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 “This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time.” – Fight Club – 1999 – Chuck Palahniuk
Okay, did I get your attention? Your first job marks the beginning of your 10,000 day career (do the math) and, while you are probably just hoping you get a job, you should prepare for the long haul (working that is, not job search) and try to pick a job that suites you best. The posts over the next few days will focus job search resources for college grads and those looking for entry level jobs. So stop counting those minutes and let’s get to work!
- EntryLevelComputerJobs.com – Thousands of jobs! A good place to start, especially if you are looking for computer jobs. As the name of this site implies, this is a job search engine that focuses on entry level Tech jobs. You can post your resume, search for jobs and peruse the information the IT Resources page. The home page is divided into the main Tech job categories for easy search. You need select your job type.
- Monster College – This is Monster.com’s college focused career site. Their tag line “It’s time to graduate into your career” says it all. Top of the site has links for Entry Level Jobs, Internships, Career Advice, Hired 101 and so much more. Center page has links you will be interested in, such as Top 25 Cities for Finding Entry Level Jobs. Right hand side of the page has your basic search, a place to join and more. There are forums to join as well. There were over 8,500 entry level job opportunities when I checked the site.
- Honorrollonline.com – “Where the Best College Students and Graduates Get Recruited” is their tag line. In addition to providing a newsletter, a blog and career advice (links are on the left hand side of the page), this site matches employers with college students and graduates. In order to enroll in their program, your school must have signed up to participate (you can check to see which schools are included). They also have a link to “Student Union” which is an online community and resource.
Good luck in your search.
 “A sale is not something you pursue, it’s what happens to you while you are immersed in serving your customer.” – Anonymous
You know the old saying, a good salesperson can sell anything. I’m sure there is some truth to it, but to be a successful salesperson takes a certain personality and skill-set that (in my opinion) can’t be easily be taught. It is one of the few careers where you know fairly quickly how you are doing (and if you are not doing well you will not last long). It is also one of the few careers where there are (generally) plenty of jobs (more than most) but they are the most difficult to find. “Where” you may ask are these jobs that are so difficult to find – read on.
Retail:
- Home Depot – Home Depot is know as the Do It Yourself store. They have an established business model. Their careers page is clean and crisp. There are links at the top left hand side of the page for 5 different functional areas of employment, plus one for new store openings (where they will obviously need help). Below this on the left hand side is a search function, followed by a number of additional links to related information. Click the job search box and you will have a number of choices. Of course, you are looking for Sales Associates, but there are also click boxes for Store Managers, Customer Service and Supply Chain. Also, at the bottom of the page they have a link for their career fair calendar. Unfortunately, you must register on the site and check each job type individually.
- Nordstom – What? Hardware is not your thing? What about the soft side, upscale department stores. They have a great careers page. Center page there are three choices: Store openings (they will need salespeople), Career paths (look for sales) and create a profile (sales!). Create your search using the key words “Retail Sales”. There were over 1,000 Retail Sales opportunities when I checked the site.
Other Sales:
- Google – No, you did not read this wrong. Google has an amazing number of sales jobs. Rather than go through their main careers page, the link to the left leads directly to their sales jobs. Center page is the long list of jobs, left hand side are links to Life at Google, locations, student jobs and more. The right hand side of the page has related links.
Resources and Leads:
- Sales, Advertising, & Marketing – This is a listing of leads and resources that will keep you busy for a very long time. Riley Guide’s list of Sales related jobs is an amazing collection of job search sites, executive recruiters, trade shows and the list goes on.
- Salesjobs.com – This is the “World’s largest Sales Employment Site” according their tag line. And, according to the stats on their main page, there are over 200,000 job opportunities on their site. The main page has tabs at the top, but Candidates seems to be the only one that would be of interest. Below this (middle of the page) is a quick search box (using industry and area code). Bottom left hand side is the candidates section where you can upload your resume, login or get advice. Clicking the Candidates tab at the top leads to a page with dedicated resources such as Search, post resume, advice, sales links and more.
- National Association of Sales Professionals – This is an example of a professional organization (this one focusing on sales). In addition to other services, this association also has a career center (one of the tabs at the top of the page). Click on career center and the left hand side of the page is dedicated to Job Seekers where you can post a resume, View jobs, create personal alerts and more. When I clicked on the view jobs link, there were over 2,900 opportunities.
Good luck in your search.
 “Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.” – Rich Cook
The vast majority of companies have some form of technology, but not may companies are drive technology. There are the usual suspects (some of which are featured below), but it really depends on how broadly or narrowly you define technology. As an example, is Pixar (now part of the Disney empire) a technology company or an entertainment company? The answer, of course, is yes. So at the least, identifying technology companies can be as clear as mud. There were over 10,000 job opportunities across the companies featured today. For today, we will try to be as purist as possible as we continue our focus on company career sites.
- IBM – Another name known by everyone, IBM is truly a global company and its products range from manufactured goods to business services. The Job Seekers page has a video about the company, a section for University Students and search by country. Select “search openings” and you can search for jobs or register on the site. The Advanced Search function provides a number of options so that you can focus you search. There were over 3,900 job opportunities when I checked the site.
- Microsoft – We all know what this company does. In addition to being at the top of Fortune’s most profitable list, Microsoft is also on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work for“. Based in Redmond Washington, the Careers page allows job search by region or Development Centers. Picking your country of choice from the center of the page takes you to that country’s career page. You can register, search jobs, submit your resume and create a job agent. The page also provides links to career paths, detailed information on the company and a student center. There were over 100 job opportunities when I checked the site (the site only shows 100 jobs at a time).
- Hewlet Packard – HP’s career website provides an overview of the company with links to Search Job and Submit your Profile on the left of the page. Their are separate tabs for Students & Graduates and Diversity. Searching all HP jobs returns over 4,300 job opportunities when I checked the site.
- Apple – Apple has been on the upswing for some time now, and they are admired on many fronts. Their career page has two paths, Apple Pro and Apple Store. A fairly simple page, which has Start Your Search at the top right hand side. You then select Retail or Corporate jobs center page. Clicking Search Jobs links to a job search engine. You can register for the site or just search. A generic search of Corporate jobs returned 1,055 corporate job opportunities when I checked the site (be sure to check their retail jobs as well).
- Honeywell International – According to their website, Honeywell is a diversified technology and manufacturing company with business in, aerospace, control technologies and automotive products. Their careers site has links at the top for Job Search, Career Paths, University Relations and more. The left hand side of the page has news, while center page has Honeywell Careers. The right hand side lists a number of career paths, all with links with additional information and a small search box on the top right hand side. The job search page has quick links for search in other languages. As an example, there were 577 job opportunities in the US when I checked the site.
Good luck in your search.
 “Sometimes it takes an expert to point out the obvious.” – Scott Allen
Consulting is “The act of providing information, analysis, and recommendations” and is a career choice that is very different than most. To be a successful consultant, you need to have great interpersonal skills, a high level of confidence, good communications skills and a particular area of expertise. It also doesn’t hurt to be good at sales (in fact, it is a requirement at the more senior levels) and not mind traveling. Many consultants are “road warriors” for much of their careers. Continuing the series of posts targeting company career sites, today we review several consulting firms.
For an overview, please also read “Have you thought about consulting?“.
- Accenture – Also on the Fortune’s Most Admired list, Accenture is best known for management consulting, technology services and outsourcing. Their career site has tabs at the top for Working Here, Career Options, Search Jobs and more. The middle of the page has a brief paragraph about the company and a number of other career search tools below this. You can explore where you fit by clicking “Find where you fit”. You can also explore career opportunities based on skill. Search Jobs requires that you use a drop down list of all of the countries where Accenture is located. Click you country from the list to see opportunities. There were over 1,000 job opportunities when I checked the site.
- Boston Consulting Group – Also a very well known and highly respected consulting firm. Their career page which includes background on the company, career path and how to apply. You can apply online or check out their college recruiting program if you are still in school.
- Bain & Company – According to their website, Bain & Company “is a global business consulting firm with offices in all major cities. We help management make the big decisions: on strategy, operations, mergers & acquisitions, technology and organization”. Their careers page provides a brief overview, with tabs at the top of the page for This is Bain, Build your Career, Life at Bain and Apply to Bain. Click the “Apply to Bain” to see their process and apply.
- IBM Global Business Services – Most people don’t think of IBM when they think of consulting (or consulting when the think of IBM), but this line of business represents a major portion of IBM’s revenue. Their Business Consulting division provides diverse consulting offerings. The careers page for this division has excellent information on “why join us” as well as a listing of industry expertise. Click “career opportunities” on the left hand side of the screen and then “search for job openings”. There were 526 job opportunities in this division when I checked the site.
- Oliver Wyman – Another international consulting firm, Oliver Wyman focuses on strategy, operations and risk management (plus some others). Their career site has a brief overview center page with links on the left hand side of the page for “Opportunity”, “Impact”, “Your Career” and more. There are links on the right hand side of the page for career tracks. Click the apply link if you are interested.
Good luck in your search.
 “Some people dream of success… while others wake up and work hard at it.” – Unknown
The posts over the next few days are about focusing on the source of jobs – companies. Yes, headhunters, job search sites and networking are all great ways to get a job, but let’s face it – all of the jobs are with companies. So I figured, why not start at the source for a few days? So stop dreaming about success and let’s get to work!
What are Company Career Websites?
Most major firms have a company website with a “careers” or “job seekers” section typically on the first page of their website. Most will allow you to search for open positions and post your resume. There tends to be a higher “hit” rate on company websites (assuming there is a reasonable match between your resume and the job requirements).
Tips:
- Use web resources to look for companies in your industry (or industries that interest you) such as Fortune Magazine’s “Fortune 1000“. The list lets you view the Fortune 1000 by various categories (companies, industry, best companies to work for, etc.).
- Do research on the company prior to posting your resume or applying for a job (sites like vault.com).
- Know your worth. Look at listings in the job websites that are similar to your current position (or positions that interest you) to see what salary is listed. New sites, such as glassdoor.com are also useful to get insight on companies and compensation.
Financial Services Company Career Sites:
- Blackstone – Blackstone is a well known asset management company. After giving a very good overview of the company, the left-hand side of the site provides the full range of hire types, from Internships through Experienced Hires. You can easily browse the open positions as well as register for the site. There were 10 job opportunities when I checked the site.
- JP Morgan Chase – Similar to the other sites, this site gives an overview of the company and then has links for Experienced Hires and University Programs. There is a link for “Jobs in Demand” as well as a “Search Jobs” tab. As with the other sites, it is worthwhile to register. There were over 4,000 job opportunities when I checked the site.
- HSBC – The HSBC career page starts off with a map of the world, you click where you want to work (or where you live) and then the site takes you to a more focused view for your region and country. The site includes “Tips & Guidelines” for candidate preparation as well as job search, recruiting events, career development and areas of opportunity. There were 250 job opportunities when I checked the site.
- Citigroup – Their careers page has two main segments – Professional Job Search and Graduate Recruitment. Focusing on the Professional Job Search, there is a choice of four regions (and your language choice). Click on the region of your choice and select Go. Once there, you will see a brief overview in the center of the page with several choices on the left hand side of the screen (Job Search, Build Your Profile and Graduates & Undergraduates). The right hand side of the screen has links to the different businesses within Citigroup. There were 1,280 job opportunities globally when I checked the site.
- Bank of New York Mellon Corporation – A leading asset management and securities services company, and headquartered in New York, The Bank of New York Mellon over $960 billion in assets under management. Their career page has a brief overview center page, with links on the left for jobs, areas of interest, college recruiting and more. Click “Search for BNY Mellon Jobs” to link to their jobs search page. There were 523 job opportunities when I checked the site.
Good luck in your search.
 “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau
And what you see is not always what you get (not to be confused with “you don’t always get what you want”). The Fortune 500, long a measure of successful companies, is not always what it seems. This is an excellent list to leverage in your job search, but be careful and do your homework. Conduct research on the company, not just its financial soundness, but its public image and what its employees think as well. I kick-off today’s post with two research links in addition to links to the career sites of some of the Fortune 500.
Research:
- Jobvent.com – Basically set-up as “I hate my job” versus “I love my job”, you rate a company across set categories and the site will list the rating. The site seems to have quite a few companies listed. I’m assuming that the ratings are weighted based on the number of reviews. As the title indicates, this is more of a “venting” site than a site that provides value added information. Still, it is worth a look to get a view of what people think. You should note the number of reviews for any one company (some have only one or two while others have 30 or 40).
- Company Research – This list of company research sites is provided by Jobstar.org and will get you started in your company background research. There are links to both public and private companies as well as links for regional and national research. If you region is not listed, leverage the same methodologies (like your local newspaper).
Company Career Sites:
- HCA – Ranked 88 on the list, HCA owns and operates approximately 163 hospitals in the US and England. Their careers page has a brief overview, followed by links for “Find a Career Now”, “Where do you fit”, “Who is HCS” and Questions. Clicking on “Find a Career Now” leads directly to their search page where you can register and search for job openings using job field and location. There were 5,993 job opportunities when I checked the site.
- Tyson Foods – According to their website, Tyson Foods is “is the world’s largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500″ and is ranked 89 on the list. Their careers page has a brief overview center page, with links on the left hand side for Search for a Job, Campus Recruiting, Search for an Internship and more. Clicking on Search for a Job leads to a page where you can search for jobs or upload your resume. Clicking on the search for jobs leads to the search engine where you can enter your criteria. There were 35 job opportunities when I checked the site.
- Alcoa – Located in 34 countries around the world, Alcoa’s main business is the production of aluminum. From the careers page, you can search openings, find out about the company or visit the student section which is dedicated to recruiting for college students. To register on the site, you must select search openings, select your country and then create your account. You need to search by country. For the US, there were 27 job opportunities when I checked the site.
Good luck in your search.
 “Oh, my friend, it’s not what they take away from you that counts. It’s what you do with what you have left.” – Hubert Humphrey, 38th Vice President of the United States
Job loss is not easy to deal with. Whether you knew it was going to happen or you were surprised. My post “I Lost My Job, Now What” covers the stages (which are similar to losing a loved one) as well as what to do first. And while somewhat of a cliche, it is very much like falling off of a horse. Once you’ve get past the pain, it’s time to get back in the saddle. One more cliche, but there is truth to it – when you are out of work, looking for a new job is your job. It is very easy to do the 100 other things there are to do rather than looking for a job, but you must focus your efforts on the future. In a slightly different order than my post referenced at the beginning of this paragraph, some links to Next Steps.
- Resumes – If you don’t already have an updated resume, now is the time. If you do have one, time to update.
- HOW TO BUILD A BETTER RÉSUMÉ – 10 Rules Professional Résumé Writers (Almost) Always Follow – This article, provided by Careerdirectors.com, provides 10 tips for your resume writing. This is a short and concise list and is definitely worth the read. Some of these tips/questions (such as #1 – “Is your format attractive”) are hard to answer without seeing what others are doing (so I’ve provided a link below for examples), but this basic list is a great place to start in the evaluation of your resume.
- Resume Examples – from resume-resource.com
- Business Social Networks:
Good luck in your search.
 “What you want to do, and what you can do, is limited only by what you can dream.” – Mike Melville
A fresh new list of the Best Companies to Work for from Fortune. The “Best” list is compiled by the Great Place to Work Institute which surveys employees and assess company culture. Many of these companies show up on a variety of lists, but in my view this is probably the best list to be on (no pun intended). So what does being the best mean? Well it is different for each of the companies, but there are recurring themes through-out. You will have heard of many of these companies, but probably not all. As usual, we start from the top.
- SAS – Number 1 on the list and up from # 20 on last years list (their 13th year on the list) . The career page provides a brief overview of the company followed by a worldwide career search function by region. Clicking through region will lead to country and then a choice of Professional Opportunities and Student Opportunities. Following on to job search will allow registration or sign-in. A quick search for the US returned 55 job opportunities, but check your location for opportunities.
- Edward Jones – Headquartered in St. Louis MO and ranked #2 on the list (same as last year), Edward Jones is a brokerage firm and hired 1,926 people last year. The main section tabs are: Financial Advisor Opportunities, Branch Support Opportunities and Headquarters Opportunities. There is also a tab for students. There is an “apply now” link at the bottom of the page which allows you to explore opportunities across the tabs mentioned above. Once you click on one of these sections, you can add your profile and apply for jobs.
- Wegmans Food Markets – Wegmans is a 70+ food market store chain located primarily in the Northeast has over 36,000 employees and is ranked 3 on the list. They’ve been on Fortune’s list since 1998 and have been in the top 3 for the last 4 years. Their career site has tons of information on the company and what they are about (which is a very big part of what makes them one of the best companies to work for). This includes the reasons to work there, Diversity, Educational Initiatives and, of course, job listings. The job search is fairly basic. Once you find a potential job you apply via email. There were 55 job opportunities when I checked the site.
- Google – Ranked 4th on the list (again), Google plans to hire thousands this year. Everyone has heard of Google, so not much else to say here. There Careers page has a brief overview (“Let’s Work Together”) with links to each of their hiring locations. The left hand side of the page has additional related links. You can also look by function (right center page). There doesn’t seem to be one place where you can look at all of the job openings, so you will need to be selective in your search.
- Nugget Market – Back from last year and ranked 5th on the list (from 10th last year, Nugget is an 82 year old company that has never had a layoff and is located in California. Their career page provides company news and history as well as an “Apply Now” link and review of benefits. Job search is not available. Interested candidates should apply online.
Good luck in your search.
 “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” -Thomas A. Edison
Work, to some a four letter word. So exactly what is “underemployed”? Well, there are several definitions like – “Not fully or adequately used or employed”. In this case I am referring to either those who have a job and are under paid (yes, we all are), under utilized, not happy or just don’t have a job at all. Whatever your definition or reason for looking for a job, the most important thing is getting yourself out there (if no one knows you exist, don’t expect anyone to be calling). I am a big believer in the “mass marketing campaign” (many aren’t) – the more people who know you are on the market, the more likely you will find a job. So today’s post focuses on Recruiters and Headhunters.
Find a Recruiter: Recruiters – how do you find them?
- How to Find a Recruiter – How do you go about finding a recruiter that will fit your needs? This site (SearchFirm.com) is one place you can start your look. On the main page, click “find” and the recruiter search screen comes up. You can put in any criteria (all or none) and the search engine will return a list of recruiters that match your request. The criteria includes: Specialty, firm type, where, name contains and more. This is a great site to add to your list, but remember, don’t spend more than 20% – 25% of your time on recruiter.
- Online Recruiters Directory – This is a really neat site, offered by Online Recruiters Directory. There are a number of approaches you can take. Click Job Seeker from the tab at the top of the page, this will take you directly to the recruiters search box. Three steps – select your category (industry), job type (temp, perm, etc.) and state. Click “search recruiters” and you have your list with all of the contact information you need. You can also click the links on the right hand side of the page under “I am a Job Seeker”.
- Find a Recruiter – From findarecruiter.com, provides another search engine for you. You can select from the featured recruiters on the left-center side of the page or the search box from the right hand side. Simply select you field of interest followed by the region and then click “go find a recruiter”. This will return a list of recruiters. Click on any recruiter for the contact information.
- Recruiter Twitter List – Yes, you can even look for recruiters. This link gives a list of recruiters on Twitter. Most of the people on this list provide a brief overview and their email address.
- Recommended Recruiters – Another great site. The main page has a search box where you can enter keywords or location. You can also click the browse or advanced search at the bottom of the page. Clicking the browse button provides a page that allows you to browse by state, discipline and industry.
Good luck in you search.
 “Every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust.” – Zig Ziglar
Back to the Fortune 500 list. You know the saying, there is safety in large numbers (both profit and number of employees). I prefer larger companies (say 20,000 + employees) to smaller companies. The Fortune 500 will give you a larger size, well known company that has been successful (at least in Revenue). Today’s list ranges from manufacturing to financial services. There were over 3,000 job opportunities across this list when I checked their sites.
- General Dynamics- Ranked 83 on the list, General Dynamics is know for “aviation; land and expeditionary combat vehicles and systems, armaments, and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and mission-critical information systems and technologies”and employs over 92,000 employees according to it’s website. Select Careers from the left hand side of the page for a company overview, list of benefits, work/life balance and a link to their job openings. There were over 2,000 job opportunities when I checked the sites.
- Prudential Financial – This insurance and financial services company is ranked 84 on the list. They have a really well-developed careers page, with tabs for Campus, Benefits, Diversity and a general tab with a company overview. From the main page, you can use a number of links on the right hand side of the page (such as Career Fairs) or check job opportunities based on type of position.
- Humana – Ranked at 85 on the list, Humana which is known for managed care, insurance and health care. Their careers page has an overview center page with embedded links for a number of categories (such as Career Opportunities and Benefits). The links on the left hand side of the page mirror those center page. Clicking Career Opportunities takes you to their job search page where you can log in or search for a job. There were over 200 job opportunities when I checked the site.
- Liberty Mutual Insurance Group – Insurance company Liberty Mutual is ranked at 86. Their careers page has a company overview (slide show based) with links on the left hand side for Find your next job (split by experience hire or recent grad) with additional related links on the right hand side of the page. There were 710 job opportunities for experienced hires and 135 job opportunities for college grad / entry level jobs when I checked the site.
- Deere – Ranked at 87, with over 56.000 people, Deere ranks as one of the large industrial equipment manufacturers. Their careers page has a single link (excluding the general company links) for selecting your country. Once on your country page, there is a general overview center page with additional links on the left hand side of the page for a range of career related topics.
Good luck in your search.
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“This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time.” – Fight Club – 1999 – Chuck Palahniuk
