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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Are You Ready to Play Job-Search Jeopardy

By : Rich Heint

How sharp are your job-hunting skills? Here’s a way to find out without risking rejection in the real world. Take a few moments and play “Job-pardy” – CJJ’s takeoff on the TV staple.

We have organized our answers into a handful of job-search categories. Now all you have to do is figure out the correct questions, just like the TV version.

Let the game begin! Our first category is . . .

RESUMES

1. Many career experts believe this is a vital starting point for an effective resume.
What is: A career summary? (With the growing emphasis on machine-readable resumes, this replaces the traditional career objective with a compelling summary that highlights your skills and core abilities.)

2. Mailing a resume without this is a waste of time.
What is: A cover letter? (Each letter should be written for a specific employer.)

3. It’s the most popular resume format.
What is: Chronological? (This provides a dated history of all relevant employment.)

4. This format can help deflect attention from an employment gap.
What is: Functional? (A resume organized by function focuses on accomplishments and skills, and is also good for someone looking to change careers, by emphasizing transferable skills.)

5. The maximum period of time a resume would typically cover.
What is: 20 years? (Whatever the time period, be sure to focus primarily on experience that relates to the job you are seeking.)

6. The recommended number of pages for an effective resume.
What is: One (and never more than two)?

7. This list should be mentioned but omitted on most resumes.
What are: References? (Make sure you alert your references that they may be getting called – and ask them to inform you if they are contacted.)

INTERVIEWING

1. It’s OK to bring up salary at this point in a job interview.
What is: After you are offered the job?

2. It’s appropriate to discuss personal, political or religious matters at this point in a job interview?
What is: Never?

3. You can expect this screening technique as part of the interview process.
What is: Testing (for skill levels, personality traits and/or drug use)?

4. Under these circumstances, it would be acceptable to bad-mouth your prior or current employer in a job interview.
What is: None?

5. You should take this step after every job interview.
What is: Send a thank-you note?

JOB SEARCH

1. The length of most job searches today.
What is: 15 weeks or less? (according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

2. This technique is consistently rated as the most productive way to find work.
What is: Networking?

3. It’s the number of conventional ways to look for work.
What is: Fourteen? (Career guru Richard Bolles identifies these: Internet, mailing resumes, answering trade journal ads, answering local newspaper ads, private employment agencies, union or other hiring halls, civil service exams, contacting former teachers, going to state or federal employment offices, asking family, friends, or professionals, knocking on doors, using the Yellow Pages, working with other jobseekers, informational interviews.)

4. It’s the recommended number of job search methods you should employ at any one time.
What is: Four? (and no more than five, according to Mr. Bolles).

5. This bestselling career exploration book (considered the job-search bible) can help you clarify your career goals.
What is: What Color Is Your Parachute? (by Richard Bolles)?

6. Never bring these to a job fair.
What are: Children? (Other common job fair faux pas: wearing tennis shoes or other unprofessional clothing; chewing gum; talking on a cellphone as you approach a recruiter; raiding the freebies at recruiter booths; not bringing enough copies of your resume.)

7. This is a common job fair mistake.
What is failing to visit each employer’s booth? (Too often a jobseeker assumes that an employer is seeking just one kind of applicant. For example, many hospitals are recruiting for IT professionals.)

8. They are the most effective ways to look for work.
What are: Asking family, friends or professionals, knocking on doors, using the Yellow Pages, working with other jobseekers, and informational interviews? (listed in reverse order of effectiveness).

THE INTERNET

1. It’s a top-rated publicly supported job search website in Northern California.
What is Jobstar.org? (Provided as a public service by the public library system, this website is a portal to career information and advice, newspaper want-ads, and other job websites.)

2. It’s the most popular job-search website in America.
What is: Monster.com?

3. This magazine website includes an annual list of the best companies to work for in America.
What is: Fortune.com?

4. It’s a leading executive and management career website.
What is: Careerjournal.com?

5. The percentage of companies that deem online credentials acceptable.
What is: 85? (according to a survey by career network Vault.com).

RESEARCH

1. Fortune magazine ranked them as the top five companies to work for.
What are: Wegman’s Food Markets, W.L. Gore, Republic Bancorp, Genentech and XiLinx?

2. It’s a leading source of comparative salary information online.
What is: Salary.com? (Realize that compensation levels can fluctuate with job-market and industry conditions. Temper any generalized information with your own personal research.)

3. It’s the top company for minorities to work for, as ranked by Fortune.
What is: McDonald’s?

4. This website lists the most family-oriented employers.
What is: FamilyFriendly.com?

5. These websites are good for researching the financial status of a company.
What are: sec.gov, hoovers.com and freedgar.com?

6. Informational interviews should last about this long.
What is: 15 to 30 minutes? (Never try to turn an informational interview into a job interview.)

FACTS AND FIGURES

1. These Northern California regions are projected to do the most hiring in this quarter.
What are: Sacramento, San Rafael, Santa Clara, San Francisco, San Mateo and Oakland? (Based on a survey of employers by Manpower, a nationwide employment agency. Stockton offers the least promise, with only one in ten employers expanding payrolls.)

2. This field has a critical shortage of personnel.
What is: Nursing? (In some cases, hospitals are offering signing bonuses for nursing professionals with certifications especially in demand.)

3. This demographic trend is creating employment opportunities in many fields, including education and medicine.
What is: The graying of the Baby Boom generation?

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