Salary Negotiation is an Art Master it

For most people, discussing salary is difficult. For others, it comes very naturally; sometimes, there's, even, a cockiness displayed when explaining why they deserve the compensation requested. Regardless of which group you fall into, there are certain aspects of the process to be aware of as well as how much leeway your current or potential employer will have when it comes to the negotiating process…

First of all, the leeway for salary negotiation, for a given employer, usually depends on one or more of the following employment issues:

• company-specific factors that may affect salary such as comparable employment, your desired work culture, your pay philosophy, and your promotion expectations
• existing economic conditions
•  your experience and career progress
• fair market value of the job the career level of the job relative to your organization
• the salary range for the job relative to your current organization
• the salary report data relative to your location and industry
• the scarcity of experience and skills required for the job

Following are six powerful salary negotiation tips:

1.   Research the overall picture

Contacting a professional organization for this or doing some due diligence online is usually recommended in order to find out what the national average salary range is for the particular position.

2.   Determine your skill level

Available job market skill levels will vary based on the current economic conditions and specific industry conditions. Once you determine your skill level, you'll have a pretty good idea of how your company values your position.

3.   Weigh the overall compensation package

Take into consideration elements i.e. the economic, geographic, and industry factors of the offer. In order to ensure that you get the best salary offer possible, weigh the company benefits package (allowed time off; compensation and promotion possibilities; company health and medical insurance; and retirement compensation and benefits.

4.   Go in with a positive attitude

Negotiating is not a competition. However, it does need to finish as a win-win situation for both you and the company.

5.   Let the employer know why you're worth every penny

No sales job you have ever had will equal how well you need to close this deal. Never tell the employer (directly) that what you're worth is more than what they are offering. A good HR person will know whether or not you deserve more than they are putting on the table and will make adjustments to the offer if they have the leverage to do so.

6.   Know when to shut up

Once the offer is sealed, pushing any further will only result in your employer questioning if they made the right decision.

by Aaron Thomas

9 Tips for Better Online Job Hunting

It goes without saying that the Internet has drastically changed the way people today hunt for jobs. After all, it's probably been a few years since you've submitted a resume via mail or fax…

 But even though most professionals turn to the Internet first for help locating a new position, not all understand the finer points of a Web-based job search. Following are some tips to keep in mind the next time you look online.

1. Think big. It's wise to start your search by visiting large job sites such as CareerBuilder.com because of the sheer number of listings offered. In addition, employers of all sizes and in every industry are apt to list their job openings on sites with strong brand recognition. Checking out smaller niche Web pages can be helpful, but if you're at a crossroads in your career or willing to relocate, the big boards offer the widest view of what jobs are currently available.

2. Scan the oldies but goodies. When visiting job boards, many job hunters make the mistake of limiting their search to positions posted in the last few days. A position posted one month ago might still be open, especially if it requires hard-to-find skills. Plus, with most job seekers focusing on recent postings, you may be competing with fewer candidates. A dated job advertisement doesn't reflect the quality of the company or the potential desirability of the position.

3. Visit recruiter sites. In addition to browsing the large boards, visit the Web sites of recruiting firms that specialize in your field, which maintain their own job postings. Some even offer detailed career information and job search advice. The advantage of these sites is that job seekers can conduct highly targeted searches and also connect with a recruiter who can work on their behalf.

4. Go surfing. Job sites offer more than just listings. They also can serve as a launching pad for other opportunities. For instance, you may find an appealing job posting for which you are overqualified. Though you're not right for this role, you now know the company is hiring. Visit the prospective employer's Web site to see if there are any additional openings. Send a resume and cover letter to the company expressing your desire to be considered for future jobs.

5. Get social. Networking is one of the most effective ways of locating new opportunities, and the Internet makes it easier than ever to expand your web of contacts. Social networking sites such as LinkedIn.com provide "virtual" opportunities to connect with other professionals -- in your area or halfway across the world. Participating in chat rooms and discussion forums, such as those hosted by professional associations in your field or industry, also is an excellent way to find about open positions.

6. Don't blast away. Most job sites enable users to apply for a position with the simple click of the mouse. But don't blindly blast your resume to every company you come across. Hiring managers seek tailored resumes that directly tie a job seeker's unique skills and abilities to the requirements of the position. Take the extra time and effort to customize your application materials to each specific opportunity.

7. Spell well. Completing employment applications online is convenient but potentially costly if you're not careful. Be mindful of your spelling and grammar when typing information directly onto online forms. Typos are no less problematic on screen than on paper. In a Robert Half International poll of employers, typos and grammatical errors were cited as the most common mistakes job seekers make on their resumes.

8. Tread carefully. There's a time and a place for everything. With that old adage in mind, be careful of when and where you do your online job hunting. Using your company's computer and Internet connection to look for a new position is a bad idea. Employers have the right to monitor the sites you visit and the e-mails you send. So, resist the temptation to hunt for a new job at the office if you want to keep the one you have for the time being.

9. Follow up! When job hunting online, it's critical that you follow up with prospective employers after applying for a position. More than a few resumes have gotten lost in cyberspace. If you've submitted your application and haven't heard back from the company, make a call or send an e-mail to verify that the resume was received and to reassert your interest in the position. Don't worry; you're not going to annoy the employer. Eighty-two percent of executives polled by our company said job seekers should contact hiring managers within two weeks of submitting application materials. While the Internet has revolutionized the way job seekers connect with prospective employers, an online job hunt shouldn't be the only strategy you use to find a new position.

The best searches combine a variety of approaches, including exploring the services offered by recruiting and staffing firms, touching base with members of your professional network, and participating in industry events where you can hobnob with hiring managers.

BY Robert Half International 

How to Get a Job in the Government

Most job seekers overlook government jobs because most think they are not well paying and also because they are not advertised in the same way as those in the private sector…

 Unless you visit the specific government agency, it is very hard to locate the vacancy posts in the government sector. However, there are very many job opportunities in the government and knowing that many people do not focus on them. There are a few tips on how to best locate and apply for and get a government job.

Vacancy Postings

The government agencies websites are great places where you can get a government job posting. They usually contain very detailed content on what exactly they want with particulars such as; basic information, who is eligible to apply, start and end dates for applications, salary range, the various job groups and their pay rates, how to make the application, and contact information.

Newspapers and job fares are other places where you can get a government job posting. Since the government is not so concerned on saving on advertisement charges like the private sector, you can get detailed vacancy and application information. It is very easy to know about your chances of getting the job as they clearly indicate what they are looking for. The job fares often have various state departments attending. It is a sure place to get information about government agencies including what they are involved in and what you require to do in case you want to work for them.

How to Apply for the Government Jobs

The process of applying for a government job is very different from the private sector. Most agencies have their own resume formats so as to make sorting out and making the cuts easier. Make sure you read the information carefully as each application is unique, and you might end up losing on a job you would have got had you read the information carefully. The trick is to be concise and brief in filling out the format forms. Additionally, try to echo some words in the advertisement n your answers. It aids in the recruiter connecting what they require to what you can provide. Lastly, make sure that your main achievements that are relevant to the announcement are highlighted at the top of the page before you explain them further later. This way, the recruiter will not get bored before they get to the relevant stuff.

Follow up on your Application

The best thing about government jobs is that due to the scrutiny that always applies to government business; the selection process for jobs undergoes various through stages of assessment before the selection of the most qualified candidate. This means that upon submission of an application, everybody is initially at the same level.

Fortunately, for government jobs, most offer automated application status check up after people apply. This helps you in calculating your chances of getting a government job. Check on their mode of alerts, where by text or email, then be keen so that in case you are invited for an interview, you have enough time to organize yourself.

Turning Your College Internship Into a Long-Term Job

Internships are a great way to gain experience and get your foot inside the door of a business. Here are some tips for how you can turn your temporary internship into an after-graduation career…

Landing an internship at your employer of choice is a great way to enhance your job profile. Hiring managers often say it is much easier to find a position for a college graduate who has completed an internship at a good firm. But what is often a challenge for students is getting hired at the company of their internship. Here some tips to help you land a job.

Outperform

It sounds like a no-brainer, but going above and beyond your minimum level of responsibility should be your number one priority if you want to stick around after graduation. Above and beyond means different things depending on the organization. Some examples:

Ask for more things to do

Let your manager know you want to attend meetings

Take on some grunt work -- and love it

Make friends in other departments

Treat Your Position As A Job

While your internship is technically a learning experience, it will benefit your career prospects if you treat it as a real job in the firm. According to job search site Monster.com, if you master your tasks, no matter how small, you will earn respect at work. With respect will come more responsibility.

Make It Known You Want To Stay

Waiting for somebody to offer you a position is a risky way to handle your career. Instead, keep up with the company job bulletin, talk to the human resources staff, and let your managers know your goals. You don't need to put pressure on your managers, but if you are an asset to the firm, they probably will want to keep you around.

Skills Emphasis Job Interview

Importance of Skills Emphasis on Job Interview.Skill emphasis during the interview is important to show the employer what makes you different from all the other job candidates…

 In this competitive world, companies search for the most qualified employees by weighing skills of the candidates and determining how they would benefit the company.

Majority of the top companies search for employers who stands out based from their expertise, ability to give new developments, and pleasing personalities that would enhance the organization. 

Skills are grouped into three kinds – knowledge-based, transferable, and personal traits.

1) Knowledge-based skills are those learned from experiences. These may include educational attainment, additional training, seminars attended, and other practices that you have studied to enhance your expertise. 

Knowledge-based skills include computer and communication skills, marketing or managerial knowledge, product development, and many more. These skills vary depending on the field of industry of each job candidate.

2) Transferable or portable skills are those you bring to a specific job. This is the reason why interviewers ask, “What could you offer the company?” Transferable skills are important because companies strive to look for quality employees that would improve the development of the workforce.

Portable skills include problem solving, team leader potential, organized, writing and communication skills, customer service oriented, time and project management, and good with numbers and budget. This kind of skills varies depending on the experience and versatility of each job candidate. 

3) Personal traits determine who you are. In a job interview, one of the most common things an employer says is “Tell me something about yourself.” Your response is vital because it would set the tone for the rest of the interview. 

Personal traits include good judgment, well organized, analytical, goal oriented, flexible, creative and many more. Try to sell yourself in as modest as possible within a limited time.

* Self-assessment. In order to provide an impressive presentation, examine your resume and list all the skills you have used for each past job experience. Make a comprehensive list of your skills and strengths including personal traits, knowledge-based and transferable skills. This would be the basis for your personal commercial.

* Once you have completed your script, you are now ready to face the interviewer. Remember that employers are interested in your accomplishments. Use words that are concise, direct and clear. 

Although many companies require a unique set of skills, you should still highlight your technical skills in the interview. These skills, which top companies usually seek, include leadership, communication, confidence, flexibility, problem solving and energy. 

Emphasizing all of your strengths and skills on job interviews would increase your chances of landing the desired job.

Finding a Job on the Internet: Hype vs. Reality

Are you looking for a new job or consulting assignment? Will you be looking in the near future? No problem. Just post your resume on the Internet, sit back, and wait for the offers to come pouring in….
That’s the hype, anyway. The reality is quite different. In September 2003, the big job board, monster.com, contained more than 25 million resumes—but only 800,000-plus job listings. That’s a ratio of about 30 to 1. Competition for jobs is stiff, even on the Internet.
But that doesn’t mean you should forget about doing an online job search. You could be putting your career at risk if you did, because, according to a 2002 iLogos Research study, 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies listed jobs on at least one of three major Internet job boards.
So what can you do to improve your chances of getting a job online? Here are some tips to get you started.
Use the right resume format. Before you post your resume on a job board, read the instructions. Most boards require a plain text (also called ASCII) version of your resume that contains only the characters found on a standard keyboard—nothing fancy like centering or bold text. If you paste your word-processed resume onto one of these boards, the formatting will be lost or, even worse, translated into meaningless characters. An ASCII resume, on the other hand, will retain its formatting and readability.
Include keywords in your resume. The resume you post online must include keywords. These are just the buzz words that describe the skills and experience that are important in your industry and profession, like accounts payable and cash flow analysis. Employers and recruiters use keywords to search for resumes, and yours won’t be found unless it contains them.
Update your resume posting. When you post your resume on a job board, make it a practice to update it every week or two. You don’t have to make any changes to the content; you just have to go through the update process to have your resume stamped with the current date. All else being equal, the resumes with the most recent dates will show up at the top of employers’ search results—and that’s where you want your resume to be.
Post your resume on niche boards. Although it’s important to post your resume on a few of the big boards, don’t leave it at that. According to a CareerXroads survey, 21.2 percent of Internet hires in 2002 came from other job sites, including niche job boards. To find a specialty board that’s right for you, go to the websites of associations that represent your industry or profession.
Apply at corporate websites. The largest number of Internet hires in the CareerXroads survey, 58.9 percent, came from corporate websites. To take advantage of this fact, come up with a list of companies you might like to work for and find them on the Web. Then submit your resume directly to every company that has an application form on its site. Most will want your ASCII resume but read the instructions to make sure.
Network using a Web resume. Last but not least, try combining Internet tools with more traditional job search techniques. One powerful combination is to use a Web resume (a resume displayed as a website) with the networking method. Include the address of your Web resume on a business card and give it to prospective employers and other contacts you meet. If you spark their interest during your conversation, they will be sure to look for your resume online.
By Jan Holliday

_____________________________

Enlisting a Recruiter: Five Tips

One effective approach to finding your next career opportunity would be to find a recruiter that specializes in your marketplace to align with as you begin your search. There are literally thousands of recruiters out there, so how do you choose wisely?.... 

You can work exclusively with one recruiter, or align with several recruiters; either way, you want to give yourself the best opportunity to find that perfect career opportunity. Here are five questions to consider before making your selection:

Do they have a niche?
The first, and most important thing to consider is, "Does the recruiter have a specific niche marketplace that he or she focuses on?" Every recruiter knows that the more focused they are in a specific vertical, the better opportunity they have to capture that marketplace and create synergistic relationships on both the candidate and client sides. Have the recruiter list the most recent searches that they (not their office or team) have successfully completed. You want to align with an industry insider, not just another recruiter chasing a fee. Ask for references from a current relationship from both the candidate and client sides.

Do they listen effectively?
Any peak performer in the recruiting world knows it's not about them. It's actually about you and the client. Are they willing to listen to your concerns, what is driving you away from your current situation, what needs exist for you and your family? If not, move on. Top level recruiters are often the best listeners, and this allows them to provide better matches with their existing openings. 

Are they too busy?
Top level recruiters are often extremely busy. They typically have more job orders than they have time to fill, and are constantly looking for the "perfect" candidate to fill a need. Is he or she willing to spend the necessary time to gather a complete picture of your current situation? Does she have the time to invest in your career search? If not, when is a better time? There are only so many hours in a day, and just like you, the top level recruiters like to have a balance between work and home.

How's their follow-through?
Does the recruiter do what he says he will do? If he set an appointment on your calendar, is he dependable? Or does he consistently have to reschedule because "something came up?" Be certain that you partner with a recruiter who will respect your time and confidentiality throughout the entire process.

Will you work with them beyond this current search?
Is this just a means to an end or does it hold promise for a continued relationship beyond your next career move? If it's transactional, and the recruiter has what you want, then go for it. Carpe diem. But, you should consider this to be the beginning of a long-term, mutually beneficial business relationship. With that methodology, you may become their hiring manager down the road. They will become an invaluable resource to you as your career takes off.

By knowing the answers to the five questions above, you are in a better position knowing that you have a qualified and effective partner on your team.


BY Mark Krajnik

7 Things to Tell an Interviewer

If you read other books on job interviews, you'll notice they feed you lists of interview questions and answers to memorize. An interview is not an interrogation, however it's a conversation…

 To make it that way you need to come armed with a multitude of small stories about both your business and personal lives.

When you go into an interview, you need to leave your nerves at the door. The best way to prepare is to be yourself. The best way to be yourself is to tell your own story (or stories). This is especially great for the competency-based interview being used more today.

In a traditional interview, the interviewer will ask you questions focused on whether you have the skills and knowledge needed to do the job. A competency-based interview goes further by asking you additional questions about your character and personal attributes that can better determine whether you fit their corporate culture. These are called "behavioral competencies." A competency-based interviewer will spend about half the interview on your job skills, and about half on your behavioral competencies. He or she will be looking for evidence of how you have acted in real situations in the past. An employer wants to find out:

• Are you an asset or liability? In other words, will you make money or save money for the company?

• Are you a team player? Will you fit into the corporate hierarchy or be like sand in the gears? Can you take and give (if appropriate) orders?

• Will you fit into the company culture? They don't want prima donnas.

The best way to show these traits is to take the initiative and have several personal stories that you can tell, taking maybe 30 to 90 seconds each. You may want to start by developing your stories around these seven areas:

1. Times where you either made money or saved money for your current or previous company.

2. A crisis in your life or job and how you responded or recovered from it.

3. A time where you functioned as part of a team and what your contribution was.

4. A time in your career or job where you had to overcome stress.

5. A time in your job where you provided successful leadership or a sense of direction.

6. A failure that occurred in your job and how you overcame it.

7. Any seminal events that happened during your career to cause you to change direction and how that worked out for you. I want to emphasize that an interview should not be an interrogation. It should be a conversation between two equals. When you accomplish this you come away a step closer to your goal of landing the job you really want, because... It's the conversation that wins an interview, and it's the conversation that wins the job. To have a conversation, have your stories ready.

BY J T

Tips for Job Hunting in Today's Market

In order to be competitive in today's job market, you must stand apart from the competition. Just how competitive is the market?...

 To illustrate this, Nissan North America recently moved their headquarters to Nashville, TN. 158 jobs were originally posted, and more than 13,000 candidates applied!

Even with statistics like this, however, you shouldn't get discouraged. Understand that there is a lot of competition, but by planning and executing your job search you'll be in a much better position to get the job you want.

So what can you do?

Before you even begin your job search, think about the following:

Decide what type of job you want. Many people don't have a clue about what position they want or what type of company they would like to work for. They create generic resumes and blast them out to hundreds of companies, hoping for the best. Focusing your job search will help you target only the positions and companies that are best suited to you.

What do I value in a position or a company? What's important to you? If making a difference in the community means a lot to you, consider working for a company that gives back to the community. If you want an opportunity for advancement, look for companies that will provide you those opportunities. Writing down and prioritizing your values will help you better focus and target your job search.

What have I accomplished? Think about your current and past positions. How have you helped the companies you worked for be successful? What value did you bring these companies?

Once you've decided what type of job you want, the values you seek in a company, and how you've helped current and past employers, you're ready to search for a job.

Some of the best strategies to getting a job include:

Networking. Believe it or not, networking is still the number one way people obtain new positions. Talk to former colleagues, managers, neighbors, friends and relatives to find out if they know of any available positions. By getting a referral from someone who either works for, or knows, someone looking for help, you're one step ahead of the competition. Personal referrals can help you tremendously in obtaining a new position.

Research Companies You're Interested In. When creating your cover letter, you should state why you're interested in working for that particular company. Before you go to a job interview, understand what the company does, what they value, and prepare questions to ask the interviewer. This shows the interviewer that you are interested and excited about working for them.

Learning to Market and Sell Yourself. Even if you don't think you can sell yourself, you do it every day. You sell your ideas to friends, family, and colleagues. The best way to market and sell yourself is by focusing on the needs of the employer. How can you help this company succeed? By identifying their needs, and showing how you can help them, you will stand apart from the competition.

Don't Get Discouraged. If you don't get a particular job, don't dwell on it. Stay focused, and move on. There are many opportunities, and your best opportunity could be right around the corner.

7 Things to Tell an Interviewer

So what does this have to do with a job interview? If you read other books on job interviews, you'll notice they feed you lists of interview questions and answers to memorize…

 An interview is not an interrogation, however it's a conversation. To make it that way you need to come armed with a multitude of small stories about both your business and personal lives.

When you go into an interview, you need to leave your nerves at the door. The best way to prepare is to be yourself. The best way to be yourself is to tell your own story (or stories). This is especially great for the competency-based interview being used more today.

In a traditional interview, the interviewer will ask you questions focused on whether you have the skills and knowledge needed to do the job. A competency-based interview goes further by asking you additional questions about your character and personal attributes that can better determine whether you fit their corporate culture. These are called "behavioral competencies." A competency-based interviewer will spend about half the interview on your job skills, and about half on your behavioral competencies. He or she will be looking for evidence of how you have acted in real situations in the past. An employer wants to find out:

• Are you an asset or liability? In other words, will you make money or save money for the company?
• Are you a team player? Will you fit into the corporate hierarchy or be like sand in the gears? Can you take and give (if appropriate) orders?
• Will you fit into the company culture? They don't want prima donnas.

The best way to show these traits is to take the initiative and have several personal stories that you can tell, taking maybe 30 to 90 seconds each. You may want to start by developing your stories around these seven areas:

1. Times where you either made money or saved money for your current or previous company.

2. A crisis in your life or job and how you responded or recovered from it.

3. A time where you functioned as part of a team and what your contribution was.

4. A time in your career or job where you had to overcome stress.

5. A time in your job where you provided successful leadership or a sense of direction.

6. A failure that occurred in your job and how you overcame it.

7. Any seminal events that happened during your career to cause you to change direction and how that worked out for you. I want to emphasize that an interview should not be an interrogation. It should be a conversation between two equals. When you accomplish this you come away a step closer to your goal of landing the job you really want, because... It's the conversation that wins an interview, and it's the conversation that wins the job. To have a conversation, have your stories ready.

BY J T

Resume Tips: Picking Good References

Your resume is a document that sums up who you are as a worker. Here are some tips to improving the reference section of this character rundown…

Unless you have some serious personality flaws, there is probably someone who can speak nicely of you. But when it comes to resume building that just won't cut it. You need just that right person who can say the exact words an interviewer wants to hear. So how do you find such a reference? Follow these tips.

Just because you know the president of whatever company you interned at in college doesn't mean they are a good reference. Yeah, that person carries a lot of weight, but you need somebody who can describe your work ethic in detail. According to Career Site Monster.com you should choose references who can speak to the usefulness of your work as well as your personality. Potential applicants for this position include:

Former Professors

The teacher of that documentary film class you excelled in can be a great reference when you apply at a local production studio.

Past managers

When you worked at the surfshop in high school you turned a lot of browsers into buyers. Your manager can give exact examples of this.

Clients

The owner of those countertops you tiled as a construction worker can speak wonders for your work.

A grey area is whether you should use family members or friends. Monster.com generally recommends against including these people.

Let them know

Always ask for permission before including someone as a reference. This is to both of your benefit. Maybe this person does not have the greatest things to say about you. Maybe they just do not have enough to say. Your reference might be unhappy being used without permission. You do not want to turn a good source into a bad one.

The One Thing That Will Improve Your Résumé

Too many books on résumé writing are out-of-date. Although well-intentioned and filled with other good information, most have not been updated for the modern job search… 

Your résumé will be seen by many eyes, including electronic. Computers "score" résumés by the number of keywords (also known as "buzzwords") the employer will find most relevant. If you don’t account for this, your résumé could stay locked in some database, never to be even seen by anyone while you wait for a call that never comes.

Write a "Keyword Competencies" section. 

One solution for the electronic gatekeeper (or applicant tracking system) is to include a special section called a "Keyword Competencies" section. You want to focus on the words most likely to be used by either a HR administrator, hiring manager or recruiter. They search résumés by keywords. The greater number of relevant keywords you can include, the higher relevancy score your résumé will be given. 

This section should list all the relevant keywords pertaining to your career and skills. This section is best listed at the beginning of your résumé to introduce the skill sets you possess early on from an interviewing standpoint. Include no more than 75 keywords. 

For example, if you were a Java Programmer, your "Keyword Competencies" section might look something like this:

"Java, Visual C++, perl, ticl, application development, visual basic, Windows NT/XP, programming, GUI, html, project management, layer 2, BSEE." 

The idea here is to put in as many relevant, searchable keywords that describe your potential job title, technical skills, management or organizational skills, relevant software and/or mechanical abilities and expertise. Include anything that might be important to the particular job.

In addition, if you can locate a description of an actual job or one similar to the actual job for which you are applying, copy in all the applicable buzzwords listed under required and desired skills. This includes education levels (if they require a BS in Electrical Engineering, then include "BSEE" as well).

If you spend some time on this, you should easily come up with a list of from 40 to 80 relevant searchable keywords to include here. 

BY Joe Turner

Have Confidence on the Job

Confidence, high self-esteem, and ambition are qualities that will help you in your career path…

Some qualities of a person cannot be learned, but rather are nurtured and grown. Ambition and confidence are two of these qualities. One of the main pillars of ambition is high self esteem. According to career publisher CareerJournal.com, self-acceptance and faith-in-oneself allows confidence and ambition to grow. Lacking this personal characteristic can put a serious damper on your career goals. Here is how to let your personality shine and make way for your professional life.

High self-esteem

Low self-esteem is one of the major stumbling blocks to achieving your goals. CareerJournal.com says no personal characteristic is more important to workplace success than self-esteem. Self-esteem is the foundation for all the other characteristics you want to build. Ways to increase your self-esteem include:

Stomp negative thoughts - Recognize when you are thinking negative and change attitude. Power of mind over body.

Deal with disappointment - Instead of crushing yourself over something that went afoul, focus on what you learned and how to do it better next time.

Goal Focused - A good example is overweight people trying to slim down. Instead of focusing on what is not being accomplished, think about your goal, in this case: what will life be like as a healthy person?

Be realistic about yourself. Don't set outlandish goals that are impossible. Shoot for the moon, but set a realistic path to get there so you will limit disappointment.

Eight Steps to an Effective Relationship with Recruiters

Today's highly competitive job market requires you to employ various strategies when conducting a job search. One such method is partnering with a recruiter which can help maximize your efforts…

 If you have never built an effective relationship with a recruiter, it is not too late to start. Before you jump out there and start calling or emailing every recruiter listed on the Internet, here are some quick facts you should know about recruiters and their daily job responsibilities:

• They spend about four to five hours a day on the phone
• They make contact with about 500 people every week
• They can receive anywhere from 500 to 1,000 emails every day
• They rely on their network for current industry information and market trends
• They are compensated for finding the right candidate for their client (companies)

Now that you have a mental picture of a recruiter's daily challenges, here are some highly recommended strategies you should use in order to get a recruiter's attention.
Have specific job targets
Recruiters are usually specialized by industry and/or function. For example, a recruiter may only work with healthcare professionals while another may specialize in placing Executives in all industries. A recruiter's primary goal is to make a placement, so if you are unclear about your job targets or you are open to any opportunity that comes up, a recruiter is probably not your best option.

Have a well-defined message
Whether your first contact with a recruiter is by telephone or by e-mail, you must be able to quickly articulate your core competencies and qualifications, describe the value you bring to the table and provide evidence of your career achievements. Prepare and practice your 30-second elevator pitch.

Develop a comprehensive resume
Regardless of what highs and lows your career progression may have taken, recruiters need to know the details about every position you held ­ even the ones that only lasted three months. While you may choose to minimize employment gaps on the resume you send directly to employers, you need to be upfront and honest with the recruiter about everything. Your resume should have the dates for every position (starting and ending) and the graduation years in the education section despite your age. Top tier degrees should be listed on the first page of the resume and use a bulleted format to highlight your quantifiable accomplishments. Tip: If you are concerned about revealing too much, you can create a separate resume that is just for recruiters only.

Use a table in the cover letter
When responding to a listed advertisement, inserting a table with two columns in a cover letter will allow the recruiter to quickly scan the document and decide whether you are match. Use one column to list the job's required experience and qualifications and list your corresponding qualifications in a second column. With over 500 candidates competing for the recruiter's attention, don't leave anything to chances.

Develop compelling subject line
A compelling subject line message will increase your chances of getting the recruiter to open your e-mail right away. Use something to make an immediate connection - if you were referred by someone or met the recruiter recently at a networking event, put that in the subject line.

Think twice about e-mail blasts
Technology can be both your friend and enemy in your job search. The high volume of email received by recruiters has prompted high levels of email filtering and bulk mail settings. While you may have the opportunity to send your resume and cover letter to 500 recruiters, there is no guarantee that it will be seen. In addition, there are some recruiters may choose to ignore resumes sent through bulk mail as they view the candidates as being unfocused.

Be honest
There are consequences to lying, omissions and misrepresentations made to a recruiter. First of all, a majority of recruiters use Google, LinkedIn, ZoomInfo and other business and social networking sites to learn more about candidates. Consequently, being dishonest and hiding critical facts are the fastest ways to ruin a relationship with a recruiter.

Have something to offer
A relationship with a recruiter is like any other relationship and there needs to be equal give and take. If you have qualified contacts, industry insights or current market news that the recruiter can use, be the first one to offer a helping hand - you will reap the benefits in the long run.

By: Abby Locke