Candidate Newsletter - May 2008

In this Issue:

Topic of the Month: "Straight Talk"
Scholarship Deadline Nears ... Send in Your Application Today!
Ask the Construction Career Doctor!
Article: Resume Writing FAQs
This Issue's Cartoon!

Topic of the Month: Straight Talk

As a member of the Constructionjobs.com team, I am in constant contact with companies looking to hire the best candidates they can find for the positions which demand attention. 

This relationship I have with hundreds of client companies gives me a great insight into their mindset as they approach an important hire.  And that understanding is where you come in, because I want to offer you advice on getting the attention of the hiring authorities through the two avenues that ConstructionJobs.com offers.

I advise hiring authorities to ensure their greatest success by using both the resume searching AND the job posting features.  Unfortunately, there are those companies which, for whatever reasons, use only job postings or only search the resume bank. 

Because there are strong companies not posting their best jobs, and because there are strong companies who don’t use any resources to search through our resumes, you need to act to give yourself the best chance of making a match happen. 

If you are a candidate who uses ConstructionJobs.com to advance your career (and why wouldn’t you?), here’s the straight talk on how to fill in the gaps that companies create when they use only one of our services rather than both.

If a company is a job poster (but not a resume searcher), they assume that a strong candidate – that means you! - will search our site, find their posting, and apply for the position.  So, make sure you come to ConstructionJobs.com frequently and execute searches that would lead you to the job you want.

I’ve heard it said more than once that if you have your resume in the database but aren't looking at the job postings, you’re lacking the energy that other candidates have, and you are penalizing yourself.  There are great opportunities on the job posting side of our database that you will never know about if you merely wait for employees to root out your resume.  You’re the one who wants a job … it may be right here, on our site … so go look for it!

If, on the other hand, a company is a resume searcher (but not a job poster), they assume that they can find a swarm of candidates whose experience and needs and availability will match their opportunity and timetable.  And, as it happens, they often find the perfect candidate on ConstructionJobs.com. 

And those marriages happen when a candidate presents a resume crowded with details, specific numbers, and concrete achievements from a candidate’s career. 

If one resume is covered with a thick fog of vague claims and watery descriptions, and another resume explains clearly how a candidate made money, saved time, and solved problems for his current employer, which candidate is the potential employer going to pursue?

And remember this: our site is overflowing with resumes and eager candidate, so if you remain in the hunt for the right opportunity, you need to update your resume and keep it atop the piles of virtual paper that the hiring authorities encounter.  A resume that hasn’t been refreshed in months comes across as damaged goods or as the work of a candidate who is indifferent as to what may come his way.

That’s straight talk.  It’d be great if you could post your resume, then go on that three-month tour of Alaska or that month-long fishing expedition through the Caribbean you’ve always dreamed of, only to find, upon your return, that ten or twenty great opportunities found you while you were away.

But that isn’t going to happen.  You need to post a clear, concrete resume, and keep it fresh so the resume searchers can find you.  And you need to check the job postings at ConstructionJobs.com frequently, because new jobs are posted everyday … and those hiring authorities are waiting for you to come to them. 

And they’ll be very happy when you do.

Thom Calabrese
Regional Account Executive

ConstructionJobs.com Scholarship for Students in Construction
Scholarship Deadline Nears ... Send in Your Application Today!

ConstructionJobs.com wants to give you $1000.  That is, if you are a student studying a course that will lead you to the construction field.  Apply for the ConstructionJobs.com Scholarship for Students in Construction before June 1, 2008, and you may receive $1000 toward your enrollment fees for the Fall 2008 semester. 

ConstructionJobs.com has watched and assisted the careers of professional builders and has seen trends in construction come and go. We know that a deep concern held by leading builders in the United States is the decline in enrollment at colleges and universities in construction programs and the sense among those builders that they may fall behind in finding the next generation of young people who will build the structures where we live, work, and gather. The ConstructionJobs.com Scholarship for Students in Construction intends to encourage men and women to consider construction as a career and offers financial assistance toward that noble end.

We at ConstructionJobs, Inc. wish to help ensure the growth of the industry by providing financial support to those who are committed to a course of studies in construction management or engineering.

In 2006, we began offering the $1000 Scholarship and have been pleased to assist the college careers of young women and men at 15 different universities and to students with majors such as construction management, civil engineering, carpentry technology and mechanical engineering. 

If you are pursuing studies that will lead you into construction, please come to our website at ConstructionJobs.com, read the complete rules and eligibility qualifications, download our application – and turn it in by June 10, 2008. 

If you are selected as a recipient, we will deposit $1000 in your college account in time for the Fall 2008 semester.  Further, if you read this and know of a student who may be deserving of consideration for the ConstructionJobs.com Scholarship for Students in Construction, please pass this article along!  

We’re going to give $1000 away to the best and brightest students who apply.  We can’t wait to meet them.

Article: Resume Writing FAQs

When Should I Send Resume Follow Up Letters?
By Jennifer Anthony, Resume Expert

I'm often asked how long you should wait before following up on a resume submitted in response to a telecommuting position. You want them to know you are interested, but there is a fine line between pestering the hiring manager and showing your enthusiasm. Here are some tips to guide you.

A week is a reasonable time to wait for a reply from the hiring manager. Hiring managers will receive, on average, around 300 resumes in response to a position after just 12 hours of posting it online! Give it a week to calm down and then send your follow up e-mail (because e-mails are less intrusive than phone calls).

Make sure to hit the following key points in your letter:

1. Ask if the position has been filled.

2. Reiterate your interest in the position.

3. Express your continued interest in working for their company (in case the position was filled).

4. Ask for an interview.

5. Give them your phone number again so they have it at their finger tips.

6. Thank them for their time and attention (because you know how valuable it is).

Attach and send your resume again as a reminder. If your resume was buried in the pile, they will appreciate the follow up. You will appear to be a focused and motivated professional worth receiving a second review. It might even get you the interview because most jobseekers overlook the power of good follow up!

In addition, if they decided you weren't a match, this will obligate them to let you know that you were not selected. Then, you can either move on or continue to pursue employment with them at a later date. You never know, the new hire might not work out for them!

ConstructionJobs.com has helped thousands of job seekers all across America find employment. Our award-winning job board and resume database is endorsed by various top national associations (see Partners) as their preferred partner of online recruiting representing over 50,000 contractors and design firms. For more information or assistance with your account, please email us at: info@constructionjobs.com.

Happy Searching,
The ConstructionJobs Team