Category Archive : Working From Home

Interview at an office.

Job Hunting Tips for Inexperienced Applicants

Job hunting can be a discouraging and draining experience from constant job postings, no responses, and potential job scams. Applicants must constantly be aware of new postings and maintain a promising interview composure. Fortunately, this process can be easier and help inexperienced applicants find jobs more efficiently.

How do new applicants practice efficient methods for better job results? Keep reading to learn more.

LinkedIn Profiles

LinkedIn is an employment-focused social media platform and is considered one of the top employment websites, but it often favors experienced applicants. However, the service can still benefit inexperienced applicants through its social media services. Aquanetta Wright, owner of FerryGodmother.Biz, recommends viewing the profiles of established users to find where they began their careers. Applicants can be directed to smaller companies with job postings or other opportunities. In addition, individuals can find a company’s website or contact information to establish a formal connection and interest, showing their ambition.

Directly Contacting Companies

Smaller companies can be accessible through contact information, so individuals can bypass LinkedIn and discuss job opportunities directly with hiring managers. The Harvard Business Review, a general management magazine, advises new candidates to “proactively pitch themselves to employers instead of applying for jobs online.” Likewise, this method is more direct and can reduce waiting time while showing employers initiative from the candidate. Additionally, this can prevent online job scams that may occur when job hunting and it can eliminate scam job emails. Besides contacting companies directly, applicants should also have their line of work ready to present.

Digital Portfolios

Modern job hunting is done online, and a digital portfolio or a website is frequently expected from any individual. Webflow, a website software service, cites first impressions, striking imagery, contact information, testimonials, categories, and more, which are beneficial for digital portfolios. In addition, digital portfolios should highlight an individual’s best and most relevant work to emphasize their unique skill and experience. Portfolios should showcase the best of an individual as they can be the catalyst for a promising entry-level position.

Happy Hunting

Job hunting can have several challenges and can be time-consuming, but the process can be made easier. For instance, direct communication with a company can inform them who an individual is and how they are a qualified candidate. Individuals can skip the wait and pitch themselves with a digital portfolio. Overall, candidates can use job hunting to their advantage by using uncommon techniques to stand out and be remembered.

For more job and business advice, visit the rest of FerryGodmother.Biz.

Laptop showcasing a digital portfolio.

Digital Portfolio: The Basics

Digital portfolios are often used for employment opportunities and credibility sources, yet can be difficult to create. Additionally, the content and purpose can also seem confusing as portfolios do not always include everything one has created. A digital portfolio represents one’s best qualities and accomplishments but can be an interactive and easy-to-navigate website.

Continue reading to learn more about the basics of a digital portfolio.

Creating a Digital Portfolio

MasterClass, an online discipline subscription, defines digital portfolios as “work experience, education, skills, and work samples for potential employers to examine.” A digital portfolio should highlight an individual’s best professional characteristics and work through an easy-to-navigate self-made website.

Digital portfolios are often completed by website builders which can significantly impact the quality of the portfolio. Sites like Squarespace or WordPress can be convenient for those who do not know how to create websites from scratch. Additionally, website builders can offer exceptional layouts and templates dedicated to online portfolios such as Journo Portfolio

However, individuals should consider that many website builders require a subscription plan or do not have a free plan. For an in-depth comparison of website builders, WebsiteBuilderExpert offers a detailed report. While each website offers something different, one should think about the presentation of their portfolio.

Adding Unique Flair

Digital portfolios display one’s previous work, but it should also introduce the individual and reflect their services, personality, and profession. Webflow, a website software service, published a blog post about unique portfolio examples and praised examples that left a remarkable first-impression. Features such as scroll animations, testimonials, color, category layouts, animation, contact information, etc. can be stylized and easy to navigate. In addition, the available features of a website builder should emphasize the importance of one’s previous work.

Highlight The Best Work

A digital portfolio should highlight the best work and accomplishments of an individual since it represents their best qualities and experience. For instance, an award-winning news article or a personal project can give insight to one’s professional traits and creative drives. Indeed, an online employment website, suggests “pieces that have garnered praise from others, positive client feedback, or awards with a small caption.” Work samples are the core of digital portfolios which can provide further insight to an individual’s history, work ethic, and accomplishments. Before publicizing a digital portfolio, one should test run their portfolio for any performance or unseen issues.

Test Run and Sharing

Lastly, a test run on desktop and mobile browsers can indicate any problems like load speed or misplaced information. Robert Half states that test runs can help spot issues like “image load times and quality, poor navigation, mobile optimization, and poorly written captions.” The quality of the portfolio will also reflect one’s readiness which can make or break a job opportunity. After a test run, one can share their digital portfolio with confidence.

Conclusion

Digital portfolios can show the best of an individual’s growing career and create new opportunities for career growth. While website building may seem daunting, it can help establish one’s best qualities and experience. Overall a digital portfolio presents one’s best qualities in a personalized website that reflects one’s personality and work quality. 

For more about the business world, visit FerryGodmother.Biz.

Woman face down on her laptop.

How to Identify Job Scams for College Students

College students often seek internships or entrylevel jobs after graduating. Scammers often target new graduates seeking a job, so learning their techniques is important. Many scam job offers are convincing and realistic, which can trick unsuspecting students into a terrible situation.

Keep reading to learn the signs of a job scam and how college students can avoid them.

Appearing out of the Blue

One obvious sign of a job scam is receiving a job offer from a position the student never applied for. For instance, some of those emails may start with greetings such as “Dear applicant” or “We have received your application.”

These emails will likely contain vague details about the job. These are obvious signs of a job scam, but others scams may be a lot more convincing.

The Real Deal?

College students may receive convincing offers with betterformatted emails and closing signatures that appear trustworthy. For example, the more convincing scams may impersonate smaller companies and their employees because of their smaller social presence.

Always research the supposed person that sent the email through the company website or LinkedInIf the search comes up short, try researching the company to see if they are actively hiring.

Often impersonated emails and personnel of a company are reported through LinkedIn posts or a company’s website. Besides wellformatted emails and realistic signatures, scammers can still be identified by the contents of the email.

Man offering a handshake.

You've Got Mail!

Even if the email is well-formatted, scammers often make mistakes within the body of an email. For instance, in Gmail, a false Zoom invitation will only contain a link, whereas a real invitation will embed a calendar reminder.

Take note of the punctuation in the email as legitimate, professional emails typically have proper grammar and punctuation. If the email contains a vague job description this can also help indicate a job scam.

Conclusion

Most college students will receive job scam offers. Learning what some of the indicators are will better prepare students, so they are not caught up in a scam. Researching websites, profiles, and other platforms may lead to reports made by others, or show any discrepancies.

Ultimately, being educated on how to recognize job scams will keep college students safe from potential harm. For more job hunting advice, visit FerryGodmother.biz.