Job Archives - GUJRAT INDIA

Government Job Search Techniques for Rural Indian Women

India is a traditional country in which women are coming out of their shells, only recently. The IT boom in the country paved way for many young women to study further and earn a job. While the urban women have been exposed to various kinds of job opportunities from the previous generation, the employment market still seems a very scary one for the rural women. Such women who have little exposure to outer world can try their luck in the government jobs. It doesn’t require very high English fluency. Here are a few important guidelines helping rural women to streamline their government job search.

1. Start planning your future right from a very early stage in your life. Survey the public sector job opportunities in and around your area. Plan your study accordingly.

2. Focus your government job search on fields like teaching, medical services and studies related to accounts and commerce. Most of the villages have severe shortage of doctors, teachers and people willing to serve in the rural branch of the banks. You can easily fulfill this gap if you choose to particular subjects.

3. Make it a habit to visit your local government library regularly. The library will have journals like Employment News which will list all the vacancies in the public sector. They will help you a lot in the government job search.

4. Start preparing for the UPSC and other state government oriented exams from the first year of your college. Check how the examinations are conducted throughout your study. Gather the various years question papers. Talk with your seniors appearing for such exams and improvise your preparation.

5. There are lots of quotas allocated for rural women in these jobs. There are quotas for poor women, daughters of farmers, daughters of widowed mothers, first generation graduates and community based grants for women. Make full use of this advantage in your government job search campaign. Check with your teachers and village administrative officers and get all the necessary documents ready before you appear for the exams.

6. Remember the early bird gets the fruit. The sooner you apply for such jobs, the better chance for you to land them earlier. If possible engage yourself in the part-time jobs related to the job you are planning to apply. You can show this as a previous experience when you appear for the final interview.

Landing in a public sector job is no rocket science. Comparing to the efforts taken by the urban youth to enter into institutions like IIT, these efforts are very limited. Try your level best for guaranteed success.

How To Write A Job Winning Resume That Puts Yours On Top

Many people would love to get a better job. And most of these same people have the proper training and skills to achieve this goal. Unfortunately, so many job hunters have very poor communication skills. They are unable to clearly tell potential employers about their job qualifications. In short, they do not have good job seeking skills. In many cases, this prevents them from getting a high paying job that they could easily do. Often, the job will go to someone who is less skilled but who has written a eye-catching resume. Often, job seekers have a few mistaken opinions about potential employers. They believe that employers are able to easily separate the qualified job applicants from the less qualified applicants. But this is likely not true. Sometimes there are from 30 to 300 resumes for the same job. So the interviewer first does a fast screening of all the resumes to eliminate as many as possible. The “good” resumes usually make it through the screening process. Many times the best job candidate is screened out due to a poor resume. In today’s business world there is often many qualified applicants applying for the same job. What if, out of all of those who apply, one job seeker turns in a skillful resume? Who do you think stands the best chance of getting the job? It’s the one with the “best” resume, of course. This is so often true even through some of the other applicants may be better qualified for the job. In order to get a good job you must communicate to the employer that you are ready, willing, and able to do the job. So if you are capable of producing a top notch job resume, you definitely increase your chances of getting a better job. Virtually every potential employer will want to see a resume from you. The resume will determine who gets a job interview. Your resume is a mini-statement about yourself. After reading your resume the employer should have a better “feel” for you as a person and as a potential employer. It serves to get acquainted with the employer so that they can decide if they want to know more about you. The resume is the first step, your introduction to an employer. First impressions really do count. If you make a poor first impression, you’ll never get to step two — the job interview. To the purpose of your resume is to make a good first impression. In effect, your resume should tell the employer that you have good abilities and are truly interested in working. This report will help you make that good first impression. And it could very well help you to get the better job you’re looking for. RESUME BASICS All good resumes follow the same general basic guidelines. While there is some flexibility in these guidelines, you don’t want to stray too far from them. You want a resume that is bold, exciting, and enticing. But not too much so. You also want a resume that is somewhat conservative. In other words, it must be bold. Not flashy. You must show that you have confidence in your abilities, but not sound like a braggart. You must sound eager to do the job, but not desperate. So there is a fine line that you must walk in order to produce the best possible resume. You want to use intelligent language. However, you don’t want to try and impress the employer with long, flowery, or uncommon words or phrases. Use everyday language whenever possible. Of course, if you are applying for a highly technical position, it’s acceptable to use some of the special terms used in that particular profession. But as a rule you should keep it simple and straight to the point. The word resume comes from the French word “resumer” which means to summarize. So the exact purpose of a resume is to summarize your experience, knowledge, and accomplishments. Therefore, you must avoid being too wordy. Say exactly what you mean in the least number of words possible. The length of your resume is important. Resumes should be from 1 to 3 pages long. Don’t be tempted to make your resume longer than 3 pages, even if you have a lot to tell. Remember, a resume is supposed to be a summary. A resume that is too long simply will bore the reader. There will be so much material that nothing will stand out and be remembered. RESUME APPEARANCE The overall appearance of your resume is also important. A sloppy looking resume will greatly lessen your chance of getting a job interview. The first thing that an employer, or personnel manager, evaluating your resume will notice is it’s appearance. There are several different things that can be easily done to increase the overall appearance of your resume. The first of these appearance factors is the paper that your resume is printed on. There are many different kinds of paper other than regular typing paper. You could make an improvement by using a colored paper. I suggest a subdued color like brown, off- white, or gray. Next, you could use a better grade of paper. Go to a local office supply store and examine the different types of writing paper. You’ll notice some big differences. Pick out a nice looking, more expensive grade of paper for your resume. The next thing to consider is the quality of the material that is typed onto the resume. Never use a low quality typewriter to type your resume. If necessary, rent a good quality typewriter. Then make certain that it has a fresh ribbon in it. It’s very important that you make sure the writing on your resume looks good. This means clean, crisp, and sharp looking letters. Another good way to produce a top looking resume is by having it typeset. If your resume was produced using a computer and saved on a disk, you can hire a commercial typesetter who can use this file. Or, you can locate another computer user who owns a laser printer. Laser printers can produce a good grade of typeset documents. The other alternative is to find a local word processing service that can typeset your resume for you. You can use the typeset master copy of your resume to make more copies. But be certain that you use a top notch copying machine. Otherwise, you’ll still end up with poor looking resumes. Another alternative is to have the typesetter produce as many original copies as you need to ensure that they all look good. A third aspect of your resume’s appearance is more subjective. It takes into account such things as the letter spacing, how each section is arranged, and it’s overall appearance. Some resumes simply look better because of the way they have been designed. At the end of this report, you’ll see an example of a properly prepared resume. Never overcrowd the resume. Leave some “white space” so that important points can appear to pop out. Never submit a resume with handwritten corrections. You can highlight sections of a resume by using a different typeface or size or by using “bullets.” If possible, use larger letters for the headings used in the separate sections of the resume. Never try to be too fancy by using wild colors, cute graphics, and so forth. Don’t be overly creative. A simple, straightforward, factual resume will do nicely. Make it stand out, but stay conservative. Another phase of your resume’s appearance is it’s accuracy. Make sure there are no misspelled words! Mistakes will create the wrong image. Make sure that the punctuation is correct. And make sure that all of your columns line up. See that all of your facts are correct. Don’t say you attended 3 years of college, but only show two years worth of grades. Potential employers will note all inaccuracies and wonder why they appear in your resume. OPTIONAL DATA There is a variety of personal data that may be somewhat controversial if included in your resume. In the past it was acceptable to include all kinds of personal data, but times and laws have changed. Affirmative Action laws have made it illegal to discriminate based on such things as age, sex, marital status, race, religion, and so forth. Therefore, most experts recommend against placing this kind of personal data into your resume. Your salary requirements should not be listed in the resume, if you can avoid it. The reason is that if you put too low of a salary, you might be paid less than the real value of the job. If you put down a figure that’s too high, you may not get considered for the job. If an employer likes you, it may be possible to negotiate a higher salary during the interview stage. Another thing that your resume doesn’t need is your photograph. Potential employers can decide if they are interested in you after reading your resume. They can see what you look like during the interview. RESUME STYLES There are several styles of resumes along with numerous variations. Your experience and the kind of job you are applying for will help to determine the style of resume you use. The two basic styles are: Chronological Resumes and Functional Skills Resumes. Some of the variations include the main themes of business, academic, general, student, standard, professional, or engineering. A Chronological Resume lists work experience in reverse chronological order (the most recent experience first). It includes some descriptive text about each position, usually described in about one paragraph. This type of resume offers several advantages: it is widely accepted, they are easy to read, and they show a clear pattern of your development. The disadvantages include: it does not highlight your major accomplishment(s), nor do they effectively show your other skills. Functional Skills Resumes highlight your skills and accomplishments rather than providing a chronological record of your job history. Your accomplishments and skills are listed at the beginning. Your job history is listed at the end of the resume. This type of resume allows you to call attention to your achievements. The major disadvantage is that employers may find it difficult to follow your work experience. Many people discover that a combination of these two kinds of resumes is the best way to go. You may want to try several different types of combinations before settling upon a final design. WRITING YOUR RESUME Some specific topics that your resume should cover are: (1) Job Objective — lets the employer know that you are interested in a specific type of work. This can be done in 2 or 3 sentences. Example: work in an analytical chemistry laboratory that focuses on environmental samples. Oversee and coordinate the activities of other lab technicians. (2) Summary of Qualifications — is a short paragraph that summarizes your experience and skills. Example: I have 8 years experience working on all p samples for metals C. Used CLIP and SW846 methods hases of analytical chemistry. Including work with a wide variety of instruments and computers. Was second-in-command of a lab with 8 technicians. (3) Professional Skills — is the section where you give specific details about your qualifications. Example: INSTRUMENTS OPERATED A. Atomic Absorption Spectrometer B. Microwave Digestion System C. Polarograph D. Laser Fluorimeter E. IBM Computers ADMINISTRATION A. Supervised 8 technicians when the Department head was absent. ANALYSIS A. Waste oils for metals B. Water and soil (4) Work Experience — in this section you give a one paragraph summary for each of your previous jobs. This should include starting and ending date, reason for leaving, job title and duties, and any special accomplishments for each of the jobs. (5) Education — gives a summary of all schools attended, degrees earned, and special seminars or training courses that you have attended. (6) Honors and Awards — it’s a good idea to list any special awards you have received. (7) Personal — information about your hobbies and activities should be included. (8) Others — professional organizations that you belong to, computer or programming skills, articles or books published. (9) References — you can state something like, “references available upon request,” or list at least 3 on your resume. It’s important to include all of the basic information on your resume. But, what is also important, is the way you say it. Don’t use dull, lifeless statements. Instead use action words. Here are some typical action words: Accelerated, achieved, advised, approved, assisted, built, calculated, completed, conceived, controlled, coordinated, created, decreased, defined, designed, developed, directed, earned, edited, engineered, evaluated, found, generated, implemented, improved, invented, managed, operated, organized, planned, proved, revised, scheduled, tested, trained, verified, wrote. These words give the correct impression that you have been responsible for do different kinds of jobs tasks. In other words, you weren’t just a follower. Of course, you should always be truthful. Don’t try to oversell yourself by claiming you did things that you didn’t do. As you can see, a resume is really a very simple document. It is not that difficult to produce a good resume, if you follow the simple steps outlined in this report. By dividing it into sections it becomes a much easier job. These different sections also help you to stay organized. If you have worked on a special project or had a lofty responsibility on a previous job, you may want to include that in a section all by itself. Example: “I organized a training department for AMCO Scientific and was responsible for overseeing the production of training lessons.” Another good way to get familiar with proper resume writing techniques is to review a good resume. There’s an example included in this report. You can use it as a model. Then produce several different resumes for yourself until you find the best possible combinations for your specific skills. You may also want to have a friend to read your resume and point out any problems. UNCOVERING JOBS Many people do not have good job hunting skills. They are not experts at locating job openings for which they may be qualified. Here are some ideas to help you uncover those jobs. NEWSPAPER ADS — usually draw the greatest number of applicants, so you’ll end up with a lot of competition. If you have no geographic restrictions, you may want to check out of state newspapers. Find a way to make your resume stand out so that it isn’t lost among the many applicants. Here are a couple of ideas: (1) Send a customized cover letter with your resume. (2) Call before you send the resume in. If possible, talk to the person who will be doing the interview or who you’ll be working for. If this isn’t possible, talk to the personnel director about the job and let them know that your resume is coming. This will help them to remember your name and may help you get through the resume screening process. PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES — these are agencies that try to match employees and employers. These agencies vary in the way they work. Some can be very helpful. Others are somewhat unscrupulous. Your best chance is to go with an agency that specializes in your field. Beware of agencies that continually run the same ad because, often, they are just trying to build a list of candidates. I recommend that you only use agencies that don’t require you to pay a fee. TRADE JOURNALS AND PERIODICALS — Are often the best places to look. This is one of the primary means of job advertisement for some types of professions. Example: The magazine Environmental Science continually carries ads for environmental professionals. Other good places to look include: trade shows and professional conventions, personnel offices, college placement offices, friends you have who are in the same profession as you. Another method is to simply go through the yellow pages and look for companies which may need a person with your skills. Then contact these companies by phone and follow-up by sending in your resume. Job seeking is a skill that requires persistence. You must not become discouraged. Keep making plenty of contacts. Sooner or later, you’ll find the job that’s right for you. THE JOB INTERVIEW Most people are nervous when they go to a job interview. However, by preparing beforehand you won’t have anything to worry about. Believe it or not, occasionally the person conducting the interview is nervous, too! Most interviewers will make a decision within the first 5 to 10 minutes of the interview. There are a number of steps that you can take that will greatly improve your chances of getting the job. The first (and perhaps the most obvious) thing to consider is your appearance. No matter what type of job you apply for, you should dress appropriately. A nice suit is your best bet. Dark blue or a gray pinstripe are the best colors. Don’t wear a loud tie. Make sure all of your clothes are wrinkle free and that your shoes are polished. Women should wear a conservative suit dress. Avoid excessive jewelry, make-up, perfume and bright nail polish. Interview do’s and don’ts: (1) Arrive early. If you arrive late, you’ll be rushed and the interviewer may consider you unreliable. (2) Walk briskly, with purpose, and stand up straight. (3) Don’t smoke, chew gum, slouch, read a novel, or other similar activities while you are waiting in the lobby. If some of the company’s literature is available, read that instead. (4) Give the interviewer a firm handshake, and don’t be afraid to look him or her in the eye. (5) Be prepared. Carry an extra copy of your resume and academic record. (6) Don’t talk too much … or too little. (7) Above all, try to be natural and relaxed. Be yourself. Questions that the interviewer may ask you include: what are your career goals? How many sick days have you taken in the past two years? What are your strong points? Do you have any hobbies? Why do you want this job? Tell me about yourself. What did you like most or like least about your last job? Do you have any questions? She or he may also ask you some specific questions that relate to equipment or procedures you’ll need to use on the job. This is a way of determining your overall knowledge and skills. Before and during the interview … (1) Be positive and enthusiastic. (2) Try to focus upon your accomplishments and achievements in past jobs. (3) Find out as much as possible about the job duties and requirements of the position you are applying for. This will help you to be able to ask further questions. (4) Find out as much as possible about the company. (5) If you are really interested in the job, let the interviewer know about it. (6) Questions you need to ask include: when will the job start? To whom do I report? What would a typical day be like? (7) Don’t be too concerned about salary and benefits at first. If you are selected, they will make you a salary offer. Toward the end of the interview you can ask about benefits. AFTER THE INTERVIEW There are a number of things that you can do after the interview that will make you an even more attractive job candidate. Here are a few tips: (1) Write a thank you letter. If you really want the job, say so in the letter. (2) If you have not heard anything within 8 to 10 days, you may want to call. Assure them that you are not trying to be pushy, but that you are just interested. If you aren’t hired, you can still send a thank you letter to the company and ask them to keep you in mind for any other similar job openings. Also, you may want to ask the interviewer for a specific reason as to why you weren’t hired. This information will help you as you search for other jobs. CONCLUSION Getting a good job that you want is not always easy. There are many qualified people after every top paying position that is available. But if you use the strategies described in this report, you’ll stand a much better chance of success. Be persistent and don’t sell yourself short. You could end up with a much better job in a very short period of time. AMPLE RESUME

Jerry Jobseeker

12345 Main St.

Anytown, U.S.A.

555-5555

SKILLS

Professional Skills: Experienced in operating a wide variety of analytical instruments including, Flame and Furnace AA, Microwave digestion, Laser flourimeter, and more.

Familiar with the full range of EPA and CLIP methods and protocols for inorganic analysis

Expert with IBM-PC computers and have over ten years of computer experience.

BUSINESS

EXPERIENCE

1971 to 1977 Austin Powder Company, McAuthur, Ohio

Chemistry

Chemist:

Performed a wide range of chemical analysis on raw materials, finished products and competitor’s samples. Used classical wet chemistry methods.

1977 to 1982 Mead Paper Company, Chillicothe, Ohio Mead Research Paper Technologist: Worked to improve paper formulations, solve problems, and improve quality using pilot plant and mill studies. Performed a wide range of paper tests, wrote reports, and evaluated results.

1982 to Present Martin Marietta, Piketon, Ohio

Senior Chemist: Performed a full range of analytical methods for metals on all types of samples (soil, water, air, waste samples). Responsible for quality control and in charge of department supervising 14 technicians when supervisor was absent.

EDUCATION

Ohio University, Athens, Ohio

BS in Chemistry, 1971

Minor: History, Math

GPA: 2.4 Concentrated in inorganic chemistry

PROFESSIONAL

SOCIETIES

1975 to Present American Chemical Society

PERSONAL DATA I am very active with a number of hobbies including: golf, gardening, baseball, computers, and writing. I have authored a number of books about computers and various chemical related subjects.

REFERENCES Available upon request.

Human Resources Recruiter Job Overview

In order to gain a competitive advantage and fuel a company’s growth, there is a need for qualified and highly skilled professionals. To recruit such talent pool, HR recruiter plays the most important role in any organization. A Human Resources (HR) Recruiter is a person who is responsible for maintaining all levels of recruitment throughout the company. Furthermore, in order to make a career in this field, one needs to have:

At least a bachelor’s degree
Master’s degree in Human Resources
Knowledge of whole recruitment lifecycle
Know how of employment regulations
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Phone and interviewing skills
Professional approach
Ability to work under various situations
Time management skills
Project management and judgment skills
Strong decision-making skills
Ability to keep and manage confidential information

The job of an HR recruiter is to achieve the staffing goals of an organization. Recruitment process usually involves establishing recruiting needs according to the company’s plan, advising managers, building applicant sources, attracting and evaluating candidates. The HR recruiter is solely responsible for the outcomes of the recruitment process within an organization. The recruiter not only handles the recruitment process but also required to take care of the quality of the delivered candidates, timeliness of hiring and costs of the hiring process.

Some of the major roles and responsibilities of a Human Resources recruiter includes:

Find out and implement best recruiting practices
Coordinating with managers to determine the requirements for a particular job position
Build networks to find qualified and suitable candidates
Advertising positions through various known sources that will attract talents
Screen candidates resumes and job applications
Make sure that the personnel requirements for specific position is accomplished in a timely manner
Manage social media and professional networking sites to identify and source candidates
Perform reference checks
Conducting initial interviews, which includes telephonic and face to face interviews
Partner with other HR staff for planning various activities
Design recruitment strategy on an annual basis
Promoting company’s reputation

Job positions available and salary in HR recruiter field

Owing to the growing demand of quality workforce in assorted companies, the demand for HR recruiter is also on the rise. Different levels of HR recruiter jobs position exists in various companies, which include entry level job position to recruitment manager. Moreover, in this career path, one can also opt for other specialized job positions related to HR field such as Career development specialist, junior HR business partner, etc.

The average salary of an HR recruiter in India is in between INR 1, 80,000 to INR 2, 80, 000 per annum.

Final Words:

There is a huge scope for HR recruiters to grow in their respective field. With a good experience and knowledge of related aspects including how to communicate with various people on different positions, how to maintain a healthy relationship with the employees, etc., is surely the path towards the top positions in HR field.

Tips to Apply for Your Dream Job

When applying for job opportunities online, there are certain things that you will need to consider. Here is a list of top things to look at before hitting the ‘apply’ button.

Search for jobs based on type of job or job category. Apply to categories that are of interest to you and that you are well qualified for. For example if you have experience in retail sales or counter sales, apply for jobs in the sales category.
Look at the work timings Some jobs have normal 9-5 but some may have evening shifts which may not be suitable for all candidates. If you have a family, night/evening shifts may prove to be difficult for your family so keep that in mind. Part time jobs should also be considered if you are looking at making extra cash.
Find a job close to home. If you live far away from the desired job consider how long it would take you to get to work because this may affect your work performance and transport costs.
It is also important to look at the years of experience required. Some employers are looking for freshers while other will need experienced candidates. Always be on the lookout for employers who want your level of experience, trust me they are there.
Look for your desired salary. If the salary offered is less than what you want, do not apply for the job. Employers find it annoying when they interview candidates who ask for a higher salary than what was quoted in the job description. The ideal salary is one that allows you to pay for all your expenses and leaves you with some savings. However, do not reject jobs because of the salary, sometimes the experience is worth it!
Another mistake is applying for a job that you are not academically qualified for. When an employer asks for 10th standard and you have a university degree, you are definitely overqualified for the job.
While applying for a job keep in mind your career goals. Some jobs will give you an opportunity to grow from a fresher position to an assistant manager position in a few years while come might keep you in the same level.
There are significant differences when it comes to the size of the company. Working for a big company means that you might have access to better facilities and a better salary. However some small companies are also known to have good salaries and are more flexible.
Some companies normally employ fresher because they place emphasis on the job training. If you are a fresher this would be the ideal company as not only do get a salary but you also get quality training that makes other companies attracted to you.
There are companies that give employees additional perks such as free lunch, transport & other benefits. Such benefits make the work environment better as well as helping you save money.

Ultimately, your passion determines whether you will get the job or not. If you are simply applying for a job because you are jobless, the employer will see your desperation. But if you are passionate and well qualified for the job an employer is likely to hire you. Finally have clear mindset that you will stay on the job and avoid job hopping after every three months.

Keywords and Its Importance in Online Job Search

Job search today revolves mostly around the mysterious use of keywords. Whether you are a candidate looking for a job or a company looking for candidates to fill in a job vacancy, the importance of keywords can not be ignored.

Let’s take the first scenario. You are a job seeker in search of your ideal job. Chances are that you are using the internet to do so. Statistics reveal that nearly 90% of job seekers search for jobs online. Now, there are 2 basic ways of going about this – 1. You search for jobs online and apply 2. You upload your resume and the companies find you.

If you are looking for a job to suit you, it is important that you type in the right keywords for effective search. Keywords are basically nouns that describe the skills or job specifications and titles. They are usually industry buzzwords and jargons. Hence, when you are looking for a job in a particular field, ensure you know the buzzwords.

Most job search sites offer multiple search levels. They allow their visitors to search not only based on the skill set (although this is always the primary criteria) but also offer criteria such as location, years of experience, company, salary package etc. Use these parameters to filter the ideal job matching your needs.

If you are submitting your resume, ensure that it is ‘keyword searchable’. Recruiters always search for the candidate’s resume through keywords. They search the resume databases for various job vacancies using specific keywords. Does this mean that you need to customize your resume for each job? Ideally, yes. If your resume does not have the keywords thrown in enough number of times, chances are that they would not pop up when searched for, and hence, you would be filtered out.

But how does one know which keywords to incorporate? How do you know what words would the person at the other end be typing? Although there is no fool-proof way to get the exact keyword list, the answer usually lies in the employment ad itself! Scrutinize the advertisement and use the same words and jargon they have used. This is the safest and the most prudent way to ensure that you would not go wrong.

Once you know the keywords, the next crucial step is to integrate them effectively. It is a common belief that search engines go through the first 100 words of the document for keywords. But technology is developing fast and it is wise to throw in the keywords throughout your resume.

Ideally, load the first portion of your resume with the relevant keywords. You can call it your ‘Profile’ or ‘Summary’ or ‘Introduction’. However, ensure that these keywords are also used wherever they can in the rest of the resume sections. This will ensure that you get searched as well as not appear as if you have put the keywords just for the heck of it. Also, remember that this online search engine is just the preliminary round. In later stages, there will be humans going through your resume in detail. You definitely don’t want to get eliminated then! Another reason is that most search applications gives importance to Keyword Density, that is, how many times the keyword is used in the entire document.

Ideally, you should be creating customized resumes for each job you apply for. But this is not practically possible. Hence it is wise to have a basic skeleton of the resume, and tweak certain elements and words here and there to incorporate the required keywords to suit specific job vacancies.

Five Ways to Improve Your Job Search

Let’s face it, while sure it’s exciting, looking for a new job is hard work. The job market is flooded and resources when trying to find hidden job vacancies are few and far between. Refining and improving job search is vital when looking to land a great position.

We need to continuously improve on the way we search for jobs. By utlising online job websites to look for jobs you are extending your reach to all possibilities. By improving your job searches, you effectively find scarcer job vacancies and increase your chances of being placed in your dream job.

Here are five ways to improve your job searches.

1. KNOW YOUR RECRUITMENT RESOURCES:

There are vast recruitment resources available to job seekers. Consider the number of recruitment agencies as well as online job portals available for job seekers to make use of. The numbers are astounding. Before blasting your CV all over the Net, first research the job that you are interested in to make sure that it is what you are looking for. Both online recruitment websites and recruitment agencies need to be carefully selected in order to run better job searches. Remember that these are the companies you are selecting to represent you in your job search. Commission your skill to only those agents who promise measurable results.

2. REFINE YOUR JOB SEARCHES:

After registering with a reputable job portal, and have run your first job search, learn how to refine your job search. Job seekers new to online job searching should use a refined job search to improve their search results. Quick job searches are great when looking for broad search results. When looking for refined results uniquely filtered, advanced job searches will closely pinpoint less common vacancies.

3. MAKE USE OF JOB ALERTS:

A job alert (also known as an automated job search agent) is a terrific way to use job portal resources to their greatest potential. Job notification alerts are scheduled notices received in various formats such as email or RSS feeds to inform Job Seekers of related jobs that have been posted to a job portal. By pre-defining job criteria, a job alert (search agent) will monitor activity on the job website. Based on the job criteria and keywords detailed in your job alert, the system will automatically update and notify you accordingly of matching jobs. By receiving job alerts, job seekers are savvy to positions specifically relevant to them, as they are loaded to the job site. The early bird catches the worms and that’s why you want to be a prompt as possible when applying to important employment opportunities. Improve your job searches by making use of relevant job alerts.

4. DON’T NEGLECT ANY MEANS OF JOB SEARCH:

As discussed, there are various resources that a job seeker can utilise when hunting for a job. Be sure to make use of the job search resources that are most relevant to the success of your job search. Manage a healthy balance of utilising each available resource until you can identify with those that specifically assist your career. By making use of all the resources available to you, your job searches are bound to improve.

5. MAKE YOURSELF SEARCHABLE:

Job searching isn’t all just about you searching for employment opportunities. Recruiters and employers are also searching for job seekers. By registering with reputable online job portals you are allowing yourself to be found. Head hunters run searches on online job portals and recruitment databases, hunting for candidates. If you don’t play you can’t win, so be sure to advertise your CV where people know to look. While this is not a direct way to search for a job this will enhance the results of your job hunt significantly.

There are always new and innovative ways of improving any job search. All that job seekers need do, is tap into these advanced methods of job search and brace themselves for an influx of job interview requests.

Brand: You, Creating and Self-Marketing Yourself to Find a Job During Tough Times

A career brand is an image that portrays you as an expert in your field, attracts your ideal employer, and reveals how you can help their business. How can you promote your career brand effectively, to stand out among increasing competition in the workforce? Self-marketing!

Before you begin self-marketing, you need to understand:

1. What you are going to market about yourself

2. Who you are going to market yourself to

3. Why you are going to market yourself to them

This article offers some important tools to develop your career brand and understand your self-marketing plan.

Goals of Self-Marketing

1. Provide direction to help eliminate trial and error. As a result, save time and money.

2. Network with key industry players.

3. Identify your transferable skills. Marketing these skills, not just job history and accomplishments, puts you in higher demand (i.e., more interviews).

4. Determine what other industries your transferable skills fit into. The industry you are in affects the success of your career. Market yourself in growing industries (green-collar, biotechnology, nutrition, IT). Steer away from dying 5. industries (textile, printing, newspapers, steel manufacturing, etc.).

6. Resolve any setbacks that hurt your career and prevent you from getting interviews. Fix your resume so it does not portray you as “a job hopper”, “lacking education”, or “unable to advance at a company”.

Create Your Own Mission Statement

Just as mission statements provide direction and purpose for companies, individuals can benefit from having their own personal mission statement too.

Your mission statement says what is important to you. Write yours before starting a career to get on the right path and connect with companies that have similar values and beliefs. You can revise it or write a new one at a career crossroads. Its sense of purpose is great motivation!

What to include:

1. Goals – Aspirations in life (short-term and long-term)

2. Core values – Who you are and what your priorities are

3. Successes – Professional, personal, etc.

4. Offerings – How you can make a difference for the world, your family, employer or future employers, friends and community

Integrate Assessments into Your Career Branding

Career and personality assessments reveal consistent patterns in your traits, characteristics, strengths, preferences, and skills. The assessment results may lead you in a new career direction. If you have an established career, they tell you how well your traits and branding messages align with your career path.

Present your distinctive and noteworthy traits to your targeted employers. Remember that not all recurring patterns contribute to good branding (e.g., introversion). Disregard any pattern you feel is not really you.

Incorporate the assessment results into your career branding materials: resume, cover letter, elevator speech, interview responses, portfolio, business card, etc. Convey a consistent branding message throughout all of these materials. But you can use different branding statements for different industries.

Tag! You Are “It”!

Self-marketing is not just about selling your specific skills. Everyone has skills. They get you in the door, but not necessarily get you the job. There can be 100 or more applicants per job posting, and they all have the same or better skills as you. How can you stand out as “the one”?

Develop a tag-line. A great tag-line tells people exactly what a product is and how they will benefit from using it. This is what employers want to know about you! Specifically, how you will help them make and save money. Tell them how much money you helped a previous or current employer make or save on a given project, sale, or time period.

Dear Career Journal…

Did you have a diary or journal when you were young? It helped you express feelings when no one else would listen, or when you did not want anyone else to listen! Similarly, a journal can help and guide us in our professional adult life too.

Writing in a career journal allows you to set aside time to think and learn more about yourself and your career. Just as when you were younger, using a journal allows you to express emotions (good and bad) about career progress. When you read past entries, see how far you have come!

Use your career journal to:

1. Write your personal mission statement

2. React to self-assessment tests

3. Do a SWOT (Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats) analysis

4. Evaluate your current situation

5. Reflect on your successes and failures

6. Devise career goal ideas (breaking into a new career, as a volunteer or consultant)

7. Think about career alternatives

8. Establish daily or weekly career-related objectives or tasks

9. Develop action plans to achieve your objectives and tasks

10. Make checklists

11. Record network contacts, job interview results, etc.

12. Develop job correspondence material (cover letters, resumes, thank you letters, etc.)

13. Practice job interview questions and answers

14. Gather salary information

15. Jot down ideas and information you like and want to use in the future

16. Record things you want or need to learn, skills to improve upon

17. Discover and explore your workplace values

18. Record your job-related likes and dislikes (and employers’ likes and dislikes)

19. Note lessons learned

20. Develop ways to improve the workplace

21. Review job-search trends

22. Develop plans for achieving promotions

23. Document the career paths of your peers that you want to emulate

24. Prepare for job performance reviews

Do not keep your career journal at your workplace. Keep it at home on your computer or in a notebook. Try to set a regular time of day to work on your journal, maybe right after work. Maybe before work to get yourself motivated and focused on what you can achieve that day!

Your journal is always ready, and no matter where your career path leads you, you can continue to use it throughout your professional life.

Key Marketing Tools:

Strategic Marketing Plan

Your plan answers these questions:

1. What have I accomplished, where am I now, and where will my career be if I do not take action?

2. Where do I want to go with my career?

3. How do I get to where I want to go?

4. How do I put my plan into action?

5. What do I need to change if I am not getting success?

Market Research

Understand trends in your career field. Consult resources such as the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook. Interview industry professionals. Study the companies you would like to work for. Use this information for your cover letter, resume and job interview.

Marketing Mix

You are probably already familiar with the 4 P’s of marketing, or the “marketing mix”. The 4 P’s are product, promotion, place, and price. Translate these in terms of you and your career for job search success.

Product

You are the product with unique characteristics, features, and skills. Expose your “product features” in your tag-line and resume. Let employers know your work experience, leadership experience, professional memberships, technical skills, education and training.

Make sure that your on-line marketing tools (i.e., Facebook or Myspace) are cleaned up and employer ready. You do not want a potential employer to see something on your personal networking sites that will land you in trouble.

Do not forget “packaging”, to properly present yourself and your credentials to potential employers.

Promotion

This is your cover letter, resume, phone calls, correspondence and interviewing. Promotion tools include anything that you can use to get a job interview and ultimately get a job offer.

Be memorable by utilizing multimedia marketing like email, follow-up phone calls, or try using regular priority mail envelopes to send resumes, cover letters and other “marketing materials”. This increases your career brand and distinctiveness.

Place

This includes everywhere employers can access you. How are you reaching employers or people who can connect you with employers?

1. Internet job-searching and applying to job postings

2. Cold calling

3. Networking with current and former coworkers, colleagues and alumni

4. Speaking with recruiters at staffing and employment agencies and company HR departments

5. Visiting your university career centers and alumni offices

6. Attending professional association meetings and seminars

Price

Price includes all aspects of the compensation you can receive from potential employers, as well as your strategies to get the price you want, and that the employer feels you deserve. Your price not only includes salary, but also insurance, benefits, paid time off and perks.

Call in the SWOT Team!

Performing a SWOT Analysis, used in marketing planning, is helpful to use in your career planning. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It answers:

1. What are your Strengths and Weaknesses (in your internal environment)?

2. What are Opportunities and Threats in your career field (external environment)?

Strengths

Internal, positive aspects which you can capitalize upon, such as:

1. Work experience

2. Education

3. Technical skills and knowledge (e.g., computer skills)

4. Personal characteristics (e.g., superior work ethic)

5. Strong network of contacts

6. Involvement with professional associations and organizations

7. Enjoying what you do

Weaknesses

Internal, negative aspects that you plan on improving, such as:

1. Lack of work experience

2. Inconsistent major with the job you are looking for

3. Lack of specific job knowledge

4. Weak technical knowledge

5. Weak skills (leadership, interpersonal, communication, teamwork)

6. Weak job-hunting skills

7. Negative personal characteristics (e.g., no motivation, indecisiveness, shyness)

8. Weaknesses identified in past performance appraisals

Opportunities

External, positive conditions out of your control, but you plan to leverage or add value:

1. Field trends* that create more jobs (e.g., globalization, technology)

2. Field needs your set of skills

3. Opportunities for advancement in your field

4. Location

5. Strong network

Threats

External, negative conditions out of your control, but you may be able to overcome:

1. Field trends* that diminish jobs (e.g., downsizing, obsolescence)

2. Companies are not hiring people with your major/degree

3. Competition from college graduates with your same degree

4. Competitors with superior skills, experience or knowledge

5. Competitors who attended better schools

6. Limited advancement in your field (too competitive)

7. Limited professional development in your field

8. Find hiring/employment trends in your field. Go on-line to ABI/INFORM, Business News Bank, and Lexis/Nexis.

After completing your SWOT Analysis, add the results to your Strategic Marketing Plan. Also, use your SWOT results to develop the following in your Plan:

1. Career goals

2. Marketing strategies

3. Action plan with deadlines

The Elevator Speech

The Elevator Speech is a clear, concise introduction that can be delivered in the time it takes to ride an elevator from the top to the bottom of a building. It can be as short as 15 seconds or as long as three minutes. Write down your Elevator Speech, and practice it so it comes naturally. Be ready to deliver it!

Use it at:

1. Networking events (including “unconventional” ones, like shopping)

2. Career fairs

3. Cold calls to employers

4. Voice-mails

5. Your current workplace, when you encounter the higher-ups

6. Job interviews when asked, “Why should I hire you?” and “Tell me about yourself”

Your Elevator Speech includes:

1. A greeting

2. Your name

3. Your industry or field

4. Accomplishments, background, qualifications and skills

5. If you are graduating soon, what school and what degree

6. What you want to do and why

7. Why you enjoy what you do or want to do

8. What interests you about the listener’s company/business

9. What sets you apart from others

10. Your tag-line that you developed!

11. Your mission statement that you developed!

Finally, capture their interest and request action.

1. At a career fair: “May I have your business card, and give you my card and resume? Can you add me to your company’s interview schedule?”

2. Networking: “What advice do you have for me? What employers do you suggest I contact?”

3. On a cold call: “When can we meet to discuss how I can help your company? May I send you my resume?”

Part-Time Lawn Mowing Business While Working a Regular Job

No matter what the economy, the grass still grows. There is always someone near by who needs their lawn mowed and cannot do it themselves. These folks have a problem and you, the full-time employee wanting to start a part-time lawn mowing business, have the solution. They can pay you to mow their yard. Problem solved.

I often get the question of whether you can start your lawn mowing business part-time in the evenings and on weekends and keep your full-time job. The answer is a big yes!

The question is can you do it? If you have lots of energy, enjoy being outdoors and working in your yard, and can handle just 5 to 10 extra hours of physical work each week, you can start a part-time lawn mowing business and keep your regular job.

People who work 12-hour rotating shift schedules are in a terrific position to run a lawn mowing business part-time while keeping their full-time jobs because they have so many days off.

Marketing
First, you need to find some customers. Write a flyer using word processing software, print it, take it to your local copy shop, have 25-30 copies made, and distribute them around your neighborhood within walking distance of your house. You may want to use a half-page flyer so you can distribute to 50-60 houses. Include what you offer the prospect (lawn mowing, edging, cleaning off the concrete), your name, best phone number to contact you, your address so they know you are a neighbor and how much you charge. Since you are new to the business charge on the lower end of the average rate other lawn care professionals charge in your area. Five dollars cheaper than average may get your neighbors to stop using someone out of the neighborhood and start using you instead.

Another reason to start with your neighbors is they know you or know of you and we all want to help other people, especially people we know. Since these folks are close by, you get to go out, knock on doors and meet your neighbors while marketing your business to them. Smile, introduce yourself and tell them which house is yours or what street you live on and get to know a little about them and some things you might have in common. Hand them a flyer at the end of the conversation and move on to the next house.

Keep this up until you have at least one person ready for you to go home, get your equipment right now, come back and work that day and are pulling out their checkbook to pay you. If this happens, stop marketing that day, service your new customer and earn some money. Continue marketing the next day.

When you have the number of customers you think you can handle, stop marketing daily and only doing a little occasionally or when someone asks for your information. You will need to keep a few flyers on hand to give out. Be on the lookout for yards that overgrow and see if a lawn service comes to mow them. These folks may need someone closer who will service their lawn regularly. Be sure to visit them and ask.

Equipment
Do not buy any commercial equipment or go into debt. You only need the mower you use on your own lawn, a gas-powered string trimmer and blower to get started. If you have an electric-powered string trimmer and blower, you can still use them, but make sure the customer knows you will need access to an electric outlet and you will need a very long extension cord.

Alternatives to gas and electric-powered trimmers and blowers are the cordless rechargeable models. They are less expensive than their gas-powered cousins, cheaper to operate and much more environmentally friendly. If you have electric equipment that requires an extension cord, you will want to replace it with cordless electric or gas-powered equipment as soon as you earn enough money mowing to do so.

Starting within walking distance of your home eliminates the need for a truck or trailer to haul equipment to job sites keeping costs down. If you live within walking distance of the job you can put your equipment and gas can in a wagon or cart and pull your lawn mower along by hand. If you are willing to do this extra manual labor you are more likely to succeed because you are not afraid of hard work and not prone to overspending.

Earnings
One of the biggest reasons to have a part-time lawn mowing business is you make significantly more money for the time you spend working than at most other part-time endeavors.

If you charge $50 to mow the grass, edge and clean up and you can do 5 lawns after work and on weekends each week, you will earn $250 per week. You will need to set 15% of your revenue aside after expenses (gas, parts, repair, replacement equipment, etc.) for self-employment taxes which you will need to pay each quarter. If you spend $9 on gas and save $36 for taxes, your net weekly earnings will be $205. Six weeks of hauling your equipment by hand will build physical strength and allow you to accumulate about $1230. You could also resubmit your form W-4 at work to take the correct amount of extra money out of your pay checks to cover these taxes. However, if you are trying this to determine if you want a full-time lawn mowing business I recommend you become familiar with paying self-employment taxes quarterly.

After 20 weeks of mowing 5 lawns per week you will have netted nearly $4,000. It will be less than this because your equipment will need maintenance and repair. That will not cost more than a few hundred dollars, so you will still have around $3,700 if you save your profits.

Now you will have the cash to buy a good used commercial lawn mower. Once you have a commercial mower you will be able to increase the number of yards you can mow per week in the same amount of time it took with your residential mower, increasing your revenue. You may be able to mow 10 yards per week instead of 5, so your gross revenue will jump to $500 per week. After another 10 weeks you may have enough cash to buy a used trailer to haul your commercial equipment.

Remember that in many areas there are only 3 mowing seasons or about 40 weeks of steady work each year. If you spend the first 40 weeks earning enough to get some commercial equipment and increase your customer base, your second part-time year will be mostly profits.

Two years part-time in the business will allow you to decide if you want to start mowing full-time. You will know it is time to go full-time when you are turning customers away because you do not have time to service their yards and if you could take on those customers, you would earn more annually than at your full-time job.

Earning more means earning more than your current annual pay after taxes plus paying for the benefits you and your family need, like health insurance. If your spouse works outside the home, he or she may carry the family benefits leaving you free to earn lots of cash. You will have to save for retirement and pay your own disability insurance even if your spouse can provide the other benefits. Few companies offer spousal retirement or spousal disability coverage.

If you are willing to work during your off hours and not spend money on equipment you do not need, you can work part-time mowing lawns and earn a lot of extra money. You may also be able to eventually leave your job and run your business full-time.

Job Hunt Effectively

Being a diverse country we have scope for many a career opportunity in India.

There are new job opportunities which are rare and yet popular like Vastu specialist jobs, homeopathy jobs, acupressure jobs, etc. To do these jobs, one needs passion, knowledge and interest to succeed. Indian science jobs are rare but popular across the globe. If one chooses to be in such fields, success might be slow, but is still sure.

An IT job is the most popular and common career of choice these days. Due to technical demands from foreign countries, India’s outsourcing industry (e.g. business process jobs and IT outsourcing jobs, etc) has grown steadily.

Up until now, thanks to India’s large number of English-speaking and technically-proficient people it has done well in the global market. Not long ago, endless vacancies in India were available – until recent times. Due to recession in the global market, jobs in India have been affected.

There are some freshly emerging careers in India that have been noticed recently. Careers like equity analysis jobs, tax-return processing jobs, career counselor jobs, radiological analysis jobs, medical transcription jobs, and many more seem to be the way of the future.

Searching jobs is not at all difficult. There are many ways in which you can search jobs that are available in India. Apart from traditional methods like online job websites there are some new methods. They are:

– Networking-One should be active in using web 2.0 communities like web portals, social networking sites, professional forums etc. Networking widens your social circle. There are networking sites dedicated to careers and jobs as well.

– Blogs-Job blogs encourage various views and discuss upcoming trends. They give you a fair idea about job markets both domestic and internationally.

Listed are a few job tips one should keep in mind while searching for their perfect job:

– Widen and keep brushing your career skills (technical and soft skills, etc)

– Avoid having very specific job profiles, as employers appreciate those with multi-skills.

– Prepare yourself to take responsibility and ask for bigger responsibilities at your workplace.

– There are job fairs held after every few months. Try and visit job fairs, for better opportunities.

– Get yourself signed up for as many job sites, professional networks, and blogs as possible. The internet is the largest source of information. In this aspect, it’s okay to be an internet freak.

– Pay special attention to your resume. Your resume is the image that you portray to potential employers. Avoid any kind of redundancy and ambiguity in your resume. Companies look for two main headings in a resume: experience and achievements. Highlight them.

– Lastly, don’t panic. If you are trying hard to get a job, and not getting good responses, don’t be disheartened. Utilize your time in brushing up your career skills and preparing yourself for a successful career. Personally follow up with the companies you applied in. Always prepare before you go in for an interview.

All the best for a bright future!

BPO Outsourcing Shifts Internal Job to External Company

BPO Outsourcing means shifting of internal job to external Company, with different geographical location, sometimes.It is generally done at different geographical location by USA and UK. These countries find it feasible enough to get their job done from countries like India, as they provide same services at much lower cost.

Through Call Centers in India, Companies in USA and UK are able to reduce their procurement cost, substantially. Secondly, Small Companies can procure services with ease. Business Process Outsourcing is involved with back-end jobs like billing, payroll processing, data entry, and the like. These jobs are performed with full competence through BPOs, within the stipulated time period.

It is absolutely competitive and up to the mark, so clients do not have to worry over any type of services, whatsoever. The best part is that they are able to reduce their cost of services to bring down cost, substantially.

Different benefits of BPO Outsourcing are:

Time Saving: Processing of all the services, by oneself is cumbersome and time consuming. Promoters might lose on their main business tract due to extra time-spending in related activities. When you are an expert in your field, then it is not essential that you are aware of all activities, related to your business. It saves time when you opt for BPO Outsourcing of all essential jobs from some reputed outsourcing Company.

Money saving: It is done to reduce cost of operations involved in those services. This is so because, outsourcing partner is apt in services and produce better results at comparatively much lower cost.

Professional touch to services: One business unit may not be best in all related services. One need to go for outsourcing of to service their customers with best possible services. BPOs are filled with professionals who provide their services with maximum efficiency. A professional touch to services creates better response and expertise in your work.

It is one of the best options for offshore clients. Offshore Companies are able to generate best results at lowest possible prices. BPO Outsourcing is done for various activities. Clients can take advantage from such offerings and enhance their services.