Job Fairs: Are They Worth It?

Posted on February 4, 2010 by meghan_ntroduction

Job fair attendance across the country has increased dramatically over the last year. With job fairs usually offering a handful of jobs to hundreds or even thousands of attendees (depending on where you are) you may ask yourself, why bother? Well don’t be so quick to dismiss the oversaturated job fair scene.

First and foremost, you never know. Armed with some good looking resumes, a few references (many people at job fairs don’t bring these along, so set yourself apart by having some handy) and the right attitude you just maybe walking into a great opportunity. And that doesn’t necessarily mean the companies who are there looking for a few new hires.

One of the greatest things about a job fair, especially ones with a lot of people, is it gives you a chance to network with other people looking work, in your field in particular. Today’s job hunter could be tomorrow’s hiring manager.

As mentioned in this week’s earlier post, Avoiding the Black Hole When Job Hunting, a good way to open doors is by working together with friends and colleagues who are also looking for work.

Follow up with contacts you make at a local job fair. Ask them about what kind of work they’re looking for and tell them that you’ll them to a list of other contacts looking for work and that you’ll be sure to send them any job leads you find that may be w2ell suited to them. Ask them to do the same.

Soon you could find yourself with a great circle of contacts all working together to find work.

And hey, you never know! You could find yourself being wooed by any one of the companies hosting a booth at the local job fair too.

Be sure to check with your local paper or Chamber of Commerce for job fairs in your area. You can also visit sites such as, EmploymentGuide.com to find job fairs near you.

Making an Introduction on Ntroduction (Part One of a Two Part Post)

Posted on December 16, 2009 by meghan_ntroduction

One of the great things about Ntroduction is how in can help you make the most of an otherwise bad situation, namely being laid off. Just because you’re no longer employed at a company doesn’t mean that you can’t turn your experience and the contacts you’ve made into something positive or even another opportunity.
That’s where Ntroduction steps in. Maybe it’s time you think about using the contacts you’ve made to help someone make an introduction and help you make a profit in the mean time.

This is part one of two posts that will help you through the steps you need to take before and after making an introduction through Ntroduction. Part one will list the steps you should follow before listing an introduction:

Make a list of friends in your own department and related departments. In this list, create a smaller list of very close friends.
Meet with them for lunch or call them and propose the idea of Ntroduction in this meeting and how you can help find suitable candidates for their business.
Make sure that you let them know that you are not getting paid from the company but from the candidate through Ntroduction.com if the candidate gets hired.
Keep in touch with them once every other week at least with a simple email “Hi, I am touching bases with you to see if you have any current needs. Simply reply back to this email with details about any positions you are in need of filling and I will try to find the candidate that is right for you – Thanks!”
You can probably do this with your close friends at other companies – after all you have the experience and skills.
Be clear when you place your listing with Ntroduction who you want to meet, what you need (Tax Director Job or Accepted Vendor at Fortune 500 company), when you want it and what is your differentiator from others preferably a strong opening statement that raises interest to respond back to you.
Keep the details about your or your companies accomplishments simple and detailed – preferably bullet points.
Clearly explain what you will do to them in future if the introduction is successful. For example “I know several finance auditors at Fortune 500 with financial service experience and can provide introductions as well as opinions when needed”
Clearly explain how you want to provide introduction or seek introduction – whether you want to meet people face-to-face or would an email or phone be sufficient.

Now you’re ready to list an introduction, so go for it! Be sure and subscribe to the Ntroduction blog so you can follow up with the second post in this series to find out what to do AFTER you’ve made your introduction.

Getting the Upper Hand When Competing for the Job

Posted on November 30, 2009 by meghan_ntroduction

When looking to switch professions or even go into business for yourself there is much more to examine besides the basic “It’s who you know” theory to help give you the leg up you need to make it work. While having a strong network is always important, under the current economic conditions, agility and flexibility can take you just as far, if not further.

With so many people competing for the few jobs available, in any profession, what stands out to an employer looking for the right candidate? It may not be the person who came in with the strongest recommendation or the even the 25 years of experience. It may be the person who is willing to take the pay cut or work a flexible schedule. Companies are having a hard time staying a float and a manager whose looking at ways to keep his company and all it’s employees going may just go with the candidate who’s going to save him the money that will enable him to keep the company going.

This doesn’t mean you should sell yourself short, not by a long shot. But make sure when embarking on a new venture you take a close look at what your situation is and where you can afford to take a cut. Will working part-time keep your family afloat? Maybe what you save on daycare will help balance out a flexible schedule. If you make a few cutbacks in your own family spending can you afford to took take an offer that’s on the lower end of the salary range? For many families the lower salary is better than no salary at all.

Be willing to take that cut could be the difference between getting the job and getting the boot. Be sure and check out our post, “9 Tips on Getting a Raise in a Down Economy” to get some ideas on how to research the company your applying for.

Going Back to School

Posted on October 27, 2009 by meghan_ntroduction

As unemployment continues to rise due to layoffs in most industries across the country many people are finding themselves facing an uncertain future. One way many people are dealing with that uncertain future is by going back to school. Whether it be to finish obtaining a degree or credential you never quite got to whether it’s to start fresh on a career path you always dreamed of pursuing going back to school seems to be the most logical step for many adults facing unemployment.

If you find yourself thinking about returning to school, here are a few tips to help you on your way.

Go back to school virtually: Though there are many online universities out there, the truth a lot of them may not be what they appear to be and fake degrees is a continuing issue in the world of online education. Stick with legitimate and well-known universities like the University of Phoenix. Though these legitimate online universities offer degrees in many areas, the one downfall is that they do tend to run a little costly. Your local community college may offer a similar program for much less, or even completely paid for if you qualify for assistance.
Get it Paid For: Many working adults (especially those with kids) may be surprised to find out that they qualify to have the majority if not all of their expenses paid for by various grants and scholarships. Careers in early education even have additional programs where they award you many for taking so many classes. Money to help sustain your household, pay for books or get a new laptop. They’re rewarding you for choosing to go back to school. Don’t overlook these opportunities. Go to your school’s financial aid office and ask someone to help you find out what you qualify for. Free money is always a good thing!
Be Equipped: Going to school is not the same thing as it was when many of were kids. If you’re taking the leap to go back to school make sure you have a laptop to help keep you n top of your work. Especially if you’re a parent who may be doing a lot of homework on the go you’ll need something mobile. Don’t fret; look on craigslist for something new or even Walmart or Target for a basic Dell or something similar. See the above tip for ways to cover your news laptop and other necessities for going back to school.
Talk to Your Family: Going back to school whether its online or in the classroom requires time and commitment on just your part but your whole family’s as well. Make sure you talk it over and that everyone is on board for the extra effort it’s going to take form everyone while you’re studying and accomplishing your goals.
Have a Game Plan: Though flipping through the course catalog for your local community college is a great way to start when it comes time for registration talk to a counselor! They can help you map our what classes, credits, and in what order you’ll need to accomplish you’re goals in the most efficient way.

Be proud and stick to it! You’ll be glad you did.

5 Reasons You Should Be Doing Virtual Events

Posted on September 20, 2009 by meghan_ntroduction

1897096770_9846164fcc One of the fastest growing areas of business is the Virtual Event arena. As many companies look for ways to cut costs yet boost company promotions they find the best answer lies in the world of virtual events. It just happens to work out that as more people look to cut costs in their own household, many people opt to attend virtual events from the comfort of the home instead of forking over the big bucks for a plain ticket, hotel, gas and the many other numerous costs of attending an event away from home.

There couldn’t be a better time for companies to start diving into the world of virtual events and virtual event marketing. With the incredibly low cost of putting on a virtual event the risk is minimal plus companies have a larger pool of possible attendees to promote an event too.

If your company is on the fence about holding a virtual event for your business, here are five simple reasons why it’s time to get off the fence and get to planning.

Cheap, cheap, and cheaper. The first and most obvious reason of course, it saves you money. With virtual events there are no expenses for air travel, catering, event venue rentals, hotel and time away from the office, the average virtual event can save almost 80% on what a live event would cost.
Higher Attendance. A recent survey commissioned by ON24 of 5,000 marketing executives found that 63 percent were more likely to attend a virtual conference than an in-person event. People are much more likely to attend an event online then spend the money traveling to the event and covering all the associated costs. Not to mention, some people just can’t. With virtual events you’re opening the door to a people all over the world who would otherwise not be attending.
Social Media Tools. Using the social media tools that are already in place, Twitter, Facebook, Ning, LinkedIn, etc. you can draw on a community that’s already set in place. Within the virtual world you have an entire set of tools that help you target and promote your event to the very people who want to hear about it.
Greener is Better. On top of the struggling economy there is currently a struggling environment as well. By using virtual events many companies are able to greatly reduce their carbon footprint Sixty-six percent of marketers polled said they plan on implementing or have already added a Green Initiative, up from just 32 percent in 2007. Good for business and for the environment.
Information. One of the most difficult parts of any event is getting feedback and a true idea of the ROI. Virtual events offer an easier way to track those things and then integrate that data into a CRM program.

Virtual Events are truly the wave of the future. It’s no longer a matter of when your company will jump on the bandwagon; it’s a matter of when.