Whats Your Job Search Strategy

Whats Your Job Search StrategyWhats Your Job Search Strategy?Whats Your Job Search StrategyAre you unemployed and actively looking for a job? Or maybe youre employed but desperately looking for a way out of the job you hate. How about employed and casually keeping an eye open for new opportunities?Whatever your reason for job searching, I want to know how you do it.Job search strategies can vary widely depending on your personal situation, your industry, the type of job youre seeking, and the kinds of pressures forcing you into the job market. Just as the strategies vary, the methods you use to execute your strategies could also be different.Heres a list of all the common methods you could be using (and maybe already are) to find your next paying gigMajor job boards (Monster and CareerBuilder)Smaller job boards (Indeed and Simply Hired)Niche job boards (Dice)In-person networkingOnline networking (LinkedIn)Word of mouthCold callingNewspaper help wanted adsRecruitersTemp agenciesExpert s say the most successful job search (you know, the one that ends with a job) utilizes more than one method.

Covering Your Cover Letter Bases to Make a Great Impression

Covering Your Cover Letter Bases to Make a Great ImpressionCovering Your Cover Letter Bases to Make a Great Impression0A good resume gives hiring managers the information they need to bring you to the next step in the hiring process, the interview. The titelblatt letter, however, adds focus to your resume, and few employers will consider a resume without it. Although related, a cover letter and a resume are very different tools. In a resume, you list your accomplishments and state facts about your work history and education. A cover letter gives you the chance to sell yourself as the best candidate for a particular job.An excellent cover letter wont get you a job on its own, but it will work alongside your resume to get you one step closer. A poor or missing cover letter, regardless of the quality of your resume, can throw you out of the running entirely. Take the time to write a cover letter that hiring managers will want to read and that makes them confident you are someoneworth in vestigating further.Here are some tips to make a great impression with a cover letter1. Prepare ahead of time.Every job you apply for should have its own cover letter. Thoroughly research each company and position you apply for. Before you begin writing your cover letter, make sure you understand what the company does, the company culture, and the key characteristics of the job you are applying for.2. Dont repeat your resume.Use your cover letter to clarify your resume, but dont repeat it. Having the freedom to use complete sentences instead of bullet points gives you the opportunity to not only make a great impression but also to explain how your work experience uniquely qualifies you for the job as well.Explain why you would be an asset to the company and how you would benefit the company in the role it ishiring for.3.Be personal.In the past, cover letters often started withTo whom it may concern or a similar generic greeting. Know who the hiring manager is and greet them using th eir first and last name- e.g., Mr. Tom Smith.Use genuine, honest language your cover letter gives you a chance to convey your personality and to let the hiring manager get to know you through your writing.4. Explain the benefits of hiring you.Although you dont want to come across as bragging, your cover letter is not the distributions-mix to be shy.In two or three paragraphs, clearly explain why the hiring manager should want to meetyou for an interview.Explain how you will specifically benefit the company. If you have trouble writing great things about yourself, try using someone elses perspective and write from their point of view. What would a mentor, friend, or previous employers say about you?5. Ask for help.Before you submit your cover letter, have someone read it and honestly answer whether it sells you as the best person for the job. Unless their answer is a resounding yes, go back and revise it.6. Keep it short and sweet.Its easy to get carried away, especially when you are excited about a particular job. Hiring managers are busy, and you dont want them to view reading your cover letter as a chore.Make every word count and pack as much information as you can in one page. Many hiring managers prefer cover letters that are one-half page long.7. Carefully proofread your cover letter.Your finished cover letter must be error-free. Make sure to check your spelling and grammar, it would be a shame to have your document thrown out over a misspelled word.Your points should be simple and concise, your contact information must be correct, and yourachievements must clearly show how you would bring value to the job.Although companies may receive hundreds of cover letters, well-written ones stand out and leave hiring managers wanting more. These are the cover letters that lead to the ultimate goal an interview.abflug Your Search For a Flexible JobReaders, do you have any tips of your own on making a great impression through a cover letter? Let us know in the commen ts section below

ASME Issues Statement Supporting U.S. National Strategy for Ad...

ASME Issues Statement Supporting U.S. National Strategy for Ad... ASME Issues Statement Supporting U.S. National Strategy for Ad... ASME Issues Statement Supporting U.S. National Strategy for Advanced ManufacturingASME recently issued a position statement on behalf of 27 companies, associations and universities urging the United States to develop a National Strategy for Advanced Manufacturing with a long-range outlook for increased coordination and sustained support for Federal programs and activities, which would ensure continued growth and innovation within the U.S. manufacturing sector.The position statement, which ASME President Charla K. Wise sent to Ted Wackler, Deputy Chief of Staff in the White Houses Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) on March 7, was written in response to a Request for Information (RFI) issued by the OSTP seeking input from the public regarding the coordination and improvement of Federal programs and activities that foster manufacturing competitiveness , including advanced manufacturing RD that will provide new job opportunities, spur the economy in multiple industries, strengthen national security, and improve healthcare.The statement included a number of suggestions for short- and long-term objectives for ensuring the United States success in advanced manufacturing. In the near-term, the Federal government must show it has an unwavering commitment to the advanced manufacturing sector so that industry and other stakeholders can invest without fear that the Federal government will eliminate or pull back from programs it has invested in, Wise wrote. Industry needs the assurance that the Federal government is its partner, together working on pre-competitive, pre-market solutions to national manufacturing concerns.In order for the Federal government to successfully act as a neutral convener, which is necessary to accelerate advanced manufacturing breakthroughs, there needs to be support for longer-range research targeting 10-15 years out, and there is a need to ensure that this longer-range research is being funneled into medium- to short-range research and development so that we can make use of and leverage this work, Wise said. In supporting a thriving manufacturing innovation pipeline, the United States will be able to innovate at a pace competitive with other nations, ensuring the next breakthrough manufacturing technologies are invented and commercialized here in America.In addition to the initial funding of research, the Federal government must play an ongoing role as a neutral convener and accelerator of technology by offering sustained funding for important manufacturing programs and commit to scaling these programs to a level that will ensure the United States sustained leadership in advanced manufacturing. It takes many years, if not decades, for research to mature into viable commercialized technologies. The advanced manufacturing innovations of tomorrow are entirely dependent on todays research, and research is also entirely dependent upon the ability to budget for the long term, Wise wrote.The government support of public-private partnerships, which can speed the development and commercialization of technical innovations, would also be a key component of a successful National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing. If the government does not fully commit to its role as a neutral convener through existing and new public-private partnerships, multiple players in the same industry will have no incentive to work together on pre-competitive research and development, stunting the growth of the U.S. advanced manufacturing sector and compromising ur role as the world leader in innovative technologies, according to the statement.Another important element of an effective National Strategic Plan would be the appointment of a chief manufacturing officer to ensure that the plan was properly implemented. A chief manufacturing officer would be responsible for coordinating manufacturing-r elated policies and activities across agencies to eliminate any duplicative efforts and streamline processes to make sure all Federal efforts are as efficient as possible in achieving their mission of increasing manufacturing competitiveness, creating new jobs, growing the economy across multiple industrial sectors, strengthening national security, and improving healthcare, Wise wrote.To read the entire RFI Response National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing (ID PS-18-4), visit the ASME Positions Statements page on ASME.org.