Not on Google? Do you exist?

If you’re not on Google, do you exist? What if your name is on Google – only there are hundreds or thousands of listings – and not one of them is you. With the majority of employers now Googling candidates and candidates Googling employers, it is essential to create a positive online identity – and personal brand.

Check out this article in the Wall Street Journal on the impact of a “non-Google” existance. Enjoy!

Protect Your Online Job Search

By George Blomgren, Milwaukeejobs.com

Identity theft is on the rise, and computers and the internet are often involved in this crime. Meanwhile, computers and the internet have also become the tools of choice for job seekers. As periodically reported in the media, job seekers can be vulnerable to scams and identity theft. After all, volunteering a certain amount of personal information is a necessary part of any job search. Fortunately, the following common sense guidelines can help protect you when using the internet for your job search.

  1. Choose employment Web sites which actively work to filter out suspicious employers and opportunities. You can typically judge this by the quality of the employment opportunities listed. If you see a lot of “work from home” opportunities, MLM opportunities, “secret shopper” gigs or anything that sounds too good to be true, you may want to avoid the Web site in question. Note that it is our policy to list only legitimate employment opportunities on our sites.
  2. Be on the lookout for foreign or international companies that want you to get involved in any sort of money transfer or merchandise shipping, especially if they imply that you will receive a percentage of large amounts of money.
  3. On many (but not all) employment Web sites, employers have to pay for access to resumes posted by job seekers. This helps protect job seekers, since scammers avoid things they have to pay for. Beyond charging employers to use their site, you may want to find out what additional measures an employment Web site takes to deter shady operators. We take a number of steps to ensure that employers who purchase resume database access are legitimate businesses.

Read on!

Great Places to Work: The List

Want a nice place to work? Check out this information from Fast Company:

The Center for Companies that Care, a not-for-profit organization, strives to make businesses more conscious of the human toll of their decisions and recognizes companies that have put in the extra effort for their employees. Marci Koblenz, the Center’s co-founder and president, says, “There were a few things that emerged as very clear differences among companies. Some employers were concerned about the well being of their employees and it permeated everything they did.”

The Ten Characteristics of a Caring Company:

1. Sustains a work environment founded on dignity and respect for all employees 2. Makes employees feel their jobs are important 3. Cultivates the full potential of all employees 4. Encourages individual pursuit of work/life balance 5. Enables the well-being of individuals and their families through compensation, benefits, policies and practices 6. Develops great leaders, at all levels, who excel at managing people as well as results 7. Appreciates and recognize the contributions of people who work there 8. Establishes and communicate standards for ethical behavior and integrity 9. Gets involved in community endeavors and/or public policy 10. Considers the human toll when making business decisions

Read the article for the list of 35 companies on the 2007 Center for Companies that Care Honor Roll:

http://www.fastcompany.com/articles/2007/03/companies-that-care.html

Avoid Resume Analysis Paralysis

Saw this one in Monster.com.

Time to take action!

Many job seekers get stuck in resume critique mode, bringing their resume from person to person in hopes of getting that magic feedback that will help land them a job. But too much analysis and not enough action can stunt your job search. Get the right kind of guidance so you can move your resume past critique and into potential employers’ hands.
Read more

Free Job Search Help – Download eBooks

Exciting news! My pals at Career Hub – and myself of course – have a new eBook to help you with your job search, namely expert tips and advice on how to make the most of your next interview.

If you don’t have Career Hub’s earlier eBooks, you’re missing out on similarly great advice about resume writing and job search strategies. Now, for the first time, we’re making all our eBooks available without email sign-up. Simply download the PDFs and start reading! And to stay regularly updated with all the best in career advice, bookmark this site, sign up for our RSS feed, or have the articles sent directly to your email box.

Guide To Interviewing Insider’s Guide to Interviewing

Expert advice on how to succeed in interviews – topics covered include effective interview planning, tips on taking control of the interview situation, advice on closing, and best approaches to salary negotiation.

Click to open in browser or right-click to save to hard drive

Download

Guide to Resume WritingInsider’s Guide to Resume Writing

In this book, our experts tackle all aspects of effective resume writing, including defining your branded value proposition, the value of story-telling, the secret ingredient of context, common resume mistakes, and how you can go beyond the resume in your career marketing.

Click to open in browser or right-click to save to hard drive

Download

Guide to Job Search Insider’s Guide to Job Search

This is the first book in our Insider’s Guide series. From determining career direction, through resume writing to networking and interview skills, each of our experts provides real-world strategies for job search success.

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Download

Enjoy the free stuff! And please let us know how they’ve helped you with your career search. 😀