Please, everyone have a Merry Christmas from Rotten Resume!

I recall a scheduled phone interview that I once had. After interviewing with the corporate recruiter he had scheduled a phone interview for the very next week. I remember the anticipation before I got the call. I had wanted this job so badly I was making myself nervous. I remember getting the phone call and not being able to breath properly. Every answer that came out of my mouth was "short breathed" and I was definitely not on my "A" game. Half way through the interview I apologized to the hiring manager and explained to her how nervous I was and that I was not normally like this. She did give me a second interview, which went really well. I never did end up getting the job. I am pretty sure that it had to do with my initial phone interview. So you don't repeat my mistakes, here is a list of things that you can do to be your best during an interview.

1. The most obvious is proper breathing. Before you interview, whether it be on the phone or in person, make sure that you take deep breathes to makes sure that your body has enough oxygene. Also, during your interview, make sure to breathe through your nose before answering any questions. This will allow you to collect your thoughts better.

2. Maintain proper posture. This will allow you to present yourself as confident. If you have a problem with posture, just make sure that you mirror the hiring managers posture.

3. Be genuine. Make sure that you are being yourself during the interview. It will make you feel more relaxed and feel free to crack an (apropriate) joke or two if that is really who you are.

4. Know your habits. If in the past you have said "like" too much, rambled on or bounced your knee be conscious of it. This way you can avoid uneasiness during the interview

5. Lastly, remember that you are at the interview because they feel that you are qualified for the position. Be confident because of this. They want to hire someone for the position as much as you want the job.

Ok. So last post I spent the first paragraph ripping apart online job search sites. Do I believe that you can get a job using these? I.....do. Sort of. I believe that they work, and that you can get a job using these websites, but I don't think that it should be the only thing that you do to get a job or that they are the most efficient use of your time in searching for a job(See my last posting).

But, if you do go this route. Lets at least make sure that you are using the better sites to get the best results for the effort put in.

Here are a list of sites that I would recommend and why:

1. Indeed.com (top pick)- Indeed.com is easy to use and in my opinion gives you the best options because it works more like a search engine for jobs by compiling jobs postings from newspapers, job pages and job sites all into on.

2. Craigslist.com - Craigslist has a lot of different types of jobs. Because it is not expensive for employers to post jobs, a lot of them use Craigslist because there is a large ROI. My only complaint is a lot of scam artists are on here to so you need to do your research and make sure that the job you are applying for is with a legitimate company.


3. Hound.com-This is actually a really cool site because it picks the jobs right off of employers websites. Not the typical pay-to-post model like Hot Jobs, Monster, etc. I would actually put this site ahead of Craigslist.com except the amount of jobs available are not as many and you need to find a job within the free trial to keep it free.

4. Specialty Job Search Sites. These include sites like the theladders.com(for jobs paying 100k and over which charges a fee to apply for jobs), mediabistro.com(for media and online jobs), dice.com (for technical jobs).

5. Monster.com- I am only putting Monster.com on this list because they have so many different choices for jobs.But, you do have to be careful. There are a lot of multilevel type companies on this site too. They also have lot of tips, advice and articles from many industries that are helpful to in getting you a job. (I know it is hard to believe that there is any other job help site other than ROTTEN RESUME!)

Is There a Hidden Job Market? One so special it is tucked away with that guy on the box of cereal, Lucky Charms. In this job market there are still people getting jobs. Good ones in fact. How are they getting these jobs? Do they have magic wands? Secret decoder rings? How is this fair when you are spending countless hours online applying for jobs and the only ones that seem to reply are those companies that want you to pay an "initiation fee."

This is exactly what you are doing wrong. Yes, applying for jobs online is what you are doing wrong. That's right, applying for jobs online is not probably going to get you a job. I laugh a little when I say that out loud. It seems so ironic. But, think about it. You are competing with thousands of other people who are looking to do the same thing that you are. Find a job. And guess what? They all have access to the same websites that you do. They are applying to the same jobs, have a bachelor's degree and have similar job experience. Now I am not saying that you can't get a job from applying for them online. I am just saying that the odds are not in your favor.

So how do we get the odds into your favor? Where do you look for a job? The jobs you should apply for...are you ready? Are the ones that you want to get. What? I should apply for a job that I want? Yes. The average company has about 20-25% turnover rate annually through attrition or someone moving. They almost never post jobs. So how are you going to get a job with this company if they don't advertise?

Pick up the phone book, google your industry, or ask around if people know anything about businesses in your industry. Use resources like Facebook and Linkedin and by doing this the odds are now in your favor. You have just increased your chances of getting a job ten fold. Best part is that you already know what position you are best suited for and chances are you have been in this position for a while. So why not apply for that position? My suggestion is that you pick 10-20 companies that you feel you are most qualified for and feel that your experience and expertise can add value to the company and do what you normally do, with a spin! You can call a company to find out who does the hiring for your position and send them your resume, but before you do this make sure you find out a few things about them so that when you actually get an interview you have this packed in your arsenal and can deploy your knowledge and research and hit target. But, the job is not completely done yet. You want to make sure that your not taking any chances and leave no money left on the table and even better this next step requires less work.

Let someone else do the work for you. Companies pay people called recruiters or headhunters. These people are paid bug bucks to help their clients find qualified employees. And these people are motivated by money. They want to help you get a job because that means that they get paid. You can find people like this on websites like Linkedin.com (Can you tell I really believe in this website?) and Zoominfo.com. Make sure that you have a picture and fill out your profile completely because these are the people that will get called first. Also make sure that you use keywords that were in our Top Secret List of Words That Can Improve Your Resume blog post from June of this year. So until next time..Good readings.
-Rotten Resume staff

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This is a Great article.

7 Tips to help you be competitive during a recession

1.Keep your resume updated.
The worst thing you can do while trying to look for a job is have an outdated resume. Make sure you use keywords (See "Top Secret List of Words" from June http://tiny.cc/topsecret52) to get your resume past computer programs.

2. Make Sure That There is Money Coming in.
I know it is hard to do if you don't have a job. But, either wait to quit your job until you have another one or make sure you are able to do things on the side to keep money coming in. When there is no money you increase your chances of coming across as desperate. (Remember, you need your prospective employer to really want you to be with the company because they have the power to higher you.) And most importantly, this keeps you in the right state of mind when meeting and hopefully interviewing with prospective employers.

3. Try to be different.
When I went to college I once applied for a job that had over 1,000 applicants during a time when there were little jobs available. I had a caricature drawing of myself made and put it as a watermark on my resume. This opened up the door for me to get an interview and I worked there throughout school. (Make sure whatever you do is appropriate for the job that you are applying for.)

4. Get a fresh start.
Maybe in the area that you live there are little jobs. Maybe it is time to make a move to an area with more jobs. This may be crucial in putting you in an area where you have more choices for employment.

5. Change your industry.
It could be possible that your industry is slimming down because of a lack of need. Make a choice to change industries and go back to school to learn a new trade or even get a degree. Even though you may start back at the bottom of the food chain this could put you in a better situation for the rest of your working career.

6. Be involved in helping other people get what they want.
It was once said you can get what you want by helping others get what they want. This will allow you to feel more productive and network with others. This will open doors for you(whether it be immediately or later down the road).

7. Let people know that you are looking for a job.
Most people get a job through a referral and most employers now days higher their employees this way too. Make sure that you let everyone know that you are looking (be careful to not jeopardize your chances with your current employer though).

How to get an interview in a recession...click here to find out how

1. Emphasize ways you have boosted the bottom line for your employers. Now more than ever, employers will be trying to preserve profits and pinch pennies. Use your resume to prove your talents in this area and you’re bound to leave a favorable impression. This might include contributions you have made (either independently or as a member of a team) to cost-cutting measures, revenue-generating efforts, customer acquisition/retention initiatives, or productivity/efficiency increases. Wherever possible, quantify these achievements with numbers for maximum impact and credibility. Here are a few examples using dollars, percentages, and before/after comparisons:

* Saved company $5K annually by transferring print newsletter to online format.
* Minimized costly rework on widget product line to increase profit margin by 15% (equivalent to $2.8M in annual revenue gains).
* Served on continuous improvement taskforce that cut store shrink in half (from 4% to 2%) to deliver annual bottom-line gains of $17K+.

2. Showcase examples of resourcefulness. Employers value candidates with a proven history of innovative thinking the ability to do more with less, but these skills become even more sought after during tough economic times. A friend of mine who’s in the HR field calls this the “what if…” factor. She says that even when limits....

Click on the link to see more 5 Ways to Recession Proof your resume

This is a great article. Just click on the link below.

Jump Start Your Resume.

The article is a brief overview of things you need to do to prepare your resume fro success.

Edwin,

Has made a few mistakes in his resume. No fear though. These can all be resolved.

First off Edwin is listing the obvious. In the job description employers like to see what you have done for the company. For example, raised profits 15% or helped lower overhead by 11% by.... Also, in Edwin's resume he has to many types of jobs. He looks as if he has been going job to job and is trying to find himself. You may have to change each resume for each job that you apply for. Employers want to see what qualities you have the ability to bring into the new company.
Stay tuned because we will have another critique soon.

-Rotten Resume

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With all of the layoffs what do we have to do to stay competitive in the job market? It is the way that you describe yourself. Now days, with technology the way that it is, employers and recruiters use computer technology to sift through the piles of emails for special keywords. These are special keywords that are inputted into the computer to find the right person with the right skills. For example, a website designer would put Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and Flash as a few of the programs that a website design professional would be knowledgeable in. These are the words that should be put into a resume. Another way that you can know what words to put into your resume is by looking at the job posting. If the job posting talks about wanting a knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel, that is what you put in your resume (if you are proficient in those areas). If your not proficient in those areas, become proficient. There is a top secret list of certain words that attract attention to any prospective employer and we here at Rotten Resume have it. In an interview with CBS 13, manager Jason Ferrara from Career Builder gave them this information.

http://cbs13.com/recession/buzz.words.keywords.2.930551.html

"Anything about leadership, customer retention, product planning, strategic development," Ferrara said.

There are more than 20 words on the universal keyword list. Check them out below:

Keyword List:
Strategic planning
Performance and productivity improvement
Organizational design
Infrastructure
New Media
Internet
E-commerce
Change Management
Team building
Leadership
Competitive market
Product positioning
Investor and board relations
Oral and written communications
Problem solving and decision making
MBA
Project management
Customer retention
Business development
Corporate vision
Long-range planning
Cost reduction

Where do you think that we are in this (de)cession? With the current situation with automakers like General Motors and Chrysler filing for bankruptcy and closing down dealerships, manufacturing plants, etc. Do you think that things are getting better? How will this effect your chances of getting a job? What is the ripple effect of these bankruptcies?

In my humble opinion I think that this will not only effect the car business and its suppliers. What about all of the local restaurants, dry cleaners, people renting homes, buying homes, etc, etc? What is your reaction?

How important is it to stay connected?

Well by a recent post by Salary.com. 78% of employers use employee referrals as the primary method of hiring new employees. Lesson Learned. Get AND stay connected. Use sites like Linkedin.com and Facebook.com to get your name...and your resume out there.

Put yourself in the position of the manager hiring you. In this economy there are probably at least 2-3 times the people applying for the same job as you. I read in the paper that in Massilon, Ohio there were over 700 applicants for a school janitor position paying $15.75/hour. What does this mean? We need a way to stand out from the crowd. What are the quickest and easiest ways to do this?
Skip the labor and give me the baby! First off, be short and sweet. Make your resume no more than one page (not including cover letter and references). The font should be no more than 12 and no less than 10. If you have a lot of information, try using bullet points to shorten it. This will also allow your prospective employer to easily scan the resume and make a decision on whether you could be a match or not. There are many opinions of the order of a resume, but after doing some here is what I found to be most consistent of professional opinions and in my opinion the best looking.> Name and full information including address phone number, email address.

>Objective-make sure that this is clear (Don't be afraid to adjust your resume ten different times for ten different jobs. It is better to do this so that it increases your chances for each job).

>Current Role. Briefly describe what you have done and HELPED the company do or obtain ( employers want someone who will be an asset for the company).

>Education...this part can change depending on you. If you have good education put it first; including years attended. Classes applicable to the position that you are applying for, school affiliations, Major, GPA, etc. If you have little or no post high school education you can leave this for the end of the resume

>Experience...probably the most important part of the resume. what did you do, when it was done, who for...

>Skills. Anything that you do or know that obtains to your prospective career.

>References. I have heard a couple of theories about this part of a resume. some people put available upon request. In my opinion that is good for someone who does not necessarily care about the references. But, for someone who does...I would stay on the safe side and put them.

Ok, here is what I need from you to make this blog work. Submit your resume to rottenresume@gmail.com. Also, along with that we need what type of job you are applying for and the problems that you are having. And don't worry, we will not share any information and when we post your resume. All of the personal information will be covered up (name, number, email address, business names that you have worked for, references, etc.). Lets get going!

In the heart of the situation of the economy comes Rotten Resume, here to help lower the current 6.1% unemployment rating. Have you been looking for a job and cannot even get an interview? Rotten Resume is here to help you get to the interview and get the job. Submit your resume and get free advice to make it better. Who knows you may be starting a new career sooner than you think.