Welcome

Seven Steps in Conducting a Job Search Seminar

2011-10-20T17:59:16Z

November 17, 6:00 p.m., Christ United Methodist Assembly Room, dinner included for the first 20 registrations...

In today's economy, a job search is challenging. Learn the most effective methods in conducting your job search in this difficult economy. Job Seekers has been utilizing proven techniques to assist hundreds of Job Seekers for more than two years. Register online now: www.mobilebayjobseekers.com/sevensteps.

Career Counseling Could Be The Answer In Job Search

2011-04-11T18:29:15Z

by Sarah Skidmore, Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. — The tough economy has disrupted millions of workers' lives, putting many out of a job and exponentially increasing the workloads of many others. The uncertainty of it all can leave people wondering what to do next.An instructor, right, helps a woman at a career counseling session aimed at older unemployed people Jan. 18, 2011, at a high school gymnasium in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Photo: Chris Hondros, Getty Images

So when is it time to call in the pros?

Here are tips on what career counselors do and whether they can help you.

How it works:

Career coaches will guide you and can give unbiased career advice. They can provide assistance on a variety of issues from polishing a resume to navigating workplace conflicts and, most often, planning career changes.

The length of counseling and kinds of meetings you have will vary depending on your needs and your counselor's techniques. Someone seeking resume help could be done in one or two sessions, whereas someone making a major life transition could take much longer.

Click here to read more.

"Career BootCamp" Teaches Fresh Ideas And Fundamentals

2011-03-23T05:12:10Z

If you've logged any time in the military, you know service in the armed forces begins with boot camp. It's a grueling process that toughens men and women into disciplined soldiers -- ready to defend our country.

Finding employment in a difficult job market also requires discipline and an organized approach. But unlike the military, you can't expect a drill sergeant to keep you in line.

Instead, we recommend you check out Mobile Bay Job Seekers' Career BootCamp.

This three-hour interactive seminar will get you out of your job seeking rut and give you a new perspective on how to market and brand your unique skills.

Gone are the days of searching the newspaper for jobs. We'll teach you the job search fundamentals you really need to succeed in today's job market.

Be prepared to join in group discussions led by local human resource professionals. They'll share the secrets of the hiring process from phone interview to salary negotiation and teach you the best way to present yourself to an employer.

Your mind will be swimming with fresh job seeking ideas. We'll teach you networking strategies and show you how to use social media to reach potential employers.

The entire seminar is an exercise in self-discovery guaranteed to motivate you and put your job search on track!

For more information or to sign up for Career Bootcamp, click here.

BayBears Holding Job Fair To Hire Game Day Workers

2011-03-18T19:35:58Z

For the third consecutive year, the Mobile BayBears Professional Baseball Club will try to provide the Mobile Bay area with an economic boost. Job Seekers arrive at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile to take part in job fair held last year to hire game-day staff. This year's job fair will be held Saturday, March 19 from 10a.m. to 2p.m..

The BayBears will hold their Annual Job Fair at Hank Aaron Stadium on Saturday, March 12 from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The BayBears will be hiring a plethora of game day staff for the upcoming baseball season. Positions available include food/beverage concessions, cooks, telesales, ticket takers, ticket office, ushers, grounds crew and internships.

The available openings with the BayBears are for seasonal game day and internship positions only.

No full-time positions will be offered during this year's job fair.

Over 1,500 people attended last year's event so the BayBears want job seekers to arrive as early as possible. They also say job seekers should expect some long waits.

For more information about the BayBears 2011 Job Fair at Hank Aaron Stadium, please contact Assistant General Manager of Baseball Operations John Hilliard at (251) 479-2327 (BEAR) or john@mobilebaybears.com.

Career Fair In Mobile!

2011-03-15T19:21:12Z

Get your resume ready! There will be a Career Fair at the Mobile Marriott, Thursday, March 17, from 10am to 2pm. Top employers of Mobile will be looking for professionals in many different business related fields such as sales, management, human resources, and finance-just to name a few. Admission is free. Come dressed to impress and ready to interview.

Companies who plan to participate include the following:

Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Mediacom
Waddell & Reed
Sears Holding Corp.
Alabama Dept. of Corrections
Clear Channel Radio
Alta Pointe Health Systems
Strategic Restaurants
Snelling Staffing
The SSI Group
Auto Zone
Mobile Police Dept.
Liberty National
Grand Canyon University
Ryla Corporation
Fortis College
Troy University

For directions call (251) 476-6400 or click on the Mobile Marriott link above. This event is planned by Global Recruiting Solutions; and sponsored by Mobilejobs.com and Clear Channel Radio.

Mobile Bay Job Seekers will also be there so be sure to stop by and say hello. See you there!

The Magical Number Seven

2011-03-01T18:37:06Z

You got the call for the first interview-now what? This is a job you want, not to mention, a job you need. How do you seal the deal? Rachel Zupek of Career Builder details some insider tips to help you do just that.
Zupek interviewed hiring managers to find out what seals the deal for them when hiring new employees. The next time you’re interviewing, keep these seven tips in mind to land the job.

1. Be the “right fit” for the company. Showing you are passionate about the cause of the company shows them you will work hard not just for money but because you have a personal conviction to do so. Doing your research before the interview will help you to know if you can be a “right fit” for the company and if it’s the right fit for you too.

2. While interviewing, let you personality show in your answers to questions rather than just giving a general answer you think they want to hear. This will help them remember you and the more they remember you (in a good way) the more they are likely to call for that second interview.

3. Show honesty. This goes right along with personality. Be honest about who you are in the way you answer interview questions.

4. Have a positive attitude. Leave your troubles, doubts and bad self-talk in the car!

5. Ask questions that demonstrate you are interested in the company. Ask questions like: Can you describe the company culture in this business. Questions that demonstrate more interest than just your paycheck and benefits.

6. Display confidence not arrogance. Tip: Do not ever say you know you are the best person for the job. You don’t know who else is applying. This is an example of arrogance.

7. Follow-up after the interview. Send a thank you card. Send a thank you email. Better yet, send both. The email should a less formal thank you than the card. The sooner you send it the better. Better yet, keep the thank you card in your purse or briefcase so it’s ready to go moments after you leave.

You only have one chance to make a stellar impression, so use these tips to push yourself forward in your job search.

Networking To Get A Golden Referral

2011-02-16T18:07:47Z

As a job seeker, it’s easy to be disconnected. Nobody likes to tell the world they’re unemployed. But becoming disconnected from the community around you is the last thing you need to do.

The first thing you need to do is Network.

Networking is one of your most important tools when job seeking. You need a resume, a cover letter, perhaps a portfolio; but if you have no network connections, then you have few people to give your resume, cover letter and portfolio to-which means you stay unemployed.

Your network is made up of anyone with whom you have an informal or professional connection. Your family, their friends, your friends, their friends, your barber, pet groomer, pastor, coworker, anyone you worked with for a company you worked for-these are all in your network.

And these relationships matter. According to a recent study by CareerXRoads referrals made up 26.7% of all external hires in 2009. Over one quarter of hires was from referrals! This means you need a referral!

Now don’t be nervous, there are many ways to connect. While face-to-face connecting is probably the best, you can now make more connections using social media websites.

As a professional, you want to be on LinkedIn.com first. LinkedIn is like going to a big conference targeted at your profession. Not only can you post your resume, look for a job, and connect to professionals you already know; you can also join profession and interest specific groups. Join in on the discussions by commenting on one of the discussion topics and let your expertise shine! From those professional groups you can connect to professionals whom you want to network with. These are just a few things you can do on LinkedIn to promote yourself. Don’t forget, if you are interested in knowing everything you can do to promote yourself on LinkedIn, you can just do a google search on the subject and find an article that will help you.

LinkedIn is a professional’s networking website, but for informal networking, use Facebook.com. This is where the employer can really get to see what kind of a high quality person you are. Friend everyone in your network who may be on Facebook. (You might be surprised who you find there.) But be careful! Do not post distasteful photographs on your profile-think conservative. Be careful of the language and content you allow to show-up on your Facebook page. You’re sending a targeted message to your future employer. You will need to judge what is acceptable in your professional field.

You can also connect to a prospective employer using their Facebook Page. Simply type in the name of the company in the search bar at the top of your Homepage. If they have a Facebook Page, you will see it-click on it. Once on their page, click “Like.” Their Facebook Page should also update you on what’s going on in the company. This would be good info to know going into an interview; or even when researching if the company is a good fit for you.

Next on the list is Twitter.com. It’s good to be connected on Twitter simply because your connections can give you a tip off when an opening becomes available. Twitter is uber-simple compared to LinkedIn and Facebook. Follow all your LinkedIn and Facebook accounts by clicking the “Follow” button. You will be able to see everything they “tweet” and they can see what you tweet. Connect to companies, professional organizations, and profession specific job search groups on Twitter, such as PRJobs.

The goal is to get a referral to a company you want to work for. To get a referral, you need to be connected. I hope this blog inspires you to do just that.

When getting connected, don’t forget us-we want to be connect with you! You can find us on:

LinkedIn, as a group titled Mobile Bay Job Seekers. Join our open group to start a discussion, join a discussion, or connect with others in the group.
Facebook, as Mobile Bay Job Seekers Network. On our Facebook Page we post job openings in the Mobile Bay area and links to helpful articles. You are also free to post any links or write comments about links you liked or disliked. Before leaving our page, “Like” our page by clicking the “Like” button at the top.
Twitter, as MBJobseekers. “Follow” us to receive tweets relevant to job seeking, such as job openings in the Mobile Bay area.

Library Promises Coffee And Job Search Skills

2011-01-31T18:52:51Z

Mobile Bay Job Seekers prides itself on offering some of the best career development advice in the Mobile Bay area.

But we also admit we're not the only game in town."Coffee, Classifieds and Connections" is offered every Monday at the West Mobile Branch of the Mobile Public Library through February 28.

So while we're full of personal pride, we take pleasure in telling you about other services available to help you rediscover your strengths and find the job of your dreams.

The Job Seekers Club at West Regional Branch of the Mobile Public Library is offering weekly classes in job search techniques.

Held every Monday through February 28, "Coffee, Classifieds and Connections" provides information on networking, job skills assessment, interviewing techniques, submitting on-line job applications and sharpe resume building.

The Job Seekers Club also promises to help job seekers learn to cope with job-hunting stress.

We attended a recent meeting and applaud the efforts of the Club.

For more information about this weekly seminar please contact Gloria Williams at gwilliams@mplonline.org.

Registration is preferred but walk-in jobseekers are welcome. To register call 251-340-8561.

Our Sisters' Closet - A Ministry For Job Seekers

2011-01-19T13:32:39Z

"Most people do not understand the value and importance of image and appearance on job interviews" says Terri Kerns, founder of Our Sisters' Closet in Mobile. "An interviewee must meet or exceed the employer's expectations from your resume to your first meeting and forward."

Employers have a vision of what they want and you must fit that vision. Having the right clothing to make that "first impression" is as important as having your resume make the first impression on paper that will get you the interview.

Our Sisters' Closet is a ministry of St. Mary's Parrish and provides free interview ensembles to women seeking employment. They do much more though, they give workshops to men, women and teens on Image Counseling, Workplace Etiquette and Understanding Employer Expectations.

Our Sisters' Closet is open by appointment only. Job seekers who need that appropriate interview outfit will be personally fitted and counseled. Men who want to make sure they have the best selection for their interviews are also welcome to make an appointment for counsel. To set your appointment call 251-432-8678 ext. 6.

Top 9 Websites For Job Searching

2011-01-13T07:00:00Z

There are dozens of job search websites out there. When you’re unemployed, speed is important. You don’t have time to sort through all these sites to figure out what to do with them and how they’ll help you. You could spend a month just putting your resume online on all of those sites. It would be so helpful just to have a list already ready to tell which ones are best.

Well, it’s your lucky day! Mashable.com has done this for you already. In her article, “9 Job Sites to Bookmark For Your Career Search,” author, Sharlyn Lauby, details which websites give you the best return for your time. Here are the nine jobsites. Click on the link to go directly to the site.

1. TweetMyJobs (http://tweetmyjobs.com/)

More focused search by searching specific genres of jobs, called job Channels.
Receive job info via your email, RSS, or Twitter.

2. LinkUp (http://www.linkup.com/)

Save your searches.
Bookmark jobs you're interested in so you can monitor if they've been filled or not.
Search for and review company websites from their website.

3. Indeed (http://www.indeed.com/)

Recognized by Time magazine, PC Magazine, and PC World magazine as a quality website.

4. SimplyHired (http://www.simplyhired.com/)

Save your searches.
Set up email alerts for when a job with your criteria becomes available.

5. Career Builder (http://www.careerbuilder.com/)

Post your resume on their site.
Employers can look for you as well as you can look for them.
Offer and "enhanced resume" service, as well as many other services-for a price.

6. Monster (http://www.monster.com/)

Post your resume so it can be seen by employers.
Additional services for a fee, such as, a salary report or resume writing.
Online communities that can offer support and advice about specific fields (this is unique).

7. SmartBrief (http://www.smartbrief.com/index.jsp)

Post a job for employers to see.
Job searching is uber organized, and can be narrowed down to industry specific positions.

8. LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/)

Professional networking website.
Recently added a resume building tool to help you look better to employers.
Can search this website for a job.
Employers can search this website also.

9. Mashable (http://jobs.mashable.com/a/jbb/find-jobs)

Specialize in social media and website job listings.

Also, don't forget our local job search website, Alabama JobLink (https://joblink.alabama.gov/ada/). This website is where the Alabama Career Center posts it’s job listings. You can post your resume on this site so employers can find you, and you can look for a job from their search engine. Another plus-you have the option to search only on Alabama JobLink’s job listings, or on theirs and others (like Indeed and Monster) at the same time.

Job searching is a job. Schedule time to check these sites out, have your resume ready to put on each site, and you’ll be done in no time. Now that didn’t hurt so bad, did it?

To read the full article this post is based on, click on this link:

http://mashable.com/2011/01/10/job-sites-to-bookmark/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Mashable+(Mashable)