Regular old resumes appear to be for the birds these days. According to Colorado Tech University, the resume you choose needs to include your social networking savvy as well as your standard experience. Their own infographic walks a resume writer through the necessary steps:

Image courtesy of institutechildrenslit.net

You ask most people if the cause of their stress is email and they’d say yes, but the cause is not so much the amount of email or the work it can lead to, but the culture that has been created around email.  According to Boston University Associate Professor Stine Grodal, email causes stress because of the following issues:

• Time over volume: It isn’t necessarily the amount of email we receive that overwhelms us, but the time it takes to read and respond to dense, cryptic or outright incoherent messages.
• Nebulous rules: Because emails don’t interrupt us like phone calls do, there are no rules around appropriate and inappropriate times to send emails. In this way, “email begins to blur the lines between work life and home life,” says Grodal. “It comes at all times of day — late at night and early in the morning.”
• Response time: Further complicating the rules, most senders have come to expect a reply within two hours, explains Grodal. “That puts a lot of pressure on people to respond to email outside of the work day,” she adds.

By this reasoning, this stress can only continue as our business world relies more and more on emails and social networking and our personal lives adds text messaging and further social networking to the mix.

So, how do you manage that stress?

• Start a new culture. Pick up the phone and you might be encouraging others to call you instead of emailing. Response time will be cut down and hearing the intonation in voices will also cut down on your time spent decoding those “cryptic” emails.
• Schedule your emails. Read your emails and respond at set times of the day. Turn off the message alarms on your phone or Outlook/Entourage.
• Don’t double messages. If you send an email, leave it at that. Don’t then instant message, text message and/ or call as a follow up. If you’re in a hurry, start with a phone call.
• Avoid the cc. As a boss, I hate being cc’d on messages just to make a point. It acts as a silly threat; everybody knows why you’re doing the cc and everyone resents it. The risk is also that, if you continue to cc unnecessarily, the boss will ignore your more important messages.
• Same as above for bcc, read receipts and flagged messages. Don’t cry wolf.

I’ve often heard that interviews are won or lost in the first five minutes. In the last week I have conducted a slew of interviews for an entry-level communications specialist. The position requires excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, organizational skills, a strong “get it done” attitude, and a journalism or public relations background. I can honestly confirm that, while the job may not be given, the job is often lost in the first five minutes.

You already know that you need to arrive on time, dress professionally and give a firm handshake, but did you know that the way you present your resume matters? I recently watched as one candidate spent several minutes looking through a stack of papers for what was a dog-eared copy of her resume and list of references. Note that organizational skills were integral for this job.

Another thing that will lose an interview is showing a lack of confidence, so act confident, even if you’re not.*
How?
Watch your body language. Sit up straight, don’t fidget and maintain eye contact.
Don’t be afraid of silence. This is difficult, but it’s the easiest way to trip someone up; just ask lawyers or journalists!

One that some people may not think about is showing that you take direction well. You may think that you need to prove you can take control, but there is a level of respect that should be adhered to within an interview.  Let the interviewer lead the interview. I once interviewed a graphic designer that brought his laptop to show some of his sites. What transpired next was twenty minutes of him leading me around the Internet. I didn’t want to be rude as he was clearly excited about his work, but it was unnecessary and I felt he lacked focus as a result.

Do your research. I’ll never forget asking a candidate, “What do you know about StormStaff?” and the response was, “Well, I was hoping you could tell me more about StormStaff. What is it that you guys do?”  Clearly the journalism skills haven’t led her to research us! Plus, how passionate could she possibly be if she doesn’t know what we do?

If you need further interview help, download our Interviewing Tips Whitepaper

* When acting confident, don’t act cocky. It’s ok to admit if you haven’t done something that may be expected of you, but are a fast learner and excited to take on new challenges.

Currently, the U.S. unemployment rate is at 9.5% and thousands of job seekers are in search for jobs.  Even if you currently have a job, you may be thinking that now might be the time to start looking again.  I have been interviewing candidates for the past two years for my company and have seen job applicants do the right things and the wrong things.  Here is my best advice on how to ace your next interview:

1. Prepare: Be early, know exactly how to get to the interview and make sure you allow enough time for traffic.  Arrive calm, relaxed and don’t forget to eat beforehand!  My first interview lasted 4 hours because I had to interview with 5 different groups of people.  I had no idea it would take that long and I was famished at the end!
2. Be Confident: Walk into the interview like you will get the job.  Imagine a scale of a 1-10 and walk in feeling like an 8-10. Show enthusiasm and interest about the job and let them know that you want it.  It is a red flag to the interviewer if you don’t seem interested.
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Every day, millions of Americans feel unhappy and stuck in their present job situation. Are you one of these individuals? It may feel overwhelming at first, but keep your hopes up – there are other job opportunities available for you out there! If you put in the right efforts for your job search, you’ll find the right job. After all, both you AND your employer deserve to be happy! So what can you do to get a start on your new job hunt?

Here are some tips to help you get out of your rut and help you find a job that you really want:

1. Keep your current job and your job search 100% separate of each other. Your current employer is still paying you, so do not look for work while you’re at work. This may sound obvious to some of you, but you’d be surprised how many people spend their time in the office job searching. Instead, use your own time, such as breaks, lunch hours or time at home, to do anything related to your job search. Along those same lines, do not discuss your job search with co-workers. Use your personal e-mail when sending out resumes and applications and if you receive any job search related phone calls while you’re at work, take them away from the office to avoid someone overhearing you.

2. Build up a network. Networking is important when finding a new job. Where can you start? Consider joining professional organizations, attending luncheons or community meetings. You may also want to consider joining professional networking sites like LinkedIn.com, which can provide easy opportunities to network with other professionals in your industry. Be careful what you post online, though. If you’re connected to your co-workers, it’s best to refrain from posting any negative comments about your current job situation or commenting about your job search at all.

I’ll admit it: I’m probably somewhere in the running to becoming LinkedIn’s #1 Fan. I’ve even been known to call LinkedIn “my new best friend” from time to time. Why? In the professional world, LinkedIn can open up a wide range of opportunities. Whether you want to make new connections or just get your name out there, LinkedIn seems to be the best place to do it.

Let me start by saying that there are over 65 MILLION people on LinkedIn. That number includes job seekers, recruiters, hiring managers, executives and regular ol’ joe schmoe’s like me and you. There are tons, and tons, AND TONS of amazing professional opportunities and resources available on LinkedIn.

So, I’ve written this blog post and I dedicate it to all of you out there who may not know, or understand, the power behind a LinkedIn account in your job search. Whether you’re new to the site or a self-proclaimed LinkedIn aficionado, this post is for you.

How can you shine like an Olympian during your job search in 2010? Olympic athletes may have four years to prepare for the intense competitions they face during the Olympic Games, but you only need these four steps to go for the gold in your job search and beat out the competition!

© VANOC/COVAN

How can you prepare yourself to top the competition during your job search? In order to succeed, you need to create a strategy that works for you.

Some of our most recent blog posts have given you tips for your next interview. But what happens after you leave the interview? Should you follow up? And if so, what’s the best way to do it? The answer to the first question is yes, always follow up. You may have finished the interview already, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t still selling yourself. The best way to follow up would be sending a thank you letter to your interviewer. If you’re not sure what to write in the letter, here are some tips to help:

- Plan to send out your thank you letters as soon as possible (preferably within twenty-four hours) after your interview.  Keep the tone courteous and thankful.

- The letter can be typed up into an e-mail or handwritten, as long as you send one!

- Use your letter as a way to stand out from the crowd and make a good impression. Ask yourself – did anything stand out? What would the interviewer remember about me?

- If there is something you didn’t get a chance to mention during the interview, say it by including it in your thank you letter.

- Keep your thank you letters short and simple. Edit the letter so it reflects your personality and your interest in the new job. Remember to show your enthusiasm for the company and to sell yourself as the ideal candidate.

- Finally, spell check and proof your thank you letter. Then ask someone else to proof it for you.

If you are interested in learning more about the job seeking process, sign up to order a free StormStaff Job Seeker’s Guide. The kit includes all of the information you need from building your resume to scoring the perfect interview! Sign up by clicking here.

A recent article featured on Yahoo!hotjobs titled   “10 Ways to Be Liked in Your Job Interview” lists 10 ways to increase success for your next job interview. The list goes over various interviewing don’ts: from avoiding excessive smiling and off-target questions to keeping small-talk and jokes to a minimum. While the list can be comical, the advice is beneficial to all job seekers.

10 mistakes to avoid for interview success:

1. Don’t be a “smiley face” - excessive smiling can also be seen as nervousness
2. Don’t be a small-talker – be knowledgeable about the company you’re interviewing with and avoid random facts
3. Don’t sweat – it can be seen as a sign of weakness and nervousness and will not impress
4. Don’t be a road block – interviewers are seeking eager candidates
5. Don’t be petty - avoid asking questions about routine elements of a company
6. Don’t be a liar - even a slight exaggeration is lying
7. Don’t be a bad comedian – humor tends to be subjective, so be careful
8. Don’t be high-maintenance - interviewers will not be interested in someone who’s finicky about their workspace
9. Don’t be a time-waster – make questions intelligent and to the point, otherwise you’re wasting time
10. Don’t be a switchblade – avoid bashing former employers

You can read the entire article by clicking here.