Step 3: Register yourself on all the major job sites and portals

After a mild digression, welcome back to Step 3: Register yourself on all the major job sites and portals.

In Singapore
Having been an active job seeker in this market for over five years, I've had my fair share of stumbles and successes with Singapore-based job sites and portals. Here's my list of the essential, desirable and mandatory sites.

1. Monster

Joe Job Seeker Rank: 4.5/5

Greats: It really pays to be a registered member of this site. (Don't worry. Registration is free!) Not only does Monster have some of the better jobs advertised in this market, it also has one of the easier user interfaces. Setting up an account is a breeze, creating a resume is not a hassle and the quality of the jobs advertised, a definite attraction. The usual bells and whistles include up to 5 job agents, up to 5 resumes, access to a newsletter and scheduled email digests of relevant jobs.

Gripes: The Application management center could be better. Currently, you get a total of how many views your resume has attracted, but no details on who has viewed it or how often. Sent applications are deleted after 30 days and the only way to keep track is to print out the list each time. The confidentiality setting too leave a lot to be desired (you can't block companies.)


2. ST701

Joe Job Seeker Rank: 3.5/5

Greats: Not only is ST701 the most popular job portal in Singapore, it is also the most populated, thanks to the impeccable offline credentials of it's parent, the Straits Times. All jobs posted in the offline newspaper are listed here as well, with a few additional online only listings. At first glance, the site looks cluttered, but the organization is usable. Useful career related information, bulletin boards and video features add value for the job seeker.

Gripes: The search feature could be enhanced. While quick and mostly relevant, the algorithm is perplexing. The majority of job listings cater to the lower end of the salary spectrum and the default text size is a strain on the eye. The resume management center too is not very comprehensive and could be enhanced. There is also evident cross-selling, with property, cars, products and services being pitched alongside jobs, thereby weakening the focus.


3. JobsDB

Joe Job Seeker Rank: 3/5

Greats: Another strong contender and a must use resource is JobsDB. The range and quality of jobs is admirable and the search function easy to use (albeit with too many choices.) The employers have their individual showcases which makes it easier to concentrate on specific brands. The pages are keyword rich and well optimized making for better representation in search engine result pages.

Gripes: The clutter is one major drawback. The ST701 cross-selling effect is evident through 88DB.com. While LearningDB attempts to add value to those who seek guidance and counseling, the workshops presented seem very similar and repetitive. The facilitators, although locally relevant are not necessarily the best in the business. The application management function could be enhanced.


4. Jobstreet

Joe Job Seeker Rank: 2.5/5

Greats: The best thing about Jobstreet is the sophistication of their application management and tracking features. Not only can you see who has viewed your resume, you can also compare yourself with other applicants. Jobs with low applications are highlighted making chances of consideration higher. The site is well laid out and is relatively clutter free. Usability is excellent.

Gripes: The biggest gripe is the quality and quantity of available job postings (low 4 digits). The vast majority also tend to be medium paying positions. The career services also aggressively pitches paid services. As a result, the free features don't offer much value. Multiple update options and alert services lead one to conclude that the site focuses more on form than content.


5. Mocca

Joe Job Seeker Rank: 2/5

Greats: As the homepage will reveal, Mocca is strictly speaking more of an online classifieds site rather than a job portal. However, given that it is backed by MediaCorp Publishing, the offline strengths add value. This is a great site to find gigs, part-time opportunities and temporary jobs. Of course, full-time jobs are available, but in smaller numbers. The site is web 2.0 enabled and well optimized.

Gripes: Jobs are not the main focus of the site. The relative skew towards part-time opportunities makes it seem like the Craig'slist of Singapore, albeit a well-designed one. Due to this, this is a site advisable for the less-serious job seeker. Steer clear unless you are looking for a gig or a freelance opportunity.

Well, that was my top 5. Of course there are scores of other sites and portals, but we can discuss those in upcoming posts!

What not to put in your CV

There are literally hundreds of thousands of sites out there that will tell you what you need to put in your CV. If you choose to ignore your common sense that is. What not to put however is an altogether different matter.

1. Falsehood
Avoid needlessly embellishing your CV. State the facts, preferably verifiable facts. Be especially careful with dates, targets and remuneration figures.

2. Spelling and grammatical errors
Nothing irks anyone (leave alone recruiters) more than poorly formatted CV's with loads of spelling and grammatical errors. Don't depend on spell check alone. Use your common sense. (There's a whole load of difference between a 'Public Relations Professional' and a 'Pubic Relations Professional'. Believe me, although the spell check function won't highlight any errors, you would much rather be the former!)

3. Key phrases from the job description
Use key words and phrases from the job description i your covering letter. Restrict their usage in your CV. Your CV needs to highlight your experience, relevant to the job description. An almost exact sounding description of your previous job is not only suspicious, it also smacks of laziness on your part.

4. Useless references
Don't provide references for references sake. If they are not relevant to the job, avoid them altogether. If you must and you haven't touched base with them in a while, at least have the decency to call them and ask for their permission.

5. Too much educational information
It is advisable to start with your latest qualification. However, draw the line at presenting your junior college, secondary school and primary school information. Any moron knows that you could not have possibly acquired an advanced degree without going through the whole process. You should too.

6. Too much personal information
Avoid replacing lack of experience with too much personal information. Your objective is to get the job. Your keen interest in Star Wars trivia or your enviable collection of Hello Kitty (or worse Happy Meal) toys are not deal clinchers. Believe me, once you get the job, your colleagues will soon discover enough compelling reasons to hate you!

Here is a link to a website that has (in their own words) '...put together what could just be the most awful CV you've ever seen.' Fortunately, they have included a link on how to get things right as well!

Job Search Step 2: Draft a covering letter

Step 2 of the Job search process: Drafting a covering letter

At first thought, this seems like a simple enough request. Send-in your resume with a brief covering letter that will outline your suitability. Think of it like the trailer for a movie. If the trailer is good, you'd see the movie right? Small wonder then that effective trailer producers are a much sought after bunch.

What's surprising is the number of people who fail to send in covering letters with their CV's, even well-written ones. Why? My guess is sheer laziness. I mean, here is an opportunity to use additional space to reel in the recruiter, pique their interest and to differentiate yourself from the competition. Common sense would dictate that it is a mandatory requirement that one must grab and fully utilize.

Remember that the first thing a recruiter sees is the subject of your email (I'm not dealing with hand-written or typed applications as they are practically outmoded nowadays). The next thing is the covering letter. Only then is the attached (usually, unless indicated otherwise) CV downloaded and opened.

What would you do if you received a blank email with an attached CV? What kind of an impression will it give you about the applicant? Wouldn't it be helpful if you could see at a glance, like a preview, what good stuff the CV contained? Wouldn't a well-written, personalized covering letter prompt you to consider the applicant more favorably than the others?

Since the need has been established, read on for the elements:
1. A subject line indicating the position applied for
2. A greeting (it pays to cozy up to the recruiter dude!)
3. A brief (couple of lines) introduction
4. A paragraph outlining your suitability for the position
5. An effective closing
6. A digital signature with all possible contact details (you want the job right? Make it easy for them to get in touch with you.)

There! Wasn't that simple?

Disclaimer: As before, need an effective covering letter? Show me the money.... er... I mean send me your requirements.

Job Search Step 1: Get an updated CV ready

In a previous post, I outlined the job search process. Well, a warm welcome to Step 1.

Step 1: Get an updated CV ready
This one is a no-brainer. No CV, no job. Nada. Zilch. No hope.
A clear, well written, concise CV that highlights all your qualifications, experience and suitability for the advertised position is not only desirable, but absolutely essential to land that elusive interview. (Noticed the emphasis on the adjectives? I'm coming to that.)

Clear
Make it clear you are sending across a CV and nothing more. Keep it simple so that even the stupid can comprehend that it is a CV. Avoid colors, graphics, charts, diagrams and creative interpretations like the plague. Have you managed to develop a complex yet interesting symbol-based system to highlight your core competencies and accomplishments? Great! Throw that out of your window and restart with a simple, MS word document (essentially in plain English and preferably compatible with Word 97-2003). Remember, your CV is the first impression that a recruiter or employer will get of you. Make it matter.

Well-written
So, consider yourself a wordsmith? Have you managed to to create a CV comprising entirely of your profile written in witty limericks? How about a smattering of bombastic prose, foreign phrases and supercalifragilisticexpialidocious adjectives? Or better still, flowery verse strictly following the iambic pentameter? Fabulous. Now do yourself a favor. Chuck all that and begin again in plain English.

It's funny how people automatically tend to associate well-written with high-faulting or pompous. But well-written is, simply put, something that the reader can easily comprehend and appreciate. The magic mantra is to keep it simple, error-free and jargon-less. Don't worry about not being able to showcase your command of the language, even if the job demands it. The CV, as mentioned earlier, is your initial impression - not a replacement for a face-to-face interview.

Use keywords efficiently. Increasingly, recruiters have begun using automated tools to rate and segregate CV's. (Not something that is ideal, yet increasingly popular.) The ones most closely identified with the job description tend to get higher scores and thus increased visibility. Assuming you have the skills, qualifications and experience required for the job, use the same terms as in the job description. (Hint: You and I both know who a Pizza delivery person is. Why needlessly make him a 'Circular consumable commodity transportation executive?'

Concise
Finally, make it brief. For experienced candidates, two pages of A4 paper is ample space. For freshers, hell, what do you need more space for? Put in only those details which work towards establishing your suitability. Embellishments be damned.

Finally, in addition to the above, there is one essential element in a good CV: the truth. Many a stellar career have crashed into anonymity due to one teeny falsehood buried in the CV. But that is altogether another story.

Disclaimer: When I set out to write this blog, I fully intended to be the prince of the pungent pen, whining aloud about the system. This continues to remain my stated objective. I however foresee this blog becoming a job seeker's haven, laden with tips and tricks on resume writing. Good for you and also for me if you are impressed enough to outsource your CV writing to me. I promise I won't complain.

Will work... for pay

Job search is always a pain. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either happily over-employed or blissfully under-ambitious.

The truth is that nobody wants to leave the comfort, security and even endearing irritants (with hindsight) of their current roles and venture into the uncharted and treacherous waters of the dreaded 'job search.' And unless you've been fired (in which case, you have no choice) or are unemployed (in which case, you have no excuse), you would be well advised to sit tight and stick on with your current position.

But for those who need to look for a job, the scenario is grim.

For one thing, unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past few months, the world is facing an unprecedented crisis. We are living through history right now and it is a history we could have done without. The only thing it will leave for those of us who survive is bragging rights for our grandchildren: 'My grand dad, he lost his pants in THE Great Depression of 2008.' - 'Oh yeah? Well my grand dad, lost his shorts too!'

For another, just about every sector of the economy has been affected. The airline industry is nose-diving, manufacturing has slowed to a grinding halt, advertisers have clammed up, the service industries have been badly affected, outsourcing projects have been shelved and the lesser said about the banking, financial and insurance industries, the better. Apparently, the luxury industry has not been affected. I wouldn't know. Never had the luxury of a disposable income!

Even without all the above factors, job search can be a daunting task. The usual process is as follows:

Step 1: Get an updated CV ready.

Step 2: Draft a covering letter

Step 3: Register yourself on all the major job sites and portals.

Step 4: Select suitable jobs and apply like mad

Step 5: Hope and pray that at least one employers invites you to an interview (Who told you you could stop applying?)

Step 6: If you secure an interview, prepare well to impress like hell

Step 7: Hope and pray more fervently that you get called for 'further discussions'.

Step 8: If you make it to the final tally, prepare to negotiate.

Step 9: If they offer you a salary... any salary, grab it. As long as you don't have to pay to work there.

Step 10: Offer signed, sealed and delivered? Congratulations you lucky *@#^$&%. Stop reading this blog and start earning your keep!

There are minor variations of this process (like choosing a head hunter to position you or paying to have bots bulk mail your resume) but those are the subject of another post. Overall, the process sounds fairly straight forward right?

You couldn't be more wrong! Each of the steps outlined above has innumerable landmines hidden within. In upcoming posts, I will try and tackle them one step at a time. Stay tuned.

Introducing... Joe - Job Seeker

Welcome to my (new) blog!

This blog aims to be the voice of 'Joe - The Job Seeker.'

Phew, tall order that! But as millions around the world continue to clamor for ever-decreasing jobs, or worse, dread losing their existing ones, the constituents I hope to represent will only increase. And what exactly makes me the self-appointed voice? How am I qualified to be 'Joe - Job Seeker?'

Simple.

Keeping myself gainfully employed has been a long-cherished dream. Given the current economic scenario, the dream has gotten more desperate. And while 'Joe the plumber' and 'Joe, the tax payer' have had ample coverage and plentiful opportunities to voice their angst, there's no thought spared for the hapless job seeker.

More selfish perhaps, but surely justified is the vain hope that some human resource professional (with decision-making powers) will eventually stumble upon this blog and find it scintillating enough to seek me out and offer me that dream corporate job with seven-figure annual bonuses and all the pampering I could ever desire at an over-priced spa.

(Yes, I'm really desperate enough to consider a job even in the banking and financial services industry!)