aligned the same. When writing your resume jot down dates that you were employed, your duties and company info. Job searching can be a stress in itself so being organized will make it less stressful. I always have an objective in mine. In your objective statement you want to make it short and to the point. Next you want to start listing your dates of employment from most recent to least. Make sure to be thorough in your job duties and try to gear it towards the job you are searching for so that it will seem that you have qualities to match the job.

When creating your resume you start with the most recent one. Don't list every single job duty if it doesn't have anything to do with the position you are applying for, for instance, you are applying for a customer service position but your resume lists the sales quota that you met, etc. This will probably bore the hiring manager and your chances of getting an interview will be very slim. It's good to list up to 4 of your most recent jobs so that employers will see that you've been employed for years and do not have huge gaps in your employment. If you've only had one job or two make sure to list your experiences. Most employers these days are looking for experience besides having a degree. When listing your duties try to elaborate on the duties without writing too much or too little.

QUESTIONS?

What if you have no work experience?

The best solution would be to list your experiences and this is where schooling would come in. This will show the employer that you have been doing something productive which can benefit their company. If you do not have any schooling or work experience list volunteer opportunities.

Employment Grid in my opinion

Most likely to be employed-
1. Experienced (worked in related field) and Educated (has a degree)
2. Experienced in related field with no degree (worked in a previous job related)(no degree)
3. Has a degree but no experience (no work experience)
4. Has some type of experience interacting with others (volunteering, etc)
5. No experience (volunteering etc) or education

How to boost your resume
-Find local communities that need help with volunteering, ask friends if they need any help, join church groups or other groups.

What to do after you've created your resume
Utilize sites listed above or on the side bar to find the job that interests you. Submit your resume along with a cover letter. You want to apply to as many jobs as possible so the more job boards you post your resume on the more interviews you will get.