Central Valley Jobs Blog

You’ve no doubt heard the expression that you never get a second chance to make a first impression.  One of the most important areas that this phrase holds true is your search for employment.  Making that first impression is crucial and it comes not only  in the form of personal contact, but also your resume, your email address, and the outgoing message on your voice mail.  It’s a lot to worry about, but taking steps at the beginning of your job search can reap benefits down the road.

Current technology allows you to apply for jobs without actually having any personal interaction in the beginning of the process.  While this may be convenient for the employer, it can in turn, be a hindrance for the job seeker.  This means that your first impression is going to be your resume.  A survey done by CareerBuilder states that thirty eight percent of HR managers spend one to two minutes reviewing a resume.  That’s a maximum of 120 seconds to make an impression and to show that you’re a candidate the employer should interview.

Tailoring your resume for the specific positions you apply for can help.  Do not, under any circumstance include false information however.  If a position’s primary duties and functions resemble something you may only have limited experience in, be sure to highlight what experience you do have.  Sometimes it can make all the difference.

It’s becoming common practice for companies to accept resumes online and use an automated resume sorting program.  These programs scan your resume and look for certain keywords that have been programmed in and correspond with that particular job posting.  This is another convenience for the employer but can hurt the job seeker.  If a job description matches your skills, be sure that your resume contains the right keywords.  It’s difficult to know which keywords will be effective since all programs differ, but normally the employers job description wording can be a good indicator.

Another aspect that isn’t given much thought in first impressions is your email address.  If an employer has two candidates they are choosing from, your email address could play a part in getting an interview or not.  For example, an employer need to email a potential candidate.  One candidate’s email address is kegstandchamp@fakedomain.com  and the other candidates email address is John.Doe@fakedomain.com.  If they are looking for someone who gives off a professional vibe, chances are they will go with the latter.

This doesn’t mean you need to get rid of your favorite fun email address.  Save that for personal contacts.   When it comes to your job search however, it may be best to set up a straight forward email address through Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo.

Out going voice mail messages may also leave an impression.  Having a message that was recorded during a party may not leave the best impression to the prospective employer who is calling it.  The voice mail that corresponds to the phone number on your resume should be clear, concise and include your full name.

In the last few years social networking sites have taken the world by storm.  Posting pictures from family outings and vacations, up to the minute updates on your status and voicing opinions has never been easier and all are now part of our normal daily routine.  As with everything, social networking sites also have their downside.  More and more employers are searching the profiles of potential candidates to find out what shows up online.  Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn have all become one more consideration in the resume sorting and hiring process.  If you don’t want the world to see it, keep your profiles set to private.

Finding employment in today’s economical climate is stressful enough.  The added pressure of making sure your bases are covered can be pretty overwhelming.  It’s always a good idea to create and use a checklist before starting your job search.  Setting yourself up for success in the beginning will make things easier and will help you make that positive first impression.

At one point or another we have all thought about changing careers.  Whether or not your job has been affected by the economy, changing industries can be a scary but necessary task.  This especially holds true for those who have recently lost long held positions.  The simple idea of changing careers and industries can leave one feeling nervous and scared.

The current state of the economy however may deem it necessary for some to take those steps toward the unknown.  You hear stories of people just picking up and starting over in a completely different field and being successful at it.  It’s a different story however when you’re the one facing this same challenge.

Figuring out what industry to go to, which companies are hiring and finding a position that fits can make your head spin.  The Wall Street Journal has a great article with tips for identifying those companies and what steps need to be taken to set you on the right path.  Be sure to check out their full article here.

Before the economic crisis, having a gap on your resume may have sent up a red flag.  Employers wanted to know the reason for these gaps in employment and some resources say you should always account for those gaps in your resume by outlining what you did with the time you weren’t working.

With the turn of events our country has taken and the resulting recession and economic crisis, layoffs have become more common place than they were just a few short years ago.  It’s not a unique experience now when an employer comes across a resume that has some sort of gap in employment history.  These should still be explained but the manner in which you do so can either hurt you or help you.

Discussing your employment  and non-employment time-lines can be a bit daunting but Wall Street Journal has posted an article that gives some good pointers on how to approach this very topic.  Click here to read the article.

With the advancements in technology it’s only logical for companies to advance all of their systems.  While this can be a good thing, sometimes it can also spell certain doom for those trying to apply for open positions.  With the current job market, the competition is more fierce than ever.  Human Resource departments are getting inundated with applicants for any and all positions and because of this, more and more companies are moving to automated systems.  While this may be a benefit to the company, it can, and most likely will, work against the job seeker.

Writing a resume can be hard enough without having to make sure you hit on all of the points listed in a job description.  These days you now have to worry about whether or not your resume contains the proper keywords.  Keywords that will be recognized by the electronic applicant tracking system that company may be using.  It’s imperative to re-evaluate your resume to make sure it’s up to the task of being put through one of these automated systems.  Yahoo! HotJobs posted a great article listing 7 tips on mastering these automated systems.  Head on over here to read their full article.

Looking for a job in the current economic climate is definitely a challenge. Searching the classifieds as well as the online job boards can get tiring as well as discouraging. Another option to add to your job search arsenal is a temporary or placement agency.

While some may think that it’s not guaranteed work, there have been success stories of those who went through a temp agency to end up in a permanent full time position with a company that the temp agency placed them with. The best thing you can do in the search for a job is to explore all of your options. Don’t let the temp / placement agencies be forgotten. The AT&T careers website has a great article outlining success stories. Check it out here.

Completing a resume can be a daunting task.  You’re forced to remember every detail of each position you’ve had, dates, accomplishments among other things.  Sometimes it’s necessary to tailor your resume for a certain position you’re applying for.  Pushing the boundaries on your skills and accomplishments may seem like an innocent white lie, but those can come back to bite you in the worst way.

In the current employment climate, the competition is fierce and the amount of applicants for each available job is staggering.  You want to highlight your skills and experience in the best possible light while staying honest.  Wall Street Journal has a great article that outlines just why honesty is indeed the best policy in regards to your resume.  You can check out the article here.

Should you include a cover letter with your resume or not? It’s a question everyone who has submitted a resume has had to ask themselves. We hear that employers don’t read them and that they do read them. Some employers ask for them, while others don’t. Either way, it can be   trying to figure out exactly what needs to be included in the cover letter.

As if job hunting wasn’t stressful enough, now you have to add having a pristine cover letter to the mix. Well fear not, we here at CentralValleyJobs.com scour the web to bring you articles on the in’s and out’s of job hunting. Monster.com has a great article on how to avoid 7 no-no’s of cover letters. You can find their article here.

There are endless resources online that will help guide you to writing an effective resume, answering those dreaded interview questions and how to go about finding a job. We will highlight certain articles here.

The most essential piece to the job hunting puzzle is your resume. Pretty much any position you apply for, the employer will require you to send your resume. With the current climate that the job market is in, competition for open positions is at an all time high it seems. Tailoring your resume to reflect your interest in a given position will help make you stand out from a crowd. It’s a must and CareerBuilder has posted an article outlining 10 ways to make your resume stand out. Follow the link to read the rest of the article.

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Success in job search is easy to deal with. A job offer feels good, it validates us and allows us to move forward in life. It’s what we all want and strive for. But for most job seekers, our successes are infrequent. They’re sandwiched between boatloads of indifference, rejection and apparent failure. If you’ve been hunting for a job very long, you know what I’m talking about. Job search is one big exercise in rejection until you win that job you’ve been pursuing.

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There are a number of ways that you can acquire the job you want. You can go the traditional route of finding an ad and applying for the job, or going through the temp agency where you can get your feet wet in certain fields.

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