Candidate Newsletter - June 2007

In this Issue:

Topic of the Month: "Relocation, Relocation, Relocation"
How to Win on an Interview
NEW Feature! Ask the Construction Career Doctor!
Article: How to Create an ASCII (Plain Text) Resume for Applying Online
This Issue's Cartoon!

Relocation, Relocation, Relocation …

The only thing that matters in real estate, the old adage goes, is location, location, location. Well, relocation matters, too, to the thousands of people who make the sometimes wrenching decision to pull up stakes and move to a different city or state in order to pursue a new challenge in their careers.

We at ConstructionJobs.com understand that accepting a new position in a new place is an exciting venture … exciting enough, in fact, to make you willing to tackle the hard parts of this time in your life: selling your house, packing boxes, saying goodbye to friends, and enrolling your kids in a new school.

Many companies – in their effort to attract great candidates and retain them - have created programs that assist new team members to get to know their new town and some assist in bearing the high cost of moving and getting settled in. You can make the transition period as easy as possible if you address some of the following questions early in the process:

1. Will your new company help defray the costs of moving? Address this early in your conversations with your new company and ask if they typically help with major relocations. Some employers pay a one-time fee and others will also organize the logistics of the move for you.
2. One service many companies have added is to provide easy access to information on new places; for example, many communities have prepared presentations which welcome new residents.
3. Research your housing options. Locate a realtor to show you homes and neighborhoods.
4. Closely related to working with a realtor or looking for a house is to weigh your lifestyle options. Do you need to be in the heart of the city or would you prefer to be in the suburbs?
5. Where you live will dictate time you spend commuting to an office or a job site; consider that in your thoughts about where to live.
6. Do you need to be near kid-friendly places with access to parks, museums, and sports programs?
7. In fact, if you have kids, find out what you can about the school system. Research the school system. What do your new co-workers think, or recommend?
8. There are on-line resources that allow you to calculate how far your salary will go in a certain city, and even to compare the relative costs of living from one city to another. Homefair.com and cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving can quickly tabulate comparative costs of living and tell you how far your dollar will go in a new location: housing, taxes, utilities, food, and gasoline all cost different amounts in different places.
9. Finally, talk to co-workers and their spouses and see what they recommend and think … their local knowledge will be invaluable … and that might jump start the building of new friendships, as well.

Article by:
Autumn Cartwright
Regional Sales Executive for Southern California, Utah, and Hawaii
Construction Jobs, Inc.

How to Win on an Interview

ConstructionJobs.com has served as a conduit to thousands of candidates venturing out for many interviews with hundreds of client companies. From those appointments and the feedback we get from the stories candidates tell, we have gathered some general wisdom that may help you when that opportunity comes along to speak with a company which might present an opportunity to advance your career. Read on and see if some of the following reminders can be of service next time you venture out for that all-important interview.

When you prepare for a job interview, there are ways you can assure yourself of success. Know as much as you can about the company with whom you’re interviewing. Prepare yourself for every possible question about the job, and know what you can and cannot do. Research the company, and make a list of questions you want to ask about it as well as the position and current projects. Strengthen your confidence by reflecting on your past accomplishments and what made them a success.

If you’re prepared – and qualified for the position – then you should be eager and energetic, not nervous or stumbling.

• Be on time, be well-dressed, be clean and tidy, show you want to be there.
• Smile!
• Be polite.
• Sit upright.
• Make a positive, energetic first impression: remember, there’s the first one minute of an interview, and then there’s everything else.
• If an interviewer offers to take you to lunch, eat light and don’t drink – even if the interviewer orders a beer or wine.
• Have a business conversation, not a job interview.
• Be able to account for your ability to MAKE MONEY, SAVE MONEY, and SOLVE PROBLEMS! Before you arrive at the interview, review how your recent efforts have benefited your previous company or companies, especially in terms of profits and savings.
• There’s only reason to go on an interview – to get an offer!
• Every interview question can be interpreted as “What can you do for me?”
• Always use numbers – be specific in how much time you saved, and how much money you made.
• Be prepared to discuss how your strengths would be an asset to the new company. Be ready to discuss your career plans and a timetable to implement them.
• Show interest in the position – tell the interviewing team that you would like the job!

How to Create an ASCII (Plain Text) Resume for Applying Online

By Jennifer Anthony, Resume Expert

Sending a resume via email or online is easy; copy, paste and submit right?

Wrong! You should have different formats available for each of these situations.

Not all email programs or online forms are the same. Therefore, your resume will not look the same to every recipient. Your resume should be formatted so that they can be read in any email program or online form. Save your fully formatted resume for interviews and for giving to employers who have already shown an interest. »Read full article

ConstructionJobs 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