10 Ways To Raise Your Chances Of Landing The Job You Really Want

Everyone wants to raise their chances of standing out from the pack and landing the job. Here are 10 ways to be a better candidate.

The job market is starting to turn around, but it is still an employers market out there. For every job opening that gets posted, there are hundreds of applicants. So, how can you raise your odds of standing out among such a large group of professionals?

There are several things you can do to be a better candidate. Some of them are fairly easy, while others might take a little more work. But if you are serious about finding the job your really want, here are 10 things that you can do to gain a competitive edge:

1. Practice public speaking – How difficult this one is depends on how comfortable you are with speaking in public right now. If the thought of it causes you to sweat and feel like you might be sick, then you will have a little bit more work to do. A good public speaker exudes a capable confidence. You can look for books on public speaking techniques at your local library, and if you look around, you may be able to find classes or workshops that can give you more hands on help.
   
   
2. Know what you want, and what you're willing to accept – You aren't going to be able to find a job that will give you everything you ever wanted. There are going to be some compromises, it's just a fact of life. Make a list of the things you absolutely have to have and then decide what things you are willing to compromise on, and how much. This will give you confidence when negotiating things like salary or benefits.
   
   
3. Create a website – Add a link to your website on your resume and your business card. This way, if the employer wants to find out more about you, they can easily access the information. Keep you page simple and professional, remember that they could be looking at your site to determine if they want to invite you to interview.
   
   
4. Be enthusiastic – This one doesn't take time or money, it just takes a positive attitude. Enthusiasm is catchy, and your interviewer won't be able to help being a little happier after having met an enthusiastic candidate like you.
   
   
5. Update your resume – Do a web search on what a new resume looks like. The format has changed a whole lot over the past 5 years or so. Now, the resume is a marketing tool. Make sure your resume shows that you are current on the latest business trends.
   
   
6. Practice, Practice, Practice – Before your interview, you should practice answering interview questions in front of your friends and family or even a webcam. Role-playing the interview with a partner is a great way to be more confident during the interview.
   
   
7. If you are overqualified or are taking a step down, address it in the cover letter – For some reason, it seems that many people think that the employer will understand that they are willing to take a lower level position. The truth is that unless you address the fact that you are overqualified and give a brief reason for it, you resume is probably not even going to be read.
   
   
8. Copy your interviewer's body language – This is one of those tricky things that actually work. It you want to create stronger rapport, mimic the interviewer's body language. When then lean in, you lean in. This is a psychological technique called mirroring, and it is shown to increase trust.
   
   
9. Smile – Especially during a phone interview. When you get ready to pick up the phone for a scheduled interview, smile big before you say hello. If you have to, place a mirror near you so you can make sure you are smiling throughout the call. When you smile, people can hear it in your voice and it makes you instantly more like-able.
   
   
10. Don't be afraid to fail – It happens to all of us at some point of another. If you never fail, it is because you never really take a risk. You may not get offered the job, but it's good practice for the next interview.

What do you think about these easy tips for increasing your odds of landing the job you really want? Let me know in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for HealthcareJobsiteBlog. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Philly Steps up Safety for Commuters who Bike to Work

Gas prices are expected to climb to nearly $5 a gallon by summer. The surge in price per barrel oil and the fair spring weather after such an extreme winter have some commuters considering changing their rides. Instead of hitting gridlock in gas guzzlers, cash in on the environmental and economical option of biking to work.

If you live and work in the Center City section of town, then you may be swayed to switch. The addition of the safe routes in the north-south corridors are going to be created by establishing bike lanes linking Spring Garden and South Streets. The six-foot wide lanes will make it easier and safer for cycling commuters to access the subway and travel around town.

Two critical gaps in the city's impressive network of bike paths are currently under construction. The extension of the Schuylkill River bike trail will link Falls Bridge with Ridge Avenue. Mayor Nutter hopes that by making the streets safe for cycling it will help make them safer for foot and vehicle traffic as well.

Biking to work carries its fair share of responsibilities. Operating a bike is considered operating a vehicle and there are laws attached to them that everyone is expected to follow. People who don’t follow the rules will be fined $10 unless their actions are unsafe and result in a steeper fine. Some of the city’s rules seem like common sense; others you may not realize are applicable. They include but are not limited to:

• Follow signs and lights like an automobile


• Ride on the right, as close to the curb as possible


• Use a permanent seat


• No extra riders


• If there’s a bike line available you have to use it


• Lamps and reflectors are required for sunset to sunup cycling


• Brakes are required on all bikes


• Parking on the sidewalks in a way that allows people to pass is ok, riding on the sidewalk is not


• Find the full list here

Biking is a great way to get where you’re going and it doesn’t take long for you to notice the changes in your physique and fuel tank. Check back next week for tips everybody biking to work needs to know unless you don’t mind showing up to work with a skunk streak up the back of your work shirt.


By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer with experience in web, film, photography and animation as well as traditional fine arts like painting and sculpting. In addition to writing for PhillyJobsBlog.com, she is co-founder of design and promotion company, BlackChip Solutions with fellow Beyond.com blogger, Staci Dennis. Heather’s spare time consists of making puppets, teaching Sunday School, building Legos and doing science experiments with her children.

What not to wear to a job fair

Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground...

A few weeks back, I went down to Lincoln Financial Field for one of those large job fairs where multiple employers hold mass meet-and-greets with would-be employees. Most of the jobs being offered at events such as this one are of the kind where appearance counts: sales, administrative, clerical, retail, and similar jobs where employees deal directly with the general public or business customers.

And as I walked from the subway station to the stadium, I noted that most of the people headed to and from the fair were dressed professionally, in suits, or at the very least, dress shirts and neckties.

And then I saw him. He was a young man, walking back from the stadium with two young women, and he was dressed extremely casually, in the style of the streets: polo shirt, sneakers, and baggy khakis hanging from his hips, with his boxer shorts poking up between pants and shirt.

What kind of job did this kid think he could get dressed like that? I asked myself.

And what are they teaching kids about job and interview readiness?

I suspect the answer to that question is: They're not, whoever they may be. Judging from what I read and see in the news media, the schools are too busy keeping kids from beating each other up to spend any time instructing them in the finer points of landing a job. The parents, I suspect, also don't know enough about applying for service and professsional jobs to be of much use to their children if they have questions about the job search, though I hope I am underestimating the parents here.

Fashion may change all the time, and styles come and go, but when one is looking for a job, the rules haven't changed at all: Professional attire is a must when going on an interview, and a visit to a job fair counts as an interview. Invest in a decent suit and dress shirt, for they will serve you well, not only on the job hunt but on those occasions at work when good first impressions count. Grownups, please pass this on to all the kids you know.

Not dressed for success? Come as you are to the 24/7 career fair that is PhillyJobs.com.

By Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is a veteran freelance writer, editor and public relations professional who lives in Philadelphia. Besides blogging for PhillyJobs.com, he has written for numerous publications and websites, would be happy to do your resume, and is himself actively seeking career opportunities on Beyond.com. Check out his LinkedIn profile and read his other posts on PhillyJobsBlog.com.

Grammy Reporter Serene Branson May Have Suffered Mild Stroke

by Alex A. Kecskes

KCBS-TV’s Serene Branson recently shocked some viewers during her live report on “highlights and backstage coverage” of the Grammy award ceremony. By her expression, the reporter knew she was uttering words that made no sense and some medical experts believe she may have suffered a mild stroke.

Neurologists note that strokes can interfere with the brain's ability to recognize and construct words, thus producing the kind of babble viewers witnessed during Branson's report. KCBS released a statement saying that her vital signs were normal, that she was not hospitalized, and that a colleague gave her a ride home as a precautionary measure.

Dysphasia or confused speech can be the result of a number of episodes. Among the most serious would be strokes, vascular spasms and TIA’s (Transient Ischemic Attacks). A TIA is a temporary interruption in blood flow to a particular area of the brain, which in Branson's case could have caused Broca's or Wernicke's Aphasia, resulting in speaking words that have no meaning. After the TIA passes (which could be minutes to hours), the individual can appear completely normal and have no symptoms.

Additional causes would be temporal lobe seizures, heart rhythm disturbances and toxins (including medication and alcohol). The important thing is for Branson to be thoroughly examined so that doctors can rule out any of these more serious conditions. I wish her well and hope to see her back on the air.

For an added perspective, check out this video:

Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients. Please see more of his blogs and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.

Top Four Business Presentation Tips

Do you have a fear of public speaking? If so, you are not alone as this fear is a quite common one. However, with practice, your fear of this type of activity will diminish – and who knows you may even learn to enjoy making public speeches?!





That said, if you do have to make a public presentation, you want to create a business presentation that will engage your audience. To keep your audience interested in what you have to say, you should keep the following information in mind:






Focus on the Important Information


As your audience is more interested in "quality information" over a "quantity of information", it is vital that you focus on only what is truly important to the audience. For instance, think about the purpose of your presentation and only talk about items that support this purpose. Give the audience concrete examples as well so that they can personally relate to what you are saying.






Provide Handouts


In order to keep the attention span of your audience, it is important that you do not make the presentation too long. If you have quite a bit of information that you wish to cover, you should only discuss the most important points - as any additional information can be explained in a handout that you give to your audience.







Be Organized


In order to give a memorable presentation, it is vital that you present your material in an organized and cohesive manner. You should begin your presentation with an introduction that briefly covers what you will be discussing – and from there, you should explain your main points in a thorough – yet concise manner. Lastly, you should sum up these main points with a short conclusion.






Remember to Rehearse


As the most successful presentations are well-rehearsed ones, it is important for you to go through your presentation beforehand until you are one hundred percent prepared. Besides helping to calm your nerves, rehearsing it will also help with the timing of your presentation. As you may only have an allotted time to speak, determining how much time to spend on each of your points is particularly important.






While public presentations can be daunting for some people, both practice and learning presentation techniques can be quite helpful.






Larisa Redins is a full time writer and editor with degrees in both Arts and Biological Science. She writes about career issues for PhillyJobsBlog.com and other topics for a variety of international websites and magazines. Please visit her other blogs at PhillyJobsBlog.com and view job posting at Beyond.com.

Okay Guys, Listen up!

So you notice that you have to let your belt out an extra notch to feel comfortable. You tend to be a little short of breath after light exertion that you used to be able to do without even thinking about it. You ponder what this could mean as you put out your cigarette. You wonder if you should have a checkup by your doctor. You, my friend, are a health risk.

There are several serious threats to men’s health and prevention is the pay off. Here’s some ways to reduce that risk.

Heart disease: If you smoke, ask your doctor for suggestions and help on quitting. Second hand smoke can be an issue also. Add more veggies, fruits, whole grains, high fiber grain and fish to your diet. Try to avoid saturated fat and sodium. If you have any chronic conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure or diabetes, follow your doctor’s advice on keeping them in check. Also get moving. Do something that you like to do to get more active, even just walking is a good choice. It’s cheap and you don’t need any special equipment but a good pair of sneakers. If stress is an issue and you can’t avoid it, learn healthy ways to deal with it.

Cancer: Smoking can contribute to different forms of cancer. Try to quit. Maintaining a healthy weight and keeping it off can lower the risk of a lot of cancers. Alcohol can increase the risk of colon, lung, kidney, and liver cancer. The more you drink, the higher the risk so limit your intake. Have screenings for cancer regularly because screenings can catch cancer in the early stages. The survival rate is much higher when caught early.

Accidents: Car accidents are one of the leading causes of men’s deaths. Always wear your seatbelt, obey the speed limit and traffic laws. Never drive when tired or groggy from lack of sleep or medication. The prevention labels are on the medicine bottles for a purpose, read them. Do not drive while drinking…ever.

Stroke: Your family history, race and age can contribute to having a stroke. However, there are preventive measures that you can take. Manage any chronic conditions and follow your doctors orders, avoid smoking and alcohol. Eat healthy and exercise.

Type 2 Diabetes: Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to heart disease, eye problems, nerve damage and other complications. If you do have diabetes, keep it controlled. Use your glucose meter daily. Eat healthy, watch your sugar intake and keep physical activity in your life.

Suicide: Believe it or not, suicide is a high health risk for men. If you’re feeling depressed, sadness, unhappy, a loss of interest in normal activities, please talk to your doctor as soon as possible. There is treatment that can help. If you are contemplating suicide, call for emergency help or go to the emergency room immediately.

Get serious about reducing the risks listed above. You only have one life to live so make it the best one you can have!

By Linda Lee Ruzicka

Linda Lee Ruzicka lives in the mountains of Western PA , happily married and with her 8 cats and three dogs. She has been published in Twilight Times, Dark Krypt, Fables, Writing Village, June Cotner anthology, The Grit, Reminisce , the book, Haunted Encounters: Friends and Family. She also does freelances work for Beyond and Healthcarejobsite. You can read more of her blogs on Healthcarejobsite blog.

Increase Your Odds Of Landing a Job Offer...In Just 5 Minutes

Increase your chances of landing the job you want by 20 percent...in just 5 minutes

So, you sent in your resume and were invited to interview for the position. Especially when you think you have found the job that it perfect for you, it's so easy to wish for a magic spell or trick you can do that will increase your odds of getting the job offer.

Believe it or not, there is something you can do that will raise your chance of being offered the job, and it doesn't even take very much effort. And no, it isn't wearing your lucky socks to the interview or wearing a special amulet. To improve your odds, all you have to do is write a thank you note immediately after your interview.

Believe it or not, employers still appreciate the professional courtesy of a thank you for giving you the opportunity to interview for the opening. Not only that, but a thank you note shows that you have a firm understanding of follow through and professional etiquette. When you pay attention to that type of detail, the interviewer gets a lasting impression of you as being someone who is really serious about wanting that particular job.

The biggest question now is, should you send a hand written thank you note through the mail or is an emailed thank you note just as effective?

It really depends on the type of company you are interviewing for and the industry you work in. If you are looking for a job at a company that makes use of social media and has a reputation of using technology to simplify their workload, for example, a company that has a paperless office or other tech friendly policies; an emailed thank you note would be prefered. However, if you are interviewing at a small office that prides itself on providing a personal touch for their clients, then you are better off sending a hand written note.

If you aren't sure which way to go, you should probably opt for the emailed thank you note. Most interviewers aren't opposed to receiving it via email and there are many who actually prefer it that way. Although, if you are interviewing for an executive level position or the like, you may want to send a hand written note on nice stationery.

Even though the job market is slowly improving, there is still a great deal of competition for every job opening. The job market is definitely an employers market right now, and job seekers are having to work harder than ever to stand out.

When you are writing your thank you note, be sure to briefly restate your qualifications and your excitement about the job opening. You can also include anything that you forgot to mention during the interview. For example, if after you left, you regretted a certain answer or felt that you didn't mention something that was important to your candidacy, you can touch on that as well. Even with all of that information, you still want to keep the note very short and to the point. Remember, it's a thank you note, not a thank you short story or thank you novel.

The easiest way to keep it short and sweet is to write down all the things you want to say, and then edit it down to the basics. Once you have come up with the text of your thank you note, proofread it several times. Double check to make sure that you have spelled the interviewer's name and the company name correctly. You can prepare ahead of time by asking the interviewer for their business card at the end of the interview, or if you don't have a card, check out the company's website or their corporate directory.

If you opted to send a hand written note, try to mail it out on the same day that you interviewed. It's a good idea to keep some professional stationery, pens and a book of stamps on hand so that there won't be any delays in getting it out in the mail.

Once you send the email or drop the letter in the mail, you can breath easy knowing that you did all that you could to land the job.

Do you typically send thank you notes after interviews? Let me know in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.