Education » Career Resources
Supercharge your Job Search with Linkedin slides have been updated
Posted by: Jason Matyas on December 18, 2009
I've added some additional content and updated the screenshots to reflect the new Linkedin interface and menu structure. Please take a look at the presentation called Supercharge your Job Search with Linkedin (on SlideShare).
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Another MSI student lands the job they wanted!
Posted by: Frank Ableson on December 02, 2009
I just received an email from one of our students who went on an interview today where she made a presentation using a powerpoint slide deck she prepared. Sounds like it went well as she was offered a position on the spot. We are very excited for her and pleased to have been part of helping her gain the skills necessary for the opportunity!
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High unemployment and the best way to not be a statistic - offer your services, not your resume
Posted by: Jason Matyas on November 07, 2009
I was having a discussion on Facebook about the high unemployment rate (now officially above 10%) and decided to offer some of the support we offer our students to the folks reading that discussion. Here are some of my comments, which I think are a good summary of some of the best strategic things that can be done to find employment in this economy:
For those that are unemployed, I want to encourage you to be optimistic despite all the negative signs. I spend part of my time providing career resources for students enrolled in training at MSI Education Services, which does office productivity software training. I emphasize two primary things in my counseling of students:
1) There are many opportunities for non-full time employment, especially on a contract or temp basis. Small businesses often cannot fund full time positions due to the high costs imposed by an oppressive government, but work still needs to get done and if you have a marketable skill set, I recommend that you search for and engage with small businesses and entrepreneurs to find ones that might need your services. Think networking, not job search.
2) How will you find them? One word: Linkedin. Linkedin is essential for both a job search for a full time position, and especially for networking purposes to find and engage business owners that need what you have. I have been giving a seminar for several months on how to use Linkedin for your Job Search that you can find here:
Supercharge your Job Search with Linkedin (on Slideshare)
If you have more questions or would like to connect to me, please find me on Linkedin and send me an invite. I would be happy to help you if I can.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmatyas
Finally, if you are in need of better software skills and are unemployed, you might be eligible for a training grant to attend classes at MSI Education.
http://www.msiservices.com/index.php/education/vocational/
Please contact us if you want to find out if you're eligible for a training grant or are interested in taking a class to fill a gap in your skill set (and resume).
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MSI unveils new seminars for Vocational Program
Posted by: Frank Ableson on October 30, 2009
MSI is pleased to announce the addition of four new seminars available for enrolled students in our Vocational Programs.
The first seminar is entitled "Supercharge your Search". This program not only hits the "basics" of resumes, cover letters and interviewing, it also walks participants through some of the larger-picture questions.
Who are you and what kind of job do you really want?
Are you an effective communicator?
Can you explain to someone in 30 seconds or less a convincing statement of who you are and what you are looking for?
Are you networking with friends and professional peers to make sure that everyone in your sphere of influence knows what a good opportunity looks like for you?
What is the title of the person you want to work for?
How far are you willing to drive to your new job?
Do you know how to effectively use Linked In and other social networking tools and communities to aid you in finding your next opportunity?
These and many other key questions are raised and discussed in the seminar. Students spend time working together to practice their "30 second commercial". It makes a difference.
We also cover the essential steps you need to do before, during and after the Interview.
Each student receives a complete Career Notebook, including class notes, worksheets and key reference materials.
Our second seminar is entitled "Your Communication Style".
In this seminar each student takes an in-class, certified communication-style assessment. Once we have taken this assessment, we go through the different styles of communication and relate that to students' personal and professional experiences. There are a lot of "Ah-Ha" moments as students gain a keener insight into how they communicate with their peers - both personal and professional.
Equipped with this new self-knowledge, students are better prepared to navigate a challenging interview, including all of those "hard interview questions". We even review job postings and work together to determine what communication style would be a good fit for each. Having a good job usually starts with picking the right job -- and how you communicate has a large impact on this decision. Know yourself and be equipped!
Each student receives a complete Career Notebook, including class notes, worksheets and key reference materials.
Our third seminar is entilted "Bookkeeping in the real world". This seminar is targeted towards our QuickBooks students, however all enrolled students are welcome to attend and participate.
In this seminar, our facilitiator walks students through the ins and outs of bookkeeping based on decades of experience in the financial industry. In particular, the use of QuickBooks in a modern office setting is discussed including "key skills to have". And yes, students can even ask their "debit vs credit" questions. Our QuickBooks instructors are experienced, professional book keepers.
Our fourth seminar is entitled "Using LinkedIn to supercharge your Job Search". In this seminar our facilitator walks particpants through the process of creating and/or enhancing their LinkedIn profiles. Going well beyond the basics of setting up a LinkedIn profile, this seminar teaches students how to research LinkedIn for possible job opportunities in their target market, networking with former co-workers, and getting engaged in the numerous and active LinkedIn groups. To navigate LinkedIn successfully, you must engage -- we show you how!
Our aim in providing these seminars to our students it to help them in any and every way we can. We want to help our students become gainfully employed, however it goes well beyond that ambitious objective.
At MSI, we want to be an organization that provides value today, and for the future, to everyone we come into contact with -- a company of value. If you have an interest in learning more about our seminars, or education program or about our company in general, please do not hesitate to contact us at 973.448.0070, email us at info@msiservices.com, or visit our website.
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Sussex County One Stop Annual Fall Career and Job Fair - this Thursday, 10/15 11am-3pm
Posted by: Jason Matyas on October 13, 2009
Be sure to visit the Fall Job Fair at the Sussex County One Stop in Franklin this Thursday. Bring your friends and be sure to visit the MSI Education Services table to say hi to us and let others know about the training opportunities available at MSI (and grants available for those that qualify).
Event details:
Thursday, October 15, 2009
11:00 A.M. Through 3:00 P.M.
Location: Sussex County One Stop Career Center
Senator Littell Center
12 Munsonhurst Road
Franklin, NJ 07416
Phone-973-209-1217
What to Bring: Employers should rsvp for a table and bring applications for job seekers or their related web sites. Job Seekers should bring 40 to 50 resumes as the Fair typically draws 50 to 90 companies.
Event Details: Sussex County One Stop Career Center Annual Job and Career Fair is always a big draw for employers, and those seeking work. Interested employers should reserve tables by calling Bill Weightman at 973-209-1217 or via his email at William.Weightman@dol.state.nj.us. The Fair runs from 11AM to 3PM with employers arriving at 10:00. A light lunch and beverages will be provided to employers participating in one of the premier job fairs.
Directions to Event: From the East take Rt. 80 to Rt. 15 North and get off at Rt. 517 North and make Right onto Munsonhurst Road (Mexican Restaurant- and go to end of street. From Rt. 3 or Rt 287 take Rt. 23 North and make right turn onto Munsonhurst Road and the Littell Center. Similar directions would occur, if coming from Rt. 80 West by following Rt. 15 pass the arsenal.
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Free Seminar - Making the Most of your Job Search - Oct 8th, 7pm
Posted by: Jason Matyas on October 02, 2009
We're sponsoring a seminar next Thursday evening, Oct 8th at 7:00pm called Making the Most of your Job Search, and we'd like to invite you to join us and spread the word to those that might benefit from it.
Marie Betlow, Executive VP of Prime Time Personnel, a North Jersey recruiting and placement agency, will bring her wealth of expertise in preparing job candidates for success in their job search to discuss the current job market and the most effective job search techniques.
I will also discuss techniques and strategies for maximizing your job search efforts, including the effective use of social networking to find the right people and right job for you.
For full event details and to RSVP (please let us know if you're coming), visit:
Linkedin Events
or
Facebook Events
Attendees will also have the chance to learn about:
- Services offered by Prime Time Personnel
- Software training available at MSI and availability of training grants for those who qualify
Also, remember that all student alumni of MSI Education Services are eligible to earn a voucher to a free training session for referring a friend that takes a course.
Please share this info with your friends via Linkedin and/or Facebook, and if you haven't already done so, please join our Linkedin Group and/or Facebook Page today!
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Now online: Supercharge your Job Search with Linkedin - a primer for job seekers
Posted by: Jason Matyas on October 01, 2009
MSI Education Services has been giving a seminar for several months now entitled "Supercharge your Job Search with Linkedin", that has been well-received by our students who are preparing for a job hunt in a challenging economy. The presentation covers all the basics of Linkedin features and how to use them for a job search, as well as how to really take advantage of more advanced features to maximize your job search effectiveness.
I posted the presentation on SlideShare yesterday, and was happy to discover this morning that the editors of the leading presentation publishing site decided to feature the presentation on the SlideShare homepage today. As of this posting, it has received almost 400 views in a little over 24 hours! You can view the slides here: http://ow.ly/s9Pj
Whether you've been using Linkedin for a while, or have never used the social networking site, this presentation will cover the what, how, and why of professional social networking on Linkedin, and explain how to best use its capabilities for an effective job search. If you like the presentation and/or know someone who could benefit from it, please share it on your favorite social networking site (use one of the buttons below this post, even) or via email or blog.
Finally, if you are not already connected to me on Linkedin, please send me an invitation to connect. I'd love to connect with you and learn how I might be able to help you. Thanks!
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Job position: Telecom Billing Analyst, Schooley Mitchell Telecom Consultants, 1099 Contractor
Posted by: Jason Matyas on September 24, 2009
We are looking to hire candidates for the audit/analyst role at Schooley Mitchell Telecom Consultants in Northern NJ. The ideal candidate will have experience with Telecom billing audit or other cost reduction audit activities.
Job Description
The candidate should have experience documenting, analyzing and negotiating claims for billing errors and working with suppliers to implement corrective service changes. Strong MS Office productivity suite skills and experience. Candidates should also have strong written and verbal communications skills as this is a client facing position as well as back office operations.
The ideal candidate will possess 2+ years of telecom audit or cost reduction audit experience. CPA designation is not required.
The following skills are preferred:
- Supplier pricing and contract negotiations
- Prior LEC or CLEC employment in billing operations
- Federal and/or healthcare industry billing experience
Candidate Requirements:
- Ability to work well under pressure and demonstrate continuous commitment to quality and service
- Significant experience and capability with spreadsheet programs or Excel
- Excellent analytical and problem solving skills
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, especially in a client interaction context
- Proven ability to work independently, and/or remotely, with excellent time management and reporting skills
Responsibilities for this position include working with clients and telecom suppliers to gather and document existing telecom system requirements, plans and programs and utilizing our proprietary tools to evaluate alternate scenarios, develop solution recommendations and implement corrective actions with the recommended carriers. Ongoing operations activities include post‐audit evaluations, client account management and client billing management activities.
Specific Job Responsibilities:
Account Administration - General administration & document management responsibilities, includes:
- establishing account in system(s)
- updating account and contact details to support ongoing account management
- scanning initial contracts, forms, invoices, etc.. into the document management folders and virtual binders for remote access,
- establishing access with the suppliers (LOA, Online Billing System Access, Provider Letter) to gain access to billing and equipment & service records
- acquiring and downloading historical billing information and Customer Service Records to support analysis activities
Analysis – Analysis is the process of analyzing the customer’s bills and telecom environment, looking for errors and opportunities for savings. The Analyst’s responsibilities include all of the following activities:
- Reviewing existing bills and contracts to identify errors
- Compiling data to establish baseline rates and volumes
- Gaining Authorization to access vendor systems as necessary, where LOA does not suffice
- Requesting and analyzing traffic studies if necessary
- Gathering customer requirements and defining specs for project services
- Developing optimization solutions
- Gathering competitive vendor quotes
- Comparing competing providers/configurations/plans/quotes for best cost solutions
- Generating the recommendation letters
- Supporting sales presentations to the client
- Hand off to Implementation staff
Implementation – Implementation is taking recommendations accepted by the client and working with the vendors to make the changes to the client’s telecom system. Implementation responsibilities
include all of the following activities:
- Pursuing and obtaining refunds/credits for billing errors
- Gathering and preparing implementation paperwork for delivery to client for signature, including Service Orders and Contracts
- Ordering, scheduling, and tracking of changes with the vendor
- On‐site visits, as necessary, to coordinate interconnects, vendors, etc
- Audit of first billing cycles with Production staff and requesting changes with vendors if any problems encountered or mistakes are made in implementation
Candidates should send a copy of their resume to Bill Kahn at wkahn@schooleymitchell.com and include 3 business references. References will only be contacted following successful initial interview. Local candidates only please. Thanks!
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Still Waiting for a Job? Have you been using Presence Management?
Posted by: Jason Matyas on September 16, 2009
With the condition of our economy and the high level of unemployment, the competition in the job market is fierce and many are waiting many months for forward progress in their job search. The important question to ask is not "how is your job search going?", but "what are you doing for your job search?" Many people create a resume, post it online, do searches for positions and submit cover letters, but there is much more to a job search that those basics, especially in today's job market. It's very important to consider how you are publicly presenting yourself, and your professional presence takes different forms.
Have you considered your online presence?
- Face it - you're going to get Googled. An employer is going to do a search for your name and see what comes up. This may include social networks, which can help or hurt you. Make sure that you perform a search to see what comes up and deal with anything that could hurt you. Better yet, you should set up a search alert so that you know anytime that your name appears online. You can do this with alerts.yahoo.com or www.google.com/alerts.
- Do you have your own website? Do you blog? Make sure that your official web presence delivers the impression that you want employers to see. If you don't have a site or blog, consider creating one and begin writing to demonstrate your intelligence and expertise. You can get a free blog setup in minutes on Blogger or Wordpress.com (my recommendation).
- Is the professional "You" online? This is more than having your resume posted on a job site, but having a detailed profile on Linkedin or ZoomInfo. Professional social networking sites are particularly helpful because they help connect you to the people that could offer the lead that you need to your next job. For tips on using Linkedin, see 10 Steps to using Linkedin for your job search.
Have you considered your phone presence?
- Got voicemail? How does your voicemail greeting sound? Make sure that it delivers a professional image and that you articulate words and convey warm cordiality. This is especially important if you are looking for a job involving customer service or sales.
- Be sure to turn off the privacy function so that you allow restricted calls in. Recruiters often use restricted caller ID, and you wouldn't want to prevent them from talking to you.
- Can you hear me now? Conduct all phone interviews on a landline phone. You wouldn't want to be on a cell phone call and have it drop, and thus inconvenience the interviewer by wasting time waiting to reconnect and continue.
Have you considered your physical presence?
- Dress up. For any type of event that you attend, you should be wearing business-casual at a minimum. Remember that someone sees you before they hear you.
- Be sociable. With everyone. Not only could a fellow job seeker be an essential contact that could yield a lead on a job, but you never know who's watching you. An employer may very well take notice of your personable nature and want to follow up with you because of an interaction with someone else.
- Pitch yourself. Develop and practice an "elevator pitch". Be able to talk about your character, abilities, skills, experience, and what you can deliver to an employer in about 30 seconds. That may be all the time you get with someone during an introduction. What you say may be the very thing that makes you stand out and makes you memorable.
- Get published. Make business cards to hand out at events. They make you look more professional. Print your unique skill sets and experience, along with a statement of what you uniquely bring to an employer. Use both sides if needed. Give them to everyone and ask for cards from everyone. Follow up by connecting with people on Linkedin and other social networking sites.
These are just some of the items to look at when analyzing your professional presence. There may be others that effect you depending on what you've done in your career and other activities in your job search. Presence management is an important aspect of a job search that takes a good deal of up front work and continual effort to ensure that you are consistently presenting your best professional image to prospective employers.
Reference Sources:
Janice's job search tips on CareerBoard
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Using Linkedin for your Job Search - Harness the power of the social web to find the perfect job
Posted by: Jason Matyas on August 19, 2009
Your job search requires two things to be successful:
1. You need to find the right job with the right company
2. You need to present yourself as the ideal candidate
How?
How do you find the Right job with the Right company?
- You research and compare the options, and choose where to apply
How does a company decide who to hire?
- They research and compare the options, and choose who to hire
- You and they would rather rely on input from someone that knows both of you, and most hiring managers appreciate someone smart enough to connect the dots to find that person
Enter Linkedin
LinkedIn is the premier social network for professionals, consisting of:
- Profile - this is your online live resume, your professional YOU
- Connections - this is your professional network: your colleagues, your former coworkers, and professional friends
- Recommendations - these are associated with positions in your profile, and go beyond the resume by providing additional info on your history, performance, and abilities
- LinkedIn Groups - these are context-specific groups of members that enable making connections, finding expertise, and finding jobs
- LinkedIn Jobs Insider - this utilizes the SimplyHired job search engine and enables you to search for people in your network that work at companies that are hiring for positions you are interested in
- Companies - research companies that are hiring and get inside info on the people working there to help you prep for interviews
- LinkedIn Applications - Post slideshows, connect your blog, & more
For more info on how to get Linkedin working for you, see 10 Steps to using LinkedIn for your job search.
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