With a wide variety of services offering instant and affordable background checks, running background checks on job applicants is becoming a standard procedure in many companies. While employers are being cautious, job applicants fear that employers can dig into their past that has nothing to do with the job. Some are just uncomfortable with an idea of someone poking around in their personal history.
We have recently written an article about credit checks on job candidates. Because of the overwhelming response from our readers, we decided to expand into the area of background checks to cover the most important things that any jobs seeker needs to know:
The newly published report from the Washington-based non-profit Partnership for Public Service is showing that over the course of next four years, the U.S. federal government is projected to create over 600,000 jobs in a variety of occupational fields. This is a 50% increase over the previous four years.
If you haven’t considered a government job, you should definitely make it part of your job search. U.S. government jobs provide relatively secure employment, good benefits and lucrative pay. Some of the positions, like deputy associate director for global operations, pay as much as $155,500 a year.
You updated your resume, apply to jobs and network every day, yet you’re still unemployed. What is wrong? Many job seekers are blaming economy and forget to consider that the problem might be themselves.
Many employers consider finding qualified applicants their biggest challenge. Among other things, they value initiative, multitasking, creativity and problem-solving skills. Something most of us have. However job applicants often inadvertently display signs that let employers know that they’re not the best fit for the job.
There are fewer jobs and more competition, but are you doing everything possible? Here are a few reasons for employers to consider somebody else: Read this »
A big part of a successful interview is avoiding simple mistakes. Mistakes are deadly to the job seeker and easy to avoid if you are prepared.
Here are ten of the most common mistakes people make during job interviews:
Arriving Late. One of the worst job interview mistakes is to not be on time for the interview. Collect all the necessary details beforehand to ensure that you arrive on time. Get directions from the interviewer or a map. Leave home early. If you cannot make it on time, call the interviewer, and arrange to reschedule.
Not Being Prepared. There is no excuse with today’s technology to go into an interview without doing basic research on the company interviewing you, their executives, products, customers, and competitors. Read this »
Are your coworkers driving you crazy? You are not alone! A recent study showed that almost 40% of workers feel out of place in the office. We have assembled a list of the most annoying coworker types. Anyone sounds familiar?
Note: This advice is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to solve serious problems!
10. The Obnoxious One
An obnoxious coworker repeatedly bangs on the table for no apparent reason, cracks knuckles and whistles eight hours a day. All this is between thunderous phone conversations. These coworkers have no secrets. They prefer discussing them with a door open and over a speakerphone with the whole office listening. By now you’ve learnt about their bonuses, medical problems, and heard plenty of baby talk with the spouse.
How to deal with them: Hum show tunes every time they get on the phone while hanging around their office and waiting for them to finish the phone call. Better yet, give them a portable phone booth.
“Does anybody really think that they didn’t get what they had because they didn’t have the talent or the strength or the endurance or the commitment”? - Nelson Mandela
In these days employees and job seekers must be effective in order to survive. If you feel tired, burnt out or overwhelmed, take a minute to read this post to focus on simple ways to boost your effectiveness and increase your productivity.
Take Good Care of Your Body
Your health is one the most important things in your life and to being effective. A famous Latin quotation states: “A healthy mind in a healthy body”.
Despite of constant warnings about the career dangers of posting certain content on social-media sites, many job hunters still don’t follow the advice. Social profiles are easily remembered and not always in a positive way. Recruiters, who often move around from company to company, carry this information with them. This can significantly reduce your chances for a long period of time.
People don’t realize that small things like spamming their resumes or bending the truth can damage their career. Job hunters often send cover letters that claim a specific position at the company or submit the same letter for several other openings. Those candidates are loosing their integrity immediately. To avoid that, it is recommended to write about the two or three positions you’re most qualified for in a single letter. Read this »
Perfect grooming is your first assignment when you interview for a job, whether you want to be a top manager or an entry-level factory worker. Clothes may not say everything about you but they sure are a big part of making a first impression.
There is a large group of people who believe in the whole “don’t judge a book by its cover” lie but, let’s face it, we all judge each other by our outer appearances. When you’re applying for a job, it’s smart to bear in mind that you may only get to make a first impression, and that most people hiring you will not spend enough time with you to see past your appearance. Studies show that many interviewers make up their minds about you after the first 10 seconds. It’s therefore important to carefully consider what you should wear to impress your interviewer.
When you are dressing up for a job interview, don’t wear anything too distracting. Don’t dress too casually or wear flashy clothes. And, most important, be neat and clean. Wearing ill-fitting or unpressed clothes sends the message that you are slovenly and don’t pay attention to detail - not what most employers want.
Appropriate attire supports your image as a person who takes the interview process seriously and understands the nature of the industry in which you are trying to become employed. Even if you are aware that employees of an organization dress casually on the job, dress up for the interview unless you are specifically told otherwise by the employer. You also need to think about your face, hair, the amount of jewelry you have on, the strength of your perfume or aftershave, the bag you carry and so on. Read this »
The newly published report from the Washington-based non-profit 
You updated your resume, apply to jobs and network every day, yet you’re still unemployed. What is wrong? Many job seekers are blaming economy and forget to consider that the problem might be themselves.
A big part of a successful interview is avoiding simple mistakes. Mistakes are deadly to the job seeker and easy to avoid if you are prepared.
Are your coworkers driving you crazy? You are not alone! A recent study showed that almost 40% of workers feel out of place in the office. We have assembled a list of the most annoying coworker types. Anyone sounds familiar?
“Does anybody really think that they didn’t get what they had because they didn’t have the talent or the strength or the endurance or the commitment”? - Nelson Mandela
Despite of constant warnings about the career dangers of posting certain content on social-media sites, many job hunters still don’t follow the advice. Social profiles are easily remembered and not always in a positive way. Recruiters, who often move around from company to company, carry this information with them. This can significantly reduce your chances for a long period of time.
Perfect grooming is your first assignment when you interview for a job, whether you want to be a top manager or an entry-level factory worker. Clothes may not say everything about you but they sure are a big part of making a first impression.
