According to this article in the Ventura County Star, politicians in the Capital are,

“advocating tax withholding on payments to independent contractors (1099) as a way to boost state revenues by $1.7 billion.”

What do you think about about Sacramento’s proposal and will it really help close the state’s budget crisis? Share your thoughts here, or by email.

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Yahoo has been trying to unload HotJobs for a while, and it finally came to a deal with Monster, which will take the site off of Yahoo’s hands for $225 million in cash. As part of the deal, Monster will continue to power Yahoo’s job listings for three years.

What does this mean for job seekers? The answer to that question will likely take some time to be fully realized. As an IT consulting firm, Axis Technical Group regularly provides advice to job seekers, including not to put all of their job-seeking-eggs in one basket. Other than Dice.com, the other job boards have become overrun by various staffing firms, headhunters and the like acting on behalf of companies seeking employees, with the same position often posted by several different firms with a variety of language. This does a disservice to not only the end-employer, but to the job seeker as well. Furthermore, the mentality of the job boards leads to a cattle-round-up mentality, with hundreds of resumes being submitted for each job, and with most of those from people who are unqualified for a particular position.

This commentary is not to say all job sites are bad or worthless. Quite the contrary… some sites like Indeed.com and TheLadders are making strong inroads in this space which will help job seekers. But this is a reminder to all job seekers to diversify your search. Use the job boards, but don’t rely on them. Instead, use your network, whether it be LinkedIn, FaceBook, Twitter or others to have your friends, family and colleagues get the word out that someone great, you, are seeking a job.

What have your experiences with the various job boards resulted in? Axis would love to hear your feedback. Post a comment below, or Email us here to tell your story.

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But according to this article in the Wall Street Journal, the airlines have set up some ways for travels to save. And all you have to do is sign up!

According to the article, the websites travelers should sign up for include:

Airfarewatchdog.com – emails alerrts when airlines release promo codes
FareCompare.com – posts promo codes on their blog

Twitter.com – follow your favorite airlines as they often send out deals and promos to their Twitter followers.

Scott McCartney’s entire travel blog can be found by clicking here.

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Four Orange County executives representing banking, fast food, high tech and housing said today that they had retrenched during the recession but have positioned themselves for a turnaround which they expect this year. Click here to read full article.

But what do you think? Leave a comment below or email us here.

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Not all the news is bad. In fact, the Information Technology industry seems to have bolted out of the New Year starting gate fast and feverish. Non-technical management opportunities from mid-level to C-level remain very weak, but those professionals with strong technical skills remain in high demand.

Axis Technical Group alone has more open requirements than we have seen in a year, and are looking for hard-working, passionate and reliable individuals to join our team at key clients. Some of the positions we are currently trying to fill include (click on job title for details):

• Senior C#/WinForms Developer
• Senior BizTalk Developer
• Senior .Net Web Developer (C#, ASP.net)
• Project Manager
• and more….

If you are seeking a new opportunity, or know someone who is, please visit Axis Technical Group and submit your resume for consideration.

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Axis Expertise. Certified.

The Gold Level Partner status ensures the close working relationship between Axis and Microsoft, and stands as a testament to the outstanding work and expertise of the Axis in Motion strategic consulting team. The certifications represent the expertise and high level of competence in Axis’ service offerings, and, it doesn’t hurt our sales efforts in talking with clients either.

Read more about Axis’ certifications here.

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With all the press about the latest social networking site or neat little internet trick, security is as big an issue as ever. The 12 issues written about here are things we each run across every day. In particular, Issue 8 about Cell Phones, and Issue 11 about URL Shorteners are excellent reminders of new threats.

Axis wants to hear from you! What other threats should computer users be aware of in 2010 and beyond? Post your comments below or email us.

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As companies of all sizes assess what is likely to be a non-existent budget for holiday parties this year, many are left with limited options as to whether there should be a scaled down holiday party or whether all gatherings should be squelched in favor of solemn recognition of the challenging economic times. Regardless of where one sits on either side of the debate, Axis poses this question: Is eliminating the camaraderie of a holiday party, or even that of a minuscule holiday gathering, really in any company’s best interest?

The end of the year has always been a time in which companies take time to appreciate the hard work of employees, the loyalty of customers, and the overall celebration of making it through another year. Regardless of the caliber of party or gathering it is important to maintain that appreciation. It may take a bit of creative thinking and crunching of numbers, but it is important for all companies to remember it’s not the event that is important, it is the people gathering for it who are.

Post contributed by Samantha Marriott, Director of Personnel at Axis Technical Group . Have comments? Post them below or Email Samantha here

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The answer to that question depends on several things. Ultimately, are you ready to start searching for a job? And just because you’re out of work don’t think the automatic answer is “yes.”

The search for a new position is very much a job in itself and you have to treat it as such, whether you are currently working or not, for the best chances of success. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should let Company A pay you while you look for a new job, but your mind and attitude need to be in tune with your objective. The various job websites would have you believe it is as simple as posting your resume, but much like the picture of a juicy hamburger on a restaurant menu that somehow doesn’t arrive at your table with the cheese and fixings neatly hanging off the side, the job boards’ claims are a misrepresentation of reality.

In order to really be ready for the job search, you need to know a lot about yourself and what your objectives are, not to mention your limits. In a difficult economy and job market, those employers who are hiring, are more selective than usual and have a bigger pool of candidates to choose from. You have to remember that not every job is going to be right for you. Easy for me to say as I have a job I love. And for anyone currently unemployed, the prospect of a paycheck makes almost any job look good. But pull up the covers and take a really good look at yourself.

There are countless factors you have to consider in self-preparation:

• What am I good at?
• What do I want to do? What don’t I want to do?
• What will I do? What won’t I do?
• How far am I willing to commute?
• Will I relocate? Will I travel?
• How stable is the company?
• Is the compensation in line with my needs?

The list goes on and on. Granted, many of these questions will have to be answered (partially or in full) during an interview process, but you need to decide, before you begin searching for jobs, what the acceptable answers are to yourself. If not, you will spend a tremendous amount of time applying to jobs that ultimately are not right for you and will only further exasperate the situation you are in.

Let’s take a closer look at the hot topic issue right now – compensation. What you are paid is clearly one the biggest questions for candidates and employers alike. But each and every one of us is in a different financial situation and therefore your answer to yourself will be completely different and unique from anyone else. Many of your colleagues are openly dismissing many of the questions I pose above and even negotiating to take less pay than in the past, just to get back to work. Is that the right strategy for you? What if the offered salary of a position is the same as you are making now, but the commute is twice as far? What range of salary is acceptable to you?

Maybe the biggest question regarding compensation you need to ask yourself is if your expected pay is realistic right now? You may very well be worth $100/hour, but if equally qualified candidates will gladly take $75/hour right now, how flexible are you?

I can’t answer that question or any of these questions for you – and I will not even attempt to do so because these are deeply personal issues that you need to decide on. But decide you must and as you seek out a new job, know what your flexibility limits are when it comes to pay and every other possible variable. Once you have given ample thought to these questions, and you have a clear vision of what will and will not work for you, the real work of searching for a job begins.

Look for future posts in this series. We’ll chew up and spit out everything from what websites to use (and not use) to recruiters to the interview and the follow-up interview, to networking to the final follow-up interview, and so on as we help you navigate the crowded roads on the search to your next job.

Related Posts

• Looking for a job? Welcome to the Club (1st in the “Looking for a Job” Series)

• Your Name In Lights (2nd in the “Looking for a Job” Series)

• Identity Theft – Resume Style

CLICK HERE to add your name to our email notification list for future posts in the “Looking for a Job Series.”

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But we’re not going to let that happen!

The Resume

STOP! Put down the charcoal-linen-colored parchment you were going to stick in your printer. In today’s world, you resume has to stand on its own two feet. Call them Merit and Accomplishment. Just the facts ma’am. If it worked for Joe Friday*, it will work for us.

Your resume is your business card; it is your introduction to prospective employers, and certainly should not be your autobiography.  It is meant to be representative of who YOU are. Forget the fancy “resume” services out there who will pray on your desperation that you need the world’s greatest resume to get a job. They’ll have you handing over dollar after dollar only to produce something that may look great, and read great, but isn’t you. If a company will deny considering you for employment because your resume wasn’t professionally done, then do you want to work for them anyways?

Your resume shouldn’t be drawn on the back of the kid’s menu/paper place mat at the corner coffee-shop with the waxy green crayons Crazy Grandma Barb at the front counter let you have. But it doesn’t need to come from Saks Fifth Avenue either. Besides, if you still really want help, I know how you can get feedback and help from real professionals – for free! More on that another time…

Building (or updating) your resume is a personal journey that anyone seeking a job really should undertake, as it will help you better understand who you are professionally and what you offer prospective employers. What you find out about yourself in this process is also typically the answer to the “tell me about you” question that starts so many interviews.

So what should the resume look like then?

First, please note that this is geared towards people in technology professions and therefore some of the information may not apply. But read it anyways because most of it will help and because we asked nicely.

There are plenty of templates available on the web and in MS Word (and I presume whatever the Mac folks use), or ask a friend or colleague to see their resume as an example. There are many different formats that work well so find one that you are comfortable with. I highly recommend you do not use templates that are built with spreadsheet-like cells and tables. Many companies, and most of the online job boards, use automated software for uploading your resume to internal systems and some can’t recognize tables and sections. And if someone (a recruiter or headhunter) is going to represent you at a client, they will probably want to move your resume to their letterhead. From experience – that’s not fun to do when it’s full of tables and cells and text boxes.

When printing out your resume, use normal plain white paper. You don’t need fancy paper or colors to get someone’s attention. Maybe back in the day when you had to slather your saliva on a stamp and slap it on an envelope and mailing your profile to a company this worked, but now I look at such resumes and see someone fluffing and trying to draw attention away from their actual skills and experience. Choose one font (Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri all work well) and do not mix and match different fonts in the resume. You can utilize font sizes and styles to subtly distinguish between different sections of your resume if you choose, but this also can be accomplished through the use of bold and underlined lettering.

Any good story has 3 Acts.

Every resume should have essentially 3 sections: Summary, Experience, and Education/etc.

The “Summary” section is a brief description (2-3 sentences) of who you are professionally, followed by a list of your technical skills and abilities. This entire section really should be no more than a half page, maybe ¾ of a page if you really have that many skills. Only list the main skills and not every Tom, Dick and Harry tool or scripting language you have used. We know you know how to use Word and Excel!

Next is your “Professional Experience.”  Trust me, no hiring manager or recruiter wants to see 4 long narrative paragraphs about each job and/or project you have worked on. It might very well be interesting reading – who are we kidding? No it’s not. Regardless, no one has the time to read through it in detail. If we wanted to read a novel, we would go to a library. Instead, briefly describe your role and responsibilities and what your employer does/makes/sells/etc. (2-4 sentences). Then bullet-point your specific, and best accomplishments and achievements (I recommend no more than about 5 such items – after all there will be plenty of time later for patting yourself on the back).  If you worked with specific technical skills on a project or projects, you can then list that technical environment as well.

Following professional experience, highlight your “Education,” including college and any other programs/courses that would be of specific help in the job you are seeking. No, we don’t need to see Underwater Basket Weaving 101 on the resume. Stick to what is important to your background.  Oh yeah, don’t forget to list certifications and other accomplishments outside the realm of your work experience that would be an added benefit to prospective employers.

Lastly, your contact information at the top of your resume is extremely important. DUH! But many people make the mistake of over or under doing it. List your home address (at least city of residence), along with the best number to reach you at (don’t list multiple phone numbers) and one email address. That email address should be something simple that includes your name. If your email address is something like fridaynitepartier@anymail.com, you might want to get a new email address for your job search. Yes it’s ok to list your LinkedIn public profile, but please spare us the Facebook and MySpace and Twitter addresses. We’ll friend you (maybe) if we hire you. Besides, nowadays you could lose your job for pictures on Facebook! . Imagine trying to get one that way.

Lights, Camera…

After you have a draft of your resume, go back and re-read it. Then do it one more time and correct any spelling or grammatical errors. Nothing turns an employer off faster than someone who couldn’t be bothered to spell-check their resume before submitting it. It also tells the employer you are not someone who pays attention to detail.

Once you are satisfied with your resume draft, ask friends or family to review and edit it – you’ll be cross-eyed from looking at it yourself so many times that a fresh set of eyes will notice any grammatical or other errors you and your computer missed.

Now you have your resume! I know, I know – you still hear the ringings of those “resume services” guys and still would like a professional to look at it, right? Then all you need to do is ask your friends and colleagues to recommend a good recruiter or two.  In future posts we will talk all about recruiters, but remember they are the professionals who work with resumes every day. Who better to know what does and doesn’t work? Most of the good ones will review your resume and offer you strong constructive feedback, especially if you ask them to. In some cases, recruiters and headhunters will actually offer to rewrite your resume for free! (okay it’s rare, but we’ve done it).

* Det. Joe Friday on Dragnet (played by Jack Webb who also created the show) never actually said these words that have so famously been attributed to him in pop culture. Read more here.

Related Posts

• Looking for a job? Welcome to the Club (1st in the “Looking for a Job” Series)

• Ready to begin that search? You sure? Really sure? (3rd in the “Looking for a Job” series)

• Identity Theft – Resume Style

CLICK HERE to add your name to our email notification list for future posts in the “Looking for a Job Series.”

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Comments about the Axis Technical Group Blog? email us here.