Job Seekers Tweeting about Jobs on Twitter

Job Seekers Tweeting about Jobs on TwitterJob Seekers Tweeting about Jobs on TwitterJob Seekers Tweeting about Jobs on TwitterThanks to Twitters growing popularity, I found out in real time updates what everyday people are saying about their current jobs, past jobs, unemployment, job searching, and mora.Heres a list of job-related tweets from 1/16 and 1/19. Does any of this sound familiar?malcontentistmarkdavidson well said, and so true. dont use a sword for a job that calls for a scalpel.Go ahead, read that again. Dont use a sword for a job that calls for a scalpel. Im not really sure what it means, but I like it.mabernathy trying to do nails, job hunt, eat, and manage two pups potty training and play time, yay multi-taskingIve noticed more and more job seekers taking this multi-tasking approach. When youre unemployed and desperately searching for your next opportunity, you cant job search 24/7 or youll burn out before you get your first interview. A healthy mix of other activities to keep you busy will make the task less daunting and more manageable.thinkingmama Why cant people follow directions when applying for a job? Any responsible pdxers want a summer job?This is a valid complaint from an employers point of view. All you job seekers take note Read each job ad carefully and follow the directions for applying, word for word.ChristinaFaith anthonycoppedge I will read it when I get can the $5 ) at the time I dont have a job so I use the library and net resources )If you havent thought about it before and dont always have a computer available for job searching, follow this womans lead and use your towns resourcesThe_jimski all I want out of this job, regardless of what else may happen, is permission to obliterate this PC with an aluminum bat. Do not I repeat do NOT take out your anger issues on company equipment. But Im sure lots of unhappy employees have thought about pulling an Office Space move every now and then (just like this guy)RadioMaverick The worst parte when looking for a job ... is when the phone doesnt ring. That does sound pretty depressing. Do you agree? Do you think theres something worse?photojennic after 1 1/2 hour dr apt- 6 new messages from work. thank god for job security. This is one of my favorites. If youre not currently unemployed, you probably know someone who is. And you cant help but thank your lucky stars that you have a great job that wont be saying goodbye to you anytime soon.vinitha I walked out of my job today Anyone looking for an environmental engineer in HoustonGiven the state of the economy and the alarmingly high unemployment rate, its hard for me to see how anyone could even think of voluntarily quitting their job right now, especially without a new one lined up. But I guess, as vinitha proves, if the job is that bad, sometimes the only thing you can do to be happy is walk away. I just advise those of you who hate your jobs to think twice (or three or four times) about following in vinithas footst eps.Are you a Twitter user? Follow username to get helpful career-related tips and links

I had a bad day

I had a badeanstalteanstalt dayI had a bad dayIt all went so wrong, so very, very wrong - right from the start. You left your bedrngnisepad with your hand-written questions at home your CEO pulled you into a last-second meeting that made you a half-hour late to the bewerbungsinterview and you finished it off by saying I think my background and experience make me uniquely suited to making a big contribution here at Avis, which was a good point, except you were interviewing at Hertz. Whew.You had a bad day in the job hund. A really bad one. You feel embarrassed, and youre starting to wonder if anybody is ever going to be foolish enough to hire you. It happens to all of us. I know what its like to completely and utterly bomb the interview - the humiliation and the self-doubt and the worry that youre never going to find a new job because maybe, just maybe, you dont really deserve one. And I know the anxiety that causes you to question yourself and feel like the whole system is designed to frustrate and defeat you. And Id like to tell you that its easy to just brush it off and get back up and get going again. But its not. Because while goof-ups are a natural part of the process anytime were trying to do something new - a new golf swing, a new sport, or finding a new job - and we should just take them in stride, thats one of those things that is easier said than done. In the job hunt, we feel that too much is at stake, theres too much on the line, for us to just shake it off. And thats the problem. At Ladders, we spend a lot of time and effort studying the best ways to help you get into your next job as quickly and painlessly as possible. As a matter of fact, weve funded research from the top academics in the field who study the job hunt on what makes somebody successful. And one of the first things weve discovered is this sad fact The day after a bad day, the average job-seeker only does half as much for their job hunt as they normally do. They only send out hal f as many resumes, make half as many calls, and do half as much research as they normally do. Its understandable. Youre embarrassed, youre feeling foolish, youre having doubts about your abilities. All because of that bad day. Shakespeare, as usual, may have said it best Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.Our doubts are traitors, indeed. They sit there on your shoulder, bend your ear, and whisper negative thoughts into your head. Which is a shame, because that same research shows there is a direct correlation between activity in the job hunt and finding your next job. So in a way, the little trolls whispering negative things in your ear are directly undermining your chances of success. Of course, cutting your effort in half the day after a bad day is absolutely 180 degrees opposed to the advice youd give to somebody you care about when they are facing a similar situation. The day after your daughter falls off her bike while she s learning to ride without training wheels, you dont tell her to try only half as hard today. And when your college buddy, who needs to drop more than a few pounds, blows his diet at Outback Steakhouse with the Bloomin Onion, the 22-ounce Porterhouse and that enormous Chocolate Thunder from Down Under, you dont tell him its OK to only try half as hard to stick to the diet today. No, you tell the people you care about that the past is the past, and today is a new day, and they should do something new with it. So heres the good news. While the average job-seeker only puts half as much effort into their job hunt the day after a bad day, its important for you to remember You can decide youre not average. You can decide that thats not enough for you.You can decide, right now, that youll spend twice the 15 minutes or 30 minutes you were planning on spending today.Its often said that finding a job is a job in itself. If thats the case, why shouldnt you treat a bad day on the job hunt the w ay youd treat a bad day at the office? When the big sale is slipping away, or the budget is late, or the database crashed, or the agency hasnt turned around the work on time, you dont sit back. You leap into action. And that sense of competence in overcoming the day-to-day problems of your job is the same sense of capability and effectiveness youll want to bring to your job hunt. The day after a bad day especially the day after youve really, totally, completely blown it treat it just like you would any challenge you face in business. Dont cut your effort in half ersatzdarsteller it. What I can tell you from 15 years experience in this business is that you will find your next great role in life. Sometimes the road is long, and winding, and twisted, and the destination feels like it is forever just out of sight, but from watching literally millions of members here at Ladders land their next job, I can tell you that you, too, will find yours. Im rooting for youI Had a Bad DayHeres how to bounce back from a bad day on the job hunt.It all went so wrong, so very, very wrong - right from the start.You left your notepad with your hand-written questions at home your CEO pulled you into a last-second meeting that made you a half-hour late to the interview and you finished it off by saying I think my background and experience make me uniquely suited to making a big contribution here at Avis, which was a good point, except you were interviewing at Hertz.Whew.You had a bad day in the job hunt. A really bad one. You feel embarrassed, and youre starting to wonder if anybody is ever going to be foolish enough to hire you.It happens to all of us.I know what its like to completely and utterly bomb the interview - the humiliation and the self-doubt and the worry that youre never going to find a new job because maybe, just maybe, you dont really deserve one.And I know the anxiety that causes you to question yourself and feel like the whole system is designed to frustrate and d efeat you.And Id like to tell you that its easy to just brush it off and get back up and get going again.But its not.Because while goof-ups are a natural part of the process anytime were trying to do something new - a new golf swing, a new sport, or finding a new job - and we should just take them in stride, thats one of those things that is easier said than done.In the job hunt, we feel that too much is at stake, theres too much on the line, for us to just shake it off.And thats the problem.At Ladders, we spend a lot of time and effort studying the best ways to help you get into your next job as quickly and painlessly as possible. As a matter of fact, weve funded research from the top academics in the field who study the job hunt on what makes somebody successful.And one of the first things weve discovered is this sad factThe day after a bad day, the average job-seeker only does half as much for their job hunt as they normally do. They only send out half as many resumes, make hal f as many calls, and do half as much research as they normally do.Its understandable. Youre embarrassed, youre feeling foolish, youre having doubts about your abilities. All because of that bad day.Shakespeare, as usual, may have said it bestOur doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.Our doubts are traitors, indeed. They sit there on your shoulder, bend your ear, and whisper negative thoughts into your head. Which is a shame, because that same research shows there is a direct correlation between activity in the job hunt and finding your next job. So in a way, the little trolls whispering negative things in your ear are directly undermining your chances of success.Of course, cutting your effort in half the day after a bad day is absolutely 180 degrees opposed to the advice youd give to somebody you care about when they are facing a similar situation.The day after your daughter falls off her bike while shes learning to ride without train ing wheels, you dont tell her to try only half as hard today.And when your college buddy, who needs to drop more than a few pounds, blows his diet at Outback Steakhouse with the Bloomin Onion, the 22-ounce Porterhouse and that enormous Chocolate Thunder from Down Under, you dont tell him its OK to only try half as hard to stick to the diet today.No, you tell the people you care about that the past is the past, and today is a new day, and they should do something new with it.So heres the good news. While the average job-seeker only puts half as much effort into their job hunt the day after a bad day, its important for you to rememberYou can decide youre not average.You can decide that thats not enough for you.You can decide, right now, that youll spend twice the 15 minutes or 30 minutes you were planning on spending today.Its often said that finding a job is a job in itself.If thats the case, why shouldnt you treat a bad day on the job hunt the way youd treat a bad day at the office? When the big sale is slipping away, or the budget is late, or the database crashed, or the agency hasnt turned around the work on time, you dont sit back. You leap into action.And that sense of competence in overcoming the day-to-day problems of your job is the same sense of capability and effectiveness youll want to bring to your job hunt.The day after a bad day especially the day after youve really, totally, completely blown it treat it just like you would any challenge you face in business. Dont cut your effort in half Double it.What I can tell you from 15 years experience in this business is that you will find your next great role in life. Sometimes the road is long, and winding, and twisted, and the destination feels like it is forever just out of sight, but from watching literally millions of members here at Ladders land their next job, I can tell you that you, too, will find yours.

Cover Letter Missteps 5 Things You Should Never Do

Cover Letter Missteps 5 Things You Should Never DoCover Letter Missteps 5 Things You Should Never DoTough competition necessitates that applicants take advantage of every opportunity possible to stand out from the crowd. Hiring managers often form their first impression of a candidate based things like the resume or a titelbild letter, so taking these documents seriously can mean the difference between an interview and the rejection pile.The cover letter in particular can be a tricky thing to write because its often less structured than the resume- and there are fewer hard rules about the dos and donts. But were here to help Below are some common cover letter missteps you wont want to make.Avoid cover letter missteps by notlageing these five things you should never do1. Never settle for generic.Dont send a cover letter just for the sake of including one- make your words count Consider the cover letter a prime opportunity to sell yourself. The last thing you want to come off as is uni nspired or lazy. Use keywords from the job posting to paint a vivid picture of why youre the perfect candidate for this position, not just any old job. Yes, such individualization takes time, but remember your goal is to land a great new role, not to see how many applications you can complete.2. Never start your letter with To Whom It May Concern or Dear Sir.On a similar note, realize that the lack of a proper salutation can get your interaction with a prospective employer off on the wrong foot.The biggest misstep I find people make is not addressing the cover letter to a real person, says Marcelle Yeager, president of Career Valet.It is almost always possible to find the name of a person who works in HR or who would be your potential boss by using LinkedIn or the company website. Personalization is so important in all of your communications, including in a cover letter.3. Never turn a letter into your life story.The preciousness of a hiring managers time cannot be stressed enough. Your letter needs to grab attention and provide information relevant to your candidacy, not read like a biography. Craft a one-page document that presents standout accomplishments or tells an interesting (and relevant) story. Make the employer want to know you better4. Never send off a letter without checking it over.Before other eyes see the letter, make certain the document gives the best impression possible. Demonstrate your communication skills and attention to detail by ensuring the followingConsistency of font (a danger when you cut and paste)Pleasing appearance (such as sufficient margins and a professional-looking font)All proper names correct (dont doom your application by putting in the wrong company name or recipient)Flawless spelling and grammar throughout (use spell-check, but also do a read-through)5. Never include a letter when instructed not to.Finally, remember that the prospective employers instructions take precedence. If a job posting specifically states not to i nclude a cover letter, dont submit one. Some companies simply do not possess the manpower to read this extra material, while others feel they can adequately judge who to bring in for an interview based on the resume alone. Including an unwanted cover letter gives the impression that you either didnt read carefully or feel that youre above following directions.BROWSE COVER LETTER TIPS