Accounting graduates, have broader choices and specific paths to follow with their careers. Accounting requires a lot of skills when it comes to business and that is why every company has an employee that is an accounting graduate. If you are an accounting graduate, you can apply in any kind of firm. Areas may include tax, audit, financial analysis and management accounting.

It is best that you apply for a job that matches your interests and expertise. There are careers that have been proven by most accounting graduates to bring them to the top of the success ladder and you may want to consider entering these fields.

If you are an accounting graduate who excel in public accounting, the entry-level positions that best fit this skill are Tax Staff, Consulting/ Management Services and Staff Auditor. With these positions you will do your duties reporting to a senior. Once you have acquired three to six years of experience in any of these positions, you may then want to consider applying for the higher levels like Tax Senior, Senior Auditor, and Consulting Senior where the position entails reporting directly to a Manager. After six years of excelling with these potions, then you may consider the positions Partner level and Senior Partner.

Having an edge with corporate accounting, one to three years of experience will qualify you to become a staff member in Internal Audit, Tax Accounting, Management, and Financial Accounting. Moving up the higher lever after three to six years, you will be eligible for the Senior Level for Internal Audit, Tax Accounting and Management Accounting. Six years thereafter, you may want to consider aiming for the positions like the Tax Manager, Internal Audit Manager and Financial Accounting Manager.

Expertise in Financial Management, Staff for Financial Planning, Cash Management, and Credit Analysis are options for entry-level positions. Once you have gained the enough experience, you may aim for the Treasury Operations, Credit Analysis and Senior Financial Planning. Higher positions will include Treasurer, Manager for Credit Analysis and Financial Planning.

These career options are traditional paths that were found to fit best for accounting graduates. However, it does not mean that they are the only way to climb up the success ladder. You should go beyond not just limit your skills to accounting. It is still recommended that you gain enough work experience, acquire knowledge in different aspects of education, and continue to improve your character to be a step ahead with other job seekers.

Tags: job hunting tips, job search advice, Searching for an Accounting Job

Tags: job hunting tips, job search advice, Searching for an Accounting Job
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Finding the right job is the ultimate goal for job seekers. Often this entails balancing out a number of factors such as what’s your skill set and education, what’s available and what you can see yourself doing. You’re bound to go right in the workplace if you can reconcile all of these elements. However, there is one factor that often is overlooked by job seeking hopefuls. That factor is the degree of autonomy you can expect in the workplace.

Each job varies on the level of autonomy granted to its employees. If you’re a truck driver, you pretty much have free reign while you’re on the clock. Standing on an assembly line is a different story. Now, those two examples are pretty uncommon jobs for college graduates to hold but they are still accurate examples. Some jobs allow you room to breathe with minimal oversight. Other positions are closely monitored by authority figures. Your preference depends on your work style.

No one likes a manager breathing down their neck. It’s overbearing, annoying and offensive. However, some workers actually perform better with the structure closely involved management provides. Yeah, structure. Scary word for young people because it implies all sorts of boundaries and limits. Nevertheless, there is some value in a structured work environment. You get stuff done on time. You work harder when you have expectations placed on you. And, if you mess up, retribution is close at hand to put you back on track.

All of this may sound like a buzz kill. Who wouldn’t want the open freedom of an unstructured workplace? You get to do what you want, when you want, as long as you turn in your work when it’s due. You could slack off all month and just churn everything out the day before it’s due. It’s just like college but you’re getting paid instead.

Still, a lot of people sink in these situations. Remember late night cram sessions? Did you ever feel confident when you pulled those off? Your professors may have let you slide by on shoddy work but an employer isn’t going to be so forgiving. Results are expected and mistakes are often not tolerated.

Therefore, you need to be serious with yourself. Can you really handle an unstructured, autonomous workplace? It may be a more attractive option but it can lead you to the unemployment line if you’re not careful.

Where do you fall on this spectrum? Can you handle a more open workplace or do you need structure to function? Sound off below.

Tags: job hunting tips

Tags: job hunting tips
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Many of the articles written for this site advocate that you think outside of the box to get yourself noticed. Be bold. Be big. Be confident. However, this should always be done with a bit of common sense. While it certainly does pay to get your resume to stand out and to jump ahead of the herd, can this be taken too far? Is there a line you should always stay behind in order to not appear too desperate for a job?

There most certainly is. Looking like you want the job is certainly a plus on your end. However, there is a line between needy and
desperate, and not desperate as in you need money so you don’t starve, but desperate in the creepy, eerie, get away from me sort of way. Looking desperate is just a way of looking unprofessional. As much as businesses reward employees and job seekers who go above and beyond the call of duty, they still want their workers to maintain a level of dignity and professionalism with their work. This means take it easy on the callbacks, calm down on the emails and try not to barge into your potential boss’s office.

Beyond desperation, you also have the danger of being overconfident, even cocky, when approaching a potential job. There are tons of instances where people, in an effort to appear confident, go way over the line and turn off a prospective workplace due to their actions. Such deeds include being too personal on an interview, too showy with their resume, presuming you already have the job or just over stepping your bounds and making it seem that you’ve gone ahead and made the hiring decision on the employer’s behalf.

Restrain your brimming confidence if you can. There are times when you might apply to a position that you are needlessly overqualified for. However, approach the job with humility. If you’re applying to something you’re overqualified for, then you must be getting to the end of your options.  Sure it may be degrading having to wait tables when you have a Master’s, but
you applied to the job. No one forced you to suit up with some flair in the first place.

It may sound like trying to have your cake and eat it too, but the best way to approach a job is with a combination of confidence,
ambition and humility. Know when to strike forward and grab the attention of an employer and know when to back off and let things unfold. Looking too desperate or too cocky is a sure way to put the kibosh on your job chances.

Have you been guilty of any of these faux pas? Sound off below and share what you know.

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As a college student or recent college graduate, a lot of flak is sent our way from parents, grandparents, older siblings or other family members about getting a good paying job. The old mentality about having a job seems set in stone for these authority figures and often a different viewpoint about employment doesn’t exactly make as much sense for them as it does to many young people. What viewpoint am I talking about? Actually wanting to have the job you occupy rather than just collecting a paycheck.

Who hasn’t heard that their generation is nothing but a bunch of slackers, lazy loaf arounds and good for nothings? At least once, usually from people older than you. Thanks for the encouragement guys. However, perceptions about having a job have changed in the past several decades. College kids and recent grads don’t want to have walked away from college with a degree simply to sit behind a desk for the next forty years, counting the decades until retirement.

Look at your parents or grandparents. It was common for people in their generation to hold the same position, at the same company, for decades straight. At the time, having a job, any job, was more important than being
happy with the job. You were guaranteed a paycheck so sit down, pipe down and just make it through the workweek. Does that even sound appealing to you?

Most likely the answer is going to be no. What changed?

Well, all those social advances your parent’s generation participated in have finally paid off. Job satisfaction is becoming more important than what you take home every week because all the rhetoric about making a better world and follow one’s dreams has sunk into this current generation. Our parents’ have sown the wind and now we reap the whirlwind.

What does this mean for recent college graduates out on the job hunt? It means that there is a greater emphasis on finding a job that emotionally and mentally satisfies rather than just padding out a bank account.

There is far greater diversity in the job market now because alternate styles of living are open to people now that were far more marginal twenty or thirty years ago.

This means that you need not bow to experience all the time.  While the input of parents and family members about career decisions is still important, remember, you’re the one who has to be doing the job. If you want
that job as a bikini inspector, archeologist or sky diving instructor, go for it. Shooting for your dream job isn’t a silly fantasy. More and more people are taking cuts in their income just to be happy doing what they are doing.

You’re not alone if you opt for this career decision. Put your degree to use and aim for what you want to do in life.

Tags: Job Search

Tags: Job Search
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A lot of the content on this site is devoted to helping you find and secure a job that you can love, or in the worst case, at least stomach on a 9 to 5 basis throughout the work week. However, it is equally important to know how to leave a job without burning your bridges behind you. Who knows, there may come a time when you’ll be hard pressed for a paycheck and your only option is to come crawling back on your hands and knees. Hopefully not though.

Still, here are four ways you can leave a job gracefully without shutting the door completely behind you.

Keep Working

One of the biggest strikes against quitting employees coming back to work is that they often slack off after they have given their two weeks’ notice. It’s a natural tendency to take it easy when the end is so close. Put your feet up on the desk. Spend some extra time out on lunch. Turn in a reduced workload. These are all urges employees with a shelf life indulge in. However, operating like business is usual until your last day is a great way to not only demonstrate your professionalism but to go out on a high note.

Keep Composure

The knowledge that you have to see your coworkers for a large chunk of the week and get along with them is plenty of incentive for people to stay friendly, or at least cordial, with people they otherwise wouldn’t want to be
trapped in an elevator with. One of the biggest bridge burners is that employees on the way out often speak their minds a little too much and tell off their coworkers and supervisors. Avoid this at all costs even if you don’t think you’ll be coming back. You don’t want to tell Donna she stinks if it means a purse to the side of your head.

Show Up

As your last day gets closer and closer, make sure you make the effort to actually come to work. While you can’t get fired for not showing up since you are already on your way out, usually, it still leaves an impression on your boss if you’re hoping to use him or her as a reference. Be Thankful- While this may be a minor point, thanking your supervisor or boss for the opportunity is a great way to send yourself off into the unknown. It won’t
make up for poor performance or slacking off but if you end your employment with a handshake and a meaningful statement about how you’re thankful for the job, it’ll go a long way in sending you off on a high note.

Have you burned any bridges in a spectacular fashion? Let us known in the comments section below.

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The old axiom that time is money plays into today’s job market more and more as people are increasingly turning to professional job seekers to help them find a position so they can devote their time to other activities. While this may seem like a pretty sweet setup, there are a large number of drawbacks, such as paying these professionals, to acquiring the services of job search contractors that do the work for you.

Here are three reasons why you should avoid putting your trust entirely in these people’s hands, despite their qualifications that may otherwise indicate complete faith.

Disconnect

The first main reason to refrain from having someone else do your job hunting is that there is a great degree of disconnect between you and the job search process. Some people may like being catered to and pampered.  However, having everything handed to you on a silver platter isn’t the way the world works and it can be a big handicap down the road. A job search contractor often manages your resume, your social network sites and your job search profiles. This allows them to dictate a lot in terms of what jobs you ultimately are considered for. Being disconnected from your job search prevents you from becoming knowledgeable about what positions you are applying to and can often reduce your overall passion for these positions since a lack of knowledge often translates into poor interview performance.

Lack of Interactivity

Finding a job is more than just matching up skill sets. Very often there is an element of trusting your gut and relying on your feelings when it comes to applying for positions. Sometimes you see a job and just know you need to shoot for it, qualifications be damned. On the flipside, there are some positions or companies you know that you’re qualified to work at but you have no interest in doing so. Having someone doing the job hunting for you
limits the interaction between you and your hunt so that those feelings are never acted upon.

Identity Concerns

While most job search contractors are professionals with ethics and standards, the danger of having your identity stolen or personal information leaked does exist. There are always a few bad apples out there and handing over so much personal information to a complete stranger often leaves you in a precarious position when it comes to a professional client/provider relationship. Keep your identity protected and just do the work yourself.

While saving time may sound like a good idea during your job hunt, getting a job is really a matter you should tackle head on and be deeply involved in.

Ever used a job search contractor? Yay or nay? Drop a line in the comment section and share your experiences.

Tags: Job Search

Tags: Job Search
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Facebook is a huge time sink. There’s no two ways about it.
For many people, especially college age people, Facebook is usually open in the  background whenever they’re on their computer. Sure the time spent looking at
it may only be a few minutes here and there, but add up all that time throughout the time. It starts to look pretty hefty in aggregate. Now, imagine if all that
time spent checking profiles and updating your status could be turned to something not only productive but possibly lucrative in the long run. Facebook can help you find a job, believe it or not.

Be skeptical if you want but Facebook can be a great place to begin your job search. First of all, Facebook has a friendly and familiar interface. There’s something comforting about the layout of the site that just makes people want to stay. Navigating Facebook is easy too and certainly familiar to most people. Most online job boards and resume posting sites look pretty convoluted and can be a bit off putting to most people simply because of lack of familiarity with the layout of the website.

However, how can Facebook possibly help you get a job? It is a social networking site. People check it for pictures from last night and to spy on their friends. You’re a lot more likely to get a date than to find a job, right? Not exactly. First, don’t get your hopes up about that date. Second, Facebook has become so huge lately that companies have begun to make their presence felt on the site.

In case you don’t know or live under a rock, pretty much everything has a Facebook page these days. From your Aunt Jenny all the way up to Microsoft and Nike have Facebook profiles. Furthermore, unlike your Aunt Jenny, these corporate profiles often pass on helpful news tidbits. Most companies will even have dedicated corporate hiring  pages that you can ‘like’ in order to receive the latest news about upcoming job fairs and when and where to submit your resume and cover letter.

This isn’t a perfect system and you aren’t guaranteed a job by trolling Facebook, but then you’re not guaranteed anything by hanging around dedicated job sites either. At least you can creep on that girl from the other
night in between reading up on the latest recruitment drive by a dream company.

Any instances where Facebook helped you find a job? Sound off in the comment section and let everyone know.

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Ugh, statistics. That was the one class everyone had to take sooner or later. Most of the time later. Way later. Like, right before graduation later. Nevertheless, since you’ll be hitting the job market soon, or have already landed, should you pay any attention to those employment stats that are always being thrown around by job counselors and economists? They seem to be pretty conflicting, right? Still, while they may tell you things you don’t want to hear, employment statistics can serve a purpose when you’re trying to land a job.

Take it them with a grain of salt, however. Employment stats are gathered by a bunch of different sources. A lot of times the picture that they paint conflict with each other. Who knows what kind of research they’re conducting. It’s like when you get forced to do a research project and you’re hitting the deadline. Maybe you shouldn’t have spent all that time having a marathon PS3 session but that isn’t the point. The point is sometimes the research gathered can be incomplete or not thorough enough. Often these stats are gathered during a certain time period. The researchers are just trying to do a good enough job possible with the time they have. They might not have all the answers.

But, you may say, all the employment stats say I should go into something computer related or healthcare but I already got my degree in pottery. What should I do? Again, don’t stress. Employment stats are just trends. Not to get artsy but the people who compile employment figures are making a mosaic. Each individual piece is different and unique. These researchers are simply taking all those piece and looking at the whole picture. While the mosaic may look like a giant Mac Book, it still doesn’t mean your degree if useless.

The best advice I have to offer is not to get worked up about employment stats. You can pay attention to them and follow them casually but don’t work yourself up and follow them religiously. Just because you know what field is trending on high won’t get you a fore sure job. A lot of people view employment stats like some type of cheat sheet that will have all the answers. Sadly, the only thing these people are doing is cheating themselves out of confidence (see what I did there?).

I’m not saying you should discredit employment figures completely but be mindful that these researchers don’t have a crystal ball to see into the future. They can say things are getting worse only to be proven wrong in the following week. They’re not omnipotent. The only thing you’re doing if you stress about facts and figures is depriving yourself of confidence and job hunting time.

Are you in this worry boat? Feel like the number crunchers have you pinned? Sound off on the comment section and let me know your feelings.

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Even the most arrogant of people are raised with an inherent desire to not constantly blow their own horn. That’s a saying that’s been ingrained in people for centuries. Stay where you are. Don’t take risks. Get comfortable. There’s nothing wrong with this but it can leave yourself stuck in a spot you don’t want to be. It’s like settling for the first girl who comes along without leaving yourself out on the market. Sure you may get the milk for free but at least try a few cows before deciding on which one you want to stick with. Who knows what possibilities you may encounter?

Self promotion, however, is an important part of finding and securing a job for yourself. Employers aren’t going to come knocking on your door to pull you to an interview. The same applied to just passively dumping a bunch of resumes onto the job market. Just because your resume is floating around out there doesn’t guarantee you that employers are going to pay attention to it. As far as they are concerned, you’re no different from any other Tom, Dick or Harry (Sally, Jane or Suzie for the ladies).

Building yourself up is a great way to demonstrate that you’re a go getter. How do you go about doing this? Well, that really depends on your field. Creative and artistic jobs rely on portfolios of work to demonstrate technical ability. The best way to turn this requirement to your ends is to create an online portfolio complete with work samples. Go digital even more so by having an online presence courtesy of your own blog, Twitter, Facebook, all the social networking tools available to you so you can get your name out there. Make sure it is all linked together so that people can be directed from one site to the next. However, it is supremely important to keep these sites professional. Nothing can be worst than being on the cusp of a promising job and having it blown by posting something an employer would frown on. It happens a lot more than you would imagine.

Nevertheless, what about the rest of the job market that thrive on the strength of their resume. How do they get the word out when they don’t need to shop around a portfolio? That’s easy. Get a website for yourself where you can post a very detailed and informative resume. Make the rounds to job sites and other social networking sites that have a career getting focus. The more you can throw out there that has your name on it the better.

Still, make sure you do all of this with tact. Nothing can be a greater turn off than establishing a large presence online and promoting yourself only to come off as a jerk. It’s self defeating. You want to reel in the big fish, not scare them away because you’re showboating.

So how have you promoted yourself in the past? Got any better ideas? Let me know in the comment section.

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Everyone has been beating to death the idea that college graduates are going to have it so tough once they graduate. There’s talk of the job market being too competitive, that there aren’t enough jobs and that older people are returning to the workplace and taking all the good jobs because of their work experience. While that is all true to an extent, many college graduates often aim too low when applying for their first job fresh out of school.

Consider this analogy. You’ve been working hard and getting in shape all summer. You have never looked better and you are at the peak of your physical appearance. Perhaps you did this because you were unhappy with how you looked or you felt insecure. Regardless, it doesn’t matter why you did it, it matters that you did. You hit the bars looking for a date but you still aim low because you’re unsure of where you are now and how you are viewed. You go for “whatever you can get” when you could be netting a high quality guy or girl.

Now, this may be an overwhelmingly shallow situation but it applies. College graduates simply are not aware of their worth, at least most of them aren’t. Having a bachelor’s degree, while not as impressive as previously, is still quite an accomplishment. Considering how few people worldwide have degrees, you’re in a pretty elite category.

What you need to do as a college graduate, freshly minted degree in hand, is to aim straight and true for a job that you deserve. In this economic climate, most people clamor for the first job they can find. If you have financial responsibilities i.e. mountains of student loans, this approach might be necessary. But don’t give up and finding a job that you deserve.

Employers are banking on college graduates to be desperate. They’re raking in the benefits of unpaid internships and low balling salaries because they can get away with it. People are in need of money, in any way, shape or form. Remember, you can take a crap job in the short term but always keep your eyes open.

Furthermore, by not setting your sights on a job that you’re qualified you may be hampering your employment opportunities. Sometimes a college graduate may be too qualified for a job. This in turn leads to rejection because that employer simply can’t pay you what you’re worth.

You went to college to bolster your chances of getting a job. Always keep this in the back of your mind that having a college degree instantly improves your marketability. Play that up. Remember to never sell yourself short and if you find your dream job posting, go for it. Don’t think you’re worthless just because you’re a college graduate.

Do you feel that your worthy of your dream job? Let me know in the comment section below.

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The rise of social networking job hunting sites may seem like a great deal. It’s like combing wasting time on the computer with job hunting, also sometimes a waste of time on the computer. However, you get to kill two birds with one stone. Nevertheless, there are times where you can be too over eager on social networking sites that have a hiring component, such as LinkedIn. Here are four ways that you can be sabotaging your own chances of getting a job by making yourself too available. Follow the ancient axiom instead of beating a dead horse in this case; he’s just not that into you.

1. Recruiter Attack- It’s like when you’re out at a bar and it’s a single girl’s birthday. Every guy mobs her because she’s an easy target. The same applies to how people treat job recruiters on social networking sites. However, in this case, the birthday girl isn’t buying what you’re selling. Just because someone lists their occupation as a job recruiter doesn’t mean they can get you a job. Don’t smother the person. Be cool about it. You’ll be doing yourself a disservice if you’re knocking down this person’s inbox with message after message about can they hook you up with a job. This is very pertinent to the next one…
2. Stranger Danger- Another problem with confront a job recruiter on a social networking site is lack of familiarity. If you’re a friend of a job recruiter, it’s perfectly acceptable to approach that person and ask about a potential job. However, that same routine doesn’t apply when the person is a complete stranger. Don’t ‘friend’ a job recruiter just so you can bug him or her about a possible job. That’s likely a quick way to get a big, fat no.
3. Name Dropping- Furthermore, if you’re trying to connect with job recruiters online, don’t send them an email or message just so you can name drop them. If you put on your application that you have been in contact with Jeff Smith over the past few weeks, the company is likely to check up on that and ask Jeff Smith. If he has never heard of you or only exchanged one or two messages, the chances are that will hurt your chances of a job.
4. Lying- Finally, this is probably the most egregious sin you can commit when networking with a job recruiter online. Don’t start making up stories to impress him or her. Certainly do not proceed with a job inquiry at the company they represent by saying you have their blessing. That may work back home with the local girls but that doesn’t pass muster in the big leagues.

Just remembering, don’t make yourself to available. These people may have the jobs but they only select the most qualified or those who present themselves the best. Focus on that instead of banging down their doors online.

Make sense? Let me know if you’ve had any success going after job recruiters online in the comment section below.

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College graduates often don’t have that much leverage when entering the job market. It’s like being a pledge. You better do what the higher ups say or else you’re cleaning the toilets. In fact, you probably already are cleaning the toilets. Do a better job or you’re out! Often, when first setting foot on the market, employers, noticing your lack of job experience, will ask if you can provide work samples that they can evaluate in order to make their determination. Wait, back up. You mean they’re asking if I can work for free, on my own time, with no guarantee of payment or even a job? Sadly, yes. It’s a tough field out there and recent college grads often get put upon the most. Nevertheless, here are a few ways to turn this request towards your advantage.

Hit it out of the park- The best way to turn this to your advantage is to pull out a homerun. Dominate that assignment. Nothing shows you can do some stellar work like, uh, doing stellar work. If you’re asked to provide a work sample or are given an assignment to do before being interviewed, slam-dunk it. Go for the gold and it may pay off with a job.

Keep it for later- If you’re interviewing within a particular work sector, having a work sample already done may be a big benefit in of itself. For example, before I get a writing gig, most of the time I’m asked for a writing sample. Instead of having to sit by and rush one out, I already have a stock of samples on hand that work pretty well. Sure, the first time you craft a work sample may be pretty tedious and it may not lead to anything. However, keep it on hand. Pass it along to other jobs. It’ll cut down on time and in between submissions you can refine it.

Volunteer to provide one- Be the go getting in this case. Turn the tables. When you’re applying for a job, off the bat, ask if they’d like a work sample. Not only does it show you as a certified workaholic, whether this is true or not, but demonstrates that you know employers are going to skeptical of you. It’s like helping an old lady across a street to impress a girl. Works every time.

There you go, three simple ways to benefit from providing free work. Do you have better ideas? Log in and comment below and tell me what you think. Or tell me that you hate me. Either way let me know your thoughts and feelings.

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Getting your resume

noticed by human resources is only the first step on your way to securing a new career. Nevertheless, you need to go the distance. Don’t sputter out just as you’re getting started. “You have to turn that around and give them a good interview even if they didn’t ask for it,” says Bill Byham, co-founder and CEO of Development Dimensions International.

Byham’s consulting firm has developed a unique interviewing strategy called targeted selection. The Fortune 500 consultant has crafted this unique system in order to get job applicants to speak in specifics to potential employers. Having interviewees spill the beans to the hiring manager is an easy way to get the goods on the incoming talents. However, Byham recently divulged a few tidbits from his system to aid the fresh faced up and comers as well as the grizzled veterans in nabbing that hot job.

1. Study Those Who Came Before- Interviewing for a job, as Byham says, is very dependent on who came before you. Was the individual who held your potential position habitually late? Most likely this will translate into interview questions focused around combating tardiness. Scout out the terrain before taking the plunge. Try and find an inside man or woman. Do your research on your potential employer and understand what issues they are currently trying to address by hiring you.

2. Honest Abe It- Liar liar pants on fire is a maxim passed on from childhood. Apply it when you’re making the rounds applying for jobs. Interviewers can often get pretty specific. If you’ve embellished yourself a bit too much be prepared for damage control. Be honest. It’s better to tell the truth about your average work performance than to lie and talk yourself up only to be backed into a corner. Honesty is always the best policy to insure against overeager digging by the hiring manager.
3. Strike While the Iron’s Hot- It may be daunting to be interviewed but often it’s a two way street. A bad interviewer will stick out like a sore thumb. Maybe they’re having an off day. Perhaps they’re just not that experienced. Regardless, take advantage of a sluggish interviewer by guiding the conversation. Be cagey enough to ask questions back. Doing so will not only shed more light on your potential job but also enable you to be in control. However, walk a fine line when doing this. Don’t be a jerk and dominate the conversation. Even a bad interviewer can sense smugness.

Byham’s tips could be essential to scoring the latest gig. His system has been touted far and wide by the Fortune 500. Use these hints to beat that system.

Tags: interview, job hunting tips

Tags: interview, job hunting tips
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What is YOUR job hunting story?

To celebrate my reaching 4,500 followers on Twitter, I’ve decided to have a contest for everyone in our little job seeker community :^)

Here’s what I’m going to do:

I’m going to GIVE AWAY a free copy of my Unspoken Rules of Getting Hired eBook package (worth about $170) – to the person who posts the MOST interesting story about his or her job hunting struggles… in the comments below.

As “Brain Food” I’ll list some questions you might want to answer in your “entry” below…

• How did you get to this point, tell me your story?
• What’s your biggest challenge or frustration right now? (ie resume, cover letter, going on job boards, interviewing, etc.)
• What have you tried so far, but it didn’t work?
• What have you tried so far, and it did work?
• Why should you be chosen?

Now, this fun little contest is going to draw quite a few entries. No question. In order to keep things INTERESTING, I’m going to set a few quick rules…

>Rules:

1) You must write something INTERESTING. No one-liners that say “the economy sucks” or “there are no jobs out there.” I’m not even going to APPROVE comment entries that aren’t thoughtful, interesting, and REAL.

[***Bonus Points: Upload a video to YouTube of 5 minutes or less where you describe how you’ve struggled in your job search and give specific examples. Be sure to tag your video with “imm contest” in quotation marks. Click here to see what it should look like when you are uploading your video. Then leave a comment on this post with a link to your video and a brief description of what hasn't been working for you (no need for more than 1-2 short paragraphs)***]

2) Do all of this no later than 10pm EST next Saturday, February 27th (in other words, start writing NOW).

3) I and a few secret judges will select our top favorites, and then you all will vote for the winner. I’ll also Tweet the name of the winner on Twitter, of course!

So get to it, and post a comment below telling your story about how you’ve struggled on your job search. You just might win $170 bucks worth of my best interview training!

[Follow me free on Twitter here: Twitter.com/Landon_Long]

Tags: job hunting tips

Tags: job hunting tips
Posted in Job Hunting Tips | 2 Comments »

Lets face it – In today’s economy, you are up against a HUGE uphill battle when it comes to starting your career. Even if you figured out what you want your career to be, chances are you wouldn’t have a fighting chance at securing it because you don’t know how to promote yourself to employers.

It comes down to simply not having a lot of options to choose from in this job market. Sure there might be lots of job openings out there…but if that’s the case, why aren’t you hear anything from employers?

Well what I’m about to tell you might shock you…so put on your tough suit of armor because I’m not going to try to “save your feelings” about this. What I’m about to tell you is the TRUTH and if anyone tells you differently BITCH SLAP THEM AND RUN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION!

Ok not really, but seriously…Here’s what most they aren’t telling you…

IF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO PROMOTE YOURSELF TO EMPLOYERS…

YOU WONT HAVE A CAREER. PERIOD.

(Yeah I said it…)

I mean think about it… If you want to kick off your career after college you need to know how to PROMOTE yourself to hiring managers. If you want to get a raise and move up the career ladder, you need to know how to PROMOTE yourself to your supervisors.  Even the dude who got a job from one of his daddy’s golf buddies had someone “promoting him” even if he didn’t do it himself. For most of us regular peeps who don’t have all the high-level connections, we rely on our own street smarts and for some it comes easier than it does others.

So why don’t employers just hire us? Why do we have to learn how to promote ourselves to employers?

Well there’s a long list of reasons…and most of them come from the misconceived perception that college grads these days (or “Millenials” as they call us) are:

• Too entitled
• Too lazy or unmotivated
• Too social
• Hard to manage
• Not enough experience
• Not open to feedback
• Not open to self-improvement

(Just check out my Free Report, “The 10 Most Dangerous Mistakes YOU Probably Make With Employers And What To Do About It…” and I’ll break it down for you…)

And all of these reasons are rooted from the same source:

Not knowing how to promote yourself as a candidate who ISN’T one of these types of Millenials.

Are you following me?

And this is the problem that has been plaguing millions of other college grads who are struggling to find something in this crippled job market.

So here’s what I’d do if you want to have a career that others would KILL for:

Learn how to PROMOTE yourself as an A-player.

Not only that but learn how to become an A-player as well. Period.

Why? Because A-player’s have something that many of us unemployed college grads can only dream about.

They have unlimited career OPTIONS.

They are sought-after by companies in EVERY industry. And they are among the top 5% of candidates out there. They can move between industries without any problems because they know how to network, and they ARE highly networked. They know how to MARKET themselves to employers and they know how to make their PERCEIVED value higher than 95% of the population.

Bottom line, if you want a great career, learn how to become an A-Player first! Then you’ll be able to select ANY career you want from a buffet of possibilities. Choose not to become one, and you’ll be forced to “settle” for all the “scraps” that no one else wants.

Don’t let life pass you by for another second. Building yourself to be an A-player is probably one of the most important things you can do for your career and life if you want to have the freedom to experience life instead of being forced into a situation that just “pays the bills”.

If you want to learn more about how to become an A-player, I strongly recommend you check out my Free Newsletter. I’ll send you tips, tricks, and strategies to help you go from being just another “average” candidate to being a “heavily armed jobseeker” in a matter of weeks. You’ll learn about employer psychology, getting around phone interviews, building rapport with body language, negotiating salaries, and everything else that’ll help you get hired in less time.

So what are you waiting for? Go sign up for my Free Newsletter and jumpstart your job search RIGHT NOW.

Happy Hunting!

Tags: job hunting tips

Tags: job hunting tips
Posted in Job Hunting Tips | 1 Comment »