Anyone who has been in the job market knows there are tons of great Web sites from Monster to Yahoo that offer top-notch information about jobs and how to get them. Do we really need another?
The fact is, jobseekersadvice.com is a quirky piece of work that was started in 2002 by Scott Boyd, a European Web designer and poor speller. Boyd says he kept seeing the same questions asked on job boards such as "How do I find a job?" "How do I get experience?" and "Where do I go from here?" He decided to create a site to answer those basic questions.
Although you won't find job listings here, you will find articles from a wide range of contributors as well as discussion boards that offer advice on career management, job hunting strategies, designing a resume, handling the job interview, recruitment agencies, training, and working abroad.
The advice given is both down-to-earth and personal. For example, what's the best tie style and color to wear to a job interview, and what's the best tie knot to help you win that job? The answer: silk, plain-colored, four-in-hand knot.
In a piece on how to improve your salesmanship, Richard Boyd (no relation to Scott) admits his failures and has two blown sales opportunities to show for it.
"The calls came in, I took both of them, and I made the following mistakes:
- I was engrossed in a different client's problem.
- I was barely listening to what they said; within seconds I knew what they needed, so I switched off.
- I even forgot one of the caller's first names, I was so preoccupied.
- I was reading some data on a PC monitor whilst I was on the phone.
- I told them what they needed, rather than listen and explain what the options and subsequent benefits would be.
I suck, big time. In five years I have become so engrossed in the ins and outs of my profession that I have forgotten what selling is all about."
It's that first person, "stumbling through" approach of many of the articles here, especially the ones penned by Boyd, that makes jobseekersadvice.com a worthwhile escape from big career sites. — Sean Silverthorne