Job Search | JobTabs Job Search & Resume

March 2, 2009

The Job Search Spreadsheet – You Have Choices

Filed under: Job Searching,JobTabs — Tags: Employment, Job Search, resumes — admin @ 12:13 am

Alison Doyle’s blog is one of my favorite destinations on the web. Alison always has great advice and her articles are concise and to the point. Recently, I read guest author Traci Pederson’s article on tracking your job search via a spreadsheet and it took me back to when I tracked my job search via a spreadsheet. The article is dead on as to what you should track and why you should track it, however I couldn’t help but feel exhausted after all of that administrative shuffling. I know how taxing it is because it was the impetus that lead me to write a computer program to do it all for me.

Let’s have a look at how Traci keeps track of her job search and let’s see how JobTabs Job Search & Resume can help you do the same thing.

I have found that one of the most useful things I started doing was to keep track of everything I am doing. I use a simple spreadsheet, like Excel. And I do mean everything. I have one file where I enter all the information from any job sites that I join. Information such as the username and password I created, what type of job site is it freelance or regular or specialty. The date that I joined and whether I posted a resume to the site or filled out their own skill assessment list goes in the file too. After about the fourth or fifth one joined anyone can be forgetful.

The great thing about JobTabs is it allows you to keep track of everything. And I do mean everything. 🙂 The JobTabs Search Agents not only keep track of which site you search on, but also all of the search terms you use when you return to the site each time. In many cases, you don’t even have to have a login, because if you have access to the Advanced Search page you can create repeatable searches without having to create an user account at all. This can be a big time saver as well as add a little stealth to your job search.

In another file I keep track of jobs that I have actually applied for. Write down the date you sent it in, whether you mailed it or emailed or applied directly to the employer’s site. Don’t forget to add in all the contact information such as a web site address, the email used to send your application, any phone numbers, addresses or person’s names that were given. This is very important for follow-up inquiries. Something that can separate your resume from the rest of the batch is to put a little work into it, read their web site and mention why you would be a great fit for their company or call them to get the hiring managers name to personalize your cover letter.

Great advice, but ugh! All of this tracking, writing, mailed versus emailed, can be an exhausting undertaking. Why not have it all, yet do none of it? Every time you apply for a job with JobTabs, it will do all of the tracking and logging and detail writing for you. For example, if you apply to a job by sending your resume by email, you just open the email form, attach your resume and send it. You’re done! JobTabs will automatically pickup on this and log the company, your contact, the exact resume you sent, the date, exactly which job you found on the internet or otherwise and whether you applied on line or by email or by post automatically! Even if you edit the resume fifty times, JobTabs will still avail you of the exact resume you sent to the employer. Our goal was to allow you to focus on getting a job while we did all of the administrative work behind the scenes!

Another page to add to your job search folder is one for classes you have taken. I’m mostly referring to the online tutorials that you can find. This is a great way to beef up your resume and get some experience and skill in a particular area that seems to be a “hot” topic for the industry you are targeting in your search. I like to record the web address, any username/passwords that I created and what the tutorial was about for easy reference.

One thing we knew when we rolled out JobTabs to the public is that we had to give them powerful tools to pursue jobs in a systematic way. We also had to allow people to have enough elbow room to do their job search their way. While we do not have a folder per se for classes you have taken, JobTabs has a free form Resources tab that allows you to keep information in any number of formats. You can keep notes and you can also attach any number of documents in any number of formats to include in doc, docx, ppt, xls, , xml, pdf, rtf, html or practically any format you can come up with.

A silly thing I overlooked was the use of various keywords on the job search engines. I was using like “telecommute’ and that was it. So of course it was hard to find hits. Branching out with other phrases will find you more opportunities such as “home-based”, “off-site”, “virtual office”, “freelance” and “work-at-home”.

Again, here is where the JobTabs Job Search Agents come into play. Should the search agents ever fail you, you will always have access to to your searches via the built-in RSS/Atom feed reader. This can serve as a veritable library of great job searching tips.

Keeping multiple copies of your resume is a time saver as well. We all have various strengths and emphasizing certain areas which target a particular company’s job listing will improve your chances by focusing their attention on what benefits you can bring to their company. And just don’t send a generic cover letter with a bland statement, I’ll mention again to at least read some of their company information to personalize it and show the hiring person that you spent some of your time researching them and that you mean business and aren’t just throwing your resume out to the wind. You will save time in the long run if you keep your applications to jobs that you are actually qualified to do.

Traci, shows all of the signs of a prudent job seeker given the details she keeps track of. You absolutely need to have multiple copies of your resume and it is a huge time saver. Our position is that you should let a software program do all of the tracking so that you can focus on your job search. Enter JobTabs. JobTabs can keep track of a virtually infinite amount of resumes. Moreover, all of your resumes can be previewed with a single click. No searching in folders, network locations or even websites. All of your resumes are conveniently stored in a hierarchical tree so that you develop increasingly more refined resumes depending on the job you are applying to.

Your cover letters are as easily maintained. Enter in the contact information one time and the cover letter will show as if it had been tailor made for the job to which you are applying. It really is that easy. You can develop your cover letter template to be as brief or as detailed as you see fit.

JobTabs Job Search & Resumes is a tool that was initially designed for professional job seekers, i.e. IT Contractors, and you would be served well if you took some cues from the pros in your job search. Simply reading the help file will do much to enlighten any job seeker and we invite you to be our guest.

In closing, the article written by Traci Pederson is well written and we tip our hat to her for her demonstrated prowess in identifying the details that job seekers need to keep track of. We do not differ with her in her wisdom or the practical advice she has chosen to share with job seekers. We are only demonstrating how JobTabs can serve as a next generation alternative that warrants a closer review by anybody who chooses to stay on top of the details in their job search.

John Coffey is the President of JobTabs, LLC. Through JobTabs Job Search & Resume Builder, thousands of job seekers have taken control of their destiny in finding new and fulfilling careers. JobTabs Job Search & Resume Builder motivates job seekers by making the job search easier by a huge order of magnitude. John Coffey can be reached via his website at JobTabs Job Search & Resume Builder, by email via jpcoffey at jobtabs.com, and by phone at 404-255-0248.

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January 19, 2009

Job Search Lessons from a $50,000,000,000 Dirt Bag

Filed under: Job Searching,Sell Yourself — Tags: Career, Employment, Job Search, JobTabs — admin @ 12:22 am

Dirt bag

Bernard Madoff is one of the biggest dirt bags in history. He bilked individual investors out of their life savings. He bilked retirement funds out of money to pay pensions. He bilked noble charities out of every last dime they had.

I cannot imagine ever learning anything from a low life such as Bernard Madoff. All the same, when he wanted to be someone’s investor he had no trouble getting the interview and then getting the job. As a mentor to job seekers, it is incumbent upon me to assess how he was able to get one job offer after another.

1. Madoff had a track record of success. Consistent returns year over year. Granted, Madoff was not good at being an investor. The returns were all a pack of lies but in the absence of being arrested or being outed by someone who did their due diligence his track record was accepted at face value. Does your resume reflect your success in your professional capacity? Are you making sure that your references are attesting to your talent? Are you mentioning those commendations you received from your superiors?

2. Everybody knew that Bernard Madoff had the outstanding track record. Because he blogged? No, Madoff’s returns were public and he paid on his returns as well. Sadly, he didn’t pay from yields of prudent investments, but paid out using the money of new investors. Our message is that Madoff was visible. Personally, I had never heard of Madoff until the scandal broke out, but in the investment community he was a superstar. Is there something you as a job seeker can be doing to make yourself more visible? Are there articles you can contribute to magazines or online forums that can heighten your visibility as a knowledgeable professional? Have you considered blogging in your area of expertise?

3. He networked very well. Madoff did not win new clients with fancy ads on TV or in the newspaper. Madoff was connected to the people who could help him advance his agenda. He was a was a member of the Palm Beach Country Club among many others. He hobnobbed with the rich and famous and he milked his network for all it was worth. Are you connected to people in your area of expertise? Are you respected in that network? Are you offering to help others as well as asking for help?

4. He exuded confidence. Madoff had the grace and charm of of a pedigreed royal. People wanted to be associated with him. He smiled. He was cool, calm, collected, and confident. Would that describe you? Are you crying in your beer or are you beaming with optimism because you are so jazzed about those seven jobs you applied to just yesterday? Are you helping others feel better about themselves and encouraging them to be positive? Are your actions and your words in sync?

5. He did not disqualify himself. Madoff was running a Ponzi scheme, yet accepted billions from investment firms, banks and otherwise prudent business people. Wouldn’t investors with this kind of money have armies of accountants and financial analysts descending on Madoff’s firm every quarter or at least watching his every move given they had billions invested with him? Obviously not. Madoff did not disqualify himself from managing the resources of financial juggernauts even though he was completely illegal. Assuming you are a law abiding, hard working professional, are you disqualifying yourself from jobs could be applying to? Are you rationalizing as to why they will never hire you? Are you disqualifying yourself from applying to jobs you find exciting? Are you afraid to put your best foot forward and let them know how good you are at doing what you do?

In closing, Bernard Madoff is a good-for-nothing crook. If he had been legal he really would have been a superstar investor. The scrutiny that the media has put on him shows exactly how he would have attained that success. If you are good, people know you are good, you are well networked, you exude confidence and you will not impose limitations upon yourself; you can take control of your destiny and get any job you apply for.

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January 16, 2009

Get a Job Offer and Lose $50,000?!

Filed under: Job Searching,Motivation,Sell Yourself — Tags: Job Search, JobTabs, Motivation — admin @ 12:44 am

As we often tell our clients, it is very likely that you will eventually get a job in your field. That is rarely the challenge. The challenge is getting a job in your field in the place that you want to live and with a salary that would make you happy. If you love living in Tallahassee, Florida then how are you going to feel if the only job offer you can get is in Waxahachie, Texas? Would a move across the country cause a disruption in the lives of your spouse and your children? Of course it would. Would accepting a 35% cut in pay to stay in Tallahassee make you feel any better? Maybe, but it certainly wouldn’t make you feel good.

Take a moment to consider the true cost of a move in this economy. If you make $80K in Tallahassee, Florida and you get a job offer in Waxahachie, Texas for $80K, you may be looking at a $50K capital gains loss. What?! How so? If you bought your house for $250K and are trying to sell it in the worst housing market since the Great Depression what do you think you will be able to get for it? Wow, and to think that house could have sold for over $300K just a few years ago! You may have to sell your home for $50K less than you paid for it if you have only been living in it for a short time.

Our message is that you will want to have choices when considering a job. To have choices you need to have offers. To have offers you need to work on your job search with unbridled discipline. It is too expensive not to. The job search can be a real downer. Staying motivated and productive every day is absolutely essential to having an outcome you can be happy with. Sometimes just starting your job search is all you need to do to be productive all day and this is what we are encouraging you to do. Committing to working at it every day, at a certain hour and for a certain duration is extremely important. Share your regimen with your spouse and your children and let them know how important it is that you be allowed to work hard at your job search. If the prospect of writing one more resume or one more cold call makes you nauseous, commit to a smaller work window than you normally would. Commit to as little as two hours if you have to, if that is what it will take you to just start your job search. If you are still nauseous after two hours, you met your goal and can stop for the day. However, refrain from committing to a duration that you cannot fulfill or will discourage you from just starting your job search the next day. You will be amazed at how long you will stick with your job search if you can just bring yourself to the table. Again, it is not easy, but this works because so many have succeeded in overcoming this dilemma so often.

We also encourage you to invest in a solution that will minimize any aspect of the job search that you find so distasteful. Job search tools can do a lot to eliminate the tedious, repetitive work that drains the energy from so many job seekers. They can also serve as a means to set goals every day and stay focused, ultimately leading you to becoming an energetic, motivated job seeker.

The cost of not having any choices is too expensive to ignore and you do not want to have to pull up your stakes to move to another part of the country. This is what we are talking about when we encourage you to control your destiny. This economy has put a lot of people in an extraordinary circumstance that will call for some extraordinary discipline to weather. Simply starting your job search everyday can be the linchpin event that will lead to the job that will provide the security and happiness we are all looking for. Stay regimented in your commitment to land a job and you will truly find yourself in a position to control your destiny.

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January 15, 2009

Job Search Warning – Do not do this by yourself

Filed under: Job Searching,Motivation,Sell Yourself — Tags: Job Search, JobTabs, Networking, resumes — admin @ 12:07 am

Some of the best advice I could ever hope to offer any individual job seeker is not to be an individual job seeker. By this I mean, do not engage the job search process alone. In most every city or town of any size there is a local networking group that is helping people transition their careers or get back on their feet after losing their job. These groups are powerful resources and can do much to send a job seeker in the right direction. They often have guest speakers addressing many facets of the job search process. There are people there to critique your resume and offer suggestions on what you can do to sell yourself.

Most job searching networks are free and are held at community centers or churches. There is no need to be of a particular denomination and typically there will be no discussion of faith. These are people helping people and it is a beautiful thing. Even if you are trying to move across the country a local support group can help you in many ways. Most likely, you will also meet some new friends. The job search is a draining experience in so many ways. When people brave harsh circumstances together, a certain authenticity comes to the surface. People tend to be more sincere and open as to who they are and what they are up against. It will not be a waste of your time.

Lest you believe that the networking groups are for losers, you will be amazed at the considerable number of tier one, top-notch, alpha males/alpha females, that are looking for jobs. These people will remind you that you are not alone. The typical job seeker will look for a job every 3-5 years. By going to these support groups you will be assured that it is perfectly okay to be looking for a job. You are molting professionally and when you emerge from this cocoon you will have the wings of a butterfly.

A great resource for finding Job Networking Groups in your area can be found at job-hunt.org. job-hunt.org was founded by Susan Joyce after she was laid off from Digital Equipment Corp. Take a gander at this resource page,

http://www.job-hunt.org/job-search-networking/job-search-networking.shtml

The job search – do not do it alone!

Can you share any other sources of job networking groups? Please post them below.

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January 14, 2009

Do you mortise your resume? I hope so!

Filed under: Job Searching,Resume Writing,Sell Yourself — Tags: Job Search, JobTabs, Resume Writing, Sell Yourself — admin @ 12:09 am

When we moved into our house, the previous owner had these wide closet doors that wouldn’t stay shut and it drove my wife crazy. I decided to solve the problem by installing ball catches to hold the doors in place.

Whenever I go to the hardware store, I always read the instructions of anything I need to install before I make any purchases. It gives me the opportunity to buy any extra tools I might need and gives me a chance to make sure I am up to the task. Picked up a Stanley ball catch and read the instructions. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Got it. Took it home, whipped out my hulking, pseudo-phallic symbol of a power drill and went to work. I always read the directions several times before I do anything, because a mistake on a home project is acutely painful – especially if there is a drill involved.

I don’t know how I did it, but I completely missed this word ‘mortise’. I didn’t really know what it meant, but how difficult could it be? Any step described by one word can’t be that complicated. Step 6 was soon upon me, ‘mortise’. I whipped out the dictionary and looked it up and still couldn’t figure it out. Then it dawned on me. I had to gouge out a recess in the door frame so that the strike plate would be be flush with the frame. When the door closes, the ball in the ball catch needs a recess in the frame to hold the door shut. I don’t like the idea of gouging anything and began to make the problem much more complicated than it really was.

“Huh? I have to gouge a recess in the frame?! Why didn’t they just say so?! These people were expecting me to get my wood chisels and start carving a hole in the door frame. I’m not a carpenter! How many rows upon rows of lexicographers did it take to come up with this word – mortise!? If they wanted me to gouge out a hole in the frame, why didn’t they just say tell me to ‘gouge out a hole in the frame?’ These corporate titans sitting behind their massive mahogany desks preying upon the everyday house husband. These people screwed me!”

I was fuming. Eventually, I cooled off, accepted my situation, and set out to come up with a solution. Wound up drilling a couple shallow holes and then finishing it with a slightly deeper hole in the center. Piece of cake. The ball catch works beautifully and is the standard to which all persons installing ball catches should aspire.

Then the pall of the irony hit me like a ton of bricks. The Stanley Corporation did exactly what I would have told them to do. They skirted over the unsavory details. They created an image of simplicity by making their instructions so trite, I would just read right through them. If I had been reading the instructions in the store and read, “6. Gouge or drill a recess in the frame of the door.”, I probably wouldn’t have purchased the ball catch. I would have looked for a “simpler solution” from another company. When I actually went about installing the ball catch the real problem was freaking out when things weren’t as straight forward as I expected. I over-reacted, even though I had all of the tools and savvy I needed to do the job. They did what I encourage job seekers to do every day. Downplay the details of anything that the prospective employer might find unsavory. Bring attention to what you have accomplished in the context of what they want to hear. Downplay everything and anything that does not pertain to what they are looking for.

This of course begs the question, “Don’t you risk running the chance that the employer will be fuming after you get hired?” The answer is a firm and resolute, “No!” That’s the job you want, right? You have the experience and can attest to it, right? How can the employer fume? Gentle reader, when you are looking for a job you need to close the deal. If there is any dissonance after you are hired, you need to mollify the employer’s fears by reaffirming your qualifications and then going out there and doing an over-the-top job. In fact, if your performance is anywhere near as good as my ball catch installation you can look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with your employer!

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