Career watch: Job hunting on a smartphone

Comments

Mobile Apps for Job Hunters

Several free applications make it possible to search various jobs databases while on the go. We took a look at what users had to say about smartphone jobs apps at Appitalism.com and other sites:

A+ IFindJob

iPhone

• The IFindJob app had no reviews at Appitalism and only two reviews at the Apple App Store, both complaining that searches brought up the message "No results found."

Find Your Next Job

BlackBerry

• At BlackBerry App World, the Find Your Next Job app got 11 reviews, where users either loved it (5 stars, "Great for finding a job") or hated it (no stars, "Don't waste your time"). Some users seemed to have trouble getting a connection with the app.

Job Search

Android, iPhone, Palm WebOS, Windows Mobile

• This Indeed.com app got one 5-star review at Appitalism and a 3.5-star average at the App Store. Many App Store reviewers said they didn't need the app because it was more effective to use the iPhone's browser to access the Indeed.com website directly. At the Android Market, the overall rating was 4.5 stars.

Mployd Job Search

iPhone

• At the App Store, six people rated this app, giving it a 2-star average.

Real-Time Jobs

iPhone

• With over 450 ratings at the App Store, the Real-Time Jobs app averaged 2 stars and got reviews that are all over the map.

Search Jobs Beyond

BlackBerry

• The Search Jobs Beyond app got 18 reviews at BlackBerry App World, with an average rating of 2 stars. As with the other apps, experiences tended to be either very good or very bad (seven reviewers gave no stars, while seven others awarded 5 stars). But in this case, several of those who hated the app seemed to live outside the U.S. coverage area.

Ask a Premier 100 IT Leader: Joseph Eng

The CIO at JetBlue Airways answers questions about what to include on a résumé, the qualities that matter most in employees, and more.

I have been reworking my résumé and think it's too long, but I hate to cut out any of my experience. I have been in the IT industry for over 30 years. What approach should I take? While you don't want to sell yourself short in terms of your accomplishments and experiences, take your audience into consideration. Who are they? What are they looking for? Which of your accomplishments most distinguish you from others? Will hiring managers understand what you're saying? Will they even be interested in what you're saying? In other words, rather than focusing on the overall length, make sure that what you say presents you in a way that your audience will understand and appreciate.

As a manager, what are the qualities you value most in your employees? I'm not necessarily talking about tech skills. While great tech skills are important and sometimes even a rare commodity, I also value people who can bring their tech skills and work well in a team environment, have an interest in, and even a thirst for, the business, and have the tenacity to deliver and be accountable to achieve results. There are very few circumstances when an individual can get a job done alone. The problems we need to solve and the opportunities we need to address as technology professionals require us to collaborate. And we collaborate with a purpose in solving something to move a business forward. Something else to think about: Too often, IT is known for never-ending projects. IT professionals and teams that are known to get the job done will garner the praises of the business.

In the course of your career, what do you wish you hadn't done? Not to be a Pollyanna, but when I look back at my career, I can't say that I wish I hadn't done one thing or another. Sure, I have run into problems and have made my share of mistakes, but I don't wish they hadn't happened. At the time, I might have felt differently. But in retrospect, all of my experiences, including the mistakes, have added to my current capabilities and knowledge.

If you have a question for one of our Premier 100 IT Leaders, send it to askaleader@computerworld.com, and watch for this column each month.