Keeping it real (and professional)

Searching for a job can be hard work. There are many factors to think about and consider as you launch your job search. Experience and education are two critical aspects that every employer will look at.

But those same companies will also analyze you in more subtle ways. How do you interact with people? Do  your clothes and grooming project a professional appearance?

Potential employers will definitely be looking at your communication skills. They will analyze your face-to-face communication skills in an interview. And with the tremendous focus on interview skills, many people overlook the importance of written communication. 

How you express yourself in writing can be an important clue to companies about your job skills and your abilities. And companies may be even more likely to scrutinize those kinds of clues when your resume is long on learning, but short on experience.

Read Full Post »

Familiar faces in new places: Expanding your network

Most recent graduates are familiar with the concept of social networking. Sites like Facebook and MySpace have been around for the last several years, and sites like LinkedIn and BrightFuse make a logical leap for users from social networking to professional networking.

We recently talked about alumni associations as one possible alternate resource. But building and sustaining relationships in your network should not be limited to the professors you learned from, or fellow students with whom you collaborated.

Many graduates overlook the people they knew when they were younger. They assume those relationships are only personal ones that have no weight in a professional context. And students may be uncomfortable about interacting with these familiar faces on a professional level.

Read Full Post »

Alumni associations: An untapped reference

Networking is one of the best ways to find out about career opportunities and land the job that you want. Whether you are connecting with people via social networking sites on the Web, or doing some old school face-to-face networking, it is always an effective way to tap into the job market.

As a new graduate, however, you may be concerned about how deep your network of contacts really is. It can take years to build a solid web of professional contacts. Social networking sites can be a great start, but if your main connections are all recent graduates in the same boat, it may not get you the results you want.

Read Full Post »

Check out our podcast!

A few weeks back, we mentioned that you could tap into the CareerBuilder.com network at the touch of a button on your iPhone.

We are proud to announce another way to tap into CareerBuilder.com — we have launched a live podcast!

Now you can take us with you on your commute, or to the gym, and let us keep you informed and in touch with issues and topics important to job seekers.

Our first podcast includes content on these topics:

–  CareerBuilder.com’s Q3 Job Forecast

–  Best Excuses for Calling in Sick from CareerBuilder.com’s 2008 Absenteeism Survey

–  Today’s 20 Fastest-Growing Jobs

–  Cool Jobs That Pay Well

You can hear our podcast by visiting us at  http://podcast.careerbuilder.com  — so check us out!

Read Full Post »