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On the surface, it would seem that getting a job today should be easier than it’s ever been before. After all, we have the internet, job boards and a direct online application process for virtually every large employer.

Somehow it doesn’t always – or even usually – work out quite as seamlessly as we might think. Maybe that’s not even a surprise. What the internet mostly does is mechanize the job application process. That mostly benefits employers, but not so much job applicants.

Employers can amass hundreds or thousands of applicants for a single job posting, and all they need to do is to sift through the applications to find a few worth interviewing. But as a job applicant, if you’re not among the few who make it past the screening process, your chances of landing a job are probably worse than they’ve ever been.

Here are a few strategies that might help you get past that problem.

Match keywords with your resume or job application

Remember how we just said the internet mechanizes the job application process for employers, and that they sift through the applications to find a few who they’ll interview? They do this by using keywords to identify the best candidates.

Anytime you apply for a job, either with your resume or with a complete employment application, you will need to embed the right keywords. If you can have enough of the right keywords in your application or resume, you will have a better chance of at least getting to the interview stage.

Study the requirements carefully for each job, and take note of any words that either relate specifically to the job, or are repeated. Those are likely keywords, and you should add them to your application or resume for each position you apply for. Continue Reading →

Do you want to get promoted on your job? Understand that if you do it may not be something that happens automatically. You may have to change strategy and tactics at work, and even go so far so let it be known that you want to be promoted.

How do you get the process going?

Do your job – plus

Employees sometimes believe they should be promoted based on automatic factors, such as seniority, doing their job on a consistent basis, or even popularity. In truth, you will not be promoted unless you are deemed promotion-worthy by your superiors. That will mean that you will have to stand out in some way.

It will not be enough to simply do your job every day, it will be much more about what it is that you do in addition to your job. That usually means taking responsibility that is beyond your job description. That can involve taking on difficult tasks or volunteering when a major assignment comes up that no one else wants.

It can also be establishing yourself as a problem solver. When there is a problem in your department or in your company, who is it that the staff and even management turn to? If it isn’t you, you shouldn’t expect to be promoted.

Schmooze with the brass

We just mentioned popularity as a reason why employees expect to be promoted. While that’s not generally a factor – or at least it shouldn’t be – sometimes it is. But you have to differentiate between being popular with your coworkers, and being popular with the decision-makers.

If your bosses boss hardly knows you, and his boss doesn’t even know your name, there’s not much chance to be promoted. Whatever it is you have done in your tenure with your employer is not reaching the higher-ups. Sometimes that happens because you haven’t done anything noteworthy, but other times it’s because you haven’t spent enough time with management.

If you want to be promoted, you’ll have to make that effort. Schmoozing with the brass doesn’t mean fawning over them, but it does mean making yourself known at company functions, at extracurricular activities, in meetings, and especially when input is sought to deal with problems.

The more people above you in the pecking order who know you and know you well, the more likely it is that you’ll be promoted. Continue Reading →

If you are thinking about making a career change, or spooked by the cost of a university education for yourself or your child, there are well-paying jobs that don’t require university degree.

All offer above average pay and solid job security. Some require only the completion of a certificate program while others require an associate degree. None however require a four-year university degree for entry.

Dental hygienist

Dental hygienists earn an average of nearly $70,000 per year. You can enter the field with an Associates degree, and jobs are available throughout North America.

This is also one of the most flexible careers imaginable. Since dental hygienists are needed anywhere there are dentists – and that’s virtually everywhere – you can choose where you want to live. You also have the option of working either full-time or part-time.

Electrician

Electricians earn an average of nearly $50,000 per year (depending on where you work, if you own your own company it can be much higher). Entry into the field is typically by apprenticeship but it can also include a technical school education. In most jurisdictions a license will be required. The field is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

Electricians can work in different capacities. Though they are most frequently associated with repair work in existing structures, both residential and commercial, they can also be involved in the installation of electrical systems in new buildings. Experienced electricians also have the option of becoming self-employed.

Paralegal

Average income for paralegals is nearly $50,000 per year, and entry is usually accomplished with an Associates degree in paralegal studies. The future outlook for paralegals is steady.

Paralegals assist lawyers by doing research, drafting documents and much of the back office preparation work. They can also work either full-time or part-time, and can be found in government and corporate environments as well. Continue Reading →