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The eternal task of finding a job has undergone a couple of huge transformations in the past few years. Around the turn of the millenium, Craigslist revolutionized the job hunt by taking a city’s worth of classified sections and condensing them into a single, easy-to-navigate web page. Now job hunting is undergoing another big shift…
Most common words on British LinkedIn profiles? I’m thinking words like jolly good, smashing, spiffing, whippersnapper, old chap, balderdash, and tickety boo old bean. Not so I’m afraid, the British contingent on LinkedIn have succumbed to corporate buzzwords just like the rest of the world. LinkedIn now has 500 million members worldwide (20+ million of those in…
On this blog we recently featured a brilliant post which highlighted iPhone apps that aid job seekers out there, this post highlights apps for the competing Android operating system!
Job seekers need every bit of help they can get to navigate today’s difficult job market. The economy is in the doldrums, and the employment landscape is extremely competitive. As you know the old days of grabbing the newspaper, looking up the “Help Wanted” or employment classified ads and simply placing a phone call to set up an appointment for a job interview are few and far between.
A modern-day search for employment involves a lot more than just scanning the job boards and submitting a resume. Potential employers, recruiters and human resources departments know exactly who they are looking for. They are looking for individuals who pay special attention to detail on their job search. Hiring managers can tell if a job applicant has done his or her homework about the company and the position they are applying for.
Tech-savvy job hunters already know that the Internet is a vast depot for job vacancies, yet there is no central job repository or clearly established protocol for conducting a job search. The job application process these days demands different strategies and plans of action. Some of the new paradigms that job seekers must adopt include online social networking and instant availability.
Thanks to the proliferation of Internet-connected smartphones, job seekers can now take their job search on the road and be immediately notified of the results their efforts are bringing. A smartphone powered by the Android mobile operating system can be transformed into a powerful job hunting device with the right applications. From resume writing tools to interview tips and from networking to organizing, the following Android apps will help you get the job you deserve:
The premier online social networking platform for business professionals is an absolute must for all job hunters. LinkedIn is the only social network that truly connects employers and recruiters with job applicants. Hiring managers conducting a background search may want to spy your Facebook page, but serious employers will really consider the social worth you’ve amassed on LinkedIn.
That old staple of the job search process, the resume, is still one of the most important factors when it comes to landing a job. Sticking to a single resume for all applications is not recommended; job seekers should keep different versions of their resume handy and be able to quickly modify them as needed. The Resume Tips app is a great pocket reference guide to remind resume writers not only about the golden rules, but also savvy tips and warnings.
The most widely downloaded job search app in the Android marketplace aggregates and organizes millions of job openings that can be searched intuitively.
Monster has been one of the premier Internet job boards since the early days of the dot-com revolution. The Monster Android app has many exclusive listings not found anywhere else, and it allows job seekers to instantly apply for a job with just a couple of screen taps.
With so many applicants for each vacancy, several companies choose to keep their job openings on their own corporate websites instead of listing them on an Internet job board. LinkUp’s Job Search Engine allows users to search and apply for these discreetly posted openings by category, company, keyword, or location.
This wonderful app is a favorite of journalists and researchers, but it has proven very useful for job hunters. Evernote records, categorizes and organizes everything, from notes to online clippings, and from audio recordings to photos and videos. Evernote is great for making post-interview notes and recording contact information.
Job seekers should never find themselves without resumes on their Android devices, but should that awkward moment ever arrive, ResumeMaker On-the-Go makes it simple to craft a spiffy resume directly on a smartphone.
It seems like eons ago that employers used to send a polite note to job applicants that a resume had been received. The massive amount of resumes flying around in cyberspace these days has made that courtesy practically impossible, leaving job seekers in the dark about whether their resume has been viewed at all. ResumeBear is a tracking tool that sends a notification to Android users the moment that their resume is opened.
Can you find a job in 140 characters or less? Many employers and hiring managers swear by Twitter’s lightning-fast message delivery and social networking functions. RealTweets Job Networking delivers job search-related tweets to Android devices in real-time.
All the major online job boards like SimplyHired, Indeed, CareerBuilder, and LinkUp can be searched at once with Hire-a-Droid. This nifty app channelizes all search queries into a clean, standard format. Users can submit their resumes right from within the app, and prior job queries can be saved so that familiar keywords such as “bilingual administrative assistant” can be turned into a job agent.
With so many apps to choose from, career success is right at the fingertips of Android users. Have we missed any other Android apps that can be helpful to job hunters? Please let us know!
Isaac Bullen is an Android user and probably one you could call a fan-boy, he currently works in digital marketing in the UK on behalf of a range of clients specialising in everything from healthcare news to fiduciary management. His spare time is consumed learning to cook, reading endless blogs on Google reader and cycling.
Discovering what you want to do in life is, for many people, a life-long pursuit. From the time you graduate college you start asking yourself what career would best suit your interests and skills, but often you choose something different than your instinctual response to that question, either out of necessity or concern for security.…
LinkedIn has over 135 million members internationally and the average household income of a LinkedIn user is over $100,000 annually! With just a little bit of effort you will see how the powerful social site can help you market your personal brand and your business far more than you imagined.
Our friends at MindFlash have enrolled you in a basic LinkedIn boot camp training to give you the fundamental tools necessary to use the site for all your business and personal marketing needs.
If you want to learn more about LinkedIn, check out our London based LinkedIn workshops.
It is a known fact that when it comes to employment, being hired is not always dependent on what you know but often times it’s who you know that can be your biggest asset. That’s why you always hear people talking about the importance of networking. LinkedIn is an excellent website created specifically for professional networking but some users just aren’t using it to its fullest potential.
In comparing your LinkedIn page to a sandwich your resume would be the bread and your profile page would be the meat. The bread might come first, but the meat is the star of the show. Try adding your LinkedIn profile link to the bottom of your resume and encourage potential employers to check it out when you submit a cover letter or get interviewed.
Your profile not only illustrates your experience but it also shows people you may have in common, provides a complete work history, links out to other things you’ve done, lists recommendations from former colleagues, and much more. Your LinkedIn page is your opportunity to expand your resume and get all of your great accomplishments that may not fit onto the resume.
Here are some tips to help beef up your LinkedIn profile and impress your future employer.
Personal branding keeps growing in importance, you can barely go online without reading about it. We are now at a stage where most professionals and business owners really need to dedicate time and effort to strengthen their own brands as a part of their daily routine. With business being ever more competitive, your best way…
Earning your college degree opens doors to a number of career choices, but it takes surprising effort to step through those doors. No one expects to be handed a job, but many don’t expect challenging interview questions and online assessments either. Graduates must carefully prepare for their job search. They must know who they are, what they want and the proper steps to succeed. The following tips will help you maximise your potential for landing your dream job.
Know who you are and be expected to share that information with potential employers. This is where the curriculum vitae (CV) is important. Employers request a CV from every applicant, which means they’ve seen one from every person who’s received an interview. Your CV must stand out to them.
There are a number of templates from which you can work, but as that’s the route many will take, it is worth the extra time and effort to start from scratch. Begin with the job description for each job you are applying. What important points and key terms stand out to you? These are items you’ll want to include in your CV. Along with your personal details and references, you will list your educational background, your work experience and any relevant skills that aren’t work-related. With each of these sections, include achievements and responsibilities wording them specifically to fit with the information gleaned from the job description.
Be sure to keep it between two and three pages; use reverse chronological order as well as action verbs when describing your education and work history; and search for CV examples to help you perfect your formatting. With an all-inclusive, custom curriculum vitae, you’re ready to prepare for your interview.
More on CVs at Why Your CV is Boring and Ineffective.
Your CV already holds a wealth of knowledge, but you will be asked to expand on the information you provide. Write out a list of examples describing times you’ve led a team of others, solved a problem or handled unexpected obstacles. Add to that list any instances you are particularly proud of explaining what happened, how you were involved and the outcome. Now memorize this list, and you will be equipped to answer any of the questions that typically catch interviewees off guard.
Knowing what to wear is equally as important as knowing what to say. Dress as though you already have the job. Is a suit required, or is it a business casual environment? Never wear denim trousers or t-shirts. In fact, if it’s a casual workplace that has no dress code, the interviewee should still dress professionally. There is only one time this rule can be disobeyed: if the interviewer specifically tells you to dress a certain way, listen to them.
More on how to dress at Professionalism in the Workplace: Myth, Mystery or Must?
Your choice of clothing won’t matter if you do not have the right attitude. Being negative, arrogant or outwardly terrified will be detrimental to your job search. Instead, keep it simple: be friendly and be confident. Remembering you manners, using eye contact, sitting up straight and speaking clearly and thoughtfully will guarantee you your best possible interview.
Many employers are using pre-screening online assessments to filter through applications even quicker. These tests examine your skills and ethics, and while answering honestly is the easiest way to pass, many applicants find them to be intimidating. The fact is, by following the tips above; you’re already prepared for the test. You need to know the company, and you need to know yourself. By completing a custom CV preparing for your interview, you’ve already got these answers.
Familiarize yourself with additional information about the company that could be quiz-worthy, read each question carefully and take your time answering. Finally, take practice tests beforehand. Online assessments are available from a number of sites for your benefit. Practice tests will familiarise you with the structure as well as providing sample questions.
More on interviews at 17 Ways to Interview Like a Pro.
Writing a custom curriculum vitae, preparing for your interview, dressing the part and practicing sample pre-screening tests will guarantee you a successful interview and a higher probability of landing the job. Earning the degree was your first step. Now making it count is your second.
More on this topic at How To Apply for Your First Graduate Job.
Why doesn’t your CV get you noticed? I’m a technical recruiter. I look at CVs all day long. I’ve been working for Conex Europe as a .Net specialist for over 6 years – if I said I look at probably 100 CVs per day, the math is astounding – I’ve viewed somewhere in the region…
