Good news folks...the blog is back. We apologize for a brief hiatus in articles and will hope to pick up back where we started. Be sure to digg articles you like and post comments.

Also, if you would like to write an article yourself, and have your work read by a wide audience, be sure to contact okonheim@comcast.net.

Here's an article by Shy Pahvelani, CEO of UBoast....

Why are employers searching for you on Facebook?  It's not just to see what you are doing in your personal time or who you are hanging out with, but really to see what kind of judgment you may possess.  If you are making crude comments, portraying very vivid sexual images, or showing off your partying lifestyle, then a cautious employer has to consider what kind of reason you possess.  Think about everything you do on this site as employers will be asking themselves why would this prospective applicant allow for such things to be publicly available for companies to view?

 

The days where Facebook was niche to each user and their friends at the university are long over.  Facebook is a growing phenomenon among professionals with thousands of companies signing on each day.

 

So that next time you intend to show how funny, fabulous, or outrageous you are, then I would think twice.  Spend time pondering your future and the long lasting footprint you are leaving on the online realm.  Spend some time creating your professional online image on sites like uBoast.com or better yet make your Facebook profile completely private to current friends ONLY.   Facebook is no longer just YOUR personal space but it is now very well known among the adult world and is quickly being infiltrated by the millions.

 

So privatize your profile and make sure you have a professional image else where on the web. You need a second online presence as well to complement you, when an employer does a Google search for your name.  Check out my professional page here:

http://www.uboast.com/vesume.php?p=5&a=192028

 

Do a Google search for your name, what shows up???

by Orrin Konheim

According to this article from Imperial Valley News (found here), the job market might be evolving with internet 2.0 because as the economy gets tighter, managers need to streamline the hiring process and web 2.0 can provide the much needed assist.

According to the article:
"Managers use it to eliminate useless - and costly - interviews and prescreen candidates before bringing them in for in-person interviews. And job hunters can use technology to distinguish themselves from the pack.

By using a Web-based video interviewing system, hiring managers can view video clips of job candidates, any time, any place, and share them with other decision makers."

A video or virtrual resume can create interest in a candidate and can be used as a tool for job hunters to get a quicker read on elements such as personality and job interest. This is clearly a growing trend and they already fall in with established practices that we do every day, such as log into facebook, linkedin or myspace.

In short, it is a saver of both time and resources for both parties, and with that, it looks to be a trend that will continue to grow. Networking is also a key to streamlining the process as job employers will continue to trade applications with each other.

by Orrin Konheim and Shy Pahvelani

 

It is important to be able to stand out from your competition. A video resume can go a long way towards having an employer understand more about you than can be expressed on a paper and are particuarly important in jobs where the ability to communicate is an important part of the work. Best case scenario: It could even save the employer the trouble of a job interview.

 

Just like whenever someone is watching a video of practically anything, it's important to hook the viewer. It is first important to understand what the prospective employer might be looking for. Is it a job that requires creative thought? You might want to get creative with your video or how you present yourself in that case. If it's a job in sales that you're looking for, you want to show them your charisma as a salesman and show them you're pitching skills.

 

Whatever the nature of the position is, however, some things remain standard. You will always want to:

1) Look and sound good-Maintain eye contact with the camera and speak in a commanding but not too stiff of a voice. Practice a little on your own before committing yourself to the video. This has the added benefits of eliminating "ums" and "likes" in your speech, which are definitely a negative. Dress in business attire.

 

2) Act relaxed-Although the business attire is important, try to dress in something you're most comfortable in. If you're not comfortable wearing a double-breasted armani suit, it will show. Pick something formal that you're comfortable in. Act relaxed and take a few deep breaths. This is supposed to be conversational. Sounding overly rehearsed might make an employer question who the real you is.

 

 

3) Be concise-If you noticed the fact, that lately 2-minute youtube videos are more popular than full-length tv shows, than you're probably aware that we all have short attention spans. You don't want to lose your audiences. Try to keep your video resume to just one minute, and do not deviate from your main points.

 

4) Plan for what interview questions you might receive-Think of a couple interview questions you think you would be asked if you were getting an interview in this field. Ask a peer or try to work from personal memory. Without repeating the question, try to work your answers into the content of your video

 

5) Talk about results-Don't talk about you but talk about what you would bring for them. Don't focus heavily on all your accomplishments. These need to be much more brief for a video resume. The focus would be on what you bring to the team and what kinds of results you would bring to them if you were hired. You can support this with examples but don't overdo it (i.e. I would fit in well with a publishing company because I have over 6 years of experience writing in local newspapers and I interned at a publishing house). Unlike a written resume, this is conversational. Act as though you happened to bump into one of the leaders in your field at a baseball game and he wanted to know briefly what accomplishments you have in your field. You wouldn't list your whole resume to him, right? You give a short summary of what kinds of experience you have without going into the details. If they want more details they can look at your resume or contact you further.

 

6) Briefly, thank the employer for listening to you at the end of the interview.