thecareerbeat.com Blog

Poll: Job fairs not very effective

Last week’s poll on Yahoo! HotJobs suggests that job fairs may not be the best use of a job seeker’s time and effort.

As you can see from the graphic below, only 12% of respondents said they got a job through attending a career fair.

Q	Have you ever landed a job by attending a job fair?
Yes	12%
No	88%
9898 Votes to date

The main takeaway: Don’t put all your job-hunting eggs in one basket!

• Diversify your search efforts: Use many different job sites. Check newspapers, local or alumni career resources.
• Network as much as possible, both online and off.
• If you attend a job fair, adjust your expectations. You may not get a job, but the experience could yield helpful information, leads, and contacts.

Daring job hunters go for broke

Job hunting season is getting more competitive than ever, and some creative participants are taking it to a risky new level.

Take Beverly Shepard. An award-winning marketer with degrees in journalism and law, she has tried for months to find work. She sent resumes, made phone calls, and networked – with little result.

Now she’s put her networking into hyperdrive: She’s offering friends a finder’s fee of up to $6,000 to get her a full-time job.

Expanding reach in a big way

Shepard, who lives in Norfolk, Virginia, has set her offer to expire on April 30 as an incentive for her friends to “work fast.”

Networking also inspired Mark Heuer, an unemployed management professional, to take out a billboard to advertise his job search. “I thought, ‘How can I get in front of more people?’ Highway 45 in Milwaukee captures 100,000+ cars a day,” he said.

San Francisco resident Robin Stearns was so fed up with the bleak job market for her husband, a recent MBA graduate, that she started the site myhusbandneedsajob.com.

Both Heuer and Stearns told Yahoo! HotJobs their approaches have attracted widespread media attention and some interviews, but as of this writing no relevant job offers.

Should you try it?

While these and other tactics — like display ads on social networking sites or elaborate video resumes — can make any job seeker stand out, some experts caution about getting too creative.

“Even in today’s market, it’s excelling at the fundamentals that helps job seekers stand out,” says Andy Denka, executive director of financial staffing firm Accountemps. “Individuals should focus their efforts first and foremost on creative top-notch resumes, networking with everyone they know, and honing their interview skills.”

For more tips, check out my article on extreme job hunting and this article, “Unconventional Job-Search Strategies: Savvy Move or Silly Stunt?”

“I recommend doing things that set oneself above the sea of candidates that are out seeking opportunity,” says Heuer. “Especially now in unprecedented times.”

But renting a billboard now might just make you seem like a copycat.

‘Rule 6′: Words to hire by

The “Corner Office” feature in today’s NYT is an interview with Kevin W. Sharer, the CEO of Amgen. Among other topics, he discussed what he looks for when hiring: intelligence, sense of humor, ability to grow, and other common traits.

And he looks for people who don’t violate what he calls “Rule 6.” He explains:

“Rule 6 is, you don’t take yourself too seriously. Rule 5 is, refer to 6. And there is no Rule 1 through 4. I really, really have a hard time getting along with Rule 6 felons. We’re all human and so we’re going to be misdemeanor violators once in a while. But I look for people who are not Rule 6 felons, because they just don’t work out.”

Job seekers, take note!

How to get a job in 2009

Optimism seems to be scarce lately. Yes, job losses and the unemployment rate will likely rise in 2009. But the U.S. still has over 90% employment, and jobs open up every day.

As author Laurence Shatkin (150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs) said to me for a recent article: “Remember that people are always being hired, even in a recession.”

Granted, job seekers will have a more difficult getting a job this year. Competition will be tough, and the search process will take longer than in recent years.

To give job seekers a better edge, I asked members of the Recruiter Roundtable on Yahoo! HotJobs for their best advice on the one thing that candidates must do to get the jobs they want in 2009.

They all had great advice, and I recommend reading the article. A common theme emerged around diversifying your search and your resume. In other words, don’t limit your search to a particular industry, job title, or location. And don’t take a “one size fits all” approach to your resume; you should tailor each one to a specific job description.

There are several other articles that offer great tips for everyone who is interested in finding a new job this year: “6 Essentials for Finding a New Job,” “Job-Search Rejection? No Sweat,” and “8 Ways to Make Yourself More Marketable.”

A final note: Try to keep some optimism alive, especially if you are hoping to find a job or switch jobs this year. Even if it means turning off the cable news networks! A good attitude will make you a much more attractive candidate, as hiring managers will easily spot and avoid a Debbie Downer.

Job counseling for the holidays

See below for information about how to get some call-in career counseling in the next week. It’s an annual holiday treat from Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Who is it for? It is for your readers, viewers, listeners; anyone who is looking for a job, whether they are unemployed, wanting to switch jobs or re-entering the job market after a long absence.

When will it be held? December 29 and 30, 9am – 5pm CST How can job seekers reach a counselor? Call 312-332-5790

Who is offering it? Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., the nation’s original outplacement company, providing job search and employment transition counseling since the early 1960s. Those who lose their jobs are sent to Challenger by their former employers. The two-day Call-In is the only time that anyone can get help from the firm’s professional counselors.

Also for the holidays: If you’re looking for some job-related 2009 resolution ideas, check out this article.

Merry Christmas!

Wall Street mess changes job-search game?

Adios, third quarter! I can only hope that our country’s economic (not to mention political) situation improves in the fourth quarter.

The current financial mess has many of us anxious about job prospects.  Unemployment is on the rise, and layoff reports are increasingly in the news

In a new article, career expert Joe Turner writes that people seeking jobs must change their approach. He believes job seekers must market themselves as problem-solvers and profitable “brands” that will boost the employer’s bottom line.

Turner’s article is definitely worth a read; it may help you enhance your strategy. I wouldn’t call the current meltdown a “game changer,” however. Job-search fundamentals still apply and still work.  I would also recommend reading “Job-Hunting in an Unsteady Economy” and “12 Tips for a Lengthy Job Search.”

Old-school job-hunting techniques still work

Despite the popularity and ease of the Internet, job seekers can still find success with traditional methods.

Dust off the stationery! Where are those postage stamps?

In “Classic Job-Search Techniques You Should Use,” a writer from Robert Half International raises a good reason why you should consider the old-school methods: competitiveness. Sending your resume via snail mail on nice paper — in addition to sending via email — could make you stand out in a positive way. (Of course it could also backfire in adding to the hiring manager’s clutter, so it’s a gamble.)

The article’s tip that I find most interesting: It’s OK to let your resume go to two pages. As long as you’ve got the accomplishments to merit it!

6 job-hunting advantages

Pessimism is on the rise among U.S. job-seekers. And with the continual rise in unemployment this year, you can’t really blame them.

According to a Yahoo! HotJobs survey last month, 53% of workers believed the job market would get worse in the next six months. In addition, 28% said they wanted to look for a new job but were too discouraged by the current economic climate.

But the sober perceptions may not jive with reality. There are many sectors experiencing robust hiring activity right now, and some good examples are showcased in the HotJobs 100 list right now.

I have also compiled from career experts six tips that help job-seekers get an edge in this market; see them at “6 Job-Hunting Advantages.”

Career tips for autumn

Now that school is starting up again, it’s a good time for non-students to think about where they are headed, especially in terms of their professional futures

For example, year-end performance reviews are coming up.  Have you thought about how you are doing against your stated goals for the year? Now is a good time to take stock, and there is still plenty of time left in 2008 to make some adjustments.

How about your resume — is it up to date?  I looked over a friend’s resume this past weekend, and it was another needed reminder that I need to update mine.

A new article, “4 Expert Career Tips for Fall,” offers several more good ideas for getting into good professional shape — especially if you’re hoping to land a new job in the next few months.

To moonlight or not to moonlight?

The “moonlighting” question is gaining ground, as the troubled economy has many workers thinking about taking a second job to help with financial strains.

Adding a weekend gig could give you the economic boost you’ve been longing for. But it could also add more stress and exhaustion to your schedule.  Is the extra income worth it?

“Moonlighting: Pros and Cons of a Second Job” can help with the decision-making.  The article offers some good considerations, like: Could your second job be perceived by your employer to be a conflict of interest?

The conflict-of-interest issue is especially important for freelancers to consider before taking any assignments.  Selling your stuff on eBay, however, likely wouldn’t have that issue.  In my case that would be a recipe for too much stress.