Trying to Talk the Boss into Telecommuting?

Job sharing, flexible hours, telecommuting, or other unique work arrangement proposal templates are offered through www.WorkOptions.com. This site is a great resource for finding out if your workplace can offer a better work-life solution than the usual 9 to 5.

CBS News Video on Slackers in the Workplace

Leadership IQ CEO Mark Murphy was featured on CBS News Sunday Morning, providing commentary regarding slackers in the workplace.

To view the 10-minute video, go to: http://www.leadershipiq.com/cbs.html

Tips on Using a Recruiter from ExecuNet

The topic of working with recruiters comes up frequently in my line of work. For every person who has actually used a headhunter, there must be at least three who are unsure how to start or believe that this is the solution to finding a job with minimal effort.

This ExecuNet article brings up excellent points for candidates seeking the services of a recruiter: http://tinyurl.com/gfpay

To reiterate, recruiters do have your best interest in mind and are trying to make that perfect match happen. Establish a good working relationship with one or two headhunters and you will see just how this works.

Uncovering Your Digital Dirt

Recruiters are relying more heavily on online networking tools to discover as much information as possible about an applicant. What does this mean to most job seekers?

For starters, anyone posting to a blog about his or her current job should be aware of the potential effect on a job search. Search engines can easily find and point out your "digital dirt" to a prospective employer. Published articles, press releases, project lists, and a number of other sources find their way to the Internet with astonishing speed.

Googling yourself regularly (I like www.dogpile.com for a more complete list) is key to researching your online identity. And cleaning up your digital dirt by regularly replacing negative information is critical.

Rocky Mountain Internet Users Group Job Listings

If you are seeking an IT job in Colorado, this is a great place to review openings and post a resume.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rmiug-jobs/messages?o=1&yguid=146075856

Discover Jobalot.com

http://www.jobalot.com/ promises job seekers "a fast and easy way to find jobs from reputable companies in their specific career field," and includes job interview advice and an education center.

They tell me a site redesign is underway and should be completed by mid-August. Well worth a long look!

Using LinkedIn to Find a Job

As more job seekers discover online networking groups, there are more profiles being added and more people wondering if this will really help them.

Now, we are reading that there are actually best ways to use LinkedIn, per this article: http://www.intuitive.com/blog/how_to_use_linkedin_to_find_a_job.html.

P.S. - Never heard of LinkedIn? Need assistance setting up your profile? Contact IT Power Resume for more information on this fantastic networking tool.

Just Tech Jobs Search Site

For all IT job seekers, this is a fantastic site for narrowing your search and finding elusive postings: http://www.justtechjobs.com/.

I like this site because it narrows the focus to particular skill sets, while it does not seem to merely comb the major sites for a duplicate list of postings. Therefore, you can find open positions here that do not seem to be listed elsewhere.

Also, one can get an accurate snapshot of the job market for particular skills by noting the amount of jobs shown.

A caveat: Some job seekers may find that they fit into more than one category.

IT Resumes: Simple to Write?

Most IT resumes than I review appear to be a significant letdown, based on the fantastic skill sets that most technical workers possess. Since most technical professionals are fairly well-rounded, with extensive business and technology skills (and do not belong in a Dilbert cartoon), how can this be?

The fact is, IT resumes are mostly known for what they lack--which amounts to accomplishments, demonstrations of proficiency, contributions to the employer's bottom line, and overall strategy.

When I hired software developers, I was frequently impressed at the extent of knowledge displayed in an interview, which I could NOT discern from the candidate's resume.I only interviewed one candidate who had her resume professionally written. It was quite obvious her skills we lacking, and we did not schedule a follow-up interview.

However, she was later hired by a client based only on her RESUME!

Even though the client hiring manager told me she was not a fit, he was overridden by a higher-up who kept passing out the resume to everyone. It summed up her project contributions perfectly and made her skills all the more attractive to employers.

Remember, an IT resume is not "easier" to assemble than those in other fields. It is a particularly daunting job to assess the actual result of your IT knowledge, rather than just tallying up the technical skills you use on a regular basis.

The bottom line? Think long and hard about your unique contributions before putting words down on paper. You are more than the sum of your buzzwords!