What We Learned From the Largest Diversity Job Fair in Florida at the Amway Center November 21, 2014

The Florida Blue, Florida Classic Diversity Job Fair and Career Expo that took place on November 21, 2014 at the Amway Center in Orlando Florida were a huge success.  Over 80 employers and 4,000 job seekers came to the Amway Center to visit with “live employers” and sit in very powerful career sessions.   It was a great day for Central Florida and showcased some fantastic Orlando based jobs

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Here are a few observations I had from this year’s job fair:

1. There are not as many job seekers as in previous years.  When we first started these job fairs six years ago, we had over 1,500 people standing in line to get into the Amway Center.  This year, we had an initial line of approximately 500 people.

2. More employers.  Yes, employers are coming out of the office and attending career fairs.  This is due to the fact that good talent is getting scarce.  To recruit great employees, live career fairs really give employers a chance to check out the entire person, not just words on a resume.  Technology is great, but being able to interact with a future employee is priceless.

3. Older job seekers.  Just an observation, but it seemed like around 35-40% of job seekers were over the age of forty.  I know many displaced from the great recession have yet to find the same level of employment they were accustomed to.  They also are more “old school” and appreciate the opportunity to talk to a person and not a keyboard.

Roger Lear speaks to job seekers about the "Black Hole".

4. The biggest challenge facing job seekers is not hearing a peep from employers when they apply to a job.  I speak to this topic specifically and 95% of the people attending couldn’t raise their hands fast enough when asked if they felt like employers were leaving them hanging.  It was a true hot button.  I know, employers will tell many of these job seekers that they don’t understand why they applied in the first place and that is why they are not worthy of a response.  But, in reality,  I hope employers would at least send “Dear John” emails or letters to anyone in this category.  

5. Job seekers are officially confused about their resumes.  What confused job seekers the most is how to implement keywords in the resume to be most effective and get them noticed by employers.  Unfortunately, too many bad resume writers and friends and family are telling them what to do and it is wrong.  We have a great need to educate serious job seekers and let them know that the resume needs a professional writer so they can give themselves the best (and real chance) of getting noticed.

The best thing about a live career fair is that it makes humans again; just not a keyword in some application tracking system.

Real LIVE Career Fairs Are the Way To Find a Great Job

By:  Roger Lear

I have seen a trend lately that may really help job seekers attend some real "LIVE" career fairs.  I say real, because after the recession, most employers who chopped out of their budgets live career fairs seem to be coming back.

Roger Lear Speaks at DCF 11/21/14

So many live career fairs in the last couple years just didn't have the great jobs many of the job seekers were pursuing.  Many of the jobs were low paying or commission based with many companies that many never even heard of (even though some of the best jobs are at these types of companies).

A good job fair makes public the names of all the companies attending and the jobs they have available.  That way, you can research the companies and really be prepared for the career fair.  If you can't get this information before the career fair, don't waste your time and stay home.

However, if you find a great Career Fair, do the following to maximize your your time and really get some great leads:

1. Research the companies, identify the jobs that fit and seek out the recruiters at those companies and let them know the jobs you specifically are interested in interviewing.

2. Get at least a business card of the person you speak with.  If you don't reach out to them after the career fair (no matter how great your conversation was), their is a great chance they will be too busy to get back to you.  Follow up is the key!

3. When researching the companies, see what types of positions they have (the ones that are not open), and approach the recruiters and ask them if they foresee any of those jobs opening up in the next three months.  You just never know.

4.  Make sure your resume matches the jobs you uncover.  Do not let a bad resume prevent you from getting the job you are qualified to do.  Recruiters are good but they can't interpret a bad resume.

5. Dress great, smile and make a great impression!

The largest career fair in the southeast takes place on November 21, 2014 at the Amway Center.  Yes, this is one you NEED to be at!  All the information is here.

Two Very Important Interview Questions 

You MUST Master!

By Roger Lear 

You only hope they ask you these questions during the interview.  If you are prepared, you can really make an impression!

If you want to interview well in any interview situation, this is where I see the disconnect between employer and you.  Simple questions but hard to answer.  Well, not anymore because this article will tell you what the employer really wants to know; not what you think they want to know!  

Here are some assumptions (except in the case of entry level): 

1. You are qualified for the job.

2. You have the proper education level.

3. You have done research on the company.

Question #1: Tell me about yourself?

Again, while this question is asked so many time, their must be a reason.  Follow these steps:

     Start with thanking the interviewer.  “First of all, thank you for having me in today to meet you and learn more about the events coordinator position”

2.     Next, move into the your work life by going disusing  who you are and why you. This is not the time to talk about your personal life, hobbies, traffic patterns on yourcommute or anything that is not relevant. This is a time to show you have great career experience that will fit into the culture and design of the job which you are interviewing for in the first place.

EXAMPLE: I have been in the events coordinator for the last 7 years and have had escalating responsibilities throughout this time.  My emphasis is had been in corporate events throughout Central Florida.  Most of the events I organized had between 200 and 1,500 attendees and took place at numerous venues.  With my current employer, I manage the entire department and was able not only to increase the business by over 320% but also save the company over $850,000 annually.  One of my strengths is my ability to negotiate better terms at all venues, printers, caterers and advertising.  I enjoy the challenge of making any event for a client the best event they ever attended.  (Give a real example)  I became interested in your opportunity because my event management  strengths seem to be a good match and challenge to help your company escalate sales as well as provide overall  gold standard satisfaction of events produced.

You have to be genuine and try your hardest to connect your previous experience to the job you are interviewing for and connect with the interview.  Also, make sure you back up all career statements of your skills with actual examples. 

Question#2: How will you add value to our company?

Great interview question and if you can’t answer it, you will not get the job.  The first thing you must know about the company you are interviewing with is how they make money.  Secondly, you must know how the job you are interviewing for “touches” that money.  If you are a claims adjuster, you touch the money when you adjust claims.  Your value is your customer service and your ability to adjust the claim correctly.

 You have to bring this out in the interview and you do that with real examples. Give them examples of your caseload, your closing ratio and overall performance within your current company.  Use specific example of a difficult claim, how you handled it and the final result. Give the interviewer a clear picture of your ability not only to manage the claim but also save the company money.  Your real life examples of your work are your value you bring to the interview and the reason you will be a strong candidate.

No matter if you are entry level or have twenty five years of experience, treat these two questions with precision.   Believe it or not, most fail in answering these questions not because they don’t have the experience but lack the ability to showcase their skills to the skill set of the position they are interviewing for in the first place.  Don’t let this be you!  

OrlandoJobs.com host Diversity Job Fair and Career Expo at the Amway Center November 21, 2014

Roger Lear of OrlandoJobs.com speaks to job seekers at the Diversity Job Fair.

The largest Diversity Job Fair and Career Expo takes place on November 21, 2014 at the Amway Center in downtown Orlando Florida.

Hosted by OrlandoJobs.com and Florida Citrus Sports, this career event always brings the best career experts, companies and job seekers to the AMWAY Center for a day of connection.  Best of all, it raises money for the two host schools, Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman,  for their   scholarship fund.  Last year, this event raised over $29,000!

Roger Lear, co-founder of OrlandoJobs.com, sees it a different way. "In today's job world, the way people find jobs has changed and many don't event know this.  That is why even though we have over 100 W-2 employers with real jobs, I think the career expo part of the seminar may be just as important as seeing live employers" stated Roger Lear.

The lineup of career speakers is impressive.  The topics cover everything from soft skills used in the interview process to how LinkedIn has to be used in a job search.  "Applying online to a job is just the starting point.  In the post recession hiring process, you just can't make any mistakes. Their are too many candidates who will not make these mistakes" states Lear.

This years career expert lineup will be released in October.  The event is FREE to job seekers and promises to be a great day!

Job Seekers can register for no cost here.  We will send you updates as we get closer to the event.

OrlandoJobs.com releases the 2013 Central Florida Employment Survey-98% OF Central Florida Employers Surveyed will Hire this Year.

98% OF CENTRAL FLORIDA EMPLOYERS SURVEYED WILL HIRE THIS YEAR

More than 8,650 Jobs Open Now & 19,000 More Projected For 2013

 

Download entire survey at www.orlandojobs.com/whitepaper (no charge) JOB SEEKERS: On page 13, over 175 employers from Central Florida tell you why they don’t hire you.  Also, pages 16-21, we post many of the jobs uncovered in this survey.

February 13, 2013 (Orlando, FL) – OrlandoJobs.com publishes clear-cut positive findings today in an annual employment survey for the Central Florida region. Chief among the findings: 98% of the employers surveyed plan on hiring this year.  Building on encouraging results in the five years since OrlandoJobs.com began their annual survey of companies, the 2013 employment forecast for Central Florida shows concrete signs of a recovery in 2013.

 The 2013 OrlandoJobs.com Central Florida Employment Outlook Survey’s key findings:

·         Combined, this survey found more than 8,650 jobs currently open at the 198 surveyed companies.

·         In addition, more than 19,000 jobs are forecasted to be open in the last three quarters of 2013.

·         98% of companies plan on hiring at least one person in 2013.

·         89% of companies currently have open jobs, up from 75% in 2012.

·         The top six sectors leading the way in Central Florida are Leisure and Hospitality, Healthcare, Professional and Business Services, Education, Retail and Technology.

·         42% of surveyed companies are using temporary employees to help fill open positions.

·         LinkedIn.com was responsible for more than 120 Central Florida hires in the surveyed group.

·         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!

 

“A positive outlook on the part of employers is pushing the Central Florida job market ever-forward in 2013, and the data in our survey results backs up those who are starting to use the word ‘recovery’ to describe the market,” says Roger Lear, President and Co-Founder of OrlandoJobs.com. “Hospitality leads the way and employers in all sectors were very clear that they are only hiring job seekers that fit the job skills.  In this recovering market, if you are underemployed or unemployed, applying to jobs that are exact matches to your skill set is the way to go because employers want proven track records to help protect their hiring investments.  For job seekers applying to any job, this is why you may not hear back from the employer.”

 

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 2013. Download the survey in its entirety at www.orlandojobs.com/whitepaper.

 

OrlandoJobs.com is Central Florida’s #1 online job site, with an average of 110,000 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) along with partners WKMG Channel 6’s ClickOrlando.com and the Orlando Weekly (print and online).  President Roger Lear is a 25-year veteran leader in the executive search and internet recruiting industry. He is a board at Florida Hospital East Foundation, the Central Florida Economic Cooperative, Central Florida Employment Council and National Insurance Recruiting Association, and is a sought-after speaker on the subject of Web 2.0 and social media recruiting.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Roger Lear

President, OrlandoJobs.com

(407) 645-4224 office

(407) 925-2084 cell

roger@orlandojobs.com

Twitter: @orlandojobs

Five Common Job Search Strategy Mistakes You Have to Change in 2013

By: Roger Lear

Hard to believe it is 2013 and we are still at a relatively high unemployment rate and many of you are still either unemployed or underemployed. I thought by now companies would be hiring at a much faster pace than what is actually happening. The job search today is frustrating to many of you who are tired of applying to jobs and never hearing anything back or never getting to talk with a human.

2013 gives you an opportunity to change these five things to really help you get a better job.

1. Your resume doesn't match the job you are applying for at a company, even though you have the correct experience. Your resume reads Account Manager but the job is for a Customer Service Representative. You know you can do the job, but are passed over because the person reviewing your resume doesn't understand that account manager at your current company is the same as a customer service representative at their company. To take the mystery out of your resume, make your career objective at the top of the resume "Customer Service Professional". Just make sure your skill sets closely match the job you are applying to and they are clearly stated on your resume.

2. Poor online communication skills. In today's world, applying to jobs at most companies requires you to send them an email with a resume attached or you apply via an applicant tracking system (ATS). You have total control of your message, but many of you blow the opportunity to shine by failing to write clear, concise and targeted messages to the hiring authorities. In addition, many messages have bad grammar and spelling errors. You are not texting a hiring authority, you are communicating your career information.

3. Attitude adjustment needed. Many jobseekers have been through a lot of disappointments in the last couple years. Many may think they will never be hired because they are too old, had too many jobs, have no skill sets, have bad credit and many other excuses. When you get an interview, instead of really concentrating on how to get that job, you may find yourself assuming this may just be another dead end. If you come across disgruntled in the interview (I already had one of those this week), you will never get hired. Forget the past and concentrate on your skill set and attitude.

4. Be prepared. It still amazes me with all the information available about companies online these days, how many jobseekers go to interviews with very little knowledge of the company that could be their future workplace. Use LinkedIn.com and Glassdoor.com to find out all you can about the company and its culture. See if the company uses Twitter or Facebook and see what they are talking about. Look for similarities in your strengths with the people who work at the company.

5. No job search plan. Many jobseekers spend all of their time applying to online jobs that might fit their background. When you hit the apply button, it feels like you are accomplishing something when in reality you are probably wasting your time. Your job search plan needs to include finding jobs that match your background and skills sets. Employers are hiring skill matches today. Use online job boards, but also do research in your marketplace to discover companies that you may have never heard of. Once you identify these companies, go to their website career page and see if you qualify for any of their jobs.

Get a Great Job with an Awesome Online Presence

By: Roger Lear

As our world gets more digital, your online identity will be accessed by anyone who wants to find you online. It is already happening today. You have heard all the stories. You apply to a job and the company checks Facebook, LinkedIn,  Twitter, Flickr or just Google’s your name. Depending on the person doing this research, and what they find, will have a direct effect on if you even get an interview.

The statistics are that 85% of hiring managers Google a candidate before, or after, an interview and 45% of employers user Twitter, and Facebook, to research potential candidates. (Source: Microsoft Survey-Online Reputation on the Hiring Process)
While I believe that sites like Facebook and Google+ are “social networks” and should remain this way, the above statistic shows employers do not care. Imagine if you are up for a job and neck and neck with another candidate. Instead of the employer bringing you both back for another round of interviews, they make their final choice by comparing Facebook pages! Sound outrageous? It is and it is happening.

No matter what your thoughts are on this, you can control what an employer sees when they search for you on the internet. Here are the steps:

1. Google your own name. Depending on how active you are on the internet will determine the results. LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest and any social media site you belong to should come up first. If you are quoted in news stories, part of a directory, and member of an association or any organization where your name is on a website, this will also appear in the search results.
2. During a job search, the simple thing to do is to make all your social media accounts private. If you do that, employers cannot see any of your profiles.
3. Keeping your profiles public can help your employment chances. If your LinkedIn or Facebook account shows your commitment to previous jobs, the community, philanthropy or hobbies, this information may actually help an employer understand you better in addition to your resume. If your hobby is gardening and you have pictures of your prized tomatoes, does this help you get a job? It may if the hiring authority likes vegetables!
4. Get rid of negative information. Employers are humans too. Most actually like to see that you have a life outside of work. According to a study of 31,000 employers, the top areas of concerns for employers who look into social network sites are a) information about drug and alcohol use b) inappropriate photos c) bad communication skills d) Bad mouthing former employers e) unprofessional screen names. (Career Builder)
5. Add information to help your cause. Are you a member of an insurance association? Chamber? Hospitality group? Did you win any recent awards? Take a picture of yourself with the award and post it to Facebook or any of your accounts. Your friends will comment on it and employers will take notice. Online profiles can enhance your image.

Politicians have it bad. If you Google their name, they don’t have much control on the positive and negative articles written about them. The good news is that you do have control on what an employer sees about you. Building a great online reputation today is a must because employers looking for this information is becoming the norm.