Job Search
This was a guest post written by Jillian A. She helps run the job resource site MyJobApps.com. Here, you can find downloadable job applications such as an Old Navy Job Application as well as hundreds more.
Today, most employers require that you fill out an application via a computer, but what many still allow you do is apply via a piece of paper. If you’re finding that you’re going to want to apply for a job soon, and you’re going to pick up a paper application, there are some things that you should note before you hand it in. If you fail to fill out the application out the right way, you could quickly find your job application in the trash can.
When you apply for a job at just about any company, listed below are the things that you’re going to more than likely see on the application.
Personal Information – This is going to include all of your personal details such as your name, address, your city, phone number and if you have been convicted of any felonies. Remember that you never want to lie on your application as many companies today have extensive tools that can check for these things.
Education – This is an important part of most positions. This is going to ask for schools, the colleges that you have attended, your major and the degree that you have received. It’s going to give them a good idea on what kind of education you’re going to have. Since some jobs are going to require an education, it’s best to jot down any education that you have.
Position – The next thing that comes is the position that you’re interested in applying for. Since there are so many positions with various companies, you’re going to want to jot down the one that you’re interested in. For instance, if you wanted to be a cashier at your local grocery store, you could write down “cashier.”
Employment – Most employers want to see what kind of working background that you have. In this category, they are going to want to know about the title of the job that you’ve held in the past, the supervisor that had watched over you as well as the date of employment when you worked with that particular company. On top of that, they will ask about the salary and the reason for leaving.
References – The last thing on the application is going to more than likely be the references. Here, you’re going to note the references that you feel comfortable giving out. You’ll include the names, the job titles and the relationship that you have with this particular person.
Quick Tips to Know
– Make sure that you never leave anything blank. If possible, just write “N/A.”
– Write clearly so that they can read your handwriting.
– Watch for spelling errors. It’s best to have someone proofread it.
– Always list your best references. They don’t have to necessarily be professional.
Let’s cut to the chase, if you’re looking for a job, you want access to the best resources available to help you land your next gig. The most obvious places are the job search aggregates like Indeed, and Simply Hired. These specialty job aggregates continuously crawl KNOWN web sites constantly updating their databases with fresh relevant content.
Craigs List – This is a source of local job opportunities in your community. It is also a cess pool of spam and ID theft scams. A word to the wise would be to be very careful about giving out any personally identifiable information. If it sounds to good to be true, IT most certainly is not true.
LinkedIn – This is a great source for networking within your career skill set. Many professionals expand and connect this website to their connections and company life. There is also a robust job board and recruiting environment which is exactly how they make revenue.
Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com and large job boards – These sites still exist and are just as popular with the companies that are large in size and have the money to advertise on the platform. Due to their size, it is also highly recommedended to be diligent with your personal information on these sites as well. Scammer’s exist in every corner of the web, and job seekers are often desperate to land a job, often time being scammed in the process.
It’s true: searching for a job right now is tough. It’s harder for some than others but for so many people in nearly every industry, it’s a struggle. We can speculate as to why, but there are so many reasons – economy is slower, jobs are fewer, employers are more selective. For many job seekers, turning to job boards and social networking as tools for their job search seems like a futile effort. Job seekers often complain about applying for opportunities through job boards because of the lack of response from employers. They often wonder, “Are they real jobs?” “Why won’t they respond?” “I feel like my resume has gone into a black hole!”
On the other hand, employers complain about the lack of quality applicants through these same job boards. They complain about job seekers failing to follow application instructions and applying to positions for which they aren’t qualified. Employers have become unconcerned about applicants they receive through job boards. Many feel that they won’t find the candidate they want to hire in that huge stack of applicants.
Job Seekers, ponder this: Do you think you’re going to get that job by simply submitting a cover letter and resume to a job posting? Or do you think your chances of getting hired might increase by making a social connection within the hiring company? What if you were the hiring manager? Would you be more interested in interviewing someone you know nothing about, or someone with which you have made a connection and know something about? Making that connection helps make you a real person instead of just a personality-deficient resume.
Here are some quick do’s and don’ts for Job Seekers:
Do use job boards. All of them that you can find.
Do use targeted resumes. (modify each resume you send to cater to the verbiage in the job posting, using key words)
Do use cover letters when applicable. Make sure they are customized to the job posting.
Do use social networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to connect with potential employers and recruiters. Many employers now also engage via their own websites in social communities.
Do use the power of Google and job search engines like Indeed and SimplyHired to help you learn about the companies you want to work for.
Don’t be afraid to make those connections! You don’t catch a fish with an empty hook!
Don’t be a pest! Calling or emailing repeatedly will make you look unprofessional and desperate. Doing so almost guarantees you won’t be considered. Follow up is important but stalking is bad.
Don’t complain. Employers and peers alike are watching you! Social Networking follows you. You can’t delete something once it’s said. Complaining about how much your job search sucks doesn’t make you a more attractive candidate.
And last but most importantly….
Don’t give up! Job Searching can be tough on your self-esteem. Don’t self-loathe. Treat your job search as if it’s your job but don’t forget to take time off . You need that time to rejuvenate.
Our topic for this article is one that is becoming more and more popular with hiring authorities. Employment background screening is gaining traction in many corporate and professional work environments. Far too many companies do not want to risk corporate assets to just anyone they might hire. In today’s climate, knowing who you hire is critical to the success of your organization.
Many companies offer this type of service to employers and depending on the position that is being filled, there are several checks that can be completed prior to hiring an individual.
Criminal History – this is probably the most common type of employment background screening. When an applicant has their criminal history examined a screening agency will check specific regions to determine if the applicant has a history of felony or misdemeanor charges on their record. Screening agencies will request where to search for criminal records as all felony and misdemeanor records are recorded with clerks of courts in the counties where the crime took place.
Driver’s License History – Also known as a Motor Vehicle report (MVR). This type of search is common for employees that will be driving either company vehicles or their own personal vehicle. This type of check is done at a state level and will reveal moving violations, suspensions and revocations, DUI or DWI arrests. This check will also reveal what class of license the applicant possesses in addition to any endorsements or restrictions that may be placed on a driver. Such as motorcycles, hazardous materials or large OTR truck classifications. This check will also verify date of birth and verify if any aliases exist for the applicant in question.
Credit History – These types of checks are often recommended for those applying for financial positions. Typically this type of check occurs when an applicant will be handing cash, such as a retail store clerk, or when an applicant will have access to bank accounts. A credit history check will help an employer determine exactly how responsible an applicant is. Most employers do not want to hire someone that has credit problems as this is an indication that the applicant is irresponsible and not trustworthy. All pre employment credit checks should be conducted in a manner that is consistent with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Employment Verification – Employment verification is one of the most common types of background screening conducted today. Often times applicants will exaggerate or falsify their employment and salary information in order to help their chances at being hired. This type of screening will often require direct communication with an applicant’s former employer. Questions asked will be of the verification type; typically dates of employment, position held, salary and whether or not the applicant is eligible to be re-hired. Sometimes a performance evaluation can be requested, however many companies have policies that prohibit comments on a former employess job performance..
Keep this in mind when searching for your next opportunity.
The internet sure has changed the way we communicate right? Social networks, online job ads, word of mouth, friends, neighbors. You never really know where your next opportunity lies in wait. Modern man has an arsenal of tools available to communicate, collaborate, and distract us from our basic human elements. The old statement still applies, you have to “put some rubber to the pavement” get out and meet people, users groups, networking and social events. Remember you never really know where you next opportunity is going to come from. You can search online and apply to 100 ads a day, truth is your better off talking to real humans, than passing your resume into a database.
Online search & Job Ads.
There are numerous online job databases. We won’t go into naming them or passing on our opinions of the competitors. What we will do is your warn you; there are many scam operations out there that will gladly deprive you or your hard earned money,all you have to do is give them the opportunity. Use these freely available tools to locate opportunities in your geographic region. Think about where you would like to work, then network, locate, infiltrate. Do whatever it takes to get your face in front of someone that can either refer you or get you in front of a decision maker. This is how to find work.
Socialize
No matter how much online job searching and applying you do, you still have to win someone over in person. This is how to land a job. You can’t win someone over in your shorts and stained t-shirt, sitting at home with a can of bon-bons. Get out there, get motivated, get involved, and most of all go find that opportunity. It might just be right around the next corner.
This question really hits home with us here at jobshouts. We hear it all the time. So many of our friends, friends of friends, and friends of family members. They all ask the same question can you help me find a job?
Since 2009 when we officially built our brain child, we wanted to give employers a way to connect with job seekers. That is also what still drives our development efforts. Since our launch we have signed on over 100 different fortune 500 employers and numerous smaller businesses.
First I want to reiterate that we will always be spam and scam free. We are diligent in who we accept into our employers roster. Never will you find a job that you might be scammed from.
Our next phase is going to shake the industry up some. We are aiming to let employers and business owners be proactive in their employee screening and recruiting process. Stay tuned there’s plenty more to come.
It is our job, to help you find a job. That is our mission and prime focus.
As a job seeker, how can you protect yourself from job scams that are posted right alongside legitimate jobs? There are still job scams being posted every single day on sites like Monster, CareerBuilder and especially Craigslist. Why are these people preying on job seekers through job ads? Because they want your personal information. They want your name, your address, your phone number, your email address and your place of employment (or last employment). They compile the information from the resumes they receive from the fake job ads. It’s all part of an elaborate scheme to collect and sell personal information for the purposes of identity theft.
Don’t become a victim! Protect yourself by recognizing the 2 main indicators of a scam job:
1. The job title is basic. Administrative Assistant, Intern, Customer Service, etc. By using very generic job titles they are casting a wide net hoping to catch as many job seekers as possible.
2. The description is basic or seems too good to be true. Everything about their job ads screams “easy”. Again, they are casting the widest net possible.
Here is an actual scam job posting we encountered recently: “This company is seeking an experienced administrative assistant for an immediate opening. You must have direct experience with invoicing, accounts receivable, payroll and general clerical responsibilities. You must be proficient with computer applications including Excel, Word, Outlook and Quickbooks, or similar accounting platform. You must have an outgoing personality, strong attention to details, excellent organization skills, reliable accuracy and be capable of working with minimal direction. We provide a competitive hourly wage that is commensurate with experience. This position is for full time employment. Compensation includes wages, healthcare benefits package, 401K, etc. Applicants must be over 18 yrs old and able to pass both background check and drug screening. You must be free and clear from any existing non-compete agreements.”
It sounds like a legitimate job, right? That’s part of the trick. They want you to have a hard time recognizing it’s a scam. The ad above was for “Stanley Furniture” in Springfield, VA. According to an article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Stanley furniture cut 530 jobs in the last year. That’s a red flag.
The bottom line? Don’t send your resume anywhere without researching the company first. If you can’t identify the name of the company from the job ad, and you value your personal information, we’d advise against sending your resume. This is obviously a personal choice to make/chance to take but the surest way to protect your information is to know who you’re sending it to.
You might think employers want to stay as far away from discriminating practices as possible. What you don’t know is that many are using a legal strategy by which to discriminate, often times unfairly. I’m talking about credit checks in the hiring process. Many employers have begun using this as a way of determining someone’s “reliability” or worthiness before making an offer of employment. What’s wrong with this picture?
Let’s review:
dis·crim·i·nate
–verb (used without object)
1. make a distinction in favor of or against a person or thing on the basis of the group, class, or category to which the person or thing belongs rather than according to actual merit; show partiality.
–verb (used with object)
2. to make or constitute a distinction in or between; differentiate.
Since employers are using credit checks to separate classes of people, by definition it’s discrimination. It’s legal and it’s an ugly practice, especially in a time of economic turmoil and record numbers of home foreclosures. This type of hiring practice not only perpetuates discrimination but it further injures our economic recovery as a nation. There are so many still unemployed that there was recently another extension on unemployment benefits for those that have exhausted theirs. During that time of receiving unemployment, do you think those people were able to keep up with their credit card payments? Now they face losing job opportunities for making the choice to feed their families instead of maintain their credit score.
Since when did hiring someone to do a job have anything to do with their credit? Since when did hiring someone have anything to do with anything other than their qualifications and abilities? Now more than ever, employers continue to use this form of discrimination as a way to narrow the pool of candidates. There’s only one problem with this type of competition – it leaves the most unfortunate victims of the economy out of the game altogether. I find HUGE fault with eliminating a hard working and qualified candidate because their house is in foreclosure or they haven’t been able to keep up with credit card payments. First penalized by the economy, now penalized by employers. How is the workforce supposed to recover? We should be questioning laws that allow any kind of discrimination in the work force. Employers need to get their heads out of the clouds and start looking at people instead of credit reports and numbers. I don’t care what some psychologist says about credit being a basis for knowing if someone is reliable or trustworthy. I don’t care what your CFO says about keeping hiring costs/risks down – discrimination is discrimination. Spade. The end. Is that really the picture you want to paint of your organization? “Oh, we’re a really great company to work for – as long as you have good credit!” This is the real world, perhaps you should join us.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re a job seeker:
1. Employers can legally request permission to run a credit check on you.
2. Employers are REQUIRED to get your signature on a permission form to do so. This could be on a job application too, so READ CAREFULLY what you are signing!
3. The credit check isn’t detailed, but gives the employer your credit score and # of delinquent accounts.
4. Get a copy of your own credit report. Being proactive about your credit is a better approach than being reactive.
There are a lot of ways employers can silently discriminate against you but this is by far the most widespread and legal way it’s done. Now, tell me your thoughts on how we can fix this….
There are a lot of job boards to choose from. Sometime last year it was estimated that over 100,000 boards were competing for a slice of an employers recruiting budget. JobShouts happens to share that vertical with several large and deep pocketed competitors.
Since there are so many players in this space, we felt it was necessary to build value and keep out the trash. When we speak of trash, we are talking about the kind of job ads that are geared towards fleecing the jobseeker or job ads that are either plain out scams or that require an investment from the candidate.
This has built trust with candidates, it has also paid off immensely in click traffic from our aggregate partners Indeed and Simply Hired. There are no complaints of scams, and the most important part? Our ads get clicks.
After all when it really comes down to it, filling that position may depend on how many people ‘see’ your ad and either apply or pass it along socially. That is where we are different, we employ many technologies and our network is vast and growing. Tap into the power of social media without having to learn twitter. Use our social media recruiting tool to locate potential candidates where they are most active – their social networking pages on twitter, linkedin, and facebook.
This graph shows our most recent numbers from jobs posted to Indeed. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that JobShouts! is crushing the competition and performing nearly as well as sponsored ads on the Indeed network. This data is a representative comparison of all jobs indexed and is for the month of April 2010. Yes that is a %450 better click rate than “All Job Boards”.
There’s a flurry of new jobs being posted on sites all around the globe by a fictitious company named Kings Security, Inc. This is not to be confused with Kings Security in the UK, which appears to be a legitimate business. Perhaps that is the reasoning behind this scammer’s company name choice…Hmmm….
We recently encountered this particular scam when a new employer registered to JobShouts under this name. The job ad, by all appearances seemed to be legitimate. However, after it received more than 13 applications in a very short period of time I decided to take a closer look at it. The job ad was VERY well written – it probably would have gotten the attention of a lot of job seekers:
“Front Desk Officer at Kings Security Inc.
We have several openings available for Front Desk Officer/Data Entry Clerk/Receptionist. We offer performance incentives/bonuses, excellent salary and benefits, flexible schedule in a very fast-paced, high-energy atmosphere.
Job starts as soon as possible.”
You can see why this would get a lot of interest, right? It says nothing about what qualifications someone must have, only that it offers performance incentives, bonuses, excellent salary/benefits, flexible schedule and that it starts as soon as possible. Who wouldn’t apply to that? If I were out of work, I sure would.
Once I googled it, I understood why.
Turns out it’s a Money Mule scam.
They might contact you and say that the job has already been filled, but they have another opportunity as a Mystery Shopper. This scam involves receiving a money order which you are supposed to deposit then recycle to the next victim. Alternatively, you might receive an email that appears to be from them, with an invitation to view a text file that could possibly contain malicious content.
WARNING TO JOB SEEKERS: No matter how desperate you might be for a job, listen to your instincts!! If a job you are applying to seems too good to be true, it probably is. Be VERY aware that there are people preying on job seekers. Legitimate jobs usually list some qualifications that you must have. Scam jobs will appear very attractive in an effort to get you to give up your personal information (such as your name/phone/address/email that appears on a typical resume).
Of course, I removed the job posting and “Kings Security” continued to attempt to post. They have failed on our site, but unfortunately these ads continue to be posted on may job sites around the world. Please help to spread the word and protect job seekers everywhere – make them aware of this job scam!!