Job Search - The Voice of Job Seekers

5 Ways Volunteer Work Enhances Your Job Search

In the never-ending search for better work and higher pay, it can be extremely easy to brush off volunteering. After all, isn’t volunteering just for elementary school fundraisers and community environmental projects? Most certainly not! Volunteering can provide a unique, powerful, and possibly even fulfilling way to improve both yourself and your future job prospects if you have the drive to take advantage of it.

1. Chance to Acquire More Experience

Especially for younger adults just getting into the work world, experience is one of the major barriers to landing that ideal position, even for those with the education credentials. If you can’t get someone to pay you to do what you want just yet, try volunteering to do it, or something closely related, for free.

Volunteering work looks great on a resume because it not only shows the employer that you have dabbled in the work in question, but it makes you look like a “team player” willing to go the extra mile to get a job done even without explicit reward. Even if the work isn’t directly related to the position you apply for, regular volunteering shows that you are able to manage your time and commit to a goal once you’ve begun it, both vital qualities in any employee.

2. Chance to Develop Skills

Other than the extra lines on your resume, the actual activities you undertake during volunteering can help you refine and improve any number of skills. Different volunteering projects can have you learning a new computer program, working with the public, teaching, understanding a different aspect of a business, and more.

Volunteering can be a great way to keep polished skills that you do not get to use much in your actual job: for example, an accountant who tends to work on his own most of the day might want to volunteer at the local fair to get more personal interaction with the public, just in case a new, more socially active position opens up later.

3. Chance to Explore New Things

If you are looking to change careers (or for young people, not quite sure where to even start), volunteering can be a low-stress way to explore a lot of different fields without the firm commitment of an actual job – nor the difficulty in actually attaining a position. A hospital volunteer, for example, can see many of the daily happenings of the nurses, doctors, specialists, administration staff, and others, giving a first-hand view into what a day in one of those positions could be like. If you like animals, you can find a volunteer program helping endangered wildlife. A person interested in teaching who also loves travel can find a suitable international volunteering program and help local communities in countries such as Cambodia, Thailand or Costa Rica, while also experiencing a different culture and practicing teaching.

4. Chance to Network

In business, it is never about what you know nearly as much as it is who you know. Volunteering, especially in an industry you are interested in joining on a professional level, exposes you to a huge range of people that you would never have a chance to meet otherwise. You never know when a connection could turn into a relationship that could turn into a potential job offer down the line.

That even ignores the personal benefits of expanding your worldview and making new friends, which can help improve you as a person and make you a better employee wherever you are!

5. Chance to Stay Active

In this economy, it is the unfortunate truth that many have spent far longer unemployed than they would ever wish to. One of the biggest problems with extended unemployment is the malaise that settles over someone lost as to how to spend their days when waiting for a call back. Even worse, that kind of inactivity can look bad on job applications, making getting a job even harder the longer you remain unemployed.

Volunteering provides a way to spend time and provide a sense of purpose so you can feel like you are accomplishing something while out of work. It also can impress a potential employer who sees that when out of work, you continued to find fulfilling and useful ways to occupy yourself, displaying a drive above and beyond most other applicants.

Not all the benefits of having a job are monetary, and while volunteering lacks a paycheck at the end of the week, it often has those secondary benefits available in spades. Never discount how much working for free can increase your earning opportunity in the future!

Dunya Carter wrote this article to support and spread the word about a wonderful EDventure International program for those interested in volunteering in Cambodia. Their Facebook page is also a great source of information on how you can help local communities in Cambodia, Thailand, South Africa and Costa Rica.

About Dunya Carter

Dunya Carter is a Brisbane-based marketing and HR specialist and writer. She works as a consultant for Ochre Recruitment, an Australian agency specialising in hospital jobs on ochrerecruitment.com , and in her free time she enjoys sharing her knowledge through writing articles on business and career development for a variety of websites and blogs. Dunya is happy that she’s working for people with a mission to find much-needed doctors for positions in rural areas in Australia and the goal of her writing is to help as many people as possible to find the job that will make them feel fulfilled. You can connect with Dunya @DunyaCarter.

by Dunya Carter

Job Search Tips for Recent Graduates

The search for jobs can be quite the daunting task for new graduates. Today’s job market is perhaps the toughest that a college graduate has ever encountered. The openings are limited, and there are always well-qualified applicants to grab up the positions that are available. You can make your job search easier by beefing up your resourcefulness. If you’re determined to get a job that you will like, then nothing will stop you from getting what you want. Try these job search tips in order to make the most of your employment opportunities.

Polish Your Resume
The interview is where an applicant can really show their stuff. A good resume is what gets you the interview in the first place. As a general rule, you want to make sure there are no spelling or grammatical mistakes in your resume. An employer will take you much more seriously if your resume is neat and organized. Make sure to highlight the skills you have acquired through jobs and your college education. Convince the employer that you know exactly what it takes to fulfill the requirements of the position. Use examples from your education or previous work history to back up your points.

Consider Cover Letters
Do you write cover letters for your resumes and job applications? You should always write a cover letter unless you are asked not to do so. The cover letter gives you a chance to show off your business writing skills. You can tell an employer more about your personality beyond just work and school. What are your views on life? What is it that makes you a great person in addition to being a great worker? If you’re an excellent writer, don’t be afraid to show off your writing skills and rich vocabulary, just make sure not to go overboard.

Contact Alumni
Your school most likely has a group of graduates, or alumni. They stay in touch with each other and network in all areas of the professional world. You should be able to find and contact alumni from your school with little effort. Even if they don’t know where you can get a job, they may know someone who does. They can also offer you valuable tips about your profession as you try to begin your career. The alumni network is one of the best networks you can tap into. People who graduated from your school are very likely to do what they can to help you.

Find People in Your Field
With so many social media sites available today, you have plenty of opportunities to access famous people in your field. You can look up the names of famous people who have degrees in the same field that you do. This is great for networking because you’ll also meet other people who are interested in that person, too. Indeed, you might be surprised how many job leads you could generate by talking to a recognized person in your field on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Utilize Recruitment Agencies
You may not be aware of all the opportunities available to you until you check out a local recruitment agency. They can match your resume to an employer looking for the skills you have. Recruitment agencies are constantly in communication with local companies looking for new people to hire and they are usually more open about your odds to get a certain position, so it is a good idea to at least follow the job openings on recruitment websites, and then get in touch with them if you see a job opening that interests you. If they don’t post jobs online and you decide to get in touch with them, you should check back often even if they don’t have anything when you first contact them. You never know when they might generate a nice lead for you.

Don’t Give Up
Above all else, don’t give up. You’ll never find a job if you stop looking. Tell yourself every day that today is the day you get your big break. Strive to achieve your personal and professional goals in everything that you do. A good job opportunity is bound to come your way with persistence and hard work. Treat your job search as a job itself, and you will see the results.

About Dunya Carter

by Mark Anthony Dyson

6 Reasons Google is Your First Employment Contact in HR

It won’t be long before Google has the first say to every employer that anyone is a good job candidate. It’s hard to wrap your head around that one, huh? Well it’s true.

There are almost a billion people on earth who have Facebook profiles. There are nearly 100 million on Linked In, and 100+ million on Twitter and Google Plus. Although there are many vacated and incomplete profiles, there are job seekers who are using their accounts for social or professional reasons daily. Are you where employers are lurking? Google knows this but can’t offer a job seeker as a suggestion if he or she is not online.

You want your favorite restaurant, grocery store, clothing store, cosmetic shop, and yes, entertainment to have an online presence for your convenience. If someone shares their favorite place to shop, you ask if they have a website, do you? I do. Most of us do. Employers might miss a perfect fit because you lack a social profile. Here are 6 reasons to have an online presence during your job search:

1) You are a business whether you like it or not and you need to own your online presence

Asking someone to employ you is a business conversation and transaction. To successfully sell yourself, you have to offer people a compelling reason. Not having an online presence may undermine your job search efforts. These days, as a business, you won’t compete with others who have carefully crafted an online reputation if you lack one.

2) You’re hiring your next employer

I agree with Leigh Branham, the author of The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave. In my interview with him last December, he stated that job seekers should hire his or her employer. Wouldn’t you want employers to ask you if you were hiring them? That can happen with an online presence.

3) Trust

Last summer I was talking with a college about a particular project that I initially wanted but decided against. When I went to the meeting I had this presentation prepared but the meeting started with them pitching me! The woman whoI met with said, “We think that you will have a highly successful firm!” I think she sees that because they read my blog, articles that I’ve written for career sites, and features about me on other web publications. My reputation positively proceeds me. What are you doing to earn trust that you will deliver what an employer needs.

4) Build relationships

Trust continually forges relationships at times before meeting people in person. Your online presence can demonstrate proof of your knowledge, skills, and abilities (aka KSA’s). People may need to read or touch your online profiles several times before trusting or contacting you but it is there for engagement. Does an online reputationvalidate your KSA’s? No. Will an online reputation guarantee opportunities? No. But it will guarantee additional exposure for business or employment.

5) Third party validation

It is one thing for you to just tell all of your most valuable attributes, but it is impressive that others evangelize about you. When you use tools like Linked In, Google Plus, and a blog you can control the perception and the proof of your abilities. Choosing two of out three suggested is tough and I would say all three are effective in controlling your online reputation. For sure, take time to create a Linked In page that is dynamic and persuasive. Recommendations from customers, coworkers, or collaborators are the best form of validating talent that recruiters, employers, or contacts can find.

6) Give employers a vivid visual putting it in their hands immediately

When Joe Pesci guest hosted on Saturday Night Live some years ago, there was a skit that involved his character purchasing a pinky ring. While trying it on, he put himself in front of the mirror and started acting as if he was having a conversation with another person with the pinky ring on. A blog or a Linked In profile showcases proof and puts it in an employer’s hand. They have an opportunity to try your experience for size and imagine how you’d look in the position.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.