Most Americans Are Unhappy With Their Job

Career Tips For New Graduates

As I give mock interviews to students and alumni, the question that seems to stump most of them is:

Other than your degree at (College or University) what else are you doing to secure your position in the industry?

While your degree is important, employers want to see that you have progressively moved into your career. Book knowledge is important as it sets the foundation, however, your participation in extra cirricular activities may launch you ahead of the competition.

Here are two activities you should consider:

Internships

An internship provides the student with an understanding of career demands and qualifications.  Internships allow students to connect what they have learned in class with how it will be applied in a work setting.

Job boards like Monster, Hotjobs and Careerbuilder provide a list of internship opportunities. You can also visit http://www.build-a-career.coman update list of internship opportunties and resources.

Professional Organizations

Employers seeking individuals who field knowledge is not dependent on book knowledge. Joining professional organizations send a message to your potential employer that you are committed to developing your experience.

Many graduates over look the potential of networking while joining professional organizations. These organizations typically announce employment opportunities that are available only to members via newletters, email and job lists.

Here are two resources to help you research professional organizations in your field of study:

Associations on the Net — This site, from The Internet Public Library, lists organizations that have a Web presence, enabling you to explore groups you might want to join.

Gateway to Associations Online — Maintained by the American Society of Association Executives, this site provides a comprehensive directory to Web sites of business and professional associations.

Theresa Johnson has worked as Career Services Advisor for a private institution for over 5 years; assisting more than 250 individuals in finding full-time employment. Visit http://www.build-a-career.com for more information on career resources tips.

Virtual Real Estate and the $520,000 Video

My blog today is going to go a bit off topic as I have discovered something that I want to share.

 By now you’ve probably heard about John Reese.  He’s the marketer that shocked the Internet Marketing world a little over a year ago when he pulled in over
ONE MILLION DOLLARS in less than *24 HOURS* with a special marketing campaign he put together for one of his products.

But many people don’t realize that John has been actively creating and growing Internet and online businesses for over 15 YEARS!  (Yes, 15 years.)

And during this long period of time, John has been very busy testing, tweaking, and fine-tuning all kinds of methods and ‘tricks’ for making money online — and they’ve made him a self-made multi-millionaire.

I am sending this urgent message today because you need to run (not walk) to a link
I am about to give you.  You DON’T have to buy anything or promise your first born child.
All you have to do is download two files (although, one of them is pretty large)
and benefit from them.

I strongly believe that these files can (and will) dramatically boost the profits in your business if you currently (or plan to in the near future)…

1.  Make Money From Google AdSense

John started a little “side business” barely 12 months ago to prove (yet again) that he
practices what he preaches.  This little business was solely focused on creating what John
calls “Virtual Real Estate.” In other words, small content web sites that make money
from advertising or affiliate programs.

(i.e. The sites don’t sell any products of their own.)

This little side business of John’s (which he will tell you he has spent less than a total
of 150 hours developing) has already raked in..are you ready for this?
 
$521,829.73 in AdSense earnings.

(And John expects this number to exponentially* GROW.)

* And oh yeah, these sites have NOTHING to do with “Internet Marketing” or teaching
people how to make money.  They are tiny niche markets that ANYONE can
make money from.

And because ALL of his traffic was generated from no-cost search engine listings, it’s
almost ALL profit for him.  (Aside from hosting and domain registration fees.)
Not bad for a side business. 😉

Let’s move on…

2.  Make Money From InfoProducts

Do you sell (or plan to sell) digitally downloadable ebooks or physical infoproducts?

If so, you MUST download the two files I am about to lead you to.  You’ll learn how to
sell TONS MORE of your products and how you can grow your traffic AUTOMATICALLY. (It really is impressive.)

3.  Generate An Income With Affiliate Programs

Do you make money from affiliate programs? Or maybe you have plans to start making
big money by promoting other people’s products?

You’ll learn how to BOOST all of your affiliate commissions.  Quickly.  Easily.
And without any major headaches.

4.  Produce Cash From Consulting, Hard Goods, or Any Other Type of Internet Business

You’re about to discover several tried and tested methods that can be applied
to ANY business model that’s utilizing the Internet to find cash-paying customers.

Okay.  So Here’s What This Is All About…

Early last year, John decided to do something as a TEST.  He decided to start an OFFLINE monthly publication to share some of his best strategies.  Every month he created a 20-page newsletter and companion CD-Rom that contained tons of screencam
video tutorials where he DEMONSTRATED his moneymaking Internet techniques.

Now, you’ve probably never even heard of this publication.  That’s for a reason…

John decided to only offer it to a very small group of people — because he didn’t
know what the response would be.

Well, the response was OVERWHELMING and people couldn’t get enough of his
special techniques.  Many of the people that were lucky to get access to his
‘secret’ publication made tons of money by simply applying EXACTLY what he
showed them how to do.

And now (for a very limited time) John wants to let other Internet marketers
get a small glimpse into what he has been publishing — FOR FREE.

WARNING:  John is only sharing his valuable information with
entrepreneurs that are willing to WORK HARD on their businesses
to make huge profits.  So if you are only interested in “get rich quick”
schemes, this isn’t for you.

John has just put a single issue of his ‘secret publication’ (he calls
it “The Reese Report”) online for you to go and download — BUT…

ONLY IF YOU HURRY!

John plans to take the newsletter and CD-Rom files OFFLINE very
soon to protect the valuable strategies that they contain.

So here’s what you need to do…

(It will only take a moment.)

Go right now and download the files while they are still available!

That’s it.  There’s nothing more to it.  I’m 100% positive you will enjoy
them as much as I have AND find tons of ways to apply his methods
to make more money.

Frankly, I can’t believe some of the things he’s sharing!  You’ll
see exactly what I mean when you download the files.

Here’s the link to download them:
http://www.reesereport.com/traffic_explosion

* If you visit the above link and the files have been removed, PLEASE don’t email
me and ask me for them — I am not allowed to give them out directly.  And once John
takes the files down they will no longer be available.

Craigslist Is Best Site For Finding Jobs

I found out about Craigslist by a former Career Services Advisor at a private college in Chicago.

After reviewing the site I realized that there were some great employment opportunities available for my alumni.

At the time, my husband was searching for another opportunity in information technology. He has since gone on to start his own IT company in Chicago called Kingdom Technolgoy Resources, Inc. – http://www.kingdomtechnologyresources.com

I posted his resume on Craigslist and submitted his resume to 5 positions. Within hours he received 3 calls. We were shocked.

I passed this information on to my best friend Angela, who at the time was also looking for employment. She sent her resume to 4 employers and within 1 week landed a great job earning more than what she was earning at her previous employer.

The great thing about Craigslist is they post positions hourly. All industries are represented. 

I’ll show you exactly how my husband and best friend achieved so much success on Craiglist. Go to our resource page now to learn more about Craigslist and other career boards – http://www.build-a-career.com

Dress to Impress in Your Professional Best

 Why didn’t the human resources recruiter call me back for an interview? Why didn’t I get the job?

As a Career Advisor, I hear the above questions on a regular basis. Conducting follow ups with recruiter or hiring managers reveal some interesting facts.

One of the recruiters I spoke to mentioned that the applicant did an exceptional job in the interview but their professional appearance and hygiene were an issue. 

Our society is judgemental. Someone dressed in jeans may be just as intelligent as the person dressed in a suit, but the person wearing the suit will be taken more seriously.

Below are a few things you should do before going on an interview or job fair to insure you will be perceived as a serious candidate: 

1. Hygiene – Shower, bathe, floss, gargle, brush your teeth. Use deoderant. Use minimal  or no cologne. If you want fresh breath pop a mint in your mouth 10-15 minutes before speaking with the recruiter or going on the interview. No gum. Your nails should be cleaned and trimmed. Women: no chipped nail polish. Wear a neutral nail color or simply wear no color on you nails. Makeup should also be worn in neutral colors.

2. Cloths – The desheveled look is out. What you wear is just as important as what is on your resume. Men: wear a dark suit with a shirt and tie and dark socks. Make sure the suit has been dry cleaned if needed. Women: a dark skirt suit or pants suit is perferred. Hoisery should match skin tone with no runs. Wear comfortable dark shoes. No sandals. You should wear minimal accessories (no long, bold earring or gaudy bracelets and rings). You want the attention to be focused on you, not your accessories.

3. Hair – Be conservative with your hairstyle. Make sure you hair is clean, combed/brushed.

4. Portfolio/Brief Case – I had a discussion with a job fair attendee who carries a plastic bag full of his personal belonging (MP3 Player, pens, wallet, resumes).  As he visited companies at the job fair he pulled resumes out of his plastic bag. While he was professionally dressed, carrying a plastic bag full of personal items doesn’t send the right message to a potential employer.  How will this individual represent our company?  You want to look professional so carry a portfolio or briefcase.

View more interview tips and resources at our website http://www.build-a-career.com  

Secret Job Source Produces Interviews and Job Offers

I have suggested many resources during my career as a Career Service Advisor to both students and alumni. Monster, Hotjobs, CareerBuilder are a few of the many resources I have suggested.

About 3 years ago one of my co-workers suggested that I use another resource to assist candidates in finding employment.

This secret source is a community board where individuals are able to post anything, for free in most cases.

I was a bit skeptical but I decided to try it out.

My husband was unemployed at the time so we used this source to find him employment in the Information Technology. We sent his resume to several position and literally within minutes he began to receive email and calls for positions. It was absolutely amazing.

My best friend was layed off from her job and I suggested that she use this secret source to find employment. She sent her resume to several positions and landed 4 interviews and two offers in one week….talk about amazing. She accepted one of the offers.

Many of my students/alumni have even found opportunities using this source.

The key to success using this source is persistence. Employers post positions hourly.

You can find this recommended secret source on our website under Career Resources – http://www.build-a-career.com

Accomplishments and Achievements – What Have You Done For Me Lately

As a Career Advisor for private college, I’ve seen thousands of resumes. Typically it is the same format and design (objective, education, professional experience, skills).

While most people think it is important to give a laundry list of duties and responsibilities many hiring managers prefer to see a list of accomplishments and achievements.

Examples of Accomplishments/Achievements

1. Successfully increased sales by 85%

2. Decreased spending by 42%

3. Served as a liason on a $45 million dollar construction project

4. Negotiated price on supplies which decreased cost by 50%

5. Reduced staff by 40% by reorganizing responsibilities and hiring part-time workers

Employers want to see where you have added value and how you will add value to their company.

Remember: everyone has accomplishments, they just may not be that easy to determine. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Take out a separate sheet of paper for each position you have held.

2. Brainstorm – For each position jot down your accomplishments. Don’t be too concerned with punctuation and grammar.  

3.  Now go back to each sheet and fill in the details. Revise your statements.

4. Let someone else read your accomplishments. Any well thought out ideas should be incorporated.

You can always visit our website http://www.build-a-career.com for a complete list of employment resources, resume tips and interviewing techniques.