The recruiting for healthcare positions keeps growing and growing. “Whether you are a recent graduate or have been working professional” in the healthcare field, www.healthcareerweb.com will help you get the most out of your job search. There are many of medical professions such as pharmacy technician, nursing jobs, and physician assistant, and medical billing and many more that are included on the health career web.
Working in the Healthcare industry offers many rewards and benefits. Find out more about what you'll gain by pursuing a career in Healthcare today!

1.Job Growth, Job Growth, and MORE Job Growth!
According the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, EIGHT of the Top 20 fastest growing professions are in the Healthcare Industry! And the Healthcare industry has over 13 million jobs. What does this mean for you? It means that as a Healthcare professional, you will enjoy more options – and much better job security and stability. Most likely you will not be downsized, thanks to advances in medicine, and the country's aging population, which is continually increasing demand for medical professionals across the board.

2. Touch Lives - Make an Impact
In what other profession can you touch lives the way you can in the Healthcare industry? You could help bring a new life into the world, or save a life from ending. You can change lives, impacting families the way only healthcare professionals are able to. Not only will you impact individuals, you could also make an impact on entire communities, providing healthcare in a variety of forms or treating diseases and ailments of all sorts.

3.Jobs Available for ALL Education and Experience Levels
Whether you have a GED or a PhD, there is an exciting healthcare career available to you. Sure you need many years of school to be a doctor or a nurse, but there are hundreds of other roles available in the Healthcare industry to be explored.

4.Competitive Earning Potential
Due to the high demand for workers in the healthcare industry, careers in healthcare are some of the most lucrative options available. The more highly skilled you are, the higher your pay will be.

5.Never a Dull Moment!
Why do you think there are so many TV shows about hospitals and medical professionals? Shows like Greys Anatomy, ER, Scrubs, Private Practice are successful because the medical field is exciting, ever-changing, and dramatic in nature. Healthcare is fast paced, you are dealing with life or death situations, and new patients come in every day, so you never will experience the same day twice.

In the video below we are taking a look at setting up Google Alerts. What is a Google Alert? A Google Alert is a simple system where you tell Google a certain phrase and everytime Google finds a new site that has those terms within the page, blog, site, video or group, Google will send you an alert. Go ahead and check out the video: (you can view in full screen by clicking the button with the 4 arrows)



Some things to note:
The more targeted your search term, the better your results are going to be. Get specific with locations and job titles, use longer queries and don't be afraid to test things out. It costs you nothing and you can opt out at anytime to individual alerts.

Take "sales job in Orlando" and change that to "inside telephone sales job + Orlando, FL"
Make "hotel news" and optimize that into "new hotels opening in Orlando, FL"

Please leave any questions or comments below and we will be happy to help you out!

-Greg

 

1. Use a clear and concise objective statement. This is the first thing an employer sees, so it better be good! Make sure that it contains details including what you're looking for, why you're applying (is it to develop your skills, manage, create, etc.) and how you plan to succeed in the position (briefly showcasing what skills you can bring to the table.) This should be no more than two sentences, but preferably one. No, it's not easy to fit all this info into one sentence, but it can be done! 

 

2. List your education in reverse chronological order. You should also list any classes you may have taken that would be relevant to the job you're applying for. Don't put your GPA, unless it's above a 3.0.

 

3. Make a skills section. This section is another attention-grabber. Here you should use as many industry-related keywords, especially those that are mentioned in the job posting. You can also throw in a relevant technical proficiency if applicable (i.e. Microsoft Office 2007.) 

 

4. Your Experience section should be the most lengthy. This is the "bread-n-butter" of your entire resume. If an employer has made it to this section of your resume, you need to sell them on why they should call you for an interview. List, in bulleted form, as much relevant experience you can - focusing on topics specifically mentioned in the job description. Like your education, this should be listed in reverse chronological order. List the tasks you accomplished under each respective job. Keep in mind that each bullet point should point to a goal accomplished (i.e. drove sales, accomplished x,y, or z, and the like.) The employer reviewing your resume should know exactly why you listed each bullet point and be able to relate it to the job you're applying for.

 

5. Include only your most relevant Accolades and Activities near the bottom. Again, this section should be brief and serve only to reinforce your Experience section. Any awards you've received should be somewhat relevant to excellence within the realm of your job or any organization affiliations that showcase leadership. While these aren't going to be major selling points to employers, it can differentiate you from other applicants with similar experience. 

 

6. Make sure your resume is visually appealing. Once you've gotten your content down, now its time to look at its aesthetics. Things like bullet point alignments, margin widths and font are all important in making your resume stand out. To be on the safe side, use a template that already has the formatting done for you. Programs like Microsoft Word are a good starting point for such templates. Even further than that, don't sell yourself short with the paper you print it on. Faced with a stack of resumes, a resume printed on nice parchment will jump out at the hiring manager. Take the time and find a type of quality paper from your local print shop that looks professional and showcases your own personal style. 

 

7. Proofread, Proofread, Proofread. Typing this word three times isn't just for effect, it's a rule of thumb inferring that your resume should be read by three different people before it's submitted to an employer. Now, one of these proofreads can be done yourself and another should be done by a resume expert if possible. A great place to get advice on your resume is at an EmploymentGuide.com job fair!

 

 

Finally, remember that in today's economy, employers want to know that once hired you will be able to immediately succeed in your position. Managers are under immense pressure to drive revenue and can't afford to hire jobseekers that are under-qualified. That means that you should not only focus on convincing a hiring manager that you can perform the tasks at hand, but strive to excel once you've landed the job.  

 

Best of luck in your job search!

On Tuesday at the Orlando Job Fair, I was fortunate to talk to a room full of job seekers that were eager to learn some tricks and tactics to help them uncover jobs online, research companies and gain an edge over their competition by leveraging online search strategies and tools. Here is my presentation slides that were shown.

We just got into the office this morning and some great news for Orlando job seekers has been compiled. Surveys from employers after the event show that there were over 250 open positions and you were able to talk to them, get their attention and attract over 180 interviews.

For those that came to the event, you saw packed session rooms where we hope you learned some things about looking for jobs online, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and so much more. I hope to have slides and information online from both my presentation and the guys from Rock The Job this afternoon for you to look over and utilize in your job search.

Kathaleen Emery from DeVry's Career Services Department noted that there were 52 people who had their resume critiqued and managed in a 1-on-1 setting with many more joining in on their 2 30-minute presentations. Kathaleen will be sending over her presentation slides as well for you to reference as I will be sure to get that online as quick as possible.

Overall it was a great event and I think many Orlando area job seekers were able to get something from the event, either in education, an interview or networking with other like minded job seekers.

Please leave any feedback below and we hope to continue bringing you great events in the Orlando area.

-Greg Rollett and the Orlando Employment Guide Team

Hopefully everyone in the Northwest is keeping cool today with near record temperatures this week. With the way things have gone this year, it would be nice to have a "heat wave" of employment so to speak. Well when opportunities come about you need to capitalize on them. Today, recruiters and hiring managers are using phone interviews as a first round of screening for potential hires. No longer it seems that you can just cruise your way through the phone interview and go straight to the actual face to face interview. So, this article from Spherion Career Blog gives some great tips on how to prepare for the interview. Here are the five tips that they recommend:

1. Conduct the phone interview in a location that is quiet with no distractions.
2. Make sure you schedule the interview when you have time to think about your answers and are not rushing.
3. Treat the phone interview as the first round instead of a preliminary necessity.
4. If it helps, dress for the phone interview. Maybe not in a suit, but make sure you have showered and dressed if you are at home.
5. Prepare by practicing your interview answers, and use all of the interviewing skills you would if this was a face to face meeting.

With all these news reports about the unemployment rate being at a certain percentage, we often wonder how they come up with the numbers that they do. Well here is a post from the Wiser Worker Blog that breaks down the unemployment rate. It does not represent the amount of United States citizens who are not working. Instead, it represents the amount of people actively seeking employment who cannot find it.

With people having to work longer than they anticipated in life, retirement just is not an option. Working has become the new "retirement" plan for a lot of people. Everyone has seemed to take a hit in this economy, and their nest eggs are not stretching as far as they had planned. Well to help those in need you can always look to Wiser Worker.com or Employment Guide.com. We even have a job fair coming up next month for those still looking for work.

So Portland, what are your phone interviewing tips? Also, what is your retirement plan and do you see yourself working much longer than you anticipated? Please leave your comments below.

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide in Portland.

Here is the list of participating companies at tomorrow's job fair at DeVry University.

Americall
Banker’s Life and Casualty
Starwood Vacation Ownership
All Medical Personnel
DeVry
Orlando Weekly
Avon
Fl National Guard
Strategis Company
US Army
CNS Healthcare
Radio Disney
Exxon Mobil
Pro-Rez Solutions
Orange County Transportation
Rock For Hunger
Stepping Onward
Orange County Public Schools
US Marines
Zion World Wide Mission, Inc

To pre-register for the event (not mandatory, you can register at the event) please visit http://orlandojobfair.eventbrite.com

Tomorrow we will be hosting our 3rd Orlando Job Fair of the year and at these events we have been trying to provide resources for job seekers that are looking to gain an edge on their job hunt and this event is no different. DeVry University Career Services will be offering 1-on-1 resume workshops at 10:30 and 12:30 and we have 2 great presentations scheduled to help you get a grip on the Internet and how it can help you not only find new positions, but assist in marketing yourself to companies.

One of these sessions will be run by an Orlando startup, Rock The Job. Last week I had the chance to talk to Robert Dempsey about their initiative and what Orlando job seekers can expect from their presentation at 11:30am at DeVry University. Here is what went down:

Orlando JobSpot: So, who are the guys in Rock The Job and why did you come up with this concept?

Robert: The guys behind Rock the Job are Nick Pettit, Robert Dempsey, and Jim Hoskins. Rock the Job came out of a need we saw to help soon-to-be college graduates use social media to get a job. A lot of people don’t know the power of social media and personal branding, or how to do it. We’re here to help those folks.

If you had to tell someone looking for a job 3 sites to start using today, what would they be and why?

Twitter: a lot of employers are finding people on Twitter, and you can find out a lot about a company here as well, for instance, how they interact, or don’t, with their customers. You can also reach a wide audience and let them know you are looking for a job, and get leads.

Facebook: a site with a user base larger than most countries cannot be skipped. Facebook is a great place for personal branding – show people who you are and what you’re into – and also to do research on companies. It’s also a great place to build a network, and find your community using groups and pages.

Niche community sites: you cannot be all things to all people, so jump into a site or sites that are in your niche, whether it be web development, marketing, finance, or anything else.

A lot of the job seekers that read the Employment Guide are very scared of identity theft and putting themselves online, what would you say to ensure to someone that personal branding and getting online is actually a good, safe thing?

Personal branding and being online is a requirement. Many of us out there in the workforce have the same name, and he with the most content wins on Google. Employers are searching Google for your name, phone number, email, and more. You want them to find you and not some scammer. The best way to do this is to have as many things out there about you as possible, including a blog and Twitter page.

What can the people at the job fair expect from your presentation?

Attendees can expect to get solid strategies for using social media to help find a job.

The Employment Guide held the second job fair of the year at The Baltimore Convention Center on Tuesday July, 21st.

In today’s job market, we know that job seekers are looking for ways to find employment. The Employment Guide is here to help the young, old and mature get on the right path to a new career.

The doors were opened from 10am until 2pm and this allowed the job seekers to talk with employers and hand them their resumes.

There were about 1,500 + job seekers who attended the job fair at The Baltimore Convention center in hopes of finding a job. Nearly 28 companies in the Baltimore area were looking to hire candidates.

Many job seekers said they were looking for anything they could get. However, with the unemployment rate on the rise and the economy decline, this was the biggest turn out for the job fair yet. The employment Guide host several job fairs every year.

The next job fair is scheduled for Thursday September 17th, 2009 from 10am-2pm at The Baltimore Convention center.

We hope to see you there!

Today, the Federal Minimum Wage increased from $6.55 to $7.25. Based on much of the chatter on the web, there seem to be two distinct sides on this issue. 

 

1) The Jobseekers

 

Now, as you would imagine (or maybe you are currently employed at the minimum wage) those whose paycheck is affected by this are extremely happy. Based on a full-time 40 hour workweek, that represents almost a $1,500 yearly pay increase. This can be quite a lifesaver for many of the 4.5 million estimated minimum wage hourly workers. 

 

2) Employers

 

For many employers, this mandate couldn't have come at a worse time. Profits in many sectors are being squeezed due to the recession. Also, many employers are now facing a dilemma with their usual summer hiring since their payroll is now considerably higher than expected. 

 

Whichever category you fall in, EmploymentGuide.com has solutions for you. For jobseekers, find the nearest Putting America Back to Work job fair near you and talk to employers that are ready to hire. For employers, visit our Employer Center and find out how EmploymentGuide.com can meet all your hiring needs. 

 

Just some light food for thought as we head into this weekend. TGIF!

Official Press Release for Orlando Job Fair and Employment Seminar, July 28th

The unemployment rate in Central Florida has now gone over 10%. This recent spike in unemployment has affected many lives, businesses and futures right here in Central Florida. The Orlando Employment Guide is determined to help the community of Orlando get back on their feet and create a positive outlook on their futures and their careers.

To help put Central Florida back to work, the Employment Guide is hosting a Job Fair
with top local hiring companies on Tuesday, July 28th at DeVry University. The event
will also feature an information seminar that will include individualized resume critique sessions, “Advanced Online Job Seeking Tools” presented by Greg Rollett from the EmploymentGuide.com, and “Using Social Media to Find The Perfect Job” presented by Rock The Job. Every job seeker who attends will also receive a free subscription to ProRezOnline.com in order to easily create a search engine friendly personalized resume website designed to help manage their job search.

This opportunity for networking and meeting with hiring companies is free for all local
job seekers. There will be over 20 hiring companies present at the event with hundred’s of job openings available. While unemployment has been rising nationally, The Employment Guide has successfully placed over 11,000 Americans back to work since the beginning of this year through our job fair series. You can pre-register for the Orlando Job Fair by going to http://orlandojobfair.eventbrite.com.

If you are a hiring company and would like to get in front of Central Florida’s top job
seekers, please send an email to greg.rollett@employmentguide.com or call our offices at 407-673-6101.

What: Orlando Employment Guide Job Fair and Employment Seminar
When: Tuesday, July 28th from 10am – 3pm
Where: DeVry University
4000 Millenia Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32839

For more information please visit the Orlando Employment Guide at: http://orlando.employmentguide.com.
Pre-register for the event at: http://orlandojobfair.eventbrite.com.

For all media inquiries, please contact Greg Rollett at 407.673.6113 or
greg.rollett@employmentguide.com.

 

 

I just spent the morning reviewing several hundred emails from job seekers across the country, looking for common frustrations among people looking for work.

 

As you might imagine, many things are bugging many job seekers in this economy.

 

But I boiled them down to four prominent job-search frustrations.

 

Here they are, with suggested solutions. 

 

Which ones apply to you?

 

 

Frustration #1: “I submit my resume for a posted job and never hear back from employers. Did they even read my resume?”

 

Solution: Here are three ways to make sure your resume is received and read.

 

1) Call the employer after applying.
Obviously, you can’t do this if you’re blasting resumes out by the dozens each week, so pick and choose carefully which employers you apply to. The smaller the employer, the more likely you are to connect with a hiring authority by phone.

 

2) Hand-deliver your resume.
This method really works, as I’ve written about before. People who get interviewed and hired after hand-delivering their resumes do the following: 

• • they dress professionally;
• • ask the receptionist if they can personally give their resume to the hiring manager;
• • if refused, they politely request a meeting at a later date;
• • leave a copy of their resume with the receptionist;
• • call or visit again until they get a meeting.

 

When you visit a company to drop off your resume, be ready to interview on the spot, if you meet the hiring manager in the lobby -- it has happened!

 

3) Mail your resume.
Nowhere is it written that you cannot mail a resume after submitting it online. With a little sleuthing on the employer’s web site and/or Google, you can find the name of your potential boss and their mailing address. Still unsure? Call the employer and ask! 

 

 

Frustration #2: “I’m over-qualified for most positions I apply for.”

 

Solution: First, know that employers may fear your getting bored in a role dealing with budgets in the thousands of dollars, if you’ve worked with millions of dollars before, for example. 

 

And employers may fret that you'll leave as soon as a better job turns up.

 

To allay those fears, use your cover letter to highlight your record of long-term employment, if you have one. You can also offer to sign an agreement outlining a minimum stay in a new job.

 

Also, understand that "over-qualified" can mean "too expensive" for some employers, who fear being able to match your salary demands.

 

So, explain in your resume and cover letter that someone with your experience can save or earn significant amounts of money. Then, prove it with specific dollars and figures. Ideally, you will show employers that hiring you is like buying money at a discount -- you can earn or save multiples of every dollar you get paid in salary.

 

 

Frustration #3: “Recruiters and headhunters don’t call me back.”

 

Solution: Lower your expectations. Unless you already have a solid relationship with one, now is not the best time to expect callbacks from recruiters.

 

There reasons are many in this recession, according to Mark J. Haluska, Founder & Executive Director, Real Time NetWork (www.rtnetwork.net).

 

“Most recruiters have a glut of candidates and they’re besieged with unsolicited resumes to fill a dwindling number of assignments. So, before a recruiter ever thinks of calling you, they comb through their database of candidates, looking for someone they know is a proven winner,” says Haluska.

 

Should you follow up with a recruiter, to make sure they got your resume?

 

Perhaps.

 

“You could make a call every couple weeks, if only to leave a voicemail. That should eventually result in contact with the recruiter.” But, be on your best behavior and avoid letting any frustration show; otherwise, “your resume will end up in the shredder,” says Haluska.

 

 

Frustration #4: “I have no time for networking.”

 

Solution: You have time for eating and sleeping. Why? Because they are necessary for survival.

 

Without a job, you will have no food to eat or roof to sleep under. 

 

So make time to network. Even if you have to eat or sleep less for a few weeks … or watch less TV or relax less on weekends. You can always catch up on that later.

 

 

Kevin Donlin is contributing co-author of “Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0.” Since 1996, he has provided job-search help to more than 20,000 people. For a free Guerrilla Job Search audio CD, visit MyNewJobHunt.com 

Recent BLS.gov reports show the unemployment rate is at an astronomical 9.5% for the June 2009. This may be just another statistic for those lucky to have a job. However, for those left without a job, it's a poignant reminder that they join the ranks of millions of Americans affected by harsh economic times. 

 

Fortunately, there are still industries thriving and are projected to continue to thrive in the next couple of years. These industries include healthcare, transportation and insurance. Even MORE fortunate for jobseekers (and readers of The Spot Blog!) is that EmploymentGuide.com and its subsidiary websites offer employment opportunities in these three fields. Try:

 

-CareersinGear.com for transportation/mechanic jobs

 

-HealthCareerWeb.com for health care jobs

 

-EmploymentGuide.com for hourly employment, including opportunities with insurance companies

 

Now for those of you who maybe don't qualify for positions in these industries, now is a great time to go (or go back) to school. TheEducationGuide.com is a great place to find schools in your area that will give you the edge when interviewing for jobs. 

 

So don't let this recession get you down! Let the EmploymentGuide.com team help lead you to your next job!

Here are some links I thought everyone might be interested in locally:

• Workplace problems can be common and hinder you from actually getting your work done. So here is article with a couple of question that deal with workplace problems.
• Here is a great article on how the community around 50th and Division are surviving this recession.
• The demand for food stamps has jumped nearly 30% since last year at this time.
• The jobless rate has dipped slightly but it is nothing compared to the 5.3% that it was at this time last year.
• This might be some really good news, if you have been following the whole fiasco with where the Portland Beavers are going to play after the 2010 season.

I also came across some article that do not have local ties that I thought were interesting:

• With the job market being so thin these days, everyone wants to help you with your resume.
• Spherion Career Blog wants to warn you about job scams.
• Jobless benefit rolls drop for the first time in months, and work productivity is up.
• Facebook is a great social networking tool that just turned 5, but they have not seen any profits. Will they last another five years?

So Portland, what website do you check out that I need to follow? Feel free to add to my list of websites or leave any comments in the section below.

The “Putting America Back to Work” job fair series, with over 50 events scheduled to be held across the country, returns to Pittsburgh on August 4th at Mellon Arena (home of the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins!) from 10AM to 3PM.

The March event, which was also held at Mellon Arena, featured 45 companies and schools and was attended by approximately 1,500 job seekers. One aspect of this series across the country is the post event tracking of how many job offers are made to the job seekers who attended each event. The goal was 10,000 jobs by 2010. As of the end of June that goal was already achieved! The new goal has now been put at 15,000 job offers nationwide. The Pittsburgh event in March has resulted so far in over 150 job offers made giving those in attendance a better than 1 in 10 chance of landing a job.

The upcoming August event is expected to be somewhat smaller in size due to the seasonal aspect of an early August job market. About 35 employers and schools are expected to attend. The doors will open to the public at 10:00AM with free admission for all job seekers and no pre-registration required.

This event, the 2009 Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo, is produced by the Pittsburgh office of EmploymentGuide.com, The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, AARP Foundation WorkSearch and Allegheny Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Representatives from each of those organizations will be on hand to speak with job seekers about programs offered to help with job searches in this difficult economy.

As of this writing 34 employers and schools have signed on to attend. The list includes:

Giant Eagle Corporate
TSA, Transportation Safety Admin
HCR Manorcare
US Navy
Sheet Metal Workers
Transitional Services
Waddell & Reed
Life Pittsburgh
Giant Eagle Get Go
Army National Guard
CCAC, Community College of Allegheny County
Mainstay Life Services
Aramark
SMG/Mellon Arena
H & R Block
Goodwill
Kaplan School
Family Foundations - Early Head Start
CVS Pharmacy
Dish Network
Academy of Court Reporting and Technology
EDMC Online
Giant Eagle Market District
Pittsburgh Job Corp
Giant Eagle Xpress
Quest Diagnostics
Vanguard Cleaning Systems
Lifesteps
United Insurance
Everest Institute
Barber National Institute
Pittsburgh Multicultural Beauty Academy
Pittsburgh Renaissance Hotel
Allegheny County Modern Office Systems Training


This list will be updated every week until the event.

The “Putting America Back to Work” job fair series, with over 50 events scheduled to be held across the country, returns to Pittsburgh on August 4th at Mellon Arena (home of the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins!) from 10AM to 3PM.

The March event, which was also held at Mellon Arena, featured 45 companies and schools and was attended by approximately 1,500 job seekers. One aspect of this series across the country is the post event tracking of how many job offers are made to the job seekers who attended each event. The goal was 10,000 jobs by 2010. As of the end of June that goal was already achieved! The new goal has now been put at 15,000 job offers nationwide. The Pittsburgh event in March has resulted so far in over 150 job offers made giving those in attendance a better than 1 in 10 chance of landing a job.

The upcoming August event is expected to be somewhat smaller in size due to the seasonal aspect of an early August job market. About 30 to 35 companies are expected to attend. The doors will open to the public at 10:00AM with free admission for all job seekers and no pre-registration required.

This event, the 2009 Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo, is produced by the Pittsburgh office of EmploymentGuide.com, The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, AARP Foundation WorkSearch and Allegheny Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Representatives from each of those organizations will be on hand to speak with job seekers about programs offered to help with job searches in this difficult economy.

As of this writing 33 employers and schools have signed on to attend. The list includes:

Giant Eagle Corporate
TSA, Transportation Safety Admin
HCR Manorcare
US Navy
Sheet Metal Workers
Transitional Services
Waddell & Reed
Life Pittsburgh
Giant Eagle Get Go
Army National Guard
CCAC, Community College of Allegheny County
Mainstay Life Services
Aramark
SMG/Mellon Arena
H & R Block
Goodwill
Kaplan School
Family Foundations - Early Head Start
CVS Pharmacy
Dish Network
Academy of Court Reporting and Technology
EDMC Online
Giant Eagle Market District
Pittsburgh Job Corp
Giant Eagle Xpress
Quest Diagnostics
Vanguard Cleaning Systems
Lifesteps
United Insurance
Everest Institute
Barber National Institute
Pittsburgh Multicultural Beauty Academy
Pittsburgh Renaissance Hotel

This list will be updated every week until the event.

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide in Portland.

We are just over a week out from our next job fair to help out the Orlando community. Last week we told you about Rock The Job and they will be dropping by tomorrow for an interview on what to expect from their presentation at the event.

Today we are excited to have Jamie Gregware from ProRezOnline talking with us about their service and what job seekers can expect next Tuesday at DeVry University.


What is ProRez and what can your service offer to local job seekers?

ProRezOnline.com is a company dedicated to helping people find jobs or improve the positions they currently have.

In today’s marketplace, the major difficulty job seekers face is getting their resume seen by human eyes just to be considered. Currently, hundreds of resumes are submitted for any given position and most are either overlooked, discarded or go directly into a computer database. We have created a completely unique, technology driven method to get attention for those looking for employment.

By using our fully automated service, job seekers will end up with their very own professional website, designed specifically for showcasing their resume. Additionally, since many people wish to have a few resume variations, joining ProRezOnline allows for the job seeker to save up to 7 completely independent resume webpages, each with their own web address. Every resume is packed with features certain to have their job submissions stand apart and generate impact. The ProRezOnline resumes use state of the art technologies and innovative application of the most current software. In short, we’re helping job seekers by revolutionizing the entire procedure.

ProRezOnline.com is putting a new face on the entire job application process.

You guys will have a presence at the job fair, what can job seekers expect from you and your team at the event?

We have one singular objective; helping the job seeker maximize all opportunities in their employment efforts. We’ll do this by offering our services (for a limited time) free of charge solely to participants of the Employment Guide event. We also will provide tips and suggestions which have been shared with us by other professionals within the industry. In return, we only ask for testimonials from those willing to provide that.

What are the basics that job seekers need to know to get started with ProRez?

Job seekers will need nothing more than access to a computer. Our services are all provided online. Instructions and tutorials are also incorporated within our website so the entire process is exceptionally easy to set up, navigate and adjust or edit. A specialized user login is also provided so that the user can fully edit or deactivate any of their online resumes at any time.

How important is the Internet to job seekers and in what ways can having a presence online impact their visibility to find a job?

The Internet has become the conventional way of communication. Most vacancies are made known to the public through company websites and job boards so an Internet presence is critical. The irony is, most applicants continue to apply through the submission of paper resumes or the universal job board databases created for the masses. When 95% of jobs are posted online, it only makes sense to provide a resume online. However, that must be done effectively and professionally or the advantages will be lost. ProRezOnline.com guides the applicant through the process to create the most effective content while providing a very powerful method to present it.

Thanks Jamie for taking the time to chat with us this morning and we look forward to seeing you at the Orlando Job Fair next Tuesday, July 28th. Job seekers can pre-register for the Orlando Job Fair and Employment Seminar here.

You can reach ProRezOnline at the following places:

Email: info@ProRezOnline.com
Website: www.ProRezOnline.com
Twitter: ProRezOnline

The “Putting America Back to Work” job fair series, with over 50 events scheduled to be held across the country, returns to Pittsburgh on August 4th at Mellon Arena (home of the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins!) from 10AM to 3PM.

The March event, which was also held at Mellon Arena, featured 45 companies and schools and was attended by approximately 1,500 job seekers. One aspect of this series across the country is the post event tracking of how many job offers are made to the job seekers who attended each event. The goal was 10,000 jobs by 2010. As of the end of June that goal was already achieved! The new goal has now been put at 15,000 job offers nationwide. The Pittsburgh event in March has resulted so far in over 150 job offers made giving those in attendance a better than 1 in 10 chance of landing a job.

The upcoming August event is expected to be somewhat smaller in size due to the seasonal aspect of an early August job market. About 30 to 35 companies are expected to attend. The doors will open to the public at 10:00AM with free admission for all job seekers and no pre-registration required.

This event, the 2009 Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo, is produced by the Pittsburgh office of EmploymentGuide.com, The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, AARP Foundation WorkSearch and Allegheny Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Representatives from each of those organizations will be on hand to speak with job seekers about programs offered to help with job searches in this difficult economy.

As of this writing 28 employers and schools have signed on to attend. The list includes:

Giant Eagle Corporate
TSA, Transportation Safety Admin
HCR Manorcare
US Navy
Sheet Metal Workers
Transitional Services
Waddell & Reed
Life Pittsburgh
Giant Eagle Get Go
Army National Guard
CCAC, Community College of Allegh. County
Mainstay Life Services
Aramark
SMG/Mellon Arena
H & R Block
Goodwill
Kaplan School
Family Foundations - Early Head Start
CVS Pharmacy
Dish Network
Academy of Court Reporting and Technology
EDMC Online
Giant Eagle Market District
Pittsburgh Job Corp
Giant Eagle Xpress
Quest Diagnostics
Vanguard Cleaning Systems
Lifesteps

This list will be updated every week until the event.

With the Orlando Job Fair and Employment Seminar coming up in less than 2 weeks, I thought it would be a good time to get you guys on pace and start looking at some action items to get you in shape for a job this summer. If you are coming from the Employment Guide Newsletter, welcome to the Orlando JobSpot. Feel free to poke around and check out our tips, tactics and advice on looking for a job and as always, leave your feedback in the comments to get personalized answers and advice.

If you are spending your waking hours looking under every stone for a great opportunity in Central Florida, then you know first hand how hard it can be. We have put together this checklist to make your efforts that much more effective. If you want to learn more about these tips, come to one of our educational job seeking sessions at the Job Fair on July 28th.

Have Multiple Resumes and Multiple Objectives
If you are applying to multiple jobs online with the same resume and same objective, you may not be getting the response that you could. By personalizing your resume and objective you are showing an employer that you care about the position they are offering and are presenting the skills and experience that you can bring into that position.

Utilize the Known and Unknown of the Internet
Using sites like LinkedIn and Twitter, you can find a world of information and also leverage contacts to find great new opportunities. Joining niche social networks like HealthCareerWeb.com for health care professionals or doterati.com for Interactive Marketers will put you into the same room and conversation as other like minded professionals. Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/orlandoeg) and see how we can help you out.

Leverage Events and Offline Networking
By joining associations, volunteering and attending networking events you are increasing your visibility and meeting new people that can help you along in your career. Find great events and groups that interest you on sites like Meetup, Upcoming or the Central Florida Community Guide.

Get Jobs Hand Picked and Delivered To You Everyday
By joining programs like EmploymentGuide.com’s Job Alerts allows jobs to be sent to you everyday to save time and give you a jump start to applying to jobs as they become available. By tailoring your search to only jobs you will love, you can be on the right path to being in that career.

Make Job Fairs Count
With so much to do and so much going on, job fairs can get overwhelming. Go in with a plan! Research the companies, see what jobs they offer and find out what you can bring to their company. Use those custom resumes and objectives to grab the recruiter’s attention and be sure to find a way to follow up.

Pre-register for our July 28th Orlando Job Fair here.

With my last two blog entries (here and here)I was taking a look at the struggles of teens finding work this summer. Every summer, college students and high school graduates look for work, but what if your grades aren't up to par? Well the same question was asked on Spherion Blog. Here is what one of the readers asked:

Q: Dear Seymour, My grades aren't great. Does this mean I will have a harder time finding a job?

Here is what Seymour had to say:

Good grades are always a plus on your record. They can earn you recognition and often can open doors. However, good grades aren't important to everyone. To some, grades are an arbitrary measurement system that can depend on what classes you took, the difference between individual teachers, or other factors that don't necessarily reflect on a student's intelligence or abilities. Less-than-perfect grades are not a barrier to finding your dream job. There are still great ways for you to market yourself to a potential employer:

Don't make grades the most prominent part of your resume. When you create your resume, you don't necessarily have to list a GPA. As long as you have a degree or course credit (in other words, as long as you passed something), that is enough to list. Most employers look at your broad education and any experience that relates to the job you are applying for, not your GPA.

Focus on your passions. Put time and thought into what you want to do. Why are you applying for certain positions over others? If you are passionate about a job when another candidate with perfect grades is tepid about it, then you will stand out. Most employers are looking for people who are diligent, honest, work hard, and are happy about coming to work. If you care about what you want to do and are serious about it, that will shine through in an interview and set you apart.

Don't bring up bad grades unless you are asked -- if you are, have a good answer. Never highlight less than stellar qualities in an application process. Unless you are specifically asked about your grades, don't bring it up. If you are asked directly, don't lie. Be honest, but be prepared with a brief explanation about your grades. Do not make excuses. Some good answers could include, "I wasn't focused for the first two years of school," or "I had some temporary personal circumstances," or "I wasn't passionate about what I was studying, but I am very passionate about my current career path." Keep it brief and move on.

Have some other activities to boost your credentials. Find activities that complement your chosen career. Join clubs, trade associations, professional associations, or volunteer organizations that coincide with your field. Using your free time to devote yourself to these things will draw more attention to your motivation and take away from your report card.

These are great tips on how to make you stand out a little more when you thought your grades might hold you back from getting a job.

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide in Portland.

Robert Dempsey and Nick Pettit, creators and video teachers from Rock The Job, will be making a live appearance at the next Orlando Employment Guide Job Fair on Tuesday, July 28th. The dynamic duo will be leading a session on using social media tools to increase your visibility as a job seeker.

Rock The Job is an online video show that helps students understand the impact of social media on their careers. They release new shows every week, with special guests from within the industry.

We look forward to seeing them at the Orlando Job Fair, helping our job seekers understand the importance of promoting yourself online. Check out a clip from episode #5, "Get Noticed."

For more information on the Job Fair and to Pre-Register, please click here.

Follow Rock The Job on Twitter or join their Facebook Group and look for new episodes every Monday.

-Greg

Like a lot of us, it is really hard to go back to work after the 4th of July holiday. We had lots of fun eating, drinking, and popping fire works this past weekend. So it makes it that much harder to go back to work after all that stress relief. So when you are having a hard time getting back into the swing of things at work, here are some tips from Spherion Blog to remember.

Take time off - Getting away from the office and having a little "me time" is the best way to beat the stress blues. Some workers are concerned about taking time off during a tough economy, but taking a day or two for a long weekend may help relieve stress.


Make lists and check them twice - Keeping organized and staying on top of your tasks can help keep stress at bay. Feeling organized can help compartmentalize your responsibilities, relieving anxiety about what's on your plate at work.

Confide in someone - "Venting" frustrations can be a great stress reliever. Most people do not want to be seen as a complainer, but confiding in a close friend or relative can unburden your mental state of mind and is healthier than keeping it to yourself.

Decompress or indulge a hobby - All employees could use a little down time. When times are tough and stress becomes overwhelming, remember to take time to unwind. Work in the garden, read a book, meditate or just take a hot soak in the bath to help you decompress from a hard day at the office.

As you recall from last week's post, teens are having a hard time finding work this summer. Here is another article just to prove that Oregon is one of the toughest places for kids to find work. With the recession most businesses are just not hiring and any open positions seem to go to out of work adults.

So Portland, what tips do you have in relieving work related stress? And for those that can not find summer work, please let us know about your situation. Please leave all comment in the section below.

Click on the image below to view a copy of this week's edition of The Employment Guide in Portland.

The Orlando Employment Guide and Strayer University - Sand Lake Campus - have teamed up to help the Orlando community in their search to find employment and improve their lives. On Wednesday, July 15th join us for an action packed session geared towards helping you navigate your career search.

The Employment Guide has committed 2009 to be the yer that we put Americans back to work, hoping to place over 15,000 individuals through our job fair series as well as through the Employment Guide paper, EmploymentGuide.com, HealthCareerWeb.com, CareersInGear.com and WiserWorker.com.

Greg Rollett from the Orlando Employment Guide will be leading 2 sessions, followed by Q&A on:

• Personal Branding and Marketing Yourself Online
• First Impressions - From Job Fairs to Interviews to Emails and Applications

Admission and parking is free for the general public and the event is open to anyone that is looking to jump start their career or stuck in their job search. Bring paper, pens and an open mind to learning the tricks and tactics that are told by employers and used by successful job seekers.

Session 1: Personal Branding and Marketing Yourself Online

In this interactive session, we will look at the impact of search, Google and Social Media and how that effects your job search. Then we dive into examples and action items to have a Rock Star Personal Brand that companies will love and will set you apart from your peers and competition.

Session2: First Impressions

You first impression today can come in many forms. In this section we look at how to make the most of your first impression, from dressing for success to dressing your resume, email address and greeting. From job fairs to walking into a company's front doors, we will take a look at to-dos, success stories and what companies look for to make a favorable first impression.

Pre-register for the event here as seating is limited.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter for information on this and many other events in the Orlando community. You can also ask us questions and inquire about job opportunities on EmploymentGuide.com.

If you really look at it, getting to Hollywood from the Orlando American Idol Auditions is really similar to the job market in Orlando. There are fewer jobs and more qualified candidates, much like few spots to Hollywood and thousands of people that wait in line to audition. American Idol Auditions are invading Orlando next week.

Registrations are Tuesday, July 7th and Wednesday, July 8th with auditions being Thursday, July 9th. All the craziness will take place at the Amway Arena in Downtown Orlando.

So how do you stand out from the pack in your job hunt and land that 1st or 2nd interview (or an audition to see Simon, Paula and Randy and then get the golden ticket to Hollywood)? Here are 5 tips to work on this 4th of July Weekend:

Resumes and Objectives

Use your resume objective to set the tone for your personality, goals and reason for applying. Make this the strongest 1-2 sentences on your entire resume, being direct and stating a true objective as to what you wish to accomplish. If everyone sings the same song and you come in with a song that truly shows your personality, your skills and talent you give yourself a better opportunity to get your foot in the door and have someone listen.

Non Traditional First Impressions

First Impressions can be made anywhere. When you are looking for a job, you can meet a prospective employer anywhere from the grocery store to a networking event to Facebook. Sure sure you impress when you come across a potential boss. This may mean looking your best everywhere you go and cleaning up your online image. When a star walks in the room, Simon knows it instantly from how they enter, before they sing one word - you need to do the same.

Utilize Your Competition

Befriend your competition. The line for American Idol auditions will stretch as far as the eye can see. So can applicants at job fairs, on job boards and at networking events. Befriend the competition to see if you can learn anything from them. Maybe they went to an interview and a job wasn't for them, but may be for you and vice-verse. Knowledge is power in this job market.

Know the Company Inside and Out

Do your homework and know what the company is looking for and how you can take them to the next level. See where their weaknesses are, where their growth is coming from and apply your skill set and knowledge into the interview, resume or cover letter. Paying attention is an easy way to get attention. You can easily do homework by looking for company blogs, doing searches in LinkedIn or simply looking at Google and Google News.

Reactions

Keep your spirits high. American Idol gets some of their highest ratings in the audition time frame because America loves to see reactions and meltdowns. Do NOT be that person. Keep your head up and move on. There are jobs out there as evident by the over 11,000 job seekers Employment Guide has put back to work this year and will continue to do so through our job fairs, website and newspaper.

Here's to a great 4th of July weekend and best of luck to all the brave souls heading to the American Idol auditions next week. We'd love to hear stories so please leave them in the comments or send them to greg.rollett@employmentguide.com.

-Greg

Like many of us already know the economy is still bad and things have not improved, despite reports that things are turning around. Despite the fact that Portland's jobless jump outpaces the nation, and those in power may not have done all they can to create jobs. Portland can still hang its hat on small businesses. As layoffs mount, more and more people are starting their own business. Last month alone, Portland issued 579 new business licneses which is triple the number from a year ago and they have have issued nearly 7,000 in last 12 months. It all really picked up last September as the recession was just starting to take a hold of the economy. Oregon traditionally relies on small business for job creation than most other states. Companies with 500 employees or less provide 57.2% of all private sector jobs in Oregon compared to the nation average of 50.2%. Some other really good news about small business owners is that Jeff Merkley introduced new legislation to boost tax deductions to $10,000 for those who spend under $60,000 for start up. Currently there is a $5,000 tax deduction for those who spend under $50,000.

With it finally being summer up here in the Northwest, the kids are out of school looking for jobs and there doesn't seem to be many. High schoolers across the area have reported that it has been harder to get a job this year than most years. The teenage unemployment rate in 2008 was estimated at around 17%, but this year they are predicting that it will be up around 22-23%. With the saturated job-seeker market, companies are being really picky with sorting through resumes. This can be a good thing for those hiring though because they can sit back and evaluate all the resumes and applications to select candidates that meet their criteria.

Here is a great article from the San Francisco Chronicle that features some good job fair tips and a quote from our very own Christina Moneypenny. Christina has some excellent advice, "When you submit stuff online, that is great, but it is just a document. When you go to a job fair you get to bring the whole package. The recruiters are there and they will know within in 30 seconds whether or not you are the right person for the job."

So Portland, what is your take on small businesses? And is this something that will bring us out of the recession? Also what are your feelings on the shrinking job market for teens? Please leave your comments in the section below.