Why Job Searches Should Mirror Online Dating Expectations

Why Job Searches Should Mirror Online Dating Expectations I am not a church officer, I am not a travel agent, nor am I a social media guru, a butcher, an IT specialist, a corporate finance intern, or a boutique manager. But according to the numerous job sites I’ve signed up for, this is who I am. Well I’ve got something to say job sites: you dont know me! Job searching is important it is your future after all. It’s as important, perhaps, as the search for your ‘significant other’ considering the amount of time you spend on either of them, so let’s compare the two. According to current trends, significantly more people are using dating sites to find a perfect match than ever before. Online dating has become a phenomenon in recent years. It seems to be the way nowadays to find your true love someone that fits you your perfect match and it seems to be working too. For example, eHarmony proudly claims that in the USA alone, 1 in 5 married couples met on their dating platform. So how does matching work on dating sites? Imagine: your heart aches for a new adventure and you decide to try an online singles website. You spend days filling out questionnaires, perfecting your profile, and maybe (probably) photoshopping your picture. You fill out all the questions asked, and make it pretty clear what you’re looking for. Finished! Then comes the waiting. Next day you check your inbox: 3 matches. Great! Now, what does the lineup look like? A 45-year old, red-haired Twilight fan who hates children, and has 15 cats. A feisty lumberjack whose ideal location for a first date is a roadside steakhouse where he likes his meat still twitching on the plate. And lastly, an 80-year old swinger looking for a casual, one-night thing. You’re a 30-year old male, looking for a lovely blonde woman of a similar age, or younger, to settle down with, have some kids, and share a vegan lifestyle…and oh, you hate cats. Maybe you share something in common with these suggested matches? Maybe you think, “ehh, why not”, right? Wrong! When it comes to something as important as your true love, you wouldn’t settle for anyone who has nothing or very little in common with you, or, more likely, is less than perfect. These aren’t the type of results that people have come to expect on date-matching sites. They aren’t the results delivered, and people certainly would not tolerate them. So why do we settle with the job offers that pile into our inboxes? With dreamy eyes, and butterflies in my tummy, I set out to find a perfect job match. Being a graduate of Human Rights and International Relations studies, I search primarily in these fields, for an associate or intern position in an NGO, or NPO. I prepare my CV and find a few job sites that promise to help me find job matches from their huge list of companies. Sounds tempting… First job boards: First up, I pin my hopes on several job boards some of the largest sites in the country and a few global platforms. I upload my CV to each and here comes my first concern: I am told that it is now visible to recruiters, that it is ‘active’, but what does that mean? How is it active? What do they see? Why do they see it? Most importantly, where? All of my personal information, my photograph, is all somewhere everyone can see it. Everyone but me, apparently. There are even so-called ‘aggregators’ who find and piece all of my online information together, aggregating my total online presence into a profile on their site without me even knowing. I am now most likely a tiny part of a massive base of big data, now one of thousands, millions joining a digital list of potential candidates comparable to the effect that a mountain of hard copy CVs has on a hiring manager’s desk, easily overlooked or even given just a fleeting glance. I ask myself what purpose this all serves. I also use one of the largest professional networks to explore the hype of the so called ‘social recruiting’ realm. This platform promises something additional: a chance to connect with others who can either serve as references or advice-givers. But here too, there is a mismatch. I highly doubt my high school teacher or next door neighbor will lead the safari to my dream job. This method brings yet another ominous issue. The search engine is also collecting my data, as I would expect, but this time it’s not only about my personal experiences, but also the topics I follow and relationships enter the creepy ‘Friends You May Know’ page. So, on to the outcome and what comes of all this effort. I am provided with instant results and in some cases emails, all of which claim to have ‘matched’ my skills and qualifications. It’s surprising, then, that I somehow suddenly have almost all the talents needed to be a chemical engineer. Exasperated, I leave them to do their thing and focus on my own search. There is only so much that accurately matches my profile when I only have the option to include a ‘what’ and ‘where’ in the instant search criteria. ‘What’ plus ‘Where’: this is the secret equation that my dream career sits at the apex of? Regardless of whether I use a national or global site, the quality of the results are the same, while only the scale and length of the results vary, or the chances of being found. The results I receive from my experience of searching job boards and social media sites are in most cases inappropriate, and more often downright irrelevant.  Around ten percent proved a relatively suitable match, in my case. The online career search brings with it stress and frustration over poor results, and more importantly, privacy concerns. I also had to wonder if I was alone in this confusion, if there was perhaps something I was doing wrong. But after speaking with some coworkers, I found that my experience was not all too uncommon. One colleague, a television producer received suggestions from a social networking site, indicating he apply to a promising career as a synthetic materials engineer. Another, a professional English Teacher looking for a position in New York City had the same issues. After creating his profile and attaching a supplementary CV, he was also sent ridiculous results, the funniest being a position for a ‘registered nurse’. We spend hours searching for jobs. Recruiters spend hours parsing through CVs. And this is the central question: with each party’s data in the same location, why not reconcile them? And by this I mean merge all of the specifications a user provides with proper suggestions.  Not just by finding results based on two simple keywords and not just by searching listings with only these specific terms. Instead, by accurately matching various criteria. After all, any potential employer will need to know about candidates’ ability, qualifications, or work permits. So why do we tolerate inappropriate matches? Why do we settle? We don’t do it when it comes to our true love, so why do we do it with our job search? I think, because there doesn’t seem to be any alternative. After I conducted my research I heard about a new technology called semantic matching which seems to be the newfangled way of really matching people to jobs and vice-versa. I had a look into a couple of these new platforms (briefly I admit) and one with the quirky name of JANZZ. After a couple of test searches it seems that the technology is on the right track. The search results were much better than the others I’ve tried in this article they still had some ‘lumberjacks’ in the results but the success rate was closer to seventy percent than ten. Anyhow, to all you inadequate job-search engines, I hate to disappoint, but I am not, and never will be a ‘’talented vegan chef with flair for puff pastries!’’ I don’t speak French, can’t use Java or power tools for that matter, and have no experience in documentary filmmaking.  (Although now I’m rethinking my life choices…)

Top 10 Funny Resume Quotes [INFOGRAPHIC]

Top 10 Funny Resume Quotes [INFOGRAPHIC] Have you ever hired anyone? Reviewed resumes for an open position? I still smile over the software developer who proclaimed on his CV that he was born to code. He got the job, and soon we learned  that he wasnt bragging after all. The team  at Almagreta Resume Templates  has collected and illustrated other funny  statements from resumes theyve seen over the years. Which is  your fave?

5 Cover Letter Mistakes Teachers Should Avoid (+ Examples) - Algrim.co

5 Cover Letter Mistakes Teachers Should Avoid (+ Examples) - Algrim.co Writing a cover letter as a teacher seems like it might be a fairly basic task. You might think to yourself that a regular, generic cover letter approach might be the right one. But in reality, teachers should be emphasizing certain aspects of their careers that other professionals don’t need to. For example, a teacher should absolutely lean into any of their awards, merits, certifications, and qualifications as a teacher. This can benefit both the reader and the applicant as it puts all of the requirements upfront. We interviewed teachers and asked them what their biggest mistakes were when writing their cover letter. Here are the top five that you can avoid. Table of Contents Leaning Too Far Into Your Personal Story Not Citing Your Certifications Not Expressing Your Love For Education Not Knowing The Faculty’s Values & Ethics Not Indicating Work You’ve Done Outside The Classroom Cover Letter Length For Teachers Leaning Too Far Into Your Personal Story Spending your entire cover letter speaking about how you decided to become a teacher seems like it might be a beneficial idea. But in reality, avoids too much of the hands-on experience that principals and faculty are looking for. Your cover letter might sound something like, “Since I was a young girl I had respect for my teachers. They showed me ways to lean into what made me unique and how education might be fun.” While stories like that are great, spending 500+ words speaking to it can be overwhelming. Not Citing Your Certifications If you decide to bring up your certifications only in your resume, this might risk the principal or faculty member who is reviewing applications to not see your qualifications. You should be bringing up your certifications early in your cover letter. For example, “Since 2012, after attending Brown University for Education, and receiving my Education Masters from Harvard, I’ve been an educator at Lexington School.” Something where you can tell your story and bring up your certifications. Not Expressing Your Love For Education What’s your reason for wanting to get into education? And what’s the honest reason? Not citing your love for education will make your cover letter sound bleak. And it could risk the principal or faculty member reviewing your application to see you as a low-level candidate. Be sure you express the real reasons. For example, “As a child, I suffered from dyslexia. If it weren’t for educators, I wouldn’t be able to be part of the world I am today.” Something along the lines of how education truly connects with you. Not Knowing The Faculty’s Values & Ethics Researching the education system in advance and knowing both state and local level education guidance can be a beneficial part of your cover letter. Not referencing some type of indicator that you have knowledge of this is going to make your cover letter sound weak. Teachers have indicated that something like the following can go a long way, “State-level testing requires students to know at least 20% typing and computer skills. I see myself as a person who has great technical skills and can help students to develop the education they need to pass state-level exams.” Not Indicating Work You’ve Done Outside The Classroom Most teachers have done some type of community work. Whether it’s being part of their local community for orphans. Or for creating a neighborhood watch. Teachers tend to organize groups of people together for great causes. By expressing these causes in your cover letter, you can indicate that you have a passion for education. If you tend to want to create excellence and strive for better surroundings, even when not being compensated, this indicates that you’re a wonderful teacher. You can bring up these things in your cover letter quite simply. For example, “I’m passionate about local communities and being involved in bettering our culture. I’m a legion member at our local orphanage where we push events, donations, and community service as part of the knowledge that these orphans are present.” Cover Letter Length For Teachers While most cover letters should never exceed 500 words, teachers can spend a little more time speaking to their past. Try to keep the cover letter to one-page. But take your time really dissecting what makes you special as an educator. Try to keep these aspects of your cover letter in mind: What makes you a unique educator. What your merits and certifications are. Activity’s and events you pursue out of the classroom. How your past makes you passionate about education. Your stance on the use of technology in the classroom. Understanding that education systems requirements, state level exams and values. Other Teacher Resources Learn how to write the ideal cover letter when applying for a teaching position - 2 Cover Letter Templates For Teachers (Copy + Paste Ready) Learn how to write the ideal cover letter when applying for a substitute teaching position - 2 Substitute Teacher Cover Letter Templates (Copy + Paste Ready) Learn what the top five mistakes are and how to avoid them, when writing a cover letter for a teaching position - 5 Cover Letter Mistakes Teachers Should Avoid (+ Examples) Learn what the five best teacher aide interview questions and answers are - 5+ Best Teacher Aide Interview Questions & Answers Learn what the five best teacher assistant interview questions and answers are - 5+ Best Teacher Assistant Interview Questions & Answers

8 Most Common CV Mistakes

8 Most Common CV Mistakes When it comes to applying for a new job, your CV could be just the ticket to get you that initial foot in the door and secure an interview. In fact your CV (or Resume â€" depends where you are in the world) is your business card and a marketing strategy all in one. CV Mistakes Apart from the basic information, creating or updating your professional CV is much harder than it sounds. You need to make in sector specific, company specific and most of the time job specific. Now there are plenty of templates out there for examples, in today’s post I want to cover the dos and don’ts. Well more like the don’t’s â€" here is the list of 8  most common mistakes people make when creating their CV. Too Little Don’t just stick to official titles and a general job description; you need be able to give specifics for your accomplishments and the values you brought in your previous role. Make sure you emphasize concrete results, achievements and initiatives you introduced. Too Much Do you think you’re being hired because of your marital status or your beautiful children? Providing too many personal details is a big “no, no.” This section also includes irrelevant work experience like babysitting at the 8th grade, common’ that just take space and adds no value. Sure an interesting and unique hobby might be worth sharing, to draw attention to a different side of you or some particular skills that you’ve gained â€" but you need to be strategic. Weird Email Address We all had a “cute” email address when we were younger. The issue is that your employer doesn’t want to see  [emailprotected]  as your email address. Instead, create a professional email address. Reasons for Leaving a Past Job Many people dedicate paragraphs of their resume to the reasons why they left their last job. Ok, ok this is an honest approach good for you. The thing is, the employer doesn’t care about YOU right now, at this stage they care on what you can do for THEM. Social Media Overdose Yes it’s a techy and very inter-connected world and we all have a dozen of SM profiles. It might be useful to share your Instagram channel if you’re up to a creative free-spirited role, but for more office-oriented jobs don’t, just don’t. Keep your personal photos on Facebook â€" well… personal.    A good rule of thumb is to only add in your LinkedIn profile (complete and professional of course), and disregard your other profiles. Too creative Unless you are applying for a graphic designer position, keep your design to a reasonable level. Yes standing out from the crown is important, but create a personalized infographic with 7 different charts and 6 colors… well that’s too much. At the end of the day you want them to focus on how great you are, not how complicated it is to understand your CV. Storytelling A human connection is built on good stories, we all love them. Just not in a CV. This not the place to hone your novelist’s skills and spills elaborated stories of your life experience. The language in your resume should be short, focused and clear. Use bullets and summarize similar ideas under one example. Have too many stories? That’s great keep them for the interview! CV mistakes? Avoid them, and its much more likely youll avoid getting the two words you dont want to hear: Were sorry . . . . Photo Credits: Main: Flazingo Photos

How to Adjust Your Resume for International Employers - CareerMetis.com

How to Adjust Your Resume for International Employers Source: Pexels.comMany of today’s young graduates often go abroad to work and develop their professional careers. It is no longer a dream to pack up and go to a different country or a continent and start anew as a professional.However, one notable difficulty is finding the said employment. Employers are prone to hiring people whom they can talk to and relate. Local professionals will take precedent over newly-arrived foreigners most of the time.We said “most of the time” because it is possible to land a position reasonably quickly if you play your cards right. It all falls to the resume you send in your application form. Let’s take a look at several important factors and tips to consider when writing a resume for an international employer somewhere abroad.The Key DifferenceevalevalOne of the significant obstacles of applying for work in an international environment is the cultural difference present in your application. Depending on where you would like to work and live, you should prepare for some adjustments to your personal and professional life.The same rule applies to your resume and the subsequent application form you will present as your official ticket to international employment. Not everyone will be welcoming of foreigners, no matter the country you target. People in China, Russia, Germany or Greece may not be interested in hiring someone from India, Japan, Spain or even the USA.The only rule to this is that there are no rules â€" it is all based on individual internal cultures of each company. It is far easier to land a job at a local company than it is at an international one. We will thoroughly name and expand on significant issues; opportunities and advice which can help you get hired in these situations in the following points.Different Cultures, Different ExpectationsEach country possesses a cultural ideology specific to that region. A Japanese company has very different expectations and general rules about their employee’s profiles th an a German one would. Unfortunately, the first thing your future employer will notice about your resume is your country of origin.To that end, it is important to gauge your own “appeal” to that particular company. Is a Swedish programmer necessary in a Canadian startup? Why would someone want to hire “you” if they can hire someone local to do your job for them with fewer growing pains?Keep in mind that the company you apply for will have to adjust to your country’s culture just like you will have to do the same for them. The first step in improving your resume for an international company is to figure out where that company is, and how the internal culture works.Choose Your Target CompanyNot every company in your target industry and country will want to hire international employees â€" it is a simple matter of convenience. Be prepared to get polite, negative responses from a lot of these companies. Their businesses are usually not developed sufficiently to accommodate an international work environment Companies such as Coca-Cola vary in their employee’s profiles and ideologies. However, smaller enterprises with several dozen employees on the roster will be unlikely to hire you due to obvious reasons. Don’t let this fact discourage you and only turn your head to the companies that matter to you as an international employee.Once you narrow your list of companies, make sure to go through their job openings and expectations. Seemingly similar opportunities might have huge differences based on a single line of the job description.As you narrow your list further, you will be able to start writing your resume for those specific countries, companies, and positions respectively.Translation and/or LocalizationTo go the extra mile, make sure to consider translating your resume for added effect. Many employers like to see international candidates who are forthcoming and knowledgeable of their local culture.evalYou can translate and localize your resume from its native language Your Personality TraitsWhat separates you from local employment candidates isn’t the education or expertise itself. Most programmers, designers or even medical personnel share the same skills and attributes as their overseas colleagues. The difference lies solely in your personality traits, dreams, goals, opinions and individual contributions to the company.This is the point of the resume you should emphasize no matter what country you are targeting. International employees love adding “exotic” team players to their organizations because they change things up and make the work environment more dynamic.Don’t focus solely on your professional experience and development. Even a simple hobby such as horse riding can go a long way to paint a vivid picture of who you are to your potential employer.Linguistic Expertise is a MustInternational employment usually entails different languages as a must. You need to be able to communicate in the language that the com pany considers native. For example, a native English employer won’t hire a French data analyst if the said analyst doesn’t speak or understand a word of English.Additionally, the more languages you speak, the higher your chances of employment will be. International companies love to see bilingual candidates who aspire to move to a different country and work in their respective fields. So, it might be a good idea to start learning a new language or two. Especially if you plan on applying for work in a company outside your country.Career Development DetailsYour personality takes center stage when it comes to international job applications. However, your career development represents the “meat and potatoes” of why you should get the position over someone else.Education, employment and references play a considerable role in whether or not someone will hire you. This goes both for local and international jobs. To that end, make sure to review the company’s standards when accept ing resumes before you apply.evalSome companies like to see historical events of your life leading up to the point of your application. Others prefer focusing on important “milestones” in your career without additional details. Make sure that you understand what is expected of you before you add unnecessary details or omit important ones.Include Contact InformationTo contact an international employee, an employer should have access to specific information. For example, a phone call wouldn’t work for obvious reasons, so what else is there? You should include your email address as well as the address of residence.Make sure to link any social accounts to your resume for added discrepancy and transparency in applying for new work. You would be amazed as to how much a Facebook account and a LinkedIn profile can help in you getting hired.This type of forward thinking is uncommon when candidates apply for work in their local area. Since it isn’t necessary to go beyond what companie s request, candidates offer barebones contact information. Give your employer as many options as possible when it comes to contacting you. You will appear forthcoming and willing to go outside the box to get hired.Calls to Action HelpA bonus in international resumes can be to include CTAs in your application. Calls to action in resumes work differently than their digital marketing counterparts. You need to be subtle and inviting about your CTAs if you want the employer to follow up on them.evalFor example, a “click here” wouldn’t be as effective as “check out my work over at…” with a link attached to it. Your calls to action need to be organic and serve the purpose of representing your persona such as it is, both professionally and on online platforms.Don’t overindulge in CTAs and limit them to one-to-two per page. If placed correctly, they will ensure that you are a viable candidate for whatever opening you are applying.In Conclusion, An Understanding Goes a Long WayO ne of the biggest reasons for a negative response to international job candidates is a lack of mutual understanding. Some candidates misunderstand or misinterpret culturally-affected requirements and questions. This leads to confusion on the company’s side and an inevitable refusal of the employment application.Take every language and country-specific requirement into consideration before applying for international work. If you play your cards right, you can easily land a job abroad. From there, it’s simple to really develop your professional career somewhere far away.

Is an Apprenticeship the Right Career Choice for Me - CareerAlley

Is an Apprenticeship the Right Career Choice for Me - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Choosing your path after high school can be a daunting process for many individuals and with so many graduates facing unemployment, more and more school leavers are considering their options and following alternative routes to success. Apprenticeships are one such route, and instead of entering a college or university course, this option provides you with the opportunity to learn while you earn and establish those all-important relationships with the people who matter throughout the industry much quicker. We explore what apprenticeships offer young people looking to pursue a career as soon as they leave school and answer the questions that will help you make the right decision about your future. What are apprenticeships? As weve briefly discussed apprenticeships are courses that allow you to earn money as you learn, giving you all the skills you need to become qualified as well as a paid role within the team. Apprenticeships are the ultimate partnership between company and young person, with many businesses preferring to train their own employees and nurture talent from within. There are a number of small to medium enterprises and larger corporations that run apprenticeship programs. Despite each course being structured differently, they all work towards one aim to produce a qualified and skilled workforce. Types of apprenticeship programs There are three types of apprenticeships available Intermediate, Advanced and Higher. Each requires candidates to be qualified to a certain level to achieve a higher level of qualification. Higher apprenticeships are the equivalent to a university degree and provide the professional development more qualified individuals need to open doors within their industry. Which industries provide apprenticeships? Apprenticeships are available across a number of industries and programs are run by companies of all sizes. The construction sector is one particular area where apprenticeship programs are prevalent. Trades like plumbing, roofing, plastering and building require a lot of on the job training and explore particularly skilled areas of expertise. To get the quality that they are looking for companies choose to run their own programs to ensure their standards are met. Highly competitive industries such as the media sector also offer apprenticeship programs, these tend to be higher apprenticeships however and applicants are required to meet certain educational requirements before gaining a place. Media apprenticeships allow candidates to gain the experience they need to back up any qualifications they may have. What are the benefits of becoming an apprentice? There are numerous benefits that come with apprenticeships, regardless of which industry you have an interest in. The opportunity to earn while you learn is perhaps the biggest advantage. Many college and university students try to balance full-time education with part-time work to fund their studies but an apprenticeship allows you to get the best of both worlds without breaking your back! Apprenticeships also offer a real job within your chosen sector, and candidates can choose to stay with the company long after their apprenticeship program has finished to utilise their newfound qualification. Apprentices tend to work a 30 hour week with the remaining hours spent in learning, whether that be classroom or workshop based. Best of all, all apprenticeships lead to a qualification which will help you proceed at the company that trained you or elsewhere following program completion. Applying for your apprenticeship Here are a selection of top tips for individuals looking to apply for an apprenticeship program Be realistic: Apprenticeships are becoming an increasingly popular option in career progression so be realistic about how long applying for a program and gaining a place really takes. The screening process is particularly thorough so put plenty of time and effort into your application to beat off competition and put your best foot forward. Be unique: Never copy and paste from application to application, take a personalised approach to every form to ensure you demonstrate how suited you are to that specific role. Be detailed: Attention to detail is vital when applying for an apprenticeship, always show how you fulfill the criteria of what the company is looking for wholeheartedly and leave no room for errors like spelling and grammatical mistakes. Be yourself: Being yourself on paper as well as in an interview is the perfect way to ensure you stand out from the crowd, so increase your chances of success by showing off your personality. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to launch your career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Writing a Resume When You Have a Dead End Job

Writing a Resume When You Have a Dead End JobThere are many options available for you if you are ready to write a resume when you have a dead end job. You can try to write your own, or you can take advice from the experts and use a professional resume writing service. Both options are available to help you find a new job that is not only satisfying but also relevant to your skills and qualifications.Writing a resume can be time consuming, frustrating, and sometimes downright frustrating. It is important to remember that just because you do not have a degree or a very lucrative job does not mean that you should stop trying to get hired. You just need to keep at it and not give up. There are many jobs that are in demand, and they are definitely worth the effort.The best place to start when you are trying to create a resume when you have a dead end job is to look through your previous work history. This is where you will find your biggest skills and the best opportunities. The best way to find these is to write down the skills and education that you have had in your previous jobs. Try to search online or in print for lists of skills and education that employers consider a plus.If you do not know where to begin, try looking for samples of resumes. There are many websites that offer these for free, and there are plenty of publications that can be printed off. This is great information for getting started, but it is important to consider the fact that no matter how good a resume may be, it will not be effective if it is not read by a hiring manager. Be sure to take these samples with a grain of salt.When you write a resume for a dead end job, you can easily get bogged down and frustrated. You may become fixated on certain qualities that you believe you possess, and this can affect the whole process. You can simply make a few changes to the way you describe your skills and qualifications to make the reading experience easier and more pleasant.If you are ready to do th is, you may want to hire a professional resume writer who will be able to create a custom resume for you. You may also want to look for articles and books that can help you. In addition, the internet is full of helpful information and resources. Whatever you do, it is essential that you choose a professional who is familiar with this process and is ready to turn your dreams into reality.Once you have written your resume, it is important to follow up. You may want to meet with someone who can explain the entire process and answer any questions you may have. There are many resources available to answer any questions you may have about the process, as well as showing you how to write a resume when you have a dead end job. Your next step should be to fill out the form and send it off to the employer.As long as you take your time and do not get discouraged, there is no reason that you cannot create a resume when you have a dead end job. The key is to keep your eyes open and be prepared t o write a resume when you have a dead end job.