Job Guide
Finding a job after college is not going to be an easy task. Remember, we are now living in a highly competitive world. However, there are things which you can still work on which could help you increase your chances of getting your dream job.
Here are some tips on how to snag a job after college:
1. Prepare an impressive resume. The first thing you need to do before you can snag your first job after college is to make sure that you make a good and impressive resume. Try to make your resume look professional. You have to include only the necessary details, contact information, on the job training experience, accomplishments, membership in organizations, and skills. Make sure that you include outstanding accomplishments in school or even those in outside organizations, if you have any. Leadership and training experience will definitely be a plus.
2. Write a good application letter. Make sure that you write a good application letter. Follow carefully the instructions as to where you have to address or submit your letter. Take note that some companies are strict on whether applicants follow basic instructions or not. If you follow instructions well, you have better chances of getting screened or even possibly hired. Try to write a letter that is free from grammatical errors and unnecessary remarks. Make sure that you indicate your reason why you applied for the job, what the company can benefit or expect from you.
3. Visit your career center while in college. Even if you’re still in college, try to visit your college’s career center. Try to establish linkage with the career counselor and staff so that they can help you when a job opening comes up. They can help refer you to companies that contact your school during job hiring.
4. Attend job fairs or career fairs. Make it a point that you attend job or career fairs in school or those sponsored by some organizations. During career fairs, some companies visit schools to look for potential employees. Be prepared for on the spot interviews.
5. Prepare for interviews. Make sure that you prepare yourself well for possible job interviews. The first step is to dress properly so that you would look professional. Try to think of possible questions that the company may ask so you can prepare good answers for them. You can also do some research about the company’s mission, vision, and goals so that you will be aware of them.
Good luck job hunting! With these tips, you will be able to compete well with other job hunters even if you’re fresh out of college.
Whether you’re looking for the most important college school supplies or you’re interested in finding your first student credit card, FindCollegeCards.com, can help you out.
Employment Exhibition
Working in an interim management position has many benefits that people outside of the profession probably don’t realize.
Of course it’s a demanding role. Most of the time interims can expect to be dropped into a big business in the midst of crisis, with little idea of the company’s organizational make-up – or just what dire straits it may really be facing.
However, even amidst the chaos, interim positions are satisfying to hold for both the employer and the interim. In the given situation above, for example, having a lack of prior knowledge about a workplace, its people and practices can be a plus. It means that the interim’s judgment is completely impartial, bar the facts and therefore they can be one of the most realistic, effective decision-makers in the building.
Having the ability to take a fresh look and make decisions based on fact will not only reinforce an interim’s integrity, but it may rally the troops behind the cause. Gaining respect from employees through an interim’s actions of course normally comes second to getting the job done, putting the business back on track. However, it’s possible that in just doing the job, employee respect will be earned. This can be extremely rewarding.
It would be naive to miss out on the remuneration an interim is set to receive throughout the duration of their occupation. This is clearly one of the biggest perks of the job. Interims are offered and can command large salaries for their services. However, it’s more likely that one will get the larger pay checks when they have a proven track record.
Which neatly brings in the importance of interim work on a CV. All CVs grow throughout the course of a working life and there’s no doubt that anyone who can write “crisis management” on theirs will gain the most attention in their next occupation. Being able to handle a crisis ticks 90 per cent of the boxes when it comes to interview, with such skills as team work, long hours, resolving difficult situations and success rate all coming into play.
These are just handful of the many reasons why it is great to be in an interim employment position.
Employment Exhibition
Finding a job used to be easy. Work was plentiful, and all that you needed was a good resume, some experience, and in a lot of cases, a connection at your prospective employer. But since the Internet revolution, things have become very different. You will be expected to hunt for positions online, and you can even work from the comfort of your own home, without ever meeting your clients face to face. If you are unsure about the best way to go about finding a job in the technological age, then keep reading – these simple tips can guide you through this somewhat daunting process.
Create an online presence
The easiest way to find a job on the internet is to create a profile on a professional business platform. Basically, this is like making a Facebook profile, except that instead of trying to make friends, you are trying to create employment opportunities for yourself. Luckily these sites are very easy to use, and can even be fun. And you are not limited to one site, so you can past your resume and skills all over the web. The more you spread your face, the more likely you are to attract attention. The best thing about the internet is that you are not limited by geography – the world literally becomes your employment oyster. Try a site like Freelanced.com or LinkedIn if you want to reach out to fellow professionals.
And yes, you can earn foreign currency in this way!
Improve your computer skills
Unfortunately there is a bit of a technology gap that accompanies newer professionals and those who have been around the block a few times. If your technological knowhow is not up to scratch you are unlikely to be selected for work. The only way to combat this problem is to make an effort to strengthen your CV. This could mean taking a diploma in Computer Literacy, watching YouTube tutorials, or spending time shadowing someone in the know. The most important thing is that you make your experience relevant and accessible to prospective employers right now.
This guest post was written by freelance writer Victoria. She is currently learning about low interest credit cards and Capital One credit cards.
Who Are You Again?
There is a quote that says “Words have meaning and names have power”. Although the author is unknown, the sentiment is definitely true. Whether you are on a phone interview or a face-to-face interview one of the things that makes a positive impression is remembering the name of the persons or people who interview you.
When you remember and use a person’s name while speaking to him or her, it makes that person feel special. It essentially says that you think the person was important enough to pay attention to.
Here are some tips for remember names as you meet people.
This sounds simple and straightforward, but surprisingly, it isn’t. When we meet people, especially in interviews, we are often thinking about what we will say, rather than focusing on what the other person is saying. This happens to everyone, it’s normal, but it isn’t necessarily helpful to effective communications. When face-to-face with someone make eye contact and consciously listen to what they are saying, rather than being a step ahead. If you are on the phone, avoid multi-tasking; turn off the radio, close unnecessary browsers or files so you can stay focused.
Using a person’s name back in conversation is a way to help immediately anchor or link the name to that person. By using the person’s name when speaking with him or her right after being introduced you are more likely to remember it. When “Joe” introduces himself, it’s easy and natural to say “nice to meet you Joe”. Just be careful not to overdo it and use the name in every sentence because then it becomes insincere and uncomfortable.
Relating a person’s name to someone you know, someone famous, what they do, or an object, and creating a mental image is another technique. One key point is to be sure the person you want to remember is in the image; otherwise you’ll remember a picture, but not the person. For example, when meeting Charles Rice, an engineer, there are several ways to use this technique. You could picture Charles as “Choo Choo Charlie” an engineer on a train filled with rice; this give you Charles or Charlie, the engineer, Rice. Or you might think of him with Charles Barkley on the left side and Jerry Rice on the right side and all three of them looking at blueprints together. You can even break a name in two or more parts, such as a last name “Saltman”. You could think of “salt” and “man” and may imagine salt mountain in the shape of a man. The more exaggerated the image, the easier it will be to remember because our minds remember extremes. Of course when you create images to remember people’s names you don’t want to share them with the person, but use them to help your own memory.
If you are on the phone, write down the person’s name immediately and keep it in your view throughout the call. If you are meeting someone, ask for their business card which will give you their name in writing. When the person hands you his or her card, take a moment to look at the name and then look at the person; this helps associate the printed name with that person. In a face-to-face interview, if the person doesn’t have a business card, or there isn’t an appropriate moment to ask for one until later in your meeting, be sure to put their name, and their title, in your notes.
Using these simple tips will help you to remember people’s names more effectively and to connect with them better. Calling people by their name makes them feel important and it shows that you paid attention; that’s a great way to make a positive impression!
Ellen is the owner of If The Shoe Doesn’t Fit, the auction site for shoe lovers. It’s a place to sell, swap or shop for shoes. The site was born out of a mixture of frustration from owning too many shoes and the urge to have more. She also writes for If The Shoe Doesn’t Fit Blog.
In this chapter of RIFT SUCCESS 101 we discuss the coveted Cover Letter. We get tons of requests for help with this particular area of the resume submission process. It appears, that many fear including a cover letter with their resume because they don’t understand exactly what to include in its contents. No it isn’t a complete rewording of your resume, no it isn’t a form letter or application, and no it isn’t where you beg them for a job. A cover letter is your prime opportunity to establish a relationship with a potential employer before they even view your resume. If written out with care and purpose, it can mean the difference between getting the job or not. Remember, you haven’t met this person yet, and your resume is an outline of what you have done in your career, so make sure that your cover letter has a personal aspect to it in order to build a rapport. How do you do that? Well, first and foremost; be sure to include the name of the company it is being addressed to, the title of the job you are applying for, and if possible the name of the addressee.
Another key point to remember when writing your cover letter is that it answers the following questions, “What makes you special and distinctive in your field of expertise? Why should you be the one to hire?” This is your prime sales pitch to the prospective employer so be sure to define yourself and your key areas of expertise. Feel free to utilize wording from your resume, but not all, highlight only the important parts which pertain to the position you are applying for. For instance, if the position you are applying for asks that you have a minimum of x amount of years experience in the field, then be sure that your bullet point states that you have led your team/have been a successful agent for x+ years etc., etc., Don’t copy paste everything they’ve requested, outline how your career has gotten you the expertise to match what they’ve requested.
Okay, so we’ve covered the basic key points to include in your cover letter, but how do you write one? No need to chew your nails, we are about to outline what to write and where to write it. Our candidates have followed this to the letter (all puns intended) and have gotten phenomenal results.
Header
If you don’t want your cover letter to be separated from your resume, be sure you include your header. This makes it easier for the person reading to match it with your resume should it become separated. For ease, use the header you used in your resume.
Company Information
On the left hand side of your letter be sure to include the information for the company you are applying to. Name, address, job reference number, job title, etc.
Addressee
The “To Whom It May Concern” is very impersonal, be sure that if a contact person is given, you address them directly. If no information is given about who to address it to (for instance an info@site.com) then take care to address it to the Hiring Manager or Human Resources Department.
The Body
Conclusion
Now that you’ve gotten all of the body out of the way, you’re ready for your final paragraph…the conclusion. This paragraph is designed to tie it all together in a one sentence summary. Be upbeat and energetic about looking forward to speaking/meeting with them to outline any further credentials in person. Be sure to re-read and make any corrections as needed, and always use spell check.
And that’s it! The coveted Cover Letter is now complete and you’re ready to send it out. Wasn’t so painful right? The more you think about it, the more difficult it becomes to write. Even if you aren’t the best author, no one knows you better than yourself and the prospective employer has outlined what is needed to fill the position. All you have to do, is cover all your bases. You have all the ammunition at your fingertips to get to the source and get yourself an appointment.
Be sure to come back for the next installment of RIFT SUCCESS 101 where we’ll be revealing some secret interview tips that may land you the position the very same day.
To submit your resume to our recruiting team simply visit RIFT SUCCESS or to apply for available positions visit the RIFT SUCCESS Job Board
Social Media So Powerful It Even Revived MC Hammer's Career
As Social Media becomes more and more prevalent, you’re potentially leaving yourself vulnerable to some of the inherent risks of making your life so publicly visible, searchable and accessible on the internet to anybody who would care to know about you for good or for worse.
In particular, businesses and employers are becoming savvy to vetting potential candidates based upon their social media activity. Relatively recently, the media has been reporting on a string of high profile cases where staff have been fired based upon what they over share.
Whether you feel this is unethical or not, I want to enlighten you in order to either help keep your current job safe or not to unknowingly damage your chances of landing that perfect career. Below I have listed some of the points relating to social media and people’s general ‘online presence’ that we now tell our prospective job candidates along with the more general how to make a strong impression.
Know what Google knows
Search for your name within “quotes“ in the Google search engine and ensure you’re signed out of any Google accounts such as Gmail or Google plus at the time. Observe what results are out there that represent your online history.
I suggest you explore at the bare minimum the first 3 – 5 pages. Remember if you’re not signed out, then the results will be personalised and you’ll be reflected with a false view.
Do the same things using their image search as this is usually a very quick way to find online profiles and social media accounts with ‘leaky’ information which will show up in the form of pictures of you.
Are there any photos that aren’t particularly suited for an employer to see? It can be a balancing act, because whilst you want to minimise negative perceptions based on snap judgemental decisions, you also don’t want to completely devoid yourself of personality. Qualifications, Experience or not you’ve still got to convey that you’re a likeable person!
Check how public you are on Facebook
I’m not immediately advocating that you completely lock down your Facebook profile as many people will suggest outright, however if you make an honest assessment of your personality traits you may be able to come to a sensible conclusion as to what level of privacy you should be applying to your profile. If you’re a passionate individual and hot tempered at times you may want to ensure this is visible to only trusted friends, not public nor friends of friends.
LinkedIn: Show them what you want them to see
Draw people’s eyes and attention to the sorts of positive results you do want either current or prospective employers to see.
LinkedIn is primarily a networking tool for working professionals or individuals searching for career opportunities, thus you’re unlikely to actually divulge anything overly personal here by mistake.
Google sees the LinkedIn network as a trusted and authoritative source of information on people, and you will more than likely discover that your professional profile will show up in Google search results for your name.
Twitter Best Practice
Twitter encourages small, frequent and succinct updates and messages about yourself and your life. It’s both relatively readily available and convenient, even in the work place as companies themselves try to utilize the business benefits of these online tools.
It’s for these same very reasons if you’re going to mention or discuss topics that you feel you wouldn’t be comfortable sharing with a boss or colleague you probably don’t want to be tweeting this information publicly.
If your own personal tweeting is going to cause offense, raise questions or negatively impact your professional character or persona you may wish to consider making your tweets private to only trusted and known followers.
If you’re an active Twitter user I recommend segregating your work tweeting from your personal tweeting by way of separate accounts, this way you won’t feel at all uncomfortable when a colleague or manager peers from over your shoulder or even recounts something you tweeted about from the previous evening. You might even like to integrate your professional twitter face to your LinkedIn profile.
Stay safe when using social media by avoiding some of these costly mistakes, now you know what to look for and what employers are also probably going to be seeing.
David Beastall writes on behalf of Acre Resources who provide specialized recruitment for environmental health & safety professionals within the green energy sectors.
The Right Resume
If you are looking for a job then one of the most important things you need to improve your chances of success is a great resume. It is the first thing that the potential employer will see and if you give a great impression of yourself initially, your chances of getting through to the next stage of the application process will be greatly improved. There are many things that can set you aside from the other candidates and give you a competitive edge.
There are a number of things that can make your resume stand out from the rest and these generally fit into three main areas:
· Layout
· Content
· Tone
Layout
The layout of the resume is very important to aid with the overall feeling that the reader will get. If the resume is laid out in clear, precise sections with subheadings and bullet points to highlight the most important information and make it easy to read then you will immediately give off a good impression.
If an employer is looking through a hundred resumes for a new job position, many of them will actually disregard any of the ones that do not look easily readable. It may sound a little harsh, but it is an indication of the potential quality of a candidate, plus nobody wants to waste time trying to find the relevant information in the middle of a long chunk of text.
Content
Once you have learned how to lay out the resume in a clear and interesting manor, it is time to concentrate on the content. This is obviously where you get to try and sell yourself and make people believe that you are worthy of the job. Although having the correct qualifications and work experience is important, it is the other things that you say that will set you apart from the rest.
Qualifications alone are not what the employers are looking for and you need to express qualities about yourself that will be attractive to a potential employer. This is not always easy, as they will be reading many other resumes that say “I am hard working, enthusiastic and reliable” and therefore this becomes a very standard blurb in the about me section. It is worth taking the time to write an individual and thoughtful section about yourself.
Tone
The overall tone of the resume needs to be correct in order to give off the right impression. A clear, precise and personable tone will be the right way to go with this. You want it to sound like it has come from you and it is not just a generic resume in a boring tone. You need to tread the line carefully between writing in an interesting and personal way, whilst not being too informal.
It is worth spending time getting your resume absolutely right before you start sending it off to potential employers. Research has shown that having a well written resume will increase your chances of getting through the first stage of a job application even if your qualifications are not on par with other candidates.
This guest post was written by Abigail. She is a freelance writer and designer who writes about a range of topics including Unsecured Loans Canada and Canadian Secured Loans .
Life as a Consultant
As with any professional role, if you want to find a job working for a marketing consultancy firm you will be expected to have some specific qualifications. As a prospective marketer there are a number of different levels of qualification that you might want to consider.
At the highest level you are likely to find people in a marketing consultancy firm who are qualified to Masters Degree level in marketing, or who have a professional qualification in Marketing. In the UK, the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) runs a very broad range of professional qualifications. Many are only open to people with an undergraduate degree, but other courses are available to anyone who has a job that involves marketing. These courses can be quite specific to niche areas of marketing; one niche area that is experiencing massive growth at the moment is digital marketing.
Probably the most common level of qualification found in any marketing role is an undergraduate degree in marketing. This course is offered at many universities in the UK and overseas, and for someone who is serious about a career in marketing it is well worth considering. It would not be fair to say that it is an absolute prerequisite for someone who wants a marketing job, but it will certainly help. The other alternative is, of course, to study a different discipline at undergraduate level and then to study a short-course or Masters in marketing.
At a lower level, it is also possible to study marketing at either an NVQ or a BTEC level. By itself this is unlikely to get you a job in a marketing consultancy, but along with other qualifications or skills it could contribute to a successful application. One word of advice to younger readers is that if you are currently selecting subjects to study at school, A Levels are likely to stand you in better stead in later life. You may be better to get a broad education and to then specialise when you are a little older. If you have already left school though and have not got a degree then an NVQ or BTEC could be a good start, especially if you are able to get an admin job or an intern position in a marketing company (or in-house marketing department.)
As you might expect, qualifications alone are not always enough to secure a job. Work experience will go a long way. You will often find more experienced and knowledgeable marketers working at a marketing consultancy. This is not to say that it would be impossible to get a job at a marketing consultancy straight from university, but it is unlikely. You would be best advised to look for a job as a marketing assistant initially. Working in the in-house marketing department of a firm you will be able to perfect skills that will set you in good stead later in your career as a consultant.
Insurance
Operating a business out of your home can be rewarding and stressful at the same time. There are many things that must be taken into consideration when it comes to your home business, insurance being one of them. The proper insurance will protect you and your assets should an unfortunate event involving your business ever take place. If you are thinking about running a business from your home, you should definitely take a minute to check out your insurance options. The best options for you will depend on the type of business you run, so it is best to be informed.
General Liability Insurance
General liability insurance is the most popular type of home business insurance and typically applies to most businesses. It will cover you should there ever be an injury or accident, such as a slip and fall, on your property. A general liability insurance policy will compensate the injured should they incur any medical expenses. Many general liability insurance policies also include property damage coverage, which will protect your property should it ever be damaged.
Professional Liability Insurance
Another type of home business insurance is professional liability insurance. This type of insurance is best for home businesses that provide a specialized service, such as beauty salons. Professional liability insurance will protect you and your assets should a claim or issue of negligence or malpractice ever arise.
Product Liability Insurance
If your home business manufactures a product, product liability insurance is a good type of insurance to have. It will cover you and your business in case there is ever an injury caused by a defective or flawed product. Product liability insurance also protects your business should there be an issue with the packaging, warnings, or instructions that came with the product you manufactured.
Business Auto Insurance
Many home business owners have a separate automobile that is used strictly for business purposes, such as attending meetings or delivering goods. If this sounds like you, you should consider taking out an auto insurance policy for this vehicle. This will protect your business vehicle and assets if there is ever an accident.
Tips
Although there are additional types of insurance that may apply to your home business, these are the most popular. When you determine which types of insurance are best for your business, you will want to take the time to shop around to find a reputable insurance company that will provide you with both impeccable service and competitive rates. There are websites, such as BusinessInsurance.org, that can provide you with quotes from multiple insurance companies. All you have to do is enter in some basic information regarding your business and situation, and the site will match you with insurance companies that offer policies that apply to you. This will allow you to compare quotes and policies side-by-side to see which will be the best choice for your home business.
You should also think about asking your current home or auto insurance company if they also offer business insurance. Often times you can combine all the types of insurance you need into one, large policy. If they do, make sure the cost of the package is less than that of separate policies.
Now that you know some of the most popular insurance options for home businesses, you should have no trouble choosing the right types for your business. Always remember to shop around before purchasing any insurance policies. Not only do you want a company with decent rates, but also a company with a history of good customer service.
Which Social Media becoming ever more popular by the day, did you know it could actually help you find a job? Most people tend to concentrate purely on job sites when searching for a job, but Social Media can offer so many opportunities, so if you aren’t already, it’s something you should definitely be embracing as part of your job-hunting plan.
Twitter is a micro-blogging site whose popularity has grown hugely in the past couple of years. You will now find that most companies and brands have a twitter account and most will regularly post with company updates, office updates and things relevant to them as a company. When job hunting, identify the companies you’d like to work for, and get following! By interacting with the company and taking an interest in what they have to say you’ll have much more to say in an interview (should you get one) and you’ll gradually be put on their radar too which is great. Another thing twitter is fantastic for is the actual job search. Many companies will tweet if they are hiring – so keep an eye out for tweets of this nature – you could even search twitter for terms such as “marketing job” “hiring London” or “hiring marketing” (you will need to tailor these to you sector of course).
If you’re job hunting you absolutely need to jump on the LinkedIn ship. LinkedIn allows you to build a professional online profile (kind of like an online CV) – which not only lets employers find you, but also lets you find people of interest. Build connections which industry people who you know and get the word out that you’re looking for work, and you never know who might get in touch. Try searching for groups too that are related to your industry or field of work. There are often groups dedicated to publishing new jobs and companies who are hiring – so even if you just check over it daily, it might well be worth the effort in the end. There is also an option to link up your twitter feed to your LinkedIn profile, which is a great idea too as it adds an extra level of personality to your profile. However just be careful what you tweet – remember LinkedIn isn’t Facebook, it is a professional forum.
Facebook (although primarily a very personal method of social networking) can be used for job hunting. The main thing being, let people know you’re looking. Once people know you’re looking for a job they’ll be much more likely to refer you to someone they know, or perhaps forward you an application or website you can apply. Don’t be embarrassed about posting about your job hunt either – everyone has to work and there is nothing wrong with using the friends and connections you already have when searching. There’s nothing stopping you from contacting companies directly too – if a company has a facebook page, enquire on their wall if they are hiring at the moment. It sounds trivial but companies love interaction and chances are that even if they aren’t hiring, they’ll reply and remember your name.
About the Author: Elle-Rose Williams currently writes for discounts.ca. Specialising in vouchers and coupons for well known brands, the website currently features Dell, Amazon and Chapters coupons.
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Employment News
At RIFT SUCCESS, we take great pride in our abilities to match employers and employees with each other in any industry. We offer free employment services to our job seekers and a low 20% across the board markup to our employers. Our easy to understand proposals simplify the staffing process and eliminate the expensive terms our competitors include. We’re not in this to make a quick buck, we’re in the Human Resources industry to make a real difference in people’s lives. 
