The Official Blog of Jobaloo.com

A new job search site has launched: TwitterJobSearch.com

You can now harness the power of Twitter search in your efforts to find a new job.

Whether you’re suddenly unemployed or just looking to change up, starting out in a new career is daunting. Take our advice on how to write—and plan—your way into a new field.

Jump to a New Career with a Killer Resume and Plan

Great piece on Squawkfox.

Summary:

Avoid these words/phrases:

• Responsible for
• Experienced
• Excellent written communication skills
• Team player
• Detail oriented
• Successful

Great article from Aileen Pincus outlining some must-do items for a Job interview.

In brief:

• Show You Get the “Big Picture”

• Find Out What Keeps the Boss Up at Night

• Look for Answers

• Show Some Guts

• Show Your Softer Side, Too

• Listen

• Keep It Positive

Check out the full article for details on each of these points.

Deborah Walker on Quintcareers.com offers these 10 very simple, but critical bloopers to avoid when going out to interview for your next job.

1) Poor handshake
2) Talking too much
3) Talking negatively about current or past employers/managers
4) Showing up late or too early
5) Treating the receptionist rudely
6) Asking about benefits, vacation time or salary
7) Not preparing for the interview
Verbal ticks
9) Not enough/too much eye contact
10) Failure to match communication style

Very sound reasons are given for each of these points. I encourage you to check it out!

Over on one of our new favorite sites, IttyBiz there is another collection of what not to do during the job hunting process.

Jamie offers some helpful reminders for when you’re filling out and submitting applications, with some examples of what not to do.

The areas covered include:

1.) Proofread.
2.) Take the application process seriously.
3.) Make it easy.
4.) Follow Instructions.

Simple, yes, but as Jamie points out, there are people every day who mess up on the simple process of filling out and submitting a job application…the time when they want to be putting their best foot forward.

CrackInterview.info has a pretty good list of the top 64 questions you might be asked in an interview, and also how to best answer some of them.

Here are some:

Q1 Tell me about yourself.
Q2 What are your greatest strengths?
Q3 What are your greatest weaknesses?
Q4 Tell me about something you did – or failed to do – that you now feel a little ashamed of.
Q5 Why are you leaving (or did you leave) this position?
Q6 The “Silent Treatment”
Q7 Why should I hire you?
Q8 Aren’t you overqualified for this position?
Q9 Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Q10 Describe your ideal company, location and job.

An example answer for the first question:

TRAPS: Beware, about 80% of all interviews begin with this “innocent” question. Many candidates, unprepared for the question, skewer themselves by rambling, recapping their life story, delving into ancient work history or personal matters.

BEST ANSWER: Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the position. Remember that the key to all-successful interviewing is to match your qualifications to what the interviewer is looking for. In other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. This is the single most important strategy in job hunting.

HR World has a tremendous article which outlines 100 resources for preparing for job interviews.

Here are the section headings for the list:

• Sample Interview Questions
• Answers for Candidates
• Types of Interviews
• Interviewing Techniques and Advice
• Interviewing Strategies for Candidates
• Interview Attire
• What Not to Do (our favorite)
• Preparation Resources
• Follow-Up Resources
• Résumés and References
• General Resources

Great stuff!

Robert Ellis Smith on Forbes.com has a look at what information a potential employer can request from a candidate during the interview process…and what information is off-limits.

It actually varies state-by-state, and many of these differences are noted. For instance, 31 states ban policies prohibiting off-duty smoking. So asking a candidate whether they smoke at home, could be murky waters for an interviewer to enter.

The star of the piece is the article In Pictures, which is an online slide-show that addresses many of the most common issues that come up in the interview process.

Mashable.com has a post listing out over 70 tools that can help job seekers get an edge in today’s market.

Here are 5 of our favorites from the list:

Elance - We’ve used this one to find freelance gigs as well as to hire people to do stuff for us.

Emurse - we reviewed this online resume service shortly after they came online.

Isabont - Use this service to manage your entire job search process.

Jobburner - A slick AJAX-y technical job search engine.

Whototalkto - A place to exchange information about work experience at a company…whether you have worked there, or want to work there.