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Having to perform a job search is rarely at the top of a list of "fun"
ways to spend ones time. Job search is generally regarded as dreary
work at best. And why not? The process is almost always spent
independently. Job seekers look at newspaper ads independently, make
calls to companies independently, get turned down independently, wonder
if they are ever going to find a job...independently. Now don't
misunderstand me, I'm not suggesting you should take a friend to your
next interview; I'm talking about building a support network.
Why do we make the job search such a lonely practice? So many
studies have shown that teams can out-perform and out-achieve
independent workers over and over. When you quit smoking through the
American Lung Association, you do it with a buddy. Experts say that
dieters with a diet buddy have a 45% higher chance of sticking to it.
Why don't job seekers have buddies? No, not someone who will let you
cry on their shoulder, who will empathize with you about how bad the
job market is or someone who isn't in the job search mix at all, but
another job seeker!!
Think about it. Without positive support in any new and uncomfortable
situation, it's so easy to become discouraged, to start to believe
negative hype. Many job seekers find themselves settling for a job they
aren't happy with because they believe that there are no jobs out
there. There are jobs out there!! You just have to find them. But how
can you stay motivated to look when everywhere you turn for a job you
get turned down? It becomes very easy to feel that you are all alone
and that this is not happening to anyone else. So, it either becomes a
problem with your methods of job search or a problem with the job
market.
The real problem is isolation. How can you possibly stay motivated in a
vacuum? Who will tell you that you will get that job? Hearing "no" is
crushing to anyone's ego, especially a job seeker who may be worried
about paying the next electric bill. So how can you avoid this
isolation and the negativity that can build up around an independent
job search? Find a team, form a team, or hire a career coach!!
With a team, you have people who are going through worse
situations and make your problems seem insignificant. With a team, you
have support. With a team you have praise. With a team, you can keep
going. A team as they say, builds steam to keep it moving forward. Even
with a background in the employment field and the knowledge of how to
conduct a job search, when I relocated to Brevard I joined a job club.
The difference the support of those strangers, who did not know my
shortcomings or fears or lack of certain skills, made to the success of
my job search was phenomenal. They gave me the strength and hope to go
to my interview with pride and a positive attitude rather than fear and
desperation. And, I got the job.
You can find structured job clubs or success teams through professional
resume services, career and success coaches, state employment offices,
some college employment offices, churches, and professional
organizations. You can also form your own group if you know of other
job seekers or work with a career coach to match you with team members.
However you do it, do it!! The team concept works and will not only
keep you motivated but will help you network for job leads, expand your
contact list, and uncover many new possibilities that you might not
have yet considered in conducting a successful job search.
-Laura DeCarlo, CPRW, JCTC
A Credentialed Career Master, Certified Professional Resume
Writer, and Certified Job Search Coach.
A Competitive Edge Career Service
www.acompetitiveedge.com
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Transposing two of the commands in the ritual used by the execution
squads of old — "Ready! Aim! Fire!" — yields some guidelines for those
in the employment hunt.
"Ready!": Initial Research
"Where do I begin?" is the hapless cry of many a job seeker who has yet
to learn that the job search is a marketing effort: you are trying to
sell yourself. And marketing is fundamentally a communication process:
you want to bring your unique combination of talents and skills to the
attention of prospective employers so that they hire you at the desired
price.
But, before trying to frame the content of the message you will
deliver, consider some preliminary factors about communication. The
primitive saying, "If you throw enough mud on the wall, some of it will
stick," is too crude, expensive and lazy in practice. Start by trying
to define your target. Visualization is more than a New Age buzzword.
Attempt to see in your mind's eye the type of business and the kind of
person that you want as an employer and that would want to employ you.
Enrich your mental image until you can picture a real person to whom to
address your message.
Then imagine your prospect as heavily involved with other
activities; he is not even aware of your presence; you've got to get
his attention. Another element of effective communication now comes
into play: intention. You have to want to turn the prospect's head away
from the things that are distracting him (the thousand other
applicants, for example) and in your direction. Since you have defined
your prospective employer earlier, you will have guessed at the things
that attract him or repel her, what buttons to push, which to leave
alone. It is time for flare, imagination and daring, all done with
taste, of course. Like a professional showman, the job seeker pulls out
all stops to capture the undivided attention of the prospect.
Finally, turn to the message itself and its need for impact. Be
it via resume, cover letter or personal interview, you have only
seconds to day your piece. It must possess an excitement, an urgency,
that generates a similar emotion in the prospect. Personal intensity is
easily observed in the dynamic advertising found on radio and
television; we all know the difference between a vibrant and a boring
speaker. In printed form this factor is less apparent, but it must be
there, and any number of good books and articles exist on
devices—wording, graphics, placement, etc. — for creating effective and
dynamic resumes, cover letters and portfolios.
"Fire!" The Testing Stage
Face it, getting ready is done in creative isolation and the
assumptions you make about your prospect may be way off the mark.
Knowing this, the job seeker can err in two ways. The perfectionist
simply stalls in the "Ready!" stage; since nothing less than perfect is
acceptable, nothing is done at all. On the other side is the gambler
who blindly assumes all his assumptions are correct and launches a
complete campaign on untried suppositions. The first fails from too
little action and the latter from too much.
After getting ready as well as can be expected, the proper
thing to do is "Fire!" — but on a limited basis. It is not all out war;
it is experimenting with the weapon in a monitored situation on the
rifle range. If the phone lies dead on the hook for the two weeks after
you sent several test resumes, your assumptions are off somewhere—in
method, message or market. Time to revise.
Accurate testing requires meticulous record keeping so that
significant information is not lost or misinterpreted. Track where the
lead came from, what you sent, how you sent it (email or snail mail),
even the day of the week it was sent (people supposedly mind their mail
more in mid-week when there is less of it). When you get a response,
even if negative, try to determine what prompted the person to call
back. Capitalize on this aspect in future efforts. The few seconds
required for proper record keeping will save hours in further
prospecting. Without such tracking, you may assume that a certain
website's job listing are pulling responses when actually it is your
local newspaper.
"Aim!": Hitting The Target
Adequate testing and retesting during the "Fire!" stage not only
fine tunes your marketing weapons but further sharpen the profile of
the prospect formed during the "Ready!" stage. Broad-shoots can be
eliminated for a smaller but more qualified group of prospects. An
individualized approach can now replace the wasteful blanketing of
every website available. You can now "Aim!" for the bull's eye with a
steady hand.
It has been said that a company or committee never makes decisions or
hires anyone; it is a live person within the company that decides.
Prospecting is the process of finding these individuals. By proceeding
through the three stages—"Ready! Fire! Aim!" — a job seeker should soon
find a willing employer in his sights.
-Vic Smith
A Tucson resident, Vic is a member of Society of Southwestern
Authors, a published educational and technical writer as well as
novelist.
vicsmith0123@cs.com
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No one sets out in a job to fail or to be mediocre. Even so, some
people seem to succeed at everything they touch, while others just get
by.
There are some employees who demonstrate a steady and progressive climb
to higher levels of development and challenges, while others seem to
have stagnated or plateaued. These high performers come out of the gate
flying and leave those in the dust wondering what happened.
Is it the "luck of the draw" or is there something that sets the high performer apart?
Looking closely, we can see the common threads that wind through
the career histories of those considered to be successful. They are not
always rich in monetary ways, but they are wealthy in job satisfaction
and respected for the contributions they make in their field. They have
what many envy -- a love for what they do and a depth of competence
that contributes value to every situation they are in.
These go-getters often operate by subtle but unmistakable
principles. They're hungry. They are thrilled by a challenge and
immerse themselves in figuring it out. They are focused intently on the
job and how to do it to the best of their abilities. They are not
always the smartest people in the room, but they display the rare
ability to intently focus on the work at hand and refuse to be
distracted by the politics and relationships that could so easily
consume them.
The high performer does not focus on "being the best" or being
better than everyone else. Success isn't driving them nor is their ego.
They compete with themselves and they compare the performance
and results they achieved today to what they did yesterday. As a result
of their desire to constantly and consistently improve themselves,
their performance excels.
Many employees enter new jobs or projects and ask the question
"what's in it for me?" Constantly viewing work in terms of how it will
benefit them, they want to know what they'll gain before they will
commit themselves to participating.
The high performer looks at it from the other side of the coin.
Every situation is approached through thinking, "what do I have that I
can contribute? How can I participate in this situation?" As a result,
high performers are often rich in experience because they are willing
to be a part of them before they know where they will lead.
Many people believe if they are involved in everything around them, it
will promote an image that they are dedicated and eager employees.
Sometimes this has the reverse effect. Spreading yourself too thin can
lead to being involved in everything but truly accomplishing nothing.
The high performer has a history of "completing." They exert a
discipline in themselves to stick with things long enough to see it
through to completion, even if it means they won't come out shining.
They don't give up. They learn as much from the things that didn't work
as those that did and all of this learning is applied to future
situations.
Successful performers are rarely "lone rangers." They are not
under any illusions that they can achieve everything on their own. They
know how to partner with others without overriding, controlling or
competing with the talents of those around them.
They swing themselves behind the leadership of their peers as
eagerly as they will take on the leadership of a project themselves.
Going to work for the high performer isn't about punching
clocks or putting in time. The high performer goes to work because what
they do is in their veins. They rarely feel a distinct separation
between what they do and whom they are because their work is an
extension of themselves.
"In (performance) mastery, there is a sense of effortlessness
and joyousness. It stems from your ability and willingness to
understand and work with the forces around you," (The Fifth Discipline
Fieldbook, p. 194, P. Senge, R. Ross, B. Smith, C. Roberts, A. Kleiner)
Luck of the draw? Not likely. Organizations spend millions of dollars
every year to train and develop the performance of their people.
The truth is, the potential depth of the contribution lies
within the person. It is their choice, and their perception about work,
that determines the limits to that performance.
-Sandra Clark and Al Whittall
Founding partners of Bellwether-Ecliptic Inc. -- The Performance People
As seen on www.recruit2hire.com
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We can all agree that business today is traveling "faster than the
speed of thought." Yet, have we taken the time to acknowledge the
skills and approach needed to compete in today's fast-paced economy?
Whether you're trying to promote an idea, solve a problem, or push
a project forward, the tempo at which you operate will surely influence
your ultimate success. We no longer have the luxury of extended periods
of time to capture a market or command someone's attention because in
today's economy everything seems to move at high speed. Time is the
very commodity that is at risk today. We have more communication, more
problems to solve and more opportunities than ever before. What are the
new rules? How fast do we need to act? What failsafe methodology can we
embrace to ensure that we are in the driver's seat, at least most of
the time?
The "48-hour rule" is one key to success. The 48-hour rule,
simply stated, stipulates that to more effectively seize a new
opportunity you should follow up or perform an action within 48 hours
after interest has been established. Why? Because after 48 hours
momentum is lost. Mind share is gone. New problems have arisen.
The 48-hour rule is easy to understand but difficult to implement. Most
people use a similar clock speed for every situation. How many times
have you left a meeting with a list of action items firmly planted in
the forefront of your mind only to return to your computer to find
thirty new e-mails requiring your immediate attention? The fresh ideas
and actions from your meeting go into the vortex of "to do's" crowding
your digital organizer only to be acted upon at a much later time. Your
advantage is lost!
How can you make the 48-hour rule work for you? Follow these
six simple steps and you will begin to adjust your clock speed. In
doing so you will differentiate yourself from the pack and reap
significant rewards.
Steps to implement the 48-hour rule:
The first step is to acknowledge or agree with the concept. If
you've never considered the issue of timing as it relates to capturing
a competitive advantage, then now is the time to accept that Internet
speed is driving our world. We need new rules to help guide us through
cyberspace. As Bill Gates said in his book Business @ The Speed of
Thought, "If the 1980's were about quality and the1990's were about
reengineering, then the 2000's will be about velocity."
The second step is to analyze your current sense of urgency.
How do you react to opportunities that arise with clients, colleagues
or your boss? What is the typical lag time between an identified idea
and action on your part? Have you noticed a difference between the
times when you've acted right away versus the times when you've waited
to respond?
Test the 48-hour rule. Pick a few important projects and take
immediate action after meetings or after new ideas are introduced.
Learn to prioritize those projects that are aligned to your goals. How
does it feel? How do others respond? Do the results differ from times
when you've waited three or four days (or more!) to act? Ask a couple
of co-workers or your manager for feedback. Have they noticed a
difference?
Commit to the 48-hour rule. It may be a subtle change from your
current approach but as everyone knows, the difference between winners
and losers can be as small as a nanosecond.
Share the concept with your employees, teammates and others with whom
you work. Let them see you set the pace and how much is accomplished as
a result. Create an environment of momentum, progress and speed.
Reap the rewards. Embracing the 48-hour rule will differentiate
you with clients, colleagues and your boss. You will earn the
reputation of a doer and someone who knows how to get to the end zone.
In a world of lots of ideas but little ability to execute properly or
expeditiously, you'll stand out.
It may take some effort to synchronize your approach over the
long term. Start slowly and try one new concept at a time. As you gain
efficiencies you will also gain time that will give you the momentum to
continue.
-Lisa D. Magnuson
Author, "The 48-Hour Rule and other strategies for career survival".
www.the48hourrule.com
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So, given that it's an absolute imperative to have a positive attitude, what steps can a job seeker take to foster one?
- He or she can heighten their awareness of how they come
across to others. Sometimes knowing how you present yourself to others
is a revelation precisely because it's such a "blind spot." Do you
sound angry? Is resentment creeping into your communications? The
self-awareness and acknowledgment of the impression you're making on
others is a first step in reversing the trend.
- Working with a coach or a "buddy" or a therapist can make
it easier to provide such an objective reading of your current
attitude. If you can't do it objectively by yourself, find someone you
can do it with.
- Regular aerobic exercise really helps. I can't stress this
enough. Getting the heart and blood pumping, increasing your
endorphins, bringing oxygen to your brain, all can help to turn
negative thoughts and feelings into positive ones. Start a daily
aerobic exercising regime and keep to it as part of your job search.
The key word here is "aerobic".
- Putting together a weekly plan, following it and working
it conscientiously, all contribute to a fundamental feeling of
accomplishment. This, in turn, will create positive feelings and
confidence.
- In addition to having a coach or "buddy" or therapist,
joining a job seeker's support group can provide a "safe haven" in
which the job hunter can "vent" and share his or her feelings with
others in similar circumstances.
- It's terribly important to get rid of your feelings of
anger and resentment, once and for all, by putting it all behind you.
I've sometimes suggested that people write a long letter to their
former employer, listing all the things they feel angry and resentful
about, balancing it with the things they appreciated. This letter
should then be filed or torn up, never sent, of course.
- Making a list of one’s accomplishments – I usually
recommend twenty-five accomplishments – helps people to focus on their
positive life experiences. (As a sidelight, this also provides valuable
raw material for your resume.)
- Knowledge of what's involved in a job search,
understanding the underlying methodology and the steps involved, can
help to keep your expectations at a realistic and reasonable level.
This averts the unanticipated disappointment and accompanying
resentment that results in feeling "down". For example, knowing that a
Broadcast Letter campaign will result in a return similar to direct
mail campaign at .5%, as a rule, can prevent the inevitable
disappointment when you get a single response after two hundred letters
have been sent out.
One person I worked with told me, "I need a dose of your coaching
-- because I’ve reached a dead end and I realize I’m off track." We had
worked together for a time, and then he dropped out of coaching. I
smiled when I told him, "You make it sound like some kind of patent
medicine or a quick fix." He came back to coaching because he had begun
to realize that his job search was going nowhere, and it showed in the
hostility in his tone when he talked about it. During our coaching session, I glanced at my notes and saw
that our last coaching session had taken place in January, and it was
now seven months later. I suggested that regular weekly coaching could
keep him on track and that, in turn, it would bolster his morale. "No,"
he said, "I really am very independent and don't like to be coached.
Let's just lay out a plan and I'll follow it myself." After analyzing
where he went off the track, we laid out a plan that basically
replicated what we had worked on seven months earlier, and that ended
our session. Needless to say, I felt badly for him because, unless he
was very lucky, with his negative attitude and hostility (which he
didn't want to confront), he would in all probability find himself once
again in the same position, facing the same dead end, and he’d be even
more resentful in the long run.
I'd have recommended a therapist to him; I often do with such
clients. In his case I don't believe he would have been open to such a
suggestion.
Job hunting for those who have been "downsized" also often carries with
it a self-imposed stigma, a sense of shame, that starts with the
internal belief that anybody who's been laid off has done something
wrong. After all, some of the others weren't laid off. Remember, this
isn't a rational belief. Combine this sense of shame with the widely
held belief that job hunting is by its very nature a solitary endeavor,
and, whether you're a man or a woman, it can get quickly translated
into being very macho. I've encountered many clients who start off
feeling they have to do it all themselves, alone, without anyone else's
assistance; and, if they can't, they believe they're failures,
weaklings, and don't deserve to find another position. Ironically, for
both woman and men, this epitomizes the "macho" go-it-alone approach.
I'd sum it up by saying: Getting help from someone else,
accepting help, is not a sign of weakness; it's a sign of strength.
And: A positive attitude and knowing what to do are the keys to peak
performance.
©2002 Lawrence M. Light, eJobCoach Unlimited
The author, Lawrence M Light, is an experienced personal coach who
works with a wide range of job seekers across the U.S. He was on the
Board of FortyPlus and is a member of International Coach Foundation
and currently serves as Vice President of the Alliance Coaching Group.
His website is www.ejobcoach.com and he offers a free monthly newsletter which you can subscribe to by e-mailing subscribe@ejobcoach.com.
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Many people, under financial or other pressures to find work quickly,
feel they can’t afford to take the time to get organized. On the other
hand, conducting your job search in an organized manner will reduce the
amount of time you spend looking for information, following
inappropriate leads, or waiting for your dream job to fall into your
lap. It generally takes at least a month to find an entry-level job,
and as much as nine months for one requiring a high level of skill and
experience. Getting organized before you begin your job search can
ultimately save you a lot of time and frustration.
You should take several preliminary steps before you even begin
your active job search. You should start by identifying your skills,
interests, target market, and any child care, transportation, or other
issues that you will need to keep in mind. A career or employment
counselor can be very helpful in this area, as well as with the
preparation of your resume, cover letters, and any other job search
materials you will need.
Once you’re ready to face the job market, there are three areas
where you’ll find it beneficial to be well organized: your schedule,
your workspace, and your contacts.
Your Schedule
First, you must decide how much time you can realistically
commit to your job search on a weekly basis, and then create a weekly
schedule of activities. Keep in mind that looking for a full-time job
is in itself a full-time job! Some of your time will be devoted to
reading and applying for advertised positions, but be sure to allow
plenty of time for other job search activities such as making telephone
calls, generating and researching new leads, reviewing old leads for
follow up, writing thank you notes or other correspondence, and
visiting placement offices, employment agencies, or other service
providers. The percentage of time you dedicate to each activity depends
on what is most effective for your field of work or geographical area,
so it may be worthwhile for you to ask others what has worked for them.
Most people perform different activities more effectively at
different times of day. Take your natural energy flow, as well as the
availability of quiet time for conducting research and telephone calls,
into consideration when planning your schedule. If quiet time is not
available at home during the daytime or evening, an employment resource
center can be an invaluable resource.
Keep your personal preferences in mind when planning your
activities. For example, if you dislike talking on the telephone, it
may be less stressful for you to get your calls out of the way before
beginning your other activities, or to intersperse your phone calls
between other activities so you don’t become overwhelmed. If you’re planning to drop off unsolicited resumes, map out a
route of targeted businesses that are in a particular area, and plan to
cover the entire area in one day. This will cut down on your travel
time and expenses as well as the number of times you need to dress up.
Keeping a log of the actual time you spend on each activity
will allow you to see whether you are on track and to identify any
problem areas. It’s not uncommon to become frustrated and depressed
when you’re out of work, so be sure to schedule regular time for
self-care and other personal activities like going to the gym or the
hairstylist.
Your Workspace
At a minimum, you need a chair and a desk or table with plenty
of space for you to work with your information, make and receive
telephone calls, and plan your job search. All necessary supplies
should be stored close by, including paper, pens, index cards,
paperclips, staples, and your telephone directory. During your job
search, you’ll likely accumulate various versions of your resume and
cover letter, job postings, company profiles, advertisements, and
business cards, but they will be of no value to you if you can’t find
what you need. A binder or filing system, sorting the information into
topics, will allow you to refer quickly to both the job posting and
that specific application when you receive a telephone call from a
prospective employer. It will also allow you to find easily any other
information you may have gathered about the organization before your
interview.
You may find it beneficial to have an alternate "job search
office" such as your local library or employment center, where you can
research, read, and write without the distractions you may encounter at
home. Many are equipped with computers that you can use for Internet
job search as well as resume and cover letter preparation, which can be
a great benefit if you don’t have a home computer or must share it with
other family members. If you plan to use this type of service on a
regular basis, you’ll need some type of portfolio or briefcase to hold
your job search material, including your resume in printed form and on
a diskette, your calendar, and a notebook for jotting down leads and
ideas. Most facilities do not allow you to receive telephone calls, so
be sure that potential employers can reach you by voice mail, pager or
cell phone.
Of course, you’ll need a calendar for marking down job
interviews and other important meetings. You’ll also need a system for
keeping track of your job applications. This information may be needed
to confirm your eligibility for unemployment insurance or social
assistance, and will help you to follow up on your applications.
Your Contacts
During your job search, you will probably communicate with hundreds, if
not thousands, of people, but in order to make effective use of the
network you develop, you’ll need a way to keep track of all your
contacts.
The simplest method is a card file system, with a card for each
contact. Each card should include the contact’s name, title,
organization, address, telephone number, fax, and email address, the
source of the lead, and dates and details of any conversations,
correspondence, or interviews. You may find it helpful to set up a
"recipe box" with a set of dividers labeled with the days of the week
and a set numbered 1-31 for the days of the month. You can file each
card under the date you wish to contact that person. For example, you
may speak with someone on the 10th who suggests that you call him or
her in two weeks. After noting the information on the index card, file
it in the section for the 25th where it will serve as a reminder for
you to follow up.
There are wonderful software programs available that can help you with
organizingyour job search contacts. WinWay Resume, for example, has a
section for storing contact information that you can merge with your
cover letter. ACT! allows you to schedule tasks and reminders as well
as perform mail merges. If you don’t wish to buy or learn a new
software package, email address books in Outlook, Outlook Express or in
free Web-based email packages are also an excellent way to keep track
of your contacts. However, unless you have unrestricted access to a
computer, or a portable system such as a Palm Pilot, you won’t be
always able to access the information. The key features of any
organizational system are ease of recording and ease of retrieval. If
using an electronic system will make your job search more complicated
and time-consuming, don’t use it.
Job searching can be overwhelming, but when you organize your
schedule, workspace, and contacts effectively, you’ll be able to stay
on track and find your new job more quickly.
-Janet Barclay, Organized Assistant
Janet Barclay is a Professional Organizer and Virtual Assistant
with a background in employment services. For more information, visit www.organizedassistant.com
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I get a lot of questions these days from frustrated job seekers, who
want to know how to get noticed by employers, how to network more
effectively, etc.
After pouring over my email inbox for the last 30 days, I picked
four commonly asked questions that really resonate for October 2003.
If you or someone you know is in the job market now, chances are one or more of these questions (and answers) will apply to you.
So here they are...
Question 1: "With so many other candidates sending in resumes these days, how can I get mine noticed?"
Answer: It’s always been important to focus your resume on
results and use compelling language. Nowadays, it’s more than important
-- it’s essential.
You can do two things today to improve your resume and your chances of getting noticed:
- Focus on the results of what happened when you did your job
well. Not the duties, not the responsibilities -- the specific results.
To do this, look at how you did your job and what good things resulted
when you did it well.
Here’s a quick "before" and "after" example from one resume that worked like a charm.
BEFORE
Cleaned up Microsoft Access database.
AFTER
Helped retain $20-million contract with top client after working
16-hour days for four months to clean up Access database and repair
reporting problem using Excel and Crystal Reports.
See the difference?
- Understand that the purpose of the first line in your
resume is to make employers read the second. The purpose of the second
line is to...you get the idea.
NEVER assume hiring managers will wade through a text-heavy magnum opus
to discover on page 3 that you cut costs by $35,000 last year. Not when
they have 200-300 other resumes to read.
If it’s critical that readers know something about you that
makes you the ideal candidate, put it near the top of page one, or at
least mention it there, and go into detail later.
Question 2: "How can I find inside contacts in a company I want to work for when I don't know anyone who works there?"
Answer: Try to come at them from all angles.
For example, although you may not know anyone who works at Company X, you do know about 250 people, if you’re at all average.
And the 250 people you know, know 250 others. That’s 62,500 people. Chances are, one of them is connected somehow to Company X.
If not, find out who the suppliers and customers of Company X are. Use
your network to get an introduction at one of those firms. Then move
back up the food chain and get an introduction at Company X.
As a final suggestion, the Vault Web site (www.vault.com) is a
great networking resource you can use to meet people in companies
nationwide.
Question 3: "What industries are doing well in this economy?"
Answer: To find out what the demand for certain jobs is, search
for openings at the bigger sites, like www.hotjobs.com or
www.collegerecruiter.com. Experiment using a variety of terms.
Examples: a search at www.monster.com for "registered nurse" pulled up
2082 openings nationwide, while a search for "art teacher" returned 71.
If you don't find a good number of openings, try new search terms. If pickings are still slim ... consider a career switch.
Question 4: "I've tried networking, but it didn't work."
Answer: That’s like saying, "I tried skiing, but it didn't work. I kept falling down the mountain."
Sure you tried networking. But did you try doing it right?
- Did you call the 50 best-connected people you know and ask,
assertively: "Who do you know who needs an IT manager who saved $4.5
million for his last two employers?" (You can email that message to the
other 200 people in your network.)
- Did you send a thank-you email (good) or card (better) to
everyone you spoke with? This is not only common courtesy, it also lets
you get into their head twice.
- Did you reconnect with your network every 3-4 weeks with an update on your status and the specific job you’re looking for?
- Important: did you regularly send industry news, tips and
other information to folks in your network? If you act as a resource to
these people, they'll remember you and reward you with job leads.
Now, go out and make your own luck!
-Kevin Donlin
Kevin Donlin owns and operates Guaranteed Resumes. Since 1996, he
and his writers have provided resumes, cover letters and online
job-search assistance to clients in 50 states and 6 continents. Kevin's
articles have appeared in the National Business Employment Weekly,
Minneapolis Star Tribune, Twin Cities Employment Weekly and others.
Reach him at the Guaranteed Resumes Web site - www.gresumes.com
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Transposing two of the commands in the ritual used by the execution
squads of old — "Ready! Aim! Fire!" — yields some guidelines for those
in the employment hunt.
"Ready!": Initial Research
"Where do I begin?" is the hapless cry of many a job seeker who has yet
to learn that the job search is a marketing effort: you are trying to
sell yourself. And marketing is fundamentally a communication process:
you want to bring your unique combination of talents and skills to the
attention of prospective employers so that they hire you at the desired
price.
But, before trying to frame the content of the message you will
deliver, consider some preliminary factors about communication. The
primitive saying, "If you throw enough mud on the wall, some of it will
stick," is too crude, expensive and lazy in practice. Start by trying
to define your target. Visualization is more than a New Age buzzword.
Attempt to see in your mind's eye the type of business and the kind of
person that you want as an employer and that would want to employ you.
Enrich your mental image until you can picture a real person to whom to
address your message.
Then imagine your prospect as heavily involved with other
activities; he is not even aware of your presence; you've got to get
his attention. Another element of effective communication now comes
into play: intention. You have to want to turn the prospect's head away
from the things that are distracting him (the thousand other
applicants, for example) and in your direction. Since you have defined
your prospective employer earlier, you will have guessed at the things
that attract him or repel her, what buttons to push, which to leave
alone. It is time for flare, imagination and daring, all done with
taste, of course. Like a professional showman, the job seeker pulls out
all stops to capture the undivided attention of the prospect.
Finally, turn to the message itself and its need for impact. Be
it via resume, cover letter or personal interview, you have only
seconds to day your piece. It must possess an excitement, an urgency,
that generates a similar emotion in the prospect. Personal intensity is
easily observed in the dynamic advertising found on radio and
television; we all know the difference between a vibrant and a boring
speaker. In printed form this factor is less apparent, but it must be
there, and any number of good books and articles exist on
devices—wording, graphics, placement, etc. — for creating effective and
dynamic resumes, cover letters and portfolios.
"Fire!" The Testing Stage
Face it, getting ready is done in creative isolation and the
assumptions you make about your prospect may be way off the mark.
Knowing this, the job seeker can err in two ways. The perfectionist
simply stalls in the "Ready!" stage; since nothing less than perfect is
acceptable, nothing is done at all. On the other side is the gambler
who blindly assumes all his assumptions are correct and launches a
complete campaign on untried suppositions. The first fails from too
little action and the latter from too much.
After getting ready as well as can be expected, the proper
thing to do is "Fire!" — but on a limited basis. It is not all out war;
it is experimenting with the weapon in a monitored situation on the
rifle range. If the phone lies dead on the hook for the two weeks after
you sent several test resumes, your assumptions are off somewhere—in
method, message or market. Time to revise.
Accurate testing requires meticulous record keeping so that
significant information is not lost or misinterpreted. Track where the
lead came from, what you sent, how you sent it (email or snail mail),
even the day of the week it was sent (people supposedly mind their mail
more in mid-week when there is less of it). When you get a response,
even if negative, try to determine what prompted the person to call
back. Capitalize on this aspect in future efforts. The few seconds
required for proper record keeping will save hours in further
prospecting. Without such tracking, you may assume that a certain
website's job listing are pulling responses when actually it is your
local newspaper.
"Aim!": Hitting The Target
Adequate testing and retesting during the "Fire!" stage not only
fine tunes your marketing weapons but further sharpen the profile of
the prospect formed during the "Ready!" stage. Broad-shoots can be
eliminated for a smaller but more qualified group of prospects. An
individualized approach can now replace the wasteful blanketing of
every website available. You can now "Aim!" for the bull's eye with a
steady hand.
It has been said that a company or committee never makes decisions or
hires anyone; it is a live person within the company that decides.
Prospecting is the process of finding these individuals. By proceeding
through the three stages—"Ready! Fire! Aim!" — a job seeker should soon
find a willing employer in his sights.
-Vic Smith
A Tucson resident, Vic is a member of Society of Southwestern
Authors, a published educational and technical writer as well as
novelist.
vicsmith0123@cs.com
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How’s work going?" This is such a common question that we never really
answer. After all, does anyone really care about our employment issues
when they have a list of their own? Have we all become conditioned to
put up with the daily grind and just keep smiling?
The employment decisions that we made a month ago, a year ago or even
five years ago can certainly impact our everyday life today. Stop and
think about your job. Do you wake up each morning and throw the alarm
clock across the room? Are you frustrated before you even get to your
desk? Are you sick and tired of feeling like your world is spinning and
you can’t get off?
In today’s world of non-stop pressure we often forget that true
success doesn’t come in a paycheck or in the prestige of a job title.
If you ask people what makes them content in their job it usually is a
reflection of the overall components of their 8 to 5 life. Things like
making it to their son’s baseball game on time, telecommuting or casual
dress Fridays are often elements that are important. So why can’t you
have these elements in your job? Have you ever made a formal proposal
to your boss to make your job the "right" job? If your job had the
"right" elements would you stop throwing that alarm clock each morning?
How nice that would be! You can make it change!
The steps to creating your dream job are as easy as ABC.
However, it is up to you to make it happen, as no employer will do that
for you. So get out that pen and paper and prepare for a great new job.
Follow the ABC’s for creating your dream job today!
1. "A" Assess Your Dream Plan. What are the factors that would
make you most happy in a job? Is it specific duties, money, location,
hours, environment, dress code...etc? Make a list of the pros and cons
of your job. Determine the cons you can tackle with a reasonable
alternative. Are these changes possible in your current job or would
you need to seek employment elsewhere? If you seek to remain in your
current company begin with only 1-2 significant changes. And be
realistic about what an employer can accomplish.
2. "B" Build a Plan of Action. Once you have written down your
objectives then it is time to build support for your success. The first
key is to identify the benefits to the employer. For example;
telecommuting will allow you to work at any hour necessary; casual
dress would help lighten the tone in the office; a raise that included
an additional key responsibility for you would lighten your boss’s
workload; a half day on Friday would reduce stress; flextime would
allow for the phone lines to be open for additional hours…etc. The
second key is to research related success stories of other employees,
departments or companies. And the third key is to identify the direct
reasons that this change will enable you to do a better job for the
company.
3. "C" Communicate Your Proposal. Preparation is the foundation to any
sales proposal. You will be selling the benefits of change to your
manager and the company. In turn this will provide the dream job you
wish to create. First, if possible, present your proposal in general
terms to another trusting manager for feedback and suggestions.
Secondly, set the stage for your manager. Begin by giving him a
strategically written note requesting a meeting to discuss your current
position and desired changes. Upon meeting, wear your best attire and
brightest smile, feel your confidence and believe in your
well-developed plan of action. Thirdly, be prepared and secure in
addressing any questions and/or concerns he may raise. Never become
defensive, as this may appear that you are not being fully honest.
Once you have followed the ABC’s and successfully presented
your proposal it is time to celebrate. Hopefully, your employer will
see the value of the changes and your frustrations will ease. However,
don’t be discouraged if "no" is the answer, as it simply calls for you
to reassess your situation. Remember that regardless of the outcome,
you have proven that you have the ability to take control of your life.
Stand tall and remember that you are always your own best advocate.
-Sheri A. Callahan, President Horizon Headhunters, LLC
Training & Career Development Resources
sheri@onthehorizon.net
www.onthehorizon.net
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Recently, I’ve heard buzz on a number of individuals about their work
performance and it wasn’t good. Here are just three of them.
Scenario One: The person in question damaged an important client
relationship by repeatedly missing deadlines and ignoring meetings with
her team. She even had the nerve to tell the customer she hated the
work and wanted to quit.
Scenario Two: This individual committed the fatal error of making his
creative contribution to his team be all about his creativity rather
than how it served the project. He took offense to any suggestions for
making his ideas work better. He took several opportunities to make
snide remarks about being better at what he does than others were
giving him credit for.
Scenario Three: This person complained about her employer the
entire time she was on the project. The people she worked with, who did
not share her opinion, made sure she wasn’t asked back.
On the other hand, there’s this woman. She has a reputation for giving
2000% to any thing she’s involved with. She has a great attitude, shows
up early, stays late, anticipates problems and initiates solutions.
Everyone wants her on their team because she adds tremendous value.
When her name comes up, heads nod and people smile.
Would you hire or recommend any of these individuals? Do you know what people are saying about your work?
I have a client who knows I am in contact with many people who know
her. She asks me from time to time what people say about her work. She
really wants to know how she can provide better service to her clients.
I always tell her the truth and she appreciates it.
Another client recently ended a business relationship with a
vendor because that person did not have the expertise required for the
work and had become difficult to work with. My client got a call from a
prospective customer for this vendor inquiring about the quality of the
vendor’s work. Had the vendor done good work, had a great attitude and
been easy to work with, it would have been easy for my client to
answer. Instead, she didn’t know how to respond so she said nothing. If
you were the prospect, what would you conclude from that silence?
Want people to rave about you? Here’s how...
- Maintain a good attitude no matter what. Attitude is everything!
- Under-commit and over-deliver. It’s better to promise what
you know you can do than to have to explain why you couldn’t do what
you said you could.
- Give your employer or customer more than he pays for. Do more than just what’s expected. Add something extra.
- Pay attention.
- Take the high ground. Don’t get mired in petty issues that can reveal a side of you better left unseen.
- Anticipate problems and concerns.
- Take the initiative. Don’t wait ‘til your asked.
- Know your subject. Study. Keep informed. Be a source of information in your area of expertise.
Knowledge is power! You are your reputation. When your name comes up in conversation, what are people saying about you?
-Mariette Edwards
Mariette Edwards is a business and career coach, consultant,
speaker and writer. Her newest book, The Way Things Work: 25 Must-Know
Principles for Making Dreams Come True, is now available as an e-book
on her web site at http://www.starmakercoaching.com.
mailto:mariette@starmakercoaching.com
©Copyright 2003 Mariette Durack Edwards All rights reserved
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Part II: The Blue Print
In part one of Taking Your Job Home: Facing the Issues, we
covered concerns your employer would have if you asked him to let you
work at home. There were five issues: Privacy and safety, Dealing with
Co-workers, Communication, Job Function, and Trust. We ended by
suggesting that you think over each of these issues carefully so you’re
ready to address each one when your supervisor brings them up.
A good way to begin addressing these issues is to write them
down. Then, put what you’ve written into a clear, concise “blue print”
for your manager so that she can follow along with you on how your plan
on how a telecommuting work arrangement would succeed. (A written blue
print is also important for supervisors who may agree with you but then
need something to present to their superiors who might actually have
the final say.)
Carefully cover each issue in your plan, even if you think your
supervisor won’t be concerned about one or more of them. A blueprint
always shows parts in the construction plan that aren’t necessarily
relevant to what a builder is working on, just to keep things in
perspective. Remember: The Company is what employers are most concerned
about, even if they genuinely do care about their employees. The bottom
line is always their bottom line.
Before going over the blue print with your supervisor, start
with a cover letter. Entice your supervisor to even want to read your
proposal. Let him know that reading the proposal could actually benefit
him. Begin by pointing out some facts about telecommuting and its
benefits.
Did you know, you could write, that telecommuting has been shown to…
- dramatically save businesses in premises costs, office
overhead, and even labor: Why rent more office space than necessary if
there are people who can use their own offices?
- increase productivity anywhere. Instead of traveling, telecommuters could be working.
- improve retention: Workers who feel they have autonomy,
who are able to stop and rest when they need to, and who feel they have
a better work-life balance are more likely to stay with their current
company. This means lower recruitment costs and less training of new
workers in the future because people continue to remain with the
company.
- better attendance: That’s right, working from home
usually means that workers continue to work later hours or while
they’re sick to finish a project because they can still be home. This
demonstrates a higher commitment from workers and usually increased
productivity.
Now to begin the blue print
Getting to the Issues
Privacy and Safety Issues
How can you insure that the information you work on at home will be
kept private? Tell your manager about your security systems, such as
computer firewalls, locked filing cabinets, a completely private office
space, and/or a separate telephone land line. Remember that his/her
concern will be: how do I know other people won’t be getting into
sensitive information? What would be the consequences to the company if
this privacy was breached? Alleviate those fears.
What about safety? In some cases, insuring safety can become
expensive and complicated. Will you need a fire extinguisher, or a
stress mat to stand on? Who will pay for that? What about OSHA issues?
What about MSDS’s (Material Safety Data Sheets) that are required by
law to be onsite where ever dangerous chemicals are? Plan in advance
how you can either provide for these items yourself, or how you can
make it easy for your company to provide them. The potential of
lawsuits will be a concern to your manager if privacy and safety issues
are not properly handled.
Co-Worker Issues
You can’t control the attitudes other people, but you can do
plenty to discourage hard feelings. (Obviously, bragging that you’ll
get to stay home, when your co-workers will be scraping ice off their
windshields before work is a no-no.) Let your colleagues know that they
can contact you at any time. Make sure they know you will still working
with
them, albeit at a distance. Discuss with them about the several methods
of communication that will be used to maintain constant contact.
On a more personal level, make notes of their birthdays,
anniversaries, and other special occasions you normally congratulate
them on. Remember to call a co-worker who recently had a baby—just as
you normally would do, for example. Have occasional get-togethers with
them after work hours, or for a lunch. Keep in touch, and do it often.
The water cooler chats may be no more, but you can still find plenty of
ways to stay in the loop.
Communication Issues
How will you and your supervisor remain connected? Let your boss
know that she can reach you at any specified time you agree on (say,
from nine to five), and that you will make sure there is always a way
for you to be immediately contacted—just like in the office. Give her
your cell phone number if you think you’ll be on your work phone so
often that she might get frequent busy signals. Help your boss to feel
like she will still be able to “pop in” your office to tell you
something she feels is urgent. Having a separate folder in your e-mail
for work related mail might be helpful. It would be terrible if you
accidentally deleted a note from your supervisor, or if work related
mail went into a spam folder. As with anything else, the more separate
and organized you keep your work from the rest of your life, the
better.
Job Function Issues
Along with informing your boss about your well-equipped office
(computer, fax, landline, printer, scanner, software, and so on), what
is your back up plan? Hardware breaks. Computers crash. Then what? How
will you prevent vital information from getting lost? Depending on your
profession and the sensitivity of the information you work with,
developing a Plan B could be vital.
Trust Issues
Having an employee work from home can make some supervisors feel
a little blinded. If they can’t see you, that could make them nervous.
You’ll need to help them feel confident in your commitment and ability
to do your work offsite. Sometimes, the issue is lack of trust; other
times it’s a combination of trust and a manager’s need to feel in
control. How can you assure your supervisor that you will work just as
hard and competently at home; and, if necessary, show him he will still
maintain control?
On the other hand, even if a manager believes that you are committed to
doing a good job working from home, she may not have the confidence in
herself that she will be able to effectively manage from a distance. If
she should mess up (forget to give you important information because
you weren’t present at a meeting, for example), it could be her job on
the line. You may need to help her feel confident in their selves as
well as feel that they can trust you.
Of course, giving your superior a pep talk about control and
confidence might not be too wise. You can, however, indirectly show her
that she can confidently supervise you by setting up schedules for
communication (i.e. times to checking in for orders/instruction), and
agreeing on ways to measure your progress (e.g. giving frequent
progress reports or agreeing on a deadline for a particular
assignment). The more concrete you can be, the easier it will be for a
manager to visualize a successful work-at-home arrangement.
Rolling it up
It’s always best to avoid making a manager feel he is locked
into anything. Suggest a trial period. It should be long enough for you
to prove your capability to telecommute, but not so long that it makes
him nervous. Is your work project-oriented? Perhaps you could both
agree that the trial will last until you complete writing a manual, for
example.
In fairness to you, too, an agreement should also be made that
telecommuting—whether temporarily or permanently—will not cause you to
lose your current status at work. In other words, your physical absence
will not reduce your rank in any way; eliminate you from a raise, a
promotion, etc. It’s important that you protect your bottom line, just
as a company would do. Don’t be so desperate to work from home that you
compromise your career in the long run.
Read
Part I
- Pamela La Gioia
Pamela La Gioia is a telecommuting expert who researches telecommuting opportunities for her website members at www.teleworkrecruiting.com.
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You resigned. You were given a counteroffer. Now what?
Breaking up is hard to do. To gear up for the fateful day, the "dumper"
usually plays the scenario over and over in his or her mind until the
perfect break up line is found; a line that has the right balance of
honesty and diplomacy. The dumper’s vision usually ends smoothly,
without complications, and a firm "we’ll part as friends" handshake.
Unfortunately, breakups are rarely a mutual decision. The "dumpee"
almost always throws a curve ball in the dumper’s perfect plan, he or
she asks -- sometimes begs -- for a second chance.
Uncomfortable breakups are not restricted to one’s personal life; they
can also creep into one’s professional life when an employer’s response
to a resignation is a counter offer. In a moment of weakness, the
employee may feel extreme pressure to cave in. Should he or she stay in
the current job that has become stale or does he or she move on to take
advantage of a more exciting opportunity?
Though the decision whether to stay or go is a personal one,
there are common pitfalls that you must be aware of before accepting an
employer’s counter offer. There are many factors to consider.
The moment you resign, your loyalty to the company is immediately
questioned. Although your manager may say, "We’ll give you anything you
want" in an effort to persuade you to stay, be aware that this plea may
be a diversion until the company finds a replacement. Your manager will
do what he or she can to protect the interest of the company. Even if
you are not replaced, you may be passed up for a promotion or not
assigned juicy projects because you have gained the reputation of a
disloyal employee, a non-team player.
However, let’s give your manager the benefit of the doubt.
After all, he or she may be sincere in their quest to make things right
but they may not have the authority to follow through. Therefore, don’t
take promises at face value; get your counter offer in writing.
How management perceives you should not be your only concern. Your
colleagues may become resentful that you were given a raise or company
perks because, as they see it, you blackmailed the company into making
a counter offer. As far as your colleagues are concerned, they put in
as much time and effort as you to promote the growth of the company,
and they will resent not being recognized for their contribution the
way you have been.
Resentment can develop into a feeling of professional distrust
and the dynamics of your relationships with colleagues may begin to
shift. For the most part, the makeup of your day is defined by your
connections with co-workers. When stresses begin to mount at work, it
can trickle into other areas of your life. It is important that you
consider your colleague’s reaction when making the final decision as to
whether you should stay or go. Resist the temptation to be roped in by
the glamour of the benefits you may be presented. Take into account the
core reasons why you decided to begin searching for another position.
Was it because you wanted a prime parking spot? Or was it because your
efforts weren’t valued? Was it because you wanted extended lunches? Or
was it because you want to get home at a reasonable hour? When all is
said and done, are the perks that you are being offered sufficient to
overcome your initial objections that motivated your search for another
job to begin with?
Statistics show that employees who decide to accept a counter
offer end up getting fired or quit within the year. Does that mean you
shouldn’t accept a counter offer? Not necessarily. What it does mean is
that you should prepare for all the possible scenarios that may arise.
Whether you decide to stay or make a clean break is up to you. Just be
sure that your decision is an educated one.
-Linda Matias
Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias brings a wealth of
experience to the career services field. She has been sought out for
her knowledge of the employment market, outplacement, job search
strategies, interview preparation, and resume writing, quoted a number
of times in The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Newsweek, and
HR-esource.com. She is President of CareerStrides and the National
Resume Writers’ Association. Visit her website at www.careerstrides.com or email her at linda@careerstrides.com.
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When’s the last time you responded to, or actively courted, the
attention of a recruiter? When happily employed people get a call, they
usually terminate it fairly quickly – because they’re happily employed.
Those who are unhappily employed respond if contacted but don’t
generally initiate it. On the other hand, for unemployed people, a
recruiting firm is usually the very first step in the process of
locating a new job.
So why do so many wait until they’re in a bind to turn to a person who
can – free of charge – significantly broaden their options? It’s
because, aside from horror stories and the varying skill levels of
recruiters, people just don’t realize how many openings are handled by
search firms.
A study by Coopers & Lybrand found that recruiters fill 64% of all
vacant positions. That means only 36% are filled through advertisings
and other sources.
Here are a few reasons why companies use a search firm, and why you
shouldn’t wait until you’re unemployed – and at a disadvantage – to be
in contact with a recruiter.
- Companies do not use recruiters as a “last resort”:
Companies that have benefited from developing a relationship with a
recruiter often pick up the phone to call their recruiter first and
never post an opening anywhere else at all.
- The company is targeting a specific person: It’s highly
unethical for a company to contact an employee who’s working for a
competitor. But they can call a recruiter to contact that person and
find out if that person is open to making a change. This is only one
reason why when you’re contacted by a recruiter, you should listen.
- The good ones are already taken: Companies know that
using a recruiter expands their scope of potential candidates. They
want to hire achievers, people who are happy with their current company
and position and appreciated by their existing organization. These
people aren’t actively on the market. They aren’t reading the want ads,
and they aren’t sitting home unemployed.
There’s a benefit to hiring people who are employed and open to
change but not in dire straights: their priorities are more in line
than those of the person who has been unemployed for a while and
getting panicky as more and more money flows out of their bank account.
Employed people are more objective and better able to make a decision
about changing to a new company. The unemployed person eventually
begins to make concessions about what’s of value in their next job,
because their priority becomes getting a job. Once they’re employed
again, reflection causes the person’s original values to re-assert
themselves. Suddenly their wonderful new job isn’t so wonderful
anymore.
- Value-added services: Most companies appreciate the
value-added services recruiters can provide. These not only include the
ability to penetrate competitor companies, but a distinct access to
people the companies wouldn’t otherwise know about. A recruiter also
sorts through resumes, and screens and interviews potential candidates,
which are vastly time consuming for any hiring authority.
- Confidential replacements: Did you accept a counter-offer
with your current company? Your position could be listed with a search
firm right now. Are maxing out your sick time? Your days there might be
numbered. Had distinctly unfavorable job performance reviews? Better
polish up your resume. Your job is open, and no one knows it but your
boss … and his recruiter.
If you aren't in control of your career, then your company is.
Corporate restructuring, layoffs and downsizing are taking place with
alarming frequency as companies tighten their belts and look hard at
who is contributing and who isn't.
Sometimes it isn't even a matter of contribution. In those plushy
carpeted, window offices, the top executives and board members
comfortably decide whose heads will roll and for what reason. Sometimes
it's simply eliminating an entire department - and it has nothing to do
with you, individually, at all. For instance, it's not uncommon for a
new manager or president to come in and bring his own people with him.
A friend of mine began work in the corporate offices of a statewide
corporation right after we graduated. Over the years, she obtained her
MBA and continued to rise through the ranks. For twenty-five years she
was with this company.....until she was laid off a few months ago. She
hadn't seen it coming. And she freaked out. It can happen that quickly,
and it can happen to you.
If you want to stay in control of your career, develop a
relationship with a few skilled and thorough recruiters in your
industry. And when they call you, even though you’re not actively
looking, listen to what they have to say - because one day, they may be
calling with your perfect job.
- Judi Perkins
VisionQuest
judi@findtheperfectjob.com
http://www.findtheperfectjob.com.
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As a former executive recruiter and headhunter, I can tell you there
are a lot of industry secrets. Having access to those secrets can make
the difference in whether your resume is accepted—or rejected—by top
headhunters.
As you focus your job search, here are the top ten things recruiters will never tell you.
- Your cover letter put him off.
You might have been thrilled to find just the right cover letter form
in a book of cover letters or computer template. What you don’t realize
is that a thousand other people have also found that cover letter—and
the recruiter has seen them all. It makes your cover letter look like
150 other letters he has read that morning. And it makes you seem
unoriginal, and not a good candidate.
If your cover letter sounds like an exact repeat of your resume, or if
it sounds pompous and self-absorbed, your cover letter and resume will
be tossed or ignored. A professionally written cover letter can make
the best of your accomplishments and give a fresh sound to recruiters,
winning their interest.
- Recruiters spend five to ten seconds looking at each resume.
If your resume can not get his attention in five to ten seconds, it will be passed over.
In an extremely fast-paced environment, high-volume resume reading is
required; recruiters are professionally trained to look for certain
items. If your resume is not designed to contain what recruiters are
looking for, you won’t get a second chance.
- Your resume may be full of hidden or unsuspected red flags.
You think you have a great resume, but there may be red flags you are
not even aware of. Here are a few that cause concern for recruiters:
- Too many jobs in a short time = Unstable candidate
- Too many years at the same company/industry = Inflexible to change
- Overqualified = Too expensive or won’t stay long
- Underqualified = Long learning curve
- Too many different types of jobs = Candidate doesn’t know what he wants
A professional resume and cover letter can avoid these misperceptions
by guiding the recruiter toward your strongest accomplishments—and away
from the red flags.
- Your age is obvious from your resume.
You may think you’ve fooled the recruiter by leaving out your college
graduation date, but there are many resume cues that can betray your
age. In today’s youth-oriented market, this can lead to a whole series
of misconceptions:
- Your industry knowledge is out of date
- You don’t understand current technology
- You won’t be able to work under younger managers
A well-written resume can prove your experience while downplaying your actual age.
- Your resume indicates you are not a good “cultural fit” for his clients.
Your resume reveals more about you than you know. Your personal
information or extracurricular activities may actually make a negative
impression on recruiters or potential employers. Even the way you
phrase your job experience can prove that you don’t belong in his
client’s workplace.
This is one area where a strong resume, particularly one written by a
professional with past recruiting expertise, can definitely win you the
interview. A strong resume allows the recruiter to sell you to his
clients with ease.
- The recruiter’s first motivation is earning commissions.
The recruiter’s loyalty is not to you; it is to the companies that pay
his commission. Those employers are interested in the bottom line—and
so is he. Don’t expect a recruiter to be personally interested in your
career goals; he only wants to talk to you if you match the
qualifications of the job openings he has to offer.
It is up to YOU to make him understand what a great asset you would be
to his clients—and therefore to him as well. A professionally written
resume and cover letter will help display your quantifiable
accomplishments and marketable skills to your best advantage.
- He doesn’t care why the employer didn’t want you for a second interview.
If the employer isn’t interested in you, then neither is the recruiter.
Recruiters don’t feel any obligation to tell you why you didn’t make
the cut; he has other jobs to fill and other candidates to fill them.
As much as we’d like to think otherwise, recruiters have to focus on
jobs that pay them, not on improving your interview techniques.
It pays to work on your interviewing skills well before you get to that
stage. A career coach can help you polish those skills. You can’t rely
on the recruiter to do that for you.
- He doesn’t care why the employer didn’t make you the offer.
Recruiters don’t want to admit that they knew you were the second
choice all along or that the employer was just interviewing you to go
through the motions. Maybe the top candidate was even someone else he
sent in.
You have to be aware that you are in competition at all times—even with
other job seekers your recruiter represents. As such, you have to be
prepared to wow the recruiters and employers with a top-notch resume
and cover letter, one that will win everyone’s attention, and hone the
interview skills that will win you the offer.
- He won’t tell you the real reason the position you want is on hold.
Again, a recruiter’s first loyalty is to the companies that pay his
commission. So he is not going to tell you that the employer just
ordered a budget cut or that they are having a management crisis. And
you will be left to wonder if the company put the job on hold to avoid
hiring you.
By honing your interview skills, you will be able to determine those
hidden concerns and rely on your own judgment, not your recruiter’s.
- He won’t tell you the true salary range for the position.
For internal, corporate recruiters, it is in their best interest to
keep the salary range low. It makes them look good if they can have a
positive impact on the bottom line, and what better way to save
thousands of dollars than by negotiating low?
For third-party recruiters, their commission is often based on your
salary, so they will try to inflate the salary range. This seems like
it could work in your benefit—until you find yourself priced out of a
job.
You can avoid leaving dollars on the table and avoid pricing yourself
out of a job only by learning negotiation skills that can earn you the
salary you truly deserve.
Don’t give up on recruiters just because you know these hard facts.
Instead, use them to your advantage! Recruiters can actually be your
best asset in a job search. Your recruiter can be an incredible ally.
Once a recruiter has placed you, you will always have his ear.
In fact, maintaining contact with your recruiter even after you have
found a great job can be a good idea. Don’t burn your bridges. Even if
the recruiter was rude or didn’t give you as much attention as you
would have liked, be businesslike and polite. That same recruiter might
be the one to hand you your next job on a silver platter.
Also remember that when you are searching for a career coach, it pays
(literally!) to have one who has access to this type of inside
knowledge, who has been on both sides of the negotiating table. Only by
knowing the pitfalls—and how to avoid them—can you be truly successful
in finding the right job at the right salary for you.
- Deborah Walker, CCMC
Resume Writer ~ Career Coach
Find resume and job-search tips in the article archive at www.AlphaAdvantage.com
Email: Deb@AlphaAdvantage.com
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Did you ever notice that there are certain people who
have great jobs? They are always working on a
consistent basis even in shaky industries and uncertain
times? And then there are those who are either
constantly unhappy in their careers, or go for long
periods of time without work. They blame the world and
wonder why bad luck always seems to "happen" to them.
You make your own luck. Your career is great when you
focus on making it great. This means not waiting for
things to happen; but making things happen instead. It
means being pro-active instead of reactive. Rather than
blaming others for past mistakes, you are passionate
about new possibilities. You are not afraid. Instead,
you are excited about what you do, and what you
contribute everyday. And, if you are excited about your
job, you will find that other people will be committed
to having you stay on as a member of the team.
So How Do You Make Sure You Are Never Without A Job?
Follow These 6 Steps Below.
- Tell Yourself That You Will Always Be Employed
What you say matters. Your words have power, meaning,
and intention. When you tell yourself something bad
will happen to your job, this will probably happen. If
you tell yourself that you are marketable and confident
that you will always be working, your words can make
this true.
- Anticipate Trends In Your Industry
If your job is being eliminated or outsourced, you want
to know about it before you are in the room with human
resources telling you that your job is going away.
Research your industry. Know what's happening and what
the experts say will happen. This way you can make
informed decisions. Look for trends. When you find
them, start to train yourself in these areas. Knowledge
is power. Having the right skills at the right time
ensures that, no matter what is happening around you,
you will be needed and employable.
- Have An Updated Resume
Your resume showcases your skills and abilities to the
world. It is a selling tool that outlines your unique
qualifications so an employer can see, at a glance, how
you can contribute to the employer's workplace. When
you are looking for work, prospective employers know
immediately whether you are a fit for a position. If
you are not looking for work, your resume reminds you
of the contributions you make on a regular basis,
something you can easily forget when you are immersed
in the day-to-day. Whether you are looking for a job,
or you have one, an updated resume is essential for
your career.
- Create A 30 Second Introduction
Whether you are looking for a new position now or
sometime in the future, your 30-second introduction is
an important tool for your job search. It creates an
impression, and you want the impression to be a good
one. Information to include in your introduction is: 1)
Your name, 2) Type of position you seek specifically,
3) Your skills and strengths, 4) Background or
accomplishments. Where job seekers go awry in the
30-second introduction is they are not specific enough.
Without a few brief and clear details, the listener
cannot understand what they want and won't refer them
because they do not know what they are looking for.
Example: "I have a background in finance and can do
pretty much anything in this area." Versus "I am
looking for a CFO job in a large manufacturing company
located in the NYC area." The more specific you are in
your 30-second introduction the better results you will
achieve.
- Network On A Regular Basis
If you start to network only when you need something,
you will have a lot of catching up to do. Therefore,
network every day. Wherever there are people, there is
an opportunity to network. You do not always have to go
somewhere to network successfully. You can network
within your own company. Are there opportunities for
you? Ask people and find out. They are your best
resource for information. Invite co-workers to lunch.
Take the time to walk by someone's office to say hello.
In addition, who can you tap into outside of where you
work? Every industry has an association. When is your
industry's association meeting in your area? Check the
date and go. Get involved in this group so more people
can get to know you. So, if something happens to your
job, you'll have people to reach out to. Lastly, send
e-mail or call people you know already on a regular
basis. If you are always keeping in touch, then you
will not feel bad that you are bothering someone when
it's time to reach out and ask for help.
- Always Be On The Look Out For New Opportunities
Read trade publications. Read memo's not only from
your area, but others. Think about what you could be
doing differently. Get your creative juices flowing.
Think positively. Rather than "it cannot happen,"
believe that what you want is possible and is within
your reach. Then, make it happen.
So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so
it might as well be a life you love!
- Deborah Brown-Volkman
Deborah Brown-Volkman is the President of Surpass
Your Dreams, Inc. a successful career and mentor
coaching company that has been delivering a message of
motivation, success, and personal fulfillment since
1998. We work with Senior Executives, Vice Presidents,
and Managers who are out of work or overworked. Deborah
is also the creator of the Career Escape Program and
author of Coach Yourself To A New Career: A Book To
Discover Your Ultimate Profession. Deborah
Brown-Volkman can be reached at
www.surpassyourdreams.com,
www.career-escape-program.com
info@surpassyourdreams.com, or at (631) 874-2877.
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