Wondering where we have been?

At StartWire we have been hard at work bringing you the tools you need for a successful job search and to get hired fast. While we have the blog, we wanted to offer our job seekers something more. We wanted to give everyone the knowledge of what is happening behind the scenes during the recruiting and hiring process.

So we came up with a set of Videos that are now live on the StartWire site – www.startwire.com/videos. Unlike other sites that charge you for this information, we thought the best way to help someone during one of the most stressful time in their lives would be to let them know we are truly here to help.

In the upcoming blogs, I’m going to discuss some of the topics found in the videos around your resume, networking, search tips and interviewing.

We tried to pack as much information in the videos as possible but we know that there is so much more. So we’ll use the blog to expand on some of these topics.

Look for videos on interviewing and networking to go live later this summer.

Do you have any questions or thoughts on these strategies? What’s worked for you? Let us know!

If you find it hard to keep track of your job search progress and history, consider using a site dedicated to job search organization. Doing so allows you to keep your job search information all in one place.

If you don’t like the idea of extra work, the good news is that these sites do most of the work for you and keep it as simple as possible.

What are the benefits to organizing your job search?

• Keep track of your applied jobs history – the exact job title, company, and dates you applied to a job
• Keep track of the status of your job applications – how long it’s been since applying to the job
• Set reminders for scheduled interviews
• Save your job searches and apply to an interesting job at a later time
• File for unemployment benefits easily with proof that you’ve been job searching
• Jot down any notes you’d like to remember for the job application

StartWire, a free job search organization tool, does all of the above and also comes with additional free tools, such as:

• Tracker – a smart browser plug-in that saves the jobs you’ve viewed and applied for at leading job search sites
• Express Apply Jobs – jobs that require no applications and take 60 seconds to apply
• Automatic Status Updates – Have they received your application? Is the job still open? Get your questions answered with status updates.

Don’t underestimate the strategic value of clean organization in your job search!

With Daylight Saving Time ending this Sunday, don’t forget that your clocks are turning an hour back!

Yes, I know what you’re thinking. What that means to many of us is… an extra hour of sleep! What are you going to do with this extra hour?

If you’re in the midst of a job search and want to spend some of this hour to help you get ahead on your job search, read on for these quick and easy tricks.

Fluff up Your LinkedIn

Ask a contact for a LinkedIn recommendation and tell them exactly what you’d like mentioned within the recommendation. They will appreciate this as it’ll give them a better sense of what to write and you’ll get the recommendation you’re looking for. A win win on both ends.

Get Endorsed

Endorse hardworking coworkers or exemplary classmates on LinkedIn. They might return the favor and endorse you back.

Quantify Your Achievements

Go through your resume and see if you can quantify your achievements. For example, you boosted sales, but by how much? Instead, quantify your achievements, such as saying: I boosted sales 35% from last year.”

Track Your Job Search Easily

Add a nifty tool from StartWire to your browser that automatically saves your job applications – ones you’ve clicked on, ones you’ve applied to, and ones you want to bookmark for later. Also, get smart recommendations back based on the type of jobs you’ve been browsing.

Boost Your Chances of Hire

Apply to a job as soon as you see it posted. Don’t wait! The earlier you apply, the higher your chances of landing the job become. Read more on why it’s important to apply to fresh jobs.

Now that you’re armed with these quick tips, go ahead and enjoy your extra hour!

The most exciting and honestly, scary part of a career is not knowing where it can take you. We all start off our careers having a sense of certain interests we hold and fields we’d consider going into, but availability of opportunities, who we meet, how we connect to employers within the companies, and an array of many factors influence the actual result of the career we choose.

For many, the path is never a clear cut one to the job that makes us truly happy. Instead, as we grow and change, we’ll discover new career passions and new opportunities.

Here are 5 stories from people who experienced the same winding road that eventually led to their perfect career. The moral is: It’s okay to take the time to figure out what you love because each job opportunity is one that can bring you closer to the right one.

Read their stories here: 5 Crazy Career Changes That Will Inspire You Not To Settle.

Looking to create a resume or update an existing one?  Two popular resume formats are the chronological and functional resume. Below are sample resume templates that showcase both styles.

Chronological Resume

The Chronological Resume lists your most recent occupation at the top, followed by the next most recent occupations.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Janice Kendley
15 State St. Boston, MA 02112| 555-555-5555 | kendleyj@example.com

Experience

Microsoft Corporation, NY, NY                                                                  February 2012 – Present

Executive Assistant

• Processing invoices and correspondence to meet end-of-month sales review
• Overseeing the scheduling of two hundred attendee meetings weekly
• (List a major accomplishment) Oversaw travel arrangements for Board of Directors during 2012’s Leadership Conference, resulting in an average net saving of $1,000/attendee.

 

AT&T, Woburn, MA                                                                                June 2010 – February 2012

Sales & Marketing Leader

• Represented AT&T products to over 1,500 customers at field events, conferences, and seminars.
• (List a major accomplishment) Garnered $8,000 in profits from sales of cellular devices.

 

Martha’s Bakery, Hartford, CT                                                                       May 2009 – June 2010

HR Assistant

• Managed store operations including scheduling, inventory, and customer service.
• (List a major accomplishment) Reduced wasted inventory through overseeing installation of new freezers, which increased inventory by 35%.

 

Education

University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
B.A. Psychology; Minor, History

 

Special Skills

• Software/Applications: MS Word, MS Access, MS Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop

• Languages: Proficient in Spanish

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Functional Resume

The Functional Resume is organized by functions/skills, instead of a chronological work history. For example, the sample resume below is organized by “Sales and Leadership” and “Writing/Editing Content”.

Janice Kendley
15 State St. Boston, MA 02112 | 555-555-5555 | kendleyj@example.com

Education

University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
B.A. Psychology; Minor, History

 

Relevant Experience

Sales and Leadership

• (List a major accomplishment.) Represented AT&T products to over 1,500 customers at field events, conferences, and seminars.
• Garnered $8,000 in profits from sales of cellular devices.
• Answered customer service inquiries related to billing, plan upgrades, and technical assistance.
• Maintained routine checks of store operations involving inventory and employee scheduling.

Writing/Editing Content

• Writing content and editing manuscript for final review by editor.
• Posted content and daily status updates for social media, such as Twitter and Facebook.
• Managing a tracking system to ensure newsletter progress and provide management with periodic status updates.

 

Employment History

AT&T — Woburn, MA

  Sales & Marketing Leader, June 2010 – February 2012

Noah’s Publishing –Boston, MA

  Editorial Intern, June 2011 – August 2011

Martha’s Bakery, CT  

  Cashier, February 2010 – December 2010

 

Special Skills

• Software/Applications: MS Word, MS Access, MS Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop

• Languages: Proficient in Spanish

Are you following the best practices for email?

Email is a popular way to correspond in a business setting, but it can also be the most flexible form of communication with rules that differ from company-to-company and person-to-person. For example, do you wonder, should I be responding via email or by phone? What should I include in the subject line of my emails?

4 Tips to Improve your Emailing:

1) Short subject lines vs. detailed

Keep your subject lines short and to the point if you have an email with detailed content to share. If your recipient is busy, a brief subject line might increase chances that your email gets clicked and read. Whereas a longer and more detailed subject line might encourage your recipient to put off the email to when they’re less occupied.

However, if you have a quick and short message to share, it pays to be a little more detailed in the subject line. Type your message in the subject line and close it with an EOM (end of message) instead.

2) Keep email recipients in mind.

Take note of the Reply and Reply all options. If you don’t want everybody in the email thread to get your response, opt to hit “Reply” instead.

3) Informative Signature.

Your signature should include all methods of contact that you’d like to be reached at. This includes, phone number, email address, website and title.

4) Know when to opt for other forms of communication.

If your message requires a quick response or a back and forth exchange.. it might be better to opt for a phone call or face-to-face meeting. Email is a great tool to get a message across, but is a medium that takes away tone of voice and emotion.

For more resources, here is a great article that lists 10 musts to make people love your emails.

Read on for 10 tips on how to get people to love your emails!

What’s the best way to apply to a company? When should I follow-up after an interview?

If you’re job searching, you probably have a lot of unanswered questions. Job search can be a confusing process to navigate and find your way through, but feeling this way is a common emotion of job seeking. While a job search is never easy, it can be made better with the right resources.

Let’s start by answering some fundamental job search questions. Lars Schmidt, Founder of Amplify Talent, provides tips from the hiring side of the process.

Find his answers to the following questions here: “Tips from the Hiring Side of the Office“.

1. What’s the best way to apply to a company?

2. What’s the best résumé format?

3. How damaging are grammatical errors?

4. Do keywords matter?

5. What’s the best cover letter format?

6. When should I follow up after an interview?

7. What’s the best way to learn about a company’s culture?

8. I was perfect for the job but didn’t get it. Why?

9. What’s a personal brand, and do I need to worry about it?

It’s a new year and whether you’re looking to start on your job search or improve your current search, today we’re sharing a helpful list of employers that can make your search better.

Are you tired of submitting an application for a job, only to hear nothing back? If you’re like me, I would rather find out that the company picked another candidate, rather than waiting in the dark. A simple, Thanks for applying, but we’ve decided to move on with another candidate, would help me move on to find other positions instead of waiting on a dead end.

StartWire, a company that gives status updates on your job applications from 8,000+ companies, took it a step further and found the Top 25 Most Responsive Employers:

Rank    Company
1            AT&T
2            Pepsi Beverages Company
3            Rochester General Health System
4            Boehringer Ingelheim
5            Spirit AeroSystems
6            Sears
7            Yale University
8            DeVry
9            Sodexo
10         Northrop Grumman
11         Adventist Health System
12         HCA
13         Amerigroup
14         Baker Hughes
15         JPMorgan Chase
16         Pearson
17         UnitedHealth Group
18         SAIC
19         Capital One
20         SunTrust
21         Staples
22         CROSSMARK
23         Sutter Health
24         Medtronic
25         Auction.com

These employers gave candidates detailed feedback on the status of their applications and show that they understand how important it is to respond to their applicants. How do you feel about employers who respond to their applicants?

If you have those days at work where you encounter downtime and wonder whether you should be taking a breather or not, keep in mind that your downtime can be used in productive ways.

We all need a break once in a while, but if you find yourself aimlessly ticking away your time, this is a sign that you can transform this time to be productive and even help you stand out at work.

Find out company goals and drive new initiatives

Knowing what your company is working towards gives you an idea of how to reorient your work to meet these goals. During your downtime, ask yourself, how does my specific work align with the company’s larger goals?

If this answer is vague, drive new initiatives to position yourself in a role that contributes to these larger goals.

Doing so not only brings your current work into alignment with the company’s goals, but helps you stand out from the crowd. When your company’s goals are being met, they’ll most likely look around to see who took part in the process.

Help your coworkers and show your exemplary teamwork skills

Ask around and see if any of your coworkers need a hand. Doing so helps you build a network of coworkers who may help you out when you are in need of a hand. Furthermore, it shows your boss or supervisor that you have strong teamwork skills.

Plan Ahead

This advice is more common sense…If you have free time, use it to plan ahead! Set up an outline or collect materials you need for a future project.

Planning ahead can save you considerable time once a project begins. This way, you’ll encounter less stress and may even have more downtime later on!

But now.. you know exactly what to do with this new downtime. Keep these tips in mind and you might find that sometimes it’s the little things that take you further in your career.

It’s October and the weather sure is getting colder, but interviews, first days of work, and networking events still loom around the corner. How do you dress to achieve success in these professional settings?

Your attire can speak numbers of your professionalism. Wearing the right attire can improve the impressions you make during an interview or in the office with your boss and coworkers. Furthermore, the right attire can help boost your own self-perception and confidence, allowing you to be at the top of your game.

Let’s take a look at how we can dress for success and be prepared for any professional occasion.

How to Dress to Impress During a Job Interview

During an interview, first impressions can make or break the interview.  A well-dressed candidate immediately gets placed into higher consideration compared to the candidate who overlooks this area.

Men’s Interview Attire

• Wear a solid two-piece suit. Think neutral colors, such as black, navy, grey, or cream.
• Pair it with a long sleeve dress shirt in either white, solid light blue, or conservative stripes.
• Color coordinate with a solid or neutral colored tie. Some designs are acceptable, but keep them minimal.
• Wear dark socks that are mid-calf length to prevent skin from showing when sitting down.
• Wear comfortable business shoes, preferably black (Tip: Invest in a quality pair because good shoes can be worn for years.).
• Double check that your nails are neat and trimmed.
• Carry a portfolio or briefcase with paper and pen prepared to jot down notes.
• Pay attention to any strong scents, such as aftershave or cologne. Overpowering scents can make a negative impression.

Women’s Interview Attire

• Wear a solid two-piece suit. Think neutral colors, such as black, navy, grey, or cream.
• Pair it with a blouse in either white, solid light blue, or conservative stripes.
• Wear comfortable shoes, preferably those that have been worn for a couple of times so you’re not distracted by pain some new shoes cause.
• If wearing a skirt, always make sure to wear tan or light stocking.
• Avoid flashy jewelry and instead opt for conservative ones. You don’t want your jewelry to distract the employer from what you’re saying.
• Don’t over do any fragrances because everyone has different tastes and what smells pleasant to you may be overwhelming for the interviewer.
• Double check that your nails are neatly trimmed or manicured.
• Pair your outfit with a conservative bag or portfolio and make sure to slip in a pen and paper for any note-taking!

Examples of proper interview attire for men and women.

How to Dress to Impress During Your First Day of Work

If you can’t ask ahead for the right dress code, try to recall how your coworkers and interviewers were dressed during the interview. For the first day, it’s always better to be overdressed rather than underdressed. So a safe bet for men is wearing a two piece suit in neutral colors, such as black, navy or grey and pairing it off with a long sleeved dress shirt. Match your outfit with a conservative tie. If you feel overdressed, you can always lose the suit and tie. For women, wear a neutral colored two-piece suit with a dress shirt and some comfortable shoes. You never know how many people you might meet on the first day, so looking well-dressed and wearing comfortable shoes are both important elements to a first day.

How to Dress to Impress During a Networking Event

The great thing about networking events is that they usually have a dress code you can find out in advance. These can range from business formal, business casual, and smart casual.

Business Formal

For men:

• two-piece suit
• dress shirt
• conservative tie
• leather shoes and dark socks

For women:

• two-piece suit with dress shirt or business-style dress with a suit jacket
• heels or conservative flats
• stockings when wearing a dress

Business Casual

For men:

• seasonal sport coat or blazer
• dress shirt, casual button-down shirt, or polo shirt
• slacks or khakis
• loafers or loafer-style shoes and socks
• ties are optional

For women:

• open-collar shirt, dress shirt, sweater, or knit shirt
• skirt, khakis or pants
• casual-style dress
• heels or conservative flats

Smart Casual

For men:

• seasonal sport coat or blazer
• button-down shirt or polo
• slacks
• ties are optional

For women:

• dressy top with skirt
• dressy top with nice jeans or pants
• flats or heels