One thing I have noticed in the online recruiting industry: resume titles are important and often overlooked. When using an online resume builder, it is best to name your resume for two reasons:

1. It helps keep them organized for you
2. It helps Employers identify your qualifications

Many times, Employers need a tip as to what kind of candidate you are. Recruiters will often use the resume title to determine whether or not to screen your document. If you think of the resume title as your headline and treat it with importance, you will increase your chances of getting the call for an interview.

If you want to get the inside track on your onlinine job search, DegreedJobs.net can help you. We have complied an entire library of articles and tips to get you through the toughest parts of your campaign. And, it is all accessible right here.

So, let me know what you think…what articles do you want to see? More stuff on resumes, networking, interviewing? What information would be most helpful to you? Drop us a line…

Have a great one!

We just wrapped up a great couple of days in Sacramento, CA for the annual League of California Cities Expo. We talked to a lot of city HR managers who are in dire need of degreed engineers and tech professionals. Reps from Rialto, Huron, Irvine, San Jose, and Sacramento all said they need qualified people.

I can tell you that working for a municipal government is a pretty good gig. They tend to pay well and you can’t beat the benefits package. Anyway, we made a lot of good contacts and even had a little fun…be sure to check out all of our posted City jobs at DegreedJobs.com!

C-Ya next time…….

An often misunderstood aspect of a successful job search campaign is the concept of personal branding; and he benefits speak for themselves. As Martin Yate puts it:

“…if you get personal branding right, you will attract your ideal opportunities rather than having to seek them out.”

Actually, he was quoting William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson in their new book “Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand.” Imagine that you are going about your business and get a call in the middle of the workday from a recruiter; or someone in oyur network. They’ve got a line on a job for you, at a hefty pay increase and plenty of time off.

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I was checking out Employment Digest’s blog on 23 Creative Ideas for Job Finding and guess what was first on the list? Carry a business card; even if you are out of work…carry a business card. Which then of course begs the question: what do I put on the business card?

Well, I would say stack it with skills. Skills sell. Skills are always in demand. Business cards are tiny, so make it count. Sketch out your Top 20 career accomplishments and prioritize them down to 15. Keep paring them down until you have 5 career-making accomplishments.

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The Situational Interview is definitely tough. In fact, I am pretty sure I did not get a promotion because I was ill-prepared to answer a situational interview question.

Employers like to see what sort of employee you will really make; so, they dig out a scenario and lob it your way (much like an armed grenade, I might add) and see what happens. With me, it exploded in my face.

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And, sometimes it’s okay (if you have an open relationship!). Working with more than one headhunter can be a smart move. The pros over at Spherion would know. They addressed this very issue in a recent blog. Their answer: it depends on your circumstances.

There is nothing inherently unethical about working with two different recruiters. But, as with most things, there are appropriate times and places. If you are a Job-Seeker looking to make a move in one specific job market in a narrowly focused industry; working with one recruiter is your best bet.

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I was picking the brain of my recuiter buddy this morning and I asked him what he looked at first on a resume…

“Gimme 5 seconds and I can pick out two or three things” he said.

“Well,” I pressed, “what do you look at first?”

I handed him a resume and he told me that work experience is the first thing he scans. He specifically looks for stability. “I don’t like to see a lot of jumping around. That tells me the candidate is a little…well, flaky.”

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes there is a good explanation for leaving a job: layoffs, transfers, and the like are more than acceptable. But, don’t make your resume look like you have been experimenting with career options. There is no better way to always start out at the bottom. Every time you change careers, it’s like starting over again.

A/B players stick and get the job done. C players are always looking for a way out when the going gets tough.

Well, it depends on who you ask. Concerning online job boards, one recruiting firm says this:

“So how do we find our candidates?

Good old fashioned networking. We don’t rely on commercial resume websites to find our people. You can do that yourself. The Internet only accounts for about 10% of total hiring anyway.”

Of course, the 10% of hiring probably does come from the ‘do-it-yourself’ crowd. Not that I would know because no source is cited. I like the “old-fashioned” aspect though. It’s really old-school, like an Apple IIc computer or 8-Track players: cool-but not very practical or efficient.

Then there’s this philosophy that I found from another recruiting firm’s website:

“I am more intrigued by the niche, online job boards.  Our society is moving towards specialization through outsourcing.  As that trend continues, I suspect these niche-specific job boards will become the preferred channel for sourcing the right candidates.”

I couldn’t agree more. So, I asked a recruiter buddy of mine to break the tie;

“That’s easy…” he says. “If you’re not online, you’re behind.”

‘Nuff said………

May is here and Spring is a time for renewal, and….you know; I am just not going to ramble on about the usual pre-summer metaphors. I will tell you that staying ahead of the job market is paramount to your career. Whether you have plans on upward mobility or changing careers, fortune favors the one who has his stuff together (or something like that).

Granted, right now the Job-Seeker is in charge. But, how long will it last; a month maybe a year? Then what? Will you be in a position to leverage your skills? Staying ahead of it means being ready when the market shifts. And, in the employment industry things can happen pretty fast.

Now is a good time to take stock of your accomplishments and update your personal marketing portfolio: update your resume, stay in touch with contacts and references, build relationships with industry professionals. Keeping your information current will put you in a better position to move up when everyone else is moving out.

Get Productive!