Arleen’s Blog | Arleen Bradley Career Coaching - Putting the care in your career

2 Things Job Searchers Want Human Resources Managers to Know

March 10, 2014 | Author: Arleen Bradley

An auto email is better than not hearing anything.

There are many things job searchers desperately want. The number one item is a job! Job searchers want human resources managers to know is that they want the job and they need the paycheck that goes with it. Human resource managers aren’t the ones making the decision. It’s the hiring manager.

However, next to a job the other two things are would make the job search less frustrating. They are acknowledgement and closure. And the human resources manager has the power here.

We all know that a when a job searcher submits a resume to a company it is supposed to go into the Application Tracking System. But what we don’t know for sure is if the ATS received it. How simple it would be to receive an automatic response that merely acknowledges it has been received.

We receive automatic responses for many things. Such as when you place an order, you receive an email saying that the order has been received and is being processed. If you sign up for a seminar, newsletter, or a special report, you are sent pre-programed responses that are triggered by clicking the submit button.

The other use for an automatic response is to inform unsuccessful candidates that the job search is closed, and they were not chosen. Instead of waiting, and wondering what is going on, how nice it would be to know that the job is taken. Yes, it would be disappointing to learn that you were not the successful candidate.

While we would like to hear the good news of success, we understand that only one person can be selected. The unsuccessful candidates would like to know that they no longer have to wait for news or continue to pursue the position. It would give the job searcher closure on the job. And in some way give them permission to move on because this job is gone.

Many people continue to think they are in the running and hope to hear something while the lucky person is in the position and loving it. Life isn’t fair, but is it fair to allow people to wait for something that isn’t coming? I don’t think so nor do the millions of people who find themselves in this position.

Maybe someone can explain why job searchers don’t get acknowledgements and closure. Please respond in the comments section.

How can I help you in your job search?

Where do Baby Boomers See Themselves in 5 to 10 Years?

March 7, 2014 | Author: Arleen Bradley

Your retirement will be there when you are ready.

Last week I posted a blog that answered 2 typical job search questions. At the bottom, I invited people to ask questions for me to answer. There was one question that I found interesting, and I would like to answer here.

The person asked what is the best way to answer where do you see yourself in five to ten years from now. It’s a typical question but how does a baby boomer answer this question when retirement is within that time frame. The person’s answer is ideally “relaxing in the south of France for three months.” But that answer isn’t going to get anyone a job.

So what is the answer? Before I give my answer, I would put the matter in perspective. Since the economic downturn of 2008, many people have lost their jobs. Most of the people having difficulty finding a job are baby boomers. Their long-term unemployment forced them to use their savings and retirement funds to pay for everyday expenses. Or your retirement investments have not yielded the results you were hoping for causing you to work longer to get them where you want them to be.

Another reason to consider is the age at which people can collect their full Social Security benefit. Currently there is a scale that determines that age. For people born from 1943 to 1954, the age is 66. People born from 1955 to 1959 can add 2, 4, 6 or 8 months to age 66. People born in 1960 and later will have to wait until they are 67 to retire with full Social Security benefits.

If you are a baby boomer that falls into either or both groups, retirement isn’t in your near future. Fortunately baby boomers have had the benefit of healthcare and are healthy. Working later into life is possible.

Now to the answer the question. I think you should answer it honestly. Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years? Depending on your financial situation, working may be your answer. While you don’t have to explain your situation, tell them of your interest in using your skills and experience to meet the company’s goals. You could mention that you are healthy and capable of giving your full attention to the job. You may have other reasons to continue working that should be mentioned.

This answer to this question is by circumstances beyond your control. Relaxing in the south of France or something similar may have been your plan until issues changed it. Your answer should reflect the realities of your life. Hang in there, you will reach your retirement dreams. It may take a little longer than you thought, but you’ll get there.

How can I help you in your job search?

Your Job Title: Does it Define You?

March 5, 2014 | Author: Arleen Bradley

Years ago I lost my job. It wasn’t just any job; I was working for my church. The church my family had been involved in for 100 years. I lost not only my job; I also lost where I went to church; the support system of people I had shared my faith with; the place where I socialized and many friends. For various reasons, the members went to all different parishes. It was a lot to lose for one person. I lost the place, activities and people I would go to in times of trouble. But it was gone. Not only did I have to look for a new job but I had to find a new parish and start assembling faith sharing group.

Who am I?

However, I had lost my identity. I had been a Director of Religious Education (DRE) at Sacred Heart Parish in Lawrence, Massachusetts. I had a title that described what I did, what I believed and where I did it. If I were no longer the DRE at Sacred Heart, who was I? My skills didn’t seem to translate into the secular world.

What do I do?

The chances of repeating my role as a DRE in the Archdiocese of Boston didn’t looking promising as 80 parishes were closed at that time. I had tightly woven my identity, my job and my church together. I had poured my heart and soul into the job and parish; it had become who I was. After the church closed, I didn’t know who I was, where I belonged or what I wanted to do. People asked me what I kind of work I wanted but I didn’t know. I looked for something in a haystack but didn’t know what.

What I do.

After taking different jobs doing various tasks, I realized who I was. I was a people person. I enjoy helping people. Now when I think about who I am, I no longer think of myself as a particular title. I am happiest when I can help people get what they want; whether it’s a job, a skill, a connection or a listening ear. That is what I do best. Anything I can do that uses this talent is my job.

Who I am.

I am someone who can help you. I am proud of my ability to assist people in their needs. Sometimes I am a career coach. Other times I am a neighbor who helps out in difficult situations. I am a member of a committee doing what I am assigned to do. Other times I am a daughter who will take her mother where she wants to go. I am not just one thing. I enjoy being resourceful and capable. I am not defined by job title.

I have found that I am more than a job title because I have transferable skills that I can use wherever they are needed. I am open to all possibilities as they are made known to me. And more importantly, ,hen the inevitable changes come, I am able to adjust to meet the new challenges.

How are you defining yourself?

Success Is In The Palm of Your Hands

February 28, 2014 | Author: Arleen Bradley

Success in the palm of your hands

I remember the day when all the phone did was connect two people to have a conversation. You could hear the other person, but you couldn’t see them. Slowly, new technology allowed you do more things. Such as put a caller on hold while you answered another call. And now phones do just about everything you can imagine.

Whether you have a smart phone or tablet, there are apps for every task you want to do. Everything includes your job search. I have found five apps I would like to share with you here. There are many more, but you will get an idea of what’s available.

The apps below are for Android.

Jobrio Job Search—Has 13 of the most popular job search engines for a worldwide job search. Some of the job search engines are LinkUp, JobServe, Careers 2.0, LinkedIn, NRD.gov and Monster. Set job notifications, sort by date or relevance, and save searches. It’s a handy tool to find jobs from many sources all in one place.

TinyScan: PDF Document Scanner—use your phone/tablet as a pdf scanner for documents, photos, business cards, receipts and more. The app allows you to store them on your device or memory card. They can also be emailed. The app is easy to use and produces high quality documents that can be exported to Dropbox, Google Drive or transferred to other devices. Having a scanner ready to capture business cards and other documents will ensure you have information when you want it even on the go.

Advanced English & Thesaurus—this app is a useful tool when creating resumes and cover letters. Having both in one app eliminates the need for two apps. Features include the ability to search for words as you type it, bookmark favorite words, and stores the last 50 words searched. If you want to expand your vocabulary, there is a widget for a new word every day. You can use your new words in an interview.

101 Interview Questions and Answers—if you have time on your hands you can practice interview questions. This app answers the most common questions in several categories. Some of the categories are behavioral, time management, decision-making, leadership and more. It also includes questions you can ask the interviewer. After you have read the questions with the suggested answers, you can read the question, answer it and compare it to the app’s answer. Great tool for building confidence.

Stress Reduction—most people are nervous just before going into the interview. I don’t have a particular one to recommend as there are many apps in this category. Picking one would be difficult because everyone has a particular favorite way to relax. Some like guided imagery, breathing exercises, yoga, tai chi, or sounds. Find the one that suits you best. I do recommend having a stress reduction app on your phone for your peace of mind any time you feel stressed. Especially just before your interview.

I hope these apps help you in your job search. There are many tools for you job search. Knowing what’s available will help you choose the ones that are right for you. And using them will get you a job.

How can I help you in your job search?

Answers to Your Job Search Questions

February 26, 2014 | Author: Arleen Bradley

Answers for your questions

The reason for job search group is to ask questions and get answers. There are many questions that are asked often. Answering all these questions in this blog could provide me with content for months. But there are two questions I want to answer here. One is about cover letters, and the other is about social media and hiring companies.

The first question concerns whether or not people should send cover letters. My answer is yes. There are three groups of human resource people. The first group always read cover letters along with the resume. The second group never read cover letters. The third group reads cover letters when they find something in the resume that causes them to read the cover letter.

This seems cut and dry; always, never, and sometimes. However, when you send your resume to a company, do you know what group the read belongs in? Probably not unless you know someone at the company that can tell you exactly what to do. I recommend sending a cover letter with every resume. Most of the time you are sending the resume electronically, you won’t cost you any more to send. If the receiver wants to read it, it’s there. They can ignore or toss it if they don’t want it.

The second question is about the job searchers and social media. Do they look at it and what will it do to my candidacy? Again, they answer is maybe. First of all, they probably won’t check into your digital presence unless you are a top candidate. With the many applications they receive, it would be too time consuming to investigate all.

To be on the safe side, look at your digital presence to see what it says about you. I recommend that you run searches to see what they will see about you. There are free online digital dirt finders and companies will search for you for a fee. I will share ways to search your digital dirt in a future post.

If you find things you don’t like, take steps to clean it up. I think the best way to do it is to flood the internet with positive information about you. A few good ways are to share your thoughts in LinkedIn groups. Respond to articles posted in high quality publications like the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Money, etc. Give book reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Comment in forums and blog posts.

While these steps will take time, you want to start cleaning up digital dirt now. To do that remove anything you can remove. Take down and/or untag yourself from questionable pictures. Leave groups that don’t promote you in a good light. And finally, tighten all your security settings.

I hope this post provides you with valuable information about questions that have been troubling you in your job search. Knowledge is power. The more you know, the better you can make decisions.

What questions would you like answered? Leave them in the response.

How can I help you in your job search?

Arleen Bradley Career Coaching

2 Things Job Searchers Want Human Resources Managers to Know

Your Job Title: Does it Define You?

Success Is In The Palm of Your Hands

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