ITList Information Technology Blog » Job Market http://itlist.com Current IT field related information Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:40:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Follow the 3C rule and Nail Down a Dream Job http://itlist.com/follow-the-3c-rule-and-nail-down-a-dream-job/ http://itlist.com/follow-the-3c-rule-and-nail-down-a-dream-job/#comments Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:17:00 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/follow-the-3c-rule-and-nail-down-a-dream-job/ Getting a job, even in a down market, is not difficult provided you know the trick of the trade. You know what to display in front of an interviewer. And you can only do that if you know what is that an interview wants from you.

This is where this blog post figures in. The 3Cs (creative, commitment, and confidence) that we are going to discuss in this article will help you convey the message an interviewer wants to hear from an interviewee.

3 Cs of job interview

Be creative

You should be creative in your approach. Do not just give a rotten answer to each of the question asked. It sounds boring, it looks mechanical, and no one wants a non-creative, mechanical person because they already have more powerful machines to do the job.

Do not deliver a premeditated answer. Take a chance, offer something innovative. This will impress your interviewer.

Commitment

The second C of job interview is commitment. Convey your interviewer your desire to stay with his company as long as things does not fall apart. Tell him that you are not the “job hopper” kind and believe in staying with a company and delivering result. Your interviewer needs to know whether you will go out of your way to solve a customer’s problem or not. Tell them you will do it. This will put the interviewer at ease, and he will lower his guard, which will provide you entry into his organization.

Confidence

You do not have anything, if you do not have confidence to move ahead, despite all the odds. No product is perfect. Your interviewer, who is also your prospective employer, knows this, and you should also know this. And if you have the guts to sell the product, despite its several short coming then are in the team.

Show your employer your level of confidence and belief in what you do. Do not shy away from this.

This brings us to the end of 3Cs of a job interview. In the next article will see what the 3 Es of a job interview are, and how each one of them will help you crack a job interview.

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Best-Kept Secret Twitter Tips for Job Search (Part 2) http://itlist.com/best-kept-secret-twitter-tips-for-job-search-part-2/ http://itlist.com/best-kept-secret-twitter-tips-for-job-search-part-2/#comments Wed, 07 Apr 2010 03:57:53 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/best-kept-secret-twitter-tips-for-job-search-part-2/ Yesterday we started a series with some obvious twitter profile optimization tips that will help you find a job. In this post, I will continue the discussion and will share some more twitter power tips for job search on twitter (click the link to read part 1). These are must-apply tips for all kinds of twitter profiles, so you can use these even if you are not in the job-search market.

Write a powerful bullet bio

In twitter profile, you do not get a lot of space to talk about yourself; nevertheless opportunity is there to capitalize on the little space you get. You should write a powerful, sharp-edged bio. Every word should be telling. The space is limited, so use only what will make the employer click on the accompanying link. Write a powerful bullet bio.

Add a web address

Do not add URL of the website where you talked about your cool kitten. No employer will like to know about her. What you can do is add the URL of your cool kitten website in your website under fun and hobby section, if you desperately want to show that to your employer. But, reserve the web address space on twitter for your professional website — the one that will inform your client about your professional skills and expertise.

Add location

Using this is slightly tricky. You can only add name of your city, if you are living in a big metro, but generally use name of your county along with the city name. This will tell your employer about your whereabouts. It will help them make their minds.

We will talk about twitter profile customization in one more post then we will move further. These are practical tips, and will only benefit you if you work upon them. Reading only will do no good to you.

Once you are done customizing your twitter profile, send me your twitter URL, so that we all can see your work. Meanwhile, you can use the comment box below to leave your suggestion and feedback on this post.

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Should You Look For a Job in a Job Fair? http://itlist.com/should-you-look-for-a-job-in-a-job-fair/ http://itlist.com/should-you-look-for-a-job-in-a-job-fair/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:56:55 +0000 bikram http://itlist.com/?p=2222 Well, the short answer is no.

Why?

Because you have not so degenerated to be sold in the mass market as commodity.

Why then there are job fairs?

Well job fairs are there to help companies fill their vacant positions by paying less salary to those who are able and unemployed. It has nothing to do with your welfare. A company who rent a booth in any career or job fair is the one that either do not have quality jobs to offer or they want really cheap employees for those jobs that is why they go to such fairs and purchase employees at a wholesale price.

In a job fair, a company is looking for someone who is qualified but not in job. These people come cheap and do a good work once hired. It’s cheap and best!

I am suggesting you against going to a job fair, unless you are too desperate to land up in any job in the world because you will never get what you deserve.

Job fair is a whole sale market organized for the benefit of the buyers, which in this case is a company. Do you know of any wholesale market where a seller gets the benefit (good price)? It is the buyer who benefits from purchasing in a wholesale market.

Will you like to be traded like a commodity in the wholesale market, or will you work as a brand that deserves special attention and special pricing? The decision is yours.

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Job Searching Right Out Of College http://itlist.com/job-searching-right-out-of-college/ http://itlist.com/job-searching-right-out-of-college/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:55:36 +0000 SamElli http://itlist.com/?p=2152 Finding an entry level position out of college is essential.  That’s the first major step into making the career you’ve been planning, become a reality.  But finding an entry level position when you’re just out of college isn’t always easy.  Especially in this economy the road has become increasingly hard for student starting out and starting their career paths.

Your fist tactic should always be networking.  Before you leave college make sure that you’ve got your name out there to the right people.  You want to stay in contact and make yourself known to a few of the select students around you, and your professors.  They will be a great resource for work down the line, so remember that, and keep those relationships avenues open.

Keep networking outside of school.  Try professional sites like linkedIn, etc, that offer connections with other professionals in the field.  Create lasting professional relationships, as these are where the best jobs will come from.  Companies frequently don’t openly advertise their best positions, and the only way you’ll hear about them is through somebody that you know.

Try your local newspaper, you won’t find fantastic jobs here most of the time, but you will find some decent options to pad your resume and provide income in transition.  Usually jobs advertised in a local newspaper don’t have a high applicant rate, so your chances of landing the job will also be better.

Finally, remember to stay professional.  Whether networking, or applying to the jobs, keep your demeanor professional, as your attitude says a lot about what manner of employee you will be at that company.  One of the biggest complaints about college graduates in the job market lately is that they have a false sense of entitlement.

Many recent grads almost feel as though a high paying job should be instantly available to them.  But that isn’t the case.  You have to work at a company and career to make it succeed, sometimes from the lower ranks of the ladder.  Stay courteous and polite always, be proud and confident, but also humble and realistic.  You don’t want to come off as a cocky self important applicant, because companies tend to stay away from them.  They aren’t hard workers, and they have no long term loyalty.  Both bad strikes to have against you.

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Make A Cover Letter Stand Out http://itlist.com/make-a-cover-letter-stand-out/ http://itlist.com/make-a-cover-letter-stand-out/#comments Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:30:15 +0000 SamElli http://itlist.com/?p=1375 In a job market that’s still a bit stale it’s more important than ever to make yourself stand out from the pack, and a fantastic cover letter is your first step to doing just that.  A cover letter’s importance really can’t be understated, considering that is your initial introduction to the employer that you’re trying to impress.  First impressions essentially mean more than anything else in practically all aspects of social interaction, and a job interview is no different.

With your cover letter there are a few guidelines you want to follow.  First, stay on topic, an employer only really cares about what you can offer them, and how your experience and past qualities applies to them.  You want to personalize the letter, never send a form cover letter as these can be easily spotted, and your lack of a personal touch will reflect negatively upon yourself.  If you won’t put in the time and effort to write a good cover letter, how much time and effort are you going to put into the job once you are hired?

Never forget that the goal of a cover letter is to introduce yourself and then sell yourself and your unique abilities to the company with which you are applying.  Your cover letter is practically an interview in itself, and you should treat it as such.  Really sell yourself as the best candidate for the job, even if you yourself feel yourself to be under qualified.  Never suggest that you feel that way however, nor should you defend your lack of experience in any way, as that will make you seem to lack confidence in your abilities, and you’ll appear on the defensive about the likelihood that you’ll get the job, and that’s never good.

Express the interests you have in the company that you’re applying to, and outline why you would like to work for them.  Give specific reasons tailored to the company.  But make sure always that your cover letter is in a business tone, shy away from using any humor as that usually doesn’t come off well, and make sure that there are absolutely no grammar mistakes.  Grammar or spelling mistakes are horrifically bad for the first impression of the company you are applying to, and will be a red flag to any employer that you don’t double check your work.

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