I joined LinkedIn back in 2005 not knowing that it would be such a global networking tool.

I heard about LinkedIn through a Yahoo group and decided to join. Many of the Yahoo group members had 500+ LinkedIn connections and I wanted to get to 500 as quickly as possible.  I joined all the open networker groups on Yahoo and accepted every invitation sent to me.  I reached 500 connections within a few months.  I sat proud in my office chair looking at my enormous network and then…

There are certain news stories we one cannot help but muse on all the absurd potentialities.  One such story is one that came through a news letter to which I subscribe.   It  is an article in The Republic, in Columbus Indiana, where it reports that the Texas Legislature may allow employees to bring their guns to work with them.   That's right.  They can bring their guns, potentially, as long as they leave…

Over the past few months there have been numerous articles, blogs and commentaries related to handling the increased volume of candidates applying for positions; the continued lack of response from companies once someone applies for a position and what if anything candidates can do; and suggested new “tools” for addressing these issues. Companies complain, candidates…

This past weekend I attended “Energy Leadership” hosted by iPEC, where I’m training to become a Certified Professional Coach.  Their website is http://www.ipeccoaching.com/ if you want to look into coaching or Energy Leadership.  The reason I wanted to become a coach was two-fold: first it would give me an opportunity to work with people one-on-one in a non corporate setting, and second it would give me an opportunity to add value to my existing…

We are excited to announce the release of:

our Detailed MOBILE JOB ADS

(as an add on to our traditional SMS Job ads!) 

Register as a Job Seeker and SMStheJOB will send Job alerts to your mobile and allow you to apply for those jobs by responding with a simple 5 letter code sent by sms.

By registering you tell us in what Job categories,…

Here is our weekly feature in which we share the top articles we enjoyed from the past week about recruitment marketing, social recruiting, mobile recruiting and anything else in the recruiting space. This week we’ll be talking about social media impact on referrals, recruitment fundamentals, customer buying habits of Talent…

We talk a lot about top talent – how these workers make up just 20% of the IT talent pool, how they are more productive they are (200% more than average workers) and innovative, and how difficult they can be to find – especially those professionals with high-demand skills.…

I created an app recently that tracks new job announcements of companies that are hiring and expanding. It's an app that links to a database of articles by state. Smart job seekers use it to stay on top of their job market. But it occurred to me recently that the app (called "Hidden Jobs App") is also a great way for recruiters across the country to find leads. The app is currently available for…

• Making resume- resume is your paper presentation. Whatever you possess is depicted in your resume, so it should be strictly relevant and professional. Resume should be very neat,…

You don’t need me to point out an obvious fact – every employer wants the perfect candidate for their role. However, you also don’t need me to tell you that this ideal situation is rather rare. But just because you don’t have a role at the right time, wouldn’t you like to keep a tether on a perfect candidate just in case a role comes up in the future? Enter: your talent pool.

Let’s say a good candidate applies for a role in your company but you don’t feel that they are quite suited to…

It is natural for a job seeker to be nervous in an interview.  We are at our most vulnerable when something is at stake personally (getting or not getting the job).  A key mistake made by many candidates is saying TOO MUCH when being concise would be better.  Candidates are good at starting stories and continuing stories, but not always so good at wrapping up stories and making a point.

A good business story told in an interview is like any good story:  It holds the listener’s…

Expect 2011 to be the year of musical chairs as employees begin to jump ship for better employment opportunities.  The aftermath of a recession is employee disengagement.  Unfortunately, your key players won't tell you they are dissatisfied until they are walking out the door.  As well-performing companies start to cherry pick top talent, it begins a chain of employee turnover events that will affect many companies.

72% of employers restructured or laid off employees since…

Proactive recruiting involves knowing what jobs are most valuable to your bottom line and having a plan to fill vacancies or newly created roles.  Companies that wait until someone quits or until a new project is on the table, run the risk of hiring unqualified employees in order to fill the seat immediately.  Turn your reactive hiring methods into a proactive strategy by following these three steps:

1. Plan for the next open position: Anticipate future needs and define…

Just-In-Time (JIT) recruiting is a hiring strategy that pulls candidates through a pipeline process that matches pre-qualified talent with immediate hiring needs. Difficult to fill positions, high-turnover roles, or rapid growth hiring initiatives are prime opportunities for developing an on-demand candidate pool. Building and maintaining a candidate database on a year-round basis offers the following three advantages:

1. Speeds up the hiring process.

2. Increases the quality of…

A few years ago, I worked with a company that started an initiative that was called Customer Touchpoints.  This initiative was designed to track and ultimately enhance every interaction that an end customer had with our brand, products, employees and company as a whole.  With the thought being that enhancing these interactions would make for happier customers that lead to a better bottom line.  This is nothing new.  Companies, in particular marketing organizations, have been trying to better…

You are in your car, reading the menu, in the drive-thru lane at McDonald's.

Then a voice appears-May I take you order please?

With confidence and without a hesitation you reply -I’ll have a number 5.

The voice says-proceed to the next window please!

You pay the 5 bucks at the first window and proceed to the next window

And… there it is, in a neat package-the value meal that you just ordered.  And that makes you very happy!

Instant…

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make when they fly by." – Douglas Adams

April 15th is fast approaching.  It's tax season.  I think we’re all familiar with deadlines.  Some people live by deadlines while others loathe them.  As a job seeker or career professional,…

1. Don't believe the hype! Spending millions in marketing might make a particular system popular, but it doesn't always make it the best. Wade through the marketing promises and get your hands dirty evaluating the system for yourself. Most applicant tracking vendors offer a free 30 day…