Guest post by: Steve Glissman
As an avowed packrat, I am surprised that everyone does not share my affinity for storing items from the past. , For example, my wife (“Am I going to have call that show on A&E?”) does not see the value in preserving my keepsakes. She takes the view that these rarely used mementoes should be removed from our home. I don’t see these items as clutter, but rather artifacts from my personal museum, albeit a museum heavy on old clothes and out-dated technology.
Recently, I uncovered my apron from my first job – grocery store bagger – nicely preserved under a box of VHS tapes. This odd combination brought memories flooding back: my nervousness before my first interview, how busy a grocery store gets on a Saturday and the thrill from earning my first paycheck, a portion of which apparently went toward buying a copy of “Spice World.” These items together also reminded of how technology has evolved, especially in the methods companies use to hire their employees.
Application Process
When I applied for my job, I was dropped off by my Mom at the grocery store. I walked to the front desk and asked for an application. I sat outside on a bench, completed the application and returned it to the front desk, where it was placed into a folder.
Today, technology has added a new dimension of speed and efficiency. Today, I can apply for this position online, negating the need for a paper application, or more importantly for a teenager, having to deal with Mom dropping me off at the store. For the store, they are not interrupted by job seekers, nor do they have to spend time searching for an archeologist to decipher my handwriting. In addition, an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) will test (attitude, math, reading, etc.) and rank me before the hiring manager sees my application.
Interview
First, the manager would manually go through a stack of applications and eliminate the undesirable candidates. From there, the best candidates would be brought to interview.
With an ATS, the candidates are objectively categorized (e.g. green, yellow, and red) by the results of their tests. Instead of wallowing in paper, the manger can save time and simply review the “Greens” for potential interviewees. Also, an ATS will generate a standard series of questions, insuring uniform process for all applicants. In addition, a good ATS will add questions based on potential problem areas (“Do you have reliable transportation to work?”) to address these questions before an applicant is hired.
Post-interview
After my manger was moved by my sensational interview, my application was moved to the hire pile. I was called a few days later and offered the position. My handwritten information was transcribed into a payroll system.
With an ATS, my hiring status is changed with a click of a button. In addition, my information is instantly transported to an employee center, where my information will be kept with the other active employees.
While the basic tenets of filling a job – applying, interviewing, hiring – still exist, technology has evolved to allow for greater speed and efficiency, resulting in savings of time and money. Unfortunately for me, I do not expect an innovation in technology or nostalgia to make my VHS collection viable again, but there is always hope for a Spice Girls comeback.
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A new report released by the Pew foundation takes a look at the so called millennials, those born between 1980 and 1998. They found a few surprising things about people aged 18 to 29 and some not so surprising – like that 80 percent of millennials sleep with a cell phone beside their beds.
But when it comes to jobs, what they have to say might shock you. According to Pew, 90 percent of the millennials they surveyed said that they “currently have enough money and will eventually meet their long-term financial goals” even though four out of every ten of them are unemployed.
That’s pretty optimistic of them!
Pew even has a quiz you can take to see how millennial you are. I’m 97 percent “like” the millennials. Not too surprising considering I was born right around the beginning of that generation.
So how much like the new generation are you? Do you feel optimistic about your careers and your long term goals? Or do your views differ from that of the millennials? How do they compare with the rest of your generation?
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Filling out applications is a chore. Job applications are pretty painful – and if you’ve ever applied for college, you know that college applications can be the worst. Learn more about online degrees. You’ve got a million questions to answer and essays to write. One tiny mistake and your chances of getting into your dream school are shot.
That’s why for the first time ever Tufts University is allowing students to create video applications. They want to see how creative and unique their potential students are. It doesn’t take the place of a regular application – but it does make the application process a little more fun.
One applicant created a video of her dancing to math; she performs a bar graph, a scatter plot, a pie chart, and a sine and cosine graph. Other students show off their soccer skills, make remote controlled elephants (the school’s mascot) or create and perform a rap song.
These video applications got us thinking about video job applications. On SnagAJob.com, you create one application that you can submit to multiple employers. Would a video application be easier for you or harder?
What do you think? Would you like a video job application? Or is the old way still the best way?
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No matter where you go, your job search can come with you! SnagAJob.com has created an iTunes app that turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into a job hunting machine.
Download the new SnagAJob.com iPhone and iPod Touch app now. (This link will take you to the iTunes store. You must have iTunes installed on your computer.)
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The most famous doll in the world is getting a brand new job. Two jobs, in fact. Mattel, the makers of the Barbie doll, decided to allow the internet to choose what Barbie’s 125th and 126th jobs would be. The iconic doll has held jobs as a fashion designer, a registered nurse and even a McDonald’s cashier in the past.
So what jobs are in the career girls future? This fall, Barbie will be pulling double duty as a news anchor and as a computer engineer. Want to be a computer engineer? Get an online degree.
126 jobs in over 59 years? Now that’s an impressive resume.
Learn more about Barbie’s new career.
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You’ve tried over and over to land a new job – but you can’t even get a call back. What are you doing wrong? Is it your profile? Is it your experience?
Maybe not. It could be something that’s not even related to your job search. According to a study from Microsoft, over 70% of HR professionals said they have rejected a candidate for a job based only on their internet behavior.
That means every tweet you send out, every Facebook comment you leave on a friend’s wall and every image you upload to MySpace could be the reason why you can’t seem to score a job.
Got a lot of pictures of you drinking at parties on your Facebook? Kiss that job at a daycare center good-bye. Using a lot of curse words in your tweets? You won’t be getting that call center job.
If you want to get a job, you’ve got to remember that your personal information is just a Google search away.
So ask yourself – are you keeping your private life private? Learn what you can do to protect yourself.
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A commercial in the Super Bowl is an invaluable marketing tool. People who don’t even like football watch the Super Bowl for the ads. The cost of a thirty-second spot in this year’s game will run you a cool $2.5 million. If you’re strapped for cash, buying a commercial is probably not the most efficient way to get the word out that you’re looking for a job.
The good news here is that the cost of a little self-promotion is negligible. With hard work and some strategy, you can keep your $2.5 million and land a sweet gig (so you can save for next year’s game). Here are some tips for your new marketing strategy.
- Risqué doesn’t pay: Social Media like Facebook and Twitter can work against you and really hurt your ability to find a good job. Be careful about what you say and who you say it to.
- Be your own billboard: Attracting a job can be as simple as looking your best. Take a look at 10 free ways to attract a job.
- Make yourself go viral: No, not sick. Viral marketing is a low- to no-cost use of social networks to increase consumer awareness of their brand. What’s that mean for you? Use your social network (your friends) to get the word out about the product (you).
Leave the big spending to the big companies. You can get better results for free. Start your job search, because you’re your own best commercial!
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Could you use some extra cash too? Then you need to enter this contest, stat!
We want you to tell us about a friend of yours who is flat broke needs a new job. If you are pick as our winner, we’ll give you $200 and give your friend $200. How sweet is that?
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The job market is tough. In fact, according a new article on CNNMoney.com, if you’re a young person looking for a part-time job, you’ve got even more competition than ever before.
Our CEO and founder Shawn Boyer, who was interviewed for the article, says that older, experienced workers may be choosing part-time hourly jobs because full-time positions just aren’t available. And that’s bad news if you’re a teen looking for a part-time job.
It also can be bad news if you’re the one snagging the part-time job. Find out why.
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How to get ahead in the working world.
You’ve just entered the working world as an administrative assistant and already you’ve got your eye on scoring a corner office. And why wouldn’t you? You know that you’re smart, you’re savvy and that you’re ambitious – so how do you make sure your boss knows it too?
Be on top of things
If you want to impress your bosses, then you’ll need to be the kind of administrative assistant who is able to solve problems before they happen. See what else you need to do to climb the corporate ladder here.
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