Introducing WorkCoachCafe.com

January 22nd, 2012 by Susan P. Joyce

Well…  2011 was a very interesting year, but boring (NOT!).  So I decided  that I needed a new challenge.  At the end of December, NETability, Inc. (owner of Job-Hunt.org) acquired WorkCoachCafe.com.  WCC is a 5-year old blog about career and job search issues which has been written by the famous Ronnie Ann for those five years.  Tough shoes to fill!

Check it out – all of Ronnie Ann’s articles are still available plus about 5,000 comments from members of the WorkCoachCafe.com community.  And, new articles and comments will be added in the future.

Thank you, Ronnie Ann, for doing such excellent work!

Posted in Work Coach Cafe | No Comments »

The Craigslist Killings: Is Craigslist Safe for Job Search?

December 4th, 2011 by Susan P. Joyce

Do a Google search on “craigslist killings,” and Google will show you over 100,000 search results.  Yikes!  And the most recent event in the USA appears to have been related to a job posting on craigslist which has apparently resulted in at least 3 deaths.

Human predators have existed for millions of years, and they have adapted well to the Internet.  Like some people gifted with a talent for music or computers, people gifted with a predator’s ”talent” adapt to their environment and adopt the new tools available, modifying their approach to fit with the opportunities the new environment provides.

Right now a lot of people are job hunting, and that has attracted the human predators.  The unemployed are sometimes desperate which can make them more vulnerable.

So, is craigslist unsafe for job search?

Sponsor:
what where  
job title, keywords or company
Employers: post your jobs
city, state or zip jobs by Indeed

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Posted in Job Search Scams | No Comments »

Helpful Holiday Table Talk with Unemployed Friends – 3 Key Questions

November 18th, 2011 by Susan P. Joyce

People get together for the holidays, often seeing friends they haven’t seen since the last year’s year-ending holidays.  So, holiday parties are a wonderful time to network and to connect with jobs, before the new year starts.

If you have unemployed friends (most of us do), help them leverage these holiday get-togethers to advance their job search.  What a great way to start the new year – a new job!

Do NOT –

Even sympathetically, don’t ask “So, still job-hunting?”

If you’re unemployed, you face the reality of job hunting every day, and it isn’t fun.

So, when you meet with unemployed friends, be sensitive to your friends’ feelings, and don’t ask awkward questions.  People seem to flounder around trying to be helpful, often making everyone feel uncomfortable.

Instead -

After you’ve exchanged the usual pleasantries, look for concrete ways you can help your friend with their job search.

Ask these 3 questions: Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Job Search | 3 Comments »

Do More than Send a Sorry-You-Got-Laid-Off Card

October 16th, 2011 by Susan P. Joyce

I think this is a fabulous idea – as long as the card isn’t snarky or sent with a mean spirit.  I’ve also seen “Happy Lay Off” cards that can be very funny, if you’re in the mood.

But, I also wouldn’t stop with only a card, even if the card is wonderful. There are so many more things you can do for someone who has just lost their job.

When you’ve been laid off, you can feel like an escapee (if you’re lucky) or like a failure or a victim, and sometimes you feel awkward about reaching back to people you saw every day but who are now employed where you were once employed.

You also feel cut off from your colleagues – from your (former) support network at work.  With luck, and a little effort, colleagues can transform into a network outside of work, too.

So that card is a great start.  And then: Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Job Loss | 1 Comment »

WIIFT – The Key to Successful Job Search

September 24th, 2011 by Susan P. Joyce

Think about it: would you buy something from someone who didn’t care what you wanted or needed?

“Buy this computer.  I need to make a sale today.”

You’d be a lot more interested in buying if the salesperson said this:

“This computer does exactly what you need.  It runs the most popular and reliable operating system, the one you know how to use.  All the software you use every day is already installed, and ready to go.  It has plenty of memory, a super fast processor, and the largest and fastest hard drive on the market.  It has built-in WIFI and 5G network connections, plus the latest anti-virus, anti-spam, anti-malware, anti-spyware software to protect you and your computer from the Internet bad guys.

If you’re like me, you’d be so thrilled by that offer, it would take you a while to remember to ask the price.  That’s why really good sales people are so successful – they look at things from the customer’s perspective.

In your job search, view potential employers as your customers. Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Personal Marketing | 1 Comment »

Indeed Resume: Great News for Job Seekers & Employers

September 19th, 2011 by Susan P. Joyce

 The world’s # 1 online job search destination just became even more important!

On Sept. 14, in response to requests from job seekers (and probably employers), Indeed.com announced the launch of Indeed Resume, a new function that will help both job seekers and employers, and could be the next must-do for job seekers.

As of September 14, Indeed now provides:

  • Resume posting for job seekers (free, of course) with many different resume formats accepted, including PDF.
  • And, free resume searching for employers, although a cost to employers will probably be coming. 
  • A personal URL for the job seeker (customizable by the job seeker) to use for their Indeed Resume.

I’m happy to say that Indeed is a Job-Hunt Sponsor, but I see this as an important new development benefiting both job seekers and employers regardless of that relationship.

How Indeed Resume Works

Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Job Search | 1 Comment »

Growth of Social Media – Infographic

September 4th, 2011 by Susan P. Joyce

I ran into this very interesting infographic on LinkedIn today, thanks to David Merzel‘s post on the Job-Hunt Help LinkedIn Group, and it’s worth sharing.  This graphic was originally published on SearchEngineJournal.com in late August, so it’s current, comparing 2010 and 2011 data.

You will see it includes some of the impact of social media on recruiting and job search, particularly how employers research in social media and the impact of that research.

It’s long and global.  I recommend that you read the whole thing. The data sources are at the bottom of the graphic.  If you click on it, you can see a larger version of it.
Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Social Networks | 2 Comments »

4 Million Jobs Filled in the USA in June, 2011 – JOLTS of Job Market Reality

August 22nd, 2011 by Susan P. Joyce

4,051,000 jobs were filed in June, 2011, and over 3,100,000 jobs were open at the end of June, 2011!

Much better than you thought, right?

Welcome to JOLTS – monthly reports issued by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, every month.

JOLTS Reports?  Yes, every month since January 2000, the Bureau of Labor Statistics analyzes the number of hires during a month and the number of jobs open at the end of the same month.  The result is called the “Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey” a.k.a. “JOLTS.” 

The JOLTS survey covers all nonagricultural industries in the public and private sectors for the 50 States and the District of Columbia.  JOLTS collects data on total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations

This provides some very interesting and encouraging, information about the job market.  While we obsess and wring our hands every month over the high unemployment rate and the low number of new jobs created, JOLTS offers additional  information that is a better indication of what job seekers are experiencing in the current job market.

The data is a couple of months old when released, while the statisticians at  BLS do their analysis, but on the better-late-than-never theory, new information is released every month.

A couple of years ago, as the recession began, my friend (and every job seeker’s friend) Dick Bolles, author of the classic book What Color Is Your Parachute? introduced me to the US Department of Labor’s JOLTS reports.  We should all follow Dick’s advice, and check it out.  We’ll probably feel better as a result.

Posted in Job Market | 1 Comment »

Don’t Send Me (or Anyone Else) Your Resume!

August 15th, 2011 by Susan P. Joyce

“Spray and pray” resume distribution (sending it to every email address you can find or posting it in every job board you can find) is a waste of time, and makes you look desperate and dumb.  Don’t do it yourself, and don’t hire a resume distribution “service” to do it for you.  

Not only do you look desperate, spray-and-pray may send your resume into the wrong hands, for example, to:

  • Your current boss, if you are employed, or someone else you work with, which can result in loss of the job you have.
  • Someone who will use your information for their own purposes completely unrelated to job search – selling your contact information to mass marketers, for example.  Need more spam, junk phone calls, or junk mail?
  • Someone intent on identity theft or other nasty action.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Job Search | 2 Comments »

Mid-Year Job Search Check-Up: Getting Un-Stuck

July 19th, 2011 by Susan P. Joyce

Are there things you know you should be doing for your job search, but you can’t seem to get started? Or finished? Do you feel like you are trying to run through a tar pit wearing water skis to get anything done?  

You are stuck, and July is the perfect time to get un-stuck.  Leap out of that tar pit, and leave those skis behind!

With your rivals for that great job taking it easy this summer, you vault into action and snag that job while they aren’t paying attention.

How to get un-stuck immediately so you can do all this leaping, vaulting, and snagging?  Try applying these 5 rules for making progress in landing your new job.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted in Career Collective | 10 Comments »

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