Category: Your Career

LinkedIn has been going since 2003 and it is used for professional networking and social media platforms. If you are not using LinkedIn properly then your messages, searches and other activity on LinkedIn can take hours and large amounts of your free time.

When you are using it correctly it can help you out with your career development. Employers and recruiters use LinkedIn in order to find candidates for employment and even for newly placed employees for their career networking chances of their own. They can search for the best possible fit for an open position and find who has the best level of employability skills.

Do I need a LinkedIn profile?

Yes, you do. Even if you choose to not spend much time on the site it is still beneficial to take 30 minutes to set up your profile and make it stand out from the rest. You can then make an appointment and put it on your calendar to check in every so often and update with any new skills or accomplishments. These skills or accomplishments could include successfully completing a course and obtaining your certificate 3 in individual support, among other qualifications. Ensure you update if you switch jobs or make any changes to your skills list or experience. Hiring managers and recruiters will use LinkedIn to search for potential candidates. If you do not have a presence on the platform then you will not come up during the different searches, if you have an account it means that you can use the platform to research different businesses and companies, take interviews which can be important before submitting your application and applying for work.

Having a profile is still a good option even if you are not currently looking for any type of employment. You can still use LinkedIn to connect with former and current colleagues and even link yourself to people that you meet at different networking events and conference.

There is plenty more to know about when it comes to LinkedIn being used to help you gain employment.

Here are a few good features that you should know about.

The benefits of a LinkedIn account

LinkedIn is free however there is a paid option if you want. For hiring managers, the first step is to look ever resumes and job applications and they can simply look up the candidate on the platform. There are more businesses that are moving to online applications and it is common now to see a LinkedIn section where you need to upload your resume. This is where you can upload the LinkedIn account next to your resume. This is a huge advantage if your LinkedIn account is well crafted. Hiring managers wont only be viewing your resume but they will also be viewing your profile on LinkedIn to. Your LinkedIn account basically becomes an extension of both you and your resume.

LinkedIn is an easy way to maintain the connections that remain helpful throughout your career. The person that you met at a course years ago may be working for your dream company or they may just be the hiring manager of the firm. Keep connected and with a quick message you can pursue new leads and opportunities.

How can I make LinkedIn work for me?

You can start by creating your profile which is what you will use to connect to the people within your network. This is what is used for people on LinkedIn to find you. It will contain skills and experience which will be gathered by the both which will match you with the hiring managers parameters. If you don’t identify yourself then LinkedIn will not work for you. If you list yourself and your profile as a private profile, then you are not going to be noticed and your profile will not be very effective at all. If you are worried about confidentiality, then you don’t need to worry as LinkedIn is a very private network and it will only connect with trusted sources and those you know. There are ways that you can job search in a confidential manner without jeopardizing your current position.

LinkedIn also allows for you to list your hobbies and to show a bit more of a personal side, as opposed to your professional side. You may feel inclined to list things like an interest you have in having some drinks surrounding a pool table and playing a game or two. This hobby could tie right in with your professional skills as you may have it listed that you have experience in pool table restoration. Listening hobbies and interests shows that you are personable and approachable. It shows that you are not just some emotionless robot who has been put on earth to do nothing but work, that is unrealistic. Everyone enjoys a break, and everyone enjoys spending their spare time doing something they truly love.

When your profile is ready and in place you can invite people to join your network. This is where you will start growing your network and getting in contact with the contacts. You can send message requests recommendations and career assistance advice to others as well.

LinkedIn offers you a chance to present yourself professionally and to impress any potential employers. Make sure you see your profile as a representation of your resume and take pride in it.

You might not think so but there are many benefits to working in a factory. Here are some of the many perks that come with working in a factory and the continued benefits that come along with the hard work.

You are contributing to the economy

The factory industry helps to support the national and global economies along with families and individuals. Research has shown that factory and manufacturing work is up in the highest spot for the most important industries that aid in maintaining a strong economy and to help maintain the standard of living. Manufacturing has a big impact of the jobs along with the livelihoods and economy. So, working in a factory is clearly something to be proud of and something that you shouldn’t take a second guess at committing to.

Being on the edge

Manufacturing is sitting on the top of the cutting-edge technology. Drones, 3D wire forming and printing and the internet of things are how manufacturing companies are adopting the new technology before the general public can get their hands on any of it. This is a good motivation for getting up and going to work every day when you are ahead of the curve and are now the tech head within the industry. Sometimes people may have the common misconception that factory work is all based on building metal display stands or shipping out art crates which cost a fortune to send out, working in a factory is much more tech based than people think.

Never dull sectors of work

For some people, they may find that their jobs are built with boredom, dullness and disinterest. This doesn’t seem to be the case for those that are working in the manufacturing industry. These people have so many more opportunities than the wider audience believes, they can the share with friends or family the latest in food manufacturing, developments with aerospace and tell people about the newest pharmaceuticals that they are involved in. There is a world of information to take in when working with the factory industry and there are so many sectors you can branch off to. Factory work is not limited and can send you all around the world. Most industry sectors need to send things, build things or receive things and all those aspects have one thing in common, factories.

Working in a safe environment

There is a myth that the factory industry is unsafe to work in and means that the employees are more prone to injuries that could be career threatening or even life threatening. This used to be true with the high risks of the machines, chemicals and other hazards. With technology and better working environments we have come a long way and we now have protective equipment and better resources to keep the work environment safe for everyone. Of course, there is always an occupational health and safety officer or specialist that either works in the office or visits regularly to make sure the company is keeping up with the regulations and guidelines.

Getting satisfaction

One of the greatest parts of working in a factory is the fact that you can work on real products. Whether you are working on everyday products or working on something new you can get the satisfaction of pointing to it at the store or on the tv and telling friends and family that you made that. Imagine visiting a fancy new museum and telling your children about how you helped build the exhibition walls that these beautiful pieces of art are hanging off of.

Plenty of room to grow

When you have chosen the sector, you want to go into it in a bit more detail so that you can then look at all the options for that path. From welding research and distribution to fabrication, the possibilities are endless. The baby boomers and a majority of their generation is starting to retire and there are many leadership places available for the upcoming generation to take on. Factory work has entry level spots along with leadership and professional level opportunities. Most factories offer on-site job training so if you are graduate that is wanting to work without needing to go to school this is where you can start and then grow from here when you feel the time is right.

There is no doubt that working in a factory is a great career path for both women and men, graduates and those at a professional level. With plenty of sectors to branch off to you will be sure to find something that suits you. Working in a factory can offer you so many opportunities to develop professionally and build upon an early established career. Choosing to work in a factory has never been safer, offered more opportunities or more rewarding. The industry has grown and allows for almost anyone to get in and work towards self-improvement.

 

Writing a new resume or revamping an old one entails more than just writing down your skills, hobbies, interests and experience. Most often the chances of you getting the job does not come down to how much experience you may have had but more so how good your resume is, as a resume is a visual/written representation of the professional version of yourself. Your resume needs to show off everything about you that is relevant, and it needs to be done in the right way. This is where it is important to avoid information that is either irrelevant or unprofessional. Don’t put down that you went and visited a flying fox park over the weekend and participated in a tree top zipline with your friends. As much as this information may make you seem cool and trendy, it is probably highly irrelevant to the position you are applying for, unless that is of course a job that requires you to work in a theme park or adrenaline related sports.

A resume is often your first point of contact between you and the potential employer. It is the first impression that you make with a professional resume and if you aren’t successful in one job you need your resume for more applications to come. Each failed application is a step towards adjusting your resume to make it the perfect fit for that perfect opening. Of course, not all employers will be looking for the same resume so it may take some adjustments and honing to make it perfect.

You need to ensure you take out the objective. It you are applying for the job it is obvious that you want to work at that place. Cover the desire for that role briefly in the cover letter it isn’t important to add it to the actual resume itself. Speak on the core values that are represented through the company you are applying to work for, look at their website or their social media pages and see the type of people that seem to work there. You may be applying for work within the digital marketing fitness industry and seen some familiar faces through Facebook ads for gyms, this is the first step to familiarising yourself with a company.

Be brief

Don’t clutter up your resume. Don’t include information about your previous job as a milkshake maker if you are applying to be a nurse, this is completely irrelevant and they don’t care to read it so don’t include it. You also don’t need to include your high school jobs or experience if you are in your 30’s, this can be considered to be too long ago so you should clear it out and only include relevant information, skills and experience. Include all the skills that are relevant to that particular job. You need to pass on the unnecessary information. The employer doesn’t care to know about your marital status and your religion or your hobbies. This information is actually illegal for employers or staff to ask you so there is no need to include it in the resume.

Being straightforward

Try and use simple text like a standard font that is easy to read and that everyone can clearly read, even if they have issues with sight. Try not to write in the first or third person as everything in your resume is about you and your experience. Don’t use complicated and cluttered layouts with tables, headers and footers as when these are used on different computers with a different software version that you have it will look all encrypted and won’t be readable. Always ensure that you do a spell check and review the writing before sending it off. Proof reading is important should be a top priority for anytime you are submitting your resume for a new job application. One spelling error or grammatical mistake can cost you quite a bit of opportunities.

Be discreet and professional

It pays to set up an email address that looks professional and not the same email that you used back in high school. Don’t just use random letters and number or emails with different symbols something just so simple that includes your name. Consider something similar to; John.Smith1980@genericaemailadress.com

Read the submission requirements

A good way to get noticed is to follow all the requirements that were in the job description. They may have requested your resume to be in a certain format or you may need to set it out differently. If you are applying for a writing job, they may ask you to send two samples of your writing and if you don’t send the samples your application will most likely go in the trash. This just proves you either didn’t read the requirements or didn’t follow them and employers will not hire someone who cannot follow the correct requirements for something simple like sending in a resume. Submission requirements, guidelines or key selection criteria are all things that are representations of your employability skills. Being able to complete a simple set of tasks will show your potential employer that you are capable of following instructions, no matter how complex or easy they may seem.

How long should a resume be?

There isn’t a set limit for how long a resume needs to be and it will vary depending on how much experience and job history you list. Generally, they are not longer than 3 pages. If your resume is only one page this can work better as it is simple and easy to read and not loaded with unnecessary information. Some applications or job advertisements will require a specific number of pages for a resume as well as a cover letter (CV). You may be instructed to submit everything including your key selection criteria as a part of one PDF document.

What to include on my resume?

• Your contact details
• Key skills
• Personal attributes and your career overview
• Education qualifications
• Employment history/work placements/volunteering
• References
• Certificates acquire, this may include; certificate 3 in hospitality or maybe a first aid training course certificate

As you can see there are various steps that go into writing the perfect resume. Next time you see that dream job opening make sure your resume is up to date and that you are happy and proud of what you have written down. Put yourself in the employers shoes and see if you would hire someone with a resume similar to yours.

When it is time for the interviewing process then you need to be prepared. The candidates need to take time to research your company and the interviewers need to be ready to evaluate each applicant properly. It is important to have good preparation which will take time, but it will pay off in the end. This will ensure that you are evaluating the applicant’s skills effectively and being able to create a positive experience for them. To note is that these tips can be applied to all kinds of jobs for different establishments; it could be shift jobs in a hotel or regular 9 to 5 in an accounting firm. Follow these few tips to prepare for the interview:

Preparing your interviewing questions

If you don’t prepare the questions before the interview, then you can miss out on evaluating the applicants correctly. Use your job description to determine which of the skills should be assessed within the interview. Build your questions around the most important skills here. Ensure you are not using cookie-cutter questions like what is your weakness, why do you want the job? Ask questions around the situation and behaviour which are more effective as they are encouraging the applicant to tell their story. If your business is accommodation at Hobart waterfront and you are interviewing applicants to fill in the role of hotel staff, for example, ask questions that directly concern the ins and outs of hotel operations. When there is enough time you can consider asking a question for each important skill. This helps you to gain an understanding of the applicant’s skill level.

Knowing your applicants

When you are interviewing the candidates avoid asking for certain information that they have already provided to you as this will just waste time and make you appear unprepared. Take the time to read the resumes and profiles and make some notes of the skills and past experience. Use the interview time to talk about those points and see if there is any more info that can help with the evaluation. Keep these few things in mind:

• Checking the validity of an applicant’s claim
• Do they work samples?
• Does something stand out in their skills or experience?

Get ready to answer the applicant’s questions

Candidates and the interviewers are actually evaluating each other throughout the interview. The applicant will determine if the job can fulfil their dreams and if the company is in fact good for them. Some applicants will ask questions and you need to know how to answer them. If you are giving transparent answers, then you will be able to create a better applicant experience. Prepare for the questions that are relevant to your company and their job role. Be ready to discuss:

• The mission and structure of the company
• The team’s direction and goals
• The next steps with the hiring process
• The benefits of working for the position you are advertising
• What you like about the company and the team

Coordinating with other interviewers

If you are carrying out the interviews, then you need to determine which person will be asking the questions and in what order they will be asked.  If possible, have certain staff talk about different parts of the business. A manager is best to talk about the direction of the team and the pay while the team members are best to talk to about what happens within the business. All of the interviewers should have the same skills so you can consider related feedback for many different perspectives making the evaluation decision reliable and objective.

Plan your agenda and time

If it is possible you should clear your schedule about 15 mins before and after each of the interviews. Don’t leave candidates waiting while you are finishing up or needing to rush the applicants out. Ensure they have got your full attention so you can earn their respect and trust.

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Many people think the hospitality industry contains hotels, motels and bed-and-breakfast institutions, which it does, but the industry is formally related to travel, tourism and the health/wellness industry. The hospitality business comprises less than 20 per cent of the industry; three additional subsectors include air travel, food service and recreation. If you are conducting interviews within this discipline, you might be searching for anybody from a cargo carrier pilot to a guide that provides a free walking tour in Hobart.

Summary

People who are employed in the hospitality sector enjoy interacting with clients, ensuring client satisfaction, problem-solving and having access to specific perks, like travelling coupons, free meals and flexible work schedules. Despite at least four distinct subsections, hospitality industry workers share many of the same core competencies. The successful ones are great communicators, and also their pride and job satisfaction are usually tied to assisting others. Furthermore, they have a tendency to be flexible and capable of resolving and negotiating alternatives for employee and customer problems. These subsections also include those who specialise in a particular niche, such as the masseuses you see in a luxury day spa.

Hotel Workers

Ask hotel manager candidates about their expertise raising market share, sustaining maximum occupancy rates and achieving formal survey scores, including J.D. Power and AAA diamond ratings. Interviews for staff places, such as room attendants, front desk clerks and bell-bottoms must concentrate on job knowledge and regular tasks like the guest registration processes. Also, ask questions about business fundamentals such as confidentiality and client privacy. Behavioural interview questions may elicit information about how candidates solve matters among staff or between employees and customers. Get candidates to describe previous occupation responsibilities, from the mundane to the essential tasks for which they’re responsible.

Food and Beverage

Food and drink industry provides jobs for waiters, sous chefs, bartenders or restaurant supervisors. Many workers in the food and beverage industry must have health certificates out of local regulatory bodies. When you conduct an interview with a candidate who is looking jobs in Hobart for the handling or preparing of food, ask if they have the Hobart- required certifications. If they are not qualified to get certification and it is a job requirement of this job, you are wasting yours and also the candidate’s time. Ask questions regarding restaurant tendencies to check their job knowledge, service methods and understanding of front-of-house and back-of-house responsibilities.

Air Travel

Besides the age requirement for airline pilots — younger than 60 for particular missions is a bona fide occupational qualification for pilots, even according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration — pilots must possess accredited flight and training hours to be considered for employment. Additionally, they have to be focused on timeliness, precision and details; thus, ask questions which provide information regarding their conscientiousness as well as their people skills. A pilot might be independently or accompanied by the co-pilot from the cockpit, but she must still be effective at directing flight crew and addressing passengers’ issues, sometimes in an urgent way.

Amusement and Recreation

Six Flags, Disney World and the oyster farm tour in Tasmania are all part of the hospitality’s amusement and recreation subsector. Interviewing for tasks such as facilities, mechanical and plumbing specialists demands situational interview questions to examine applicants’ operational expertise. By way of instance, how good of a troubleshooter is the possible roller-coaster engineer or the way seasoned the funnel cake manufacturer is currently at juggling dozens of requests. Personality and cultural match are often major factors in whether an employee within this sector will work out, or if she will enjoy the work. Ask questions that provide the candidate chances to show that they’re outgoing, witty, congenial and resourceful.