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Are Job Fairs Really Worth It?

May 18, 2011 / Michelle Burton

In today’s tough job market, any opportunity to find a job is well worth the effort. Job fairs, also called “career fairs,” are a great job searching resource. They allow applicants to meet dozens of employers face to face. Not only this, but these employers are actively seeking candidates, so your chances of getting hired are much better when compared to submitting your resume blind or online with the rest of the crowd.

While job fairs offer the opportunity to meet potential employers face to face, they also offer a place to practice for future interviews. There’s no better place to sharpen your selling skills. If nothing else, you’ll walk away with a better idea of how to sell yourself and much more confidence doing it.

So, how do you prepare for a job fair? Well first, you have to find them. Use your favorite search engine to look for job fairs in your immediate and surrounding areas. If you’re willing to travel (this is never a bad idea), check nearby cities and states. Many participating employers may have an office in your area, so don’t rule out out-of-state job fairs.

After finding a list of job fairs you might be interested in, find out which companies will be participating. Each job fair will have a website that lists participating companies. Next, choose which companies you would like to work for. Keep in mind that you should also research the positions each company wants to fill and if you’re qualified for them. Once you have made several matches, research the companies on your list. Find out if they are solid companies with growth potential. You can find this information on the company website, business news websites, through press releases, and even the business section of your local newspaper.

With your list in hand, you can now make your way through the job fair without wasting much time. Visit the booths or tables of your top choices first. If you have time, walk through again just to see if there are any other companies that look interesting. You might find an additional company or two that may turn out to be a good fit.

Before you head out to the job fair, make sure you have at least a dozen resumes and a list of references to hand out. Next, always dress the part. This means never show up in jeans and a T-shirt. Professional attire always makes a good first impression. It will also make you feel more confident about approaching potential employers.

What you do after a job fair can be just as important as what you do during the fair. So, after meeting with employers, always ask for a business card. If available, ask for a company brochure as well. Always remember the person’s name you met with (if it’s not on the card). Follow-up with a letter or email to the company representatives you met with. Thank them for meeting with you and briefly discuss your strengths and what you can bring to the company. If you look forward to hearing from the representative, say so. If you haven’t heard from a representative in a week or so, it’s perfectly fine to follow-up again with a phone call. Your aggressiveness will certainly help you stand out from the crowd.

To search for career fairs in your area, in addition to using search engines, you can also try the National Career Fairs website at www.nationalcareerfairs.com.

Your Business, Your Career, Your Network

Tips for Extending your Company Outside the Office

May 16, 2011 / admin

With telecommunications technology you are connected to the entire world at all times of day, and for the savvy industrialist, that means having the ability to do business from anywhere. The world isn’t your oyster, it’s your office. Some business owners fear that extending their company beyond office walls will lead to lower quality work, but with better technology that is no longer the case. These tips will help your company branch out of industrial office parks or headquarters, all without sacrificing operations.

Use Mobile Apps

Chances are that you and other company leaders are already using smartphones. Whether you have an iPhone or an Android, smartphones are great business tools because of the plethora of apps available that can tackle many of the same tasks traditionally done in an office. Some of those tasks include:

• Meetings – Use teleconferencing tools like the Skype app to allow you to see the person you’re speaking with, which is ideal for presenting objects.
• Faxing – Instead of waiting to see incoming faxes at the office, use a tool like the Metrofax Internet Faxing mobile app to view faxes right on your smartphone as soon as they arrive.
• Printing – With printing apps, such as PrintCentral Pro, you can link with nearby WiFi-capable printers and print nearly any type of document right from your smartphone.

Bring the Company Network to You

IT solutions have been created to eliminate the need to access company data strictly from a computer station in your office. Thus, the wireless network of your company can be extended to various remote locations. With an extended network you can connect to the very same files stored electronically in your office. Not only does this allow you to truly work from home, but it increases your company’s ability to use the services of telecommuting, part-time and freelance employees in any location.

Never Close With Remote Customer Service

Problems don’t keep 9 to 5 hours, so when a customer needs assistance they expect to be helped immediately no matter what time of day. By hiring a provider of remote customer services, your customer service operations can be extended around the clock without having to maintain a 24-hour team in your office. With remote customer service you won’t lose a customer because they weren’t able to receive help.

Market With Social Media

Social media is a great way to interact with people, so it’s a boon for businesses to market to potential customers. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are accessible from any Web-capable device, requiring only a username and password. You and company employees can launch marketing campaigns from anywhere which helps for those timely marketing angles.

By using these tips to extend your company outside the office, you are creating a whole new meaning to the phrase, “living at the office”. Your home, the coffee shop, the mall, have all become your office. Where do you plan to extend your company?

Uncategorized

Benefits of Volunteer Work

May 14, 2011 / Michelle Burton

Photo Credit: A.S. Zain / Shutterstock.com

Whether you’re interested in giving back, gaining work experience or filling work gaps, volunteer work has many benefits. For starters, as a volunteer worker, you can gain valuable work experience that can help you begin building a resume. For students, volunteering full-time during the summer months or on weekends during the regular semester will impress future employers and help you stand out from the crowd. For non-students, volunteering anytime will strengthen your resume and help you obtain skills that can lead to advancement opportunities.

Next, volunteering can actually help you find potential employers. When you volunteer, you’re always meeting new people. These people may give you job leads. By volunteering for programs related to your career field, you are also more likely to meet important contacts or other professionals with the same interests.

Volunteer work can help you gain valuable skills. For example, if you’re working for a non-profit, you might learn all about fundraising and develop skills related to working with groups. You might handle donations, help manage projects, and organize events. An organized candidate with management skills and the ability to work with large groups is a great asset to hiring companies.

While working with non-profits can help you gain valuable experience and skills, other fields can do the same. Other fields that may be open to volunteer workers are:

-Education
-Disaster Relief
-Community Development
-Research
-Medical/Health
-Construction
-Administration
-Land Conservation
-Parks & Recreation

To apply for a volunteer position at any given company, all you have to do is contact the company’s human resources department by email or phone and inquire about volunteer opportunities. Most companies have volunteer, internship or other similar programs. If they don’t, they will likely be open to the idea. The human resources department will tell you how to apply if opportunities are available or if they would be willing to consider it. If opportunities are seasonal, the department will give you information about the best times to apply. You will have the option to apply online or via snail mail.

You can also search for volunteer opportunities by visiting any of the following websites:

Good Luck!

Your Career, Your Education, Your Network, Your Team, Your Workplace

Which Careers Require Continuing Education?

May 12, 2011 / Michelle Burton

Continuing education is usually mandatory for jobs that require a license or certification. Continuing education may consist of a few courses or an entire program which can be taught online, on-campus or other location. The different types of careers that require continuing education are in the medical field, education, real estate, law, engineering and construction, to name a few.

Continuing education is not only important to keep up with changes in the law, it is also important to keep up with competition and modern developments. Many companies also require continuing education as a condition of employment. For example, many human resources professionals must attend continuing education classes to stay current with employment laws, salary trends, and other employment related issues.

Although many continuing education courses or programs are mandatory, some are 100 percent voluntary. Many of these programs are for personal development only, so they do not have to be accredited. Courses or programs that are required as a condition of employment or for maintaining licensure or certification must be accredited. Accreditation is a voluntary process. However, only an accredited program or course will meet the requirements of employers and licensing agencies.

There are literally dozens of recognized accrediting agencies covering hundreds of specialized programs and courses. For example, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council Committee is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Before signing up with any given continuing education course or program, especially if it’s a requirement for an employer or licensure, please verify that it’s accredited and that the agency is recognized.

To find out if an agency is recognized by visiting the U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs.

Your Career, Your Education, Your Workplace

continuing education

Family & Career- A Paradox Parents Must Embrace

May 11, 2011 / admin

As soon as you find out your due date for sure (that is, allowing for two weeks leeway either way), you and your partner will have to sit down and decide once and for all how you are going to balance your family and careers. You’ll have to answer a number of questions, which will include but not be limited to:

• How much maternity leave (or Family and Medical Leave as is it sometimes called now) does she have?
• Does he have any paternity/Family and Medical Leave, and if so, how much does he have?
• How long should she work before starting her leave?
• What childcare preparations will need to be made, and when do those arrangements need to be made?

Concerning Family and Medical Leave

According to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), each parent can take twelve weeks off from their jobs for a birth without losing insurance coverage. So, one of the decisions that may need to be made here is whether both people will take off at the time of the baby’s birth, or will the father wait until the mother is ready to return to work before taking his time off?

One thing the mother will have to keep in mind while deciding this is how long she will be able to work before she must start her leave. If she is having no problems, and she has her doctor’s approval, there is no reason why she can’t work literally “up to the last minute.” If she must take off for an extended period of time before then, however, she may want to consider taking vacation or sick time, and keeping the 12-week FMLA time until after the baby is born.

The father delaying his time off can have a lot of advantages, especially if the child is born prematurely or develops some health problems after birth. The mother can take her 12 weeks and then the father can start his 12-week leave as soon as hers runs out, thus giving them a total of 24 weeks before they have to utilize the childcare arrangements that they have made.

Regarding Childcare Arrangements

Your should make childcare arrangements as soon as possible after you find out your due date. Popular childcare facilities might have long waiting lists.

These are only a few of the issues surrounding the family and career paradox. Others include one of the parents not realizing until it happens that leaving their precious bundle of joy to return to a career is just not an option. Another one is that which was already mentioned—a child having health problems that may preclude a parent being able to return to work. And, in this case, it may not always be the mother who has to give up the career. Depending on who makes the most money, the decision to fore-go a career may very well rest on the father.

Ultimately, who wouldn’t want a perfect balance of family & career in their life?