Dallas Jobing Community Blogs

Finding a new job can be time consuming, especially in today's market. Therefore, make sure you have one less thing to worry about, finances. Experts have different times frames on savings for emergency funds. This time frame can be anywhere from 3 months of savings to 12 months.

In the current economic climate, the longer your emergency funds last, the better. Many people have not planned for an extensive period of unemployment. If this is you, make a change today.

Another concern when making a job move is your 401K or other retirement funds. If you have a 401k or other employer-sponsored plan, be careful in moving it. If you are not spending these funds immediately for an emergency, do not withdraw the funds with a check made out solely to you.  If you need the funds immediately, the cost can be very expensive.  If you are under age 59 1/2, you may have to pay penalties and taxes.  That's not a pleasant feeling to have.

Therefore, ask a financial planner or tax advisor before taking funds from a retirement plan. Rolling these funds into an IRA may be a way to avoid suffering an immediate tax penalty. If you received a 401K check made out in your name, and it has been less than 60 days, you may have time to correct the issue. Call a tax advisor to discuss your options.

Again, try not to make finances a major issue when making a job move. The less stress, the better.

A. L. BEAN & Company

Consulting, Tax & Accounting

www.albeanco.com

Promote financial literacy in the lives of teens in your community! Volunteer to teach "Paychecks 101" on Money Matters National Education Day.

To volunteer is easy. Just visit www.nationalpayrollweek.com, and fill out the volunteer registration form. All volunteers gain instant access to the volunteer portal where they can download an easy-to-use lesson plan, teacher's guide and PowerPoint presentation.

Volunteer now!

Once you've registered to volunteer, contact your local school or youth group to reserve a spot to teach. Include the lesson plan with a letter to the principal to demonstrate the value and content of the event.

Chapter members: you can teach the Money Matters curriculum anytime before September 25 and still be eligible for the National Education Champions chapter contest.

Not sure how to get your Money Matters National Education Day event started? Get a CHAMPS referral from APA's Chapter Relations Department.

Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and 4,000 other social media tools.  How do you use this social media stuff to benefit your business?

Why?  

If you're not taking advantage of social media for recruiting and employment branding, you're missing out on a world of opportunity.  That’s why we’ve decided to launch Jobing Social Media Solutions.  

What? 

Jobing Social Media Solutions will help you build your social recruiting platform quickly and easily with our industry-leading social media tools.  It is essentially social media outsourcing at its finest.

How?

Whether you need a little assistance or a lot of help, Jobing Social Media Solutions is here to help you build and maintain your employment brand online.
Here are just a few of the services we can offer you:

·     Recruitment Social Media Assessment

·     Account Creation Management

·     Account Integration

·     Social Media Training

·     Account Promotion Strategy & Implementation

Who? 

Brett Farmiloe and Zach Hubbell are the social media managers for Jobing.com.  They consistently consult with companies, organizations, and associations on how to incorporate and implement a social media strategy that best benefits their business.    They’ve created over 1,000 Twitter accounts as a part of the Jobing.com social media strategy and provided internal training for each of the Jobing.com community team members. They are a couple of Gen Y’ers who frequently speak on the topic of how to use social media to attract and retain top talent. They are about as expert as can one can be in the emerging social media field.

Where? 

To get more information and have either Brett or Zach contact you to assess your social media needs, please go to http://dallas.jobing.com/socialmedia and fill out the contact form.

Brett Farmiloe and Zach Hubbell can also be reached on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, or email if you have any questions about social media.  We look forward to hearing from you and launching your social media strategy.

Global resume expert and executive resume writer Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CIC is a former recruiter with a 98% success rate opening doors to prestigious jobs with powerfully branded resumes, LinkedIn Profiles, and portfolios that capture the attention of hiring authorities.

The principal of An Expert Resume, she is a 6-time international award nominee for excellence in resume writing, as well as a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Career Management Coach, and Interview Coach. Her work has been published in numerous career bestsellers.

When it comes to creating a compelling resume (especially one that wins interviews!), people often forget that this document has become a career marketing brochure--instead of a job application.

True "marketing" gives your audience reasons to engage and respond to you! To get at the heart of this idea, start thinking of the story of your career in marketing terms, rather than as a litany of jobs held and tasks completed that includes every detail.

This may come as a surprise, but employers don't want to read through all of your work history! The past decade is of most interest to them, as well as any and all relevant qualifications that prepare you to be their best candidate.

If you struggle to fit your resume onto 2-3 (or worse yet, 5-6) pages, this is a sign that something has to give--and it should start with the oldest and LEAST relevant information.

Since relevance can be hard to assess, here are some points to help you analyze what data SHOULD stay on your resume:

• What is the most important job that qualifies you for the position you want?
• Which projects demonstrated the type of work needed for your next role?
• What skills did you use that are necessary in the job you seek?
• Which of your employers is most prominent? Are any household names?
• Which of your job titles is most directly related to your current career goal?

Conversely, you can eliminate or minimize work experience based on the following criteria:

• Does the job predate your relevant experience of the last decade or so?
• Has the technology used in this job changed substantially?
• Would using the position title "date" your experience in any way?
• Are the tasks completed for this job far beneath your skills?

While it's difficult to pinpoint an exact date cutoff, most employers are interested in seeing experience dating back around 15 years.

After that, it's a simple matter of summarizing up the positions held by simply listing job titles and company names.

Remember--a resume is designed to market your career experience, not dump all of your information out for employers to filter!

The more relevant data you can provide, the easier it is for hiring managers to see why they need YOU on their team.

Women of Visionary Influence will host their June meeting tomorrow night, Tuesday, June 30th from 6:30 pm to 9 pm at Los Vaqueros, 2629 Main St in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

WOVI - Fort Worth is a great networking opportunity for women of all ages. It is the mission of WOVI to inform, enhance, enrich, and inspire the promotion of women throughout the world. We are a wide-reaching organization of women offering mentoring, education, and leadership development.Through our membership, charitable contributions and corporate benefactors, we provide mentoring and leadership to members and to women in the community.

For more information about WOVI, check out our video by clicking here: WOVI Video

Not going to the National SHRM Conference in New Orleans this year? Wish you could be there?  Here are some great tips from our Social Media Manager, Brett Farmiloe, on how you can still participate.

Rest assured, there are still ways to get involved in this years conference from the desks at which we sit.  Here are five ways for you to socialize at SHRM with the help of social media tools.

1)   Follow the #SHRM09 hashtag on Twitter.  Close your eyes.  Picture yourself on the expo floor in New Orleans and being able to hear and participate in every conversation around you.  That’s what you can do by following this hashtag.  #SHRM09 will capture all the conversation about the national conference.  Simply go to http://search.twitter.com and you’ll be able to see these SHRM ’09 comments in real time.

2)  Watch the HR Bloggers concurrent session streamed live on Wednesday, July 1 at 11:30 a.m. CDT.  You can find these sessions at:

               * www.punkrockhr.com

               * www.yourhrguy.com

               *www.fistfuloftalent.com

               * www.hrcapitalist.com

3) Get on Twitter. A lot of the conversation happening out in New Orleans will be around the notion of social recruiting.  Use this time at the office to get on Twitter and learn about what all the hype is about.  If you need help getting started, I’m sitting at the office and would love to answer any questions.  You can find our Meebo chat on our brand new Jobing.com Social Media Solutions page at http://dallas.jobing.com/socialmedia.  Or you can check out some Twitter tutorials done by Michael Long (aka @theredrecruiter) http://www.redrecruiting.com/work-with-red/twitter-training/

4) Watch the full Jack Welch opening keynote speech starting on Monday, June 29 at www.shrm.org (For SHRM Members only)

5) Check in daily to SHRM Online at www.shrm.org and to the Annual Conference blog at http://blogs.shrm.org/annual-conference-2009/

SHRM has never streamed anything live before and they've never made one of their keynote speeches available online before.  In the words of SHRM COO China Gorman, “These are challenging times for our members and we know that if they could be here they would!  We're thrilled to provide a little "taste" of New Orleans for our members who won't be joining us.”

Brett Farmiloe loves New Orleans and wishes he could be at the SHRM conference this year.  Instead, he’ll pass the time consulting with small and medium sized businesses on how to strengthen recruitment strategies with Jobing.com Social Media Solutions.   

The Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) is a professional, non-profit organization dedicated to the overall achievement and advancement of South Asian professionals. The primary focus of the organization is to foster a bond among South Asian professionals to unite and support each other locally, as well as to give back and contribute positively to the communities in which we live and work.

Join us this year at:

The 18th Annual NetIP Conference
Held in the Dynamic and Vibrant City of Toronto
Friday, Sept 4th to Sunday, Sept 6th 2009

• Engaging Panels and Workshops (covering finance, healthcare, entrepreneurship, culture, media arts)
• Film Screenings & Community Outreach Events
• Chic & Elegant Parties
• Captivating Entertainment (including a Bollywood-themed gala affair)

Create Memories of a lifetime and gain an opportunity to forge lasting friendships, as you mingle with elite South Asian professionals, network with industry leaders and meet top notch speakers!

For more information, visit www.NetIPConference.org.  

 

This is the second event of its kind in Tarrant County. We anticipate that the success of our first event is evidence of what can be accomplished when our community rallies around a common goal. Again, this event is unique because jobseeker participation will be by invitation only. Moreover, Jobseekers will need to register and complete one of several pre-event preparation workshops in order to gain entry to the event.

Note: This information is only for employers. If you are a job seeker and interested in attending, please visit www.mysecondchance.us for more information and to register. For Job Seekers, this is an invitation only event. In order to receive an invitation, you must register through the sa website.

When: 12pm-4pm

What: The Felony and/or Misdemeanor Friendly Community Career Fair will bring together "background friendly" employers with an estimated 300-500 well prepared, well dressed and qualified jobseekers.

When: on Friday September 25, 2009

Cost: $150 – New employer participants, $75 – Returning employer participants.

50% Discount Early Bird Registration, With payment by July 15, 2009. This event will include a hospitality room. All funds collected go towards helping to defray the costs associated with this event.

Why Participate: This event represents a collaborative effort on the behalf of Tarrant County Reentry Initiative and the partners listed on the side of this page to connect the most qualified and prepared jobseekers with the background friendly employers in our region. This is a 100% background friendly exclusive job fair, where the applicant pool, are jobseekers with a misdemeanor and/or felony on their record. These individuals have paid their debt to society and the criminal justice system. They are now ready to move on with their lives, they are now ready to be gainfully employed! Despite their past involvement with the criminal justice system Jobseekers attending this event will be qualified for various industries, they will be well dressed, have copies of their resume and, be prepared to respond to any questions regarding their candidacy for employment.

On behalf of the Tarrant County Reentry Initiative and its partners in this project, we

thank you for your efforts in helping to reduce recidivism in our community and helping to improve the lives of others. For more information about the Tarrant County Reentry Initiative visit our web site at : www.mysecondchance.us

We would like to thank all individuals who expressed interest in the part time Customer Service position that we recently advertised for. Unfortunately, this position has been placed on hold until August. If you completed the online assessment we will re-visit your application towards the end of July. Please continue to visit our site at www.the-t.com for a complete list of open opportunities.

Regards,

Human Resources

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority has an immediate opening for Project Manager. The Project Manager is responsible for execution of transit related capital works projects, (bus and commuter rail) including management of the T’s technical consultants and construction contractors. The ideal candidate must possess excellent business knowledge, combined with strong verbal and written communication skills.

• The Project Manager directs, oversees, and has ultimate responsibility for the development of major capital projects, including direct management of staff and consultants involved in design, construction management, and administrative management in order to achieve the T’s goals for public transportation in bus and rail.
• The Project Manager develops technical and managerial requirements of contracts for capital development. The incumbent provides general direction and participates in technical evaluations, negotiation and selection of construction, architectural, engineering and other related consultants. This position acts as a resource to and a liaison between departments, and TRE (Trinity Railway Express) management as well as external contacts that may include representation of the T at public functions, professional and civic organizations, local government, community groups and the like.

For more information visit our website at www.the-t.com. 

Accounting is a broad field, as there are many options for someone that is looking for a career in accounting. Most accounting positions require at least a bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field, such as finance.

As a new accountant, positions can vary greatly. Some major categories of accounting are public, management, government accounting and internal auditing. Some accountants do tax work, such as personal taxes or corporate taxes. Some examples of entry-level positions are accounting analyst, financial analyst, auditor, budget analyst and so on.

Some required skills for an accountant or auditor are analytical, communication and the ability to work well in teams. Accounting is a field that good grades in college can make a major difference in getting a good accounting job versus a great accounting job. The Big Four accounting firms have a strong emphasis on academic records in order to land an entry level position.

Accounting is currently a great field, as demand for accountants is good, even in the current poor economic times. Starting salaries can be high relative to many other disciplines.

If you are considering a change to accounting or a move within the field, do your homework and determine what you really like doing. There are positions in accounting firms, as well as general industry. Accounting firms vary in size from a one-person firm to firms with several thousand employees. Consider whether you like working for large firms or a small firm.  This is also a consideration if you become an accountant in general industry. 

The field is so diverse, I could spend all day writing about it. We will expand on this field in subsequent articles.

A. L. BEAN & Company

Consulting, Tax and Accounting

www.albeanco.com

You've scheduled that all important interview, you're prepared, you've researched the company, know personal details about the interviewer, and you ace that interview. Before leaving you hand the interviewer your business card, and leave with the assumption that there is no way you are not going to be hired for that position.

The interviewer has five more potentials to interview and out of the five three more come away feeling that they have aced the interview as well. What have you done to go over and above the normal interview, and business card? Hoping that you did better than everyone else is not the answer.

So what do you do? Go beyond what is expected, and leave the interviewer with not only a business card, but a brochure detailing who you are, your qualifications, and what you have to offer the company. IMPRESSIVE - You betcha!! While the other interviewees may have done as well as you in the interview, you have created an indelible memory of YOU in the interviewers memory.

We will create an impressive brochure resume for you that goes beyond your digital and hard copy resumes. We are here to help you succeed. htttp://www.thewrightresume.net - 682-503-6399

Education is a sure fire way to increase your marketability in the workforce. Yet, if you are seeking a career change, education can be a very time intensive and lengthy process. When considering this change there are many options to weigh.
·         How long will the process take?

·         Do you need a degree or do certificates or graduate programs exist?

·         Is there demand for the job, once you are educated?

·         What is motivating your change? True passion or a fleeting interest?

Education is a commitment, and one you must take seriously. When considering the time the program will take, you must be confident you are happy in your current job. Will you have the patience to wait until the end of your program before you are working in your new a career? 

Considering the education options, what is truly needed? Is a full 4 year degree necessary, or will a 2 year degree help you get into the industry? Often passion and enthusiasm for the job will set you apart from others who have formal degrees. Using teaching as an example, you must be certified, so you much complete the degree. Yet, going from business to HR may simply require a certification. Investigate what is truly necessary to get your foot in the door. 
As you embark on your change, is there a future for it? Fleeting interest fields often see a rise in people in the market and a drop off of demand. This was evident in crime scene investigation, due to the popularity of police shows. Not only ensure that you can gauge a demand for your career once your education is complete, but that you have a true passion for it. A fleeting interest or a fad will not last long.

The resources Jobing.com has to offer to help you find a great educational program include JobingEducation. Additionally, if you are seeking the benefit of a graduate degree, Grand Canyon University offers adults great online opportunities.  Use education to make a career change – for life. 

Having a strong network can be a great tool for survival in many industries.  This holds very true in our areas of accounting and management consulting.  This is very true in other industries as well. If you find yourself suddenly unemployed, consider locating people you know from prior employers. These individuals can serve several purposes.  First, they may know of other opportunities with other employers (including their employer).  Secondly, they can serve as references.  Many employers are asking for references. Employers want to know what kind of employee you have been in the past. This helps them determine what kind of employee you will be for them. Lastly, if you are looking to leave a job, you can call on these contacts to help you find a new job.

Being in the accounting and management consulting fields, I see people land jobs that often do not get posted. These people use the network they have built over several years.  Many employers like to hire people that were referred to them by someone they know.  This helps them decrease the probability of making a bad hiring decision.  If you see postings for jobs in your field, determine if you know someone at the employer.  If there is someone in your network that can put in a good word for you, an offer may be closer than you could have imagined.

A. L. BEAN & Company

Consulting, Tax and Accounting

www.albeanco.com

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority is offering an exciting new free workshop for jobseekers with great Customer Service skills who want to come work at The T. This workshop will familiarize selected jobseekers who do not currently possess a CDL with the CDL licensing process.  As part of this workshop, jobseekers will have the opportunity to practice taking exams and receive feedback on how best to study and obtain their CDL license. 

Once job seekers have obtained their CDL permit, they can apply for open, posted positions as a MITS driver with our company.   The ideal MITS job seeker is someone who is looking for a physically demanding yet rewarding career improving the quality of life and increasing the independence of transportation options for persons with different abilities. 

Since 1984, our goal has been to provide excellent customer service and safe, dependable transportation that responds to the ever changing needs and builds the independence of our customers.  MITS Van Drivers must be flexible and able to work a rotating shift, six days a week.   

For more information apply online at www.the-t.com.  If selected, you will receive an email invitation in your provided email account, requesting that you complete an online assessment and with information about the date/time/location of the next workshop.