Top 60 LinkedIn Groups for Job Seekers and Recruiters

Top 60 LinkedIn Groups for Job Seekers and Recruiters 461 Where the most job seekers and recruiters are meeting up on LinkedIn. Update 2014: there's a new version of this list- LinkedIn Groups Top 100 for Job Seekers and Recruiters in 2014 Not sure how or why to use LinkedIn Groups on your job search?eval Then read this first (it will open in a new window): Everything You Need to Know About Finding Jobs with LinkedIn Groups 60 LinkedIn Groups for Your Job Search Currently, LinkedIn only lets you join a maximum of 50 groups. Here I've listed 60 so that you can pick and choose which groups are most useful for you.eval This list is ordered according to member counts, and each group is described with its official text as it appears on LinkedIn. 60. Independent Recruiters â€" 10,367 members â€" This is open forum group for all Job Seekers, Recruiters and Sales and those want to explore new opportunities and are determined to grow in leaps and bounds. 59. CFA Careers â€" 10,505 members â€" Group to discuss careers opportunities for CFA charterholders. 58. Online Media Jobs â€" 10,657 members â€" This group is for people offering, or looking for, jobs in Internet marketing, web analytics, testing, search engine optimization, usability, e-commerce, eMarketing, e-tail, web design, mobile marketing, and all other occupations related to doing business. 57. Oportunidades laborales en Sudamerica â€" 10,842 members â€" Oportunidades laborales en Sudamerica â€" Jobs opportunities in South America online. 56. Recruiter Development Support Group â€" 11,431 members â€" A group for Recruitment professionals to support each other and get further training. We welcome Recruiters both from consultancy, search and selection and on-site or inhouse. The aim is to support each other and to train and develop each other. 55. Renewable Energy Jobsâ€" 11,825 members â€" The goal of this group is to connect green talent and employers recruiters. 54. IIM Jobs â€" 12,062 members â€" We invite all Recruitment agencies (Offering Managerial positions) to join IIM Jobs Group and post the Job requirements. (Director/ CXO/ CEO CFO /CTO / SVP/ VP/ GM Jobs). Joining this group would provide you access to the largest Network of Best MBA Brains in the World. 53. Non Profit Philanthropic Job Board â€" 12,079 members â€" This group is for those interested in employment in the Non Profit or Philanthropic sectors. *Jobs, sustainable development, fundraising, development, philanthropy, nonprofit, program, officers, management, charity, education, public policy. 52. Global Jobs!!! â€" 12,098 members â€" This group is for sharing opportunities with people who are working in the fields of IT, ITES, Pharma, Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, etc., worldwide. Aims in bringing people together looking for new opportunities. This is a perfect opportunity for individuals who want to upgrade their skill set and prepare themselves for better job opportunities. 51. Hedge Fund Private Equity Jobs Careers â€" 12,256 members â€" Powered by IvyExec.com, the Hedge Fund Private Equity Jobs Careers group's main objective is to allow job seekers the opportunity to network with those that are recruiting within the alternative investment sector, hedge funds, private equity, venture capital, etc. provide a platform for recruiters to post jobs and network with a target audience. 50. Technical Recruitment â€" 12,260 members â€" This group has been created for Technical Recruiters, so that they can share their knowledge as well as they can update themselves about the market in different geographical locations. 49. Innovative Recruitment Forum â€" 12,313 members â€" Innovation-thinking out of box is the next big thing going to drive business, this is a community where members can exchange their valuable and innovative ideas in the recruiting/sourcing Domain. 48. JobsDirectUSA â€" 12,494 members â€" Founded in 2008, JobsDirectUSA is America’s first national job search member organization. Unlike traditional job search websites, JobsDirectUSA is committed to helping as many U.S. job seekers connect with hiring companies and bridge the unemployment gap one job at a time. 47. EXPAT JOBS in MIDDLE EAST â€" 12,738 members â€" This group is for Job Seekers willing to relocate/ moving within Middle East countries like Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi), Oman, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Kashagan, etc. For those who would like earn a TAX FREE Expat Salary. All nationalities are WELCOME. 46. Pharmaceutical Jobs, Biotech, Life Sciences Medical Devices â€" 13,161 members â€" If you are actively looking for a new job in the pharmaceutical/healthcare sector or you are just someone who likes to keep an eye on what's out there, then this group should be perfect for you. We encourage networking and significant rewards for successful referrals. 45. Management Consulting Jobs â€" 13,399 members â€" Group for posting and discussing Jobs in Management Consulting, and for posting resumes and profiles of management consultants who are open to a new opportunity. 44. A Job Needed â€" A Job Posted â€" 13,587 members â€" This group is for ALL LinkedIn members searching for employment, posting employment or recruiters helping members find employment. Post resumes, job opportunities, a job you heard about, anything that helps to put together employees and employers. Let's make this an ACTUAL CAREER CONNECTION GROUP. This is the fastest growing, and the most productive group, providing ACTUAL value to LinkedIn Members!! Career hunters, and Career providers are actually making fruitful genuine connections. 43. Retail Jobs â€" 13,804 members â€" Retail Jobs is a dedicated professional group for retail experienced people to share career opportunities, ideas and other useful information. 42. Novos Planos â€" Empregos e Vagas Vip â€" 13,968 members, Portuguese/English â€" This network of Networking aims to train a group of Brazilians within LinkedIn to exchange ideas, business, jobs for executives, review of curriculum free, vacancies, opportunities, career success, job interview, job, job, human resources, HR, E-books, etc… 41. The Talent Buzz â€" 14,218 members â€" The Talent Buzz group is for all Job Seekers, Candidates, Recruiting, HR, and Marketing professionals interested in networking, and being kept up to date with the latest trends in Human Resources, Diversity, Talent Management, Recruitment, Social Media, and Social Networking. 40. The Wall Street Job Report â€" 14,671 members â€" The financial services industry is undergoing transformative changes. The Wall Street Job Report provides light and clarity on this new era on Wall Street. 39. Latin-American Recruiters HeadHunters â€" 14,692 members â€" Our the objective is creating a open network for all the Bilingual Latin Pros in all Business and for the Recruiters/Headhunters that search for those Talented Latin Professionals (From Canada to Patagonia). 38. Renewables Job Market â€" 15,386 members â€" Recruit or be recruited. Let's continue to help make this group part of the solution for global warming, environmental problems, sustainability and unemployment in this time of financial crisis. 37. JOBS IN APAC â€" 15,904 members â€" This group is for Skilled Professionals seeking “JOBS in Asia Pacific” â€" East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Australasia. Countries like Singapore, Malaysia, India, Australia, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, etc. 36. The UK Marketing Lounge â€" 16,294 members â€" We are the largest UK Marketing, Advertising PR group on LinkedIN with over 12,000 members. Invited members use the group to network (online and through events), share ideas, monitor trends, look for jobs post industry-related discussions. Subgroups include; Digital Online Web, SEO, Social Media, SMO, Brand Licensing, Product, B2B, Channel, Category, CRM, Design, Charity, NfP, Communications, Content plus a whole lot more! 35. JobAngels â€" 16,398 members â€" JobAngels is grass-roots movement dedicated to helping the unemployed find work. Become a Job Angel by helping one person find a job! It can be a friend, a colleague, a neighbor or a total stranger. And if you need help yourself, join JobAngels to locate someone who is willing to lend a hand. 34. Oracle Jobs â€" 16,421 members â€" This Group is to connect Recruiters and Job Seekers on Oracle and share Job Opportunities in the Oracle World. You can post/seek any Job on Oracle including but not limited to Full-Time, Contract, Contract to Hire, Corp-to-Corp etc. 33. Openreq.com (Recruiters Staffing Professionals) â€" 17,987 members â€" Openreq LinkedIn Group, at over 16,000 members, is the largest and most pure group on LinkedIn catering to recruiters staffing professionals. Whereas some groups accept any and all requests, we try to keep our group as pure as possible to make our members' experience the best it can be. If you are a staffing/recruiting professional or have a business interest or service catering to the staffing industry, please join our group! 32. Event Planning Management â€" the 1st Group for Event Professionals â€" 18,170 members â€" Our community is designed to help event planners keep abreast of emerging industry trends. We encourage non-promotional discussions, sharing of ideas, networking. 31. CEO/CIO/COE/COO/CFO/Head/VP/ Director/President Level â€" 18,248 members â€" This group is for all passive job seekers who do not wish to go through the regular rut of going through a bunch of recruiters to finally get the job they want. This group would be a one stop shop for senior candidates to get in touch with the right employers without making it public. 30. Job Postings and Job Boards! â€" 18,810 members â€" Jobs Career Networking HR human resources recruiters executives managers consultants alumni information technology green energy science engineering manufacturing industrial office administration open networkers US UK Europe Canada India Australia Asia California New York Texas Florida IL MA NJ PA OH USA 29. MBA Highway | MBA Recruiter Network â€" 18,982 members â€" MBA Highway is the Ultimate MBA Job and Internship Search Network, and this is MBA Highway's premier career advancement networking group on LinkedIn exclusively for MBA students, MBA professionals, and employers, recruiters and HR and talent professionals seeking MBA-level job candidates. Use our group to connect with alumni and colleagues, or network with new friends and career and business connections. Visit our website to post new MBA-level job opportunities or search for jobs and internships and benefit from our online career resources. MBA Highway brings together MBAs and MBA employers into a single community for mutual career benefit and success. 28. Green Jobs Career Network â€" 19,022 members â€" This group is intended to be a resource for those who work in jobs pertaining to social or environmental responsibility (e.g. climate change, cleantech, CSR, green business, renewable energy, sustainability) and for those who are seeking employment or information on careers in these areas. 27. Treasury / Finance Careers â€" 19,081 members â€" Career networking for the treasury management and finance profession. Financial officers, treasurers, cash and investment managers discuss jobs and share job opportunities and career advancement ideas. 26. The Job Hunter Group â€" 19,851 members â€" “The Job Hunter Group” has simplified its format. We are now just a job list! No News postings… No Blog postings… No Discussion topics… No posting comments to job postings except by private reply… No Arrogance… No Disrespect… Just Jobs! 25. Expat Network â€" 21,683 members â€" Welcome! A Network for expat networkers, expatriate services professionals, Human Resources, recruiting managers. 24. The Job Board USA â€" 21,713 members â€" Working together, we can get everyone working… 23. Premium Headhunting Network â€" 21,728 members â€" Professional group of top recruiters from around the world collaborating on International Assignments. 22. Dubai Recruitment â€" 22,472 members â€" This Group is for all Dubai Recruitment Companies and people looking for jobs in Dubai. 21. Job Career Network USA â€" 22,557 members â€" Enhance your current job/career or find a new one! 20. Banking Careers â€" 23,316 members â€" Career networking for the banking and finance profession. Commercial and investment bankers, financial officers, treasurers, cash and investment managers discuss jobs and share job opportunities and career advancement ideas. 19. Financial Services Career Center â€" 26,020 members â€" The Financial Services Career Centerâ„¢ connects global professionals and recruiters with opportunities, education, and resources in Securities, Insurance, Financial Advisors, Advisers, Analysts, Investments, Banking, Brokers, Agents, Wholesalers, Reps, Audit, Accounting, Finance, Mortgage, Lending, Finance, Treasury, Capital Markets, Portfolio, Real Estate, Private Equity, Real Estate, Investors. 18. India Jobs Network â€" 26,748 members â€" India Jobs Network is for all Professionals who would like to be aware of requirements in their respective fields and for Organizations Recruiters who are hiring. Companies Recruiters can upload any active jobs across India to the jobs section of the Group. Professionals can check the Jobs section for requirements across sectors, across levels across India. 17. Career Change Central â€" 28,887 members â€" Career Change Central is a group for job changers and people in career transition to meet in a central place with recruiters, hiring managers, and career coaches. Career Change Central will offer tips for job changers, free resources, and a place for recruiters and hiring managers to post their current needs. Career Change Central is a central place for candidates and recruiters who are local, domestic, and global to interact, with the purpose of getting people working faster. 16. Star:Jobs Professional Career Center â€" 33,603 members â€" Star: Jobs is the most efficient Group on LinkedIn to find a great job quickly: The Group works in tandem with Linked:HR, by far the largest Recruiters’ Group on LinkedIn. Linked:HR recruiters are regularly reminded to check Star:Jobs for top candidates. Also use this Group to discuss and network with other candidates, share tips, get news about the job market, and read the Jobs posted by many recruiters or available through job portals’ RSS Feed (i.e., Monster, Indeed, JobsDirectUSA). 15. Networked Recruiter â€" 33,894 members â€" The Networked Recruiter is a destination dedicated to expanding your professional network, facilitating career advancement, and promoting the collective sharing of best practices within the field of professional recruiting. 14. Recruiting Professionals Network â€" 34,791 members â€" A recruiting professionals network of networkers who believe together everyone achieves more! We collaborate in business referrals and share the insider's secrets of the recruiting industry in a web 2.0 world. For vendors, direct hire, splits and best practices in recruiting excellence! 13. Telecom Jobs â€" 35,210 members â€" This group helps all business telecom professionals and recruiters to find a solution to questions and queries in terms of jobs and opportunities with Telecom Companies. 12. IT Recruiters â€" 35,911 members â€" Group caters to All technical / IT recruiters and aims at bringing them together at one platform to discuss latest happenings, share experiences and learnings and assist each other to find jobs in IT, Software and Hardware Domains. 11. Corporate Recruiters â€" 41,219 members â€" #1 Group for Corporate Recruiters. Group designed to connect Recruiters and to share ideas on how to leverage LinkedIn potential and improve sourcing, talent acquisition, referrals, fee splitting, and other recruiting and HR issues. If you are recruiter or involved in recruitment, then join this group. 10. E-Recruitment Group Jobs Resumes â€" 43,010 members â€" eRecruitment Group of Sr. Recruiters, Contact Group for Candidates and Employers, Corporate Recruiters, Staffing Hiring Recruiters, Human Resources, Talent Acquisitions Specialist 9. Recruitment Consultants and Staffing Professionals â€" 47,786 members â€" This is a group only for Corporate Staffing Professionals, (Agency) Recruiters, HR Managers / Directors and Employer Branding Experts to expand our network of people, ideas and share leads. 8. Global Jobs Network â€" 59,919 members -Job Posts. Job Search. Post Profiles. Post Resume. Connect to Recruiters Head Hunters. Stay connected to Leading hiring Recruitment Professionals. 7. JOBS 2.0 Search â€" 62,566 members â€" This group helps you find a job online using the latest in social and professional networks. Discuss the latest news, techniques and online trends to help you find that dream job. Join this group to learn from the professionals in online recruiting and hiring on how to use online social networks in your job search. Interact with recruiters as well as other job seekers to get hired for any job in any industry. Post your resume on www.resumark.com and get paid to look for a job! 6. The Recruitment Network â€" 95,673 members â€" This group, with over 90,000+ members, aims at bringing together people looking for new opportunities. 5. RecruitingBlogs â€" 105,563 members â€" The largest Linkedin group for the recruiting profession. Network with over 100,000 corporate and agency recruiters, HR professionals and recruitment consultants for recruiter partnerships, advice, splits, jobs, and staffing industry education. 4. Job Career Network â€" 108,373 members â€" Enhance your current job/career or find a new one! Jobs board information hiring employment recruiters executive corporate human resources business management recruiter consulting marketing sales technology finance media telecom tech healthcare green engineer IT HR US UK Europe Canada Asia India USA 3. The Job Board â€" 147,889 members â€" Working together, we can get everyone working! Jobs career hiring employment recruiters executive corporate human resources business management recruiter networking consulting marketing sales open technology finance media telecom tech healthcare networkers IT HR US UK Europe Canada Asia India USA 2. Job Openings, Job Leads and Job Connections! â€" 216,750 members â€" Jobs Career Networking HR human resources recruiter recruiters executive executives managers management consultants consulting business marketing sales information technology finance media telecom healthcare open networkers education alumni US UK Europe Canada Asia India USA 1. Linked:HR â€" 294,924 members â€" If you are a manager, corporate recruiter, headhunter, trainer, HR service provider or consultant, join Linked:HR now! Linked:HR is the largest HR Group on LinkedIn and the most active when it comes to Group “Discussions”.

Whats Stopping You 7 Start-Up Challenges Facing the Entrepreneurial Woman

What’s Stopping You 7 Start-Up Challenges Facing the Entrepreneurial Woman Women are often hindered to turn their ideas into business because of many factors, and acknowledging them is the first step to overcoming them. Women are often hindered to turn their ideas into business because of many factors, and acknowledging them is the first step to overcoming them. If only passion is enough to start a business! We women can pack a lot of passion into anything we do. However, while it accounts for a very big fraction of what is needed in creating a business; it isn’t enough to make things happen. Whether you have a big idea you want to turn into a big business or you’re a full time employee who wants to try to go freelance, if this is an idea that has been boiling in your mind, the question is: What’s stopping you? “The Kids Need Me” Many women are unable to even begin to consider the possibility of creating a business because of their role in the home. Whether a mom with three kids, or a single woman with dreams of having a family â€" the family guidance role is one that is accepted by women if not by nature, then by social stigma. Since starting a business is practically like having a new baby, there is good reason to be scared of taking that big first step. Women have to understand that family pressures are slowly easing off. According to a study, men have become more and more actively involved in bringing up the children, and are not just boxed into the stigma of being a provider.  So if you are having doubts about starting that dream business, the best way to deal with it is to actually say something to your partner and discuss how you can support each other in your pursuits. “I Don’t Know Where To Begin” Dreams are not enough, you have to have skills to turn them into reality. Business chutzpah is unfortunately not everybody’s birthright. If you feel you have more to learn before you get complete confidence in starting a business, then get started with it! Many schools provide courses that will equip you with the fundamentals of a start-up. A lot of these institutions also have great tips shared over social media, just like the London School of Business and Finance Google+ page, where you can take both information and inspiration from. “I Don’t Have Money “ While salaries are progressively getting closer, women are still not earning as much as men in the workforce, making it harder for them to save enough capital to get started on a business of their own. Geri Stengel, author of Forget the Glass Ceiling: Build Your Business Without One, also discusses why women have harder access to funding and a suggestion on how to overcome this challenge: Women face greater obstacles than men when starting and growing businesses, especially when it comes to receiving angel and venture capital. Though it might be unintentional, men fund people who look and sound just like them, and the consequences are just as harmful as if there was malicious aforethought. Dont do it alone! [Seek] advice from a variety of sources, including co-founders, professional advisers such as accountants and lawyers, peer advisory groups, CEO mastermind groups, boards of advisers, and family members. “I Have No Time” Women are characterized by a web, while men are represented by a straight line. Women are, both to their benefit and detriment, great multi-taskers. Men are more linear by nature, and look at progress in one straight line. Wearing too many hats can really create problems for someone who is about to start a business. If you don’t have time, frankly, the only way to go about this is to MAKE time. Free up your schedule or devote time to your new business. Proper time management is key, and it can be attained by checking your priorities and getting the support of family and friends that can help you unload the weight from your shoulders. “I’m Afraid to Step on Any Toes” Women are more community-oriented, and as such, tend to tread lightly when it comes to using contacts for business purposes. When women network, they mostly do so to create personal friendships than business opportunities. This is the opposite of how men commune in “boy’s clubs”, where friendships are treated as fraternities and each individual is someone that can be of use to them one way or another. We should start looking at friends as sources of opportunity, and not feel sheepish about asking for help or support. On the other hand, offering help should be something done more often. I’ll Do It! Wait, No. Yes. Wait! Let Me Think About It. Let’s cut to the chase: women are over-thinkers. This is why women cannot make decisions as easily and quickly as men. However, here’s a good way to look at it: scientists claim that men are more decisive, while women are more open-minded. While being open-minded is a great trait in business, deciding within a moment’s notice if something that can help a business look solid and also save it both valuable time and cost. “It’s a Man’s World” Women are usually held back by their own assumptions about the business world. They think and believe that it’s a man’s world, and get intimidated by it. Women have to realize that no one else can make thing happen but themselves, so they need to really put aside the fears and gender bias, and just go for it. As the quote goes: You are only confined by the walls you build yourself. So take down those walls, be your own number 1 fan, and watch the magic unfold. Are you a female entrepreneur? What challenges did you encounter or currently encountering? Share it with us @mscareergirl.com

How Credit Card Interest Is Calculated

How Credit Card Interest Is Calculated If you’re going to stay ahead of a game, you must first understand how it’s played. One of the most difficult to master is the credit card game and a big part of getting it is figuring out how credit card interest is calculated. You probably know you card’s APR (annual percentage rate) because it’s posted right there on your statement. It should also have been disclosed when you signed up for the card. Then again, it’s not as cut and dried as that number would lead you to believe. Other factors come into play. Daily Periodic Rate While all of the literature quotes an APR, credit card interest is actually calculated on a daily basis. In most cases, you can find your DPR (daily periodic rate a.k.a. periodic interest rate) by dividing your APR by 365 (the number of days in a year). However, some issuers use 360 days rather than 365 so check your agreement to find out what yours does. To make the math easier, let’s say your issuer uses 360 days and your APR is 10 percent. Divide 10 percent by 360 and you’ll get a DPR of .027 percent. Average Daily Balance Your balance can vary significantly over the course of a month as you use the card to make purchases and as payments are applied to the account. To allow for this, card companies average your balance over a given period of time. This is known as your billing period. While it typically covers a month, it isn’t always based on a 30-day cycle. You’ll need to check the terms of your agreement to determine the exact number of days in your billing period in order to calculate this accurately. But let’s say yours is 30 days. Let’s also say you go into the billing period with a balance of $1,000. Then, 15 days in you make another charge of $500. This gives you a balance of $1,500 at the end of the period. To determine your total interest charges, the issuer will multiply each balance by the number of days it was carried (in this case 15 days each), combining them, and dividing the total by the number of days in the period (let’s say 30). Applying the Math OK, so you have an APR of 10 percent, a DPR of .027 percent, a $1000 balance for the first 15 days and $500 for the second 15 days of the 30-day period. Here’s the applied algorithm: (1000 x 15) + (1500 x 15) = 22,500 37,500/30 = 1,250 (the average daily balance) 1,250 x .027 x 30 = 10.12 Based upon that math, your interest charge for the month will be $10.12. Compound Interest + Minimum Payments = Higher Balance Based on the calculations above, you incurred an interest charge of $10.12 on your unpaid balance of $1,500 for that period. The $10.12 is then added to your $1,500 balance to give you a total due of $1,510.12 going into the following period. Now, let’s say your minimum payment is $25.00 and rather than paying the balance off in full (because very few people do) you make the minimum payment. This takes you into the succeeding period owing $1,485.12â€"and the cycle starts all over again. In other words, your balance was $1500, you made a payment of $25, but rather than starting the next month off with a balance of $1,475, you owe $1,485.12. The interest is added to the principal, so you will then be charged interest on the interest and your balance will grow again. This is why minimum payments are set so low. How It Gets Out of Hand If you keep making minimum paymentsâ€"and continue using the cardâ€"you’ll find yourself in an infinite loop of paying until the card hits its limit. Then, under the terms of most cards, you’ll be charged a fee for every period the card is maxed out; which gets added to the balanceâ€"to which interest is also applied. If you miss payments, you’ll incur additional fees and, in most cases,, your interest rate will be increasedâ€"all of which also gets added to the principal upon which interest is calculated again. And so on, and so on, and so onâ€" What’s more, interest rates can vary according to the Prime Rate. Cash advances incur an even higher interest rate and balance transfers can add fees as well. All of this can really get out of hand if you’re not careful about paying more than the minimum, or (even better) paying your balance in full each month. What If It Already Has? It’s easy to see how people can wind up in trouble when you understand how credit card interest is calculated. The good news is a debt settlement firm like Freedom Debt Relief can usually negotiate terms to make your accounts easier to settle in a timelier fashion and at lesser expense. To find a solid partner, look for information like these Freedom Debt Relief reviews to find an effective company with which to work. After enrolling in a debt settlement program, companies like Consolidation Plus may contact you and invite you to take out a loan that could help you accelerate your debt settlement program even more. By following the above tips, you can determine the best financial moves to help improve (or at least not hurt) you credit. Best of luck!

Use This Marketing Strategy to AIDA Your Job Hunt

Use This Marketing Strategy to AIDA Your Job Hunt Trying to attract employers is a difficult task in itself but a great method is to use a tried and tested  strategy from the world of marketing only in this case you aren’t marketing a product, you are  marketing yourself. AIDA is an acronym for the stages which occur when a potential consumer engages with a marketing or advertising technique. In this case the consumer will be the employer and the product being advertised is you. Here’s how you can use AIDA to get yourself recruited: A: Attention The first step is to grab the attention of the customer, or in this case employer. You need to make them aware that you exist and are the perfect candidate for their company. Ways to do this are having a fool proof CV, writing an amazing cover letter and submitting a marvellous application -in an ideal world. However, the chances are you are probably not the only candidate with all of the above so you need to do something more to get noticed. Find out who is in charge of the role you are applying for. You don’t want to be harassing whole departments and making a nuisance of yourself, so make sure you contact the right recruitment consultant or HR member. Getting their attention is most easily achieved personally; sometimes it’s possible to talk to them before submitting an application rather than risking getting lost in the sea of other applicants. I: Interest Once you have their attention you need to keep it. To do this you need them to develop an interest in you and your application. There is little point in successfully gaining their attention if they aren’t at all interested in what you have to offer. They might be aware you exist but all that effort is counterproductive if they aren’t intrigued by it. To keep them interested make sure you aren’t just the generic run of the mill applicant that they see hundreds of everyday. Stand out and offer something different. At this stage you just need them to want to know more about you. It might be the intriguing layout of your CV, or the paragraph on your year in industry or the fact that you took the initiative to be active in your job search, but by any means professionally possible you need to create an interest in getting to know more about you. D: Desire You’ve got their attention and successfully held it, now you need them to want you. Just because they are interested in you it doesn’t automatically mean that they are going to want you for their company. Think about it in the marketing world you might be interested in the latest iPhone app but that doesn’t necessarily mean you want it yourself. This isn’t an option; they must desire you. Make yourself irresistible to them by emphasising your skills and experience and being lenient on offers to convince them that you are an asset they can’t live without. Suggest working part time, covering maternity leave or even volunteer interning. If you appear keen, willing and grateful for any opportunity no matter how trivial it will show you are serious about working for them and progressing with their company, a very attractive trait in employees. A: Action The final step in AIDA is leading customers to purchase the product. So, equivalently, lead the employers to contact you and then recruit you. What the ‘action’ constitutes will vary depending on the situation and how far through the application/attention getting process you are; it might be getting an interview lined up or even better, an agreement made or best of all, a contract signed. If the first three steps of the strategy have gone according to plan, the last one shouldn’t be an issue and will hopefully follow with ease. If it doesn’t, revisit step three and make yourself even more desirable to them, until they just can’t say no anymore. Author: Written by Anna Pitts, a Marketing Assistant and Online Researcher at the GraduateRecruitmentBureau. Her work involves PR and outreach and writing informative, interesting advice based articles for graduates and students.

How to Write a Resume

How to Write a ResumeYou should be very careful about writing a resume before you submit it to every company. A lot of people go ahead and write resumes only after they have received an offer for a job. The reason is that most companies are extremely picky when it comes to filling vacancies. If you want to have a successful career, you need to prepare a resume for every position that you apply for.But, writing a resume can be quite tricky. If you are not sure what kind of information to include, then you should learn how to do it properly. Some of the vital details that you should include in your resume will vary from job to job. For example, a person who applies for a job as a travel agent would expect a bit more information than someone who applies for a position as a secretary or receptionist. In fact, you may find that you may be asked to provide a lot more information in order to get the job.Once you have done some research about the requirements for various positions, you shoul d be able to tell a lot about the company that you are applying for and this will go a long way in making the manager feel more at ease. You will be surprised at how many questions and requirements there can be, so you need to prepare a resume for each company that you are thinking of applying for. You may need to consider a CV but, it is still better to prepare a resume if you really want to stand out from the rest.Many people feel that it is quite easy to write a resume and that they could do it by hand or by doing it in the old school way. However, you will find that you have many benefits in terms of getting a better offer. One of the benefits is that the information contained in your resume will reflect your skills. If you have gained expertise in a particular area, then you will be able to give a detailed account of that information. Inaddition, you will also be able to showcase your abilities.Also, it is important to include the contact details of the prospective employer. Re member that a good resume is nothing without a good contact address. You may also want to consider including personal contact details such as home or cell phone numbers.Another thing that you may want to consider when preparing a resume is to ensure that it reflects your personality. This means that you need to create a resume that portrays your personality. You should consider writing a resume that speaks about you as a person rather than about your qualifications. You can choose to write a resume that speaks about your education, job experience, skills and achievements.You should also consider thinking about how you want to present yourself. You may have previously done this in your employment or you may have just recently started to take some time out for yourself. It is important to ensure that you are able to change your appearance so that you have the confidence to talk to potential employers. The design of your resume may have a huge effect on the perception of you by the int erviewer.Writing a resume is not an easy task and it takes a lot of time and effort to produce a well-written one. It is therefore important to follow the steps outlined above so that you will be able to avoid having to rewrite your resume and you will also be able to make sure that your resume gets to the right company.

3 tips for changing your career without starting over

3 tips for changing your career without starting over 3 tips for changing your career without starting over In 2014, the U.S. generated about 2.6 million jobs, an uptick compared to 2.2 million in 2013. However, a new survey from CareerBuilder.com reports that 30 percent of employers now require a college degree for jobs previously held by high school graduates. In other words, if you never got a bachelor’s degree, your options are sparse. I spoke with Corrine Gordon, who teaches in Northern Arizona University’s Personalized Learning program. Here are her top three tips for pulling off a mid-life career change without starting over: 1. Find a focus The first step in changing careers is figuring out what you really want to be doing â€" what moves you? One way to explore new careers is by requesting informational interviews in professions or businesses that appeal to you. This is a great chance to learn about a new line of work while getting a sense of what someone does every day. “Be creative in how you gather information,” Gordon said. “Spend your lunch hour at your cousin’s law firm or connect on LinkedIn and ask an employee at your dream advertising agency to share insights. Get out there and talk to people and you’ll have a better idea of what your focus should be when job searching.” Gordon also pointed out that industry-specific magazines and blogs can be great resources. “If you’re interested in becoming an admissions counselor, try skimming Inside Higher Ed to see some of the challenges facing colleges and universities today,” she said. “Or browse one of the hundreds of IT business blogs to see if you want to get into databases or coding.” 2. Make sure you have the right credentials Once you’ve identified a target job, determine what it will take to get there (generally its stated in the job description, so read those carefully!). A college degree will open a lot of doors for you, and keep in mind that it can also help you command a higher salary. A recent Pew Research Center study found that workers with a college degree make $17,500 more per year than those without. But finding the time to get a degree can be challenging. Luckily, online education has evolved to meet the schedule of any student â€" lectures and coursework are available at the click of a mouse. Many online college programs are competency-based, which means students can receive credit for skills and experiences they already have. Each lesson begins with a pre-test and students can test out of a lesson completely if they demonstrate a mastery of the subject. “This type of competency-based program often allows students to earn a degree in half the time â€" for a fraction of the cost,” Gordon says. 3. Brush up on your writing skills Contrary to popular belief, writing skills are mandatory for almost any job out there. In a job market crazed with emails and tweets, proper grammar has never been more important. If I see a typo on any job application, it’s going directly into the “no” pile. “I put a strong emphasis on writing throughout all of my lessons,” Gordon said. “Writing is a critical part of communication and is a business foundation.” You may think you’re a good writer, but writing on the job can be very different from composing personal emails or updating Facebook. Employers want to hire someone who can prepare a strategy document, write a new business email, or serve as a professional voice to clients and customers. “Consider courses that can help you improve your writing portfolio,” Gordon said. You can read more of Gordon’s tips at Northern Arizona University’s re:THINK blog.

Enough Already! No More Career Clichés!

Enough Already! No More Career Clichés! I see them on résumés, hear them in networking meetings and interviews, and spot them in the all-important summary section on LinkedIn. No more career clichés! Job seekers and employees seeking to get promoted internally are overusing buzzwords and tired descriptors with the hope that they will magically get the attention of their audience. Well, guess what? They are boring, uninspiring, and a turn-off. Enough already! Time for a pop quiz. Have you used any of these lately? Team player Results driven Fire in the belly Excellent leadership skills Great organizational skills Work well autonomously Self-starter Ability to prioritize Customer-focused … I could go on and on, but I think you get the drift. It’s not the words themselves that are the problem; it is that they have no value when used alone. Comments like these in résumés are empty. They have no meaning. No credibility. I have seen as many as twenty â€" or more â€" listed at the top in a candidate’s “executive summary.” It’s a waste of real estate on the page and can quickly get you tossed into the “no” pile. These are not the key words that recruiters and hiring companies are looking for! As a matter of fact, many of these clichés are really just “tickets to play” or basic skills you need to have if you are going to be successful in the job you are applying for. And if you are hoping to get found with those words when a recruiter does a key word search, wrong again. Here is an exercise to check yourself on the importance of the skill sets you are highlighting. Read each phrase and ask yourself “versus the opposite?” For example, “I am a team player” as opposed to “a loner who doesn’t work well with others.” “I am customer-focused” rather than “someone who thinks customers should go pound sand.” Now you see exactly how basic â€" and empty â€" these descriptions are. If you’re going to use the phrases, make them relevant and important. Try to think of these words and how they have been applied in your career. Look at your current and past positions, reflect on your experiences, and identify real examples for each term. Most importantly, can you measure your success using quantifiable metrics for each of them? Here’s how you might use them instead: Attention to Detail At XYZ Company, I detected an error in a financial system, which saved the company $350,000 when the problem was corrected. Time Management I was recognized by management for my ability to manage a high volume of projects across several product lines with no sacrifice to quality. Customer Service/Sales I exceeded my sales quota by 48% by providing a consistently high level of service to customers, and up-selling to enterprise-grade products. Problem Solver I deployed a new accounting software program that reduced accounting errors by 89% in the first year. Analytical I analyzed our various company-wide courier services and negotiated better rates with a main supplier that reduced costs by 25%. Can you see how you have given these statements meaning and how credible they sound with a little more detail? The next time you’re tempted to include these sorts of qualities and skills in your résumé, make sure you have an example to back each one up. Please comment, add your suggestions and ask questions at any time!