6 Great Ways to Get Hired: Job Hunting Secrets and Tips

/in /by

Searching for a job has become easier and more effective today than it was decades ago; it has changed dramatically over the years and some approaches may have worked before but no longer today.

The internet, on one hand, is a very useful tool when job hunting online, and the strategies you use, on the other hand, can help you get the job you want right on the spot.

Here are six (6) great ways to get hired using today’s technologies and some of yesterdays strategies; reinvented to be more effective.

1. Referral Beats Applying Directly

Some of you may not understand why referrals are better than applying for a job directly, but it is more effective especially when an employer is searching for specific skill sets. It is a job hunting secret that most job seekers don’t even realize that it can become successful if done properly.

Many businesses today are more into trust and productivity rather than a perfectly written resume and a well dressed applicant. Don’t get me wrong, dressing to impress for your job interview is still important. If you haven’t got your dream job yet, check your professional network or simply logon to your social networking account and search for friends that might have a boss looking for skills that matches your.

2. Online Resume and Portfolio

If you do not have one, I suggest you start creating one now. Many employers today are searching for potential candidates via search engines, as well as sending interview invites online. Here’s a job hunting tip that you don’t read very often;

Tip 1: Do not leave too much personal information as you will be prone to spam, scam artists, hackers and identity thieves. Use a free form online that has captcha for your contact form.

Tip 2: You can emphasize more on your skills and job history even if it’s summarized. Add a request button in case the employer wants to know more about them. Don’t forget the captcha.

If you’re a graphic designer or a video editor, an online portfolio will be your best way to show employers your technical skills and creativeness, just make sure all images or videos you use are yours, and watermark them to prevent thieves from using your work. For writers, save your work as PDF and add watermarks instead of putting them online as plain text, plagiarism is a chronic disease.

Ask a friend or two to give their most honest opinion about your online resume or portfolio. Is it a bit out of line or does not represent you very well? Get professional advices from them and ask for some job hunting secrets and tips they may know.

3. How Are your Social Media Accounts? Have You Met LinkedIn Already?

Some applicants lose their chances of getting considered for the position they’re applying for because of their social media accounts. Your online profiles are searchable and can be viewed by anyone, so are your old embarrassing photos, comments and other bad stuff you’ve made on the internet. If you think your social networking profile reflects your bad side, then it’s time for a makeover.

On the other hand, social media sites like LinkedIn are a very useful tool to present your skills and a summary of your job history! Use it to connect with people working for a company you are targeting to get into. Look for someone you share the same interest in, reach out and be friendly, state your purpose and ask if they have an opening for the position you want. In case they’re not hiring at the moment, ask if he can refer you the next time the position opens, or request for some job hunting secrets or tips he may have on his sleeve that can help you grab the position when it opens.

4. Research and Conquer!

Another great job hunting secret is researching your employer; know the business, how it runs and what makes it run. This can become your key to landing the position you’re applying for. For instance, the employer may ask you what you can contribute to society. Answer by making the company as your example and provide solutions that can help the business grow. This way, you can show the employer your respect and concern for their company’s growth.

5. Seek Out Headhunting Firms

Recruiters at headhunting firms are highly experienced and skilled with matching available jobs to your skills. Once you’re in their database and still available, they will contact you and endorse your profile to companies that are looking for your skill sets. In addition, you can ask them for some tips and secrets on how you can ace your job interview, and they can even coach you on how to properly answer awkward questions that may occur.

Whether you already have a targeted career path or still searching for your inner calling, headhunting firms can be a great way to get hired! Remember, headhunting firms will never ask you for a commission nor deduct any cent from your salary.

6. Tailoring Your Job Application Form and Resume

Sure you have a lot of skills and experience with many things, but do you really have to add your “50wpm typing skill” for the graphic designer position you’re applying for? There are some skills, though impressive, are useless to employers and unnecessary for the position you’re applying for. Tailor your application form by summarizing all your skills and emphasizing only the ones that are indicated in the “Job Qualifications and Requirements” section, same goes to your resume. There’s no need to add the “First prize on the hotdog eating content Season 10” to your achievements.

You can tailor your resume and job application forms for each company you’re going to apply into, even if the positions are the same. What’s important is that you specify that you have the skills they’re looking for.

Understanding Online Job Hunting

/in /by

Online job hunting has become one of the preferred methods of job search for many applicants today. Aside from being convenient for many job applicants, it is also getting more popular for many companies as well. You can say that this method is not that labor-intensive to a certain extent- applicants need not travel in order to apply for jobs. In the same way, hiring companies need not attend to each applicant coming into their offices applying for the different vacant positions. In a way, it serves a convenient purpose for both parties.

Job hunting online allows job applicants to cover more ground when it comes to their job search. By simply filling up online job applications, they can apply for more job openings from different companies than they can ever accomplish if they personally go from one company office to another and handing out their job resumes. All they need is to go online, look for job posts for a certain position they are qualified for and send in an online job application via email. It can be that convenient.

Consequently, companies are more than willing to accommodate such methods of job search. After all, review of online resumes from job applicants as an initial step is a more efficient approach from the perspective of the recruitment staff of a hiring company. They can go through the online resumes first and look for qualified candidates for the job, even before scheduling that initial personal interview. This way, they can make efficient use of their time and effort by only giving the most qualified of candidates to interview. In a way, it also helps improve hiring rates based on the initial interviews that the recruitment staff makes.

But despite the convenience that online job hunting offers for both job applicant and the hiring company, success bears more weight on the former. Successful hiring is dependent on the actions of the job applicant. He or she needs to know the right way of how to apply for online jobs. Failing to do so can render their online job applications useless. Job applicants should first learn the proper ways of applying for jobs online to ensure that they have a better chance of getting hired.

Online Job Application Tips

/in /by

For many applicants today, applying for jobs online has become the most preferred means of job searching. It offers a more convenient means of searching and applying for jobs, considering that they only need to go online to search for openings and apply for them. However, in order to achieve success in trying to get hired via online job postings, applicants should have to consider several things. Here are some online job application tips to remember on the next online job search.

Consider your qualifications.
When it comes to job hunting online, you should also focus on applying only for jobs that you really are qualified for. Just because online job hunting is convenient does not necessarily mean that you will be expecting instant success in landing that job. Carefully consider your options when you check out the different job postings online. Read them carefully to fully understand what type of job applicants are preferred for the position as well as the skills the job requires.

To improve your chances of landing the job you want, make sure that your qualifications and skills match those of what the online job post requires. This usually means reading those job postings carefully. Not only will it help improve your chances of getting hired, you will also avoid wasting your time job hunting for positions that you do not have any chance of landing in the first place.

Create an online profile.
One way hiring companies can get to know about you online is if you have an online presence to begin with. This means that you may need to provide all the relevant job information on the net for companies to access or to review. One way of doing this is by creating an online profile on certain job search portals. It will both be convenient for you and the hiring company to “meet” initially online.

As you create an online profile as a job applicant, make sure that you provide the information that companies look for when reviewing potential applicants. Basic information such as full name, mailing address, contact number, educational attainment, job history and others are essential in a good job profile. You can also consider it as your online job resume that companies can readily request for if needed. But you also have to make sure that you provide the information accurately and honestly.

Job Hunters and Headhunting Firms

/in /by

Job hunters eager in looking for a job would usually prefer directly applying through companies in hopes of getting qualified and eventually hired as an employee. But with opportunities lacking and with more and more applicants lining up for jobs, there is a need to look for other ways of landing a job. Applying with a headhunting firm may provide just that avenue for many job hunters.

A headhunting firm or an executive search firm helps companies look for suitable candidates to fill up certain vacant positions. In a way, the firm also helps assist job hunters looking for openings that they may possibly qualify for. The headhunting trend actually is not a new concept. It started way back sometime in 1926 when company directors in the US started tapping into other channels for employment. The believed that these new channels with offer them a way of accessing a wider network for filling up vacant positions with qualified and experienced candidates. For call center companies nowadays, job hunting firms offer just that, a way to tap into a wider network of call center candidates to fill up the ever increasing number of call center jobs.

From the job hunter’s point of view, there may be certain misconceptions when it comes to dealing with a headhunting firm. Many believe that such firms only take a percentage of a candidate’s salary as commission, similar to what manpower agencies do. This is far from the truth. The headhunters strike up an agreement with companies to aid them in looking for qualified candidates for vacant job positions. It does not include taking a cut from the hired candidate’s pay. The salary contract is separate and is only between the client company and the hired candidate.

With the great demand for call center jobs that only continues to increase, many call center companies now depend on headhunting firms to help them find qualified candidates that their own recruitment department can’t fill up due to several factors. It also helps companies take care of the daunting task of searching, identifying, and interviewing prospective candidates for call center jobs. In a way, a headhunting firm is a go-between to help job hunters meet up with companies and vice versa.

How iStaff Outsourcing Services can help job hunters like you?

If you are an experienced call center agent looking for better job opportunities, iStaff Outsourcing Services can provide you with a way to land that ideal call center job you are looking for. Even if you are an entry-level candidate with no experience but with the right skills needed for the job, you can consider us as your personal agent to help you find a job. iOS can help you with our extensive networks of call center companies looking for people like you. Let us help you look for ideal call center jobs for you.

3 Most Common Job Interview Mistakes

/in /by

Receiving a phone call from a company is an implication that they were impressed with your resume. Next is job interview, where your potential employer will test your communication skills and personality according to your answers and how you are going to answer it.

But most of the applicants lose their job opportunity by doing mistakes under their noses. So for you, here are some of common interview mistakes that you have to avoid.

    1. Answering phone calls and messages. It’s like you are saying that you are not interested with the job. If you have an appointment then the interviewer also has his schedule. Try to turn off your phone or switch in it silent mode while inside the interview room, as respect to the interviewers.
    2. Appearing arrogant. Remember, you are applying for a job, your behavior and personality is being observed. No one’s wanted to work to a person that is hard to get along with.
    3. Talking negatively about current or previous employers. Telling negative things about your previous or present employer might leave an impression that you are not trust worthy. Do not expose you dirty blankets. Remember, you’ve been once part of that company you’re telling.