Shutterstock

An infographic created by recruiting software company Bullhorn illustrates what you probably knew to be true: nearly every recruiter is doing an online background check during the hiring process.

According to their numbers 98 percent of recruiters are using social media to find new hires. Nearly a fifth (17 percent) say Facebook is the place for quality employees, but 38 percent say they’ll be looking at Twitter a little more closely this year. So be careful with what you tweet. Thirty-seven percent said they’ll be using Facebook even more. Nearly all — 97 percent — said they used LinkedIn.

The company also says that salaries for executives at the VP, director, and manager level have, unsurprisingly increased while those for sales positions, recruiters, and account managers have gone down.

Finally, Bullhorn reports that recruiters say they’re having issues finding candidates with the necessary skills and talents. So if you’re not constantly learning, adding to your skill set, or increasing your expertise, you’re going to have big troubles standing out and getting that next big position.

Below is a small portion of the infographic. You can view it in its entirety on AllTwitter.

via Bullhorn

Shutterstock

Between the documentary, the MTV show, and Manti Te’o, we all know what it means to be the victim of a “catfish” scheme. Unfortunately, those schemes aren’t exclusive to fake romantic relationships.

Black Enterprise warns against getting “catfished” during your job search as well.

“With the prevalence of online job searches, it’s easy for scammers to trick you into deals and agreements that will have your professional life in shambles,” the site says. The article goes on to lay out three ways to do your due diligence and make sure you’re applying for the job you think you are.

Looking for a new job? Maybe a new project has caught your eye? Click through to BlackEnterprise.com to ensure it’s legit.

Darrin Henry/Shutterstock.com

According to a new law that went into effect in five states on January 1, employers can no longer require employees or job applicants to reveal the passwords to their personal social media profiles.

So if you live in  Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, California, or Illinois you are now protected by social media privacy laws that forbid overly-intrusive social media snooping. Michigan has a similar law, which was enacted in December.

“The legislation is necessary because there is a hole in existing law that prevents employers from intruding into an employee’s legal off-duty conduct,” State Assemblywoman Nora Campos, who authored California’s bill, told NBC (via UPI).

While this new law protects workers’privacy, employees and job applicants still need to be mindful of what they post online, reports The Huffington Post. Nothing is stopping employers from monitoring online accounts and taking an issue with what they find.

We’d also suggest that, if your employer does ask for this information, that you gently directly them to this new law when you want to decline. The law is on your side, but you should always be diplomatic.

Source: Shutterstock

I really wanted to work for President Obama’s campaign. Like, really, really wanted to. For months, I must have applied to nearly every opening on the website…and received no response.

One day, whilst toiling away at a job I absolutely hated in a field I wasn’t remotely interested in, a friend sent me a message out of the blue: “Digital Organizer opening at Obama for Ohio. You should apply! [link].” This friend had no idea just how many times I’d applied for that opening (and others!) with no response, but I decided to give it another shot.

Working for a political campaign was not my ultimate career dream. No, I wanted a job in television. I’d graduated with high honors with a degree in broadcast journalism and subsequently applied to nearly every market in the country. Not only had I not gotten a single interview, except for a few auto-reply emails, I didn’t even get a response. So, because no one gets paid to job search, I worked other places in the meantime. In the span of about three years, I was a personal banker, a cashier, a personal assistant, and an administrative assistant – and I hated every single one of those jobs. The kind of hate that would have me crying in the car during break — tears, snot and self-loathing. Oddly, almost immediately after I chewed my foot out of one bear trap of a job, I would find myself signing on for another only to be back in the car crying days later.

The only job I hadn’t hated in the past several years was when I worked as a social media manager for the mayor’s re-election campaign. It was the most random job and I got it in the most unconventional way, but it turned out to be the best job I ever had! After that campaign was over, in a moment of sheer insanity, I took another job I knew I’d hate. And I definitely hated it. I wanted to go back to working for political campaigns because I decided that if I couldn’t get a job in TV, then working for political campaigns would be the next best thing.

I remembered that when I was working for the mayor’s campaign, I had met a few people who worked for Obama’s campaign. One of those people was the state director for Obama for Ohio, so I emailed him directly letting him know I was interested in the digital organizer position if he was still looking for someone. He forwarded my info to the Digital Director and she contacted me!

The interview was over the phone and it seemed to go really well. I had the educational background, experience, time, energy and I drive an American-made car. It was perfect! She said they were going to get some more information from me and I would hear back from someone else for a second interview soon.

I never heard back.

Eventually, I received the dreaded “thank you for your interest” generic email and I was devastated. I had been so excited after that phone interview that I told everyone I could think of that I may get the job for Obama’s campaign. So, of course, people were asking me how my second interview went. “It didn’t” was my less than upbeat reply.

At that point, in terms of my career, I felt I was looking up at rock bottom. It seemed that everyone around me was getting great jobs they loved, yet no one would hire me to do work I was interested in. I continued applying for jobs, fellowships and internships but faced disappointment after disappointment. Closed door after closed door. I was frustrated and bitter, but I couldn’t give up.

A couple of months after Obama’s campaign didn’t hire me, I decided to audition for a local television hosting job. It was a shot in the dark, but I thought to myself,  “they have to hire someone so they may as well hire me.” The audition process was a grueling two months and I wanted that job more than I wanted any other job in my entire life. “If I don’t win,” I informed my husband dramatically, “I will be underneath our bed and not coming out for at least a month.”

Ironically, the audition process ended the same day President Obama won re-election. The next week, the network announced that I was chosen as a host. I got my dream job!

For a moment, I considered emailing Ohio’s Digital Director for Obama to thank her for not hiring me. If I had been working for the President’s re-election campaign, I would not have had time to audition for the hosting gig. And I wanted that television job way more than I wanted to work for Obama’s campaign.

Isn’t that funny how life works? You can want something so bad – a job, a particular guy, admission to a certain grad program – and it just doesn’t happen for you. In those hard times, it can be difficult to stay encouraged when you’re getting nothing but discouraging news. Eventually things do turn in your favor though and, when that happens, you know exactly why Dalai Lama once said: “Sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”

Follow Alissa on Twitter @AlissaInPink or check out her blog This Cannot Be My Life

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

iStockphoto

During a job interview, you expect to be asked a lot of questions. However, you shouldn’t walk out of a job interview without asking a few questions of your own.

“Not only will these questions show how well-prepared you are, they will also make your interview memorable and put you a notch above your competition,” writes Black Enterprise.

Moreover, accepting a job is like signing on to a brand new relationship. Asking questions ensures that you’re right for the job and the job’s right for you.

To learn the three questions that you should ask in a job interview, click through to BlackEnterprise.com.

BONNINSTUDIO/Shutterstock

With millions of Americans still unemployed, Facebook has come up with good idea. The social networking site is launching a new app to help its users in the United States hunt for jobs. And Facebook isn´t doing it on its own.

One year ago Facebook partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor, the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the Direct Employers Association and the National Association of State Workforce Agencies to form the Social Jobs Partnership. Facebook and companies that list jobs on Facebook such as Branchout, JobVite and Work4 Labs have compiled more than 1.7 million job postings in the US. This new app, which launched last week, allows Facebook users to search job listings by keyword, type of work, industry and location.

Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis seems impressed with the app. She said in a statement that the app will help “get America back to work.”

Many experts think this could be a move by Facebook to segue into another arena and compete with professional networking site LinkedIn and job hunting sites like Monster.com. But LinkedIn isn’t worried. A company spokesperson told The Times, “We don’t see this as Facebook getting into the professional networking space. Facebook is aggregating jobs from various Facebook apps and putting them in one place.”

Regardless of Facebook’s reasons, if the new app will help people land new jobs then it’s a positive. As we recently reported, African Americans remain the hardest hit in the employment crisis, with 13.4 percent of black workers, or 2.44 million people, still out of work. The Facebook app will probably attract many black job seekers, not only because of the high unemployment stats in the African-American community but also because blacks tend to use the Internet heavily for employment research. Let us know if you plan to or have used this new app. Is it helpful?

There are other job search apps you might want to check out as well, reports Black Careers magazine.

• The Good Job app, allows you to track and save tasks, events, follow ups, interviews, jobs and contacts related to your job search. Cost: $4.99.  Available for iPhone.
• The Jobs by CareerBuilder app lets users search its database of nearly two million jobs by keyword, location, company and employment type, among others. You can use your phone’s GPS to identify jobs near you, apply for jobs and receive personalized job recommendations. Cost: Free. Available for iPhone, Android.
• A Labor Stats app from the Bureau of Labor Statistics sends stats on unemployment rate, consumer price index, average hourly earnings and others to your phone.  Cost: Free. Available for iPhone, Android.
• The LunchMeet app, used in conjunction with your LinkedIn accont, lets you announce when and where you’re available to meet someone for networking. It’ll also match you up with other networkers in your area. Cost: Free. Available for: iPhone.
• The Resume App lets you build, design and generate a customizable PDF resumé that you can distribute it directly from your phone. Cost: $2.99. Available for iPhone.
• SnapDat Digital Business Cards are great if you need a business card right away and you don’t have any handy, allowing you to create them digitally. Cost: Free. Available for: iPhone.

Image: Thinkstock

In a rather fortunate and risky series of events I found myself in New York City this fall (I live in Atlanta) working with the publication of my dreams! The magazine is very much respected in the hip-hop community and is even coming up on its 20^th anniversary. It wasn’t easy getting to this point, but I’m more than happy to be here.

Indeed, finding your calling can be something that you’ve wanted for years or something that takes years when it comes to finding your niche. Too many people settle for what they can get to pay the bills, not because they can’t get the internship or job they want, but because they really don’t know what they want to be doing with themselves. They don’t know what direction they want to go in, and they have yet to figure out their calling–but it’s never too late!

I used to tell my sisters that my love for journalism came from when I was a kid reading hip-hop magazines and watching the news every day with our grandmother, but they could never figure out what their calling was. Sure, it can get you discouraged and even a little depressed, but you can also discover yourself and see a whole new “You” in the process. Here are some ways to find your calling.

Image: Thinkstock

Speaking of jobs…

A  new online survey of more than 21,000 people found that 75 percent of working-age Americans are looking for a way to get out of their jobs.

The hiring software company Jobvite conducted the 2012 Social Job Seeker Survey, which found that 69 percent of respondents said that they were either “actively seeking” a new job or “open to” a new job. Last year, 61 percent said so.

Despite these new job dreams,  more then 60 percent of respondents said they felt finding a job had become “somewhat harder” or “much harder.” Meaning they have less confidence in the job market—and they have reason to be less hopeful. “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the economy has added approximately 146,000 jobs a month in 2012, as opposed to 153,000 a month in 2011,” reports The Huffington Post. However, the long-term trend is turning positive, with the last two jobs reports showing unemployment declines.

Nevertheless, the Jobvite survey found that people are persistently seeking new jobs — often turning to social media to do so. “It found that 88 percent maintain at least one online profile, and that when it’s time to change jobs, many use their social networking accounts to hunt for a new position,” HuffPo adds. More than half (52 percent) used Facebook to job hunt, 38 percent turned to LinkedIn and another 34 percent used Twitter to look for a new job.

Employers too are using social media to not only find new workers but to research potential employees. “In a separate 2012 Jobvite survey of recruiters, 78 percent said they would react negatively to content about illegal drug use, 66 percent felt the same way about profanity, and 54 percent would frown on sexual content” the article reports.

Five years ago, I was jet-setting across the country for work, making good money – no, make that great money. The creative, free spirit that I am was trapped in a hectic world of IT infrastructure, diagrams, wires and data. Work definitely paid the bills, but it didn’t allow me to tap into the well of creativity that existed within me. I was miserable.

The lure of a steady paycheck kept me away from what I really wanted to do. I had toyed with the idea of going back to school to earn a writing degree, but I lacked the courage to make the leap. Every time I thought about applying to a program or attending an open house for grad school, work crept up and grabbed my attention. I was consumed by the trappings of a busy corporate life. I lost myself to a corporate brand, an identity I didn’t believe in.

Then one day, opportunity knocked in the form of a layoff. It didn’t come as a total surprise. I never felt comfortable in the job. I just couldn’t get with the culture of nepotism and sleeping your way to the top. When my boss called me into the conference room to tell me I was being laid off, I wasn’t shocked or upset. I saved my tears for the trip to the parking lot, but then that didn’t last long. Panic set instead.

It took a few days for me to realize that I could use the time I now had to go back to school and pursue my dream. Sure, I was unemployed and facing the possibility of racking up student loan debt, but I looked beyond that. Losing my job afforded me something that I did not have before: time.

Fast-forward three years. I had survived a second layoff, this time at a struggling media production company. I tried my hand at temp work and later, contracting. I had a horrible two-hour commute each way between Baltimore and Virginia. Then a job opportunity opened up down the street from my home. The pay was about a third less than what I was used to making, but it was better than the paltry unemployment check I was getting.

Soon, I found myself in a place where the work was unfulfilling. Some days I had to work on inane tasks doled out by tyrannical bosses. (“Go count the boxes of light bulbs in the supply closet.”) Other days, I’d wander through the office trying to find work.

I had to evaluate the types of jobs I was drawn to. They barely lined up with my skill set, and in no way stirred up any passion. I was drowning in a world of data, rote processes, technical details and useless reports. There was no room for me to design, to create or write. I dreaded getting up and going to work in the morning. I made a decision that the madness had to stop.

When I decided to look for another job this time, instead of applying for everything, I looked for jobs that matched my skills, experience and interests. It had to be fulfilling and it had to have room for growth.

I recently left my job and started a new position with a new organization that has potential. I now have a chance to put my skills, experience, education and interests to use in a challenging position that I actually enjoy. While a job might fill your bank account up and pay your bills, you have to do what you need to to ensure that you’re actually happy. Whether that means going back to school or hustling for something else, something better, it’s essential. While the layoffs I experienced could have been some of the most devastating of experiences, they wound up being blessings through the lessons I’ve learned and the opportunities I’ve been given to actually figure out what it is I want to do. Because even though this new job is not my dream job just yet, it certainly is closer to where I want to be.

source: usnews.com

For recent college graduates, this fall marks the first that they are not gearing up to head back to class for another academic year. While some may be in the throes of entry-level positions, others are still seeking employment. The glee that accompanied them as they walked across the stage and graduated into the job market has likely dissipated, wilting at the awareness that not only has the frivolity of summer ended, but they are degreed up without a job prospect in their grasps.

Though the Seattle Times reports that the job market is on an upswing for 2012 college graduates (citing a 10.2 percent increase in the hiring of 2012 college graduates over those who entered the job market in 2011), employment rates have yet to meet or surpass pre-recession levels. For many would-be professionals, the back-to-school season—a time that once signified a fresh, hopeful start for students—has ignited a bevy of post-graduate anxieties, including the following:

Should I go back to school, too?
Those who may not have considered an advanced degree in their field of study may consider waiting out the economic storm in the shelter of graduate school. While attaining additional education is not a bad idea, doing so for the sole purpose of killing time is not ideal, especially if it means incurring additional debt. Does professional success in a graduate’s field of choice require a Master’s or Doctorate degree? If it doesn’t, would-be grad students should determine whether they are quenching a natural curiosity and affinity for the subject matter, or if their hearts are not in it at all, in which case, graduate school can be a waste of money and time.

When does the living start?
Combing through Facebook timelines and seeing photos of friends’ vacations, their new cars or their newly furnished apartments are enough to make a recent graduate wonder when his or her turn is coming. While some may have avoided the economic fray and scored well-paying jobs in their fields, some graduates are awaiting the moment in which they can get a head start on their bills, move into a place of their own, and start living the golden young adult lives they dreamed of. This is where getting out of the comparison game is absolutely necessary. While wondering when their time will come, recent grads should take advantage of the joys that are within reach, like road trips, free outdoor concerts, community festivals and staycations. Volunteering is also a feel-good way to spend downtime from the job hunt.

What will happen when my student loan payments kick in?
Taking out a student loan to pay for educational expenses was a much easier concept when the idea of snagging a job or launching a well-paying career immediately after graduation didn’t seem like a far-fetched possibility. Now, with loan repayment plans starting six months after a student has graduated, tackling a hefty loan bill without a job can be disconcerting. However, recent grads shouldn’t be dismayed; private lenders and the federal government offer loan deferment and loan forbearance options that allow for a temporary postponement of repayment or a reduction in monthly repayment amount.

Should I make a switch and start again?
Fruitless job leads can tug at a grad’s insecurities, making him or her wonder whether that English degree was worth the sweat. Recent grads might be riddled with thoughts of taking a chance at another career field (by taking additional undergraduate courses to count for a second major, or becoming certified to be a teacher) or settling where they are because it’s paying the bills (like working the same waitressing gig they held down in college). This is often where the crossroads of chasing a passion and getting paid veer onto separate pathways, and new grads are yanked in a tug of war between likely playing the job search game longer than their classmates and determining whether they should start from scratch.

Am I Doing This Job Search Right?
After countless job interviews and an immeasurable number of resumes and applications submitted, recent grads wonder if there is something they’re doing to count themselves out of landing a new gig. Perhaps a seminar on interviewing and resume creation is in order? Many universities offer career counseling, training sessions and mock interviews with evaluations for its alumni at no cost. Face-to-face connections (like mixers and career fairs) are networking staples, but leveraging social media outlets like LinkedIn can also be beneficial for getting leads on jobs that graduates may not have been able to find elsewhere. Also, finding opportunities to fatten a resume without a “traditional” position can be impressive to employers. Aspiring writers and editors can start a blog or write for online magazines. Those with eyes on public relations careers can offer freelance support to small, local events and friends with businesses to tout.

The period of time after college graduation is one in which young adults are often rapt with life-changing decisions and thoughts on whether their choices have been correct ones. One piece of advice, however, applies no matter what path a recent graduate decides to take: Always keep moving forward.