By Elizabeth Garone

 

Q: As a LinkedIn user, I am seeing many people stating, "looking for a job opportunity" and other similar statements in their profile or status. If you are unemployed, is it good to announce that you are looking for a job this way, or does it potentially damage your image?

A: In the past, it was common to try to hide the fact that you'd lost your job. But that has changed in the current economy. "The stigma of being unemployed in this economy is almost non-existent," says Terry Karp, career counselor and co-founder of the Bay Area Career Center in San Francisco. "It is commonly understood that many talented people have been laid off completely due to a business decision by the company, not their performance."

 

By Jessi Hempel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By MICHELLE GOODMAN

 

A good portion of the e-mail I receive is from readers over age 50 who are looking for work after a layoff. Many tell me they found their last job more than a decade ago, in the classifieds of their local newspaper. Many more say they're daunted -- understandably so -- by the foul job market, the prospect of ageism and the likelihood of being interviewed by someone half their age.

All of them worry about the generalizations some short-sighted employers make about older workers. Either they see you as overqualified and overpriced, or they believe you're inflexible and technologically challenged. Perhaps they suspect you're just biding your time and taking up space until retirement rolls around.

 

We've all heard countless career experts (yours truly included) offer the same old job hunting solutions for workers over 50:
Freshen up your wardrobe! Brush up your tech skills! Leave the education dates off your resume! Get on LinkedIn! Network till you're blue in the face!

 

Smiles, everyone, smiles!

But platitudes will only get you so far. So let's talk about the top mistakes that hopeful hires over age 50 make and how to avoid them.

 

By John Rossheim, Monster Senior Contributing Writer

 

Once upon a time, a job seeker landed an interview, skimmed the prospective employer's annual report, wowed the hiring manager with a few company facts and strolled into his dream job.

That late-'90s fairy tale rarely comes true these days. With employers in more control of the labor market, candidates feel compelled to give it their all in their interview preparation. And that includes mounting a broad, deep search for relevant information about the position, the company, the industry and even the interviewer.

Luckily for you, diverse resources, many of them free or cheap and available on the Internet, enable you to achieve that competitive edge if you're willing to put your nose to the grindstone -- or computer monitor.
Employers' Web Sites

Your prospective employer's corporate Web site is the best place to see the company as it wants to be seen. Do check out that annual report, but also look for a "press room" or "company news" page that links to recent news releases. As you mull all this information, consider how the open position, as detailed in the job posting, relates to the company's mission.

But don't stop there. Use the company site's search facility to query the names of the hiring manager and any others on your interview dance card. You may retrieve bio pages or press releases that give you insight into their most visible activities at the company. "Learning about the interviewer is probably the most valuable thing you can do," says Ron Fry, author of 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions.

 

By Lee Miller, Monster Contributing Writer 

 

When Maxine Hartley, now an executive coach, was a young human resources executive being recruited by an Atlanta-based company, she did her homework and knew the terms she would need to make the move. But as Hartley realizes now, she wasn't prepared to negotiate the deal she wanted and, not surprisingly, didn't get it. What went wrong?

Hartley liked the company and was very interested in the position, and the company wanted to hire her. She had decided she needed $50,000 to make it worth her while to move to Atlanta. When the company offered her $40,000, she declined the offer. She did what many women do: She looked at the offer as a choice, not as an opportunity to negotiate.

Today, Hartley would advise a client facing a similar situation to ask for a higher salary. If that did not work, she'd suggest the client try to bridge the gap by asking for a signing bonus or a six-month review.

In researching A Woman's Guide to Successful Negotiating, my daughter and I interviewed more than 50 of the country's most successful women, including Cathleen Black, president of Hearst Magazines; Lisa Caputo, former White House press secretary to Hillary Clinton; Emmy Award-winning actress Christine Baranski; Susanna Hoffs, lead singer of The Bangles; Katie Ford, CEO of Ford Modeling Agency; Elaine Conway, director of the New York State Division for Women; and Katie Blackburn, executive vice president for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals. Based on that research, we identified 10 common mistakes women make. Of these, the three biggest mistakes are:

 

Full article... 

Les Berglass interviewed by Telis Demos 

 

It's a wonderful thought: that someone might just call you up and end your job-search woes forever.

 

But the most important thing you need to know about recruiters, says Les Berglass, founder of Berglass & Associates, is that they love confidence. If you try too hard to get their attention, they won't be interested. If someone else recommends you, it's another story. But Berglass, a veteran recruiter, says there are ways to boost your chances. Here are a few.

It doesn't help. Understand that we work for the corporation, not the candidate. In my 27 years as a recruiter, I can count on one hand the number of unsolicited résumés that have ended up as candidates.
It's like winning the lottery. If you're absolutely dying to get in front of a recruiter, you might try going to an industry conference in your field. It costs a little bit of money, but it shows you're serious.

 

By CAREEREALISM-Approved Expert, Joshua Waldman

 

A few weeks ago I interviewed a designer named Hal Thomas who got a job using Twitter. To see the replay, you can visit it here.

I had MANY questions about the use of Twitter in the job search we simply didn't have time to answer. So I'm going to answer them here.

If you're just getting started on Twitter, what's the best way to find people that will target the people you're looking for to build your relationships?

There are essentially two ways to find people; either through their profile or through their tweets.

You can search for different key-terms that may appear on someone's profile by using a tool called Twellow. For example, you may be looking for a marketing director for Hasboro. So you can search for "Hasboro" and find anyone who uses it in their profile. Then you can filter by job title, director, executive, etc. This is a great strategy for adding key contacts to your Twitter list.

Sometimes, people tweet about topics that might not appear on their profile. For example, someone might work at Hasboro, but not declare this fact in their bio. However, it is likely they'll tweet about their job every once in a while. In this case, you would use a tool called Twitter Search. I've given a brief video tutorial on how to use this tool on Youtube. You can watch it here.

 

By MARC CENEDELLA

 

The job interview is an unusual situation: You're put in a room you've never been in, with a person you've never met, to talk about a company you don't work at, in order to persuade somebody that you'll be excellent at a job you don't have.

No wonder it feels awkward, artificial and anxious.

But a lot of the "mystery" around great job interviewing comes from the fact that we don't do it that often. Every few years, we're supposed to magically dust off our interview skills and go out there and shine.

Well, I talk to a lot of job-seekers, hiring managers, and recruiters, and the "secrets" behind great interviews aren't really that mysterious after all.

So here's what you need to know for making your job interviews a lot less nerve-wracking and a lot more effective.

 

 

Did you know Right Management has gathered many job search resources for you and placed them all on our "Candidate Corner" website?  Did you know all this information is waiting for you? 

 

Here's a short list of what's available to you anytime:

 Candidate Corner

Please be sure to complete your Talent Profile on

 

www.righteverywhere.com. 

 

Your anonymous profile will be viewed by employers, retained search firms, and Manpower recruiters. They will make direct contact through the RightEverywhere website.  This is an additional resource to showcase your talent. 
 
Using the 'My Connections' gadget on your homepage, please click on 'Edit My Talent Profile'. You will be guided to complete a Summary Statement, Job History, Skills & Competencies, Education, Languages Spoken, and Location. 

 

Please be sure to 'publish' your information once you're satisfied with your profile.  You profile will be not be available on the site unless you publish it.

 

Ask your consultant how you can improve your interviewing skills with the latest technology.