Duane Roberts's Blog (27)

Help me see the light with job clubs…please

I’ll start this off by admitting that I am not an authority on job clubs. For some of you, this might be a good time to stop reading this blog because I just don’t get them. For those of you that are a part of job clubs, can you kindly (or not) explain to me:

- What value do you get from belonging to the group?

- What advantage have you achieved?

- How much time have you given?

- What has the group done for you lately?

- Is it just a big rah rah…

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Added by Duane Roberts on September 28, 2010 at 5:06pm — No Comments

Black holes, resumes, anger, oh my!

A job seeker recently sent me an email asking my advice on a situation that I’m sure many folks have dealt with. She heard through the grapevine that a local company was looking to hire but did not have a direct contact. She thought she would differentiate herself and decided to not only send in her resume through the website but to also leave a message with HR to let them know that:

1. They should be on the lookout for her resume because she is qualified for the position she…

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Added by Duane Roberts on September 22, 2010 at 6:20pm — 6 Comments

Whats your digital footprint say about you?

So you have a profile on LinkedIn; pictures on FaceBook; tell the world about your day on Twitter and your job at your blog. If you are looking for a job, and I were to trace your steps and follow each of these footprints, what type of picture are your painting? Are you someone who likes to "get down" on the weekends, drinking everything in sight (proof provided by you or your friends FaceBook pics). Maybe you like to read science fiction novels (you can show the books you are reading on… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on January 20, 2010 at 2:17am — 2 Comments

Are you too scared to find a job? This isn’t Amway and you need to get active!

If you are looking for a job, you must pull out all the stops. Can you relate to any of these scenarios:

- Former colleagues don’t know you are looking for a job.

- You have a large following on LinkedIn or FaceBook that you haven’t networked with.

- You haven’t checked in with past employers to see if they might be interested in rehiring you or referring you to new opportunities.

- Your resume is not updated.

I could go on and on with… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on November 23, 2009 at 10:43pm — 2 Comments

Of Resume Stuffers & the Nobel Prize

Now that all the hoopla has died down I figured I throw my hat in the President Obama, Nobel Prize, drama. First a couple of qualifiers:

1. This isn’t a political post.

2. It doesn’t matter who I voted for.

3. Unlike most people who have already discussed this subject, I’m going to keep this brief and focused on my area of expertise.

Looking at this from a career accomplishments point of view, a resume stuffer if you will, this is pure gold for… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on November 23, 2009 at 1:03am — No Comments

Are you committed like Cole Hamels? Employers hope not!

I know the MLB World Series is over and the Yankees have been crowned the champs but there was an interesting side story that I think really applies to your job search. Cole Hamels, superstar pitcher and MVP of last years World Series and National League Championship Series (yeah he’s kind of a big deal), really upset fans when he said he couldn’t wait for the season to be over. The problem - he said this after a poor outing and losing pitching effort against the Yankees in game 3 of the World… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on November 9, 2009 at 7:43pm — 4 Comments

Have You Ever Had a Boss You’d Call Friend - Burning Bridges

I'm sure you've heard the a saying, "The grass isn't always greener". Does this apply to you when it comes to your career? How many times have you left a company thinking it was the right thing to do?

Maybe you left for:

- more money

- loftier title

- closer to home

- more flexibility

- better people

The problem is once you get to the new company you realize they have their own warts that you didn't see during the interview process. This blog… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on August 31, 2009 at 10:00pm — 1 Comment

He found a job: My interview with Joe Rohde

This week I am interviewing Joe Rohde. Joe has had a great sales career and agreed to chat for a bit about what's been successful in his job search.

First, can you give an over view of your background and the circumstances that led to your unemployment?

My experience was continuous growth which alternated between startups and established companies. Typically my success was in establishing the 'early adopter' customers for new technologies and products. The immediately… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on August 31, 2009 at 10:00pm — No Comments

She found a job: My interview with Gina Turner-Conway

Gina and I met while networking on LinkedIn. She is someone who has successfully found multiple jobs this year who was happy to share her experience with us.

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Thanks again for volunteering for this. Can you give the folks a quick over-view of your background and the circumstances that led to your unemployment.

My background is Marketing and Administration. I have moved from High Tech Marketing in the Bay Area, to Newspaper Marketing, to… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on August 24, 2009 at 2:30am — 1 Comment

He found a job: My Interview with Ross Dreher

I'm continuing to interview successful job seekers and have just posted my interview with Ross Dreher. Check out what he did to find a job. You might even learn a thing or two.

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Ross -

Thanks again for being a part of this little social job search experience.

First, can you give a brief over view of your background and the circumstances that led to your unemployment?

My background is in IT sales, specifically as a software sales… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on August 21, 2009 at 1:35am — 1 Comment

Do you have time to be Bo Jackson - A two career star?

Here's a quiz for you - name as many dual sports athletes as you can:

Deion Sanders football and baseball star.

Jim Brown was stellar in football and considered one of the greatest lacrosse players.

Charlie Ward played basketball and football.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee ran track and was a great basketball player.

Shaun White does snowboarding and skateboarding and dominates his sports.

Jackie Robinson dominated athletics at UCLA -… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on August 18, 2009 at 12:21am — No Comments

He found a job: My Interview with Joerg Schulze-Clewing

I've started a series where I interview the every day job seeker and have them share what's worked in their job search. Thought you'd find it interesting.

Joerg-

Thank you again for taking the time to share with us what you've done to land your job.

Can you give a brief over view of your background and the circumstances that led to your unemployment?

My background is electrical engineering, my degree is from RWTH Aachen University in Germany. I… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on August 12, 2009 at 1:58am — No Comments

Don’t let your job search keep you down!

If you are looking for a job, now is not the time to let the pressures of your job search keep you down. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had conversations with many, many people that have spent the last 6 months+ on the job hunt. In their minds they have tried every tip or tool known to man:

- Rewrote resumes

- Posted and searched on every job board

- Attended every network meeting (including virtual) in a 60 mile radius

- Sent resumes to countless warm leads and… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on July 31, 2009 at 6:49pm — No Comments

The birth of the job wanted description

That’s not a typo. I’m not talking about writing a job description. I’m talking about you writing a job wanted description. I’m sure you already have a resume, cover letter and business cards to pass out but here’s a thought - why not create a job wanted description that tells the hiring manager or company exactly who you are, what you do well and what you’re looking for. Let’s discuss how this would differ from a resume.

What are you trying to accomplish? Anyone who reads your job… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on July 8, 2009 at 1:13am — 2 Comments

5000 followers and nobody wants to help; frustrated job seeker

Imagine a world where your complete understanding of interacting with people was turned on its head. A world without Twitter, LinkedIn or FaceBook. This world wouldn’t have online “social media” sites as you know them today and would not allow you to interact using short message bursts or text messages. How would you survive? How would you manage? How would you go about identifying company contacts and leads?

Ok. You can open your eyes now, take a deep breath and exhale. This is not… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on June 26, 2009 at 12:37pm — 2 Comments

The best interview tip I can give you is…botox?!?!

I must be losing my mind. I’ve recently read a comment by a job seeker who is considering botox injections in an attempt to gain a leg up during an interview. I think we can all agree that there are probably companies and work environments that still practice sexism, racism and age discrimination. If you are actively looking for a job, the question you need to ask yourself is, “Do I want to be a part of this type of environment?”

There is a growing market for personal branding and… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on June 15, 2009 at 7:36pm — 1 Comment

I’m tired of playing dumb!

There has been a lot of talk and stories written lately about job seekers dumbing down their resumes. For the un-initiated, this is when you leave information (accomplishments and successes) off of your resume because you want to give the impression that you are not as experienced as you actually are. In my mind there are at least three distinct types of job seekers. You are either employed (congratulations), unemployed (help is on the way), or underemployed (probably looking). I think it is… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on June 5, 2009 at 11:56am — 2 Comments

Your cost per interview; effective job searching?

If you are sending out 50 resumes, to get 10 interviews that lead to one job offer, is that an effective ratio? I don’t profess to be a statistician, matter of fact, I didn’t do well in the class in college. What I do know is you should be spending your time on tasks that will lead to a job. How do you measure the effectiveness of your job search? A lot of people spend $200 -$500 for resume writing services. If that resume generates 10 interviews for you, you’ve paid $20-$50 per interview. If… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on June 3, 2009 at 4:18pm — No Comments

I really didn't want that job anyway!

Let’s just cut to the chase - interviewing and looking for a job can be extremely tough. If you have approached your job search in a professional manner you have already:

- researched and learned all you can about the company, interview team and hiring manager.

- properly formatted your resume and made sure it presents you in the best light for the position you are interviewing for.

- bought a spiffy new suit and even got your car cleaned (see previous post - Stop… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on May 19, 2009 at 2:34pm — No Comments

You’ve been laid off - stop crying!

You’ve been laid off. I’ve been laid off. Your neighbor has been laid off. The unemployment rate is astronomical and everyone you know is looking for a job. Get over it and start acting like a grown up. There I said it. Now is not the time to freak out and worry about your situation. Now is the time to man (woman) up, get out there, and take care of your responsibilities. Welcome to the tough love post.

After you’ve taken a day or two to cry and wallow in your tears, you need a plan.… Continue

Added by Duane Roberts on May 4, 2009 at 12:26pm — No Comments