Career Attraction » monster

“Your Job Will Come” with Aaron Crowe – Job Boards

Kevin Kermes — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:09:43 +0000

On this episode of Aaron Crowe’s ”Your Job Will Come,” we talk about the job boards. We tackle why they don’t work, how you can work around them, the role they can play in your job search and much more.

In addition to hosting this talk radio show focused on helping others in the midst of their job search, Aaron is a Section Editor at AOL’s Walletpop.com.

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Kevin is the Founder of Build the Career You Deserve, a company devoted to empowering professionals with the vital tools and information necessary to find the job they want and build the successful career they deserve. Sign up for his free e-zine – Build the Career You Deserve – for insider tips on how to do just that!

Career Mapping – A “Monster” Strike Out

Kevin Kermes — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:08:40 +0000

It is no secret that I am not a fan of the job boards. That being said, I was actually a little excited when I saw that Monster had rolled out a new “career mapping” tool on its website. I thought, “Finally they are practicing a little more “give” than “get.”” But, when I took a test drive of the tool I was massively disappointed. While its aim is to provide you a resource to map your career, it bases this solely on hard skills associated with your current position (provided you can find it). So, it might be useful for someone looking to make a logical, linear career move (although, I am not sure why you would need a tool to figure that out). What it doesn’t do is take into account your soft skills or any of the elements key to navigating a successful career change. Let’s take a look at how you can create your own personal “career mapping” tool:

Do What You Like, Like What You Do – This is as good a place as any to start. Typically, people do well at what they like. When looking to make a change (particularly when you don’t know what that change might be) focus on what elements of your previous job you enjoyed. These are usually the areas in which you excelled. Write them down, put them together. This is your starting point.

The Push and the Pull – When making a job transition, you are almost always keen on what you are moving away from (the “push”) but often not what you are moving towards (the “pull”). Defining where you are heading and why is more important than how you got here. Take those areas where you excel…the areas where you like to be…and start shaping what that “pull” looks like.

You are a Solution – You know what you like doing and you do it well. This is Your Solution. There are companies out there in need of your skills – even if you don’t have their specific industry experience. Frankly, there are advantages to being an outsider in this marketplace. It is all about finding that pain which you and Your Solution address.

A Computer Cannot Do This – Put the mouse down and step away from the computer. To effectively make this career change happen, you have to take your brand…Your Solution…out to the marketplace. This means networking, meeting new people and getting your message out there. While there are many things the internet can do for you, ultimately it is you who will get you hired. The email or the resume isn’t going to get the job offer – you are.

Your job search is as individual as you are – particularly now. The name of the game is standing out and differentiating. Homogenized tools that “map” a path for you based solely on hard skills simply are not going to deliver when looking to switch careers. You need to create your own “career map” by defining what you do exceptionally well and then finding those companies that need your expertise.

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Looking for the tools to put all this together? My Career Mastermind Group puts solutions like we just discussed into action. This month’s Subject Matter Expert interview is with Ilona Vanderwoude (1 of 28 Master Resume Writers in the world). You can read more about this unique, information packed program by clicking here.

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WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Kevin Kermes publishes the ‘Build the Career Your Deserve’ e-zine with over 21,000+ subscribers. If you are ready to empower yourself with the vital tools and information necessary to find the job you want and build the successful career you deserve, visit him now www.careerattraction.com

Job Boards: The Broken System – from the Build the Career You Deserve ezine

Kevin Kermes — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:30:18 +0000

Wake up, scour the job boards, reply to ads, repeat. This is the grind for many job seekers these days. It’s a system that is promoted heavily, but it is a massively broken system. The statistics say it all: studies report 3% of jobs are found through job boards. Yet, this is where some 95% of the 13.7 million jobless in the U.S. focus and spend the bulk of their time searching for a new opportunity. And, I understand why at first glance: they offer a plan. They have a “system (a term I use very loosely).” But, before you invest too much more time on these boards, here are some things to consider:

· Job Boards are Big Business, but not Your Business – A billion dollars industry with the big backed by the bigger (Careerbuilder is tied with CNN, Monster with CNN and HotJobs is owned by Yahoo). And, they are after you because they really need you. Without high unique visitor counts daily and fresh resumes being dumped into their databases, they cannot charge the prices they want for ads and resume access. They need an overcrowded system because it benefits them – not you.

· But, it’s So Easy – No doubt, the ease with which you can apply to a job is one of the attractive qualities of the boards. But, that is only because there is a lack of any barrier to entry – or application. That lack of a barrier floods the market with a deluge of resume. This high resume count means applicant tracking systems (ATS – the name and acronym sound so clinical) are necessary to search and sort through information. This gets the interview process started on the wrong foot – a process that is all about a highly personal touch. Quality is sacrificed for quantity. Sounds like the healthcare system – you become a number, not a name.

· You are More Important than Your Resume – some of the best job search techniques out there rely very little on resumes. Job boards focus on your resume because it is key to them building their database. They are even offering resume writing services which guarantee “satisfaction,” but not interviews. I have had several clients that used these services before working with me. Not only did their resume re-writes not result in interviews, the job boards often came back and re-pitched their services to my clients…just adding insult to injury.

· The Statistic They Don’t Want You to Know – You won’t ever hear the job boards talk about how many people are hired using their “system (again, I cringe calling it that).” Another number they never promote is the “hidden job market.” 80-85% of hires every year are made here. The kicker is that only about 5% of job seekers aggressively targets this market…and uncovering it is easier than you think. You just need a real “system.” One that works for you – and you alone.

This past week, I spent a little over 30 minutes talking about these points plus a few more. Most important, I shared some free tips and remedies on how you can get a system that works for you. If you weren’t one of the 1000 participants on the webinar, you can listen here to the “5 Secrets to the Perfect Job Search.”

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Kevin is the Founder of Build the Career You Deserve, a company devoted to empowering professionals with the vital tools and information necessary to find the job they want and build the successful career they deserve. Sign up for his free e-zine – Build the Career You Deserve – for insider tips on how to do just that!