Career Management Alliance Blog

Mary Ann writes: I was wondering how one would go about composing a letter to someone they already met but forgot to give their business card to. I typed up a letter and simply stated that we met at such and such meeting, and that I was interested in adding him to my network. I stated that I am a job skills instructor and that I teach my students to network and I try to follow my own advice. I included my business card. We work for the same department and have mailboxes in the same area, but I don t have his contact information so I gave him mine and asked him if he would be willing to share his with me. I just wanted to know if this was the right way of going about this. Continue Reading »

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Today was Career Day in NJ. Rutgers University hosted their 45th semi-annual career fair for their students, the students from any other college willing to travel to New Brunswick and, actually, anyone else who felt like showing up…student or not. An estimated 3500 did. So did Mark, my business partner, and I (we typically spend a day a month on college campuses or outplacement centers just to get a sense of the playing field.) Janet Jones, one of Rutgers Career Services Directors and a great friend over more than a few years met us at the door. Continue Reading »

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Susie writes: I’m attending a career fair next week and really want to know the best way to prepare as this is my first one and I want to be successful at it. Continue Reading »

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Andrew writes: I am having a problem getting a job. Right now I have three years of IT-related experience after finishing a college certificate course. I have worked on big to small projects and as a desktop analyst. But when I submit my resume for jobs I have done before and know I can do I am always being told by companies that I don’t have enough experience and need to get more. But how can I get the experience if no one will hire me?

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The Career Doctor responds: The job market for professionals in the technology field has been pretty dismal over the last few years, and while we’ve seen some recent increase in hiring, it will still be a tough market for some time to come. If you have been applying for jobs that only require as much experience as you currently have — in other words, you are not applying for jobs that require 10 years of experience — then I would venture that these employers are simply using lack of experience as an excuse for some other reason they are not hiring you. Are you even getting job interviews? If not, then you must take the time to evaluate your job-search strategy and your job-search tools. About your job-search strategy. Are you simply applying to jobs listed on job boards? If so, you must expand your search strategies to include using and expanding your networking, job fairs, and cold calling. If solid experience is even somewhat of an issue, you should also attempt to get temporary, freelancing, or volunteering work to build your portfolio. About your job-search tools. Your resume is the critical tool to getting invited to job interviews. Perhaps your resume lacks the critical keywords and/or accomplishments from your experience. I would strongly recommend you have a career professional evaluate your resume to make sure you are maximizing your strengths and experiences. I would also recommend you carefully read this article published on Quintessential Careers: Ten Questions to Ask Yourself if You Still Haven’t Found a Job.

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Cathy writes: For the first time in 23 years, I am conducting a job search that includes the Internet. I understand the importance of having a resume in text format to submit where requested. I am also hearing that most recruiters, employers, etc. prefer resumes now be submitted electronically. Is this true? Maybe it’s the old-fashioned marketer in me, but my tendency is to search the web for jobs and then send my resume the traditional way by mail so I can differentiate by different fonts, paper style, appearance-related factors. Could this be working against me? Continue Reading »

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Join me at the National Career Fair at the Radisson Hotel at 49 West 32nd Street in New York City on July 22 from 11am to 3pm where I will be leading free small group presentations on methods for improving your resume. Can’t make it? Check out my free download on resume writing tips on my homepage at Career Solvers.

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Check out this video clip on "Pink Slip Parties"- a new twist on job fairs. Job seekers wear pink wrist bands and recruiters wear blue. Appetizers and cocktails are served. It's kind of like speed-dating for job seekers. (Cut & paste the following into your browser)"

http://www.linkedin.com/news?viewArticle=&articleID=43032005&gid=1426&articleURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ewesh%2Ecom%2Fvideo%2F19720158%2Findex%2Ehtml&urlhash=4rD0&trk=news_discuss

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By Carole Martin, Monster Contributing Writer There is more competition in the job market than there was a few years ago, so it pays to get out there. Attending a job fair beats sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring. If nothing else, it’s a place to schmooze and find out what’s happening. Your approach to the fair may make a huge difference in whether you achieve satisfactory results. Joe received his layoff notice on a Friday. After a week at home, he knew he had to get out and make some contacts. He found and landed his last job at a job fair, and soon discovered on the Internet there was a tech fair in his area the following week. Armed with several copies of his resume, Joe set out with an air of confidence. His confidence got a blow when he arrived at the site and saw the long line of people waiting to get in. This was going to be a very different experience than his last job search. As he walked down the line, he met friends and former coworkers. He tried to find out what was going on inside and how to deal with it. Some of his friends were veterans of the system and were glad to share some survival tips with him. Here are 10 of those tips: Continue Reading »

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