Looking for a new job is never fun. Being rejected for job is even less fun. These days companies are looking through so many candidates that you can’t get too caught up in rejection. In the article, Job Hunting Realities: What ‘No’ Really Means, BusinessWeek writer Jeff Schmidt lists why companies might really be passing on you. Recently ADP Research revealed that large organizations are reviewing over 20 applicants per opening, making competition fierce. At the end of the day when a company makes a hiring decision it isn’t always going to be the best or brightest candidate, but the candidate who they feel is the safest bet. As Jeff points out, “Job Hunting is Unfair,” and “Employers Don’t Always Act Like Professionals,” so if you have recently been rejected, shake it off and start sending out more resumes.
Josh Garner of SEO Factor recently got the opportunity to interview Todd Mintz to Talk Resumes and Job Searching. Todd has been in the SEO industry for some time and understands many of the nuances associated with SEO job hunting. Because of the technical nature of the industry, how you represent yourself on the internet is a big issue. Managing your online presence can really allow you to stand out, so make sure your Linkedin profile is updated and you are aware what pops up when you “Google” your name. One great point Todd makes is that the “job search is a numbers game and the more resumes you send out, the better your chances of landing an interview.” You need to build a list of companies you would like to work for and blast out your resume to as many as possible. Since only a fraction of open jobs are advertised, don’t hesitate to submit your resume to a company that isn’t displaying any openings.
As more people begin to accept that we have been in a recession for the past year, they are looking for ways to allow their companies to thrive in the down economy. The internet is the cost-effective answer that many of these companies are finding. Nicholas Carlson, Silicon Alley Insider, recently noted how much sense it makes to invest in web design and SEO after over-hearing and questioning web designers at a business lunch. In his mind the Recession Winners are Web Designers and SEOs.
Are you thinking about relocating? Well BusinessWeek has just released their list of the America’s Most and Least Favorite Cities as a reference for people looking to relocate for work. The survey looked at a number of factors and asked survey takers to choose which cities they would be interested/not interested in moving to and what three attributes about the city lead to their decision. According to their results New York City was the number one best city to work and live because of its entertainment options, professional/personal opportunities, and the ease of transportation. In they case of NYC though, people also ranked it as the number one worst city to work and live because of the high cost of living and health and safety concerns. While this list shouldn’t be used to decide where you are going to move tomorrow, it can give you a nice snapshot of some places you may have never considered.
It looks like this year’s Super Bowl contenders have already been decided, Monster vs CareerBuilder. After watching CareerBuilder showcase their commercials during the Super Bowl for the past 4 years, Monster plans to return to the year’s biggest game. Recently Monster became an official sponsor of the NFL and during the Super Bowl they will be promoting a contest as well the new design of their site, which will be released in January. In another four years it will be interesting to see how many people remember Monster and CareerBuilder’s commercials vs how many remember who won.
That's it for this week. Check back next week for another update.
