The Four Greatest Tips for Getting an Awesome Job in 2013 (in Orlando)

By: Roger Lear

With over twenty years of experience helping job seekers find great jobs, I am very concerned that many unemployed, underemployed and skilled educated people are not finding the best job matches for their career aspirations. High unemployment has played a role but hidden behind the scenes is the fact that many job seekers do a horrible job search today; and it's not really their fault.

Jobs exist. Getting them has changed because of technology and how each employer has changed their recruiting strategies (without telling the job seeker) to connect, screen and hire future employees. If you are a job seeker all you know is that you apply to numerous jobs never to hear back from the employer (you are in a black hole). It doesn't have to be this way. There is no silver bullet in a job search, but hopefully these four tips will help you better understand how employers hire so you can change your job search to showcase your skills, knowledge and value to targeted jobs the way employers want to screen you.

1. Great jobs reside online in many places. Job boards, social media, LinkedIn, job aggregators, corporate career sites, GlassDoor, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, RSS feeds and many other online sources are popping up all over the place. For job seekers, this can be overwhelming to figure out which resources to use to help your search. TIP: Don't worry about the source of the job. Your job search should be spent identifying companies in your city that have a need for your skill set. Start with keyword searches in Google and niche/regional job boards. Get a list of the top 100 companies in your town or career specialty and visit each company's career website directly to see if your skill set is needed. Great jobs reside at companies you know nothing about! Once you find companies that hire your skill set, use the above sites to do your career investigation. Companies are hiring SKILL SET MATCHES today. Spend your time finding matches for what you do and don't waste time with jobs you could do!

2. Applicant Tracking Systems must understand you. Many larger companies use applicant track systems that require you to answer their questions and submit your resume. In today's market place, you must have the skill set match to the job you are applying to and if your resume, objective and majority of experience doesn't support this, you most likely will not be considered for the job. If you are a claims adjuster and you apply for an underwriting job, you just entered the black hole. However, if you are a property claims adjuster and apply for a property claims position and your resume reads "property claims adjuster", if the job is open, you will be considered. What if you have a variety of skills? Believe it or not, this is a major issue. Your resume and skill set has to spend the majority of time on the skill set need to get the job. A disorganized and general resume is also a likely candidate for the black hole. TIP: Only apply to jobs that you can make a serious skill match via your online resume and application. If you spend more time identifying employers with jobs that match your background instead of just applying, you will have great success in your job search.

3. Professional Resume. Today's resume are much different than just five years ago. Not only does it have to be written in a way that allows it to talk to applicant track systems, it also needs to be the cornerstone of your online employment brand. Resume writers today know that human resources, in house recruiters and headhunters are searching Google, job board resume databases and LinkedIn to find talent directly. If you are in a job search and are a graphic designer in Orlando, will a potential employer find you? A well done resume translates extremely well to resume databases in job boards, LinkedIn and many other places. Sure, keywords will find you but what about the entire body of work? Do you include pictures, work examples and recommendations? Professional, certified resume writers can help and the investment is minimal. (Your neighbor is not a resume writer) TIP: I have three certified (and awesome) resume writers I use who will do a free evaluation for you if you have any interest. Just let me know.

4. Power Interviewing. Getting an interview is just the first step. Most of you are not professional interviewers and it shows. However, it is amazing how many of you are not prepared for the interview. Before the interview, do everything you can do to learn about the company. Just as employers can Google you, you can do the same to them. Many go to interviews not prepared and there just is no excuse for this. Dressing well, confidence, interest, energy, and knowing how YOU can add value to the company. Have real examples of past experiences that will showcase your ability to perform the job duties. If you know you can do the job, ask for the job in the interview so the company knows your interest level. TIP: View this document from interview expert Lisa Maile. Also, if you are in Central Florida, Lisa is doing a boot camp on interviewing that is one of the best in the business. (download boot camp information)

This is the real deal. The theme is simple. Stop wasting time applying to anything and everything... target your search! Once targeted, follow the rest of these tips and you will increase your chances of not only finding a job, but a really good job. Research is king!

---

OrlandoJobs.com and ClickOrlando.com Team Up for Jobs Content Sharing Deal Connects Job Seekers and Job Openings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- November 14, 2012 (Orlando, FL) -- OrlandoJobs.com, the region's premier online job board, and ClickOrlando.com, the online arm of WKMG-TV Local 6, today announce a content sharing partnership. OrlandoJobs.com will power the ClickOrlando.com job section. ClickOrlando.com will connect more job seekers into the OrlandoJobs.com pipeline, and both entities will team up for a few live marketing events throughout the year. Additionally, the partnership will strengthen local economy and jobs news reported on WKMG Local 6 News.

With this new joint venture, ClickOrlando will re-launch its Jobs tab, and candidates will be able to seamlessly apply to job listings. Jobseekers will find job listings from OrlandoJobs.com on the ClickOrlando.com website starting this week.  Concurrently, OrlandoJobs.com will feature ClickOrlando’s economic news stories that are of interest to jobseekers.

"This partnership is exciting because it brings more opportunities for anyone who is looking for a job to find one that is right for them in a more streamlined, targeted way," states Roger Lear, President of OrlandoJobs.com. “The result is a win-win for job seekers and employers who both will see increased results.”

“Local 6 News and ClickOrlando.com are committed to bringing important local news and information to our community that people can use in their lives every day,” said Skip Valet, Vice President and General Manager of WKMG Local 6 and ClickOrlando.com.  “We are dedicated to the families of Central Florida and we know what is important to them right now is jobs.  Through our partnership with OrlandoJobs.com, we will be able to bring real, local employment opportunities directly to our viewers.”

"Our research on the Orlando DMA job market uncovers thousands of good, open jobs each year, so the more ways we can put those openings in front of potential candidates, the faster our local economy can get back on track. ClickOrlando.com exposes our job listings to a whole new pool of highly-skilled and highly-qualified candidates," states OrlandoJobs.com co-founder, Scott Kotroba.

 # # #

OrlandoJobs.com is Central Florida’s #1 online job site, with an average of 100,000 visitors per month.  The site was founded in 2005 by Roger Lear and Scott Kotroba, and is the official employment website of the Central Florida Human Resource Association (www.cfhra.org).  President Roger Lear is a 25-year veteran leader in the executive search and internet recruiting industry in Central Florida and is a sought-after speaker on the subject of Web 2.0 and social media recruiting. Scott Kotroba, co-founder of www.OrlandoJobs.com, is also president of its sister company, www.GreatInsuranceJobs.com, the leading insurance employment website in the nation.

 ClickOrlando.com is your home for breaking news, entertainment, weather and sports. It is one of Central Florida’s most trafficked local web site’s dedicated to giving you the news as it happens. WKMG Local 6 is one of the foremost television stations in the Central Florida area. Serving nine counties, WKMG Local 6 provides award-winning daily-newscasts, in-depth investigations, local entertainment and network programming to the community.  Local 6 has received numerous accolades for their work including the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award and multiple Emmy and Associated Press awards.   The station signed on-air in July 1954 making it Central Florida’s first television station.  Owned by Post-Newsweek Stations, Inc., a division of the Washington Post Company, WKMG Local 6 is Central Florida’s source for CBS.  Local 6 serves the public through the Good Neighbor 6 community outreach program, bringing important, life-saving information to Central Floridians through special events and programming. Additionally, Local 6 exclusively broadcasts RetroTV, which brings viewers all their favorite television classics.  Visit clickorlando.com for continuous updates on local news, weather & sports.  

# # #

 

CONTACT:

Bradley Sparrow

Marketing

OrlandoJobs.com

43 East Pine Orlando, FL 32801

Bradley@OrlandoJobs.com

Twitter: @orlandojobs

 

OrlandoJobs.com partners with the Camaraderie Foundation, Fifth Third Bank and the Orlando Predators to help Veterans Transition into the Workforce.

 

FROM THE BATTLEFIELD TO THE CLASSIFIEDS

Local Businesses Announce Collaboration to Help Veterans Transition into the Workforce

 

Pictures from the press conference

 

Orlando, Fla. (November 9, 2012) – Fifth Third Bank (Central Florida), in partnership with the Orlando Predators and OrlandoJobs.com, recently announced a collaborative sponsorship of the Mentor Leadership Program, an initiative to prepare veterans as they transition into the workforce post-deployment. From résumé writing and interview skills to money management and networking, this program pairs service members with business leaders who have military background for mentoring and professional development, with the ultimate goal of securing gainful employment.

“These brave men and women put their lives on the line to protect our freedom. Fifth Third Bank is proud to support them when they come home through the $10,000 matching fundraiser we’re offering in all of our banking centers and this Mentor Leadership Program,” said Reagan Rick, president of Fifth Third Bank (Central and North Florida). “I can only imagine how difficult it must be to go from the battlefield – living and breathing ‘chain of command’ and taking orders – to the boardroom. Our service members need our help to ensure they are prepared emotionally and professionally to find a job to suit their skillsets.”

 

The Mentor Leadership Program will be administered through the Camaraderie Foundation, a local nonprofit that provides private counseling and support services to military veterans and their families. Local businesses have stepped up to champion the effort that will impact hundreds of service members in Central Florida who need employment and other support services. Fifth Third Bank will manage financial counseling workshops for participants and offer a matching fundraiser in all banking centers throughout its five-county area. Doug Plank, the new head coach for the Orlando Predators, is also leading the cause and encouraging business leaders to get involved.

 

“I can’t think of a better way to thank someone who has sacrificed so much – potentially everything – than by giving that person and their family the support they need,” said Plank. “The Orlando Predators are known for fighting hard, and we’re proud to be able to fight for those who have fought for us.”

 

In addition to the overall economic problem, veterans participating in a recent employment survey said the biggest challenge they face in finding a job is explaining how their military experience translates into civilian employment.

 

“About 80 percent of military job titles have a direct translation into the general workforce,” said Scott Kotroba, co-founder of OrlandoJobs.com. “Part of this is an education for the civilian population.”

To get involved as a veteran mentor or mentee, contact OrlandoJobs.com at 407-645-4224.

 To make a donation to the Camaraderie Foundation to assist with funding the Mentor Leadership Program and other support services, visit a local Fifth Third Bank where donations will be matched, up to $10,000 cumulatively, through Dec. 15.

 ____________

 

About Fifth Third Bank

Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.  The Company has $117 billion in assets and operates 15 affiliates with 1,320 full-service Banking Centers, including 104 Bank Mart^® locations open seven days a week inside select grocery stores and 2,404 ATMs in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Georgia and North Carolina. Fifth Third operates four main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending, and Investment Advisors. Fifth Third also has a 39% interest in Vantiv Holding, LLC. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of September 30, 2012, had $300 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $26 billion for individuals, corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ^® National Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.”  Fifth Third Bank.  Member FDIC.   

 

About The Camaraderie Foundation

The Camaraderie Foundation is an Orlando-based 501(c)(3) organization that provides private counseling, spiritual comfort and emotional support to military service members and their families. Founded in 2009, Camaraderie believes that having the option of affordable private counseling can encourage service members to seek help. To learn more, visit www.CamaraderieFoundation.com, “like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @SupportCAM.

 

About OrlandoJobs.com

OrlandoJobs.com is the official employment website of the Central Florida Human Resource Association (www.cfhra.org). At OrlandoJobs.com, we combine community marketing with the internet to bring candidates and employers together. Our success over the years is our ability to understand the value of human capital to a company’s bottom line and the challenges involved in the recruiting of individuals to meet these needs. An industry leader, OrlandoJobs.com publishes a bi-annual employment outlook study for the Central Florida region.

Largest Diversity Job Fair in Florida-More Than 4,000 Jobs and 75 Employers Amway Center- Orlando Florida

For Immediate Release (Orlando, FL): More than 4,000 current job openings will be showcased to jobseekers at the third annual Florida Blue, Florida Classic Career Expo & Diversity Job Fair in Orlando on November 16 at the Amway Center, put on by OrlandoJobs.com. These job openings represent more than 75 employers in a variety of industries, and include many professional, high-paying and diverse positions. In addition, the Career Expo will include five powerful seminars by career experts on topics including power interviewing, the 2013 resume must haves, LinkedIn tips to find jobs others can’t, discovering your career path and job search strategies for senior professionals and executives. The job fair and all seminars are free for jobseekers.

"Florida companies are hiring, and this job fair is specifically designed for people who want to find real jobs with real salaries from over 75 well known Florida companies," states Roger Lear, President and CEO of OrlandoJobs.com.

Jobseekers can sign up for free at OrlandoJobs.com/jobfair. The full list of those 4,000 current open positions includes jobs in education, healthcare, IT, hospitality, engineering, sales and construction, as well as bilingual positions. Bright House, Chase Card Services and Kangaroo Express are the top sponsors. Many employers such as Orlando Health, Florida Blue, Home Depot, Orlando County Public Schools, Convergys, City of Orlando, Embry Riddle Aeronautical, Orlando VA Hospital, Universal Orlando, Verizon Wireless, McDonalds, and 60 other companies are attending. Companies can register for the event at orlandojobs.com/diversity.

"The job fair is a classic way for businesses and jobseekers to meet, but with the unemployment at 8.7% in Florida, jobseekers have been frustrated applying online and never getting any response. The Florida Blue, Florida Classic Career Expo & Diversity Job Fair is the one single event that showcases some of the state's finest companies in the pursuit of great diversified candidates."

Planned around the weekend of the Florida Classic football match-up between Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University, organizers of the November 16th event are also donating sixty percent of the proceeds from booth revenue to a scholarship fund that is split between the two schools.

# # #

About OrlandoJobs.com

OrlandoJobs.com is the official employment website of the Central Florida Human Resource Association (www.cfhra.org). At OrlandoJobs.com, we combine community marketing with the internet to bring candidates and employers together. Our success over the years is our ability to understand the value of human capital to a company’s bottom line and the challenges involved in the recruiting of individuals to meet these needs. An industry leader, OrlandoJobs.com publishes a bi-annual employment outlook study for the Central Florida region.

Contact:

 

Roger Lear, President

 

OrlandoJobs.com

 

roger@orlandojobs.com

 

(407) 645-4224

 

 

OrlandoJobs.com and Orlando Weekly Announce Partnership Job Seekers and Job Openings Now Connected Across Multi-Platforms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- October 4, 2012 (Orlando, FL) -- OrlandoJobs.com, the region's premier online job board, and Orlando Weekly newspaper today announce a new partnership designed to bring more job opportunities directly to job seekers through multi-platform promotions across both heavily trafficked entities.

The Central Florida region's jobseekers will now be able to find openings and apply via interconnected listings: in the print edition of Orlando Weekly, online at OrlandoWeekly.com, online at OrlandoJobs.com, and through special events the two companies will jointly host.

"This partnership is exciting because it brings more opportunities for anyone who is looking for a job to find one that is right for them in a more streamlined, targeted way," states Roger Lear, President of OrlandoJobs.com.

"Our research on the Orlando DMA job market uncovers thousands of good, open jobs each year, so the more ways we can put those openings in front of potential candidates, the faster our local economy can get back on track. Orlando Weekly exposes our job listings to a whole new pool of potential candidates," states OrlandoJobs.com co-founder, Scott Kotroba.

Jobseekers will find job listings from OrlandoJobs.com in the back two pages of Orlando Weekly starting this week.  Each will be cross-listed on the OrlandoJobs.com website with the same job identification number. Interested candidates simply input that job identification number to apply.

Orlando Weekly also considers this new endeavor a win-win-win scenario: for the job seeker, the employer, as well as the region.

 "Our audience is searching for quality job openings, so powering this kind of a partnership through our pages, our site and new, jointly-held events allows us to increase the level of service to the community," states Michael Wagner, publisher of Orlando Weekly.

# # #

 OrlandoJobs.com is Central Florida’s #1 online job site, with an average of 100,000 visitors per month.  The site was founded in 2005 by Roger Lear and Scott Kotroba, and is the official employment website of the Central Florida Human Resource Association (www.cfhra.org).  President Roger Lear is a 25-year veteran leader in the executive search and internet recruiting industry in Central Florida and is a sought-after speaker on the subject of Web 2.0 and social media recruiting. Scott Kotroba, co-founder of OrlandoJobs.com, is also president of its sister company, GreatInsuranceJobs.com, the leading insurance employment website in the nation.

Orlando Weekly is an alternative newsweekly distributed in the Greater Orlando area of Florida. Every Thursday, 40,000 issues of the paper are distributed to more than 1,100 locations across Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. You can also find Orlando Weekly in more than 300 red street boxes (brown in downtown Orlando) in highly visible, well traveled areas around the region. More than 200,000 readers turn the paper each week for its calendar of events; coverage of the latest in movies, dining, local music and visual arts; and provocative stories on topics ranging from sports to sex to cyberspace to City Hall.

 

# # #

 

Media Contact: Bradley Sparrow

Bradley@OrlandoJobs.com

407-645-4224 x2114

Networking Your Way to the Next Great Job - But Can You Do It?

Real networking happens when you walk into a "live" event and have the ability to meet new people. The problem is that many of you can't master networking because you may get terrified about walking up to people you have never met and starting a relevant conversation. If you are looking for a job or trying to upgrade your current job, networking can be a game changer not only to help you find a job, but a great job with a company that you may have never even known existed.

This I know for sure; many good jobs are never advertised. Additionally, in this economy with so much competition for the jobs that you apply to, how can you separate yourself from the pack? Networking is the answer. You hear the work "networking" a lot, but many don't understand it.

In Central Florida, we have many groups and associations that have meetings on a fairly regular basis. To network and connect "live" to people at events try this:

1. When you meet people, ask them what they do for a living. Once you get someone talking about themselves first, it opens up a rapport. Never network by talking about yourself or your situation. Once you connect with someone, they will typically then ask you about yourself.

2. Collect a business card and ask permission to reach out to them at a future date. Future contact is NOT LinkedIn. The key to great networking is keeping your conversations OFFLINE! When you get home, identify the people you think can help you and invite them to coffee or lunch. You will be surprised how many take you up on your offer and the information you will gain.

3. If you are unemployed and attending network events, carry some personal business cards with your contact information on it as well as your specialty. When you hand this card to anyone (at the end of a conversation), let them know you are in career transition and this is your contact information.

4. If you are not comfortable walking up to someone you don't know you may need to get a "connector". This is a person who may have invited you to the event. Ask them to make the initial introduction. The introduction should not have any mention that you are looking for a job.

5. If you are industry specific (like an insurance underwriter), many of the networking opportunities should revolve around insurance events like association meetings, CPCU conferences, local human resource association meetings. If you are an accountant or sales manager, you really should be attending any significant event you can find that has a network element. In Orlando, we have the National Entrepreneur Center that has many events each week on all kinds of subjects. Many of the attendees to these educational seminars can be instrumental in getting your next job.

Many articles written about networking never take in to account that many of you have some hesitation in approaching people that you have never met. This takes practice and overtime it gets easier. If you truly want to excel your job search, networking is the best way to make this happen. Whatever you do, after any event you attend where you meet people, don't immediately take your offline conversation online. Keep the conversations with your real targets going by using the telephone and asking them to coffee or lunch. Use email to thank them for their insight and LinkedIn to let them have access to your background. Networking follow up can be hard to do with busy people and that is why it is never a good idea to slam a new contact with emails. That is why a great voice mail with great tonality as a follow up keeps the conversation going and separates you from the competition.

Many Central Florida Jobs go Unfillled

This article was written by Greg Dawson for the Orlando Sentinel on Agust 6, 2012.  It is very true that many of the jobs in Central Florida go unfilled because the employers can not find a skill set and salary match. 

READ ARTICLE AT ORLANDOSENTINEL.COM  by Greg Dawson

Lauren Volcheff, vice president of marketing of Turico Holidays, a wholesale vacation provider in Altamonte Springs, had a job to fill and figured it wouldn't take long.

"I assumed from posting to start date it would take about two months," she said.

A reasonable assumption, especially in this tough economy. The job – senior marketing manager for Turico in Orlando – pays in the $50,000 to $65,000 range, manna from heaven for anyone among the legions of long-term unemployed in Central Florida.

Four months after posting the job, Volcheff is still searching for the right person to fill the position – and it's not for lack of applicants.

"I've seen roughly 30 resumes in that time," Volcheff said. "Qualified candidates are few and far between."

In the midst of what's now commonly known as The Great Recession, headlines correctly focus on the unemployed – the jobless rate in Metro Orlando seems frozen in place at 8.7 percent, give or take a tenth of a point from month to month.

Overshadowed by those headlines and the stories of hardship suffered by the unemployed is the seemingly incongruous fact of thousands of unfilled jobs waiting – sometimes for weeks and months – for the right applicant to come along.

Roger Lear, founder of orlandojobs.com, estimates there are 11,500 open jobs now in Central Florida, the bulk in the hospitality industry, health care and IT/computer work. Shouldn't there be a good job out there for just about everyone?

Not necessarily.

"Many of the jobs are either 'touch money' jobs – sales positions that require real selling skills just to get the job – or require some advanced degree," he said.

Full Sail University in Winter Park has more than 150 jobs listed on orlandojobs.com, from nighttime housekeeping supervisor and web product manager to data analyst. Many have been on the site for weeks.

"When you look down the list of jobs, probably 50 are course director positions" requiring specialized credentials and experience, Lear said. "Not only that, but if you're that good, why teach when you can go out make $50 or $60 an hour doing it?"

The building boom in health care – Nemours Children's Hospital, a new VA hospital, expansion of Orlando Health facilities – brings a raft of good new jobs. In February, Nemours posted 596 positions for the hospital, set to open in October, and has been "pleasantly surprised at how quickly we've been able to fill positions," said spokeswoman Yusial Ramirez. Only 40 remain open.

Lear is doubtful the area's supply of skilled workers can keep up with the growing demand from the medical industry. "Our employment demographic in Central Florida doesn't fill this need," he said.

His view is borne out in Orlando Health's current difficulty in finding qualified candidates for Physician Coder, a job that requires a working knowledge of anatomy, physiology and medical terminology.

"Our HR department says Physician Coder and Hospital Coder positions are very hard to fill, highly specialized jobs, and the schools are not graduating enough coders to fill them," said Orlando Health spokeswoman Kena Lewis.

At Universal Orlando, "there absolutely are categories of jobs we must work very hard to fill," said spokesman Tom Schroder. "These include areas such as information technology and e-commerce. These are growth areas and we know that many companies are working hard to find candidates."

In short, there is competition for the best people.

Two months ago the city of Orlando placed an ad on orlandojobs.com for an industrial automation technician, someone who performs myriad tasks with electrical equipment. The jobs pays $45,000 to $70,000 depending on qualifications. The ad is still there.

"It's a pretty specialized position that requires a lot of experience," said city spokeswoman Heather Fagan. "We're not pulling from a large pool of qualified candidates, and often competing with the private sector. The position was offered to somebody, but when he put in his two weeks' notice they raised his salary."

Seminole State College has been trying even longer to find someone to head up its new Center for Global Engagement, designed to expand the college's international studies program and to establish a service-learning program.

When first posted last November, the job was for "coordinator" and paid about $50,000. It requires a Master's degree and experience with study abroad as well as program management.

"We did not receive the level of applicants we had envisioned, so we revised the position description, pay grade and title to attract candidates," Laura Ross, vice president of academic affairs, said in an e-mail.

The job was changed from center coordinator to director, with a salary range of $58,000 to $74,000, and reposted in July.

Irony of ironies, Lear is having trouble filling a job in his own company.

"We're a little company with 22 employees, very well-connected in the community, and I can't hire an esp.net guy to save my life," he said, referring to a website specialist. Actually, he can hire them – he just can't keep them.

In the past year and half, Lear has hired three people for the esp.net job. Two "didn't work out" and the third left for another job. The staff position at orlandojobs.com pays $60,000, he said, but a good esp.net worker can make $75 an hour ($156,000 a year) as a private contractor – the price Lear is forced to pay.

"I know a lot of companies in the same boat," he said.

The job specialist has gone all out to sell prospects on the job he's offering.

"We tell them we do all sorts of fun things," Lear said. "We take people on cruises, we do events all the time, we have full benefits. It's not enough."

The Top 3 Mistakes Jobseekers Make that Prevent You from Getting the Job

We asked over 150 Central Florida employers (over 125 Insurance employers) to give us their best advice to get a job with their company. We have narrowed the list down to three mistakes that might not look huge but is playing a big part on why you might not be getting hired.


1. Spelling and grammar issues. This is something you control 100%. Your resume should be well written and without one spelling error. Believe it or not, employers find errors in resumes about 20% of the time. OUCH! The second spot that you may be making mistakes is when you fill out fields in the online application process. Most of these online applications do not have spell check. Guess what? You are spelling words wrong all the time. Take your time when filling these applications out. Also, if the hiring authority emails you to set up an interview or ask a question, make sure your response is checked for spelling and grammar. Your first impression today may be a "digital impression". A bad digital impression is like going to an interview with jeans and a dirty t-shirt!

2. Poor communication during the interview. Many of you are having bad interviews costing you a chance to work at the company. Employers were surprised how many of you didn't do any research on the company or the people that work there. To improve in an interview, find out everything possible about the company. To be honest, you should do that before even applying to the company to see if it is a place you even want to work.

Once in the interview, make sure you can communicate your skill set match to the interview. Past performance is an indicator of future performance. Relate real examples of what you did to give the interviewer a visual picture of your talent. Don't fall in the trap of saying yes to questions like "are you a good sales person?". The answer is "yes, and at my last company one of the projects I was responsible for produced a 120% revenue increase".

Written by: Roger Lear
3. Horrible follow up. The US Post Office is still delivering mail today. A quick hand written note to anyone you interviewed with and mailed will leave a great impression. While the interview is the most important piece, the way you follow up may make you the choice if you are competing with others for the same job. Email is okay in some cases, but go out of your way - follow up via mail ALWAYS makes an impression. The note should be short, thank them for their time and let them know you are very interested and excited about the position (if you are).

162 Central Florida Employers Give You Their Best Advice on How to Get a Job With Their Company!

We just completed the 2012 Central Florida Employment Outlook where we found over 11,500 currently open jobs and 16,000 projected. You can download the entire report (no charge) here.


To help job seekers understand that “black hole” and why some employers may not be getting back with them, more than 162 employers responded to the survey question, “What would be your best advice you could give job seekers who are applying to a job at your company?”

We boiled down the resulting advice into the most frequent comments from employers, which show endemic problems in the way many people approach the search for a job. Job seekers need to put themselves in the position of the employer while reading these tips and it should help them understand what they may be doing wrong, and how they can be more effective in the future.

The Top 8 Employer Advice Tips for Getting Jobs

1. Read the job description thoroughly and do not apply if you do not meet the qualifications. (More than 60 companies responded with this guidance.)

2. Research the position and understand the type of company, the product or service, the way they make money and any other information important to the open position.

3. Personal Presentation. More than 30 employers mentioned the importance of good hygiene, professional appearance, including dress, and a confident attitude. Furthermore, 20 companies reported that job seekers come late to interviews, which is never professional, and often knocks them out of the running before the interview even begins.

4. Resume Issues. More than 40 companies mentioned grammatical errors (spelling), missing dates on work history, formatting errors, unexplained gaps in employment, lack of keywords that fit the position, unfocused resumes, unprofessional email addresses, unorganized resumes and unqualified resumes.

5. Cover Letters. Companies want to see cover letters that quickly tie a candidate’s experience to the open job. Many cover letters that disqualify job seekers have spelling and grammar errors and no clarity. In addition, many reported receiving cover letters addressed to the wrong company because job seekers are mass mailing and forgetting to change their addressee.

6. Fill out the application accurately and fully. Answer all questions and be honest. Employers are asking these questions for a reason that has to do with the job at hand, and if a candidate doesn’t answer a question, or evades it, then it shows an employer you are not the right fit for the job.

7. Email correspondence. Once an employer starts setting interviews with candidates, they communicate via email. More than 15 companies reported this pre/post interview email correspondence contained misspellings, incomplete sentences and very bad grammar; all of which may knock the job seekers out of the running.

8. Compensation Discussions. Job seekers should have a good understanding about compensation for each application. How job seekers relay salary expectations (high or low) in a cover letter, application or interview can be a make it or break it moment.

This is very good advice from employers. Most of these items you control when applying and interviewing for jobs. However, you can do all these things perfect but still will not get feedback if you don’t have the skill match for the job. Your job search will improve if you apply these tips to jobs that match your current background. As unemployment gets better, employers will loosen up their requirements. Until this happens, targeting your skill sets to jobs that fit is step number one!

2012 Central Florida Employment Survey Released- 11,500 jobs open in Orlando and 16,000 projected for Central Florida.

MORE THAN 11,500 OPEN JOBS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA
And 16,000 More Projected For 2012

Download the paper at OrlandoJobs.com/whitepaper (Free)

February 15, 2012 (Orlando, FL) – With the most encouraging results in the four years since OrlandoJobs.com began their bi-annual survey of employers, the 2012 employment forecast for Central Florida finally shows some concrete signs of a recovery.

Key findings from the OrlandoJobs.com Central Florida Employment Outlook Survey for 2012:

• There are more than 11,500 local jobs currently open at the 162 companies surveyed.
• Over 16,000 jobs are forecasted to become available in the last three quarters of the year.
• 37% of surveyed companies indicated that hiring would be better in 2012 when compared to 2011.
• 44% of surveyed companies are using temporary employees to help fill open positions.
• The top six sectors leading the way in Central Florida are Hospitality, Professional and Business Services, Healthcare, Education, Banking/Finance and Technology.
• Employers offer blunt tips to job seekers including: don’t apply if you aren’t qualified, grammar/spelling counts, be honest, and don’t be late for an interview!

“Central Florida is poised at a tipping point when it comes to the employment market,” states Roger Lear, President and Founder of OrlandoJobs.com. “The sheer number of open jobs, currently and forecasted throughout 2012, would put a huge dent in Orlando’s MSA unemployment rate of 9.5%, if all were filled. With the heavyweight of the hospitality sector leading the way, Central Florida may soon be able to tip the scales in the right direction on behalf of the entire state.”

Other findings from the survey include the role that social media is playing in employment, the greatest challenges employers face, their best advice for job seekers, and the companies that are forecasting the largest number of open jobs for 2012. Download the survey in its entirety at www.orlandojobs.com/whitepaper.

Questions or Feedback?

Contact: Roger Lear
President, OrlandoJobs.com
(407) 645-4224 office
roger@orlandojobs.com
Twitter: @orlandojobs

Resume Tips and how to answer the "What is your greatest weakness" interview question

Interviews can be tough; especially in a very competitive marketplace. Some of the questions interviewers ask may throw you off your game. One thing for sure is the interviewer is looking for a honest answer, not some made up answer out of an advice book. This video gives you some background on 5 common interview and resume questions. One of the biggest interview question that seems to stump people is “what is your greatest weakness”? We give you some tips in this video.

Orlando has a lot of jobs and if you go on an interview, be prepared. Email me with any questions. (Roger Lear) Roger@orlandojobs.com

The Top 3 Things You Must Do to Get the Job You Want in 2012

The Top 3 Things You Must Do to Get the Job You Want in 2012By: Roger Lear


I speak to a lot of jobseeker groups each month. I open most of these conversations saying that it isn’t the lack of jobs that is holding you back; it is your job search.

Too many jobseekers waste time in the job search doing things that do absolutely nothing to accomplish the goal of getting a great job.To get a job or a better job it takes some work. It is easy to go to job boards and apply to jobs. This is a great place to start and can give you some very valuable information on who is hiring and what types of jobs are open that meet your background.

The top three things that you should make sure you do are the following when looking for a new job or to upgrade your career:

1. Target your skills to the companies that need those skills. Start with job boards but expand your search to companies that may not be posting jobs at this time. Google lists of companies in your area and go directly to those companies websites career centers and see what they have to offer. No matter what you do, make sure any job that you apply to is a 60%-70% skill match to what you do. DO NOT waste time applying to jobs that do not match up. In higher unemployment, your application will not even be considered.

2. Understand Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): When you apply to a large company today, most have a separate application process that you must go through to submit your application. The number one complaint of job seekers is that they apply to many jobs through these systems and they just feel like they go into a “black hole”. The truth is that you do go into a black hole if your resume and skills sets are not “optimized” for the job you are applying to. In other words, if the resume you submit doesn’t clearly state (via keywords, experience) that you can handle the job, the computer (NOT a person) will not ever let you get out of the black hole. It is that simple and it is the reason your job search should just be concentrated on jobs and companies that need your skills. For entry level type positions, it usually comes down to education, internships and activities to determine who may be a fit.

3. Your resume is still 1998. I love great summary statements on resumes. It is nice to know that you are dedicated, enthusiastic, team player and achiever. However, in today’s job market, this needs to be replaced immediately with just a skill or job title. It all goes back to concentrating your job search on finding jobs that you can actually get. If you are a commercial property underwriter, in bold at the top of the resume the title should be “Commercial Property Underwriter”. The supporting experience should relate to the position you are applying for. If you find yourself really having to change your experience, you are probably are not a match and you are wasting your time.

Hope this helps. It is real information that you need to know; especially in a very poor job market place. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions. Roger@orlandoJobs.com (Roger Lear)