How Are You Spending Your Time While Job Searching?

For many in the Charlotte area that are looking for employment, their day is split up between looking through job boards, classified ads and social networks, hoping to find that one opportunity that can change things around for them.

But what about the rest of your time?

A few weeks ago we shot a video that went over a typical day of a job seeker, and ways to focus on the important things that will create opportunities for you.

This week we got wind of one local Charlotte job seeker who saw a big opportunity to help others, even though he could use a hand in the job seeking process. Andrew Lizotte, and his girlfriend Maria are putting their days on the unemployment grind on hold to use their bikes for good.

Being young and unemployed has its benefits as in a recent article on the Evening Telegram, Andrew stated:

“[It] came from wanting to see parts of the country that I've never seen before from a perspective that not many people experience. Also the feeling of accomplishment that follows challenging yourself physically is second to none.”

What I see from Andrew is an initiative to take action to make his life better. He has stopped waiting for opportunities to come to him and instead is creating opportunities.  You can follow Andrew and Maria on their site, www.crazyguyonabike.com/TransAmerica2010. They will be traveling over 4,200 miles on their bikes raising money for Haiti relief and Operation USA.

What are you doing to create opportunity for yourself in the job market? What do you think of Andrew's ambition and quest? Share your thoughts in the comments below or hit us up on Twitter.

-Greg

From The Eyes Of Someone Looking At Your Resume

photo by skobo

I was reading the Evil HR Blog today when I saw a comment that really stuck out to me. The post was about visual resumes and whether they helped or hindered your application process.

While it seems the majority of the readers were against the idea of a flashy resume, one commenter, an HR professional, Lisa, had this to say:

I look at 100s of resumes everytime we post a job. The cover letter is my first cut: is there one? Does it read well with no obvious mistakes? Does it give me information that makes me want to look further? A 'no' to any of these questions leads to a 'thank you, no' response to the candidate. Only then do I look at resumes.

Since I look at resumes through Outlook, heavy formatting can really muck with my ability to read the info presented. So, plainer is better.

As you are applying for jobs, remember that you are trying to get the attention of a specific person who is looking for specific qualities and skill sets. Ensure that whatever format you do use is easy to locate and matches the needs of the company and the person from the company doing the looking.

I can see a few heads turning as you read this - that means you need to take a look at your resume and cover letter and whip them into shape.

Happy hunting Carolinas and please leave your comments, questions and ideas below and be sure to follow CarolinaJobs on Twitter.

-Greg