Newsletter
Apr 12How to Land a Job in Today’s Market
Posted in Career Article, Tips & Tricks at 1:16 pm
Parade Magazine Shares Techniques to Take Advantage of Social Media, Part-Time Work, Your Skills, “Safe” Positions
The economy added more than 160,000 jobs last month. That’s good news, considering there’s been no increase in the unemployment rate in months.
However, “Early Show” co-anchor Harry Smith observed, that’s little comfort for the millions of Americans still searching for work.
How can people find jobs these days? And what’s the current state of employment in America?
Lamar Graham, executive editor of Parade magazine, said it’s still tough sledding out there. He said, “Approximately 15 million people were out of work late last year, with national unemployment peaking at 10.1 percent in October, and it’s been stuck at 9.7 percent for the last three months. Add part-timers who can’t find full-time employment, plus people who have stopped looking for work, and the picture is even bleaker.”
Graham continued, “Last year, states paid a record $79 billion in unemployment benefits to as many as 30 million claimants. But if there’s any good news to come out of it, it’s that the economists we talked to believe the worst is over. Manufacturing jobs are coming back, and we’re seeing a rise in overtime. But still, a complete recovery could take years.”
Katie DeVito, a job seeker in New Jersey, also appeared on “The Early Show.” She’s riding the wave of social media to find a new job.
DeVito has been out of work for a month. She said she spent about a year looking for a job and finally found employment as a communications coordinator for 90 days. However, when that company downsized recently, she lost her job again. She’s been looking for work since.
DeVito said she’s been utilizing social Web sites — especially Twitter — to not only search for a job, but to help others in the same position.
She said, “I’ve been arranging meetings for people who are unemployed to talk about what they’re looking for. It’s amazing how we’ve been able to help each other out. For example, one person may know of someone hiring in the medical field. That job isn’t for me, but there might be someone in the group who’d be a good fit for the job. So I’m out there looking, but there are others out there looking as well, and we’ve been able to help each other out. Using social media, I’ve landed interviews and made some good contacts that could one day lead to a job.”
Graham said there are still millions of people like DeVito out there looking for work. He suggested job seekers begin using these techniques:
UTILIZE SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook and Twitter are great ways to make contacts, and let people know you’re looking for work. You can reach so many people by sending out one simple message. Also, it’s a good support system for when you get frustrated. Knowing you’re not the only one out there looking for a job can certainly help when frustration starts to set in.
WORK PART-TIME
More than 26 million people work part-time, and two-thirds do so by choice. We talked to one guy who’s 73 years old, yet puts in a few hours a week as a school crossing guard. The $5,900 a year he makes is a handy supplement to his Social Security income. For others, only short hours are available. People worry that a part time job will take away from their ability to look for a full-time job, but it shouldn’t. It’s a great way to earn some extra cash to stay afloat.
DEVELOP NEW SKILLS
To improve their job prospects, millions of people are heading back to school for more training. Popular programs include health care, computer technology, and criminal justice. So definitely don’t be afraid to be willing to learn a new skill. You might end up benefitting from it. One woman we profiled was a paper product saleswoman, but realized there was no growth in her industry. So she found a company willing to train her in online ad sales and is now making double what she did at her old job.
LOOK FOR “SAFE” JOBS
While there really is no “safe” job in today’s economy, some are safer than others. The health care industry, for example. People will always be sick, so there will always be work available. The federal government is another example: it boosted its payroll by some 66,000 workers. Although state and
local governments haven’t been immune to the recession, their job cuts have been restrained. Further, you should be willing to relocate if you find the right opportunity. If you’re a computer programmer living in the Midwest, you might consider heading out to Silicon Valley or Seattle and searching for work there.
How to get through second and third-round interviews
Posted in Career Article, Tips & Tricks at 3:11 pm
So, you’ve made it through your first round of interviews — congratulations — and now you’re on to the second and third round … the good stuff.
Business dining
Many of these interviews will take the form of business lunches and dinners. These are less about assessing your business acumen — this has been solid enough to get you past the first round — than about seeing how you are able to interact with others in collegial and social situations. In short, this is where the smallest of small details is what separates those who receive an offer from those who don’t.
Here are a few restaurant recommendations:
� Don’t turn up smelling so strongly of scent that they smell you, not the food.
� Do not wear your sunglasses, either on your face or on your head.
� While I have no objection to the flaunting of chest hair or cleavage on your own time, it needs to stay under wraps in a business setting.
� Follow your host’s lead with regard to beginning with small talk versus diving into a business conversation.
� Don’t drink, even if they do.
� Order food that’s easy to manage. No one wants to see you playing cat’s cradle with the cheese on your onion soup.
� Don’t discuss your dietary habits. Your feelings about protein, white flour or the conditions under which chickens are raised should remain yours alone.
� Aside from the fact that my mother always impressed on me that salting your food before tasting it was an insult to the chef, I’ve heard that those in the business world view it as indicative of poor impulse control — you may make judgments without having all the facts.
� Do not check your PDA in between standing up from your table in the restaurant and exiting the restaurant. Give your goodbyes the same attention you did your hellos.
Case studies
Another way second- and third-round interviews are often conducted is with case studies — both group and individual — designed to prove that you are, indeed, the creative and logical thinker your résumé claims you are, or that you’re the “people person” your recommenders claim you can be.
A key thing to remember with all three types is that there is no “right” answer to the case. They are behavioral tests that check mental agility.
Group case interviews: These are more about not failing than about wowing people. They have one goal: to find out which people work and play well with others. Are you collegial and can you make an impact in a tactful way in a group setting?
So while you definitely want to demonstrate that you can contribute, you don’t want to dominate the group’s discussion or attempt to take charge in an aggressive way.
One of my clients was in a group of eight people tasked with deciding whether an American chain restaurant should expand into Asia. They were given half an hour and a white board and told to come up with a yes or no answer and a bulleted list explaining why. Of the eight, three failed: two because they didn’t speak and one because he couldn’t stop telling everyone why his idea was right.
If you are in this situation, I recommend the following techniques:
� Be the quiet organizer. Suggest that everyone take the first four minutes to read the case and offer to keep time.
� Suggest something constructive or share any insights that you have.
� If you have no insights, ask people questions to clarify their ideas.
� Be respectful of anything anyone else contributes, no matter what you may think of it.
� Follow the directions. (I know it seems insane that I have to write that, but experience has shown me I do. For example, if they say, “Only use what you’ve got,” don’t offer to look something up on your BlackBerry.)
Bottom line: Be a team player who contributes respectfully to the goal and you’ll be fine.
Individual case interviews: In these you can wow. But, again, it’s not going to be because you got the right answer. The questions may be presented in written form or orally. Some are “big thinking” questions. For example, one of my clients was asked what he would do about the environment if he were president of a country. His first clarifying question: “On Earth as a whole, or are we considering space exploration?” At that point, he knew he had them.
Some take the form of brain teasers (another of my clients was asked why manhole covers were round. FYI: so cables don’t get caught on any corners) or practical tasks.
When confronted with these, keep the following in mind:
� Use all the time they give you.
� Make notes and use paper, particularly if it’s orally delivered.
� If they say you can ask clarifying questions, do, but don’t fish too much. Show that you can be content working with the facts you have.
� As you lay out your answer, state your assumptions.
� Stay cool, even if you make a mistake in the arithmetic. All is not lost; they are looking at logic flow.
� Not all the information may be relevant, but don’t say, “That’s irrelevant.” You may be wrong. If you think it is, just don’t draw on it in your answer.
Again, the point is never that they are asking you the question because no one in their office can find out the answer; they want to see if you can think logically and clearly under pressure, making reasonable assumptions. Approach the question like a doctor trying to figure out symptoms and you’ll be fine.
Mar 02Job Hunting? Don’t Make These 10 Mistakes
Posted in Career Article, Tips & Tricks at 8:55 am
In this job market, there’s no room for error if you’re looking for work.
What not to do is just as important as following all of the proactive advice you receive.
Don’t get tongue-tied on the basics. If you met someone at a cocktail party and they asked what you do, could you answer in one clear, concise sentence? Many job seekers have huge difficulty with this because they’re unsure of their identity now that their paycheck is gone. “Well, I don’t really do anything now — I’m out of work.” Wrong answer.
Instead, offer a focused response: “I specialize in marketing for small businesses.” “I’m a Special Ed teacher.” Or “I work in retail sales.”
Being out of work now is not part of your opening line. Your response is focused on what you do — and then from there, as you engage in chit chat, you’ll make it known that you’re looking for your next opportunity.
Don’t say, “I’ll take anything.” If you do, you wind up with nothing. No employer wants someone who’ll do absolutely anything. Focus on what you’re best qualified to do — and target all of your efforts around that. Instead of asking, “Hey, do you know anyone who’s hiring?” frame your inquiries around your unique skills, experience, education and interests. If you ask, “Do you know anyone who’s hiring in retail sales?” it’s much easier to receive a meaningful response than if you ask, “Do you know anyone who’s hiring?” Help people to help you by being clear about what you do and what you seek.
Don’t focus on your needs. Too many cover letters and objective statements on resumes focus exclusively on what you, as the job seeker, want. “I want stability, I want growth, I want this much money.” All of that is no doubt very true, but that’s not what any employer wants to hear. If I’m going to hire you, I want to know that you have the ability to bring value to my organization. I need to know that you understand the needs of my company and you have the skills, education, experience and interest to make a positive impact. Hiring decisions are about the company’s needs, not yours. Ultimately you’ll have to decide if it’s what you want, too — of course — but your needs aren’t first and foremost when applying.
Don’t use one resume for every job. Tweak every resume to the needs of the position you’re applying to. Don’t assume that someone can read your one-size-fits-all resume and immediately know that your goal is to change fields. You must invest the time to prove that you understand their needs and that your resume is tailor-made for that opening.
Don’t go negative. Recruiters shy away from candidates who give off negative vibes by complaining about being laid off, the unfairness of the job market, or their extraordinary frustration with the job search process. On the flip side, there are many candidates who’ve received the same pink slip, but when they’re interviewing, they’re positive — and that positive attitude is contagious. Save your job search pain and frustration for pillow talk — don’t let it seep into your job-related conversations.
Don’t spend all of your time on big job boards. The majority of job seekers spend the bulk of their job search time scouring the big job boards, applying to anything and everything that seems appealing. You can do some of that, but it should account for the least amount of your time. Shift the majority of your time to build your personal brand online by engaging in online social networks. Use LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Comment on influential blogs in your industry or create a digital resume. Talk to other people instead of simply applying for advertised openings.
Don’t ignore the need to account for your time. If you’ve been out of work for a year, an employer (and even networking contacts) will want to know how you’ve spent your time. “Uh, looking for a job” or “Pounding the pavement” won’t be impressive, but someone who can speak to volunteering, interning, temping — anything to show that you’re busy and proactive while looking for the right opportunity — will be more impressive. It’s never too late to start today.
Don’t show up unprepared. You finally get the call to be interviewed — no small feat in this job market, so you want to do everything to over-prepare. What does the company do, who are its competitors, and what’s happening in the industry in which it operates? Google the people you’ll be meeting with to see what you can learn about them. Ask the person who sets up the interview to tell you about the people you’ll be meeting, and to share a bit about the culture and dress code. Ask, “What should I know about the people I’ll be meeting — I want to make sure I’m prepared as best as possible.”
Review your resume and be ready to elaborate on every line if asked. Review the job description and prepare notes for yourself in advance about how exactly you’d be an asset for their specific needs.
Keep in mind that there are two elements to hiring: the hard skills — by the time you’re calling for the interview, someone has a decent feeling that you may have the skills, experience and education to do the job. What they don’t know — and what’s really critical — is what makes you tick, what ticks you off — what kind of person are you, will we like working with you every day? And some of this is determined from the second you say hello, and more is determined by asking behavior-based questions: “Tell me about a time you made a mistake.” “Tell me what your former colleagues would say about you.” Arrive prepared and don’t leave without asking about the next steps and the time frame for a decision.
Don’t apply for openings at the expense of creating opportunities. Your greatest competition is for positions that are advertised — and yet, that’s where job seekers spend the bulk of their effort applying for jobs. In addition to applying for relevant openings, you should also think about creating opportunities. Come up with 20 companies that you’d love to work for — and create a specific pitch about what you could do for them, even on a contract or freelance basis.
Bring a brilliant business idea to a manger or business owner, and you’ll get an audience. I’ve hired many people when I didn’t have a formal opening because they brought me an idea I couldn’t refuse. Small businesses are ripe for this, as are large corporations or nonprofits. The key is having a great idea that you’re uniquely qualified to plan and execute. Explain what you know about the organization and why this is the right time and the right idea. Plus, it’s easier now to land a part-time or freelance opportunity than a full-time staff position, so you’re leveraging this growing trend.
Don’t sit around and wait. This is the “spray and pray” method. You apply to 100 jobs and then you pray the phone will ring. It won’t. You must follow up with a call to make sure someone knows you exist. Don’t call to ask, “Did you get my resume?” Instead, you can say you know there’s an opening, you’re sure they’re flooded with applicants, but you know you’re an ideal match, so you want to make sure to get in front of the right people.
Find contact names on LinkedIn, look for an internal referral — and if all else fails, cold call the hiring manager and recruiter responsible for filling the job. Just don’t assume they received your resume. Don’t wait for the phone to ring. Make it ring!
Keeping Your Résumé Out of the “No” Pile
Posted in Career Article, Tips & Tricks at 11:35 am
The last time you applied for a job and didn’t get an interview, was your résumé tossed on the “no” pile after someone skimmed it for only a few seconds, or did the employer read it carefully and you just missed making the cut?
Seventy recruiters met recently at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business to discuss what can make or break a résumé. The recruiters represented a variety of industries including oil and gas, tourism, technology and financial services, and some of what they revealed may surprise you.
An employer may review 100 or more resumes in an hour, spending only 20-30 seconds on each one. “Recognize that most employers are using the résumé to screen you out rather than to select you in,” says Derek Chapman, Ph.D., professor of industrial organization and psychology at the Haskayne School of Business.
Getting Attention
“If you don’t catch my eye, you’re out,” one recruiter said. That doesn’t mean you should use bright pink paper or multi-colored lettering, but several recruiters said they don’t mind applicants including a photo. Creative photos (such as the shot an applicant included of herself in a snow suit with snowmen on either side and a caption saying “I’m the one in the middle”) might help land the interview.
However, Chapman cautions against including a photo. “A photo can be used to screen you out on the basis of your sex, age, national or ethnic origin, etc. If someone hires you for your good looks, are you sure you want to work for that supervisor?”
Name Dropping
A better way to catch an employer’s eye is to include names of well-known companies you have worked for. As one recruiter explained, if you previously worked for a reputable company, it enhances your application “because they have some standards.” Employers are likely to assume you will be a good employee because you successfully passed that company’s hiring process and were well-trained. If you haven’t been employed by any large companies, consider doing an internship or volunteer work for a well-known organization.
Surprisingly, “name dropping” only works when mentioning companies. The recruiters said they are turned off when an applicant writes in a cover letter that they were referred by someone such as a company executive. The employers said if someone really thinks you are a good applicant that person should deliver the résumé to the recruiter or phone on your behalf.
Résumé Mistakes
While employers want résumés that are error-free, making a mistake such as addressing your cover letter to the wrong company won’t necessarily disqualify you from the job. Of course, it depends on the employer. For some recruiters, that kind of mistake is inexcusable. However, many others will allow one or two mistakes — even stapling the second page upside down — as long as you have the right qualifications.
To minimize mistakes, proofread your résumé. Your spell-checker doesn’t know you meant to say “manager” instead of “manger”.
Another surprise is that about one-third of the recruiters at the session said they do not read cover letters. To make sure your important information doesn’t get overlooked, it should be in your résumé.
Making the “Yes” Pile
Here are some additional tips to help you make the “yes” pile:
Have a conventional e-mail address. Your name is fine; kookybear@hotmail.com or partyanimal@msn.com are not.
Tailor your résumé to each job you apply for. Make sure it shows you have the skills the employer is seeking for that particular position.
Use lots of white space and bullet points to help information stand out.
Include interests that are relevant to the job. If you are applying for a job in agriculture, for example, show that you have rural roots.
If you are submitting an electronic résumé use a standard format such as Word to ensure it can be opened.
Don’t disclose irrelevant personal information. (”I don’t want to know you are 5′6,” and weigh 195 pounds” one employer said.)
State your accomplishments rather than just your responsibilities. “For example, simply stating: ‘Managed a budget of $200,000 annually for training and development’ is not nearly as powerful as ‘Reduced training and development costs by 20 percent while maintaining the quality and quantity of training provided to employees’,” Chapman says.
“Placing positive information at the very beginning and again at the very end of the résumé helps keep the employer’s attention and capitalizes on the psychological principles of memory to work in your favor,” Chapman says. “Remember, most employers are only skimming your résumé at first to make a preliminary decision. Make sure they can find your information easily.”
Feb 01The Career Exposure Network Shares Top Job Search Tips For a Tight Market
Posted in Career Article, Tips & Tricks at 11:19 am
A tight employment market is creating new demands on job seekers according to The Career Exposure Network, the leading source of niche job sites for women, diversity and MBAs.
“With more candidates applying for each open position, standing apart from the competition is increasingly critical to getting the offer letter,” stated JillXan Donnelly of CareerExposure.com. “The rules for job seeking are changing and candidates need to switch up their game to make new connections and learn new skills that will get them noticed.”
To this end, Career Exposure offers the latest tips to getting noticed.
1) Make every resume unique
Gone are the days where one resume or cover letter will get the interview. Customize every resume and cover letter to showcase why your skills and experience make you the best match for each job.
2) Use broad and niche job-seeking tools
Broad job sites are easy one-stop-shops for job seeking, but don’t overlook niche sites that are tailored by profession, industry, skill set or gender. By using these sites, such as CareerWomen.com, DiversitySearch.com and MBACareers.com, job seekers can connect with employers that are targeting their specific demographic. Who can afford to miss that?
3) Employ virtual and in-person networking strategies
Certainly call and e-mail former co-workers, colleagues and business associates to get connections. You should also join associations or volunteer in your area of interest to create new contacts. Use online networks such as LinkedIn and build connections virtually. Consider jumping into social networks such as Twitter where you can find, follow and chat with people who work at companies or in industries you find of interest.
4) Take a class for content and connections
Staying sharp is one reason for taking a class; however, other reasons could include making new connections by way of classmates or the professor. Classes can also add extra beef to your resume that will demonstrate your commitment to your career and skills.
5) Stay positive
A positive attitude is tremendously appealing to an employer, both current and future. Look at your job search as an adventure that will have both high and low points. Being positive about the process, while sometimes challenging, will help you get through it.