Looking for a job can be more difficult than working. It takes self-belief and self-discipline. There’s always ‘something else’ more interesting to take you away from the task at hand – find the right job.

The first step is to create the right resume. (Resume bucket can help.)

Second, treat the day as if you were going to work. Get up, shower, shave, brush your teeth, eat breakfast, get dressed and have a place in your home that is “work.” Read the paper to keep yourself up-to-date with current events. During a future interview, the casual chat prior to the formal meeting might just mention the turmoil in Libya or whether the Lakers will have a good team this year.

If you want to take a break and surf the latest golf scores or play some online games, ensure you complete a significant amount of work first. Use the breaks as rewards for accomplishing something. Set a quota of jobs you will apply for in the week. There are several different approaches to applying for jobs, but I will mention only two here. The first is similar to fishing with a net. You throw out the net and troll and wait and hope. You are indiscriminate with what you catch and will throw out what you don’t want. Job hunting can be like fishing with a net. You send out the same resume and cover letter to many, many (many) locations. Likely, the job is lower skilled and you are hoping that your resume just happens to be at the top of the pile when the employer is looking.

The second approach is spear fishing. You have one shot and you wait for the perfect condition and the absolutely right fish. You try to make the perfect shot to get the perfect fish. Job hunting can be like this, too. You make sure your resume is tailor-made for each specific job. You leave off aspects of your work experience that don’t apply; you conduct significant research on the company and the specific position. You know the salary range, who the immediate supervisor is and where he or she went to University (web searches help). You invest significant time and energy for each individual application.

My suggestion is to have a combination of both approaches in the week. Send out several each day – the feeling of accomplishment you get when you’ve sent out a resume cannot be beat. But balance that with one or two “star” applications. Reach above where you think can. Aim high but take the time to do it right.

Now go fish.

Graham Addley has a wide variety of senior administrative and leadership experience – Cabinet Minister, Regional Development Manager, President of a Financial Institution, Board member of numerous organizations including a national literary festival and currently serves as Director with a Health Promotion Foundation. In 2009, Addley lived in Australia for a year where he wrote short stories and fulfilled his dream of being a radio DJ.

The job market is still tough out there, even for college graduates.

Some studies show an increase in employment for college graduates, but studies that take into account under-employment or “true unemployment” reveal the true problem to be persistent.

Only about half of college graduates are getting a job that requires a degree, fewer still are getting jobs that require their degree. Most recent college graduates are either unemployed, working a temporary job just to get by, or working part-time when they’d rather be working full time.
While a lot of young people’s time and talent out there is going unused, the more innovative ones have found other ways to use their energy and advance themselves.

Improving hire-ability

While many college graduates remain unemployed or under-employed, they continue to try and land better jobs. One way is by continually polishing their résumés to make them unique, professional, and impressive. A second way is by going to different career websites or temp offices to try and develop professional profiles and get hooked up with employers. A great way to develop a professional persona and do some networking is ResumeBucket.com. Of course, the prevalence of these career sites has greatly increased the amount of applicants for the average job.

Starting a company

The bravest and most risky thing that recent college graduates are doing is making their own startup companies. With success stories like Mark Zuckerberg out there, it is clear that anyone out there with good web skills and a brilliant vision is a potential billionaire. With no more-stable options to shoot for, many young people are shooting for the stars. The problem with this is that, of course, the vast majority of these brilliant ideas don’t “make it,” and their founders wind up in even worse financial situations than they started.

Re-thinking living situations

Social norms in the US seem to be changing. No longer are children moving out and getting their own place the moment they turn 18. The new generation is known as “the Peter Pan” generation for their resistance to “growing up.” It is increasingly prevalent for children to stay with their parents well into their 20s. As people need more and more education just to get a decent job, they become dependent on their parents for longer and longer. When students do finally get their degree, they are finding themselves under-employed and saddled with student debt, and they still can’t afford to get out of the nest.

Young people that don’t stay with their parents are instead living together with friends in larger and larger groups. With the limited income available, even to many college graduates, it just makes the best financial sense to split rent and utilities bills up as many ways as possible. Living in a large group is vastly more economically-viable than having a whole apartment for one person or one couple.

Charity Work

The millennial generation is notoriously civic-minded and notoriously under-employed. Naturally, young, underemployed college graduates are finding a lot of time to volunteer for charity. With the organizing power of the internet, charities are getting a lot more volunteers than they used to.
Charity work is also a wise move on college graduate’s part because it looks good on their résumé or Curriculum Vitae. An excellent record of service can often make the difference between candidates when competition for a job is tight.

Travel

Those graduates that can afford to are simply taking some time off of the job market to explore the world. This is a great opportunity for the graduate to get to know their self, and hopefully by the time they need to apply for a job, the market will be at least a little bit better.

Thomas Stone began a relationship with his present, primary employer, while he continues to freelance.  He currently works with employers, who now need applicant tracking software, as job-seekers need to apply for more and more jobs before expecting to get hired.

We just launched a really big contest.  The reason?  If you’ve been paying attention to our user counter on ResumeBucket.com you may have noticed we are quickly approaching 1,000,000 users.  Yeah, we are pretty excited.

The team here got together to think of how we could celebrate the milestone.  Our initial idea was to give a job away, to which our legal guy said we couldn’t technically do that.  But we still wanted to try.  So we designed a giveaway package that we feel will get someone a job, we just can’t guarantee it.

Once our user count hits one million, one lucky ResumeBucket user will win the prize package.  The person will be picked at random from those that enter.  And all you have to do to enter is go to the official contest page and enter your ResumeBucket resume URL:

http://www.resumebucket.com/promotion

If you don’t have a ResumeBucket account, know that it is free to sign up, and even if you don’t win the contest, we have thousands of employers searching through our users resumes every day.

You can read all about the contest on the contest page.  If you have any questions, leave a comment here and I’ll respond to it as quickly as I can.

Good luck!

Have you already made it past the job interview and now realize that it’s time for the background check? In a way, this spells good news because it means that a company is interested enough in you to find out more. But, depending on what they find in your history, they could be turned off enough to remove you from candidacy.

Knowing this could make some candidates feel so afraid that they don’t even want to apply for jobs. Don’t feel afraid, though. Instead, take a look at four things to know about background checks:

Employers Need Permission to Conduct One

Employers need your permission to have third-party agencies conduct background searches, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. Because most don’t have their own background screening capabilities, you will have to sign a form granting them permission. But if you have made it through the interviewing process and haven’t been asked to sign a form, it’s not a bad idea—for your own knowledge—to ask the employer outright if they plan to conduct a check.

Severity of a Crime is Often a Factor

If you have a criminal history, it’s important to note this information on your job application if asked—especially since it will likely pop up during a background check. But it’s good to also note that many employers take a subjective approach to a criminal history. They may look at the severity and timeframe of the crime (DUI in college vs. three DUIs in the past two years) to decide whether to hire you.

Background Check Could Occur After an Employment Offer

One thing to note is that some employers don’t stop their background checks after you’ve been offered a job. You might learn that your new employer is known for conducting frequent and random checks, especially if you are ever considered for a promotion.

Employers Need Permission Only Once

Keep in mind that once you’ve given an employer permission to conduct a background check, they typically don’t need your permission again if they’re conducting the same type of check and it’s within the same company.

A background check can sound like a scary process, especially if you have made mistakes in the past. But if you’re honest, upfront, and are prepared to explain blemishes, you may be surprised by how understanding an employer could be.

An interview should not be an interrogation. It should be a conversation between two equals. Keep this in mind when you enter into the room with an interviewer. To keep the flow of that conversation moving you should have some answers thought out ahead of time. Don’t stick to a script and sound like a robot but just have a general idea of how you would answer these questions when they are brought up, you can also try to bring them up yourself but make sure it comes up some what organically.

1. Times where you either made money or saved money for your current or previous company

2. A crisis in your life or job and how you responded or recovered from it.

3. A time where you functioned as part of a team and what your contribution was.

4. A time in your career or job where you had to overcome stress.

5. A time in your job where you provided successful leadership or sense of direction.

6. A failure that occurred in your job and how you overcame it.

7. Any seminal events that happened during your career to cause you to change direction and how that worked out.

Remember the interviewer is not only looking for great answers but also a good first impression. Make them feel comfortable by being professional yet casual. Interviewing is also stressful for them and understanding that will help take some of their power away creating a much more friendly environment.

Last week our blog about the odd and creative things people do to find jobs got a lot of positive feedback. This week we thought we would show you the creative ways employers have gotten the attention of job seekers.

Billboards in video games

The SIS (Secret Intelligence Service) which is the equivalent to the CIA in the United States contacted the production studio of a popular military based video game and put up billboards and other simulation real world advertisements in the games environment in an attempt to target their prime recruiting demographic.

Mathematical equation phone number

An engineering firm put these flyers on local college campuses. The tear-off phone number is a complex mathematical equation that turns into a nine digit phone number when correctly solved. Those who are unable to solve it correctly are likely not qualified for the open position.

Unique Ad placement

The Transportation Security Administration, or the TSA as they are better known, thought that they could grab the attention of job seekers more effectively by placing their employment opportunities in unique places. In the above picture they’ve chosen a to place their ad on a pizza box.

“How technical are you?”

A cell phone engineering company sent out this package to technical schools across the nation with a note inside asking, “How technical are you?” If the student correctly assembled the phone and powered it on, a message would appear saying “Hi! You seem to be technical. Call us at +1-987-448-2323″

Sneaky coffee mugs

A company somehow managed to sneak in coffee mugs into their competitors break room. While the cups looked the same, once the liquid was gone a message was revealed saying “The Coffee is highly recommended elsewhere.” Further inspection of the mug had the contact information of the rival company on the bottom. A clever way to poach your competition!

In this competitive hiring climate job seekers are turning to extreme measures to get noticed by employers. These methods aren’t for everyone but some employers do look favorably on these types of people because it shows a sense of resourcefulness, ingenuity, and the ability to adapt to change. If anything, they give the rest of us a good laugh.

Sandwich Board Job Seeker

Job seeker Paul Nawrocki was down on his luck so he took to the streets of New York city armed only with a sandwich board and a resume. Well, his resume was written on the sandwich board. The amazing thing about this story is that Paul walked around Manhattan for over a year before someone offered him a job. Talk about dedication.

Unconventional but Creative Resume

Graphic designers have more leeway than most when it comes to creating creative resume’s. This example is from designer Chuck De Lay who used a 1960s phone book throw back style to grab the readers attention. Unfortunatly resumes like this probably would only hurt your chances of getting a call back in more ’serious’ industries.

Put Your Resume On A T-Shirt

What to job search even when you are out running errands? Head over to DamnINeedaJob.com and you can get your resume printed onto the back of your t-shirt. Now waiting in line at the grocery story could land you a job!

Send A Singing Telegram

What better way to get the attention of your desired employer by sending a singing telegram into their office. You might think this is a joke but in 2009 this actually landed job seeker Phillip Burkozi a job. Warning: this may actually annoy most employers.

Pay Someone to Find a Job For You

Michael Checkoway needed a new job but didn’t want to do any of that pesky and tedious job hunting, so he set up a website http://www.michaelcheckoway.com/and offered to send people on luxurious vacations if they found him a job. He even made different tiers of destinations based on the salary he would be getting at the offered job. In May 2010 Mr Checkoway got a job and sent one lucky job hunter on a very expensive vacation to Cancun.

Job searching can be very stressful but when you finally land an interview the pressure really starts to come on strong. You have one chance to make a solid first impression on the interviewer who will be sizing you up against all the other candidates they’ve seen for the same position. This situation can literally drive a job seeker nuts. The following list are just 5 of many methods you can put into action to help boost your confidence and overcome those interview jitters.

Research the company you are applying for

Heading into an interview armed with information about the company that you can tie into your responses and parallel your experience to not only helps you become more fluid and relevant with your answers, it shows the interviewer that you are a prepared individual. Being able to noticeably impress a hiring manager will immediately boost your confidence and ease up some of the anxiety in the room. If you’re able to steer the interview to something that more resembles a conversation you’ll find yourself in a much more comfortable position, making an excellent first impression.

Practice makes perfect

While it may be a bit silly, practicing in front of a mirror or with a friend will help you fine tune your responses. This trick is used by people who need assistance overcoming their fear of public speaking (the #1 cause of fear in the United States) and public speaking ins’t so different than interviewing. Both are high pressure, high anxiety situations where the speaker is looking to convey a specific point and make a good impression. Verbalizing the clutter in your mind is a proven way of sorting everything out into a more clear and concise manner.

Brush up on current industry trends and common interview questions

It’s likely that you are not switching industries but that doesn’t mean you are 100% caught up with the current trends. With the economy slowly emerging from this past recession it’s not business as usual anymore. Many businesses have changed the way things are done across the board and you need to be caught up with all of it. It’s very likely that you’ll be asked questions about these new changes and it’s up to you to impress the interviewer with your replies. Remember, the more prepared you are the better. Take this time to brush up on the common interview questions such as “Where do you see yourself in 5 years” and “What assets can you as an individual bring to this company”. Google.com is your friend in this situation. Many HR managers and recruiters now have industry specific blogs where they talk about the answers to all the questions you may potentially get asked.

Memorize your resume

This may seem like a no-brainer but it’s vital that you review your resume and read in-between the lines. If you have any gaps in your work history you will be asked about them and you need to be prepared with an answer that won’t get you into hot water. Being able to read your resume without looking down is a great start. Be ready to expand in detail on even the smallest bullet point in your work history along with knowing each one of the skills you’ve listed inside outside and backwards. Failure to do this will get you raised eyebrows and likely cost you a job. Remember, the resume is the only reason you got in the door.

Be presentable

Look sharp for the interview. Studies have shown that feeling good about the way you look radiates confidence and hiring managers are looking for confidence. Depending on how important the interview is for you it might be worthwhile to invest in some brand new clothes. Remember to smile, but not so much that it’s creepy (there is a fine line). Come prepared with a hard copy of your resume and any other materials you may be asked to bring such as a portfolio. Don’t just throw these in cardboard folder or a manila envelope, put the extra effort into making yourself look professional and the rest will follow.

Interviewing can be an unpleasant process but keep yourself in a positive mindset and put the extra effort in and you’ll see your anxiety, stress, and fears lower. Remember your resume got you in the door, the interview will get you the job, and it’s really just a small formality in the grand scheme of your career.

Any specific interview question should go in the comments. We are prompt to respond!

Disney Interactive Media Group

Currently seeking:
Senior Software Engineer
Load Performance Engineer/Architect

American Red Cross

Currently seeking:
Regional Cheif Development Officer
Account Representative (Preparedness Health & Safety Services)

Major League Softball

Currently seeking:
Director of Communications, Media & Public Relations
Director of Marketing
Director of Franchise (Club) Sales

AT&T

Currently seeking:
Customer Service Representative – Austin, TX
Bilingual Relay Associate – San Antonio, TX
Bilingual Relay Associate – Augusta, GA
Telesales Representative – Plano, TX
Bilingual Sales Consultant – Miami, FL
Leveraged Service Representative – Lubbock, TX

Wines for Humanity

Currently seeking:
Wine Advisor for Charity

Schedule a Job Search Time Table.

The hardest part of the job search process is staying motivated in your current job. Many job seekers loose drive and focus once they have decided to look for a job. There is no guarantee on the length of time it will take to find a new job. In the mean time you will need to maintain you current roles and responsibilities with the company you are currently employed by. In order to do so ResumeBucket.com recommends that you prepare a strict time schedule to stick to. By assigning a specific time in which to run your job searches will encourage a positive job search attitude. Not only will you have allocated time according to your time management schedule to job hunt, but you will also remain focused in your current role.

Set a Time Limit to Your Job Search Sessions.

Stay motivated during your job search by assigning a set time limit in which to process your job searches. It is one thing to leave no stone unturned when looking for a new job, but don’t exhaust all of your resources in one sitting. Set a time limit in which to run job searches during for example an hour or two hours a day to run searches. It is not in quantity of job searches where you will find your dream job, but rather through quality job searches. Stay motivated and avoid job search burn out by running quality job searches during a focused time period.

Follow Up with Recruiters for Further Encouragement.

Once you have applied to a position the one thing sure to squash your job search motivation is wondering about your results. In order to avoid having all focus removed from your job search drive, after five working days from application follow up with the recruiter. Send a courteous and polite e-mail expressing further interest in the job you have applied to. Request constructive feedback regarding the result of your CV application. Also, suggest a possible date when you would be available to meet the employer for a job interview. By practicing a follow up strategy with all of your job applications, you are guaranteed to maintain your job search motivation.

Manage Your Job Search Stress Levels.

Job hunting is not an easy task for any job seeker. Staying motivated during this time is probably the hardest part of the job search process. Stress and motivation is like oil and water; they just don’t mix. In order to maintain any form of drive focus and motivation, you stress levels need to be managed. When trying to maintain a positive outlook when searching for a job, you need to eliminate stress from your vocabulary. By exercising, a healthy diet and a reliable form of stress outlet, you will maintain the motivation required to keep hunting for a great job. Once stress has possessed you, a positive attitude and sustained job search drive is impossible. Eliminate unnecessary stress and as quoted by the book, “don’t sweat the small stuff”.

Use Your Job Applications To Keep You Motivated.

Keep a record of each job application you make when looking for a new job. Use this list of leads as a motivator during your job search. By referring back to the leads you have pursued, not only will you be motivated by your effort, but you will also have a comprehensive list to refer to when contacted.