Avoiding the Resume Black Hole

Astoundingly, 75% Resumes are Overlooked

If you are like most people you have applied to and uploaded resumes for dozens of jobs and heard nothing back.  This is generally referred to as the "Resume Black Hole".  But don't lose hope, there is a solution.

The root of the "Resume Black Hole" problem is a piece of technology called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).  The ATS was designed to streamline the flow of applicants for companies.  This is accomplished by having a central place where all applications and resumes are warehoused.  If you are applying to jobs online and uploading your resume it is surely landing in an ATS.

Interviewing and Credit

Image by Casey Serin via Flickr

We talk to thousands of job seekers every week and we hear first hand how the economy has impacted them directly.  Most of us know people who have been hit really hard.  This is why I was floored when I came across a recent article by Lisa Pulliam Weston who writes for MSN Money and The Los Angeles Times.

She writes, "Many employers -- including the federal government -- routinely scour credit reports on current and prospective employees to help decide who's hired or fired."  So regardless of your desire to find a public or private sector job, most companies are using your report as factor prior to making a job offer.

** Update:  Some states are considering banning this practice.   As of now it is still legal and a matter of practice at most companies.

Companies and the federal government routinely check credit but this recent downturn in the economy has made maintaining a positive credit score more difficult. The Society for Human Resource Management reports 35% of companies pulled credit on current or potential employees last year, up from 19% in 1996.

Most people think their credit will not be a problem, however, credit files can contain correctable errors.  Employers are looking for severe marks on your credit history and will generally overlook a few late payments.

Not knowing what is on your credit file is a gamble you should not take. There are many steps you can take to improve your credit and remove items that are old or not accurate.  It all starts with knowing what your credit looks like. Mrs. Pulliam suggests checking your credit a few times a year.

Cheers,
Mike

Now is the Time To Get a More Prestigious Job

More job seekers get new and better jobs in the first few months of the year than at any other time of the year.

You may be pleased to learn that the first few months of the year are typically the months where qualified professionals most often "move up" in terms of the prestige level of their jobs. Now, before we get too far into 2010, is a once-a-year opportunity that will be over before you know it.

As I am sure you are aware, the job market has been improving a great deal since the beginning of the year and thousands of peoples have "moved up" and found great positions-even those who were formerly happily employed in other jobs.

Every year after the first few months of the year I hear a surprising number of success stories:

• A large number of people "moving up" from small to larger employers with greater benefits, prospects and salaries;
  
• People getting jobs in their dream cities;
  
• People finding their dream job with one or more of the following: fewer hours, a better work environment and more interesting work.
  
  

What Can We Learn From Marc Cenedella, The Founder of TheLadders.com

Announcing a new event where Marc Cenedella, The Founder of TheLadders.com, will be joining us to discuss entrepreneurship. TheLadders.com is the world's leading and largest online marketplace for $100K+ jobs and $100K+ job seekers. It's also the 3rd largest job searching site after Careerbuilder and Monster. TheLadders.com has received numerous accolades including the 2009 Webby Award for Best Employment Website, 2009 Best Companies to Work for New York, 2009 Silicon Alley Award - Most Likely to be Worth $1 Billion and "Best of the Web" designations by BusinessWeek and Forbes.

You Need to Bring a Singular Focus to Everything You Do

Career Tip of the Week

Those who do one thing well are more valuable and wanted than those who can do many things not so well. This is what separates those who make the biggest impact from all the others who are just as smart. Any person or group of people who achieve greatness in any calling generally do one thing in the best possible way. Bring a singular focus to your job search and do what you do as well as it possible can be done.

FREE Interactive Job-Seeker Webinar: Finding the Unadvertised Job using Social & Professional Networks

The recent proliferation of social and professional networking websites has added a complex new dimension to the job search process. During this webinar, 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 compare the most popular sites and discuss the job search possibilities these sites offer. If you're confused by invitations to join a group on LinkedIn, or to connect to a "friend" on Facebook, we'll show you why you should consider saying "Yes" to these invitations, and how these sites can play an important role in your quest for employment.