TheJobBored

This is from an Ask Brian Question.

Send in your own Ask Brian Question here.

My name is XXXX, and Im 24 years old. Ever since last year i have been applying for different jobs in the field of fashion, I used to work and still do as a Fashion Stylist, which means I do a lot of shoots for tv and print ads etc. I finished my diploma course in Fashion Design last year and i thought i should leave the world of fashion styling behind because it was very difficult to find shoots on your own if you did not know the right people. But i found some young entrepreneurs like me and although work is slow I do have faith it will happen and also i have been very interested in Fashion design which goes hand in hand with styling. ok so here is my question,

A month back I had gone for an interview for the position of Junior Merchandiser, this has nothing to do with designing or creativity, it just a “cut-copy-paste” kind of job. I was very interested because i was desperate to find something to do. anything. but then i started my own label in the desperation and my clothes actually got a decent response. i.e from my friends i havent yet gone out into the market. so should i take a 9 to 7 job, which will barely pay my bills, cuz what i will make ina month is how much i make on a shoot in one day, but this job is now and i have just started networking, or should i have faith in myself and continue with fashion design and styling. please help. very confused.

Short answer for your specific situation:

You say you’ve gotten a response from your friends (great) but nothing yet from the market. Well, give it a go in the market. If you get a response there, then it might be worth going for your dream. [Read more →]

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For years now, as social media has proliferated, we’ve been hearing more and more about how what you do online can be viewed and viewed negatively by your boss… or by a prospective boss.

But what about Facebook? After all, can’t you control who sees what on Facebook?

Well, if you’re doing a job search, you’d certainly better hope so.

According to new research by Microsoft, if HR people can check your Facebook page, then they probably will. And what they find there can have an impact on your chances of getting hired. In other words, Facebook can have an impact on your job search.

(via GigaOM)

“…the top online factors for rejecting a job applicant are unsuitable photos/videos, concerns about a candidate’s lifestyle and inappropriate comments written by the candidate.
(…)
The survey also found that not only are HR staffers search for information about job applicants online, most of their companies have made online screening a formal requirement of the hiring process. Recruiters and HR professionals also said that they believe the use of online-reputation information will significantly increase over the next five years. And while the survey found that most consumers manage their reputation at least to some extent, a significant percentage (between 30 and 35 percent depending on nationality) “don’t feel their online reputation affects either their personal or professional life [and] consequently, they are not taking steps to manage their reputations.”

So, obviously, the key takeaway here is that you should be aware of your privacy controls, and definitely make use of them. This article from last week’s New York Times is invaluable: The 3 Facebook Setting Every User Should Check Now.

Because, the other point to keep in mind is, your online profile can actually help your job search in a lot of ways. [Read more →]

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What is the best paper to use when printing up your resume to present in an interview?

What is the best paper to use when mailing a resume as part of a job application?

I guess this goes along with my post concerning the best font to use for your resume.

I actually have a very specific answer to this question.

For more than a decade now, we’ve been printing hard copies of people’s resumes as an add-on feature to our resume writing service.

And in all that time, we’ve used the same paper.

I’ll tell you all about it, but first, let me make clear: I’m not getting paid or receiving any other consideration for the endorsement I’m about to make.

Having said that, in the resume writing industry, Southworth is the only paper brand most of us use. You can find a wide range of Southworth paper products at most of the “big box” office supply retailers like Staples or Office Depot.

The specific type of paper I recommend using is Southworth Business Paper, 32lb, 100% Cotton, 8 1/2″x11″ and WHITE.

Here’s why: [Read more →]

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Here’s a quick Ask Brian question that has been sitting in my inbox since last week. It’s a short question, but I think I have a short and possibly unpleasant answer. Here goes:

A reader asks:

What does it mean, a week after my interview they say they are still interviewing candidates?

Brian sayz:

Unfortunately, it probably doesn’t mean much good for you.

Not to be too harsh here, but interviewing is like dating. When you’ve found the one, you kind of know it right away.

The long and short of it is, if they thought you were the one, they probably wouldn’t be looking at anyone else.

I can really only think one of two things is going on here: [Read more →]

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Interesting article in the New York Times regarding retiree job seekers and the special job search problems facing retirees and those over the age of 65.

…In fact, there are more Americans 65 and older in the job market today than at any time in history, 6.6 million, compared with 4.1 million in 2001.

Less well known, though, is that nearly half a million workers 65 and older want to work but cannot find a job — more than five times the level early this decade and this group’s highest unemployment level since the Great Depression.

(…)

The unemployment rate for older Americans is still much better than for others — 6.7 percent compared with 9.8 percent in the general population. But 6.7 percent is more than double the level of two years ago — and far higher than the minuscule 1.9 percent rate early this decade.

My main job search/interview tip from this article for retiree job seekers is as follows: [Read more →]

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An article in Time Magazine suggests that virtual job interviewing, via skype especially, is something jobseekers are seeing more and more of.

This makes tons of sense to me. For out-of-town interviewing, the money savings alone are astronomical. But also, think about how this is more convenient for interviewer and interviewee alike. Less pressure, less procedure… possibly a greater chance of getting down to brass tacks.

My tips for this sort of thing are pretty much along the lines of what the article suggests. You still want to dress up. You still want to be professional (send the crying babies and barking dogs far away). And try to take it just as seriously as a real interview. It might feel informal, but keep the proceedings as formal as you can to show you understand the situation.

But I’d also recommend YOU be the one to suggest this sort of interview. If you think they’re techy enough to go for it, it’s a win-win-win for you: You’re being proactive. You’re offering to save them money. You’re also showing that you’re tech savvy.

Are you the first person they’ve ever encountered who’s offered to do a virtual interview for them? That shows initiative.

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I’ve posted several times about how the idea of job search networking can seem nebulous and confusing to people. “Ok, I understand that I send in my resume and hopefully they call me for an interview. But how exactly do I network?”

Hopefully you can see several practical strategies on how to network by reading this blog. And keep in mind the old saw of job search: Networking is BY FAR the most effective way to find a new job.

For years we’ve told our clients, “Tell everyone you know… everyone… every friend you have, every person you meet on the street… about your job search.” We even sold networking cards for a while (little snippets of your resume on a business card).

So, let’s touch on something that should be obvious to anyone in the modern world: social networking sites like Facebook can help you with your job search. I actually hadn’t explored this too much in a hands on, practical level, but I decided to test out some strategies.

And, just by dipping my toe in the water, I’ve gotten some immediate results. I think I’ve hit on a really, REALLY basic strategy for using Facebook to help in your job search. It’s something anyone with a Facebook account can start doing immediately.

And it might seem obvious to the point of stupidity, but hear me out:

[Read more →]

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If you have career or job search question you would like answered on this blog, click here to Ask Brian.

D. asks:

How long should one expect to wait to get approval on a vacation request? I have three weeks vacation and have only used two.

Vacation request? This time of year? I think you’re reading your calender upside down!

But, it seems my “how long to wait” answers are very popular. So…

Brian has an answer after the jump… [Read more →]

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If you have career or job search question you would like answered on this blog, click here to Ask Brian.

Just Trying To Work asks:

I have a question about a touchy/socially taboo subject: nursing mothers in the workplace.  A woman that I work with who is still on maternity leave, comes into the office at least once a day for an hour or two.  She always brings her newborn baby with her, and at first it was a novelty to see such a little baby, that nobody complained.  She is one of those very pro-nursing women that insist upon physically breast feeding (not pumping and then giving the baby a bottle) at any time or location.  As a woman, myself, I think that nursing should be done in private because I know it makes people uncomfortable (that and I’m not about to whip out a boob in public). In addition, she changes the baby’s dirty diapers on her desk in the middle of the open office.  The smell alone is unbearable.  [Read more →]

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If you have career or job search question you would like answered on this blog, click here to Ask Brian.

M asks:

I am hoping you can help me or offer some expert advice.
I am a young professional [mid-twenties] but I am very successful in my career. Throughout my college experience I held multiple internships and this helped secure a great job directly out of college. Since then I have been promoted and have moved to a few different companies all working my way up the corporate latter. Needless to say my work ethic is very strong and I take pride in this. At all my previous jobs I have been complimented on this work ethic and have never done anything to jeopardize my position.

So here comes the problem- my current boss. I have worked with many types of people before [man, women, old, young etc] but I have never worked with somebody similar to my current boss. She is extremely disorganized to the point where she loses everything [her desk area is called the “pit”]. [Read more →]

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