The Voice of Job Seekers

Mark Anthony Dyson ★ Career Writer ★ Speaker ★ Thinker ★ Award-winning Blog & Podcast! ★ "The Job Scam Report" on Substack! ★ I hack and reimagine the modern job search!

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by Dunya Carter

Job Search Tips for Recent Graduates

Job Search Tips for Recent Graduates

cap and gown

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

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.

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Filed Under: Job Search Tagged With: Graduates, Job Search

by Mark Anthony Dyson

5 Signs The Thrill Is Gone From Your Job Search and Why it’s Giving You The Holiday Blues

5 Signs The Thrill Is Gone From Your Job Search and Why it’s Giving You The Holiday Blues

 

How do you know that the thrill has gone from your romantic relationship? An easy way to tell is that it FEELS like your stalking. There are ties between relationships, holidays, and your job search. What you did during the year can dictate how the holiday fares.

Oh yeah, it’s the holiday season, too. This could suck badly.

You are the only one calling, texting but no reciprocation, and impatient, so you repeat the cycle. Your job search lacks excitement. Without leads, it became a chore or an obligation, perhaps that you took for granted. The feeling is similar to a dating or marriage relationship.

The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away
You know you done me wrong baby
And you’ll be sorry someday

~B.B. King, The Thrill Is Gone

May I suggest that some of those signs exist in your job search? You have hope in a process that doesn’t exist, or should I say effort that didn’t exist.

Let’s see, there is the whole she-says-that-she can’t-go-out-on-the-weekend-thing. Or maybe, in certain terms, he or she said they were not interested in a way you didn’t expect. Or they were no longer interested in your approach.

So has the thrill gone out of your job search yet? Don’t know? Well, here are signs that your job search is fading.

1. You no longer admit a job search exists

Oh, we’re no longer dating, you say. You just haven’t told him. Well, it’s like all the social media profiles that have gone untouched. It takes time and effort. Together. It doesn’t exist because you are not initiating contact with employers. Stop relying on the machine to do the work.

2. You can’t wait to do your own thing

A night with the girls for the third time this week speaks volumes. And if you think that your networking-less efforts will be career-fulfilling, then ask her again why she hasn’t spent time with you. Because YOU are boring! That covers both job and relationship dilemmas now, doesn’t it?

3. “We were never lovers…just friends.”

She likes your company, and you make her laugh. But that’s it, she likes you only as a friend. There should be some affection from your job search. A kiss on the lips is like getting an interview rather than a kiss on the cheek in the form of a five-minute phone behavioral assessment. Otherwise, you were just a friend.

4. They take you for granted

No more gifts, cards, or little notes for you. Ok, you received one little note once. It’s not the small meaningful but affectionate expression he or she used to offer. Little things like thank you, you’re welcome, and please mean so much when meeting people is a small window of opportunity. If your job search spirit is gimme, gimme, lemme, gimme, most of the time, you take people for granted without consciousness. Give. Give without strings attached. Be wise, but you are showing a willingness to help.

5. Both of you were on the rebound.

He wants his old girlfriend back, and she can’t get over her old boyfriend. The familiar little ditty in the way your old job made you feel because it was special, and your achievements inspired others to treat you like a superstar. The reality is that they have moved on, and it’s hard to accept. Why would you want someone who doesn’t want you?

And it’s giving you the holiday blues because…

In my experience, I’ve gotten hired or started more jobs during the month of November and December. The holidays will be depressing if we take the accumulation of what I mentioned above. Multiply by ten if you have friends who are changing jobs because they sought out a promotion and salary jump. Experts will tell you this is the best season to get hired, but it will seem monumental if you haven’t done the right things.

Perhaps your job search is not interesting, so no one from an employer’s perspective is interested. When that happens, the thrill is gone. How do you know the thrill has gone out of your job search? What are ways you can get it back?

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.

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Filed Under: Job Search Tagged With: holiday, Job Search

by Mark Anthony Dyson

2 More Online Resources To Help Proofread Resumes

2 More Online Resources To Help Proofread Resumes

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I have reviewed a number of resources to help proofread resumes or any job search document such as cover letters or email. Since typos, grammar, and spelling can decide your chances of nabbing an interview and positively branding yourself, these tools will bring you closer to perfection.

I have found 2 other resources both online that offers more choices to help you proofread any document, including your resume. Although I recommend finding someone who proofreads well, both of these could be used in conjunction with two keen and knowledgeable eyes:

PaperRater.com

Paper Rater is a FREE resource for proofreading various types of writing such as research, article drafts, and casual. It is unique because of how you can set up the proofreading guidelines according to grade level from 1st to post doctoral. It allows you to set a plagiarism setting to determine originality. There is a box for citations but overall does not say what standard such as APA or MLA styles are used.

I gave it a go with a couple of blog posts that I completed for future additions. I have checked the box for 10th grade just  to see if there was a suggestion or a difference maker. The post was about 500 words long, no citations or links at the time, with and without checking the originality checker. Although the originality took longer, it was hardly noticeable.

Fortunately, I had very few errors, and in fact, picked up and highlighted the word “bodacious (shout out to Snuffy Smith).” Another interesting thing that may help some is how the grade level works for vocabulary. The checker states that my “vocabulary sophistication” was below my grade level (again this was the 10th grade measure), and that I should use more sophisticated words for clarity.

PaperRater is entirely free now and is entertaining adding a Premium service. This service could be improved by adding a résumé formatted checker that would embrace the unique Word formatting.

Previous Posts about editing and proofreading:

Five Resources to Help Correct Resume Grammar Errors

Three More Resources to Help Correct Resume Grammar Errors Part 2

3 More Resources to Help Proofread Your Resume

 

Intelligent Editing

Perfect It 2

PerfectIt 2 is allows you to test drive it for 30 days without giving your payment information. Like Grammarly (although not as expensive) charges for regular use ($49). Unlike Grammarly and many others, you can download the trial. I tested it on a client’s resume and was more detailed than I thought. As stated below, it will check the complete document first removing comments and Word corrections:

Image

Then it will note changes in 23 different places. Then it will list the suggestions and asks you permission for the suggested changes.

Image(1)

Image(2)

Once the changes take place a report is produced of corrections PerfectIt made as seen below:Image(3)

Overall, PerfectIt corrects in much detail. The cost of a year membership, I think its one of the great bargains you can find.

Are there suggestions that I didn’t think of. What are yours? Please comment below.

image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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.

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Filed Under: Job Search, Resume Tagged With: Grammar, Job Search, Resume

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I moderated a panel on Wealth Management for executives by Black Enterprise Magazine in October 2023 in Miami.

I was interviewed on Scripps News show, “The Why!” 4/13/2023

I talked with John Tarnoff and Kerry Hannon of “The Second Act” podcast about job searching after 50 in October 2022.

I was on “The Career Confidante” podcast to talk about “boomerang employees” and “job fishing” in June 2022.

Making Job Search a Lifestyle With “Dr. Dawn Graham on Careers,” SiriusXM Ch. 132, Wharton School of Business May 2021

In May 2020, I talked with LinkedIn’s Senior News Editor Andrew Seaman on “#GetHired” Live.”

Beverly Jones, host of the NPR podcast “Jazzed About Work,” invited me back to talk job scams, job search trends, and AI tools in April 2024

WOUB Digital · Episode 183 : Job search expert Mark Dyson says beware of scams, know AI & keep learning

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