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Today's job market has a large number of applicants vying for a proportionately small number of jobs. This makes the need for resume database systems a necessity for employers who must sort through hundreds of applications received for one, single job. Employers will use these databases by searching for certain qualifications and skills they are looking for in their future employees. You can maximize your chances of appearing in the search results by placing keywords, and synonyms of these words, numerous times throughout your resume. 

Sending out a general, "blanket" resume may have got you the job in high school or college, but in the real world tailoring your resumes and cover letters to the individual position you are applying can greatly improve your chances of landing the job. Another great idea is to send a hard copy of your resume and cover letter to the office, and include a digitalized portfolio with examples of any work you think may be relevant to the position. If you end up getting an interview, it is always advisable to follow up the interview with a thank-you letter. Let the employer know that you are grateful for the having the opportunity to interview with them, let them know you are still interested in the job, and give them a short reminder of who you are by listing some of the skills you have that will be beneficial to the position. 


Posted by Jen on 2/27/2009 04:48:00 AM
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Stand Out From the Crowd!

In today's competitive job market, it is vital to your success as an applicant to stand out in some way from the hundreds, or thousands of other people seeking employment. One lesson I've learned through various job hunts is to tailor your resume and cover letter to the position and company you are applying.

Each job may offer myriad options for the style in which you will work. For example, one may be analytical, the other creative. One could be hands-on, while another is strictly science. As you are writing your cover letter and resume, keep these things in mind. You can highlight your strengths in the areas that they need strong candidates.

The key to success in any job hunt is to keep an open mind and positive attitude. If you don't wow prospective employers on paper, you may not land that elusive interview. So learn from past attempts and really show them that it's your time to shine!

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Posted by Amanda on 2/26/2009 03:50:00 PM
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Resume Scanners - What they heck is that?

When I first heard about "resume scanners" I really did not understand what that was. Although it is still a somewhat rare thing, it is a new trend in corporate hiring practices and therefore you should know about it too. Resume scanners are not people, nor are they machines that scan resumes. A resume scanner is actually a database in which resume are entered in order for corporates to file and search a high volume of resumes. Large companies and big government sector agencies that receive literally thousands of resumes a day, they need system to track and analyze resumes in order to only spend time on potential employees. When an employers needs to find an applicant, they can simply search for "data analyst" to narrow the field of resumes. Therefore, applicants must tailor their resumes to be "scannable". There are some tips to make sure your resume is scanned often. Use common key words such as "administrator, communication, degree, etc." and make sure your resume is plain. This means no bold, italics, fancy fonts, graphics, etc, this will make it more "scannable". But this does not mean you should cram as many key words as possible onto your resume and compromise style. Consider sending two resumes, one for the data base electronically and one for human eyes with a cover letter. If the thought of resume scanning seems strange to you, take this as a good indication of how the company will treat you later on as an employee. If you do not wish to be seen as just a number for clocking-in and payroll, then seek out companies that are smaller and more personable.

Posted by Suzanne on 2/25/2009 04:36:00 AM
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Don't Call Me… I'll Call You: Why Recruiters Aren't Calling and How to Fix That!


You’ve got your resume ready; you’ve diligently sent it out to several recruiters and hold the phones… yep, nothing! You haven’t received one call back yet! What do you do? While you might think that you’ve been blackballed by Corporate America, there are a few things you should consider.

First, take a hard look at your resume and cover letter. Is it really relevant to the job posted – or are you just sending a blanket resume response to every job posted? Even if you know that your skills and experience are perfect for the advertised position, it’s very possible that you didn’t highlight those skills in your resume and cover letter.

Now, more than ever, with the overwhelming response in jobs, recruiters are using digital scanning tools to quickly sort through resumes for relevant keyword terms. To improve your resume’s search-ability, highlight your professional expertise with relevant synonyms throughout your resume. Be very specific—for instance, if you are fluent in more than one language, you may consider having the word multilingual appear in your resume, as well as the languages you are fluent in. Similarly is you have earned a B.A. degree, you may consider using the words Bachelor of Arts as well as the abbreviation in the education section of your resume.

So… what if your resume and cover letter are spot-on and you still haven’t gotten a single call back? In this day and age, even the best resumes can get overlooked. Recruiters get bombarded with resumes and calls from qualified candidates each and everyday. One advertised job can prompt hundreds of responses!

The real question is… How do you stand out from the crowd? In one word, network! A personal introduction to a recruiter is a great way to stand out from the faceless resumes that they receive on a daily basis.

Trust me, you will find a job. However, in today’s job market, you have to stay one step ahead of the competition. Get your resume and cover letter in tip-top shape, start making introductions and shaking some hands. In no time at all, your phone will be ringing. Good luck!

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Posted by Seymour Jobs on 2/20/2009 01:09:00 PM
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My Case Against the Office Romance

Although I personally have never had a relationship with a coworker [working in a women's retail store will do that], I don't condone the behavior in a professional setting.  While I can understand the reasoning for pursuing a love interest who sits just five feet away in their own cubicle, I think the office romance rears its ugly head far too often.

As a fervent opponent to public displays of affection, I find it completely unprofessional to make out with your coworker [especially in the case of that coworker being your boss].  Even less professional?  When the breakup occurs and you can't stand the sight of each other without bursting into tears or starting a shouting match.

All I'm saying is to be realistic-- the chance of finding your perfect mate at the office is high, however you should consider the end of the relationship as well.  Good luck!

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Posted by Amanda on 2/19/2009 04:39:00 PM
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When it Comes to Intra-Office Dating, Everyone's a Loser.

As tempting as it is to start up an intra-office affair, beware of the pitfalls that may come with such a relationship. This not-so-professional relationship has complex dimensions just between the two participants, but also brings on many complications with how the relationship is perceived by other coworkers. Even just the perception of a relationship can put a stain on you professional work for years. Sure everyone loves a little harmless flirting here and there, but this flirting isn't as harmless as it appears. Women will be seen as ambitious corporate climbers just trying to "sleep" their way to the top and men will be seen as the stereotypical chauvinist who only hires beautiful secretaries. There are many more combinations but those are the ones most portrayed in the media. It just boils down to the fact that no matter how tempting the fling may be, the risk to your professional career is not worth it.

Posted by Suzanne on 2/19/2009 05:05:00 AM
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Dipping Your Pen in the Company Ink

With Valentine's day right around the corner, I feel that this is as good a time as any time to share stories of workplace romance. Have you ever experienced it? How did it happen? Did it land you at the altar or in the unemployment line? I'd love to hear your stories! 

Posted by Brian on 2/13/2009 03:43:00 PM
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Workplace Romance: Does Cupid live in your cubicle?


It’s understandable why office romances flourish. Due to the lagging economy and the amount of time people are forced to spend working, where else is a couple able to meet? People who work together also live within a reasonable dating distance, and see each other on a daily basis. Also, dating co-workers seems safer, especially for women, because you have the opportunity to get to know one another. Consequently, more and more American’s are resorting to the fine art of multi-tasking and looking for love within the walls of the workplace.

Far from being harmful, many office romances can actually improve work performance. They add an enthusiasm and energy that translates into enhanced morale, communication, creativity and even productivity. Should these relationships evolve into long-term commitments, as often happens, companies will generally benefit from happier and more fulfilled employees. According to an online Spherion Workplace Snapshot survey that Harris Interactive conducted in January 2008, only 30 percent of 1,391 U.S. workers polled in 2008 think that dating a co-worker openly would hurt their job security or ability to advance, compared to 41 percent in 2007.

So it appears the key issue isn’t prohibiting workplace romances so much as managing them. It’s a good idea to first find out your company’s policy on inter-office dating. More often than not, supervisors are prohibited from having relationships with people who work under them. This is a breeding ground for sexual harassment claims. If you find yourself romantically involved with your supervisor, you should report the relationship immediately and request to be transferred to work with another supervisor.

Be up-front, open and honest
Secrecy can spur rumors… and rumors trigger juicy gossip! By being upfront with your employers and co-workers with your relationship, not only will you will deter the water cooler chit-chat but it will also relieve the stress that comes with keeping a big secret.

Don’t be too open!
Public displays of affection are strictly frowned upon in the work place. It is important to keep extracurricular activities out of the office. Just because you are honest about your relationship does not give you permission to host a public make-out session in the hallway. Keep it clean, professional and G-rated.

Inter-office relationships are an inevitable part of today’s workforce. If handled correctly, you can reduce your risk and focus on having a great time. Being in love is wonderful – take it from me. Once upon a time, I had an office romance. In fact, I married her... my wife, Emma Ploid. Good luck!

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Posted by Seymour Jobs on 2/13/2009 11:22:00 AM
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It's better safe then sorry!

Facebook and MySpace are fun ways to keep in contact with your friends and relatives but if the proper precautions are not taken, these fun social networking websites can take a nasty turn for the worse. Once you move from college shenanigans to the real-world job hunt, you must realize that your Social Networking Websites are no longer for just your friends and family, but for your employers and colleagues as well. If the wrong person happens upon your site, the good-natured fun can quickly turn into a nightmare. A questionable picture or comment if seen by an employee or colleague could cost you your job.

Simple ways to avoid this danger are to strengthen the privacy settings of your site, avoid adding people you are not friends with and to simply avoid posting things that may be seen as obscene, offensive, illegal or even raise the question of doubt. Some Social Networking Websites allow you to make your personal site completely unsearchable to the public, dictate who can view your tagged and uploaded photos, and can even stop the general public from seeing what events you attend and whose walls or photos you comment on. You may even want to keep a separate profile for employers and colleagues, because it is much better to be safe then it is to be sorry.

Posted by Jen on 2/11/2009 03:21:00 PM
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Protect Yourself

Social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace are cesspools for drama-- there, I said it.  Although I am a member of both communities and check my Facebook account more than is ever necessary, I am aware that these sites are a breeding ground for dirty laundry to be aired.

Privacy is no longer a privilege, it seems.  Thanks to these websites, your neighbor's cousin's ex-boyfriend can read all about your weekend activities and see the pictures to prove it.  Unless, of course, you are very cautious about what you put on your profile and who you become "friends" with.

When these sites first started, membership was more exclusive and it may have seemed fun to see how many friends from school you could find.  But as both sites developed more applications and features, your privacy went right out the window.  I can't tell you how many times someone's birthday has come up on my home page and I've asked myself, "Who?"  That of course is followed by removing them from my friends list, but I can't be sure if damage has been done. 

The best thing you can do is learn from others' experiences and understand that it is important to protect your privacy.  Things like phone numbers, addresses and class schedules allow sensitive information to fall into the wrong hands.  I think my best defense has been to stay safe and keep it private!

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Posted by Amanda on 2/10/2009 12:19:00 PM
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Food for thought

For those of you still hesitant to believe the outrageous-sounding claims made on this site about how tiniest online gaffe can put an end to a promising career (or worse), this article should give you an idea of how disturbingly simple it is to harvest a wealth of personal information from Facebook profiles. The students the article focuses on aren't "Facebook-stalking" maliciously -- they just do so to stay up-to-date about the goings-on in their social circles. They can know the minutiae of their casual acquaintances' daily lives in a couple clicks if they so choose -- imagine how easily a disgruntled co-worker could do the same. Chilling stuff. 

Posted by Brian on 2/09/2009 11:17:00 PM
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Friend of Frenemy?

We should all take a lesson from Miss New Jersey and Michael Phelps - watch what you do and say, even if you aren't famous yet. I don't think people realize that even if you go and delete friends or take down pictures - once a picture is out on the Internet, it is immortal. All it takes is for one person to right click and save that picture. Many people think that they aren't famous so it doesn't matter what they put online, but if you aspire to be successful in a career one day, these photos could spring up at a later date. Just look at Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelp's picture with drug paraphenia or Amy Polumdo's racy college party pictures that hit the internet once they became famous. When they did these things, maybe they weren't famous yet but someone saved those pictures and decided to cash in when they hit the big time. So next time you log onto Facebook, look at the people on your friends list and see if any of them would ever save a photo of you in hopes of one day cashing in on those photos. Are they your friends of your frenemies? It is nearly impossible to prevent someone from tagging you in a picture, but remember to only let pictures of yourself be seen by the select few people you add to your friends list. Make sure the people you accept as friends are trustworthy people who will never take your pictures out of context. Also, it doesn't hurt to look back at your friends list and see if people you may have been friends with two or three years ago are still close friends. Just because you added someone before doesn't mean you can't remove them or limit what they can see.

Posted by Suzanne on 2/07/2009 09:26:00 PM
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Frenemies on Facebook: BEWARE!

You log in to your Facebook account to find that somebody has sent you a friend request. Before accepting, you scan their profile. You don’t recognize them, but no matter – it’s probably just somebody you ran into at the party the other night. Their information bar even shows that you have a few mutual friends. You accept their request, and it begins. A frenemy has infiltrated your social network.

What, exactly, is a “frenemy”? Wikipedia defines it as an enemy disguised as a friend or as a partner who is simultaneously a competitor. More simply stated, it’s someone who poses as a friend, but has ulterior motives. Frenemies come in many forms, ranging from minor annoyances such as spammers and promoters to stalkers, hackers, and other, more serious threats.

The breed of frenemy of greatest concern to you falls in the intermediate range of this spectrum: employers. As you may know, most employers and HR Specialists are very much aware of the social networking boom and how it can benefit them by providing an open window into the lives of their employees. That unknown “friend” you just added may be a member of your employer’s human resources staff, a co-worker with an axe to grind, or even your boss himself. Worried yet?

Fortunately, the Facebook frenemy is easy to thwart, if you take the simple precautionary measures outlined below. First, do not, under any circumstances, accept a friend request from somebody you do not know personally. This is the simplest and most proactive means of closing the blinds to prying eyes. If, for some reason, you absolutely must bolster your friend count, do so from a separate account containing a minimum of personal information.

Second, check your Friends list for suspicious accounts. If a name seems unfamiliar, check that individual’s profile to see if he or she is actually a friend. If a quick review of their profile doesn’t ring any bells, delete them – it’s as simple as that. Unless you’re remarkably bad at recognizing people, you shouldn’t be stepping on any toes by doing this. Even if you accidentally delete somebody you know, they’ll surely be understanding and send you a message to ask what’s up. Third, and finally, be wary of suspicious activity on any friend’s profile. A flurry of bizarre status updates, comments, and messages from somebody you know may indicate the presence of a hacker in your midst. If this kind of behavior persists, alert your friend via an instant message, email, or phone call. If they’re just as confused as you are, it’s time to delete them until they shoo the hackers away or create a new account.

Armed with this knowledge, you should be able to dodge the frenemies working to keep you out of work (and worse). These precautions are not completely foolproof, so always keep a dose of vigilance and common sense at hand when dealing with Facebook and other social networking sites. Stay alert and stay smart, and you’ll be able to stay frenemy-free. Good luck!

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Posted by Seymour Jobs on 2/06/2009 12:42:00 PM
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Apperances can be decieving, or can they?

Having lived in many small (and I mean small) dorm rooms I think I am well prepared for being in a cubicle. Even if I am in a job where I don't entertain clients often, it is still important to keep a nice and neat cubicle. So put away those pictures of Spring Break to Cancun, Mexico! It's ok to keep some personal objects - Afterall, you aren't a corporate slave yet - but remember to be tasteful. As far as noise level - well you will have to adapt, but make sure you aren't the one who is talking loudly and annoying everyone else. Keep your cubicle clutterless and inviting to clients and your boss. People's first impressions come from your appearance, and how your office looks. So if you are a slob, people will assume you are messy and unorganized in every aspect of your life. So keep it neat and always look professional.

Posted by Suzanne on 2/06/2009 12:09:00 AM
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Desk Drama

I write this from a cubicle. Granted, I don't get paid to sit at this one, but I feel like I can still speak from experience when I say that being approximately five feet away from your neighbor is rough stuff.

Think of the movie "Office Space," where the main character Peter struggles through day after mundane day listening to his cubicle neighbor Milton mumble and ramble and listen to outdated music. Space is important when working in any environment and the key to keeping your sanity is R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

You and your surrounding neighbors should try to establish a set of ground rules, if there aren't ones already provided by your company or if they are not concrete enough to keep you happy. Some simple suggestions include limiting lunch options [because, who wants to smell spicy curry all afternoon?] and keeping personal calls to a minimum.

It shouldn't be too difficult for you to establish a working relationship with those that surround you and keep everyone in good spirits. And when all else fails, take a hint from Milton and keep your red stapler handy. Good luck!

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Posted by Amanda on 2/05/2009 04:13:00 PM
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Make your cubicle your own.

After three months of temp work I learned a very important lesson-- people are more apt to do well in their work environment if they feel comfortable. I would sit in my dreary, gray cube, day-after-day, drifting into a state of delirium, until finally I realized that coming to work would be much more enjoyable if I actually liked my work space. Give your cubicle a little flare. Make it your own by adding personal pictures, posters of your favorite band, a cool calendar and maybe even a little piece of nature, like plants or flowers. You can post some inspirational quotes or even your latest fortune from Saturday night's Chinese dinner. By adding your own personal touch to your workspace, the often rigid workplace atmosphere is immediately lifted. It makes you feel more comfortable, at ease and may even give you some much needed inspiration for that current project whose deadline is approaching.

Posted by Jen on 2/04/2009 01:31:00 PM
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