JOB SEARCH! You're RESUME! Is it getting READ?

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

Much has been said about resumes and cover letters, from how they should look to what they should contain. The OBJECTIVE has not always been covered as thoroughly in what has been said. Check a previous BLOG entitled; RESUME; Candidate, Do you “KIS” your resume to your “Audience”? That BLOG was on resumes and I think you will see great value in what you read there.

What I will talk about here is more about the mind set, philosophy if you will, about the RESUME, COVER LETTER and OBJECTIVE. These are keys to getting your RESUME read. The more concise it is, the better it reads and the better it looks, the greater your chance of getting to the next step, the INTERVIEW.

Let me start by saying that I hear regularly from individuals “I apply to many positions daily and am not getting anything. I must have sent out hundreds of resumes. I just can’t seem to get anywhere with this JOB SEARCH”. I know it is not easy and is very frustrating. I will say, and you probably have heard this somewhere before, that “if what you are doing is not working and you not getting the results you are looking for, you must change the way you are doing things in order to get a different result”. It has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. If this is what is happening with you lets stop the insanity and get some change going.

Let’s start with some generalities.

First:

Have a plan and some goals for the day, you will be much better off if you do this than wander aimlessly through each day working your JOB SEARCH. Have a goal of the number of companies you will research each day, how many resumes you will send out and where you will send them. Commit to a set number of hours each day and stick to it. Don’t let frustration creep in, discourage you and have you throw your hands in the air giving up. Never giving in and Never giving up Can make you a Winner. I also encourage you to keep close track of your JOB SEARCH activity and follow up, follow up, follow up. A follow up phone call a day or so after you sent your RESUME to someone can start a dialog that may not happen by sitting and waiting for something to happen.

Second:

What should the RESUME look like? Some people have the belief that they need something catchy to be able to attract attention to the RESUME. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Think about this; are resumes entertaining to read and do you think hiring managers are anxious and excited about reading them? Doesn’t matter the gimmick to attract attention, reading the RESUME is usually the last thing a hiring manager want to do. The content is what is important, not the gimmick that gets the read. So, here is what I suggest:

The DO NOT:

1. No picture, no way, no how (do you really think the hiring manager cares what you look like, doubt it)

2. No two tone colors (difficult to read and the colors can actually be distracting)

3. Do not put frames or borders on the RESUME (pretty doesn’t get the point across, the content of the

    RESUME does)

4. Keep your personal information personal (community activity, civic involvement and other such activity is

    OK, however, no one is interested in how long you have been married, how many kids you have, hobbies

    or any other such personal information)

5. Do not put your references on the RESUME (good recruiters love this because your references become

    targets for being recruited and this becomes a lead list for recruiters; additionally, when you post your 

    RESUME online with references listed you are letting the world know who they are, where they work,

    what their position is and their contact information; not a good idea and most references prefer this not

    happen; just put “references available on request”)

6. Last, I strongly suggest you not use a RESUME builder to write the RESUME (when recruiters and/or

    companies get a RESUME that has been formatted (having individual sections petitioned off on the

    RESUME) they usually don’t like this; it sometimes does not look as good and makes the RESUME

    difficult to tweak if it becomes necessary to do that when they present it to their client; additionally the

    RESUME may not be database friendly when a company tries to enter it into their database; you want to

    be sure you RESUME is user friendly and the best assure you will have is if it is typed out in a word

    document format)

The DO:

1. Plain white paper, nothing fancy that makes the print hard to read on the paper its printed on (although this

    is not as critical of an issue)

2. Not absolute but it usually is a good idea to have a one liner under the company names that says what

    industry the company is part of and what they make or service they provide

3. BOLD the positions you held within each company you worked for (this stands out and draws the reader

    in (also, sometimes the reader scans the RESUME before reading it, the BOLD job titles will stand out

    and may encourage the reader to not scan it and get on with the reading of the RESUME)

4. Make sure the RESUME is written in a “KIS” method, concise and to the point (unnecessary information

    or rambling on usually causes the reader to lose interest and move on)

Something to think about is that when a hiring manager starts to read a RESUME you want their attention to be captured with the first 15 to 20 seconds of the read, very much like capturing attention when giving a speech. Capture the attention quickly and then hang on to it. If you do not capture attention quickly, you will probably lose your reader and they will not return to read the RESUME later.

Now let us get to the specifics.

Let’s start with COVER LETTER!

Your COVER LETTER is your opening statement. You want it to be direct, concise and well written. Very important is that it should be addressing the job you are applying for, so, be sure to thoroughly and completely read the job description to know what the company is looking for. Stay on point and talk about your qualifications for the position, your accomplishments and how those accomplishments benefited your company. Try to stay away from speculation such as being able to do something that is not backed up with the RESUME. The hiring manager is less likely to be interested in transitional or transferrable skills than actual skills and experience. As a caveat to transitional or transferable skills it is appropriate to mention them where it is appropriate and the skills can be recognized as having value to the hiring manager, however, you want to be sure you stay focused on the job and how you qualify. Keep it short as well. (NOTE: I have seen COVER LETTERS that were recycled for different positions and some editing was over looked; applying for a Project Manager position while referencing a Product Engineer position in the cover letter; be sure you edit the COVER LETTER thoroughly if you do recycle them)

Now, on to the OBJECTIVE!

The OBJECTIVE on your resume! This is being thought of more as an optional item on your RESUME. The reason is that the primary OBJECTIVE is to get a job. The issue usually is that most objectives don’t state a clear OBJECTIVE. They usually state something like “I am looking for a position with a growing company where I can use my education and skills to grow the company and my career”. This example is not as clear as it may appear and the truth of it is, “who wouldn’t want this”? The opposite of an OBJECTIVE like this is a position with a stagnant company where you will do anything they need done and will not be able to grow the company or your career. Your RESUME is out there because you are looking for new position so what is the position you are looking for? With an OBJECTIVE like this you are better off not having one on the RESUME. If you do use an OBJECTIVE I suggest something such as “I am looking for a position as a Project Manager (or Account Manager or whatever position it is you are looking for or state the position you are applying for) where I can use my education, skills and experience gained from my accomplishments to contribute to the bottom line of a new employer and enhance my career”. The example here gets more to the point and grabs attention better than a generic one. Remember though, as stated above, make sure that the RESUME you are sending a company references the job you are applying for in the OBJECTIVE.

Now we get to the RESUME!

The RESUME is your talking paper, your history and your sales presentation. The analogy of you having only one chance to make a great first impression applies to your resume as it would the first time you meet someone. The difference, you don’t always meet the person you are presenting your RESUME too. That being said, you want your RESUME to be great, attention getting and get the job done for you. That job is to get you an INTERVIEW. So, in addition to the generalities, listed above, “KIS” your RESUME, make it concise, direct and with pertinent information. Make sure you are qualified for the position. Read the job description thoroughly and use some of the pertinent information from the job description to insert into your RESUME. Have an experience summary with accomplishments listed, particularly ones that are relevant to the position and the company.

There you have it, a road map to help you get your RESUME read and position yourself to get an INTERVIEW. Check a previous BLOG entitled: JOB SEARCH: The INTERVIEW! You got the invite, now comes the test! Tips for a GREAT INTERVIEW! That BLOG and others will help you with your JOB SEARCH.

In summary, in your presentation when applying for a position you want to have:

1. Your COVER LETTER with a brief career summary addressing the position you are applying for

2. Your OBJECTIVE, if you chose to have one, indicating specifically what your OBJECTIVE really is

3. Your RESUME, “KISd”, written to your audience and no fluff, fact; concise, direct and to the point

Another good thing to remember; some people want things to happen, some people make things happen and some people wonder what happened. It is not the best economy to be in JOB SEARCH mode but NEVER give up and make things happen.

There is far more to this than what can be covered here. Watch for my other BLOG’s on all topics JOB SEARCH at http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com/, you won’t be disappointed.

If you like what you see and find value in this information, reference my other BLOG’s. Bookmark this site as a favorite to come back often and TELL A FRIEND! I encourage you to do so.

I welcome comment and if you wish me to address a specific subject let me know in the comments section. To keep up with the latest activity on this BLOG and watch for future BLOG’s click the FOLLOW link and become a follower.

While you are out there each and every day, seize the day!

JOB SEARCH! The RECRUITER; how to chose the best RECRUITER or become your own!

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

It is somewhat misunderstood the role of a recruiter regarding candidates, the JOB SEEKER. What everyone needs to understand is that recruiter’s work with clients to find candidates for the clients open positions! That is how a recruiter gets paid. Recruiters do not find jobs for candidates.

What I want to share with you here is how to find a recruiter that may be looking for someone like you but has not found you yet or how you can take the bull by the horns and become your own recruiter. Finding the right recruiters, ones who work the skill set you have and the industry you come from, will allow you to get your resume in front of the right ones. Being able to talk with them when you get your resume in front of them will start a relationship that could pay dividends. This will be akin to networking. Once a relationship is established you will have some name recognition with them. And, if the next position they are searching for with one of their clients happens to fit you, guess who will get a call?

Let me digress for a moment and tell you how to find the right recruiter. You can start with GOOGLE by GOOGLING “recruiter directory”, “recruiting directory”, “headhunter directory” or any number of combinations that will get you to directories. You won’t need to look at everyone of them but look at several of them and pick the one you like the best. Here are two examples that you may like:

1. Headhunters Directory      http://www.headhuntersdirectory.com/
     a. When you get to this web site
          i. Click USA or country of choice
          ii. Select State
          iii. Select City
          iv. RESULT:
               1. Agency contact information
               2. Email link (on most, not all)
               3. Web site link
               2. Recruiters Network      http://www.recruitersnetwork.com/
     a. When you get to this web site
          i. Recruiters Directory and Headhunter Database
          ii. Chose several directories to search for your recruiter of chose

You want to be sure to pick the right recruiter for you. Picking recruiters that call themselves a “Generalist” is not the best pick. By billing themselves as a “Generalist” they are claiming to be able to place anyone anywhere. Their mindset is typically recruiting is recruiting. “I can place anyone anywhere”. Not necessarily true. Think of this; who is the better recruiter to connect with, one who specifically works in your industry with your skill set, someone who has contacts in the industry and knows what is going on with the industry and your specialty, or, someone who says they can be all to all? I think you know the answer! Pick a recruiter that specializes and you will be much better off. In the directories you can find specialists and you should reach out to as many specialists as you can. Communicate with and get your resume in front of as many recruiters as you can. This is a form of networking you can’t ignore.

When you talk with recruiters to qualify their background determine if they have the following:

1. What companies they place with
2. What kind of talent they place
3. How many candidates have they placed at these companies
4. How long have they been in the business

The recruiter should have a strong client base, work with your kind of skill set, have placed multiple candidates with their clients and have some tenure in the business. It doesn’t hurt to send recruiters not fitting your parameters your resume, however, if they do fit your parameters they are the ones you want to keep in touch with.

Let’s get back to the mindset and training many recruiters get. That will help you understand more about how to work with them. Recruiters usually specialize in a specific industry and are typically trained to contact companies in their industry to market a candidate to those companies. The candidate is sometimes called their “Most Placeable Candidate”, or MPC. They contact companies without knowing if they are even hiring, they are looking to market a candidate looking for a position they could turn into a search assignment and a company they can turn into a client. They are not actually looking to place or find a job for their “MPC”. They could, however, coincidently find a position that fits and the company be interested in the candidate. It is not necessarily bad to be a recruiters “MPC” but you should understand the reality. Recruiters seldom place their “MPC” candidates.

If you are more inclined to think like a recruiter than become your own recruiter, then you need to reach out to a recruiter and talk with them. Remember what I said above about “MPC”. When you contact a recruiter and they tell you they will market you to their client base that usually means that if a position comes across their desk that fits your background they will call you. If they say that they are constantly in contact with people in your industry and will watch out for a position that fits your background, again, they will call you. Very few people a recruiter works with will be an “MPC”. When you think about this, remember, it is not bad. You have your resume in a recruiter’s database, have talked with them to start building a relationship and are in a better position with them than if they never heard of you and have to go find you in a resume database such as www.monster.com or www.careerbuilder.com. By becoming known to a number of recruiters, you are one up on many others at this point.

Really want to take control of your job search? Want to be your own recruiter? Remember, recruiters find people for jobs so they know where the jobs are and the companies that are looking. They work the hidden job market. At the very least, they are not afraid to contact companies looking for positions they can search on. If you are ready to take control, do what a recruiter does. Basically, they research the companies in your industry, find the key players you can contact, develop a contact list and make contact.

Research companies to see what they are up to and find some contacts you can contact. Refer to a previous BLOG I wrote on RESEARCH titled JOB SEARCH! The RESEARCH; for better results in your JOB SEARCH, have a plan, execute the plan.    http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com/    You read this BLOG and you will have everything you need to know about research. With that research do what recruiters do, contact the companies. Talk with them about their need for someone like you. Offer up your resume and ask to keep in touch to further develop a relationship. Exchange information if you can and ask for leads and anyone else you may be able to talk with about “what you can do for them”. Remember the “what you can do for them”. Typically they are not interested in hearing about how you are the greatest thing since sliced bread unless they hear “what you can do for them”. So when you talk with your contacts let them know of your accomplishments that fit what they do and will illustrate to them “what you can do for them”. You will be adding value to the relationship you are building and will make a much greater impression. That’s what good recruiters do and the more successful ones do it well.

When you are in conversation with contacts you may be asked what you are looking to do. If that is the case, be specific. Have an OBJECTIVE that is meaningful. You DO NOT want to say something like “I am open to any opportunity where I can utilize my education, skills and experience to the benefit of the company and my career”. Think about that for a minute. Who doesn’t want to do that? When you state that, you are one of many. How can you stand out with an OBJECTIVE like that? You need to be able to set yourself apart from the masses and with an OBJECTIVE like that, you likely will not. State something like “I am looking for a PROJECT MANAGER position where I can use my skills (state your skill set) in (state the industry) to advance my career with the many accomplishments I have had in the past and expect to have in the future”. If you have multiple skills and are open to more than one position state “PROJECT MANAGER” or “ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT” position. The point is, be specific, not generic. Specific will likely get you specific; generic will get you generic or nowhere at all.

You will likely find that as you contact the companies you research you will inadvertently be tapping into other networks. By asking if you can friend the people you talk to on Linkedin, Face Book, etc, you start expanding your network and become more visible. You must network and make yourself more visible in order to enhance you job search.

One additional comment about Linkedin or Face Book; look up the companies and people you contact on these networking sites. You can use the information for further research and ask to connect and befriend them. Many people will connect with you if you reference that you spoke with them and are thanking them for their time. As those connections grow you will find access to others and become more visible. Many recruiters use Linkedin as a recruiting tool and it is another place for you to be discovered. Also, in your ”professional headline” on linkedin, use a title that will attract more attention than say “PROJECT MANAGER”, “PROJECT ENGINEER”, “ACCOUNT MANAGER”. How about Telecom Project Manager, Power Train Project Engineer or Utilities Account Manager? Think about this; a recruiter is looking for an Account Manager in the Utilities industry and does a key word search for “Account Manager” “Utilities”. Several results come up but they see in your professional headline “Utilities Account Manager”. Where do you think they will go first?

You will be much better off if you take control of your job search and be your own “RECRUITER”. Recruiters are more focused on business development and doing search assignments than helping people find jobs. They are looking for people! You should want to control your own destiny and will be much better off if you do.

There is far more to this than what can be covered here. Watch for my other BLOG’s on all topics JOB SEARCH at http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com/, you won’t be disappointed.

If you like what you see and find value in this information, reference my other BLOG’s.

Bookmark this site as a favorite to come back often and TELL A FRIEND!

I encourage you to do so.

I welcome comment and if you wish me to address a specific subject let me know in the comments section. To keep up with the latest activity on this BLOG and watch for future BLOG’s click the FOLLOW link and become a follower.

While you are out there each and every day, seize the day!

JOB SEARCH! The RESEARCH; for better results in your JOB SEARCH, have a plan, execute the plan.

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM



In a previous BLOG, JOB SEARCH: When the shoe drops, you go into JOB SEARCH mode, I made a brief reference to research. I asked the question “now that you know what you want to do, who do you know want to do it with”? Here is where I am going to expand on the subject of RESEARCH so you know how to find what you are looking for and who you want to target.

All companies list in their profile with research sources what is known as a SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) code and an NAICS (North American Industry Classification) code. These codes are very informative in helping you with your research.

Here is what you do to find the codes and how they help you:


1. Research your own company to see what codes your company lists for themselves
2. Take those codes and research companies who list the same codes
3. The companies you find using the same codes are the competitors of your own company 
     and are your targets for your job search


Where do you go to find all this information? There are several sources you can search on the internet. Start with:


Thomas Registry Directory     http://www.thomasnet.com/


For the non- member you can still get valuable information

Search your company name
     - Under the profile you will see the product they manufacture or service they provide
     - Under Product/Service enter the product you are associated with; the result you will get is
       the Product/Service category match

This is your target list to research
     - Click on your choice of category to research the companies in each match
     - Under each choice you will see companies


EXAMPLE:
     - Company tab
     - In Search put: KAUTEX
     - Check the profile (Manufacturer of plastic blow molded fuel tanks)
     - Product/Service tab
     - In Search put: blow molded tanks
     - RESULT:
          o The Product/Service Category Match
          o Click a category for the company list
          o Chose your company to research
          o You can research their web site, check their product line, their size, their career/jobs
             and the contact us tab to approach about employment


NOTE:
Using your company as a lead into your research, the companies you source will be competitors of your company and logical places to exploit your talents.

Do not forget to focus on the technologies where your interest, education and/or experience will fit versus just the product line.

Hoovers (a Dunn and Bradstreet company)      http://www.hoovers.com/


For the non – member you can still get valuable information

Search your company name on the Companies tab


The result should be:
     - Company information
     - Executive (some companies list them, some do not)
     - A link for more companies in related industries
     - The line of business
     - The top competitors


The company overview page will likely have all the information you are looking for but the People and Competition tabs across the top of the overview page may have additional information of value to you.


NOTE:
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different key search words.

Manta       http://www.manta.com/


For the non – member you can still get valuable information


Go to
     - Browse companies, click US or chose your state
     - In search put your company name
     - Click on company name
     - RESULT:
          o Company profile
          o Business categories
          o Some Company contacts (this information is usually optional for a company to provide)
          o Related searches; click link to see all companies link in your category; click state of
             preference to find competitors
          o Related companies; click on company link, takes you to that company profile


ReferenceUSA      http://www.referenceusa.com/


A subscription database available free to you through your local library (most smaller libraries do not subscribe for you to access because of cost). If your local does not subscribe go to your nearest larger city library that subscribes, get a library card to access. You will not be disappointed. If you want tips on how to use it, contact me.

DISCLAIMER:
On each of these research sites the company overview page view and information available will vary with some companies offering more information than others.


AND NOW FOR MORE:


When using SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) or NAICS codes (North American Industry Classification):


GREAT SITE:


Websters Online      http://www.webstersonline.com/


Using tab Company Name
     - Search your company
     - Takes you to the Product/Service tab (will see company info)
     - Click company profile link
     - RESULT:
          o Get SIC and NAICS codes
          o You can click the links to see the competitors in that SIC/NAICS code
          o Clicking the link in related categories will give you the same result as clicking the code
             link
          o Clicking the competitor company name gives you that companies information


NOTE:
You can also get a list of SIC codes from this site that may help you take other directions.


All examples done here are on the premise you do not know all the competitors of your company nor the product categories or SIC/NAICS codes of your company or its competitors.


LINKEDIN


Without being a member you will not have access to additional information such as key people in a company, however, you can search Linkedin for people who work at or have worked at your companies of choice. You can contact them to network with or get information from. Linkedin is an excellent source for research and networking. You may be surprised who you find out there.

There you have it. You now have some excellent resources to research from and some examples to help you navigate their sites. I would add one more item for you to consider when you do research as well as your JOB SEARCH; do an excel spreadsheet to track your activity. That way you will not lose track of what you are doing and you can use it to log information.


Referencing this BLOG as with all others I encourage you to bookmark this site as a favorite to come back often and to TELL A FRIEND!

JOB SEARCH! "Follow the rules candidate" - Is the online application you completed even being "LOOKED AT"?

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

There is a job posted online and you are asked to apply directly online for the position. You provide profile information, your cover letter if you have one and your resume. That application will end up in their database and you will be flagged as an applicant for the position. This is what happens whether you apply for a corporate position through a corporate web site or a corporate or non-corporate position through a staffing firm or job board. Anytime you “follow the rules” of applying to a position online you generally first go into a database. Although a Recruiter or Human Resource individual will possibly get some kind of notification of the application, there is no guarantee they will. And if they do, they will have to retrieve your application. No guarantee there either.

Recruiters and/or Human Resource individuals will likely have to go into the database and retrieve candidates who apply for positions. Many times the database is not user friendly and takes more time to work with and retrieve candidates from than the time it takes to go to user-friendly resume databases and search for candidates. Consequently, candidates many times get overlooked in the database because the database is not being used effectively. It takes more time to use and find candidates than just going out and finding candidates through other means. It is not the candidate’s fault but the fault of a feature rich database system that was so feature rich it creates more work to utilize it than the advantage of having it.

Ever work in an environment where the tools provided to you by your management were to be the best in the business but in real world practice that was not the case? The developers forgot to ask the users what they thought was best and built featuring rich applications that end up not following a KIS (keep it simple) methodology. The application becomes more trouble to work with than it is worth. And, could it be that management may be a little out of touch with what it takes to get results? That is what many of the database users experience. Thus, the databases are not effectively utilized and candidates often get overlooked. Not ideal and definitely not what was intended.

Aside from the fact that some applications are difficult to use when applying online there are some questions that require answers in order to submit the application. Companies want to capture as much information as possible but are inadvertently discouraging candidates from doing online applications. Many of the questions are for gathering statistical information for reports required by the government. Companies are required to report all kinds of information to the government and job applications are a good source for information. Candidates are not always interested in satisfying EEOC requirements answering those kinds of questions on online applications. Because of all this, many candidates do not do online applications. They object too much of the required information to apply. Recruiters and Human Resources know this and this is another reason for them to just do their own searches, to find the candidates who do not apply online. Instead of going through the unfriendly database and then online resume databases it is easier to just go to the online resume databases.

The evolution to all this started some time ago. With the advent of job boards, and, the more prevalent use of email, jobs have become easier to fill. Processes have become more impersonal and mostly hands off. Corporate Human Resources has come on the scene and become well defined. There is more and more outsourcing going on. All the technology and advances in the use of automation have led to Recruiting Process Optimization (RPO). It is more efficient for a company but has led to a more impersonal experience for the candidate. It seems you cannot get anyone’s attention or communicate with anyone. That is partially the intent as well.

Now that you know what happens many times with the online job application process you can better understand the frustration many candidates have after doing one. You may have heard comments such as “I never hear back from anyone”, “I never received an email acknowledging receipt of my application”, “I was required to enter too much personal non-relevant information”, etc.

How does that happen? Well I get back to KIS. I believe that some of the designers of said systems lose site of the practicality of use in the real world. When this happens there is loss of efficiency in a system that is supposed to promote efficiency. The mind set is also to capture all sorts of information for tracking purposes, satisfy requirements, etc, etc. The application becomes convoluted trying to do too many different things and its purpose becomes diluted.

The good out of this could be that candidates may be forced more into a proactive mode of job search than a reactive mode. Applying for jobs online is reactive. Being proactive will sharpen the search skills and push you into new technique. Social networking is an excellent example. If corporate databases worked well, and some may, you could effectively cover both the reactive and proactive processes and enhance the results.

A candidate’s ability to focus on the effective use of the tools available to them, keeping an eye on the ball and cutting through the fluff should result in a greater outcome. Working the reactive side of the equation will result in finding positions that require a “Follow the rule candidates” approach whereas working the proactive side will result in finding the best “outside the rule” positions. Proactive, reactive, work them both for the best possible outcome.

JOB SEARCH: the JOB DESCRIPTION! "Reader Beware!" Are companies clear on what they are looking for and are you addressing it?

I became more involved in writing, editing and re-writing job descriptions when I worked in Corporate Recruiting. I have since left Corporate Recruiting but still occasionally get involved in editing and re-writing job descriptions. I was guilty of not always asking permission but then I may not have gotten it, and, after all, I am doing it in the best interest of the company and candidate. So, what was the harm?

How did I ever get involved in doing what Hiring Managers and Human Resources should have been doing? If you ever had the opportunity to look at what most job descriptions look like from those sources you would wonder no more. Job descriptions many times have so much irrelevant and duh information in them it makes it hard to figure out exactly what the company is looking for. How could anyone expect candidates to understand what they are looking at with the irrelevant and duh information? Don’t know. What I do know is what I am about to tell you will help you understand how to deal with job descriptions.

Many companies store their job descriptions in a database and recycle them when they need to hire another person for the same position. The job descriptions get repeatedly recycled and some of the job descriptions can be years old. The Hiring Manager typically is responsible to keep job descriptions up to date. They approve the content and use, then; forward it to Human Resources to be posted. Human Resources is not anxious, inclined to or knows how to edit or re-write it to fit the new hire needs. Not re-writing a job description to update it is a big mistake! Human Resources usually just take for granted its completeness; accuracy, approval and they move the process forward. Thus, what you see is usually not clear, nor, up to date. Is the job really what it appears to be?

Companies typically write job descriptions to help brand the company. They write the job descriptions to have marketing appeal. They would be thinking “what would the candidate be looking for and see when looking at MY job description?” Does the job description appeal to the audience, the candidate? Will the candidate be able to say, “that’s me”! Everything should be focused, concise and pretty much to the point. Bulleted formats should be used for ease of reading and the points of the job description will stand out better. There should be key words in the description that a candidate would use in a search, as many as possible and in all the right places (but not over done). The layout should be a brief with Job Summary (set up much like an Objective on a resume), Job Responsibilities (set up much like the responsibilities you would find on a resume for the position(s) held), Skills Required (like a Skills Summary) and Education. A simple, to the point, job description is what a company should use. The candidate, their resume and the job description, should connect. The best way to connect is when a clearly written job description mirrors a clearly written resume. This is where your connection is made.

Paying as much attention to the job description as you would to your resume will help you make the connection. The connection you make will help open the door to getting the attention you need and position yourself for an interview.

So, watch for those unclear poorly written job descriptions. They usually indicate that the writer does not clearly know what they are looking for and is having trouble illustrating correctly the scope of the position. Pursue the clearly written and informative job descriptions. When you see one that connects with your resume, you will get the “that’s me” feeling.

It will pay dividends. When everything falls in place as it should you will be able to say “that worked out great for me, we connected” instead of falling victim to “Reader Beware!”

In your job search, as in all things, remember;

“Yesterday is history
     Tomorrow is a mystery
But, today is a gift
     That is why it is called the PRESENT”

JOB SEARCH: "Candidate Presentation" - Making that great first "IMPRESSION"!

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

When working with a Recruiter, your background would typically be presented verbally over the phone. By verbalizing your background to the Hiring Manager the Recruiter had a chance to create interest and nail down an interview for you. Sometimes the Recruiter would be asked to email or fax the resume before the Hiring Manager would commit to an interview but for the most part was able to get a commitment for an interview. If you were applying directly to the company you probably would have received a phone call to discuss your qualifications and then have a chance to secure an interview.

Things have changed over time though and with the advancement of technology we have become more of an antisocial society. We now seem to rather email than call to talk and look over a resume to make a decision rather then discuss it. Whether we like it or not, this is generally what the new standard is and the way it works. Additionally, and more and more, companies are relying on an electronic application process when you are approaching them directly about a posted position. So whether you are working through a Recruiter who may help open doors for you or working through an electronic application process with the company you are applying to, “That Antisocial First Impression” becomes more critical than ever.

Aside from the technological advancements this phenomenon has developed because companies have developed their own recruiting departments to source candidates out of resume databases. The Recruiters in the department send the resumes over to busy Hiring Managers who expect the departments to send qualified candidates to interview. Many of these Hiring Managers are newer and more comfortable with the technologies used in recruiting and quite busy. They prefer to be more hands off in the process. They are not fond of interviewing to begin with and are not always interested in qualifying candidates themselves. They prefer recruiting to do the qualifying for them. Since many corporate recruiters send the resumes over to the Hiring Manager to decide who they want to interview, qualification is determined by what is seen on paper. With this becoming a corporate process of choice, how do you make “That Antisocial First Impression”? You do it with what I call the “Impressionable Presentation”.

So, whether you are working with a recruiter or applying directly to a company, electronically or otherwise, how do you make an “Impressionable Presentation” to get the right attention and an interview? You do it with a well thought out presentation that addresses your qualifications for the position. The presentation would have a Career Summary which is page one of the presentation, and, a Resume. Together they become the presentation. The summary acts as a cover letter for the presentation and draws the reader into the resume. A good career summary would typically have the following content but could have some change ups and variations based on circumstances:

1. Why you are looking. This is not an objective, just fact, direct and to the point.

2. An overview of your “relevant” scope of experience, skills and accomplishments. Relevant is to the job description and what the company is looking for. Bullet formation is easier and quicker to read so set it up in bullet format. This format also draws the reader in more quickly so they do not get bored and lose interest. It looks better as well.

3. Strengths. Make sure they are your functional strengths and relevant. Do not say something like “team player” or “work ethic” as these would be expected and should be givens.

4. Your greatest accomplishment, relevant to the job is best and gets the most attention.

5. Comment what your past managers would say are your greatest attributes. This is not a reference, just what you think they would say about you.

6. Availability. When you can interview and when you can start if you receive an offer.

Here is a suggested lay out:

1. Reason for seeking a new opportunity:

     a. Answer

2. Relevant scope of experience:

     a. Answer

3. Strengths:

     a. Answer

4. Greatest accomplishment:

     a. Answer

5. What past managers would say are greatest attributes:

     a. Answer

6. Availability:

     a. To Interview: Answer

     b. To Start: Answer

I would be sure in addition to your name at the top of the first page of the presentation to put the position you are applying for and add any notes that are relevant to the position. When submitting this presentation through the electronic application format separate your career summary page from the resume and use the summary page as a cover letter.

To have a uniform look and transition from the career summary to the resume make sure your resume is set up in a bullet format. This will look better and be consistent throughout the presentation. Doing this does not take much time and is an easier and quicker read for Human Resources or the Hiring Manager to determine qualification.

So, the career summary is developed to speak of and support experience, skill set, accomplishments and addresses relevancy. It is intended to draw the hiring manager into reviewing the resume. The resume is reformatted (dressed up if you will) to compliment the summary. The two merged become the “PRESENTATION”.

This process is going way above and beyond what others do. It has been well received and complimented by hiring managers. Human Resources likes it too because the summary is a separate page that can be uploaded as a cover letter into their database. The resume, being stand alone, is an easy and clean upload as well. In a non-electronic application format, typically emailing your resume to someone, make your presentation in the same manner. Either way, this will go over as a great first impression.

This process works very well. You can not go wrong with it and you will find that presenting yourself in this manner you will make a very favorable “FIRST IMPRESSION”.

JOB SEARCH: The INTERVIEW! You got the invite, now comes the test! Tips for a GREAT INTERVIEW!

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

Getting an interview today is an accomplishment. That, you could say, is getting the call to audition, the test! Now that you have gotten the call you need to be sure you are ready for the test.

Little needs to be said about the very basics. You know, being dressed for success, take multiple copies of your resume, your cover letter if used and maybe even examples of your work. Your cell phone should be turned off during the interview and you should be prepared to have an engaging interview. You will be discussing your work and in a position to show how you can contribute to the organization. This will be your time in the spotlight on center stage.

In addition to being in a position to make a great first impression, how do you get ready for the test? You do that through PREPARATION! What is the test, the INTERVIEW! How do you leave the interview, you CLOSE! It does not have to be anymore difficult than that. It is not complicated but is critically important that you are prepared, ready for action, perform at your best, and close the deal.

PRE INTERVIEW PREPARATION:

First, research the company!

You may be asked what you know about the company, its products, services, size, etc. If you cannot intelligently answer these kinds of questions you look unprepared and maybe even somewhat disinterested. You can find information on companies from a number of sources but the best source is the companies own web site. In addition to researching the company, read their news releases. If they do not have news releases on their web site do a GOOGLE search to see what you can find. Learn as much about the company as you can. If you are not asked what you know about the company the information will still be useful to inject into your conversation with the various Interviewers. This can be a good move if done at appropriate times.

Second, know what you are interviewing for!

I know this may sound unnecessary to say but many Candidates do not review and study the job description before going into an interview. You can be sure that the Hiring Manager knows what they are looking for and if you do not have a thorough understanding of the job description, you are not properly prepared for the interview. I know some job descriptions are written rather generically and leave much to be desired, however, know that job description and you will better prepared for the interview. As a side bar to this, other Interviewers in the interview process may not know as much about what the Hiring Manager is looking for and they may very well be using the job description as an interview tool. Bottom line; know the job description as part of your interview preparation.

Third, know what you sent to the company to get the call to interview!

If you did this through a Recruiter, know what they sent the company as part of their presentation. It is critical that you know because that information will likely be used by the Interviewer(s) to develop their questions for the interview. In addition to knowing what the Interviewer has in hand, study it and be prepared to give informative and complete answers to questions generated from that information. Try not to get caught off guard having to refer to your resume looking for a previous employers name, job title, date, or, anything else on the resume that answers a question. If that happens it gives the Interviewer the impression that you are not prepared and will have a less than positive impact on the interview. So, as with company research and the job description, know thyself. This will be how your audience judges you.

Lastly, prepare some questions!

Prepare questions you would like to have answers to or topics you would like to have more information about. Develop your questions starting them with who, what, when, where, why and how. These are probing questions and are very effective in getting the best answers. Questions are buying signs and show interest. You also can learn more about the industry, company, position and even the Hiring Manager with some “good” questions. And, make sure they are good questions, not something that appears to be a question just for the sake of having a question. Try to have them memorized so you do not have to use a checklist. And, avoid taking notes during the interview and when getting answers to your questions. Sometimes this is acceptable when getting into some very detailed information but generally during an interview this will not be the case. Place your questions well during the interview, chose your topics appropriately, and with sincerity, and, you will enrich your interview experience tremendously.

Remember, research the company, study and know the job description, know what the company was presented that got you the interview and be ready to show some buying signs by having some questions ready.

THE INTERVIEW:

Very few people are experts at interviewing. That includes most Candidates and almost all Hiring Managers. It is not something they get quality training on, do regularly, or, even get good at. Many times Interviewers are given a list of questions to ask Candidates from Human Resources. The interview becomes almost robotic when an Interviewer goes down a list of questions and takes notes on the answers to those questions. And, many times the Interviewer does not have an ice breaker question to have a comfortable lead in to the interview so many times they ask what I think is one of the worst lead ins to the interview; “Tell me about yourself”! When I hear that I think, “where do you want me to begin” and “how much do you want to know”? The answer to something like this should be relevant and with purpose.

Think about item two in PREPARATION above, know what you are interviewing for. Not knowing exactly where the Interviewer expects you to start, I suggest you start answering this lead in with something like; “I was active in sports (or whatever) in school, took an early interest in engineering (or whatever), got a scholarship (or worked your way through school) to attend XYZ University in (city/state) and got a degree in (whatever) with a minor in (if so, whatever). I did an internship at XYZ Company as a (position title) while getting my education and when I graduated I accepted a position with ABC company as a (job title)”. It doesn’t hurt to mention subsequent job positions. You can elaborate some on this but keep it somewhat brief and the point. At this point, you stop talking.

What this does is anchor the starting point for the interview by giving the Interviewer a place to start and gives comfort to the interview process. What you will find is the Interviewer will pick their place to start the interview. They will be more at ease in launching into the interview and will not have to fish around for where to start. From your answer you will come across as what I would call “COMFORTABLY CONFIDENT” instead of having stumbled though the “Tell me about yourself” lead in to the interview.

Other tips to having a GREAT INTERVIEW!

First, probing questions!

Good Interviewers use probing questions to get the best answers. They may be working off of a list of canned questions (usually provided by Human Resources to gather specific information), which may not be probing. As the Interviewer gets more into the interview though they get more engaging and you can expect the probing questions. I call probing questions open ended with openers like who, what, when, where, why and how. These kinds of questions require the most thoughtful and informative answers. Be sure to stay on the subject with your answer and you will keep the interview moving and the Interviewer interested.

Here is how I suggest you answer questions if you have the skill set and or know/have done what the Interviewer is asking about. “Yes, I have done that (whatever it is)! Our objective was to (an explanation). What I did was (an explanation). We accomplished our objective (whatever it was) resulting in (whatever it was such as reduced cost, generated income, increased profit margin, shortened time to market, etc)”.

The illustration above probably looks complicated but is not. Careful attention should be given to answer the question in such a manner though. Look at the suggested way to answer the question carefully. What this example illustrates is a direct, comprehensive and complete answer with everything wrapped into one package. You want to stay focused on the question being sure not to wander off the subject and keep the answer direct and to the point. You will find if you answer the question this way you will come across as a knowledgeable, skilled and experienced Candidate that is a problem solver that gets results. Come across comfortably confident and you will have it nailed.

But, what happens if you do not have direct experience with the skill set the Interviewer is looking for? Here is how I suggest you answer such a question. “The experience that I do have that is very much like (whatever they use) is (what you do have)! Our objective was to (an explanation). What I did was (an explanation). We accomplished our objective (whatever it was) resulting in (whatever it was such as reduced cost, generated income, increased profit margin, shortened time to market, etc)”.

What this will do is show that you have experience with technology that accomplishes the same objective. Answering the question this way turns a potential negative (lack of experience) response into a positive. By turning it around illustrating comparable experience on similar technology the interviewer is left with a positive instead of hearing the negative of “no, I do not have any experience with that technology”.

The same concept in answering questions applies to any industry, career and skill set. Whether it applies to the technologies you have experience with or applications (what was done with technologies), the process is the same. Using the example illustrated above nets you the same result, regardless of you background, whether technical or not.

When you answer questions in this manner you take away the possibility of an Interviewer having a negative impression, have provided excellent answers to their questions, kept the interview moving and left an excellent positive impression. You greatly enhance the impression you leave at the conclusion of the interview.

Second, listen well and “DO NOT” dominate the conversation!

During the interview be careful not to dominate the conversation. Generally the one who speaks the most or dominates the conversation loses. What is important here is to answer the questions personably, direct, complete and to the point. Be careful not to wander from the subject of the question. If you do, it will appear as if you have not listened to the question. If you need to clarify the question, do not hesitate to do so. You can clarify easily by restating the question, validating it and then answering it. Clarifying the question assures you are answering the question with the right answer. So, if need be, “restate”, “validate” and “answer”. If you need to, you can start to answer the question with “as I understand your question”, but it is better to clarify the question.

Third, be cautious of the Interviewer or Yourself of wandering off the subject!

People get to know each during an interview and can develop a liking for each other. If the Interviewer starts wandering or losing the focus of the interview by bringing up other subjects you will be led off the subject of the interview. This happens many times when they have something in common with you and they start talking about it. It is OK to engage in this type of conversation but only briefly. Try not to allow this to happen or take over the interview. An easy way to try to bring the interview back on track is to ask a question. A question about the job, company or technology will bring the interview back on track and keep it moving in the right direction.

Interviewers sometimes wander because of lack of interview experience, confidence or they are nervous. They are not sure of their next question but feel the need to ask something. If they do not have their next question in mind or where to go next they start talking too much. They may talk with you about something you have in common, the weather or some news event. This usually ends up as a bad interview, regardless who took it there. You do not want to walk away from an interview that did not stay on the subject and not have covered everything it should have. This would be a nonproductive interview that accomplishes little to nothing. It also will leave the Interviewer with feeling you are not qualified for the position and you will likely be ruled out as a viable candidate. Be sure to stay on the subject enough to get your story out completely, concisely and understandably.

CLOSURE:

You “ALWAYS” want to close the interview. Sales people know how to close and you should consider an interview a sales presentation. You are selling yourself to the company as their person for the position.

Closing starts by letting your Interviewer know what you are thinking. You want them to know and it is an excellent lead into your close. Here is how I suggest you close your Interviewer. “(Name), I am very interested in this position. I feel my background, experience and education fit excellently with this position. The work that I have done and things I have accomplished in my career are very fitting. I look forward to my being made an offer of employment. How do you think my background fits your needs for this position?” “What is the next step”?

You may not get a direct answer or an answer that even fits the question. You could here something like “we will have to discuss the interview and get back to you” which is not much. You may get “this was a very good interview and I think you are a good fit for the position. We will get back to you within the week”. You could get a wide variety of similar answers. You will have to accept the answer you get.

Regarding the when on getting back to you, I am not a fan of leaving it open-ended. I suggest you reply with “if I do not hear back from you by (day) can I give you a call and if so what would be the best day and time”? What in essence you are trying to do in nail everything down. You want to get a feel on how they think the interview went, when you will likely hear back from them and if you do not hear back from them when you can call back for follow up. This also opens the door for some final questions. You want to try and tie up any and all loose ends. Your ultimate objective is closure, offer or no offer.

In summary, prepare, know your subject matter, how to present yourself and close. Interviews are one of the more difficult things to do in ones career. When dealing with people you never know what to expect. It is very difficult to be sure what someone is going to ask, say, think or do during an interview. No one can possibly give you all the examples and answers to what to expect or how to perform. You will be on center stage and performing before one of the toughest audiences you will come across. Your goal is to perform well and out perform the competition. The better prepared you are the better you will perform.

NOTE:

I did not address proper attire for an interview here; however, take a look at this example of what not to do:

When a sure thing interview can go bad (true story, this was my candidate):

I had a candidate (John) interview for an inside sales position selling computer software. It was a high end software application that sold for many thousands of dollars so the position was considered a high level sales position.

John was well qualified and had some great experience. The first interview went well. John was introduced to many of the others sales staff and invited back for a second interview.

The second interview John had went very well as well. He was invited back for a third and final interview. The reason for a third interview was because John needed to meet the VP of Marketing who also happened to be a principal in the company. He was told it was more a formality and as far as the VP of Sales was concerned, John was their number one candidate.

Before I tell you what happened at the third interview you must know something. John dressed appropriately for this high level sales position, although it was inside sales, wearing a suit, in other words, business attire. The sales management when interviewing him wore a shirt and tie, both times. The sales staff though, wore shorts and casual collared shirt. Some wore sandals while others wore tennis shoes. That was the acceptable attire for the sales staff.

Have you guessed where this is going yet? Well, as Paul Harvey would say, now for the rest of the story. John went to the third interview in short, a casual collared shirt and tennis shoes. Remember now, this was to be a final interview (or meeting if you will) with the VP of Marketing. John also thought he was in, and righteously so.

The interview went well. There is a however though. I received a phone call right after John left the interview. The VP of Sales had asked me if I knew what John had worn to the interview. I did not and assumed John would still know and understand he was still a candidate, not an employee. I asked the VP if this meant that John would not be receiving an offer of employment and he said that is correct. I felt remiss for not doing my job well enough to have done a third interview prep with John but also felt John was professional and experienced to, after two interviews, know better. Well, I got my surprise.

When I called John to discuss this with him I first asked him how he felt the interview went. He stated that “it went well. I like the VP of Marketing and everyone else. I am looking forward to the offer”. I then asked him how he had dressed for the interview. His response was “did they tell you?” I said “yes but please tell me yourself”. He told me so I asked him “why did he go to the third interview to meet the VP of Marketing dressed like he did?” John said that he “felt that when in Rome, do what the Romans do”. My reply to that was that “you were not a Roman, yet”! He asked about the anticipated offer and I had to tell him that I discussed this with the VP of Sales, I tried to salvage the situation, however there would not be an offer coming.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

You are not a Roman until you are an employee. When you are in the interview process you dress and act accordingly. Once you become a Roman, then you can dress and act like one!

We will have more on Interview attire at another time, watch for it.

RESUME; Candidate, Do you "KIS" your resume to your "audience"?

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM


I have been around the business of recruiting for a long time. Having worked in both agencies and the corporate recruiting world, in varying capacities, I have seen resumes of many different sorts. The two most common types of resumes are the functional and the chronological, however, there is little commonality between them. More on that later!


Resumes have been very fluid over the years. Candidates put their resume together as best they can. Some get advice from experts in the industry. Some are told that functional resumes are the best, others the chronological is best. For every expert you ask you could almost bet on getting a different answer from each of them. It often would appear that the expert would suggest it be fluffed up here, dressed up there and made prettier to attract the right attention. Who is all the fluff, dress up and pretty for? Did anyone ever think to ask what the audience wants? Doubtful! Your audience, you know, is the Human Resource person who reviews your resume and the Hiring Manager you hope to interview with.


I will not get into philosophy of resume writing here, at least not at this time. What I will address though is the “functional” versus “chronological” resume and two key elements of the resume that are seldom considered when writing it. Those elements are often overlooked or not addressed by professional resume writers. Those two elements are the “KIS” (Keep it Simple) and the “audience”.


Chronological versus Functional:


· Functional, chronological, functional, chronological, that is the question

· Definition of the chronological resume, simply put;

     o The chronological resume is the one most candidates are familiar with

     o Typically it lists an Objective, Skills Summary, Work History and Education

     o It is laid out with employers, dates, job titles and scope of responsibility/experience for each position 
        held

· Definition of the functional resume, simply put;

     o The functional resume is one where there would less likely be an Objective, experience would be listed
        in paragraph format as a Skills Summary and scope of responsibility for positions held would be
        highlighted in separate paragraph format such as Production Supervision and/or Projection
        Management

     o Employers would be listed with or without titles at each place of employment and usually not have dates
        on employment

· Which one to use

     o There is no absolute right way here but you should have one or the other that is factual, informative and
        straight to the point

     o Chronological is preferred because more and more employers want to see where you worked, when
        you worked there (more and more want month and year), and what you did when you were there

     o Chronological does that and I have never seen anyone object to a chronological resume, however, I
        have seen Hiring Managers request functional resume be replaced with a chronological resume

     o Additionally, I find that chronological resumes lend themselves better to technical positions and Hiring
        Managers tend to prefer chronological resumes because they can be more fact based and to the point
        as many technical people are

     o If you are going to use a functional resume I suggest using it for non-technical positions


I have seen resumes in all shapes, sizes and fashion. Many times they are not focused, have too much irrelevant information and say things they should not. They just do not look right for presentation and need working over. In many cases, dramatic working over. Here are some suggestions on the most common elements I have seen that need reworking to create the KIS resume.


Addressing the KIS, targeting your Audience:


· The application that the resume is written in is important in that most resume databases employers use today accept only Word Doc resumes and/or work easier with Word Docs

     o PDF, TEXT and others are generally not as user friendly as the old standby Word Doc, so, KIS that
        resume as a Word Doc resume

     o Do not use some of the formatted resume templates that are out there for writing resumes because they
        also can be problematic with some databases; simply type out the resume in a Word Doc format

     o Do not expect someone in Human Resources to try and reformat your resume to fit it into their
        database if need be, it likely will not happen and if it does, it will not be the first thing they do

· Put “ALL” contact information on the resume and not in a header or footer

     o Many resumes are looked at on a computer screen and no one I know wants to go to print preview to
        see the contact information; if the resume is not presented in hard copy, this becomes an unfriendly step
        that does not win friends or influence people

· Do not go outside the box when it comes to resumes with pictures, personal information, fancy resume borders; they do not attract the right kind of attention

     o Although the picture may be pretty and personal information interesting, it is likely that it is not relevant
        and Hiring Managers really don’t care; they are mostly interested in what you can do for them

     o An exception could be a sales, marketing or some sort of position where a person would have to be in
        front of others to do business, however, it should not be a qualifier and I would not go there; you can
        not go wrong by not having it on a resume

     o Fancy resume borders can not address a candidates qualifications for a job and usually come across as
        unimpressive; would not do this


There is more to the resume that gets the attention of the Hiring Manager than I have brought up here. If the resume is not an easy read and does not get attention early in the read, nothing else will probably matter. Aside from these tips I always suggest you keep in mind your audience and what the position is you are applying for. The resume should speak to both and attempt to sell the Hiring Manager on wanting to set up an interview. If you can not get to the interview you will not be getting anywhere.


I do not want to imply here that the resume should do all the talking but it is the first impression you make and you do want to make the best first impression. You want a resume that is easy to read, understandable and gets the attention you are looking for. That would be the difference between a not so good resume as compared to a focused, targeted and excellent resume. A resume, KIS’d as described above, gives you a much greater chance to get the right kind of attention and move forward to an interview. When you KIS the resume you can more readily expect to KIS your way to the interview.



It is not possible to cover everything on resumes in one post so watch for more on resumes in future BLOG’s.



I welcome your comments, input and questions. Feel free to exercise any or all of those options.



The information in this BLOG and future BLOG's will prove to be valuable to you in your JOB SEARCH. Planned posting of BLOG's are to be on Mondays and Thursdays. Watch for future BLOG's addressing JOB SEARCH issues. Bookmark it to come back often and “TELL A FRIEND(s)”!

JOB SEARCH! When the shoe drops, and you lose your job, you go into JOB SEARCH mode!

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM



Regardless of the reason, when the shoe drops, you lose your job, its Job Search time. You find yourself having to make decisions you have never had to make or have not made in some time. Whether this just happened or you have been in the job search mode for awhile, you need to be thinking ahead. Maybe the shoe has not dropped and you are taking more control over your career. You should still stay ahead in your job search, be thinking ahead and be prepared to make decisions.



There are generally three mind sets that people in the search mode have; “People who wait for things to happen, People who make things happen and People who wonder what happened”. You can chose anyone of the three you wish to be, however, get yourself out in front of your search by getting out there and “make things happen”.



With the calamity, the trauma and stress of losing your job, or, the job search in general, you may be wondering where to start. That is a reasonable reaction and many times people are not sure where to start their campaign. Although you can do things in any sequence you want, you will be much better off if you have a PLANNED campaign you can effectively manage. Anyone who gets involved in projects or does project management knows that the most successful outcome to any project starts with a plan. And, did you know that “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance”? It does, so, let’s talk about putting together a PLAN!



First, what do you want to do? I know this may sound like an unnecessary question but now is the time for you to have an answer for that question. At this point you are very early in your planning but you do need to identify what you want to do. Call this your OBJECTIVE. You can put it down as an objective on your resume but I am talking more about you knowing what you want to do! You may be a Project Manager that wants to stay a Project Manager or you may be a Project Manager wanting an opportunity to grow into an Account Manager position. Maybe you want to hire into an Account Manager position. Whatever it is you do or want to do, without having the answer to that question, you are limiting the success you will have with your job search. You need to be focused and decisive. Avoid being too generic. Being generic does not give an answer to the question that Hiring Managers are asking, “What are you looking to do in your career”?



So, decide what you want to do and make that your OBJECTIVE. Define it, all its tangible parts, make the decision and plan around it. This will be your reference or anchor point, a place for you to rally around in your job search.



Second, now that you know what you want to do, who do you know want to do it with? If you enjoy what you do in the industry you are doing it in, this would be your starting point for research. You know who you worked for; do you know who the competitors are? That is what research will do for you. You will need to identify your targets and research those targets.



“Direct” competitors would be companies that do what your company does. Let’s use automobile manufacturers for example. Not all parts used in an automobile are manufactured by automobile manufacturers. That’s where “indirect” companies come in. Many times they are called OEM’s, original equipment manufacturers. They manufacture various parts in support of the direct manufacturers of the core product but they do not manufacture the core product themselves. Develop targets in the OEM’s for more possibilities.



You can use this analogy with any industry and can even call the structure tier I, tier 2 or tier 3 companies. The concept is the same. The point is that you could fit a position in a direct competitor of your current or previous company or an indirect company that supports the industry your company services. And, do not forget the growth industries you would like to work in and be a fit for. There could be opportunities in those growth industries you could be a fit for. To find targets in the growth industries, use the same concept. Pick your first choice company you would like to work for and find its competitors. These would be the direct competitors. Then look at the OEM support companies and develop your indirect targets.



Recognizing the need to do some research, where do you start doing your research? To find your direct competitors and companies doing a like business or manufacturing the same products, go to Thomas Registry, Hoovers (a Dunn & Bradstreet company) and ReferenceUSA. These are three of the best sources for company information out there. Many times you will find contacts you can target within the companies. A great place to do the research where you will likely have greater access to the information contained in the databases is your local library. Many libraries subscribe to one or more of these databases and usually provide more comprehensive information because of being subscribed. If your library is too small to subscribe to a business database go to the nearest larger library that does. You may have to get a library card to have access to the database but the cost of a library card is very inexpensive compared to the value of the information you will find.



Once you have all this information, visit the target company web sites to find out what is going on with them, exactly what they do, are they hiring and do not forget about news releases which can provide some valuable information. This kind of information will help you be more knowledgeable about the companies and help you when you contact the companies.



Third, what marketing material should your job search campaign have and what should it look like? Your marketing material should be your cover letter, career summary (profile) and your resume. Make sure your resume is accurate and up to date. It should match your cover letter and profile in content and chronology. Each time you go to send out your resume you should be thinking about sending out your marketing package; the cover letter, profile and resume, positioned in that order. I suggest you have your material written with KIS (keep it simple) in mind and always be targeted to the job description and your audience. Try to have in mind what the targeted person would want to see and have in mind. You want to make that great first impression and as they say, “you only have one chance to make a great first impression”. Think marketing when you are presenting (sending out information) yourself to prospective employers. You are doing yourself a disservice if you do not.



How should these three documents look to provide the greatest impact?



1) COVER LETTER; your cover letter should always be personalized to the position and company you are sending it to. You do not want to have a generic cover letter to address a specific position or company. You should keep it to about ½ to ¾ pages long and address how your experience fits the position you are addressing with it. You also want to add some accomplishments that are relative to the position and how your experience and skills will fit what the company is looking for. The cover letter objective is to interest the reader and draw them into looking at the other material.



2) PROFILE; another term for profile is career summary. Your summary can/should address the job description as the cover letter. It will be more specific than the cover letter though. The profile should address the key components of what the company is looking for. Be sure your profile has relevant experience (to the job description), your strengths (functional relative to the hard skills such as a particular technology, not something like team player) and your accomplishments (what the issue was, what your role was, how you accomplished the task and what the benefit was). You may want to provide responses to the following question: “What would your previous manager(s) say are your greatest attributes”? You can do that by saying something like “my managers would tell you my best attributes are”. This is not a reference, just a brief testimonial of what others who know you professionally would say.



3) RESUME; your resume should be accurate, up to date and appeal to your experience relative to what you are looking for. It needs to be conclusive. When you illustrate the responsibilities for your position(s) be sure to state what you did as much as the scope of responsibility you have/had. The more important issue is what you did in the position. Do not forget accomplishments that illustrate the success you had with what you were doing. List the benefits of the accomplishment such as increased revenue, increased market share, reduced time getting product to the market, reducing warranty issues, etc. An accomplishment in your career is always worthy of presenting in your resume. As for the look of your resume, use a bullet format. Bullet formats are an easier read and the reader can more easily see what they are looking for. Paragraph formats are not as reader friendly. This is particularly true if there is a large amount of content. The reader of a resume written in a paragraph format has a harder time finding what they are looking for in a paragraph format. The analogy in getting attention on the resume is similar to a speaking engagement. If you can not get the attention of the reader in the first 15 to 20 seconds of the read, you will likely lose the readers interest and they will move on to the next resume. You want to get their attention, keep them interested and get them to read the entire resume. A well written resume will do that for you. And, if you need two pages for a resume, have two pages. The argument over resume length is just that, an argument. If you have a solid and extensive background that needs to be told, do it. You do not want to explain how to build a watch when you are only telling someone the time but you do need to introduce yourself completely. Two pages of well written, concise and informative content that keeps the readers attention is OK. With three, you are probably starting to tell your reader how to build a watch.



Now that you have decided what you want to do, who you want to do it with (your targets), researched the targets and put together your marketing material, where do you start in your marketing strategy? Start by posting your resume to the resume databases. The better known sites are Monster, CareerBuilder and Hot Jobs. A good technically oriented site is Dice. Look at Niche resume database sites as well. There are many of them. You also want to be sure to maintain your resumes where they are posted as well. Typically, the most recently posted resumes show up at the top of the results when a recruiter is doing a resume search. If you leave your resume unattended after posting it, it will gradually fall to the bottom of any results a recruiter will see. The bottom is not the best position to be in. You should update your resume weekly. Something very slight will repost the resume with a new date taking it to the top. The change can be something as simple as how your phone number is displayed, whether you use your full name with middle initial or without or whether you spell out your state of residence or abbreviate. Whatever you do to your resume to constitute a change or revision, do it to keep you at or near the top of returned results.



After you put yourself out there on the various resume databases you should do searches on the job sites. Again, you can look on Monster, CareerBuilder, Hot Jobs, Dice and niche sites. Look at the aggregate job sites as well. Aggregate job sites are sites that draw their information on jobs from many sources on the internet. Those can be company web sites, job sites and newspapers. They are a good source of information. And, on each of these sites you should set up a search wizard that will work for you to alert you on jobs that come open that fit the parameters you set up in your search wizard.



When you are setting up the key words for your search look at the tips offered up on Boolean search methods. The tips you learn will help you when you are actively searching and work well with your search wizards. Do not be afraid to change them up from time to time either.



Online social networking is becoming more prevalent as well as important. You can make some good connections and get some good information through social networking. The most widely used site is Linkedin. Linkedin will become more valuable when referring to your researched company information. Consider the research capability to find key contacts on Linkedin as well. You could easily find the right contacts in your companies of choice as they are likely using Linkedin. Finding them and having a means to connect with them could be invaluable. Facebook is becoming more popular as social networking site as well. Get yourself out there through social networking. It does not require a lot of time to set up or manage but can provide some great rewards if you use it.



In your research you may have found the names of department managers who you can send your resume too. The best thing to do is attempt to reach out to them. Call the company and ask for the person. If you can not reach the person ask for the department Administrative Assistant. They can be a valuable resource and very informative. What you want to do is find out who you can send your presentation to that will get it into the department and into the department manager’s hands. If you can not get it through to the Manager or Administrative Assistant, ask the operator who is the best person you can send it to and can you talk to them. You want to try and get an email address of someone you can send you information to. People generally check email multiple times a day but snail mail can stack up and collect dust. Out of sight becomes out of mind.



You have done all the planning for your campaign and are now in implementation mode. The last thing you want to happen is lose track of where you are at, who you talked to or who you sent your resume too. The last part of your campaign is to track your campaign’s activity. When sending out many presentations and talking to many people, it is easy to lose track of your activity. If someone calls you from XYZ company, you want to be able to know what you sent them, when and what it was for. You will sound much more prepared and more together if you are not caught off guard. This will support your ability to know what you are doing. An Excel spreadsheet works great to track your progress. You can set it up any way that works best for you but the minimum should be Company, Contact, Phone Number, Date, Reason for Contact and Notes. In the Notes you could put what you did and the time for your next action.



Searching for a new job is a full time job itself. It is not something people look forward to. It takes time, patience, tenacity and faith. If someone tells you no, it does not mean they do not like you. Do not take anything personally, get disillusioned or give up. Remember the steps:



1) Determining what you want to do

2) Who you want to do it with

3) Searching your targets

4) Putting together your cover letter, profile and resume

5) Posting your resume

6) Conducting searches and creating your search wizard

7) Initiate your social networking

8) Reach out to your targets

9) Track your efforts



They are intended to get you started. Taking and following these steps gives you a roadmap. Discipline yourself to get started and have the momentum to keep you going. And, one last thing: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE IMPOSSIBLE AND THE POSSIBLE LIES IN NOT GIVING UP!

I welcome your comments, input and questions. Feel free to exercise any or all of those options.

The information in this BLOG and future BLOG's will prove to be valuable to you in your JOB SEARCH. Watch for future BLOG's addressing JOB SEARCH issues. Bookmark it to come back often and “TELL A FRIEND(s)”!