No BS Hiring Advice

When Amy from Denver was laid off from her job in telecommunications two years ago, she decided it was time for a career change. Always interested in art, Amy thought a creative position would be the perfect fit.

Amy found that applicant tracking systems made it difficult for a job seeker changing careers to compete with candidates whose resumes were loaded with industry-specific skills. Her solution? A unique usage of Jobscan that found her a job in less than 30 days.

The Bottom of the Resume Pile Amy did her research to find out more about the current job search climate. “One of the things that really stood out was that for all of these jobs online, knowing that about 500 people were applying to each of these roles,” she said.

She learned that without using the right resume keywords for each job she applied for, she would likely land at the bottom of that 500-person resume pile. Plus, she felt she was at a particular disadvantage since the skills she’d picked up in telecommunications was likely much different than the skills she would need for a job in the arts.

“When I saw Jobscan I thought, oh this is perfect. This is exactly what I want," Amy said.

A Job Search That Works for You Amy knew she was interested in a more artistic job, but didn’t know how to narrow her search beyond that. So while most Jobscan users use the tool to make their resume a better fit for a job they want, Amy used the tool to help her figure out which jobs interested her most.

She would run a scan, then scroll directly to the skills sections of the Match Report. If the keywords that were pulled out of the job description didn’t match up with skills she currently had or the types of skills she hoped to pick up in the future, she wouldn’t spend her time on that job.

“I just did the audit and said ‘this isn’t worth my thirty minutes to an hour to do’. Next!”

Throughout this process, Amy started getting a better idea of what she was looking for in a career. She said, “I was learning also who I was and what excited me.”

Another way Amy made her job search work for her was by setting a routine. She said that like many people, her self-esteem had taken a hit when she was laid off. A manageable routine was crucial to keeping her productive in her job search, but not overwhelming the rest of her life.

Her goal was to apply to just one job a day. “I could be done by 10 or 11 o’clock and then I had the day for myself. Just to build up to me, “ she said.

Ever-Evolving Job Search Her creative job search process worked for her. Amy landed a job within 30 days of using Jobscan, but she says she’s not done with the tool just yet.

While she feels the job she has now is on the right track toward a career in art, she has newfound confidence to keep searching for an even better fit in the future.

“Once I get settled in this new role I can say, ‘now I’m going to back to Jobscan and keep looking for those art jobs.’” #hiringevents #motivation #interview

View this:. Experts say this is the best time to be looking for a job because, so many more people are apt to respond to your emails, respond to your calls because we’re all sitting at home looking for something to do. This group of experts all agree that it’s important to be applying online, updating your resume and online profiles, especially on LinkedIn, and continuing to network, even if virtually.

#workfromhome #motivation #officelife #callcenter #coronavirus #interview #hiringevents

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#veterans What are the chances of landing an interview for a former military pilot with 30 years of real-life leadership experience, a brand new business degree from an acclaimed university, and the charisma and confidence to go along with it? Just about as good as they get, right?

In reality, this person applied to 300 jobs over a five-month period without one single response.

I was just as surprised as you probably are when I spoke with Rusty, a real Jobscan user from Denver, Colorado.

The Resume Black Hole “One of the things I was disheartened by was the lack of actionable information when it came to the job search,” he said. Rusty connected with {Hire Heroes USA](https://www.hireheroesusa.org/?utm_source=mailchimp-free&utm_campaign=15d6cac506-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_23_09_05_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d2497515eb-15d6cac506-249831605) in an effort to find some motivation to help him push forward. While getting tips for improving his job search and writing a military to civilian resume, a coach with Hired Heroes suggested Jobscan.

When Rusty came out of the military with decades of strong leadership experience in his wake, he decided to go back and finish his college degree, knowing the combination of strong experience and education would make him an impressive job candidate. After two and a half years, he graduated with a business degree in Information Management.

Rusty estimates that he applied for 300 jobs between July and December 2019. He didn't get one response from those applications.

Choosing the Right Resume Keywords Using Jobscan’s scan tool, Rusty was able to build a resume that targeted his impressive experience and education at the job while appealing to the ATS. “It gave me the opportunity to tailor the resume, and still look like myself, but tailor it so the systems were picking it up,” he said.

“Lo and behold, where probably 300 [resumes] went unanswered, I started getting immediate action,” he told me, adding that of the first eight resumes he submitted using Jobscan, he heard back about five right away.

Soon, he landed a job in Cybersecurity, merging his technical and leadership experience with his new degree.

Resume Quality over Quantity Of course, the process of optimizing resumes for each and every job takes time. “It takes a while,” Rusty said. “I would say on average, by the time I used your tool and optimized the resume, it probably would take me roughly two hours to have something ready to submit.”

As job seekers, the instinct is often to apply for as many jobs as possible, thinking that will yield the best odds. But when the mindset is shifted to spending more time applying to the best fits, things begin to change in the right direction. After all, it just takes one well-optimized resume landing in the hands of the hiring manager to get you your dream job.

#stressful #interview #veterans

Fast Company Job seekers have a huge opportunity to put themselves forward in these pre-interviews. But to do so, they will have to master a new set of skills. Here are ...

#interview #motivation #preinterview

More and more employers are looking for the whole person in an interview situation. Nicolle Lamb of Lane Marketing shares advice on how to be “all you” at the job interview in the edition of Career Tips in Five: It’s All You!

Tip #1 Be Genuine – Everyone can see and sense when you are overcompensating and you think you need to bring some other energy to the table. Just bring yourself. Be genuine.

Tip #2 Share Appropriately – This is a tough balance. You have share enough so the employer can see who you are, but not overshare to give us red flags.

Tip #3 Show Confidence – How you come into the room, who you are and how you shake a hand. If you don’t have confidence in yourself then why should I?

Tip #4 Prepare for the commonly asked questions – do your homework. Answering those easy questions. What are your strengths and weaknesses? What are you really good at?

Tip #5 Body language is key – Wearing things that build confidence, sitting up in your chair, and how you present yourself.

For More Career Advice Watch Episodes of Career & Networking Center at NCTV17.com.

#motivation #interview

Fake Job References This post is from a conversation I had with another Jobcase member [I apologize the Jobcase member has removed their part of the conversation🤷‍♂️]

Generally speaking, giving a fake job reference is a form of fraud, and could be prosecuted. Can you lie about references? Never, ever LIE about references to potential employers. They will discover it, and if they hire you, that is grounds for dismissal. If they don't hire you, this could be a factor as to why. ... Co-Worker References - which a potential employer can use as a business reference too.

What happens if you give a false reference? So if you provide a bad reference that you can't substantiate, you run the risk of your employee suing you for damages if they didn't get the job, or suffered some other financial loss, because of it. In the worst-case scenario, they could even bring an action against you for defamation or discrimination.

The Truth About Fake Job References

Fake job reference services are whispered about like dastardly professional parables. They breed suspicion in the minds of hiring managers and they cause job-seekers to question their veracity. Come with us on an investigation of the industry of fake job referencing as we explore the dangers of a service that does a disservice to the work world.

Do Fake Job Reference Services Actually Exist? This service is no urban legend, folks. Although we cannot confirm the existence of Bloody Mary’s appearance in a mirror, we can attest to the reality of fake job reference services. Websites like Career Excuse, The Reference Store, and Fake Job References have provided their customers with fabricated employee references for years. In the case of Career Excuse, the service has been in operation since 2009.

How Do Fake Job Reference Services Work? There’s embellishing a resume with the aid of a thesaurus, having a friend with writing talent help, and hiring a professional resume writing service, and then there’s falsifying your references and employment history via a fake reference generator. For a fee, which can include a one-time payment or a monthly subscription, a fake reference service will contrive employer information, including dates of employment, work duties, compensation history, and a reason for termination. Career Excuse will even draft a fake employer website for your hiring manager to peruse.

If your would-be employer would like to make a phone call to verify your references, the fake service will provide you with an equally faux phone number to give to your employer, who will then be routed to an agent that will further delve into your lie-laced employment history. These services are so confident in their ability to trick your employer that most will refund your money if you do not receive a job offer. Too bad this money-back guarantee can’t return your integrity.

Why Would Someone Use a Fake Job Reference Service? Take for example the tagline of the Fake Job References website, “Why let the past deny your future?” Job-seekers who have been fired or forced out of a job for unfavorable reasons hire a fake job reference service to improve their employment track record by covering up occurrences that may make them less hirable. In tough economic times, candidates will less than extensive employment histories may consult with a fake job reference service to beef up their resume in order to give them the work experience of a more preferable employee.

What are the Dangers of Using a Fake Resume Service? Robert Louis Stevenson said, “Everyone, soon or late, sits down to a banquet of consequences.” Use the services of fake reference providers and you will feast sooner than you had anticipated. If your newly acquired employer discovers that you have deceived him with a falsified employment record, you could experience any of these damaging outcomes.

• Loss of employment. Sure, this danger may be brought to you by Captain Obvious, but that doesn’t make it any less detrimental to your pocketbook or professionalism.

• Impaired professional reputation. Speaking of professionalism – you know, that thing that can no longer be attributed to you – falsifying your references will remove all positive connection to professionalism. Using the services of a fake reference company is to your work reputation what an iceberg was to the Titanic.

• Legal ramifications. If losing your job and potentially causing irreversible damage to your professional reputation isn’t enough to dissuade you from using the services of a fake reference provider, consider the illegality. Though disclaimers on the websites of these companies often state that their services are legal, according to the Society for Human Resource Management based on Bill Leonard, “Fake Job Reference Services Add New Wrinkle to Screening" posted November 20, 2009, Pennsylvania attorney Jonathan Segal isn’t as sure. Segal states that there are numerous legal precedents in which businesses have been held to account for knowingly providing fraudulent professional references for past employees. Do you want to be associated with a practice that could be considered a tort?

In what circumstances would you consider using a fake job reference service to help you get hired?

How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft During a Job Search Developing a robust online presence that showcases your technical prowess, project expertise and thought leadership is no longer optional for tech pros hunting for a new job. Today, some 91 percent of employers use social media to find candidates, and nearly 80 percent of recruiters check candidates out online before they make contact.

However, posting professional and personal information on the web can expose even security-savvy tech pros to identity theft, scams, and résumé fraud. Here are some ways to protect yourself from criminals and identity thieves during a job search.

How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft During a Job Search Developing a robust online presence that showcases your technical prowess, project expertise and thought leadership is no longer optional for tech pros hunting for a new job. Today, some 91 percent of employers use social media to find candidates, and nearly 80 percent of recruiters check candidates out online before they make contact.

However, posting professional and personal information on the web can expose even security-savvy tech pros to identity theft, scams, and résumé fraud. Here are some ways to protect yourself from criminals and identity thieves during a job search.

Written by Judith | Last Update November 7, 2019 Originally Published November 7, 2019

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