March 2012 Issue

PPRREEMMIIEERREE IISSSSUUEE

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EMPLOYMENT AND CAREER EDUCATION GUIDE NO. 1, MARCH 2012

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2 - Say You Saw It In RGV Jobs Link Employment & Education Guide www.rgvjobslink.com

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Premiere IssueMarch 16, 2012 - April 19, 2012

www.rgvjobslink.com Say You Saw It In RGV Jobs Link Employment & Education Guide - 3




Dear Applicant,

We at Super Awesome Dream Company Inc.regret to inform you that you have not beenaccepted for whatever position it was thatyou applied ….

Rejection. Nobody likes it, but it’s the coldhard reality that the job search brings. Thisreality is made all the more cold by the stan-dard, vague, indiscriminate language thatdoes not explain why they rejected you --after all, the unknown "they" have never evenmet you -- but the language in the form letteris sanctioned by legal, so that is what everyrejected candidate gets. Today, more andmore people are applying for fewer and fewerpublicly advertised job openings. As a jobseeker, the best thing you can do after arejection is to pick yourself up and try again.

Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done.Getting rejected can do a number on thetypical job seeker psyche.

Check out the following four steps to takeafter a job rejection:

Breathe

OK, it happened. You just got rejected by acompany that you hoped would recognizewhat you had to offer. Remember that arejection says nothing about who you are asa person, so don’t take it personally.

There are a slew of reasons why you got arejection. The company could have hiredsomeone else, promoted someone internally,or erased the position altogether (whichhappens a lot more than you’d think).You are

Thanks, But No: 4 Steps to Take After a JobRejection

By Tony Morrison

not likely to get an answer, so put it behindyou.

If you’re angry or sad, let those emotionspass before you do anything else.

Follow-up

This might sound a little counter-intuitive, buttry following up with the rejection. If you wantto keep the connection going with a specificcompany, simply writing a note thanking thecompany for their time and consideration canaffirm that you are a thoughtful and investedcandidate.

If you want to know what more you couldhave done to get the job or what you couldhave done differently, feel free to ask in yourfollow-up. You might not get a response, butmany employers are glad to help rejectedcandidates improve.

Develop

Regardless of whether or not you got feed-back from the company, look at yourself as ajob seeker and employee.What do you thinkkept you from getting hired? Did you feel likeyour interview was rushed? Maybe you didn’tshare all the great things you learned fromyour last job. Whatever the case may be, trydeveloping yourself for next time.

Try again

Now that you’ve finished this chapter with acompany, jump back into the job search.Many job seekers will take a break fromapplying while they are interviewing, so if

you’re one of those, it’s time to fire up theand start applying again.

You might have gotten rejected, but don’t letyour past keep you from scoring an amazingjob. Stay positive. You never know whatopportunities could be just around the corner!

Tony Morrison is the Vice President of Business Developmentat Cachinko, a unique professional community where socialnetworking and job opportunities come together. His roles includesales, marketing, and business development. He brings passion toCachinko where he focuses on helping job seekers to find theirideal job and employers to find, attract, and engage their next rockstar candidates.

Read more on the Simply Hired Blog:http://blog.simplyhired.com/2012/03/index.html#ixzz1piXYoPRR



Be sure to bring the following with you the day you interview:

1. Employer researchBring any notes on your research of the position and company.

2. QuestionsHave key questions prepared to ask that express your interest in the position.

3. Resume, application, and personal data sheetUse these as references during your interview or to fill out any required paperwork.

4. Portfolio and work samplesBring a few samples that demonstrate your best work and abilities.

5. Letters of recommendation and reference listHave these available if requested by the employer.

6. Notebook and penUse to jot down key points you'd like to address in a follow-up note or phone call.

7. Social security card, driver's license, or state picture identificationFor jobs that require it, you may be asked to show your license, driving record,social security card, or other forms of ID.

8. Extra moneyBe prepared for unexpected expenses, like gas, transportation, or parking.

9. Confidence and a smileInterviews can be stressful. Try to relax as much as possible, appear confident,and smile!

Source: Creative Job Search, a publication of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Ready to Go? Checklist



Once you've accepted a job,whether it's your dream job orjust a small step on your careerladder, you can follow somesimple steps to keep your ca-reer moving forward:

1. Know and meet youremployer's expectations. Makesure you're clear about whatyour employer expects in termsof schedule, dress, attitude, andthe amount and quality of your work. To understand your workplaceculture, read the employee manual, ask your boss directly, and listenand learn from co-workers.

2. Be a good communicator. Don't be afraid to discuss issues withyour boss, but always ask first when a good time would be.

3. Take advantage of your performance reviews. Stay calm. Learnfrom them. Ask how you can improve. Most supervisors appreciateemployees who are concerned about performance and finding ways toimprove.Your job success is also their success.

4. Continue to learn. Professional development is a key part of careeradvancement. Take any job-related classes available to you and keeprecords of the ones you've completed.Talk to your employer about theskills and knowledge your job requires. Ask about on-the-job training.Since it generally costs much more to hire a new employee than toretrain a current one, employers are usually happy to provide trainingto the right employee.

Remember that your job is where your skills, experience andknowledge meet your employer’s needs. To compete in today’s globalmarket, companies and individuals need to innovate. Keep looking forways you can be the kind of person your employer needs.

Found a Job You Like?

CareerOneStop is sponsoredby the U. S. Department of Labor,

Employment and Training Administration



The tight job market has affected alldemographics -- but older workers havereally felt the squeeze, particularly if theyfound themselves out of work for one reasonor another. Statistics show that older workersare unemployed for an average of 44 weeks(more than 10 months), according to anAARP report.

After a recent post by my co-founder Sean,on the things employers want to see on yourresume, we recognized how easy it is to getfrustrated and want to give up during the jobsearch. But staying active and positive is thekey to job search success. Follow the tipsbelow to maximize your job search and getone step closer to your idealposition.

1. Sell, sell, sell. Consistently, the biggestmistake we see is that people write a ‘me’focused resume. A primary example of this isthe outdated objective statement – if youhave the word ‘seeking’ on your resume,you’re writing a ‘me’ resume. Employers don’thire you for your satisfaction; they hire you tofill their own critical need. Think of it this way.If you were in sales, would you ever say to acustomer “Buy this item because I need thecommission”? And if you were the customer,would you buy? A ‘me’ centered resume saysessentially the same thing.

Your job is to think of the potential employeras a customer.You’ve know they’re a hot leadbecause they’ve taken the time to post thejob – so someone is going to close the dealwith them. How do you make sure they gowith you? By selling to them like you wouldsell to anyone else. Figure out their painpoints. Why are they hiring? Who have theyhired in the past? What’s their most criticalneed? And then go in there with your salesguns blazing; be the solution to their problem.

2. Really tap your network. As you’ve heardbefore, “it’s who you know” that often helpsyou land a job. This is especially true withsmall businesses who cannot afford to postjobs on pricey job boards (or don’t havethe time to sift through the hundreds ofapplications they may receive), but somelarger companies also rely on referrals to fillopen positions.

Actively keep in touch with former colleagues,friends, and family, and let them know you’reon the job search. If you know someone whoworks at an organization you’d like to workfor, ask them to grab coffee or lunch tostrengthen your relationship and inquireabout possible opportunities there.

3. Perfect your resume. If you’re on the jobsearch, your first priority should be yourresume. It must show your value to potentialemployers to ensure you make it to the inter-view round. Make sure resume uses activewriting to show hiring managers andrecruiters what you accomplished and whatyou’re capable of.

Make sure that your resume is clean andclutter free. Anything that does not effectivelysell your skills needs to go. Clean up yourresume by using the ever faithful bullet points.Always keep in mind that less is sometimesmore. You don’t need to get too fancy withfonts, language or formatting.

4. Search for free using your resources. Findjob opportunities from sites across theWeb -- from job boards and governmentsites, to company career sites and news-papers, and more. Set up email alerts or RSSfeeds to learn about jobs as they’re posted.Keeping on top of new postings can help yoube one of the first to apply and ensure youget your resume in front of employers beforethe position is filled.

6 Tips For Experienced Job Seekers Who Have BeenUnemployed Long-Term

By Gerrit Hall

5. Learn new skills. Although you likely havea lot of experience in your industry, there’salways room to learn something new,particularly if you have been unemployed forseveral months. Look for certificationprograms or relevant classes you can take toboost your resume and impress potentialemployers.

6. Use social media for personal brandingand networking. According to a study byJobvite, 16 percent of job seekers(a combination of unemployed and looking,employed and looking, or employed andopen to a new job) said “an online socialnetwork directly led to finding theircurrent/most recent job.” Of those, themajority (78 percent) attributed their job toFacebook, 40% to LinkedIn, and 42% toTwitter. Since each network can be beneficialto your job search in different ways, it’simportant you don’t write off certain onlineopportunities because you don’t see thevalue or think your age demographic isn’tright for them.

You should also keep in mind that yourpresence on these networks represents youronline brand. The majority of employers nowuse social media to screen job candidates,and 68 percent said they have hiredsomeone based on what they saw aboutthem online (such as giving a positiveimpression or supporting professionalqualifications).

What do you think? Are there other tacticsthat helped you land a job when you wereunemployed? Please share in the commentsbelow!

Gerrit Hall is the CEO and co-founder of RezScore, a free Webapplication that reads, analyzes, and grades resumes -- instantly.Gerrit has successfully combined his passion for computer scienceand the careers space by helping job seekers write the best resumepossible. You can connect with Gerrit and RezScore onFacebook and Twitter.

March 2012 Issue

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