Here are five tips to know you are dealing with a good one:

1. He or she handles several large accounts.
There are two keywords in here: “many” and “huge businesses.” The former means the headhunter has a much higher chance of assigning you to a job that fits your experience as well as your preferred job description. The second is pretty obvious. If given a choice, you would surely want to work with companies that are more stable and, as much as possible, multinational. There are several positions you can fill in, there is always room for growth, and there’s a good chance the salary and benefits are superb.

2. Find someone who deals with your expertise.
Contrary to popular belief, headhunters do not really deal with you. They are working for employers or companies that are searching for someone like you. Because the demands of these bosses differ depending on the industry or the need, some headhunters tend to specialize. This way, they can recommend the best people for the job.

So if you say you are a marketing expert, go for those that are working for business executives, marketing companies, and enterprise directors.

3. Seek them in fairs.
Here is one good thing about joining expos and fairs: you could meet headhunters. Usually, these are the ones who need countless talents to build their pool of candidates. They can screen you right away. Seeing them in these events also mean they are dependable. Only the serious ones are willing to spend money to look for people at job expos and fairs.

4. Skip Craigslist.
The most reputable headhunters completely understand the importance of making a good impression to their clients (again, this is not you). How can they bring in business if they are nowhere to be found online except on Craigslist and perhaps some message boards? They have to get rid of any shadow of doubt, and the only way to do that is to set up their own website. Their site contains plenty of details about them, especially what they do, the kinds of people they are dealing with, and their list of services. You may also be able to read a couple (or more) of testimonials.

We are not saying Craigslist is not good. You can definitely find some real people there. However, since it is your future job on the line, we are simply reducing the risk of becoming a victim of scams.

5. Listen to other people’s recommendations.
In the end, it is going to be you who will decide which headhunter you should pick. Nevertheless, it still pays to listen to other people’s ideas as well as recommendations, especially if they themselves found jobs through such process. You may even obtain pointers on how to increase your chances of obtaining the headhunter’s attention.

Look no further! You’ve just found yours!
All you need now is to find a JOB you’ll love.

The answer is yes, but it’s going to be a lot of challenge, and the success rate is not that too high. Nevertheless, if you are dead serious of working in your previous company, then there are ways to make it somehow possible. Here are six of them:

1. Determine why you are out in the first place.
There is no reason why you should apply for your old job if you have left because you do not like it. Sooner than you have expected, you will begin to feel the burnout and itching to search for another work again. The chances of getting it back are also nil if you have suddenly dropped out of it without proper explanation, or you have been terminated.

Give it a very serious thought. Sometimes you make irrational decisions when you are in tight situations. Decide when your mind is clear and free from stress.

2. Know if the position is still open.
If you do not know for sure, contact your previous colleagues.

3. Back your resume with much stronger references.
Most definitely, your old boss is going to be apprehensive to hire you back, so you need a more solid arsenal to reduce his or her doubt on you. One of the best ways is to not only update your working experience and skills list but also provide better references. Find out who among your previous employers, teachers, or other professionals can vouch for your sincerity, honesty, and expertise.

4. Be ready to eat humble pie.
It is definitely humbling and even embarrassing to ask for your old job. In fact, some bosses relish on ex-employees who beg to them. So unless you are prepared to drop all airs, admit whatever wrong decisions you have made, and prove yourself 100 percent more this time to them, let go of the re-application idea.

5. Offer something new and different on the table.
Make yourself a lot more valuable than before. This way, there will be fewer excuses for them not to hire you back. Perhaps while you are processing your application, you can already start gaining new skills through trainings and classes. See to it that you can let your bosses know about your current and future plans, which will help you contribute more to the organization.

6. Never ever jeopardize yourself on your present job.
A lot of employees make the biggest mistake by forcing their present employers to terminate them. They usually perform poorly. That will surely not sit well with your old company, as you are seen as a potential headache and liability.

Always remember it is not the company’s fault why you feel miserable, or you feel there’s a need to go back to your old job. Give it some respect and don’t ruin your future by being negative.

…or find a better new one in our CAREER section !

If you want to learn how to get a referral, talk to people who make their living from referrals. The masters of the art of referral are salespeople. There’s an old saying among sales professionals: “Salespeople who can’t get referrals have skinny kids.”

There are all kinds of techniques for getting referrals. But this article is going to take one proven approach now in use by thousands of salespeople worldwide. The purpose is to give the non-sales professional an easy, nonthreatening, and effective, proven roadmap to expanding your referral base.

Step 1. Get Over Your Fears

It’s tough asking for a referral. Pride gets in the way. And we feel uncomfortable exploiting our network of friends, family and business contacts for economic gain. Cher had the right idea in the movie “Moonstruck:” “Snap out of it!” Not a single person you will talk to wants you to stay unemployed, underemployed or unhappy. Not a single one. They all want you to succeed. The best of them would feel hurt if you were hurting and didn’t come to them.

Second, everyone wants to feel important, and they want to help. If they know you to be a good worker, who can provide good value and really be a help to whatever organization you join, they want to be a referral source. If they know someone who needs your skill set, it’s a feather in their own cap to be the person who refers a great employee.

Third, some employers actually pay a referral bonus to employees who refer a new successful team member. Often, this bonus is $1,000 or more. Why would you want to deny your friends the opportunity to collect?

Job hunting is salesmanship. And like any good salesperson, you must leverage your contacts to have the best chances for success. You owe that much to yourself and to your family. Don’t let false pride get in the way.

Step 2: Bring Value

The best source of professional referrals is happy clients or former employers. They are the ones who know your worth best. And their word carries the most weight with their own network of contacts. Contact these people first.
But there are many other ways to bring value to a relationship than just via being an employee or contractor for someone. If you have demonstrated leadership, generosity or any other quality in the past (and I hope you have!), then those whom you were associated with can also be great sources of referrals, too. Stay in touch with colleagues from the military, fraternities and sororities, professional organizations, churches and synagogues, community service organizations, youth sports leagues and other volunteer organizations. Write down their names and go down the list. The bottom line is that each of these people should already know your worth, and that you have every reason to believe that they will be positive references for you, and perhaps even be enthusiastic partners in your search.

3. Invite them for a cup of coffee.

If you’re unemployed, you don’t want to be springing for dinner. Coffee is cheap, noncommittal, and informal. And with free refills, you can meet people in a coffee shop one after another and spend very little money. If you must have a meal, breakfast is usually cheapest. Avoid dinner, which often comes with alcohol. That gets pricey fast.

4. Lay the foundation.

There’s a reason you asked to see them. Spell it out, in a positive, complementary way. “Look, I wanted to see you because I respect your opinion, and I know you know a lot about the industry.”

You want your guest to actually take pride in his or her industry knowledge, and the worthiness of their own opinion or referral. Make it clear that you’re talking with someone you really respect and admire. Yes, you can call it “buttering them up.” And you can call it a few other less printable things, too. But I prefer to think of it as “creating a favorable mindset.”

Why? Because lots of people enter “shields-up” mode when they sense they will shortly be pumped for referrals. Before asking for names, you must first disarm this reflex. Otherwise, you are likely to experience the “stonewall.” As in “yeah, I don’t know anyone. But I’ll keep you in mind. Send your resume to me!” This is what you don’t want.

Instead, you need to close the rhetorical trap door behind them. By first complementing them on their industry knowledge, or their standing in the community, and getting them to assent, before you go on to the meat of the conversation, you eliminate the “I don’t know anyone,” escape. Instead, you want to create a circumstance where they are inclined to want to show off their industry knowledge. You want to tap the “pride” cortex, and reinforce that, prior to the next stage.

5. Get permission to mention them.

No one likes to be blindsided with a reference. So it’s important to get your friends’ assent and cooperation up front. Here’s one way of doing it: “Look, I’m planning on contacting a lot of leaders in this industry/community just like you, and I know you know a lot of them. I just wanted to ask if I needed an icebreaker or something, would it be ok with you if I mentioned that we worked together?”

Almost no one will tell you “no.” If they do, that’s an important signal for you: It means this person is not going to be a good reference for you, if contacted. Time to pay for the coffee and get out of there.

But 99 percent of the time, if they were willing to meet with you, and you buttered them up appropriately, they will tell you yes. Move on to the next step.
Where’s the next step? Well, it’s in our next article! Stay tuned!

Wide spectrum of jobs is available at our CAREER section!

“I always get feedback from them. I’ll want to know if someone comes in and if they weren’t polite, if they didn’t say, “Hello,” or ask them how they were. It’s really important to me,” said Eggers in a 2010 interview in the New York Times.

The point: Employers, then, look at small details of your interactions with their junior staff, their receptionists, and their veteran office managers that look like receptionists. And they’ll ask their staff about you, after you leave. It’s therefore vital to make an ally of the receptionist.

• Know her name. Everyone likes hearing their name. And everyone likes knowing that their name is remembered. Find out before the interview, and make a note of it. If I get a business owner or CEO’s card, and she mentions her assistant’s name, I make a point of writing it down on the card. It goes in my contact manager’s.

• Establish a rapport. This means you do more than sign in, sit down, and pick up that copy of Yachting magazine in the waiting area when you’ve never owned a boat in your life. How can you establish a rapport? Read on:

• Make eye contact and smile. You would think this would be obvious, but many people are not good at making and maintaining eye contact. Especially when they are nervous or preoccupied with the interview. Oh, and say her name.

• Scan the work area. There may be clues about her interests, aspirations and passions. She may have a book or two on the table, or photographs of her engaged in her hobbies, or pictures of her children. If she’s drinking something, her favorite Starbucks beverage could be valuable information down the road. Look for details.

• Thank her on the way out. By name. You shouldn’t even have to look at the placard.

• Did the receptionist do something above-and-beyond? If she’s a terrific receptionist, mention it to the boss in the interview. Good leaders look for opportunities to recognize good people. That’s a great thing to do for a good receptionist – and a good habit for you to be in as well.

• Send a ‘thank you’ note. Of course, you should do this with the person making the hiring decision. But here’s a twist: Send the note to the decision-maker, “care of” the assistant. It’s just one more branding opportunity. Hopefully, she’ll say “Oh, this came from so-and-so, who interviewed the other day. Oh, he was so nice!”

• Remember her at the follow-up interview. Of course you’ll remember her name. Did you remember her family, hobbies, interests or passions? If so, bring something along she might appreciate. It could be a photograph or a magazine article that she would probably enjoy.

One quality I’ve seen among great leaders – in business, sports, and the military – is their ability to connect with people from all educational levels and all walks of life, from the C-suite to the day laborer, and make them feel important and valued.

I recently spoke with a World War II veteran, Larry, who served as a junior officer in the European Theater. He had met General Dwight Eisenhower briefly in 1943, and they had a conversation in which Larry had mentioned his father, a doctor in Chicago, who hadn’t been feeling well, was worried about his health.

Larry didn’t see Eisenhower again until 1945, near the end of the war. Eisenhower said “Oh, I remember you! Your dad was a doctor, in Chicago!! Is he doing ok? He wasn’t well the last time we talked!”

Ike had a lifelong admirer, 62 years later.

Larry passed away earlier this year. But I’ll always remember that story, and work hard to be like Ike.

Hourly updated employment opportunities
in our CAREER section!

Needless to say, a downgrade can be a prelude to a more negative economic outlook, worse a double-dip recession. This may also mean that other credit rating agencies such as Fitch Group and Moody’s may follow suit, further propelling the country down.

Since all factors in economics are interdependent, you can surely expect some changes in the way businesses work and hire workers.

Though a lot of reports suggest that thousands of people have been actually hired and that there’s a reduction in unemployment claims, many things could happen between today and tomorrow. These include the following scenarios:

1. Companies may freeze hiring.
They may try to implement the “wait and see” attitude. Although many organizations won’t terminate thier employees, they may stop getting new hires until they can surely feel that the economy starts to pick up.

2. Businesses may become choosy.
Firms across the US will try their best to reduce their overhead expenditures as much as possible. One of the possible steps they might take is to avoid hiring fresh graduates or those who lack experience. Training can cost a lot of money for companies, especially for start-ups.

3. Enterprises may decide to look for workers elsewhere.
To be more specific, they may opt to outsource a lot of jobs to telecommute or home-based workers (both local and international). This can be both a good and a bad thing for you. It’s ideal since you’ll have more time at home. You can make the most out of your utilities, such as your phone and Internet connection, as well as spend less on outdoor expenses. However, home-based jobs may also make things unstable. Unless you have a contract from the company, the business owner has the prerogative to kick you out or lay you off even without the typical 30 days’ notice.

4. Organizations may lay off employees.
This is something that should be avoided. Businesses should continue to operate in order to keep the economy going. However, if things take a much worst turn, such as getting more downgrades from other agencies, companies may simply decide to lay off employees while it’s still early. It also doesn’t help that Europe, one of America’s biggest markets for exports and imports, is also experiencing its own economic troubles.

5. Companies may do nothing at all.
A common effect of a downgrade is an increase in interest rates. This way, the government can gather more money to pay off debts. Fortunately, the Federal Reserves has already announced that it’s going to keep interest rates low for the next two years. If businesses are happy with that, or if they believe they have good leaders and committed government agencies, they may just continue on with their normal operations, with hardly any changes.

And yet we have many great JOBS with most solid Employers!

If you’re living under a rock and you don’t know about Google+, here it is in a nutshell: Google+ is a brand new social networking site brought to you by – you guessed it – Google. It’s designed to be a competitor to Facebook and LinkedIn, though it has some twists of its own.

The project is still in its infancy. As of this writing, the site had taken a temporary hiatus on accepting new members.

The site has a number of pluses – no pun intended:

A sleek, intuitive interface. Think something akin to the difference between the user interfaces of the Blackberry and the iPhone.

Improved grouping functionality. Google+ makes it easy to segment your friends list in groups. For example, you can have separate group for co-workers, family, friends, lovers, drinking buddies, and bookies. You don’t have to worry about segmenting. “Leakage” of embarrassing information or posts between your personal and professional life is less of an issue. This is a huge plus.

Huddles. Think text messages, but among a group of people. For example, most of us are accustomed to having to key in several people into a text message. Or having to IM just one person at a time. Some phones support group texting, but it’s awkward. Google+’s huddles are going to make this capability an industry standard.

Instant video and picture uploads. You won’t have to plug your camera into your computer before you upload vids or photos. If your camera is also a cell phone, Google+ supports uploading it from right where you are.

Impact on Hiring

Our sources in the human resources community – that is, the people who recruit and hire – tell us they like the earlier reports. The segmentation allows prospective employers to separate their own professional and personal messaging, just as you do.

More pragmatically, they also like the Huddle function. Look at it this way – if you are a human resources professional and you are trying to juggle several executive’s schedules because the applicant needs to meet with multiple people, this is a huge timesaver.

Above all, though – Google+ looks fun! And this, more than any particular functionality, is going to be driving its success going forward.

While in Beta, Google + is only available per invitations, which we are giving out. To get an invitation please leave a comment on this article, having included your Gmail address and do one of the following:

1. Like our Facebook fan page;
2. Follow us on Twitter;
3. Follow us on LinkedIn.

Hourly updated employment opportunities in our CAREER section!

Google Alerts is a fine tool provided free by Google for monitoring your online presence. It is very useful for anyone in to Personal Branding as you get alerts sent to you as soon as you are mentioned somewhere on the Internet. Other uses for Google Alerts would be to monitor news about your company, competitors, share prices, weather warnings and so forth. One often overlooked use of this tool is to monitor employers and what new job openings they post, this little article will teach you how to do this…

Read the original article here: How To Use Google Alerts for a Live Job Search

Over the past several years, I’ve collected a lot of advice and opinions from HR recruiters and from job seekers about what is the best way to go about looking for a new job.
Below is the most updated list of great job seeking tips. Be forewarned – this is an exhaustive (read: long) list but I think you’ll find a lot of nuggets of useful information in here.

Read the original article here: The Best Job Search Tips Ever… a Comprehensive List

Admit it, any kind of rejection is bad, especially if it is something you really want for such a long time. Coping will not take overnight either. However, before you start wallowing in self-pity, learn how to deal with it more effectively using the following tips:

• Grieve and get over it.
Many of the so-called experts will tell you to move on. The problem is, since you did not deal with the emotion, it crops up a lot of times. In fact, a lot of people develop a fear of looking for jobs because of their past rejections.

When you are rejected and not that emotionally strong, grieve over it. If you feel like crying, then cry. Don’t bury your sentiments. Even if you’re a macho man or a guy with too many tattoos, letting your emotions out is not a sissy thing.

However, put a limit on when you will allow the pain to hit you. After grieving, pick up the pieces, move on, and look for another job.

• Know it is not your entire fault.
There are many reasons why you are rejected, so stop blaming everything to yourself. For one, there is definitely someone better than you. Your qualifications may have not matched to the needs of the company. Or the firm may be “reserving” you for a much better position.

• Be ready for it.
Of course, it is important to face every challenge with a positive outlook. Nevertheless, do not shut off your mind to negative possibilities, including rejection. It may hurt, but the set expectation will somehow soften the blow.

• Talk to someone.
If it is necessary for you to give off emotional loads, share the experience with someone. Grab a few beers or go out with friends. Spend time with your boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife. Have the warmth of your family over dinner. Allow positive energies to take over the negative ones. Before the day ends, there is a huge chance you will forget the feeling of rejection.

• Assess yourself.
Use the rejection as a chance to evaluate yourself as a potential candidate. Perhaps you definitely need more education or training, or you lack considerable experience. You may even need to improve how you “sell” yourself to employers. Use the experience of rejection as a learning tool. In time, this will increase your self-value.

• Send a Thank You note.
Saying “Thank You!” to someone is an easy thing. But how about saying it to the one who rejected you? It may be the last thing on your mind, but it actually helps. It shows your integrity, level-headedness, and sportsmanship. It also allows you to inform the “rejecter” that you are just around should an opportunity that matches your skill will be available.

• Put everything behind you.
As much as possible, push all the bad memories off your mind, especially when you are going to have another interview. How you feel and see your rejection experience can have a positive or negative impact to your forthcoming interviews.

Check out our Hot Jobs section for the latest opportunities.

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If you have not noticed it yet, many companies are now publishing their job ads using the power of the World Wide Web. Most of these organizations also encourage their applicants to send their resumes online. There are even others that would compel you to open their database and create your own profile.

Now, the question is – “Can you rely on the Internet when seeking a job?”. Well, the answer is YES! You can depend on the web but don’t spoon-feed yourself. You must still exert effort and determination. Remember, the internet is just a medium – it’s not a sure way to get your dream job.

Watch out for Online Scam Jobs
Read the condition completely. Thanks to the World Wide Web, almost all information you need are available with just the click of the mouse. This includes a long list of job ads from people all over the world. Because of this, you now have plenty of opportunities to choose from.

However, you should be very careful because there are many job-scams found online. These are “positions” that will require you to pay up before you can receive your first assignment. These could also be companies that do not give salaries to their employees after rendering the agreed service. There are also others that will offer you hundreds of job openings — only if you have $20 – $100 to pay.

Fall into these traps, and you are already ripped-off of your money, time, and effort even before you begin working. Click only job ads from reputable websites such as www.Monsters.com. This site has the biggest online job databases to date and it contains millions of resumes from all corners of the globe. Submit one and you could be the next lucky employee.

There are also plenty of false data online. A cunning employer may appear compassionate and fair through his self-created reviews in various websites. He can also create a blog damaging another person’s reputation.

Aside from looking jobs online, you can ask support and help from labor unions and organizations. Most of them have tie-ups with the best companies within the state or even within the country. You can also ask help from your friends, ex-colleagues, family members, neighbors, association and alumni members, and former classmates.

Self-Gratification
It may look tiring, but online job hunting is fun and easy. You only need to have patience, willpower, and the eye for in-demand jobs.

When you’re already employed, nothing beats the words “You are hired” straight from your boss’s mouth. There is the feeling of gratification and fulfillment, knowing you have exerted effort and spent time pursuing the job that you have been longing for.

Check out our Hot Jobs section for the latest opportunities.

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