The Virtues and Dangers of Social Media in Recruitment

The Virtues and Dangers of Social Media in Recruitment About a month ago, I wrote a blog about social media and employee rights in the workplace. When I showed it to one of my coworkers, she responded by saying, “YOU wrote a blog on social media?! I thought you were anti-social media?” For the record, I’m not anti-social media, but I admit I have been cautious about embracing it. I view social media as a double-edged sword, especially for the recruiting industry. It’s a tool, and like any tool in the hardware store, it can be used to create incredible things, but also to destroy them. What should social media be for? On any given day, I make it a point to check my social media accounts. In just a few minutes, I can gain insight into the most pressing current events around the world, what’s going on in the lives of my friends and colleagues, new developments and technology related to the recruiting industry, and many other topics of interest that I never would have thought I’d find. However, in order to get to this info, I must sift through thousands of memes, photos of people planking, tweets about how long the line is at Starbucks, photos of what everyone had to eat that day, endless political propaganda, and various other posts that serve little purpose other than to relieve the poster’s boredom. Now, I’m not saying that social media should only be used for business purposes. I enjoy a good cat photo or Korean music video as much as anyone. But for some, social media has become a public forum to voice every thought that enters their heads, no matter how controversial. For others, it has replaced e-mail, and allows them to publicly share one-on-one conversations that no one else cares to read. Surprisingly, many who are guilty of this are job seekers, and even the occasional recruiter who should know better. Social media is a way to find your next job Social media has opened a whole new world for both job seekers and recruiters. Last year, Jobvite, a recruiting platform for the social web, conducted a Social Job Seeker Survey asking 2,100 people about their current employment status and the role of social networks in their job search. Amazingly, one in six of the employed respondents credited social media for their current job, and 52% of all job seekers reported using Facebook to look for work. Jobvite president Dan Finnigan stresses what all recruiters will tell you â€" in order to be a well-rounded job seeker, a candidate must maintain a professional social media presence. A professional presence empowers the candidate to connect with thousands of people that would have never been possible a decade ago. But as the Spiderman movies taught us, with great power comes great responsibility. In a recent article by Bill Davidow featured on The Atlantic, Davidow describes how we are in the midst of a “narcissism epidemic” that is being fed by social media. In a recent study conducted at Western Illinois University, researchers measured two socially disruptive aspects of narcissistic personalities â€" grandiose exhibitionism and entitlement/exploitativeness. Those who had high scores on grandiose exhibitionism tended to amass more friends on Facebook. The conclusion was that social media platforms are frequently used by those with narcissistic tendencies to feed their egos. And while the majority of social media users don’t fall into this category, narcissists set many of the benchmarks for everyday users â€" i.e., achieving more friends or followers by posting quantity over quality. Justin Bieber got a tattoo on his face? Good luck getting a job, pal. @midnight (@midnight) May 9, 2016 In case youre not Justin Bieber The result is the illusion of being an internet celebrity…perhaps in one’s own mind. But unless you’re Justin Bieber, even your close circle of friends will eventually tire of your posts if they are too numerous, too controversial or just plain annoying. And that doesn’t even take into account those who don’t know you, but may be checking out your page. If you are a job seeker, you should be especially cognizant of this. What kind of message are you sending to prospective employers? That you find yourself thoroughly entertaining, and therefore everyone else must too? Most people don’t want to work with someone who is too verbose, too political or too opinionated. If this is the message you are unwittingly sending out on Facebook or Twitter, it could be a huge red flag to someone thinking of hiring you. And if you are a recruiter or employer, your social media behavior should serve as an example to job seekers. In today’s job market, whether you are a job seeker or recruiter, you are at an obvious disadvantage if you’re not pro-social media. Just be sure to ask yourself whether you are leaving a positive impression on those in your social network â€" especially those who don’t know you. Remember to post/tweet responsibly. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Writing a Resume For Yourself

Writing a Resume For YourselfI've often said that when you're working on your resume, writing a resume for yourself is just like writing a resume for anyone else. You have to keep in mind that everyone is going to have their own particularities and personalities. Just as you may need to leave out certain details that don't make sense to you, the same is true for someone else.Your resume can become quite a disappointment to you if you don't take it seriously and are not sure what it needs to say. That's why you'll want to do your homework and find out what's required of you and how it should be presented. Following some simple steps will help you achieve this goal and get yourself a good looking resume.The first and most important thing to do when you're writing a resume is to look over it with a fine tooth comb. Remember, you need to be very objective when you're creating your resume and you want to do your research. You don't want to forget that what you're getting into is not just about getting a job, but also about building a future for yourself. And you want to do it right.So start by reading resumes from other people who are applying for the same position that you are. You'll be able to see things that you didn't see when you were going through your own applications. You'll also be able to identify things that other people didn't think were important. You'll learn a lot about what you need to include in your resume. And these lessons are important.Try to avoid doing things like typing in a Google search for keywords that apply to your field of work. The Internet is full of people who don't really know what they're talking about and can give you all kinds of info you didn't even realize you needed. Instead, spend some time learning about the company, their policies, and the roles they're hiring for. This will help you create a much more positive resume.Once you have your resume organized, be sure to read it to someone who isn't an employer and don't be afra id to ask them questions. People love to talk about their own experiences and they're very interested in hearing what other people have to say. People will naturally gravitate towards people who are able to provide good information. And once you're done, go back and look at it a few times to make sure it's in a place where it's easy to read. You don't want to have any spelling or grammar mistakes.Edit the resume to your liking. However, do not be afraid to let it go back to the company for another pass. Be sure to make corrections before sending it back.If you're not happy with the resume, that's okay. But if you want to make it better, be sure to take the proper steps to do so.

The Real Life of a Recruitment Mum

The Real Life of a Recruitment Mum I go to bed on Sunday nights more knackered than when I finish on Friday evenings. My weekends start with me schlepping my daughters to stage school and horse riding (which is all done and dusted by  Saturday lunch time) and like millions of other parents, I “sacrifice” my free time at the weekends to do this because, a) I know they love their hobbies, and b) it makes me feel like I am a good parent. The rest of the weekend is usually a mix of washing (PILES of the stuff, despite me smugly thinking I am ahead of the game by doing mid-week washes at 6am), begrudging treks around Tesco stuffing my shopping trolley full of healthy whole foods and honestly NO ready meals or fast food for an easier life for me Mon-Fri. The only concessions I make for this are Heinz tomato soup and tortellini pasta so yes, I try to be a very honourable new age parent who cooks from scratch all week. Fun, fun, fun Also on the weekends we endeavour to do fun stuff, whether that be trips to theatres, cinemas, county walks, birthday parties (which thank God I dont have to stay at now, seeing as they are older) and relaxed family time. By Sunday night, having nagged my kids all day to complete their homework, persuaded them to get out and have some fresh air and pretended that watching David Attenborough is cultural enough for them to stay up a bit later, I sit down to prepare my Monday list for  my recruitment business Work, work, work Yes. I prepare what I am going to tackle the following day and always have done. It means that on Mondays I can focus on getting my kids out of the door to school, by preparing the night before; I am able to then speak to candidates who may need to catch up before they start work. Theres no mad rush for me if I plan ahead. Monday to Friday my routine goes something like this: 6:00am Alarm goes off. Once I get up, I ensure my older daughter is up as she has to leave early for secondary school. After the mandatory  cup of tea whilst checking my social media notifications (yes, I have become that obsessed millennial despite being middle0aged!) I empty dishwashers, load washing machines and let various animals in and out of the house for their ablutions (and I am not referring to my children as a euphemism). 7:30am Once I am showered and ready for the day, I get breakfast ready for my youngest and sit down to respond to any emails from the previous evening that need attending to urgently. I prep calls before early interviews or feedback from evening interviews. 8:30am I take my daughter to school whilst honestly not checking my phone for the missed calls as clients call me back…. I am a doting mother honestly, although my fellow parents at school must think I am very important as I am always in a rush and dash off before they even get out of their cars. On a good day, I have walked my dog Scooby up to school with my daughter instead. On those days I do tend to stop and chat and then call people on way back down. 8:45am I head off to my Manchester office. I spend the entire 1-hour journey safely on the phone. I have various meetings with candidates and clients all day. 4:30pm I collect my youngest from after school club. My brain is still in work-mode, as recruitment does not finish at 430pm does it?! No doubt I get a late call from my eldest child asking me to collect her from an activity or friends house. I am AKA mum taxi. Then I remember to walk the dog, if I havent already, and if possible I do this whilst catching up on calls. Say hello Scooby…. 5:00-6:00pm I try to make an exceedingly healthy home made dinner for the kids (which no doubt they will guffaw at and prefer to have pizza or fish fingers and chips but “you WILL have this quinoa and salmon salad, girls”) whilst simultaneously responding to calls and emails. Yes, I have been known to manage offers whilst stirring a pan of soup ?? 6:30-7:30pm My kids  complete their homework or watch TV, while  I properly catch up on calls. This is a very busy time for any recruiter, especially those in the rec2rec market, as my candidates, aka other recruiters, are heading out of work. The business peaks  of my day are 12:00-2:00pm and 6:00-7:30pm so I make sure I am  ALWAYS available then. 7:45pm I try to  chill out with the kids and talk about their day. I stick my mum hat on as we face some interesting parenting challenges in these modern times: cyber bullying and appropriate social media behaviour. These issues are usually far more challenging than any recruitment scenario, trust me! 9:00pm Hopefully both kids are now in bed. One final check of emails/texts and social media, and then I put my phone down. I attempt a conversation with my equally busy husband and pick up a book to catch up on the novel I have to finish in time for my monthly book club. Then, just as I relax,   I remember the wash I smugly put in the washing machine at 6:00am this morning, 15 hours ago…..

3 Simple Ways to Increase Empathy at Work - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

3 Simple Ways to Increase Empathy at Work - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career If you want to move up the career ladder, it is not enough to have great technical abilities or know how. You need to have personal skills as well. Think about a manager who is great at technical details but cannot get along with his/her team, then how can this manager manage a project if s/he cannot even manage his/her team? For this reason, if you want to become a better manager or a just a better coworker, you should work on improving empathy. Below are 3 simple ways of doing this. Listen to Them: Listen to others very carefully. Don’t just listen for the sake of listening. Listen with an open heart and mind. Only in this way, you can understand the entire message the other party is trying to communicate. Pay attention to their tone of voice and body language. Really try to feel what the other person is talking to you. What is important for them? Step outside for a minute and try to understand their perspectives. This can be very helpful for you especially, if you are discussing a divisive topic. You don’t need to agree on everything the other person says but it is important to see their points. Treat Others Nicely: “Treat others the way you would like to be treated”. Be nice to people and smile at them. Don’t forget that good manners and kindness always win in relationships. If you treat others nicely, you will soon notice that they will also treat you the same way. In this way, you can build a healthy relationship with your coworkers. For example; if you are going to give a birthday gift or bring a gift to the Yankee swap game, think about whether the person receiving this gift likes it or not. Rather than picking out something you like, try to think the feelings of the other party and shop accordingly. Turn the Tables: Put yourself in someone else’s shoes before criticizing them. First, try to understand their actions by turning the tables and then, decide. The best example for this is the interview process. When you are interviewing someone, think about the interviewee. Put yourself in his/her shoes and try to remember the last time you went for an interview. Do you remember how excited and nervous you were? Then, it is normal for the person you are interviewing with to have the same feelings. Therefore, in order to calm him/her down, you can start with simple and expected questions like “Tell me about yourself” and then, move onto more difficult and/or technical ones.

Low Proce Resume Writing Services

Low Proce Resume Writing ServicesLow Proce Resume Writing Services is a web-based service that offers a variety of services for online resume writing. This company gives your resume a professional look by composing it along with its various features and making it search engine friendly. You can either send it through email or directly on their website. The company keeps sending the articles to other professionals who also need to submit resume to various websites.The Low Proce Resume Writing Services provides its clients with the opportunity to save a lot of time while searching for a professional resume writer. You will no longer have to waste time going to different resume writing companies in order to get one who has experience in writing resumes. You will no longer have to search for a professional resume writer who is available for an affordable price. You just have to log on to this website, which offers you a number of benefits in one package.Low price is a professional compan y that provides its clients with exceptional services at a very reasonable price. The company has established a good reputation in the business sector by providing its clients with an extensive range of services. It offers a number of interesting services that include online resume writing services, employee referral services, virtual meeting services, and educational services. You can also choose the right option according to your needs and requirements.Low Proce was founded in 1999. This company offers its clients with a wide variety of options for online resume writing and that too at an affordable price. One can make use of the basic service to write his resume for free.The company has a database of several hundred resume writers who are ready to submit resume for free. This company has a very large database of people who are ready to contribute a resume at any time of the day. You just have to provide the basic information like name, address, phone number, and email id, and thi s company will automatically send the resume to your prospective employer. The online submission of the resume has been made easy for the common people so that they can have an excellent resume without having to spend a lot of money.If you are a first time applicant, then you have a better chance of getting the services of Low Proce if you try to search on the internet. Search engines are the best way to find out about a website. You can easily locate the website using various search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN.There are also various forums available for communication with the applicants of Low Proce Resume Writing Services. You can find a number of popular forums online where the applicants of these services can talk about the various kinds of resumes they have written and discuss various topics related to resumes. There are many qualified writers who are ready to take up the projects offered by the clients. In order to get the professional services of a good writer, it is necessary to search on the internet.Low Proce Resume Writing Services is the best way to present yourself professionally and effectively. The writers of this company have the ability to edit your resume in an effective manner. You just have to give them the required information and they will customize your resume in a proper manner. This service will ensure a successful conclusion to your application and the most important thing is that you do not have to worry about the charges.

Want to achieve your career goals this year Create an action plan - Sterling Career Concepts

Want to achieve your career goals this year Create an action plan Want to achieve your career goals this year? Create an action plan Have you set your career goal for the year? Refer to my last post for tips and techniques to successfully achieve that step. Next, it’s important to take the time to prepare a game plan for how you will reach your goal, but don’t use planning as an excuse to procrastinate. Remember action creates momentum. Take each of your goals and write down the list of steps under each of them that you will need to take to make the goal happen. The more specific, actionable individual steps you can map out, the easier it will be for you to reach your goals. The steps should be practical tasks that will lead you to achieve the goal. As an example, the following are the steps necessary to make a career change from accounting to marketing: • Research job postings for entry-level marketing jobs. What are the skills, education, and experience required? • Join the American Marketing Association and attend one virtual event or in-person boot camp in the next 90-120 days. • Enroll in semester-long online marketing course focusing on marketing principles. • Identify a volunteer opportunity to put marketing skills into practice â€" either in current job or with a community organization. • Assess transferable skills from accounting that would be useful in marketing role (project management, analysis, financial management, client relations). • Work with a professional résumé writer to create a targeted marketing résumé. • Join three marketing-related groups on LinkedIn, and follow 5-6 Fortune 1000 companies in the area that have company profiles on LinkedIn. • Assemble people in network to act as references for marketing interview. • Connect with 2-3 contacts at Fortune 1000 companies in the area. • Identify possible employers and submit résumés. With so many steps, how will you know when you’re on the right track? Give yourself milestones to measure your progress, including specific dates and numbers. You’re almost there! The next and final post in this series will help you take action on the steps you outlined today. Need help with creating an action plan? We’re here to help! Contact us to collaborate and get you on track with your career goals.

7 Career Links Hot off the Presses! - CareerAlley

7 Career Links Hot off the Presses! - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary Donald Kendall I get a lot of emails suggesting websites to review, articles links to post and apps to review. I save most of these suggestions and then periodically dedicate a post to reviewing and listing the links. So, not much to say in todays post other than I hope you enjoy the following job search resources. Job-Applications.com This site is an online job application resource site. There are a bunch of companies featured mid page. Clicking any of these leads to a detailed page on the company, along with links to complete an application. On the left hand side of the site is a listing of job categories. Click on these and you will see a list of companies (with associated links) for that particular job category. This site can save lots of time for you, take a look. Top 10 Cities for Recent Graduates This is a neat infographic for college grads. Definitely worth a look. Career Search Database This is site is a career and job search database and guide. There are tabs at the top for exploring careers (there is a list of common careers center page, click any career for more info, followed by some articles on the topic), Salaries and Benefits (by career type), Job Search (lots of great resources here), Resumes and Interviews (types of resumes, checklists, power words and more) followed by Education Training and Careers. The home page also has lots of great information, including top careers with salaries, market outlook and more. 25 Reasons Job Fairs Are Not a Waste of Time If youve ever been to a job fair and have written them off (or have never considered going, this is a great a great article to read. Job Fairs are about maximizing your time, and this article will help improve your success factor at job fairs. 10 Biggest Advantages of Being an Older College Student No matter where you are in your career, it is never too late to go back to school to finish that degree (or get another one). If youve been thinking about going back to college, take a look at this article. Find the Best Jobs This is site is already included in my blogroll. This site lets you compare jobs and then apply for the job. Type in the position or key word, the location and watch the right hand side of the page populate with jobs that match. The jobs are categorized across industries and type, along with the average annual salary. There are lots of other resources on the tabs at the top of the page (like salaries by city and job). Great site, take a look. 25 Twitter Chats for Valuable Career Advice Twitter is the new tool for job search and you shouldnt miss this resource. Dont know where to begin? This article lists some Twitter chats to get you started. Pick the ones that interest you and off you go. Good luck in your search. Visit me on Facebook