Upcoming Job Seeker Webinars found online...

Creating a Winning Resume that Gets you Noticed Fast! Tues April 28 12pm
REGISTER: http://www.topdoginc.com/Webinars.html#resumewriting

Secrets for Sales & Business Development Candidates to Get Results Fast!
Tues April 28, 1pm
Register: http://www.topdoginc.com/Webinars.html#salesresume

Using Social Media to gain success in your job search May 6, 2009 12 noon
REGISTER: http://www.topdoginc.com/Webinars.html#navigatejobsearch

Secrets for "Seasoned" Professionals to Conduct a Youthful Job SearchMay 7, 2009 12, noon
REGISTER: http://www.topdoginc.com/Webinars.html#Seasonedprofessional

Job Search 101: What you need to know if you're new to the job search marketMay 7, 2009 12 noonREGISTER: http://www.topdoginc.com/Webinars.html#Jobsearch101

Job-Seeking Webinar - Tuesday April 14th

Since I really like the online CV I created on VisualCV, I wanted to promote this job-seeking webinar, Tuesday April 14th at 12pm EDT, to my blog readers. Check out my CV if you're interested.

Learn how to effectively use online social media websites like LinkedIn, VisualCV and Twitter in your job search.

Karen Masullo, career transition and corporate outplacement expert, and VisualCV's Pierce Resler will show you how to use online resources and manage your online presence in your next job search.

The webinar will cover:

• Web 2.0 and the job search
• Social media resources for the job search
• Job search success stories using social media

Join April 14th, 2009 at 12 noon EDT for Incorporating Social Media in Your Job Search. Register here today.

FREE Job Seeker Interactive Webinar: "Wow" the Hiring Manager: In-person Interview Techniques from an Expert

You're thrilled to have scheduled an interview for your dream job, but afraid that you don't know how to present yourself in the best possible light?

Then please join us for our next webinar,
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm EST.

Yesenia Casallas, BLK's Professional Interview Coach, will conduct an interview "prep" session. During this live webinar, Yesenia will explain various forms of behavioral and situational questions and offer sample responses. You'll learn how to make an effective first impression, how to address various facets of your job history, and ways to "sell" yourself to the hiring manager. Bob Larson, CPC, President, Berman Larson Kane, former Chairperson, National Association of Personnel Services, and author of "Aim, Shoot, Get Hired" will moderate this webinar and both Bob and Yesenia will welcome participants' questions at its conclusion.
Title:

FREE Job Seeker Interactive Webinar: "Wow" the Hiring Manager: In-person Interview Techniques from an Expert
Date:
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Time:
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM EDT
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System RequirementsPC-based attendeesRequired: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista
Macintosh®-based attendeesRequired: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

Space is limited.Reserve your Webinar seat now at:https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/318095411

How to Use Social Media to Land the Job of your Dreams

Written on March 23rd, 2009 at 12:03 am by Darren Rowse
How to Use Social Media to Land the Job of your Dreams
This interview was conducted by Monica O’Brien (@monicaobrien) from Twenty Set.

As the recession looms on, more and more people are turning to social media and blogs to look for jobs. Jamie Varon (@jamievaron) has generated buzz in the Twitter community with her new website called Twitter Should Hire Me, where she blogs candidly about her attempts to get a job at Twitter. In this interview, she shares her tips on how to use social media to land the job of your dreams, even in a recession.

Go to ProBlogger to read more.

CareerBuilder's "FREE" Resume Review - Here's Why It's Free!

As promised,here's my review of CareerBuilder's new service cbResumeReview. They are promoting this great new service to job seekers - "Get a FREE critique of your Resume!" I submitted my resume at 11:40am and actually noted the time because I wanted to let everyone know what sort of timeframe to expect. I received and email that my review was complete at 11:42am. WOW! They can critique my 2 page resume in 2 minutes? What a joke! I received a "generic" email that had absolutely no personalization except for my name - check it out. What a disappointment and waste of my time. I don't recommend using this service. he review I discussed in my March 11th post, CareerBuilder's Free Resume Review Is Bot-Driven Junk was totally accurate - it's JUNK!!

Don’t miss part 2 of the Audio Teleconference “Fiding a Job Using LinkedIn”

Don’t miss part 2 of the Audio Teleconference “Fiding a Job Using LinkedIn”

Learn how to get a job NOW using the social network LinkedIn.com Learn how to treat your job or employment hunt like a sales process and get your dream job today. After you identify the perfect job for you don’t forget to follow up. It is not enough to send a resume or an email. Try to find a connection in the company, follow up with a phone call, be active, and make sure your resume goes to the “A” pile and not to the “B” or “C” pile or resumes.LinkedIn for Marketing

Teleseminar - Radio Show Details
TODAY, Thursday March 12 at 3 PM PST 6 PM EST
Listen on the Web:www.BlogTalkRadio.com/LinkedInForMarketing
Listen over the Phone:Phone: (646) 200-4444Show ID: 422973
If you decide to listen over the web you will be able to ask question as we have a chat tool!

If you miss the live event come back to listen the recording
You can find Part 1 of the teleseminar here http://linkedinformarketing.com/how-to-get-a-job-now/

CareerBuilder's Free Resume Review Is Bot-Driven Junk

Found the following review on CareerBuilder's Free Resume Review. Here's the start of the article and below is a link to the entire article. Has anyone tried this yet? If so, let us know if your experience was similar. I submitted my resume and will let you know what I find out.

Sometimes"'free" means "wow what a great bargain," and sometimes it just mean worthless. CareerBuilder offers a free resume review on their site—enter your email address, upload your resume, and "we'll email you the results of your free evaluation, including tips on writing a resume that will help you land the interview." All it really does is collect your address so it can send you unsolicited email (we got spammed 30 minutes later), and your "review" is just a boilerplate page of generic advice.

http://consumerist.com/5165931/careerbuilders-free-resume-review-is-bot+driven-junk

FREE Interactive Webinar: NOW WHAT???? Job Search Strategies for Recent and Soon-to-be College Grads AND their Parents!!!

The following information is provided by a Guest Blogger to promote an upcoming webinar for College Grads and Parents. Hope some of you find it useful.

Finding a job as a new college graduate is stressful under the best of circumstances. For those students graduating in 2008 and 2009, the challenge can seem overwhelming. In our next webinar, on March 11, 2009, Bob Larson, CPC, President of Berman Larson Kane, former Chairperson of the National Association of Personnel Services and author of the book "Aim, Shoot, Get Hired" will offer practical advice to new grads and their parents on how to navigate this difficult employment climate. After four years of majoring in Philosophy or History, how do you know where your career interests REALLY lie? You're good at Accounting, but is it really your passion? We'll discuss how to determine your core strengths and define who you are - and who you are NOT. Once you've clarified your goals, Bob will present a sample marketing strategy to help ensure you stand out from your peers to potential employers. This webinar will be interactive, so grads, bring along your parents; parents, bring along your grads; and everyone, bring along your questions!

Due to anticipated popularity of this webinar, we are pleased to offer this FREE program twice on Wednesday, March 11, 2009.

To attend the afternoon session at 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm EST, please register here:https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/983750699

To attend the evening session at 7:30 pm - 8:00 pm EST, please register here:https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/923454995

Guest Blogger -
Debra Quiat, CIR
AIRS Certified Internet Recruiter/Sourcer
201.556.2894 or 800.640.0126 ext. 2894
http://www.linkedin.com/in/debraquiat

FREE! Job Search Handbook

I reently found the following handbook that I thought some might benefit frome. Here's the info they provided regarding the book and the link follows below:

The Job Search Handbook is the most comprehensive and concise guide to finding a job available today. Our unique format breaks down the job search process into nine easily understandable steps (see the Table of Contents).

Each step in our job search book includes a discussion designed to provide you with expert advice along with exercises you can do on your own to become proficient in that area. In addition, each section includes a list of relevant job search and resume building websites which you may find helpful. It answers questions such as "Why can't I find a job?", "How to find a dream job" and "What are the strategies to find the best job?".

Best of all, the Job Search Handbook is free

http://www.jobsearchhandbook.com/book/

FedEx is offering free resume printing on March 10th

I found this online. Check it out. Printer ink can get expensive so why not take advantage of getting 25 free copies of your resume printed. Remember you ALWAYS need to bring a nicely printed version on an interview. Many times the online version that HR Managers print look really bad so put your best foot forward and bring a nicely printed resume on every interview. And now you can get them printed FREE!

"Times are hard, and every little bit of assistance goes a long way. Feel free to share this link with anyone you know who is doing a job search. FedEx is offering free resume printing on March 10th."

http://news.van.fedex.com/freeresumeprinting

How To Use LinkedIn to Get a New Job NOW - Free Teleconference

How To Use LinkedIn to Get a New Job NOW - Free Teleconference
Written on March 4, 2009 – 2:46 pm by Jorge Olson

This week our free teleconference will be on how to use LinkedIn to get a new or a better job or simply network to make your information available to recruiters and hiring managers.
It is not easy finding a job in a down economy. This is why you need an edge, you need visibility to the right people, as many people, in order to get the most exposure to your skills and your resume.

We will go over how to use LinkedIn for Self Promotion in the job marketplace with easy usable strategies you can apply in 15 minutes after the teleconference.

As you probably heard already the social network, or professional network LinkedIn.com has a very large concentration of hiring managers and headhunters. The problem is not all of them post jobs on this or other job posting networks. How can you contact them? How can they contact you? We’ll cover very active and passive approaches to finding a job NOW.

LinkedIn for Marketing Teleseminar - Radio Show Details
Tomorrow, March 5 at 3 PM PST 6 PM EST
Listen on the Web: www.BlogTalkRadio.com/LinkedInForMarketing
Listen over the Phone:
Phone: (646) 200-4444
Show ID: 422973

Free Webinar - Avoiding the 10 Biggest Job Search Mistakes

Thought some of you might be interested in an upcoming webinar for job seekers...

Friday, March 6, 12:00pm EST
http://tinyurl.com/c8mkpb

Webinar will cover:

• Why you apply for jobs that you know are a perfect fit but you NEVER get called for an interview.
• Fixing the bad resume you don’t know you have.
• Uncovering the “hidden” job market.
• Cutting your search time in half.
• Positioning yourself for greater compensation.

Reserve Your Spot by Going to https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/755802394

**not sure you can make it? Go ahead and sign-up and a recording of the session will be sent to you**

Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job

I recently read the following blog post and wanted to share it with you - Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job.

My own experience is that LinkedIn has been most useful when I find a company/position I'm interested in. These connections are what have taken me from one of hundreds of people who may have applied online to a direct connection to the hiring recruiter and actual phone call to be considered for the position. I'm currently looking at 2 positions and this is exactly how I connected with these companies. When you find a position you're interested in, search your Linkedin network to see who you are connected with at that company. Then send a quick note asking them for additional information and/or tips regarding the position. If the contact is a 2nd or even 3rd degree contact, request your contact to forward your note to the contact. I currently have over 3,000 contacts in my LinkedIn Network and I am happy to connect my readers to my connections to network for job opportunities.

What is a Job Aggregator?

Basically they are search engines for jobs. There are currently over 40,000 j ob boards on the Internet. There are major job boards like Monster, CareerBuilder, and HotJobs. There are Regional job boards like AllCountyJobs.com for people in CT. And there are Niche & Industry-Specific job boards such as SalesAnimals for sales positions. Therefore, how do you know which ones to use for your job search. Well, I know 2 companies who have search engines that pull all of the jobs on the web to their site - SimplyHired and Indeed. Both offer FREE access for Job Seekers. I noticed that SimplyHired has a bunch of new, very cool tools that allow you to get updates on your Facebook account or directly to your phone. Indeed recently launched a job search by salary as a unique way of connecting with job seekers. I would recommend checking out both of these sites and at least setting up job alerts.

ResumeBucket vs. VisualVC

Ok, for those of you who haven't checked out VisualVC, I encourage you to do read my blog post below or check it out for yourself. I reviewed a competitive product, ResumeBucket and it doesn't compare in functionality or ease of use. I started creating my resume which I will put here so you can view it, but I didn't spend too much time because I didn't like the overall look/feel and ease of use as much as VisualVC. I encountered a problem with my jobs being listed with the most recent on the bottom and I couldn't "quickly" figure out how to fix this. And since I already have an online resume, I didn't spend the time to figure it out. You do get a unique url to share your resume which you get with both services, but its not as easy to add all the extras - ie. Portfolio items, etc. that make VisualVC so unique. So if you haven't created an online resume - I recommend VisualVC. This won't replace your MS Word resume that HR professionals will still want, but it will give you a link to include in your cover letter that has more information than your standard resume and additional ability to sell yourself.

VisualCV - Create A Free Online Resume

I recently evaluated a really cool new tool - VisualCV - which allows you to create an online resume - FREE! Not only do you get a unique url that you can forward to HR Managers and Recruiters, but you can add all kinds of additional information not normally included with your standard resume. I was able to put my resume online - www.visualcv.com/dbarden - in less than 2 hours and included my references, a letter of recommendation, and some marketing samples for the start of an online portfolio. This is so easy to use and it's FREE - I recommend creating your own - go to http://www.visualcv.com/.

ResumeSpider - Distribute Your Resume to Many - Part 1

I am currently evaluating a resume distribution service called ResumeSpider. At first glance I like the idea behind this service because I come from a background of direct marketing and I honestly feel there is a correlation between direct marketing and conducting a job search. If you only submit a couple of resumes in response to jobs you find on Monster or CareerBuilder, your chances of getting a response from these online applications is very slim. Just like direct marketing, it's a numbers game. You need to get "many" resumes out there to increase your chance for a higher response. I've been trying to get resumes out in quantity, but I'm still lucky if I'm sending 20 or so per week.

So, I thought I would check out the ResumeSpider service. They have a FREE DEMO which allows you to run a search by location, job function and industry. You can then view the recruiting and search firms and direct employers who match your search criteria. When I did my search, there were 1102 member companies (search/recruiting firms) and 453 employers that matched my criteria. There are different pricing plans available. I'm going to evaluate the Basic Plan which costs $39.95. This seems like a pretty good deal - send my resume to 1555 recruiters and employers for less than $40. That's only $.025 per resume distributed - seems like a good deal.

I will post part 2 in a day or two with an update of ResumeSpider's basic distribution plan.

Welcome to the JobSeeker101 Blog

I was recently laid off from a management position in a small company in the recruitement advertising industry. I was totally in shock and couldn't beleive that this was happening. I loved my job and didn't want to leave. I wanted to help this company weather the storm through this economy. Instead I was let go and on my own to navigate this very different job seeker landscape.

Luckily, working in the recruiting industry, I found myself blessed with a knowledge and tools to utilize in my job search. Social networking, niche job boards, job aggregators, etc. - many that were either not known or available the last time I was looking for employment. In talking with some friends and other people I've met who are unemployed and looking for their next career opportunity, many of the tools I mentioned were unfamilar to them. Therefore I decided to start this blog and document my experiences in hopes that it will give others a hand with their job search.

If anyone has a new website or tool they would like me to critique or check out - just let me know. I hope you find my job seeker journey helpful in your own search. Comments, recommendations, collaboration are all welcome.

Debbie