CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT THE BOTTOM
Since last week I’ve been kind of in a give something awesome away mood. And since I figure that most of you are raging coffee drinkers, a $20 Starbucks gift card is that awesome something. So, how do you win? Check the contest details below…
COTJ’s Awesome $20 Starbucks Gift Card Contest
How to win – It’s simple. Just leave a comment below and that counts as your submission. You have until Friday, 12:00 PM Eastern Time to leave one.
Comment Guidelines – Alright, so in your comments I’m specifically looking for a few things:
- A topic suggestion or question you have that could be a post on COTJ
- Suggestions for changes on COTJ (new pages, navigation, plug-ins)
- Submit a question for #JobHuntChat
- Your thoughts on my about section. Should I update/change?
Bottom line is to just leave a comment that is meaningful. Leave me something of value to me and the Corn Heads. If your comment just says “Hi”, or looks spammy, then it won’t count as a submission.
Picking a winner – When the deadline passes on Friday, I’ll head over to a random number generator and pick out the winner.
Let’s get it started folks!
So I actually decided to hand out four gift cards instead of one. Here are the winners;
$20 Starbucks Card Winner – Kelly Ashworth
$10 Starbucks Card Winner – Grace Boyle
$5 Starbucks Card Winner – Megan Cassidy
$5 Starbucks Card Winner – Reed Porter
{ 101 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d love to hear what others think about this – but I have had several friends who are going through the realization that they HATE the career path they are on…. they are 25 to 30 and either figured out they don’t like their field in which they have a degree in and don’t have enough money to go back to school at this point, OR they are NOT doing what they went to school for but have a ton of experience in the field they’re working in and are HATING IT!
A lot of them have felt “I’m quarter life with 4 or 5 years of experience in a job I loath… where do I go from here?” My dad always said “If you love your job you’ll never work a day in your life”, well that’s a bit hard to accomplish at such a young age… but where do you start when you know you want to go in a completely different direction with your career but you’re not sure how to get there? Do you have to start at the bottom of the corporate totem poll again b/c you’re a newbie in the field?
I have been in the same field for a while – all non-profit event planning. However it took me a long time to realize Fundraising is not the way I wanted to go. I went from Charitable organizations to Professional Association Event Planning and I’m loving my new job.
Hey Meg – thanks for leaving your suggestion and thoughts. It’s pretty common, and I think it’s a great idea for a topic here on COTJ, or a guest post from someone.
Sometimes the job you have is not really the job you want. The career path is not always very clear. Once in a while, as it happened to me, you get laid-off. After the bitterness fades, you come to the realization that you are meant to do better things. you can turn around and thumb your nose, saying (silently) “Thank you !@#!#$ employer for laying me off because now I can do what I really want to do”. This is the way of the job seeker who has a plan and is work-ready. This really applies to the basement entrepreneur or start-up who finally has the time to devote to creating a buzz as opposed to following one. The job is not the goal, but the fulfillment of doing what you are meant to do and really want to do is the goal.
Remember, it is NOT all about you but ultimately, all about what you can do for the potential employer, recruiter, entrepreneur and startup. It is all about the target market audience, so make sure that your aim is well directed. I am in the same boat as many out there, except that I have a goal in mind and mine is working. I am, after all, Queen Schmooze and can help any job seeker, entrepreneur or start-up postiion, brand and find opportunities.
Yo Schmooze – thanks for your thoughts on Meg’s comments. I agree, being laid-off is not always a bad thing. It has been wonderful for me, and now I’m clearer on what I should be doing.
Oh I want to know about the same thing Meg posted. Also, I’d really love to know where the hell I’m supposed to find this “job that I love” non-sense that everyone keeps yapping about. I don’t love anything that much to want to do it every single day 40+ hours a week. Where and when does everyone have this epiphany? I have a job that I like, and pays well and I am good at it. But I’m not shouting about it from rooftops. Where can I fall in love with a career?
Also, how can I convince employers that my lack of a degree is made up for by my 12 years of experience? It is particularly difficult now and in my region because they are giving away McDegrees every second. I have had at least 4 people specifically tell me that I’m completely unqualified for a job because I don’ t have a degree, or that they won’t even consider my resume because of it. And some of these jobs I had already been doing for a competitor. It is like to some hiring manager or recruiters a degree means so much more than it is actually worth. I bring my network to the table and all of the relationsihps that I had formed over the past 12 years in an industry and yet because I don’t have a piece of paper saying I learned how to play beer pong for 5 years, I’m not good enough? Seriously, completely unqualified, or I just lack a degree, but other than that I’m totally more than qualified??? I’m not going back to get my degree, I have an associates and that is just going to have to be good enough.
Hey Jen – great points you make. It’s my theory that one does not need to shout out that they love their job. Passion is wonderful, but not needed for success. I see passion as the extra bonus. Sometimes your passion is just living a life outside of work and supporting your life through working.
Valid points on education. It’s hard to convince SOME employers that education is not needed in a certain field. In their eyes, why pick someone who doesn’t have the degree, over a candidate who has? It’s tough, but some employers aren’t as strict. Maybe I’ll cover this at some point?
Two Schools of Thought:
ONE being that you find a job (or company in my case) you love and are very passionate about. TWO you have a job that you can survive that pays the bills and gives you time to do things that you are passionate about…such as golf. Both, an individual can be successful. My personal take is that I can’t, that’s too strong, let’s go with really don’t want to, work for organization that I do not believe in our mission. Probably why I work at Cincy Children’s Hospital…is the leader in child health. I am passionate about my organizations mission, maybe not so much my position at the moment but that will come later. I just can’t image working 30 yrs and not finding any meaning in what I do. That is madness.
My Professor
I took a communications in project management (teambuilding) course with an awesome Professor that has be perfect answer Jen. As for being passed up for jobs because a lack of a degree he would inform you, “That is the way the game is played.” Just because you don’t like, disagree with the rules, they are the rules of the game. Is that right? Wrong? Does it matter? (Which I agree experience should count, I’m not disagreeing with you) You have three options. One, conform! Get the degree, play by their rules. Two, switch sports, go someplace that has different rules. Look at companies that value experience over degrees. Three, start your own business and you get to create the rules.
I’m glad you’ve found passion in the company and mission. Hold on to that, it’s rare!
Thanks for adding your thoughts to Jen’s question. Great to see members of this community add in their opinion!
Well, 1st I’d like to know if this works well for you. This seems like such a good idea.
I enjoy #jobhuntchat. Thanks for doing it! A couple of recommended questions for #JobHuntChat are:
What can recruiters do better for their candidates?
Do you believe that your industry trade associations do enough for candidates or recruiters?
Should recruiters refer candidates to job coaches or resume writers?
What value do you see from job coaches?
What resources are available for networking?
Maybe these questions can spark someone’s imagination to think up even better questions???
Looking forward to #jobhuntchat this evening!
Diane Skullr, Infoployment
Hey Diane – so far this thing is working! Great responses and feed back. Well worth my $20 investment!
Great suggestions for #JobHuntChat! I will be writing these down and hopefully using them in the future (we used “What can recruiters do better for candidates” last night)
Question fo #JobHuntChat:
How much money should the typical college senior expect to “invest” in their entry-level job-search (ie. buying new clothes, fancy resume paper, traveling for interviews, etc.) Is it advisable to take on debt to cover these costs?
Hey Rob – great great question. I’ll look to have this in a future chat! Thanks for your comment.
Hi Rich,
Okay, I’ll admit: I can’t pass up an opportunity for free Starbucks! Cut me some slack; I’m a poor college student.
I’m a Kent State PR student graduating in May, and I’m searching for job opportunities in Columbus, Ohio. I’ve read dozens of blog posts reminding students to “expand their horizons” and pursue job opportunities that aren’t related to their major. What’s your opinion on this? If you REALLY want to make it in a particular field (marketing, advertising, etc,) does it make sense to “cross the line” by taking a job in a different field right out of college?
Another question: When applying for jobs, is it possible to be “too” formal? For example, should you always call a potential employer “Mr.” or “Ms.,” even after you established a face-to-face, first name relationship? (This is a question I brought up in a recent blog post, which can be found here: http://sassyclassypr.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/where-has-all-the-formality-gone/)
Thanks!
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca – thanks for the suggestions for topics here. I might decide to use one of them for #JobHuntChat. These were great, thanks so much!
About your “About page”:
I think one of the biggest strengths I’ve noticed from checking you out on Twitter is that you’re a conversationalist. You blend helpful, purposeful advice with your personality — I’d rather read that than an RSS feed of job hunting advice any day. That said, I don’t get any hints about who you are from your about page. It seems a little dry. On top of that, I can’t really get a fix on why you’re someone who’s opinion I should take seriously.
For SEO purposes and general common sense, there are a lot of things About pages should include — keywords, alma mater, companies you’ve worked with, organizations you belong to — but don’t be afraid to have fun with it! Ryan Chartrand, a Web producer, has one of the best examples I’ve seen of this. While he gets all of the SEO-friendly keywords that a person should include in their “About” section, he also shows a ton of his personality through the video he posted. Check it out!: http://www.ryanchartrand.com/blog/wordpress/?page_id=2
While we all can’t showcase our skills that way, I think he’s got an awesome example of how to market yourself creatively in a way that makes your space on the Web stand out more.
Anyway, kudos for all your great work! I’ve also got a #jobhuntchat question:
In looking at benefits (specifically 401Ks, retirement ect), what should new grads/entry level job hunters prioritize or be looking for?
Hey Juana – great great great suggestions for my About page. I definitely need to change it up a bit. I’m going to make sure I look at your suggestion a few times when I’m starting to make my edits/changes!
I’ll also add your #JobHuntChat question to the lineup!
Thanks for these great suggestions!
I would love to learn more about resources and personal experiences that can help people develop clearer career goals. I’m currently in business school and while doing my internship search have found that since I have clear goals and am enhancing my career, my job search has been a little easier. Whereas my career switching colleagues or even colleagues who don’t know what they want to do exactly are struggling.
Some things that I’ve found to be helpful are information interviews (although I can always use suggestions on the types of questions to ask in these interviews), taking the Career Leader questionnaire developed by Harvard Business School and doing goal mapping.
Hey Vicki – I like your suggestion for a topic on clarity. It can make a world of difference when you know exactly what you want. Thanks for the comment and suggestion!
Here’s a question…what are some of the best questions you, as an interviewing candidate, can ask a potential employer that will really help you figure out “who” they are and what working would be like there? For instance, I don’t want to accept a job only to find out that they’ll expect me to be working 50 or 60-hour weeks. But how can you phrase that in such a way up-front to get a feel for whether that’s expected, without coming off like a slacker? So that’s my #JobHuntChat question. Thanks!
Hi Carmen – Thanks for the comment and suggestion! This is something I’ve covered before, and one that has also been on #JobHuntChat. It is an important question though, and one that maybe I’ll thin of covering again.
Email me at CornOnTheJob @ gmail.com and I’ll send you some previously written info on this!
“Mr….Jam Show…Mr…Jam Jam Show”
Wait, that doesn’t count as a submission does it? Damn.
Maybe it doesn’t count as a submission, but it certainly counts as something. I <3 Mr. Jam Show!
I would love to see a weekly post on summer opportunities for college and grad students. Internships are so crucial in terms of snagging a decent job these days so I would love more help in this area. The weekly part seems a little far-fetched since researching these and sorting through them takes considerable time but even monthly would be so helpful.
I guess my question is: What are the top three things that are most important for a successful job interview and what are some dos and don’t s for interviews?
I like your site. The navigation menu and links are really nicely laid out – I’d just do something about that header. It’s a bit startling.
Thanks for the chance!
awww, I like the header.
Thanks, Jen! Eric (below you) actually is the man behind my header. I may need to employ him to create me a new one!
Startling? – Maybe. Memorable – YES.
Hey Eric – don’t take offense. I love it! It may be time to change things up a tad though. Let’s chat about that sometime soon!
Chrissy – great suggestions! I’ll look into some sort of job board or job messaging system for COTJ. Might be tricky, but it’s something I’d love to have.
Regarding your question – I might have some previously written info on this. If not, it might be great for #JobHuntChat. Email me @ cornonthejob @ gmail.com and i’ll look for some material!
I’m looking into new headers as well. I do love my header, and maybe I like the shock factor, but possibly I’ll look into something else!
I’d love to see a post on what you as a recruiter, actually do. Maybe I’m the only one in the dark, but I have no idea what you do or how you help people. Do people pay you to help them find positions or do companies pay you to help them find candidates? It may sound silly, but I’d love to know more!
Hey Jessica – Great great suggestion. What do recruiters actually do? Interesting idea. While this can get very advances, there are mainly 2 types of recruiters. Agency and Corporate. They work very different, and have different expectations of candidates as well. This would be a great post here on COTJ! Thanks for the comment!
I figured I would give you a few quotes that have helped me through the job hunt process
“If you are going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill
“It is our responsibilities, not ourselves, that we should take seriously.” – Peter Ustinov
Hi Matt – great words of wisdom. I think I like the second quote a bit more. Thanks!
Good user feedback, I need to do this
1) Your About Page: I think it’s informative from a professional standpoint but I also know in terms of a recruiter/HR blog you add a lot of saucy, fun personal anecdotes (which makes you interesting to read!) I would love to hear more about YOU. What you enjoy, why you started a blog, etc. Just a thought, cause I know you’re fun
As general feedback, I think you cover great ground from internships to hiring to networking. All of those are of real value to people job searching or not. Keep that up
Hey Grace – Thanks, this has been incredible for me. I like your thoughts on my about page. I def need to update it. Glad you think I’m fun, because you my friend, are super fun.
Thanks for your support and feed back!
You had me at “Starbucks”.
But I’ll be nice and say: what about your weekly polls? Am I missing something here? You stopped posting them or are they somewhere else?
Love reading your tweets. You are personable and informative.
Hi Suzanne – Caught you in my Starbucks trap did i? Perfect!
Wow, you remember my weekly polls!? I stopped them in october when I brought on the new blog design. I felt like they were ‘crampin my style!’. I might try to do some polls again, but possibly use twitter to gain information instead of my blog….
Thanks!
Well, here’s a few ideas:
* A topic suggestion or question you have that could be a post on COTJ
What to do when HR fails you
What changes loom with the (eventual) economic recovery
* Suggestions for changes on COTJ (new pages, navigation, plug-ins)
Some minor CSS changes (weird outlining when clicking links, browser inconsistencies, etc)
Shake it up a bit (still has that default ‘Thesis’ look to it
* Your thoughts on my about section. Should I update/change?
no idea here. I actually had someone write mine, since I’m horrible at those things
Hey Andrew – Like the suggestions. The “when HR Fails you” question is strong, I like that a lot. I also have the Economic Recovery question lined up for a future #JobHuntChat. I think some of the other professionals in HR will answer that better than I would, so I think it’s important to toss that out to them.
Also, appreciate the suggestions for CSS. Matt went in and took care of a few things. So thanks for that.
And yes, I suck at writing about me. Smart of you to find someone else. I may consult a few people and see what they say is best.
Rich-
Really Loving the Jobsearch chat! Keep up the great work,and so nice of you to give back! Like the saying goes “You Get What You Give”
Shennee
Hey Shennee – Glad you enjoy it! Thanks for taking part and being a contributer in the chat!
Hi Rich,
I have a #JobHuntChat question: This may be a no-brainer for some of us, but where do you start a job search? I think that getting started is the hardest part for most folks – and having a STRONG starting point is the best first step, but where does that first step begin?
Go_L7!,
Rob
Hey Rob – Thanks for your thoughts! Where to start on a job search is a really good question. I assume many people don’t have a plan, and without a plan can be a tad lost. I may cover this in the future, or bring it up for #JobHuntChat like you suggested.
Thanks!
Just a thought for, I guess, the first bullet..?… but I sometimes wish that you would write an occasional post that has absolutely nothing to do with HR, staffing, joblessness or job hunting…I get that’s what the blog is all about, but you seem like an interesting guy with compelling thoughts that could whip up some pithy and entertaining sentences for a quick and stimulating thirty-second read….just thinking it might be a nice change of pace – and also it could let your readers get to know you a little better..I just feel like sometimes I don’t visit your blog or get to interact on Twitter because I’m employed…know what I mean?
I can taste that White Chocolate Mocha Latte now…
Hi Bridget – Very interesting take on this. You’d like to see more personality and less job stuff. Interesting. I’m going to think about this and try it out. But if I do this, you BETTTTER come back and read it
)
Thanks for your thoughts.
I was going to leave a meaningful comment but I’m a sucker for college students so I’m giving up my sbux chances to Rebecca……….
On another note, now that I have participated a couple of times in #JobhuntChat I’m saying it serves a valid purpose. It’s helping people…. I can see it. The questions from job seekers are genuine and they are hungry and thirsty for knowledge. It might be cool to discuss employer expectations for entry level some time.
Hey Karla – If your name comes out, then I’ll give it to Rebecca. Thanks for your suggestion for #JobHuntChat. It has been great to have you participate and provide your thoughts and opinions on questions.
Look forward to chatting and meeting you soon!
First of all, I dont think your About me section needs any improving. It tells me what you are here for and what purpose you are here to serve.
A question I would to see answered on #jobhuntchat is:
1. When looking for a job or internship, should we check out opportunities outside of our state?
Hey Jason – Thanks for your thoughts on the about section. I’ll also look into your #JobHuntChat suggestion. Might be great for a ftuure chat!
Hey COTJ, Nice meeting you tonight and it was a stellar, yes I said stellar, chat! I have two things I am working through and always could use input.
1. How do I as a contractor get recruiters to take me serious before I am out of work? “When are you available?” “Contract ends in four weeks.” “Okay, I’ll be in touch…then” (I usually get in touch with them
2. I am seeing people getting laid off, etc, after having not been in the job hunt for some time. Some jump right in an get work right away, some dig in, but the rules have changed or their job hunting skills are rusty and it takes them quite some time to become a proficient job hunter again. What are some steps a person can do to get back in the saddle quicker?
You are welcome to #JobHuntChat these, blog them, or send them to the bit-bucket in the sky. I have ideas for the latter, but the former throws me. And don’t you just hate people who use that whole former / latter construct?
Hiya Reed – glad to have you in the chat! They are great suggestions for #JobHuntChat. Contractors have a tough time, I agree, and that would be wonderful for the chat. Also, speed to the saddle is an interesting topic as well. Thanks for these!
Not sure I subscribed to the replies
I agree with Grace – your about me section can be professional AND personal provided you don’t reveal anything incriminating about your background
Your involvement in Hockey, the types of books you like to read, your commitment to physical fitness, this kind of thing would be great to add!
Love that you’re bribing us by the way
Hey Lindsey – Yep, I guess I should mention a few of those things, eh? Hockey and fitness might be good to list!
Oh, i’m a bribe fan. Whatever I can do to MAKE people stick around
)
Thanks for the comment!
After participating in my first #jobhuntchat last night, I’ve got a million new ideas running through my head. OK, maybe not a million, but here are a few: How long can you ask a company to let you consider their job offer?
On the flip side of what Jen said, how do college grads pitch themselves against people with years experience? She seems to have encountered a lot of people who demand a degree, but I’ve encountered many who value exp over a degree.
Also, how do you negotiate a salary at a job that you got through networking? Specifically, when you know the individual you’re negotiating with?
How do you handle a potential employer that hasn’t been great about communication but continues to express interest?
On your about section, I agree with the others saying that your about me could stand to be more personal. Although your personality definitely comes across in chats/posts, its good to let people know about your interests or expertise in other areas. Makes you more human.
Hey Kelly – glad to have you in #JobHuntchat – hope you come back more! Amazing question suggestions for #JobHuntChat. I will be listing these out for future chats.
Also, I will try to put more personality into the About me section! Thanks!
Hello!
Ironically, I actually clicked on this site not because of the Starbucks incentive, but because of what we had to do to get the Starbucks. I literally just wrote a blog post about comments and how not having a lot of them doesn’t detract from your blog’s value. But I like what you’ve done with this prompt. It’s a clever and useful way to get some productive feedback from your readers! That’s what comments are SUPPOSED to do
But anyway, a suggestion for your page…I might be missing it, but do you have an RSS feeder? I see the email subscription but I prefer RSS to eliminate the cluttered inbox. Keep up the great work!
Lauren
Hey Lauren – interesting, would love to see what you wrote on this!
I need to update my RSS big time and make sure it’s clear and easy to navigate to. Great suggestions. Thanks!
For the most part I really like CotJ, but there are a few changes that I could see being made to improve the experience here on the site.
1. Updating the header. While it is fun and unique, it doesn’t exactly express the message of the content on the site. Since it’s the first thing that people see, I think that it should probably be updated. If you have some extra money, you should check out http://99designs.com/ where you can get a logo designed for a pretty decent price. Redevelop your image aroutd your message, which is defined in your logo/header, and you’ll start making some bigger strides.
2. Categories are great, but we need more. Blogs suck for navigation and usability, and so I always recommend trying some layout changes to get people to read more of your awesome content in the past. A lot of times people go to blogs and completely forget that there were great articles written in the past, and only focus on the articles coming in the future. By reforming your blog to put more emphasis on your categories, people will treat the site as a repository of information, rather than an endless flow of it. Give them a way to look over your best articles from the past recently (rather than the un-intuitive category list in the sidebar – though yours is certainly better than others).
Hope that helps!
Hey Tim – I’m going to check out 99designs. Seems like a great concept with the contest style they run. Really really cool! I’m going to check that out and find a way to have my header push my message.
Also, I love your suggestion to display my best work on the blog. I may make sure to put this on the side bar!
Thanks for these suggestions. Really appreciate the constructive criticism!
No problem!@ I look forward to seeing you take all of these ideas to heart and making some improvements to your blog!
You got it, Tim. I am too, really excited to see them alllllllll come into their own!
I’ve been looking for work for the last two years, ever since I finished law school but decided not to be a lawyer. How can I combine my unique education without scaring potential employers and get myself an entry level job?
Hi Melissa – Great topic suggestion. Should be perfect for COTJ or #JobHuntChat. Please email me directly if you don’t see them answered on either – CornONTheJob @ gmail.com Thanks!
I would like to find ways to get my resume to the top of the pile at the companies when I apply for jobs. I know the job market is tough, but I am not getting any responses at all. I am networking like crazy. Just need some career advice. Thanks!
Hey Cynthia – Yep, I’d say that’s a very important topic! I’ll look into some methods that I can post on COTJ for you. Thanks for this suggestion!
Question, my wife has a law degree, but no professional experience. She isn’t interested in becoming an attorney, and is more interested in an administrative / professional position such as a contracts administrator. The issue is that she’s not getting any call-backs for jobs that claim to allow extra education to count for experience. In your opinion, how often will an HR rep actually evaluate education over experience??
Hey Mint Shows – In my opinion, experience definitely outweighs education, but both are important. I’ll think about this more and contact you by email with some answers! Thanks for the question!
I think one topic you may want to address is the importance of networking and how it will help you find a job. It would be great to have guest bloggers or a topic for #JobHuntChat to discuss how to network (what questions to ask, how to do it and not go about asking for a job). I had lunch with one of my family friends this weekend, and her daughter is going to be a senior in college. She is trying to figure out what she wants to do. She mentioned that she met all these great contacts, and I asked her if she sent thank you notes for their help with her project or sent a follow-up e-mail. She said that no one told her about these things. I mentioned that her parents are a great outlet, but she was like they don’t listen or get what I’m saying. So, I think a topic of how students can communicate with their parents for advice would be a great topic, too. It’s important to not forget to do the little things (hand-written thank you’s, call if you can’t make an interview or let the employer know that you aren’t interested, etc.). I’ve seen an applicant send her resume and cc all the potential companies a generic cover letter and resume, and I was shocked!
Hope that helps!
Sabrina
Hey Sabrina – good suggestion. This is something I’ve somewhat covered before, but maybe not the exact way you are looking. Go to my categories, and go through the networking posts. I will add more networking questions for #JobHuntChat – make sure to keep an eye on the chat for future networking questions!
Thanks!
About your “About”.
Love the kid picture, but your headshot needs updating. It may look like you but it doesn’t show you to your best advantage. Too dark, not the most welcoming expression. Consider a professional photographer. Looks like it may have been taken by a friend.
You may like the picture, but it could do more.
And I’m not even a Starbux junkie, i prefer Dunkin’!
Hey Ron – I think you are right. New head shot, but not sure I can go professional. Maybe I can find someone to do a cheap professional photo for me.
Hmmm, if you win, I’ll get you a $20 dunkin card, deal?
Good idea! Rewards always bring in the herd – I once did a “help me name my blog” contest on LinkedIn a few years back (before Twitter’s time) and offered a $250 gift certificate of their choice to the winner. I had over 500 comments and submissions in 7 days. So, sticking with that idea, if you offer even the smallest of incentives to your audience/readership, such as a Starbucks gift card, it usually goes over big. Next try giving away anything you don’t have to pay for in dollars. How about a hour of free consulting on a topic of the winner’s choice? How about recruiting help on a specific search? Try a mention or feature post on a person or company that wins. Just some food for thought.
Hey Goeff – thanks for the comment. Wow, 500 comments in 7 days! That’s insane.
Very very interesting take. I like the idea of a mention or feature post on a person or company that wins.
Thanks for your thoughts on this, and sharing some ideas for the future. Really helpful!
Hello!
I think your “About Me” page is very professional with the right amount of personal and professional information. However, I noticed it says you’re going to “officially graduate” from Villanova in December 2009. I would edit the sentence a little to say that you graduated from Villanova in December 2009; otherwise, it may give the impression that your site is outdated. I hope that’s helpful!
Also, while I can’t always make #JobHuntChat, I always search the tag afterward to see what was discussed. I’m searching for an entry-level communication position in the DC area, and it’s great to have an outlet for discussion on “the hunt” with others!
Hey Erica – thank you for the edit suggestion. Umm, I definitely need to fix that ASAP. Also, I’m happy that #JobHuntChat has helped, even a little. If you can ever make it, we’d love to have you participate.
Thanks!
I applaud you. Your bribe technique is most impervious. Still, tipping a hat to my competitive nature, I believe this “contest” should be judged by quality of comment and since I already left the best comment out of anyone I’m commenting again to increase my chances of winning. Random number generator, I’ve beat you this time! MUAHahah.
You are just trying so hard to beat the system. You are trying to beat the numbers game, because you obviously just love numbers so much. Sneaky my friend, very very sneaky.
I am considering now posting comments under different aliases.
You’ll never know……..except I just told you……
Anywaysssssssss…….
If you pose it as Fidget Borney I’ll know…
I’d love to read about what to do when you’re not finding jobs in a particular industry, and how to go about branching out your applications into other– and not necessarily related– industries. How do you pick/choose where to go from there?
Hey Lindsay – Great suggestion for #JobHuntChat I think. I think this will fit in perfect with that crowd. Thanks for the comment!
You have job seekers and job posters, why not have a simple job board where you are the connector/moderator? Job boards are noisy nowadays and need a filter. Big opportunities there IMHO for you, job seekers, and recruiters. Love to chat about this as I have thought about it before but just didn’t dive into it.
37 Signals does the job board well and could be one idea since they have people in their industry looking for jobs.
http://jobs.37signals.com/jobs
Just a thought,
Shane Mac
Hey Shane – Great idea – I’ve toyed with this as well. I need to check out 37 signals and see what it’s all about. Thanks man!
After some more thought about my last comment, I wanted to re-comment for the second time to make it clear that I am not “in it” for the Starbucks. I mean yes, it would have been enough to just use that catchy subject line, but instead you uploaded an ACTUAL image of a REPLICA Starbucks gift card…I think that’s what did in a lot of people. It really carried the “I’m here to bribe you” message across.
At any rate, I’m not leaving comments just for the Starbucks. To prove it, I’ve decided to give you another pearl of wisdom from my very own brain. It goes as follows:
You should make your own NING community.
Do you need a bowl to collect your skull fragments from the ground from me just blowing your mind?
Also…invite the jobless to your community to share ideas about job hunting, etc. as well as the employed to share success stories – A blog is great for a one person communication avenue with occasional comments – but NING communities make it easy for people to connect with each other and talk/comment on each other – not just you.
That is all
Bridget – 3 comments from you…. looks like you are really trying to beat the system! We’ll see how you do!
The NING community could be amazing. I’m looking into that soon actually!
Thanks!
It’s rare nowadays to get any feedback once you’ve applied for a position, especially with Companies demanding that you use their online application process. Any suggestions for cutting through the technology?
Hi Carole – I agree. Gaining feedback is tough and a sticky issue. This might be great for #JobHuntChat, but what I might do is take the answers from #JobHuntChat and bring it to COTJ.
Thanks!
When you’re working somewhere as a contractor and they offer you a FT job, are you expected to take it without negotiating? Can you expect that they’re giving you the absolute best offer that they can, or do you treat it the same as any offer received, and negotiate as you see fit?
I am currently in this situation. I was laid off from a Fortune 500 company early in 2009. I bounced around to a couple of contract gigs, then landed here in Sep, where I’ve been since. I love it! The industry is exciting and challenging, the people on my team are great, and I see potential for growth.
On the downside, the base salary of the offer I received today is less than I was making in Jan 2009 at Company X, though there is bonus potential here, and the role I’m being offered is one level below where I feel my experience (and performance to date) deserves.
Is it out of line for me to counter / negotiate?
Thanks in advance!
-e
P.S. Due to the decrease in potential salary, I am the perfect candidate for receiving a gift card to SBUX!
Hey Erica – Definitely negotiate as you see fit! You should always negotiate if you don’t feel comfortable. Definitely negotiate and counter. Take the job since you love it, but feel free to negotiate. Thanks for this topic idea!
Hey! I love the concept and wit behind your site. The only thing I’m not getting is the grass background. It doesn’ t seem to go with the whole corn field idea. Maybe change it to dirt? I dunno.
Hi Michelle – thanks so much for the comment. I was just talking over my background with my blog developer. We MIGHT look into a new background. Maybe dirt does go more with corn, but I’m not sure brown matches my theme, but that could work.
Thanks for the suggestion! Keep on the look out for some design changes here!
No problem! By the way, I’m currently writing an article for work (myigrad.com) called on the top 10 career bloggers for recent grads, and you’re on it! I’ll send you a link once it’s up.
Hi Michelle – thanks so much for letting me know and picking me! Make sure you let me know when it’s live, and I’ll tweet it out a bit!
Hey Rich,
For discussion on #u30pro or #jobhuntchat…if you send an email to a contact you haven’t been in touch with for a while, and they don’t respond, what’s the best way to handle it? Should you try getting in touch with the person again and assume they just got busy? Or think they were turned off by my not staying in touch with them and not try again?
Hey Megan – Great suggestion, I might dig into this further in #JobHuntChat, but I would assume they were busy. Reach out again in a week or two on the phone or in person.
Also, I’d make sure in the first email you explain why you were distant. The truth is, they were distant also!
Thanks for the comment!
Comment Overload…
Trying to process all 90 comments in a few mins is painful but I think I can give some input here. I’ve seen a lot of comments about updating…well, about everything on your blog. I personally like rockin the tie in the cornfield header. I can see updating a little more professional but keep your personality into the design!
One idea to toy with, which I think might go outside your goal here, but I think it would be beneficial. Have a recommended links page that you personal found useful for different topics. An example, if someone asks you where to look for salary negotiation where would you send them? Your #jobhuntchat follow is looking for that information; why not get it from someone the “trust” from your blog.
Blog topic and questions for #jobhuntchat:
What are some “out of the box” ways to sell yourself in any phase of the hiring process?
What should carry more weight in a job hunt, a job title or a company culture?
What if you had a section each week that discussed how to answer one interview question? Not just how to answer but why the interviewer asked the question. For example, “Share with me a time that you had a conflict with someone?” What is the interviewer looking for? Well, they are looking for your SBO. What was the situation? what was your behavior? And what was the outcome? If your readers could get insight like this once a week or month or whatever understanding what the interviewer is looking for from your experience I think could give real value to you your corn heads.
Obviously the wheels are turning too fast tonight…probably since I’ve decided doing a blog is just not going to happen. Hope something is of value!
wow…how about I try proof read next comment.
Hey Derrick – wow, thanks for the great input. Very much appreciated. I will keep your design suggestions in mind when I start updating things here!
I have a Blog Roll, but that blog roll isn’t targeted to specific websites, just blogs obviously. Maybe I do need a specific targeted links section that can send people to places for salary negotiations. Interesting thoughts.
Solid topic and #JobHuntChat suggestions too!
Each week I think is a bit much, but maybe a monthly question. Rather than nit pick every little question, maybe I’d tackle the bigger, more occuring questions.
Phew, thanks for the solid feed back. Much appreciated!
Ok..I’m not sure if this website is the right place for this but Starbucks really needs to have Lactaid Milk.
nice=D
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