careersolvers

2008-02-19T14:09:00.000-05:00

Career Solvers Blog Has Moved!

The Career Solvers Blog has moved! Visit us here for more posts on career management strategy. Hope to see you there!

2008-02-13T21:43:00.000-05:00

More on LinkedIn

Lately I've been receiving a lot of LinkedIn invitations from people I do not know with the generic "I'd like to add you to my network" message and nothing else. This just isn't doing it for me. Maybe I should know you, but without a compelling message, it's hard to make that decision. And please don't take the easy way out and assume I will click on the link to your profile. Explain in the body of your email why I should connect to someone I don't know and what the possible professional synergies are. That will capture my attention and make you much more credible in my eyes.

LinkedIn users should stop mining data and start creating authentic relationships on-line that can eventually lead to valuable professional partnerships. That's the way to optimize its value.

2008-02-11T22:13:00.000-05:00

LinkedIn 101 - Ten Tips to Help You Ace the Power of LinkedIn

I just finished reading Liz Ryan's book Happy About Online Networking which offers some great tips for leveraging the power of online business and social networking tools to build relationships and an online professional identity. Liz makes some great points about how to build credibility on several sites and I particularly liked her comments about building authentic relationships on LinkedIn. She reminds us that users should not just use the LinkedIn database to find people, but they should also share enough information about themselves to indicate how they might help others. Liz and I are on the same page when it comes to making the most of LinkedIn. Here are some of the tips I recommend for optimizing the benefits of LinkedIn.

Take the time to create a robust profile. Write a summary section that clearly outlines your personal brand and value add and gets readers jazzed up about what you do. Build out the specialties section and make it keyword rich and industry relevant. Many profiles on LinkedIn are just a shell with a name and an abbreviated chronology. You would never submit a resume to a potential employer that only listed the names of the companies you worked for with no supporting information, so why would you use this tactic online where your information is available for millions of people to see?
Use the endorsements feature to request and offer endorsements. People are more likly to contact you if you can showcase that others have been satisfied with your work. Adding endorsements can expedite the decision making/hiring process.
Keep your profile up to date. People who use LinkedIn for a job search campaign often abandon the tool after they find new employment. By keeping your information up to date, you are more likely to keep your network strong and be able to reciprocate to others.
Educate your connections. If people join LinkedIn and don't invite others, they won't get as much out of the tool and will remain several degrees apart from the people they want to meet. When you introduce friends and colleagues to the tool, take the time to explain to them how to maximize its utility.
Remember that LinkedIn doesn't replace traditional networking, it facilitates it. Always supplement your online efforts with face-to-face networking.
Use the questions and answers feature to start conversations, create community, and position yourself as a subject matter expert. By answering questions, you are simultaneously endorsing your candidacy and expertise.
Don't add a connection that you would not feel comfortable introducing to someone already in your network. Having 500 connections doesn't have much value if you can't "share the love".
Avoid the "invitation to connect" templates. They lack authenticity and are inferior when compared to a personalized message.
Create a public profile. This is an easy way to start building an online presence for yourself, since LinkedIn ranks high in the search engines.
Take advantage of available resources about LinkedIn including I'm on LinkedIn...Now What???, Linked Intelligence and LinkedIn Blog.

2008-02-05T00:20:00.000-05:00

Negotiation Tip #7

Always get the offer in writing. Because of the large number of mergers, acquisitions, and downsizings, it’s important to get terms of employment in writing. Find out if the company routinely provides new hires with employment contracts. If this is not offered, use a confirmation letter to spell out the terms you have agreed to accept. During the negotiation process, use a follow up memo after each discussion. This gives you more control over the final agreement.

These seven tips remind candidates that the negotiation process reinforces individual empowerment and group cooperation. By viewing the negotiation as a step towards consensus building and understanding the psychology behind the exchange, candidates can improve their bargaining power significantly and begin new employment relationships on a positive note.

That's it for this series. Good luck in your future negotiations!

2008-02-04T00:12:00.000-05:00

Negotiation Tip #6

Generally it is reasonable to request up to one week to make your decision regarding a position. As a matter of fact you should never accept a position on the spot. You want the employer to view you as a prudent decision maker and you want them to understand that you don’t rush into big decisions. Express your excitement regarding the offer, but allow yourself some time to think about the level of responsibility within the position and the associated compensation. Another reason for not accepting the offer on the spot is to make sure you have time to review the offer and determine what points you may want to negotiate.

I will post my last tip in this series tomorrow. Stay tuned!

2008-02-03T00:29:00.000-05:00

Negotiation Tip #5

Negotiation starts the moment you submit your resume and continues during the interview process. Don’t sell yourself at one level and then expect an offer for a higher level. During the interview process you start building the relationship with the employer and showcasing your value as a candidate. Once you’ve built maximum value throughout the interview process, you will have the leverage to negotiate the best compensation package possible. I have two more tips to share. Check back tomorrow for the next tip.

2008-02-02T00:25:00.000-05:00

Negotiation Tips #3 and 4

Surveys suggest that 85-90% of hiring managers do not make their best offer first. The employer begins the negotiation process knowing how much money is budgeted for the position and how much flexibility there is around that figure. They also know how long they’ve been looking and how competitive the job market is for someone with your abilities. These factors influence what they offer initially. They want to have some wiggle room…they know the candidate may chose to negotiate their compensation. By starting low they have built in flexibility during the negotiation process.

Counteroffers are generally 10-15% above the original offer. Again, employers know they may need to negotiate, so it’s reasonable to assume that there’s flexibility built in to the initial offer. Employers expect you to negotiate. In addition to the financial rewards associated with salary negotiation, you will gain the respect of the hiring manager and increase your credibility within the organization.

I have a few more tips to share. Check back tomorrow!

2008-02-01T01:11:00.000-05:00

Negotiation Tip #2

Never ignore job openings because of perceived salary shortcomings. In many cases, those who keep an open mind and interview for positions that at first glance might appear too junior can build a great deal of value into their candidacy by discussing additional responsibilities they can handle within the position and in turn negotiate a better compensation package.

Always approach a job opportunity like it is the job of your dreams. While you don’t want to waste your time to get an offer if you just don’t think the job is right for you, many people drop out of the running too early in the interview process because they don’t want to be in a position where they have to turn an offer down.

Continue to interview for all but the most unlikely positions until you get the job offer. It’s ok to walk away if after the negotiations the job still isn’t a good fit for you. In addition, statistically, one out of every two jobs will be newly created positions in this decade and the next. This allows candidates to help design their own positions with employers throughout the interview and offer process.

Check back tomorrow for the next tip in this series.

2008-01-31T11:27:00.000-05:00

Tips for Successful Employment Negotiations

In the job offer context, negotiation is a non-confrontational, business focused discussion aimed at resolving differences between two parties with the same goal. In order to be an effective negotiator, job seekers need to understand the dynamics behind the conversation and use this information to create a give and take dialogue with potential employers. What often gets in the way of rewarding win-win conversations is our fear of rejection or potential conflict. Successful negotiators view the process as one of collaboration. They listen to the employer’s needs and recommend outcomes that benefit both parties. They recognize that savvy negotiators build relationships and never give ultimatums. Strategic job seekers understand that the negotiation is hopefully the first of many relationship building conversations they will have with their future employer. Here's tip #1 in this series.

Everyone is capable of negotiating. Nobody is born knowing how to be an effective negotiator. It is a learned skill that is developed with experience. We can all learn to negotiate effectively for what we need and want. Keep in mind you wouldn’t be receiving the offer in the first place if you weren’t the person selected as the best candidate for the job. This gives you leverage. Once an employer decides you are the person for the job, the primary concern will not be to negotiate the least expensive compensation package the company can get away with. The focus will be on getting you to accept the job. Most employers invest a great deal of time and energy in the interview process, and are very reluctant to settle for second best when their number one candidate makes an attempt in good faith to negotiate for more money.

2008-01-21T10:53:00.000-05:00

Is it Time to Find a New Job?

Career Builder ran a piece today about deciding when it's time to leave your current job. While the right time is different for everyone, here are the signs I recommend you look for when considering a job change or career move.

Job change...

You are no longer challenged by or interested in the tasks that you perform.
You are not being paid competitively and attempts to negotiate your salary have not changed your situation.

Career change....

You consistently question the value of what you do.
You spend a significant amount of time thinking about pursuing another line of work.
Your industry is shrinking and you have witnessed significant downsizing in your company or industry.
You have consistently received poor performance reviews or you are on corrective action.

What has triggered you to make a job or career change? What benefits did you derive from doing so?

To read more about warning signs that signal it's time to leave a job and advice on general job search strategy, check out my interview on the They Tell You How blog.

2008-01-20T21:38:00.000-05:00

Why I Like Facebook

A colleague of mine recently emailed me this post from CIO.com about Facebook and how this popular social networking tool can distract people and sap productivity. While the blogger makes some valid points about the questionable usefulness of certain Facebook applications and people's tendency to get lost on-line, I have to say I still think that Facebook is a great business and social networking tool. Here's why.

Facebook makes it easy for me to let my friends, colleagues, and clients know that I am thinking of them. It reminds me when my contacts' birthdays are, lets me share interesting articles, photos, and videos to groups of friends, and helps me get to know the personal side of my contacts, not just the business side.
Facebook is "sticky" and I have a reason to go there everyday. Facebook updates me on what everyone in my network is doing on a daily basis...sure a lot of the information is useless or silly, but sometimes there's a golden nugget about a friend or colleague's success, an upcoming industry event, a reunion, a book recommendation, or an interesting product or service.
Facebook is fun. Sometimes after I've just completed a project or when I'm stuck on how to tackle a new project, I jump on Facebook. Distraction? Maybe...But sometimes a distraction is just what I need to get the creative juices flowing for the next project. If I'm stuck on a project that my contacts may be able to help me with, I pose a question to the group and get invaluable advice that helps propel me forward.
Facebook lets people get to know me better. People build relationships based on frequency of encounters and trust. Facebook simply expedites this process and helps people get to know me faster. Once an authentic relationship is established we can begin to share information that will help each other.

If you want to learn more about Facebook and how to get the most out of it, check out Jason Alba and Jesse Stay's new book, I'm on Facebook...Now What??? here.

2008-01-19T23:30:00.000-05:00

Recession-Proof Your Career

According to an article in The New York Times, the U.S. Department of Labor reports that the unemployment rate as of December 2007 is 13.2% higher than it was in December 2006. Historically, a year-to-year difference of 13% or more has led to a recession. While these statistics don't offer proof that a recession is underway, now is certainly a good time to look at your job, company, and industry and think through strategies for recession proofing your career. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself to get you started.

Analyze your industry
Is your industry growing or shrinking? Have certain job functions been eliminated, automated, outsourced, or off-shored? Could you easily do every aspect of your job from home...in your pajamas? If your industry is shrinking, what skills do you have that are transferable to another, more robust industry?

Review your skills
Have you diversified your skills over the past 5 years? What competencies do you possess that your colleagues do not? Do you volunteer for new projects that require you to stretch and make you a little less replaceable?

Be a continuous learner
Have things changed in your industry within the past 5 years? If you had to look for a new job tomorrow, would there be something lacking in your skills that would raise a red flag with employers?

Be visible
Do people in your industry or profession know about you? Can they find out more about you by visiting Linked In, Zoom Info, or Ziggs or just plain Googling you? Is your online presence distinct or are you one of thousands of John Does?

Share information
When was the last time you offered career advice to a friend or colleague? Do people see you as the type of person they would like to help if you were seeking career advice or would they duck and cover?

Always have your resume ready
If the perfect opportunity presented itself tomorrow, would you be able to quickly shoot your resume off to the decision maker or would you be scrambling around to create a half-baked cut and paste document? Would you feel confident that your resume adequately represents your accomplishments and the value you can bring to an employer?

2008-01-14T23:18:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading Confessions of a Resilient Entrepreneur by Frumi Rachel Barr which chronicles one entrepreneur's professional and personal life over several decades. After owning several businesses, Barr became a business coach and a lot of her advice for small business owners is relevant to people in a job search. Here are some of my favorite suggestions from her book and my take on how these concepts apply to a job search:

"Make a list of your core values. Which ones do you actively support? Which ones need your attention?" For the job seeker, core values should be examined to help them decide what type of company they want to work for. What are your priorities? Do you value money, great benefits, meaningful work, a relaxed dress code, flexibility, lots of vacation time...the more aligned the corporate culture is with your core values and life priorities the greater the likelihood that you will succeed in that organization.
"Make a list of all the people who fall into your different role categories. What actions should you spend energy on?" In the world of job search, job seekers need to develop a targeted networking strategy that gets them in front of the right people with the greatest possible frequency. All networking activities are not created equal. Take the time to examine your network and concentrate on the relationships and affinity groups that will optimize your visibility and keep you in front of the right audience.
"Start a journal. Make notes about your impressions of yourself and your decision making process. Did you get to where you are because you followed a plan or did things just happen?" Journaling during a job search can be a great way to relieve stress and it can also be an excellent strategy for reviewing past career successes and mistakes. The more introspective you can be about the past, the greater the chance of finding the right culture and fit at your next job.
"What are you afraid of? What fears are holding you back?" Have you resisted pursuing your dream job because you fear that you will fail or that people around you won't understand? How would you feel if you were selected for the job of your dreams and what would it look like? By visualizing your success you may overcome your fears and get one step closer to your perfect job.
"What trade offs are you making in your life right now and what are you willing to trade to get where you want to go?" Job search requires a significant commitment and a certain amount of risk. Job seekers need to stretch during a job search and take some calculated risks. What sacrifices have you made for current or past employers and what were the consequences? What sacrifices are you willing to make moving forward to find the right job?

2008-01-13T17:56:00.000-05:00

Build Authenticity During a Job Search With On-Line Personal Branding

I ran across a great post on personal branding over on the Shoestring Branding blog that advocates leveraging on-line technologies to achieve an authentic voice and become the candidate of choice for employers seeking talent. The blog's publisher, Mario Sanchez, discusses how many candidates in search turn their candidacy into a commodity by posting on multiple job boards rather than building a personal brand that showcases their unique value proposition and focuses on the key competencies that make them a real catch.

As Sanchez puts it, job seekers need to "come across as a real person in a low trust world." He recommends registering your name as a URL, setting up a personal website, and blogging on your brand or niche area of expertise.

If you're not ready to take these big steps yet, consider implementing one or more of these baby steps to create your on-line personal brand.

Post comments on other people's blogs. By commenting on other people's blogs, you become a part of the discussion, build credibility, demonstrate your passion for your area of expertise, and create visibility. You can find blogs relevant to your profession, industry, and areas of knowledge by setting up Google Alerts on key words in your field.
Set up some business networking profiles. On-line networking sites help you connect to a lot of people, 24/7, all over the world. They offer certain efficiencies that can't be duplicated in the non-virtual world, and while on-line networking should not be seen as a replacement to in-person networking, it is certainly an excellent add-on that every job seeker should take notice of. Linked In is great for business networking. Spoke, Ecademy, and Xing, are other sites that can add value to your business networking strategy.
Build on-line identity through others. Zoom Info, Naymz, and Ziggs allow you to create professional profiles and bios and upload a photo. Ziggs even has a feature where you can answer certain interview-like questions and post your responses.

What have your experiences been with building your professional identity on-line? What works best for you and which groups or strategies give you the most personal satisfaction? Let us know.

2008-01-08T23:30:00.000-05:00

Tales From the Networking Community

I just finished reading Tales From the Networking Community and really enjoyed Dan Williams' simple, yet powerful statements about networking. My favorites are:

"Building trust is not an event, but rather comes with frequency" How true! Generally, introductions into another person's network don't happen after one encounter. The relationship must afford you consistent visibility and you must remain top of mind with your contacts in order to solidify the affinity, gain credibility, and eventually broaden your network.
"Networking is like farming; it requires an ongoing process of activities to grow, it requires a leap of faith, and it cannot be done alone." Without proper nurturing, nothing can grow. Like children, your network requires a lot of attention in order to remain healthy and prosperous.
"Networking has very little do do with personality. Networking is all about a learned set of skills and having a systematic process to exercise those skills." People are not born knowing how to network. Anyone can learn the strategies for creating successful relationships, but they have to be willing to do the work. And it is a lot of work!

2008-01-06T19:35:00.000-05:00

Networking Rx

I came across a great post on Liz Lynch's The Stealth Networker Blog about some of the issues active job seekers sometimes face when networking. Liz reminds us that the time to start networking is way before you are in a job search. People who only start networking when they are in need of contacts and help often lack the authenticity that is so critical to building a viable network. Job seekers often get frustrated with the concept of networking because as Dan Williams says in his book, Tales From the Networking Community, "networking is a process, not an event." Job seekers expect immediate results (often because they need to pay immediate bills) and may give up on networking if they don't quickly get some bites.

Every encounter with another person is a potential networking opportunity. Network to build relationships, not to get a job. Get in the mindset of giving more than you get, connecting people without being asked, actively seeking new affinity groups, exploring on line social networks, blogging, joining professional associations, volunteering, and reconnecting with old friends and colleagues. By doing so, you will build your network steadily over time and will be recognized as a trustworthy and credible connection who is genuinely interested in the well-being of the people in your network. Once this is accomplished, you will reap the benefits of being top of mind with others in your network when you are in need of advice, help, support, and yes, even a job lead.

2008-01-05T16:01:00.000-05:00

Networking and Professional Development for HR Practitioners

There are a lot of great HR seminars going on in New York City this month through HRNY, one of the premier chapters of SHRM. Topics include managing change, getting a handle on corporate benefits costs, and workplace diversity. If you are an HR professional or if you are interested in "hob nobbing" with HR practitioners and entrepreneurs, this is the place to be. Check out the association and the seminars here.

2008-01-04T01:05:00.000-05:00

Facebook and Your Job Search

While LinkedIn continues to be a valuable tool for sourcing job leads, more and more recruiters and hiring managers are also using Facebook as a tool for finding talent. Check out CM Russell's post over on Secrets of the Job Hunt to learn more about some interesting applications to help you get found online.

2007-12-31T15:44:00.000-05:00

Career Management Resolutions for 2008

In the spirit of the New Year, here are some easy to implement resolutions to get your career management strategy on track for 2008.

Go to lunch. I meet a lot of people who never take a lunch hour because they are too busy working. Don't make this mistake. The lunch hour is a great time to solidify relationships with colleagues, mentors, friends, and family. More lunch buddies means more networking and potentially more job opportunities down the road. Try to eat with different people over the course of a month and get in the habit of introducing people over lunch. Be a connector so people will want to connect you to others in the future.
Get a hobby. Everyone has something outside of work that they are interested in. But many people find excuses for not pursuing hobbies and interests. Having a hobby helps build affinity with others. Running clubs, knitting clubs, book clubs, etc. help people bond and develop trust. Friendship grows out of trusting relationships. The more friends you have, the greater the likelihood that they will share information about professional opportunities that may interest you.
Join a professional association. Professional associations offer many great opportunities to connect with colleagues. Find an appropriate association in your field and do more than just show up. Offer to work the registration table at an event, contribute content to the association's newsletter, or be part of a panel for an upcoming event. Involvement leads to familiarity, and familiarity leads to opportunities sourced through other members of the association.
Reconnect with old friends. Friends are usually flattered when you take the time to find them and learn about what they are doing. Try to find old schoolmates through Classmates.com or your college's alumni directory. CorporateAlumni.com is helpful for trying to find previous work colleagues. Facebook is also a great tool for finding friends and it's not just for college kids anymore.
Get organized. As you build your list of new contacts, organizing their information can be a bit overwhelming. Use an electronic career management tool such as JibberJobber to keep your information current and at your fingertips.
Update your resume. Don't wait until you find the perfect posting on line or meet the right decision maker at a networking event. Always have an updated resume ready to send to your contacts. Get a free assessment of your current resume here.
Get online. If a recruiter or hiring manager wanted to know more about you, would they be able to find you on line? Put your full name in quotes on Google or another search engine and find out what information is available about you. If there is nothing there or you don't like what you see, start creating a web presence using tools such as Linked In, ZoomInfo, and Ziggs.
Go on an informational interview. One of the best ways to learn more about opportunities in your field or another field you are considering transitioning into is to talk to people who are currently doing the type of work you think you would like to be doing. In an informational interview, any question is fair game, and you can receive authentic answers to what it's really like to be in a particular professional role. These types of interviews help you validate your perceptions about a certain profession and adjust your career aspirations based on the information you receive.

Try to implement at least one of these suggestions in early 2008 and find ways to incorporate other strategies into your career management plan throughout the rest of the year. Best wishes for a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

2007-12-22T20:08:00.000-05:00

Tips for Building Visibility at Professional Development Meetings

Attending a professional development meeting in the near future? Here are some suggestions for getting the most out of the event.

Show up at events early so you can meet the speaker. It’s easier to build rapport before the presentation, when there are less people vying for the speaker’s attention. Follow-up with an email or card thanking the speaker for spending time with you prior to the presentation.

Ask a question during the Q&A portion of the presentation. State your name and a brief one-liner about yourself before stating your question. This allows you to introduce yourself to everyone in the room and increase the likelihood that people will seek you out for a conversation later.

Thank the organizers before you leave. This is a nice gesture and a good way to build rapport with people who are close to the organization’s membership. Perhaps you’ll uncover an opportunity for you to assist with a future event and gain greater access to membership contacts.

2007-12-20T00:10:00.000-05:00

Networking Rules Part 2

As a follow up to yesterday's post, here are some additional recommendations for successful networking.

Give the other person a chance to speak. Ask questions.
When you network it is imperative that you do not do all the talking. If you have asked another person for advice, make sure they have the opportunity to offer it. Also, when you do all the talking, the other person might feel confused and unsure of what they are supposed to do with the information you have supplied. Here are some questions you can ask to keep your exchange balanced and establish rapport.

• How long have you been with this company/field?
• What do you like/dislike about your job?
• What type of training do you need for positions such as yours?
• What is the culture of this company and what are its guiding principles?

Ask for suggestions on how to expand your network.
One of the main goals of networking is to tap into the network of the people you are meeting with. Each person you meet knows 200 or more people. If you can gain introductions to some of them, you quickly increase your network and your chances of finding the right connection. Ask your contacts if they can recommend a professional organization or the names of some other people you should be talking to.

Create a vehicle for follow up.
If you want to establish rapport with another person, you need to create ways to keep the relationship going. Ask the person if you may keep them informed of your search progress. If you read an article that pertains to a discussion you had at a networking meeting, cut it out and send it to them with a brief note. Try to find at least two to three opportunities per year to reconnect with members of your network.

Find ways to reciprocate.
Building a network is about creating a genuine, caring relationship. Thank your contact for the information they have supplied and see if you can help them in some way. Maybe your contact is interested in living in an area that you are familiar with or has a child interested in attending the same school you just graduated from. Share your knowledge of the school and your experience there as a way to help the other person. Keep notes on what you learn about your contacts so that future correspondence can have a personalized touch like “How was Jane’s first year of school?”

Send a thank you letter.
Always thank your contacts in person and follow up with a letter. If your handwriting is legible, the personalized touch is always appreciated

Networking is an ongoing process. It requires persistence, attention, organization, and good will. Incorporate the art of networking into your job search campaign now and you will gain opportunities and build relationships that will last a lifetime.

2007-12-19T00:29:00.000-05:00

Rules for Networking Success Part 1

Many people think that networking during a job search means calling everyone you know and asking them for a job. They associate networking with being pushy, overbearing, and an overall pest. People often shy away from networking because they don’t want to be labeled as this type of person. But research shows that 70-80% of all jobs are filled through networking. How can this be so, if networkers are such an annoying, self-serving lot?

Successful networkers are not egocentric, aggressive jerks. They show a sincere interest in their networking contacts. They work hard to develop a relationship, establish their credibility, and share information. They follow the rules of the game where everyone has something to gain. Like the lottery, you have to be in it to win it. Here are a few rules for successful networking.

Don’t ask for a job…Ask for information.
Networking is not about asking everyone you know for a job. As a matter of fact, when you network you should never ask someone for a job…You ask them for information that will help you in your search. Your goal is to build a relationship and establish rapport so that if a potential opportunity becomes available in the future, they will want to refer you. Compare these two scenarios:

Scenario One
“Joe, I’ve been out of work for six months and I’m really strapped for cash. Do you know of any open positions in your department?”

You’ve put Joe in a very difficult position. Sure, he can sympathize with your situation, but he may not be able to offer you a job. Perhaps he’s not in a position to refer you, or there’s a hiring freeze, or there aren’t any openings right now. Whatever answer Joe gives you, it’s bound to be disappointing. So to redeem himself, Joe says, “I don’t know of any open positions, but why don’t you give me your resume and I’ll send it to the HR department where I work.” Bad move. Unless your skills match a specific opening in the company at that point in time, it’s bound to never be looked at. Joe will feel that he’s done what he can for you, but you will be no better off.

Scenario Two
”Joe, as you know, I most recently worked for a medical device company in their marketing group. I know that you’ve been in pharmaceutical sales for the past 15 years and I’m very interested in learning more about marketing roles within your industry” I don’t expect you to know of any open positions in your organization, but I’d like the opportunity to speak with you briefly to learn more about your organization and the pharmaceutical industry in general.”

Joe may think, OK, here’s a friend that wants some information and sees me as some sort of expert on the topic. That’s kind of flattering. I guess I could spend a few minutes with him. Does Joe know you’re looking for a job? Probably. But you are not asking him for a job; you’re just asking him for advice and insight. The stakes are low and the expectations are reasonable, so he is more likely to help you.

Don’t take up too much of the other person’s time.
Have an agenda and keep the meeting on track. Nothing scares people more than the prospect of someone eating up a lot of their time. Many people don’t want to cram yet another meeting into their already jam packed day. Contrast these two situations:

Scenario One
You meet with Mary after a mutual friend has agreed to help you set up a brief 20-minute meeting. You neglect to prepare for the meeting, ramble, get off topic and spend an hour and a half with her. Mary feels that you have abused the use of her time and you haven’t gotten to the critical questions you’d hoped to ask during the meeting. Mary feels burned and vows never to network again.

Scenario Two
You walk into the meeting with a prepared mental agenda that includes:
• A reminder of who referred you and perhaps some brief chit-chat about that mutual acquaintance.
• A statement up front that you have no reason to believe Mary can offer you a position and a reiteration of why Mary’s information is of interest to you.
• An explanation of your agenda. “Today I’d like to tell you a bit about myself and get your perspective on the future of the high-tech industry.” Remember to discuss your skills and accomplishments and show how you can add value to an organization.

By planning out your meeting ahead of time, you establish your professionalism, gain credibility, and cover all the critical agenda items.

Check back tomorrow for more networking strategies.

2007-12-12T17:50:00.000-05:00

Research Tools Part 3

Here is the last installment in my three part series on job search research tools.

The Corporate Finance Sourcebook features over 1,900 of today's top investment sources and over 1,400 service firms.

Securities Industry Yearbook includes information on individual securities firms, such as key personnel and department heads, number of customer accounts, registered representatives, offices, and capital.

Standard & Poor's Security Dealers of North America is a comprehensive guide to brokerage and investment banking firms in the U.S. and Canada. The Directory contains all the facts you need for conveniently locating firms and facilitating transactions. This bi-annual publication includes thoroughly researched listings on over 5,000 main offices and 10,000 branches along with information on key executives and department managers and their addresses, phone/fax numbers and internet and email addresses.

ABA Financial Institutions Directory lists head office and branch listings for all banks, savings institutions, and top credit unions along with names of officers in key departments including finance, loans, operations, and marketing.

Gold Book of Venture Capital Firms is a comprehensive directory of venture capital firms arranged by geographic location with indexes by industry, stage of funding, key principals, and a listing of firms in alphabetical order. Each listing contains key statistics such as a sampling of portfolio companies, amount of capital invested, preferred investment size and industries served.

Careers in Public Accounting: A Comprehensive Comparison of the Top Tier Firms compares "top tier" firms, including profiles and various articles covering current events and trends that might impact the industry and employment within the industry.

Take the time to incorporate some good old fashioned research into your search strategy. You will gain more immediate access to the hidden job market, increase your number of quality leads, and possibly decrease the amount of time you spend in search.

2007-12-11T22:26:00.000-05:00

Research Tools Part 2

As a follow up to yesterday's post, here are some more great research tools.

The Directory of Top Computer Executives concentrates on organizations that have the highest potential to be supporting large IT functions. For an organization to be listed it must have a full-time VP, Director, or Manager of IT; have a multi-user host computer; or have more than 75 deployed PCs in the U.S. or 25 in Canada. The Directory lists the top-ranking individual over the IT function, such as the CIO or VP, Director, or Manager of information technology. In addition, second-level managers (which directly report to the top executive) include the manager of software development, manager of operations, manager of networking/data communications, manager of microcomputers, and the manager of technical support.

Consulting & Consulting Organizations Directory contains more than 25,000 consulting firms and independent consultants that operate throughout the United States and Canada. More than 400 specialties are represented including finance, computers, fundraising, advertising, and more. It covers top consulting firms and individuals in several general areas of consulting activity including business and finance management, marketing and sales, manufacturing, transportation, operations, computer technology, telecommunications and information services, engineering, science and technology, architecture, construction and interior design art, graphics and communications media, environment, geology, and land use agriculture, forestry, and landscaping, politics and social issues human resources development, education and personal development, health, medicine, and safety.

Thomas Register of American Manufacturers allows you to look up a brand name and find out the name of the company that makes the product.

Standard Directory of International Advertisers and Agencies lists 1,800 advertising agencies, advertising expenditures, personnel, and clients.

The Corporate Finance Sourcebook features over 1,900 of today's top investment sources and over 1,400 service firms.

Nelson Information's Directory of Investment Managers profiles investment managers and investment specialties and includes addresses and web URLs.

Check back tomorrow for Part 3.

2007-12-10T23:14:00.000-05:00

Job Search Research Tools Part 1

I love doing research on the Internet and I frequently direct my clients to job relevant resources on the web. But for certain research, you just can’t beat the public library. Some of the best research tools online are fee based, but you can gain access to these same resources in book form at your local library. Whether you need to search for recruiters, networking leads, or decision makers, the library can provide priceless (and free) access to numerous search-relevant materials. Below are a few of my favorites:

The Corporate Directory of U.S. Public Companies contains essential financial and business data for over 11,000 U.S. public companies. The directory is the only publication to provide salaries and ages of officers and directors as well as their full names and titles.

The Encyclopedia of Associations is a comprehensive source of detailed information on 22,000 American associations of national scope. They also publish an International Organization listing of 22,300 associations and a regional, state, and local organization listing with 115,000 entries. Included in the reference book are addresses and descriptions of professional societies, trade associations, labor unions, cultural, and religious organizations.

Kennedy Guide to Executive Recruiters published annually, this national guide includes recruiter names, addresses, phone and fax numbers, and web and email addresses. An international version of the book is also available.

Check back tomorrow for some more great tools!

2007-12-04T00:06:00.000-05:00

Tis the Season to be Networking

In a recent post, I mentioned several reasons why December is such a great time to network. And at this time of year, many professional associations are hosting their annual holiday parties. I will be attending the Human Resources Association of New York holiday party on December 6 and I'm looking forward to schmoozing with over 200 HR professionals at the event. If you are an HR professional, this is a great opportunity to meet colleagues and learn more about the country's largest chapter of SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management).

2007-11-29T00:21:00.000-05:00

Step Up Your Job Search During the Holiday Season

When I counsel clients on their job search during the holiday season, they often tell me that they plan to put their search on hold because they think that everyone is out of town and no one is hiring during this season.

Actually, December can be a great time to step up your search campaign because so many applicants believe this misperception of the market. When people drop out of the job market during the holiday season, there's an opportunity for you to accelerate your search in a climate with decreased competition. Below are four ways to increase your visibility in 2007 to prepare for a more robust search in 2008.

Informational Interviews

Savvy job seekers know that the more visible they are, the greater the chances of meeting the person that can connect them with a viable job opportunity. This concept may be even more important when you are searching during the holiday season. Some job seekers make the mistake of taking a break from their search during December because they assume that no one is in the hiring mode. The reality is that holiday networking may be more productive than networking during other times of the year. Decision makers' schedules are not as tight and they may be more generous with their time. By establishing relationships with the key players now, you are more likely to be remembered when the hiring picks up.

Family and Community Parties

Families and friends tend to make more of an effort to get together during the holiday season. Family and community gatherings are excellent opportunities to reconnect with old friends and hook up with new contacts. Schools, religious groups, health clubs, and support groups are just of few of the communities where holiday activities may be taking place. There is always a chance to share information relevant to these communities as well as information relevant to your personal and professional life at these events.

Business Functions

Most companies and professional associations host a holiday party in December. By attending a spouse's company party or an event hosted by a professional organization, you can build powerful business connections in a relaxed and festive environment.

Holiday Cards

Holiday cards provide a natural "touch point" or opportunity to reconnect with friends, family, and colleagues. Reach out to your network now with some "best wishes" and holiday cheer and you will have a natural entrée into a job-related conversation in the New Year.

By establishing relationships during the holiday season, you increase the likelihood of making inroads with decision makers who may be hiring in the New Year. Hiring managers may be more accessible, more relaxed, and in a better frame of mind during the winter holiday season. Create a networking plan now to take advantage of the unique networking opportunities available during the month of December.

2007-11-25T21:56:00.000-05:00

Following Up on Networking Leads

Clients often struggle with the notion of following up with networking contacts. Many are concerned that they will be perceived as a nuisance if they follow up with a contact too aggressively. The key to a successful follow up campaign is to be persistent without the other party knowing it.

If you call a networking contact and leave a message, your follow up strategy should be to call every day at different times without leaving additional messages. You might call and leave a message on Monday, then follow up at 10am on Tuesday morning, noon on Wednesday, 3pm on Thursday, and 4:30 on Friday. If you get the contact's voice mail, don't leave additional messages. If you vary the timing of the calls you increase the likelihood of getting the contact in person. If you get a secretary or other type of gatekeeper, be polite and try to develop a rapport with that person. If they ask if you would like to leave a message a good response is "No, that's alright...when would be the best time to reach this person? This strategy allows you to maintain control over the interaction.

If after several attempts you are still unable to connect with your networking contact, consider discussing the situation with the original person who gave you the contact. Perhaps the contact is swamped with a time-sensitive project or out of town on vacation and you need to delay your follow up strategy until they return. While you won't be able to build a relationship with every potential contact, you can improve your chances of connecting with people in a timely fashion by following these suggestions.

2007-11-20T23:00:00.001-05:00

Is Your Resume a Turkey?

Many people with great job skills and noteworthy achievements have resumes that are poorly written and fail to market their candidacy appropriately. Is your resume a turkey? Compare your document content against these common resume mistakes.

Task Overload

Most people's resumes have exhaustive lists of job tasks but never chronicle how those job tasks contributed to the bottom line for the company. Without an accomplishment focused resume, your document is bound to get lost in a sea of mediocrity. Stand out from the crowd by showcasing examples of how you help the companies you support make money, save money, and save time.

An exercise to help you think of your experiences in terms of accomplishments is to identify the problems or challenges you faced on the job, the actions you took to overcome the obstacles, and the results achieved by your actions. By creating these stories, you capitalize on what makes you unique, rather than dwelling on the tasks that are part of many people's jobs that make you forgettable.

Claustrophobic Text

Good content helps make a good resume. But sometimes people include so much content in the resume that they sacrifice design and end up with a document that has so much text that it suffocates the reader. Choose a font size no smaller than 10 point and break the text up by using bullets and spaces rather than big blocky paragraphs. Keep the margins to at least .6 on all sides. These strategies will make your document more "user friendly" and encourage the hiring manager to read on.

Spellcheck Suicide

Many recruiters and hiring managers agree that having a typo on a resume is the fastest way to get placed in the "no" pile. It can be hard to review your own resume. By the time you finish it, you are so close to the situation that it can be hard to spot errors. Here are a few suggestions for catching those pesky typos.

Use spell-check wisely. Spell-check is a great tool, but supplement spell-check with several human rounds of proofreading.
Read the document backwards. Doing so forces you to slow down and pay attention to each word rather than skimming the sentence.
Ask a friend or trusted colleague to proofread the document. It's amazing what a fresh set of eyes will spot.
Get an 8th grade English teacher to read your resume. OK, maybe they are harder to come by, but they will know it all when it comes to spelling and grammar.

Email Etiquette

Your email address is part of your professional image and a critical piece of information on your resume. Email addresses that are cute, silly, provocative, or difficult to key just won't cut it with hiring managers. Chose an address that is some combination of your first and last name and avoid using long strings of numbers or letters that don't form a word. Email addresses are part of your professional persona. You want to stand out from the crowd because of your unique accomplishments, not your unusual email address. Keep it simple and professional and you will quickly elevate your credibility with hiring authorities.

2007-11-19T16:30:00.000-05:00

Mastering the Phone Interview

Over on the Brazen Careerist blog, Penelope Trunk has an informative post about the top five interview blunders. One of her blunders is not being prepared for a phone interview. Here are ten additional tips for mastering the phone interview.

Schedule the meeting during a time when you won’t be distracted.

A phone interview should be scheduled like any other interview. At the designated appointment time, make sure the dog is in the backyard and someone else is watching the kids. If a recruiter or hiring manager calls you without advance notice and wants to interview you on the spot, use caution. If the interview “conditions” are not optimal at the time of the call, it is best to tell the interviewer that you are very interested in the position, but need to schedule another time to have a conversation. That time can be as soon as ten minutes later, just make sure that you can take the call without being distracted.

Conduct interviews from a landline.

Cell phones are a boon to modern communication, but the quality is still not the same as that from a land line. You don’t want to frustrate the recruiter or the hiring manager with a bad connection. Plan your interview from a reliable phone line.

Create an office space.

Dedicate an area as your office. This could be as simple as a card table with a phone and your documents. Conduct your interviews from your “office”. Being seated at a desk or table allows you to create an environment similar to an in-person interview.

Put a mirror in front of you.

This helps you focus and it anchors your conversation to the visual representation of a person. Monitoring your facial expressions helps you see if you are communicating your enthusiasm to the recruiter.

Have a glass of water nearby.

If your throat is dry or you get a tickle you can take care of it before it turns into a cough and disrupts the flow of the interview.

Have your notes in front of you.

A phone interview is like an open book test. You can have your company research and answers to potential interview questions right in front of you. Try putting key information on colored index cards and organize by category.

Vary Your Voice.

Since the other person can’t see you, it is critical that you vary the tone and cadence of your voice to communicate interest and develop rapport.

Use pauses effectively.

Pauses in an interview situation are always difficult and they can be especially awkward during a phone interview. Rather than wondering what the person on the other end is doing or if they are still there, use the silence to ask a question. For example, if the interviewer has just asked you about your strengths and your response is met with silence, make that an opportunity to ask a question like “What are the key strengths of your ideal candidate?” This takes care of the silence and allows you to learn more about the position.

Don’t multi-task.

We have grown so accustomed to multi-tasking, however it can be counterproductive during a phone interview. Don’t check your email or stick a casserole in the oven while you are engaged in a phone interview. Act the same way you would for an in-office interview and maintain your focus.

Practice.

Record some of your answers to prospective interview questions. Play them back and critique. Are you easy to understand? Is your presentation riddled with long pauses and “ums?” Do you communicate interest and enthusiasm? If necessary, rework your answers and your presentation.

2007-11-18T20:27:00.000-05:00

What Recruiters Want

At the Kennedy Recruiting Conference in Orlando, FL earlier this week, I sat in on a Q&A session with four recruiters representing both contingency and retained search firms. All agreed that the most desirable candidates:

have a polished elevator pitch and an enthusiastic delivery.
discuss what they have done, (accomplishments) not what they do (tasks).
use a reverse-chronological format for their resume

They went on to say that the best interviewees:

are completely honest.
ask questions throughout the interview to create a dialogue.
limit their responses to one or two minutes.
never bring up salary in an interview with a hiring manager.
let the hiring manager know they are interested in the position.

2007-11-08T21:08:00.000-05:00

Job Search Stress Busters (continued)

Yesterday I blogged on four strategies for reducing stress during a job search. Here are three more recommendations.

Communicate with your Family

If you don’t talk about your search with a spouse or significant other, you could be creating additional stress in the relationship. When you shut a partner out of this conversation and carry on as if nothing has changed, that person may worry about the status of your search and your overall financial security. They may constantly seek you

out for updates or offer recommendations on how you should conduct your search. This may feel like nagging to the job seeker and can cause tensions to mount. If your partner wants to understand your search strategy, try setting up a weekly meeting to discuss your search plans. Then agree that you will be given the “space” to carry out your plan.

Sometimes a job seeker’s search is impeded by domestic responsibilities at home. Family members may ask you to do errands, chauffeur other family members to activities and appointments, or take on significant home improvement projects like painting the house. Keep in mind that if your job search is a part-time activity it will take you twice as long to find a new job.

Avoid Toxic People

We’ve all met them. They are the ones who say “It’s brutal out there. I’ve been searching for months and no one is hiring.” These people do nothing to help you in your search. They often have one-dimensional strategies that result in unproductive, extended searches. Let these people know that you intend to stay positive or share a tip that’s working for you. If their negative attitude continues, try, if it’s realistic, to take a break from the relationship.

Find a Buddy

While it’s wonderful to have the support of family and friends during a job search, having a buddy who is also seeking employment can provide great benefits to both parties involved. Find someone who is in a different profession or someone who is in the same profession, but at a more junior or more senior level, so you won’t be competing for the same jobs. Having a buddy allows you to share similar concerns, boost morale, empathize with someone in the same situation, and share advice.

A job search presents a unique set of challenges for many people. But it is also a time when people discover new skills and even new careers. It can be a time to strengthen existing friendships and grow new relationships. By examining your emotions and channeling your energies in a positive direction, you can potentially decrease both your stress level and the amount of time you spend looking for a new job.

2007-11-07T20:51:00.000-05:00

Job Search Stress Busters

Job loss ranks high on the list of most stressful situations. Many report going through a grieving process, similar to the stages people go through after the death of a loved one. Shock, denial, anger, and depression are all common reactions to the loss of a job. These emotions are important and you should acknowledge them. Unfortunately, some people become stuck in one of these stages and this is detrimental to a successful job search campaign. Below are seven strategies you can use to reduce stress and generate acceptance and enthusiasm during your search.

Maintain a Routine

Many job seekers report that creating routine alleviates stress during a job search. Keep the same schedule you had when you were working. Wake up at the same time and leave your house at the same time. Plan to be somewhere at 9 am. Go to the library to do research on a target company, plan a networking meeting, or go to a scheduled event.

Volunteer

When you volunteer you are doing something positive for a particular group or community. It allows you to channel your energy and develop focus. It is also a way to help others in need and it can help put your current situation in perspective. By volunteering, your name becomes known among the organization’s members. Chairing a committee or event allows you to showcase your skills in a particular area or gain new skills that can enhance your overall job profile.

Keep a Journal

Keeping a record of your search and your personal thoughts regarding that journey is a good way to identify what’s working and what is not working in your search. It can also be a very cathartic process and a private place for you to record your goals and dreams.

Create a Financial Plan

With a little bit of research and planning you may be able to reduce your financial burden after a job loss. Take the time to look at your finances, tally up your assets and set a plan for your future spending. Review any money coming in including unemployment benefits, severance package, and money from pension and retirement funds. Review expenses such as COBRA, rent, and food. Check out unemployment benefits and inquire if you qualify for any government assisted training through the Department of Labor. Job related expenses may be tax deductible, so check with an accountant. Schools and colleges may offer payment schedules and creditors may offer alternative collections options.

Check back tomorrow for some more stress buster ideas

2007-11-07T20:20:00.000-05:00

Free Personal Branding Summit, Thursday, November 8

Tomorrow is the "lollapalooza" event of the personal branding world. Over two dozen branding experts will share a wealth of information on branding strategies for businesses and job seekers via an all day teleconference and it's absolutely free!

Topics of interest for job seekers include:

Branding Your Resume, Bio, or CV
Building Your Online Brand for Career Distinction
Brand, Networking, and Communication
Changing Careers to Pursue Your Authentic Personal Brand
Using Personal Branding to Take Your Job Search From Zero to 60

To view a quick schedule and register click here.

2007-10-31T00:06:00.000-04:00

Resumes Are a lot Like Halloween Costumes

Every year on Halloween I always take note of the kids who have the most unique costumes. Usually they are home made and obviously required a lot of thought, time, and effort. They are memorable because they are creative, they make as laugh, they make us scream, or they even make us think.

Resumes are a lot like Halloween costumes. The best resumes, like the best costumes, are not what we expect. They challenge the senses and the mind. They make us think "Wow, this is someone I need to know" or "Maybe this person can help solve my company's problems." They invite conversation, inquiry, and perhaps even debate.

So who are you on your resume? Is your persona "off the shelf" and do you look like so many of your competitors, or are you different, exciting, and "custom made"?

2007-10-30T23:00:00.000-04:00

Resume Renovations

As you've probably surmised by now, I look at a lot of resumes. While many resumes adequately explain a job seeker's job responsibilities, few elaborate on the accomplishments within those responsibilities. And let's face it. Many people perform similar jobs with similar competencies. What makes each person unique is the success he or she brought to those positions, not the day to day tasks that hundreds of others may be trained to do. Consider these typical resume statements from job seekers who probably have a great deal to offer employers, but are not getting that message across in their documents.

Answered questions that pertained to each customer's needs.

Undoubtedly customer service is critical for many positions. But this statement tells the reader little other than that a function of the job was answering questions. Hiring managers want to know what was the volume of the inquiries, how long did it take to resolve customer issues and how did that timeframe compare to the company's standards. Are there any powerful examples of how an irate client was satisfied, and were any processes put in place to address redundant questions so time could be freed up to work on more complex issues?

Develop and execute promotional opportunities.

Great! Tell me more! What types of campaigns and what were the results? Did the promotions drive revenues, capture a new niche, or take market share away from a competitor? What was going on in the company before these promotions were developed and what is happening now as a result of them?

Prepared weekly reporting on equipment performance.

Why were the reports prepared and who received them? Was the report used by senior management for forecasting or decisions on vendor contracts? Was any money or time saved as a result of these reports and if so, how much?

Develop business plans and strategies to build rapport and solicit new business accounts.

Sounds important. What were the results? Was new business secured, and if so, what was the percent increase in accounts from last year until now and what were the revenues associated with that new business? Were creative strategies or guerrilla marketing techniques leveraged to obtain the business?

Break away from the day to day of your work experience and strive to showcase the unique, memorable, creative, and "above and beyond" moments. You will quickly rise to the top of the resume pile and secure more interviews faster.

2007-10-24T23:43:00.001-04:00

Career Solvers Awarded Career Directors International President's Choice Award

Each year Career Directors International, a leading international career professionals association, selects the individual who has made the most significant contribution to the association and the careers community. This year I was recognized with this prestigious award for leading a team of distinguished career professionals to create the association's first formal study guide for resume writers seeking certification in the industry.

Sure, the award is a great honor, but the real thrill for me was the opportunity to work with some of the world's finest resume writers to share industry best practices and strategies for teaching our craft to others. These people are more than just esteemed colleagues; I consider them valuable mentors and conduits for my own professional success.

Do you have a mentor or a group of colleagues whose opinions you value who you meet with frequently to share ideas, war stories, hopes, and dreams? If not, find them! They are at work, professional association meetings, or maybe even blogging on-line. Make them part of your network and watch how quickly your connections and opportunities grow!

2007-10-23T00:19:00.000-04:00

Video Resumes in the News

Some people think that video resumes are the next big thing in job search. While some short streaming video in a web portfolio that is used to communicate a candidate's personal brand or unique selling proposition might be of value to a hiring manager at some point during the interview process, I'm not convinced that the video resume is the way to go and here's why:

Most video resumes are long and boring. It's hard enough for hiring managers to sift through paper resumes to find the right competencies and accomplishments that are relevant to their market. Can you imagine viewing and fast forwarding through hundreds of video resumes?
The video resume may lead to more job discrimination suits. Does the video resume put the 50-something, physically challenged, or ethnically diverse candidate at a disadvantage? Maybe or maybe not, but the potential for discrimination suits is bound to rise if video resumes become a mainstream tool for sourcing candidates.
A poorly produced video resume could knock out an otherwise viable candidate. If the video resume has an amateur feel to it or has poor sound quality or lighting, could the candidate loose ground with the hiring manager? A poorly written or designed resume could have a similar impact, but might be more forgivable, less memorable, or less likely to become fodder for the hiring manager's office mates (remember the Yale student who used a video resume to apply for a position at UBS?)

Want to hear more about my musings on video resumes? Check out this recent article on MSNBC.

2007-10-19T09:07:00.000-04:00

Does Your Resume Pass the Hiring Manager's 30 Second Test Part 3

THE MATH TEST: Strategies for building your portfolio of accomplishments

Problem-Action-Result Statements

Hiring managers believe that proof of past successes helps them determine how successful you will be in their organization. The best way for you to prove your success is to discuss accomplishments thoroughly rather than focusing heavily on job tasks. To create accomplishment statements, examine a problem you have faced in the past, the actions you took to fix the problem, and the associated results of your actions. Think of the before and after picture and try to assign a number, dollar value, or percent change to your results. Accomplishment statements must be present throughout the resume and the profile section of your resume should include overall accomplishments that help set the tone for and frame your candidacy.

Example

§ Year over year success building businesses that yield as much a $250M in new revenue; couple innovative marketing concepts with solid merchandise planning and program development skills.

§ Accelerated purchases as much as 300% by successfully leveraging concept development to create connections between intrinsic brand elements and consumers.

Accomplishment Hooks

Hiring managers are looking for examples of how you have helped the companies you supported make money, save money, save time, improve a process, reverse an existing problem, be first to market, build relationships/brand identity, grow the business, attract new business, or maintain existing business. Accomplishment hooks should be woven throughout the document and the strongest hooks can be incorporated into the profile or career highlights section. Statements should be front-loaded which means that the key metric driving the accomplishment should be at the beginning of the statement.

Examples

Make Money

Accelerated profit margins by 30% with projected sales of $400M by launching seven innovative insurance and POS products in just three years.

Save Money

Cut expenses incurred by temporary staffing agencies by $5M; consolidated vendor list by 60%.

Save Time

Eliminated over 30 administrative hours weekly by authoring and designing 50-page web-application interface that standardized and automated responses to general support desk inquiries regarding the group’s flagship product.

Improve a Process

Streamlined 10,000-user email list to improve distribution and accuracy of mailings significantly.

Reverse an Existing Problem

Reduced product imperfections by 500% by implementing more stringent controls to improve fabric and product quality; achieved ISO 9002 status.

Be First to Market

Pioneered CarpetSafe® exclusive insurance product for ABC Carpets offering replacement carpet if original is damaged through general wear and tear or staining.

Build Relationships/Brand Identity

Garnered $13,000 in grant and donation money and free publicity for Furnish a Future by forging partnership with Corcoran Realtors.
Successfully launched $50 million gourmet sales market despite president’s skepticism of products’ earning potential.

Grow the Business

Boosted revenues for Virtual Auction from underperforming $12M to over $30M, with average markup of 18% vs. previous 3%, well above comparative auction margins.

Attract New Business

Grew female customer base from 15% to 60% by repositioning merchandising strategy and offering high margin apparel, home, health, and beauty products.

Maintain Existing Business

Reversed strained relationship with $22B supranational client; renewed three-year contract despite internal and external expectations that account was unsalvageable and secured an additional $4B in business.

Add charts and graphs

By adding a visual component to your profile section, you can quickly communicate dramatic results to your audience without taking up too much space on the document. Charts can chronicle success over time, across products, or across businesses.

Example

NY Branch	2002	2003	2004	2005
Revenue	$15MM	$20MM	$27MM	30MM
Market Share	15%	22%	35%	46%
Client Retention	82%	89%	93%	97%
Referral Business	10%	21%	45%	72%

Great resumes tell an authentic and compelling story. Content, format, and design all play a role in your story and each component should be considered when crafting your unique message. Hiring managers need to read the “book jackets” of a lot of stories and quickly decide which ones to read in greater detail. Try some of these strategies to improve your chances of getting on the “must read” list and “must interview” list of employers.

2007-10-18T11:28:00.000-04:00

Does Your Resume Pass the Hiring Manager's 30 Second Test (Part 2)

THE CREATIVE WRITING TEST Strategies for Showcasing Your Personal Brand

Create a professional identity

A professional identity is not the same as a job title. The professional identify conveys your personal brand and the scope of your responsibilities through a few targeted words. When placed in bold near the top of your resume, your identity calls attention to your candidacy much the same way that a catchy headline on the front page of a newspaper grabs the attention of the reader.

Offer a mission statement or personal quote

What are your goals and dreams and how successful have you been at attaining these objectives in different business environments? Share your value proposition with your reader to build rapport and establish a connection between your successes and the goals of the company.

Discuss business environments

Have you worked in particular business environments that have helped shape your brand? Were your achievements focused in a turnaround, high-growth, or international environment? Have you worked across several businesses or across multiple industries? This may very well be part of your value add and it is certainly information that will gain your reader’s attention and encourage them to read on.

Name drop

As a hiring manager scans your resume, he will be quickly looking at the companies you have worked for. If you have worked for several Fortune 1,000 or fast-growing start-ups and your association with these firms is part of your brand, add the company names to your headline to build credibility and interest in your candidacy. If you have worked for lesser known companies, but held account responsibilities for well-known firms, showcase the names of your clients if this is not considered proprietary information.

Add a testimonial

One great way to build authenticity into your profile is to showcase a quote from a senior executive or customer. Content for these testimonials can be found through a variety of sources including performance reviews, 360 assessments, and customer satisfaction surveys.

Part 3 will be posted tomorrow!

2007-10-17T00:07:00.000-04:00

Does Your Resume Pass the Hiring Manager's 30 Second Test? Part I

The average hiring manager spends less than 30 seconds reviewing a resume. With so little time and so much at stake, applicants must strive to create a self-marketing tool that passes the hiring manager’s initial screening test. Hiring managers scan resumes to quickly see what “pops” or sparks their interest in a candidate. Their first glance at the document often focuses on the text within the top third of the page. This makes it imperative for candidates to create a career summary at the top of the document to quickly communicate competency, scope, fit, and value add. Here is the first of the three “tests’ hiring managers use to screen candidates .

THE COMPETENCY TEST Strategies for Showcasing Your Skills

First, the hiring manager looks for your competencies to determine if you have the experience and scope necessary to perform the job. When writing a resume, make sure that your areas of knowledge and expertise are communicated clearly within the top third of the first page of your resume. Don’t hide the competencies within your profile summary; instead create a separate section in the resume called core competencies, areas of expertise, or areas of knowledge to call direct attention to your qualifications. Make sure your competencies section discusses specific rather than general job expertise. Try to match your competencies to the words and phrases that are most commonly used in your industry. Review job postings and job descriptions for positions in your field that are similar to the ones you will be targeting in your search to create a clear match between your competencies and those necessary for the position.

Check back tomorrow to learn about the second hiring manager test.

2007-10-13T00:53:00.000-04:00

Your Personal Pitch: Keep it Short and Sweet

One of my clients recently came to my office to work on his pitch. He told me that he had widdled his pitch down to 15 minutes. This led to a discussion about the importance of having a succinct and targeted message. Two minutes is appropriate. 15 minutes is a quarter of an interview and much too long.

Think of your pitch as if it were a PowerPoint presentation. Don't clutter the slides with too much info...just offer the key points. Here's how your PowerPoint slide might look:

professional identity
3 core competencies and measurable proof of these competencies
quick overview of your professional and educational background
the reason why you are interested in a particular job opportunity or company

Yes, you can get all the relevant information into the pitch without talking for 15 minutes and in this case, less is more. Here's some more advice on pitches from the Cube Rules blog.

2007-10-11T22:32:00.000-04:00

Free E-Book on Networking

My colleagues and I over on the Career Hub blog just published our 4th e-book. The topic of the book is networking and the pages are filled with great tips on how to network the right way, how to avoid common networking pitfalls, networking for introverts, and networking in the digital age. Download your free copy here.

2007-10-10T00:02:00.000-04:00

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone

A few weeks ago I signed up for a networking cruise along the East River in Manhattan aboard the New York Health & Racquet Club yacht. The event was produced by HRNY, the New York chapter of SHRM, and I was really excited about networking with HR professionals. But I wasn't excited about going on a boat...I've never fared well on the high seas and I wasn't expecting this experience to be any different...I was definitely outside my comfort zone.

But I decided that the value of the event was greater than my fear and I made the decision (sans Dramamine) to attend. And I'm so glad I did because I was privy to some amazing conversations and industry debates including the pros and cons of being an HR specialist versus an HR generalist, the future of the video resume, new benefits programs that target boomers, and strategies for creating more meaningful candidate interviews.

The point is this. Each time we prepare for a networking event, there is always some little voice inside of us that says "Is it worth it to go to this event," "I'd rather stay home and watch TV," "I'm only going to stay for an hour," etc. etc. There's always a feeling that you may be stepping outside your comfort zone. That's ok. Push past the discomfort and attend. You will meet people who can help you in your search or general career development and you will capture some golden nuggets of information that will help you either personally or professionally. Just get on the boat, relax, and enjoy the ride.

As for me, not only did I walk away from the cruise with some great new contacts and information, but I really did overcome my previous fear of boats. And while I'm not booking a cruise to Bermuda anytime soon, I certainly feel that I have grown personally as well as professionally from the event.

How do you overcome your fears around attending networking events?

2007-10-09T23:33:00.000-04:00

The Lure of the Job Boards

Ready for a busy day of job searching? Just boot up that computer and get started on the online job boards. After all, there are several hundred jobs to search in your industry and you can crank out those applications until about noon when you decide to take a well-deserved break for lunch. I'm sure there's someone at the other end just waiting for your resume to grace their inbox!

OK, by now you've sensed my sarcasm. I've written about this topic before, but I continue to meet people who are lured by the leads on the job boards and convinced that if they just continue to scroll down the list, their dream job will appear. If only it were that easy!

I'm convinced that people are enticed by the boards for one of these reasons:

Using the boards makes them feel like they are productively searching.
The boards give them some level of control over their search and don't force them to step outside their comfort zone.
People are eternal optimists and are confident that with all those jobs, there must be something that is right for them.

The truth is that less than 5% of people in search find their jobs from the job boards and you can check out Nick Corcodilos' article on the reality of the boards and the abysmal sourcing statistics for some of the big boards.

Job search is sometimes uncomfortable and even messy, but it can also represent an enormous period of personal and professional growth. But to be successful, you have to be willing to dip your toe in the water, take some risks, and most importantly, take some responsibility for your own career management.

So step away from the computer and get out and meet people through affinity groups such as professional organizations, alumni groups, community events, and places of worship. The chances of building relationships with people you know or new people you meet through others and then leveraging those relationships to find job leads is far greater than the odds of finding your next job through the boards.

2007-10-07T21:27:00.000-04:00

It's Important to Attend Professional Conferences

I recently attended the NRWA conference in Savannah, GA and returned with a wealth of information about leading-edge techniques for resume writing and career coaching. Every time I go to a professional development conference I take away golden nuggets of information that I can incorporate into my practice. But even if I had left the conference without learning one new strategy for resume writing or career coaching I still would have seen enormous value in attending the conference and here's why.

I had the privilege of sitting with a prolific industry author and learning her tips and tricks to writing successful career relevant books.
I got to know some of the industry vendors on a more personal level and discover their passion for the products they sell.
I reconnected with friends, colleagues, and industry leaders that I trust and respect.
I offered industry insights to newer members of the trade and shared ideas with industry old-timers.

In order to effectively manage your career, you need to proactively tap into your existing network and build new relationships within your industry. Professional conferences allow you to do this in an educational and social environment. Sure, these conferences take time and money, but the return on your investment will be obvious in the weeks and years to come. In a nutshell, I deepened relationships with people who already knew me and I forged relationships with others who didn't know me before the conference. What opportunities for professional growth exist within your industry and what are you doing to take advantage of these opportunities?

2007-10-07T00:19:00.001-04:00

The K.I.S.S. Approach to Interviewing

Kris Dunn, author of the HR Capitalist blog, keeps his interviews simple and cuts through the interview question clutter by focusing on two questions...

Tell me when you have been most satisfied in your career.
Tell me when you have been least satisfied in your career.

Dunn believes that these two behavioral interview questions measure motivation and fit and by probing a candidate's responses to these questions with follow up questions such as "why" and "tell me more" he can uncover a great deal of information about that person.

When you are in an interview situation, the person interviewing you is trying to determine how much risk is associated with hiring you. Can you do the job, how long will it take you to contribute, and will you stay at the company past the one year mark are some of the questions going through the hiring authority's mind.

Candidates should focus on conveying authentic success stories that showcase their professional passions and are in line with the needs of the hiring manager and the organization as a whole. By doing so they will communicate interest, drive, and fit and improve rapport with the interviewer as well.

2007-10-06T00:46:00.000-04:00

Brain Teaser Interview Questions

Brain teaser or puzzle interview questions are sometimes used when interviewing candidates for high-tech, engineering, and other analytical types of positions. Here's an example of a brain teaser question.

"A line of 100 airline passengers is waiting to board a plane. they each hold a ticket to one of the 100 seats on that flight. (for convenience, let's say that the nth passenger in line has a ticket for the seat number n.)

Unfortunately, the first person in line is crazy, and will ignore the seat number on their ticket, picking a random seat to occupy. all of the other passengers are quite normal, and will go to their proper seat unless it is already occupied. if it is occupied, they will then find a free seat to sit in, at random.

What is the probability that the last (100th) person to board the plane will sit in their proper seat (#100)?"

So what does this have to do with the position the candidate is interviewing for? According to a recent article in Business 2.0, high-tech companies like Google and Microsoft and other well known companies such as Amazon are using puzzle or brain teaser questions to source top talent and determine their problem solving skills. By asking these types of questions the interviewer may be able to better gage the candidates ability to make educated guesses, which is a critical skill for professionals in these lines of work.

According to the 2007 Career Industry Mega Trends report conducted by Career Directors International, eight percent of human resource professionals surveyed said they used puzzle interview questions. If you are interested in learning more about brain teaser questions, take a look at the TechInterview website. And when you figure out the probability of the 100th person sitting in their proper seat, let us know the answer!

2007-09-24T23:20:00.000-04:00

Why There is More Opportunity in the Hidden Job Market

Once the two hours of online search is accounted for, the job seeker still has several hours per week to dedicate to the rest of their search. Most people (over 80%) find their jobs through the hidden job market…the jobs that are not posted and that are communicated word of mouth. Open positions might not be listed on job boards for several reasons. Perhaps the company once had the position on a board and was unsuccessful in finding a candidate, so they are now searching offline. Maybe the company doesn’t have the money to post online. Many companies consider their employee referral programs a better source of hires and promote the program extensively throughout the firm. Or a situation exists in the office where someone is on performance counseling and will probably be managed out of the organization in the coming months. Still other companies have policies regarding internal posting practices and make opportunities available to their current employees before looking outside for potential candidates. In some instances a company plans to expand in a particular area but doesn’t want to post online for fear of tipping off the competition regarding their future expansion plans. These are all reasons why a viable position might not be posted online.

Finding Job Leads Through Cold Call Techniques

There are two main ways to access jobs in the hidden job market. The first is to cold call into an organization and try to find a connection to the person who is capable of making a hiring decision. Approximately 10-20% of people in search find their jobs by cold calling into companies. The cold call is made regardless of whether there is an open position or not. The goal is to identify industries and companies that provide a good fit for the job seeker based on their competencies, achievements, and geography and try to gain an introduction to someone in the company to convince them that you are a person worth knowing. By proactively establishing the relationship before the hiring authority has an actual need, you increase your chances of being the “go to guy” once a viable position surfaces. Prospecting for a new job is very similar to sales prospecting. The difference is that in the first scenario you are marketing yourself. There are numerous ways to find leads into companies. The public library houses an abundance of company-relevant reference guides that you can use to cull valuable information about an industry, company, or decision maker. Some of the many valuable resources available include Hoovers, The Corporate Directory of U.S. Public Companies, Consulting and Consulting Organization Directory, Gold Book of Venture Capital Firms, Thomas Register of Manufacturing Firms, and the Corporate Finance Sourcebook. In addition, there are professional research firms such as FTT Research that specialize in finding decision makers within companies.

Networking Your Way to Your Next Job

The second and most successful method of sourcing jobs through the hidden job market is networking. Over 70% of people in search find their jobs through networking. Networking at its most fundamental level is information sharing and relationship building. When you network effectively, you seek out opportunities to meet new people, share information about yourself, learn about other people, and offer assistance to others whenever possible. Good networkers agree to meet with people to try to help them even if on the surface there is nothing in it for them. They open up their minds and their rolodex, share contacts and try to make recommendations in an effort to help people get closer to their personal and professional goals. Networking is not about asking for favors or asking for jobs. As a matter of fact, when you network you should never ask for a job. Doing so might make the other person uncomfortable, because they may not know of a job opening or the appropriate decision maker. Good networkers ask for information about an industry, company, or person to get one step closer to the decision maker. The problem that most people face when they network is that their circle of contacts has stagnated over the years because they have become far too comfortable within their inner circles. But it’s never too late to jump start your network and start planning for your future.

Job seekers can start to accelerate their networking efforts by first identifying people in their immediate world. This may include friends, family, members of local community or religious organizations, doctors, dentist, accountants, etc. Everyone you know knows approximately 200 other people and one goal of networking is to try to tap into the people that your acquaintances know to extend your visibility and reach and try to pinpoint others who can help you in your search. Next try to identify companies you are interested in and people who work for those companies. They don’t have to be people who do what you do; they act as a bridge between you and the people you need to meet at a company. They can offer you invaluable information about the company’s culture, how open jobs are handled, where employees “hang out” after hours, etc. They can introduce you to others in that company who may be one step closer to your ultimate decision maker. Excellent resources for finding members of companies you are interested in include professional associations, virtual social/business networking sites such as LinkedIn, Ryze, and Ecademy, corporate alumni sites such as CorporateAlumni.com and BrightCircles.com, and school alumni sites including those listed on your undergraduate/graduate school home page and Classmates.com.

Whether you are currently in job search or are planning for a new position or career in the future, it is imperative that you begin to tap into the hidden job market now to build relationships with people and companies that can help you secure a place for yourself in another organization in the future. Make networking an integral part of your career strategy today so you can reap the rewards of the process for years to come.

2007-09-23T22:35:00.000-04:00

The Truth Behind the Open Job Market

Most job seekers rely on the open job market which includes job posting boards and help wanted advertisements in local newspapers to source job leads. While it appears on the surface that these search vehicles have an abundant number of job leads, the reality is that very few people secure their positions through these methods of search. Only about 5-10% of people in search find their jobs using these two methods combined.

One of the main reasons it is so difficult to land a job through a job board is that the job seeker is faced with insurmountable competition and limited means to differentiate their candidacy. It’s not unusual for a hiring manager to receive over 500 resumes for one open position. With no personal relationship with the hiring authority, the job seeker is forced to rely on technology and hope that the resume they submitted for an online opportunity contains enough keywords and consistency with the job spec to garner an acknowledgement from the hiring manager.

The sad truth is that the number of companies that even acknowledge receipt of the resume is under 25% and the percentage of companies that offer candidates any additional information regarding their candidacy is in the single digits.

So what’s a job seeker to do? Send their resume out into cyberspace, cross their fingers, and hope for the best? Absolutely not. Far too many people waste valuable hours of search time sending their resumes into a virtual black hole. If an unemployed job seeker considers their full-time job to be finding a job and an employed job seeker considers their search to be a part-time job, no more than two hours of each week should be dedicated to posting for jobs online.

Candidates should be frugal with the amount of time they spend online and take advantage of time saving online search methods such as using aggregate boards such as SimplyHired, Indeed, and Jobster which cull information from numerous online boards or setting up job email alerts on several large or niche board sites.

What has your experience been with online job boards? Check back tomorrow to learn more about how to leverage your network to create a more successful job search campaign.

2007-09-22T23:46:00.000-04:00

Ten Tips for Better Cover Letters

Are you struggling to create a powerful cover letter to capture the attention of a hiring authority or recruiter? Here are ten tips for writing better cover letters.

Begin your cover letter with a compelling statement. Rather than starting your cover letter with a reference to the position you are applying for, write a statement that aligns you with the organization, industry, or job function you are targeting.
Minimize the use of the word “I”. Vary your sentences to keep the reader engaged.
Ask for the interview. Create a strong call to action in your letter by expressing your interest in the company and requesting an in-person interview.
Match your qualifications to the requirements of the job. Create a cover letter that addresses each job requirement point by point. The stronger the match you can make between the two, the greater the likelihood of securing an interview.
Build rapport with your audience. Discuss relevant business issues and ask thought provoking questions to show your reader that you recognize their needs.
Include a famous quote to make your point. Incorporating quotes that are relevant to the topics your letter is discussing is a great way to create a memorable and impactful letter.
Keep the letter to one page. Keep your cover letters short and use short paragraphs and bulleted lists to keep the reader’s attention and make it easy for them to determine the match between your qualifications and their open job.
Address the hiring authority by name. The likelihood of building rapport with the reader and validating your interest in the job is increased when the inside cover address refers to the specific person rather than Dear Sir. Whenever possible, sleuth around for additional information on the hiring manager so you can personalize your letter.
Reference the position you are applying for. Be sure to mention the job title and job number in the body of your letter as well as in your email subject line. Many hiring authorities request this information and your inability to follow their instructions could jeopardize your candidacy.
Don't forget to sign your name. If you are sending a letter regular mail, include your signature. If your correspondence is via email, create an electronic signature.

2007-09-20T22:05:00.000-04:00

Explaining Why You Are in a Job Search-Five Tips for the Downsized Professional

The key to successful interviewing is being prepared. Certain questions are considered “standard”, yet few people think about their responses ahead of time. When candidates are unprepared, their answers may showcase emotions that are valid, but could be damaging to reveal during an interview. One of the most common interview questions is “Why are you currently in a job search?” When you have been downsized and you need to communicate your situation to a hiring manager, your response should combine a positive reflection regarding your previous employer with a brief discussion of the business reasons why you are no longer employed by them. Below are five strategies for crafting an effective statement.

Examine your emotions

Was your position offshored to a country where labor costs are one-third of what they are at home? Did management reduce their front line staff while increasing executive bonuses? Did your position become redundant after a company merger? When jobs are lost because of these types of situations, people can become angry and feel betrayed by their former employer. If this anger comes across in the interview, you will not be seen as the top candidate, even if you are the most qualified. Nobody wants to hire someone who’s carrying around excess baggage or has a chip on their shoulder.

Prior to your interview, you need to separate your emotions from the business reasons for a job loss. Acknowledge your emotions to yourself and those close to you, but prepare a statement that conveys the business reasons for why you are currently in a job search.

Say something positive

Before you discuss the situation that led to your job loss, say something positive about your experience with that employer.

Example

I was fortunate enough to work with company X for seven years. I had the opportunity to work with some exceptional programmers and hone my technical skills.
I was proud to provide quality customer service to clients at XYZ company. They stood by their products and rewarded employees that made a favorable impression on their customers.

Discuss the business reason for the job loss

Discuss your job loss in the general context of the company. Rather than personalizing the situation by saying things like “I was let go”, “My job was eliminated” or “My position was outsourced”, discuss how a department, business group or particular type of professional responsibility was eliminated. This shows the hiring manager that others lost their jobs as well and that the loss was not due to your individual performance.

Example

Unfortunately my entire department of 20 was eliminated.
As a result of a global company restructuring, the company had to reduce their NY workforce by 25%.
The accounting function was outsourced and all ten accounting professionals were let go.

Prepare multiple level responses

If you were let go, but your co-worker who performs the same job function was not, it is wise to create two responses. Part one is a general response and part two is used if the interviewer probes further about your situation.

Level One

A business decision was made to reduce the help desk staff by 50%.

Level Two

For some interviewers the previous answer satisfies their curiosity. Others may probe and ask:

How many were in your department and how many were let go?
Why were you let go rather than your co-worker?

Assure the interviewer that the job loss was not performance based. Don’t discuss any speculations you may have about the company or your manager’s motives.

Example

The company suffered low 4^th quarter earnings which translated into a 50% reduction of staff in four departments. In my group the 50% reduction represented the elimination of one position. The specific reasons for the decision were not communicated to me; however I can assure you that the decision was not performance related. My manager was extremely satisfied with my performance and has offered to serve as a reference on my behalf.

Keep in mind that if your company’s workforce reduction was significant, the situation may have received widespread media attention. If this is the case, the interviewer may comment on what they’ve read in the papers or say something like “I recently read that company X laid off 3,000 employees in the 4^th quarter…that must have been an extremely difficult time.” Stick to your original story, be sure to say something positive about the company, and don’t turn it into an emotional exchange.

Practice

Write out what you plan to say and make revisions. Practice your response with someone close to your situation such as a family member, friend or colleague. Record your response on your telephone answering machine, play it back and critique it. Have you personalized your situation or discussed it in a business context? Do your words flow and do you sound sincere?

Preparing an effective statement to explain the reason you are in a job search is critical to the overall success of your search campaign. Reflect on the positive aspects of your work experience and take the time to create a statement that explains your reasons for being in a job search. You will enhance your confidence during the interview and improve your credibility with the hiring manager.

2007-09-19T23:15:00.000-04:00

Negotiating Compensation Options Other Than Base Salary

According to a recent survey of 1,000 organizations (conducted by Mercer HR Consulting), the average merit increase for 2008 will only be about 3.8%. As a result, companies are constantly looking for creative ways to attract talent and engage employees without making large adjustments to the employee's base salary and compromising the integrity of the company's merit increase program. This can be achieved by offering short-term incentives and special recognitions that are not tied to the company's base pay. Job seekers can more effectively negotiate their total compensation package by knowing what special incentives the employer offers. Two incentives that are becoming more common are sign on bonuses and project milestone awards.

Sign on bonuses
Employers are trending towards offering more sign on bonuses to candidates in lieu of a higher base salary. Sign on bonuses represent a one-time payment to the new employee and the money is not folded into the base salary, so the sign on bonus doesn't impact the new employee's positioning in the salary range. It is reasonable to request a sign on bonus that is approximately 10% of the starting salary.

Project Milestone Awards
More employers are offering incentives to employees for successfully completing projects within a designated time frame and budget. By negotiating project milestone awards before you accept a position, you can improve your overall compensation package while leaving the harder to negotiate base salary intact.

If you can't negotiate the base salary due to the company's strict guidelines for salary ranges and merit increases, consider negotiating one of these incentives to improve your employment package.

2007-09-18T21:12:00.000-04:00

Facebook: I See Old People!

Crain's New York (subscription version only) recently ran an article about a 30-something job seeker who landed a position as a senior editor with Fast Company Magazine after reconnecting with a former colleague on Facebook. As Facebook matures, so too has its audience. While it's still primarily geared towards millenials, (people in their 20s and younger), as the job seeker profiled in the article states, "There are all sorts of old people on Facebook now." While Facebook does not tout itself as a job seeking tool, it can help you build connections for business opportunities.

In order to have an effective career management strategy, you need to think outside the box and diversify your network whenever possible. What does that mean? Don't just stay with your own kind. Network with people who are in a different age group, outside your profession, from another city, or of a different gender or ethnic group. Doing so makes you more memorable. For example, if you are a technology professional who specializes in applications for the financial services industry, show up at an event for financial services professionals. You will probably be the only technology professional there and by being different you will be remembered.

2007-09-17T12:12:00.000-04:00

Ten Ways to Boost Your Network When You’ve Put Your Work Life on Hold (Part Two)

As promised, here are five more tips for keeping your network alive when you put your work life on hold.

Alumni Organizations

CorporateAlumni.com is a free service that builds, manages and hosts online business alumni communities where former business colleagues can renew relationships and network. This is an easy way to stay connected to your previous employer and make inroads with ex-employees that now work somewhere else.

Classmates.com is a free service that manages online school alumni programs where members can reconnect with old friends, receive reunion updates and post messages.

College/University Alumni Associations are a feature on most school websites. If a chapter for your school does not exist in your area, consider starting one.

Professional Organizations

Keep up your memberships with professional organizations or join a new one while you are not working. This allows you to stay current on issues that affect your industry. In addition to offering valuable information via the organization’s website, newsletter, or trade publication, most host free or low-cost seminars. Make it a point to stay connected with some fellow members and meet some new ones. Consider taking on a leadership role within your professional community. Chair a committee or submit articles for the association newsletter. Much of the work can be done from home and offers a fair amount of flexibility. Chose the activity that meshes with your childcare schedule and follow through on all assignments. These positions increase your credibility and visibility within your professional community.

Share your expertise

Teach a class at your local school, library or community center. If you are a nurse, teach infant CPR. If you are an accountant, share some tips for tax time. Contribute an article to a local newspaper or website or publication within your industry. These activities keep your skills sharp and current and help you build your credibility as an expert within your community.

Connect Others

Introduce contacts that you think could benefit from each others’ experiences. Both will remember the introduction and be more likely to share contacts with you when asked.

Create a resume

Keep track of all your accomplishments during the years you are taking care of your children and quantify your results whenever possible. Don’t assume that your work will not be valued by the business community because it was done on a volunteer basis. Hiring managers look for candidates that can solve their problems and make or save money for their company. For example, if you organized the school’s annual fair, write out a statement explaining your role and quantify what you did, such as, “Generated $25,000 in school funds by organizing a community building event for 800 families.” Or if you chaired a committee for a professional organization say “Increased committee visibility by 40% by actively recruiting and marketing special committee presentations and events” Use your volunteer activities as a way to showcase your ability to lead, persuade and organize. Combine these traits with your professional identity and expertise.

As mothers, we spend a great deal of time nurturing our children’s passions and developing their unique skills and attributes. We become so immersed in the amazing process of watching our children grow, that we often forget that we still need to plant professional seeds now so that our careers can blossom in the future. Build your network now and you’ll enjoy the benefits when you are ready to renew your job search.

2007-09-16T21:26:00.002-04:00

Ten Ways to Boost Your Network When You’ve Put Your Work Life on Hold (Part One)

After a child is born, many women make the decision to stop working to become full-time mothers. Playdates take the place of meetings and anxiety about an upcoming presentation is replaced with concern over a stuffy nose. While many moms know they will return to work at some point, few create and organize a plan for re-entry. When they decide to return, many women experience difficulty negotiating a salary consistent with their level of expertise or accounting for their achievements during their career hiatus.

With a little bit of planning, research, and creativity along with a systematic approach to networking, you can continue to maintain your professional persona while being a full-time mom. Your transition back to the world of work will become a more rewarding and less stressful experience.

Networking is the cornerstone of a successful job search campaign. It is an on-going process of building and maintaining relationships with people who have expertise you want and need and reciprocating their help with information that is useful to them. As a mom, you are always networking. Mothers swap advice with other moms about schools, babysitters, pediatricians, baby products, etc. We want to buy our products and services from establishments that are recommended by people we trust.

Job seekers share information in a similar way. They approach their contacts for information about a particular industry or company, discuss their skills and business accomplishments and prove how they can add value to an organization. Relationships are built on reciprocity and trust. By solidifying these ties, job seekers gain the opportunity to request introductions into their contacts’ inner circles. Each new contact can lead them closer to a new business opportunity. But, it is crucial they never ask a contact to get them a job. This would create stress in the relationship, by implying an unrealistic expectation. However, asking for information is reasonable, even flattering.

Below are some tips for expanding your network and staying connected to your business community during your child care years. Start networking for business opportunities now so you’ll have more viable options when you are ready to return to work.

The Playground

It’s often said that more deals are concluded on golf courses than at the office. A close second to the golf course may very well be the playground. The same principles of networking and camaraderie work with a small child in tow. It’s easy to strike up a conversation at the swings or the sandbox. Bring some toys that work best in groups like jump ropes, balls and bubble fluid and you’re bound to have a captive audience of kids and adults in no time. If many of the children in your neighborhood are with caregivers during the week, it still makes sense to build these relationships. Chances are that the nanny’s current employer or their friend’s employers are people that are connected to others that you might like to know.

Group Classes/Sports Teams

By the time your children are three years old, many classes are “drop off” and parents are asked to wait outside the class area. Use that hour to network with the parents in the class. Try to schedule at least one class on the weekend to maximize the opportunity to communicate with a parent directly. As your kids get older, consider becoming the team parent for your child’s sports teams. This enables you to have ongoing contact with the parents of the team members and positions you as an effective organizer or leader.

Playgroups

Build a core group of moms (and dads) and establish a weekly playdate. You will make special, long lasting bonds with the parents and establish a support system for a future job search.

School/Community

When you volunteer for a position in your child’s school or your local community you are broadening your range of contacts since members of these groups represent multiple professional backgrounds. You are afforded the chance to network with people that you might not meet at work or through a professional organization. Volunteering in your school/community allows you to:

Position yourself as an insider or expert in a particular area
Gain access to other members of the community that may be useful professional contacts in the future
Develop new marketable skills that you can apply to your future job search

When you volunteer, chose a leadership role, such as chair person for an event or member of the school’s executive board. These types of opportunities provide you with much greater visibility and decision-making power than you would receive if you just offer to bake cupcakes for the school picnic.

E-groups

Consider setting up an e-group with the people you worked with and wish to maintain a future relationship. This will enable you to keep up with the corporate culture and gossip and will position you well should you decide to return to a previous employer in the future.

Tune in tomorrow for 5 more ways to grow your network.

2007-09-09T15:29:00.000-04:00

I'm on LinkedIn, Now What???

I'm on LinkedIn, Now What???, a recently released book about LinkedIn, answers so many of the questions that have been posed to me by my clients about this powerful business networking tool. Many people approach social networking technology with trepidation and Jason Alba has created a “how to” guide that reminds new users that there are “no stupid questions” when it comes to learning a new technology and guides seasoned users through the more specialized uses of the application. I’m on LinkedIn, Now What??? is a must read for anyone interested in creating an on-line presence, building a professional community, sourcing prospects, or reaching out to decision makers and hiring authorities.The book is a quick, easy read that will teach you how to build more strategic and effective relationships on LinkedIn in a relatively short period of time.

2007-08-28T16:00:00.000-04:00

Interviewing Pet Peeves: A Job Seeker's Perspective

According to HR Executive Online, in a recent study conducted by DDI and Monster Worldwide, two of every three job seekers surveyed reported that their impressions of the people they interviewed with strongly influenced their decision to accept or reject a position. Here are some of the job search candidate's pet peeves:

an interviewer who acts like he has no time to talk to the candidate
a hiring authority who withholds information about the position
an interview conversation that is more like an interrogation
an interviewer that shows up late for the meeting

Interviewers and hiring authorities are the face of the company to job seekers. Companies that strive to teach hiring managers to engage the job seeker and act as the ombudsman for the firm will win the war for talent. Interviewers need to be authentic and respectful of candidates and they can successfully build rapport with prospects by sticking to performance based and relevant questions and offering feedback to candidates in a timely manner.

As a job seeker, you are interviewing a company as much as they are interviewing you. Pay close attention to the subtle cues of the interviewer. While the actions of one or two people may not represent the company as a whole, they could be indicative of the corporate or department culture and are worth noting.

2007-08-21T00:15:00.000-04:00

Build Your Job Skills With Reverse Mentoring

Most people think of mentors as people who have more work and life experience than they do and can show them the ropes of a profession or company and introduce them to the right people as they develop their careers. But over on the Past 5 blog, there's an interesting post about the importance of reverse mentoring and how post 40 baby boomers can improve their technology skills and marketability by learning from the 20 something millenials.

It's never too late to learn a new skill or technology that will help benefit you and your career and you might just realize that there's not such a big difference between you and your younger colleagues.

2007-08-20T17:20:00.001-04:00

Take Charge of Your Annual Performance Review

According to a recent survey by Mercer HR Consulting, mentioned on the Compensation Force blog, salary increases in 2007/2008 will average 3.5% and be approximately 5.7% for top performers. One of the best ways to ensure that your performance is rated on the high end of the scale is to take ownership of the performance appraisal process. By documenting your achievements each time you complete a significant project, milestone, or job task, you maximize the chances of your accomplishments being recognized at review time. Make sure to quantify your achievements by showing how the projects you managed helped make money, save money, save time, maintain the business, or grow the business and use numbers, dollars, and percentages whenever possible to validate your accomplishments.

Ideally, you are receiving feedback on how you are doing against your job goals throughout the year, but in reality, this doesn't always occur as frequently as most employees would like. By consistently recording your successes throughout the year, you can improve your chances of garnering a more lucrative increase at review time

2007-08-14T20:58:00.000-04:00

Have you Googled Yourself Today?

I just finished reading Career Distinction by William Arruda and Kirsten Dixon. The authors stress the importance of proactively and continuously building professional credibility, visibility, personality, and professional style to build and nurture your personal brand. This strategy is one of the most important components of an effective career management strategy. Arruda and Dixon speculate that in the future, employers will be actively looking for candidates with greater frequency than candidates will be looking for employers. Therefore a strong on-line presence will be key to a candidate's future job search success.

One of the best ways to assess the strength of your current brand is to monitor your on-line identity via a regular Google search. Arruda and Dixon recommend Googling yourself every Monday morning to stay on top of your identity metrics. Keep track of the number of times your full name (enclosed in quotes) is listed and the relevancy of each listing. If you have no Google presence or if you share your name with others, don't despair. It's never too late to start building your own unique on-line brand. Check out tools such as Zoom Info, Ziggs, and Naymz to get started. Everyone will need at least "15 minutes of fame" (or at least three relevant pages on Google) to compete for jobs successfully in the 21st century.

Posted by Barbara Safani

2007-08-09T11:15:00.000-04:00

Over on the Human Resources Executive Search blog, there is a great post about how to assimilate successfully into a new company and job. When you join a new organization, it's important to observe before you act, immerse yourself in the company's culture, and cultivate relationships with people who can serve as mentors. It's generally recommended that you avoid making significant changes when you first arrive or saying things like "When I was at company XYZ, we did it this way"

The first 90 days in a new job provides an opportunity for you to solidify the relationship that you created during the interview process, build credibility and trust, and prove that you fit into the company and culture.

2007-08-05T09:05:00.000-04:00

Negotiation and the Gender Divide

The Washington Post reported that according to a recent study, men and women get very different responses when they initiate negotiations and women's reluctance to negotiate was based on how they believed they would be treated if they did negotiate. The study indicates that both men and women were more likely to subtly penalize women who asked for more.

Does this mean that women can't negotiate for what they want? No. But both men and women should think carefully about their negotiation strategy. Negotiations are most successful when there is a strong relationship between the two parties involved. The interview process allows the job seeker and hiring manager to build this relationship. Repeated exposure through multiple interviews deepens the relationship and solidifies the trust.

Once an offer is made, job seekers can leverage this relationship to negotiate for what they want and need. They should never demand something or give ultimatums to attain their goals. Instead they should ask for things by demonstrating why they are fair and reasonable. Hiring managers have invested equally in this new relationship and they don't want to damage it after they have put so much time and energy into the process.

Negotiating your employment package is a collaborative process where both parties involved want the same outcome. By nurturing the relationship built during the interview process, you are more likely to overcome potential gender bias and achieve your negotiation goals.

2007-08-03T14:08:00.000-04:00

Comment on Blogs to Raise Your Visibility During a Job Search

Last week I wrote about setting up a blog to create visibility and interest in your candidacy when you are in a job search. If you are not ready to start your own blog, another strategy for getting involved in the blogosphere is to comment on other blogs that are relevant to your industry or profession. For example, a finance professional might comment on a post from the Jobs in the Money Career Wires Blog and an HR professional might write something on the Your HR Guy Blog. Writing blog posts is an easy way to create an on-line identity and improve your Google ranking, which is important to do if hiring managers or recruiters are checking you out before calling you in for an interview.

If you choose to blog, keep your blogging identity consistent and even consider adding some sort of tag line to your name to distinguish yourself and perhaps even build a following. Over on the Blogging for Business Blog there is a great post about this concept.

Whether you are interested in setting up your own blog or just commenting on others, find a way to be found on-line and become a part of the on-line conversations in your field. You will be amazed at how quickly your reputation and your networking leads will grow.

2007-08-02T14:19:00.000-04:00

Is it Acceptable to Send Thank You Letters Via Email?

Frequently job seekers ask me if it is appropriate to email a thank you letter after an interview or if snail mail is the preferred method. It is perfectly acceptable to email a thank you letter and sending the letter electronically carries many benefits including:

Immediacy. I recommend sending a thank you letter within 24 hours of a job interview. Email allows you to reconnect with the hiring manager quickly following the interview. Doing so helps you remain top of mind with the hiring manager.
Reciprocation. There is a greater likelihood that a hiring manager will respond to an email than snail mail. By keeping the dialogue open with the hiring manager, you strengthen the relationship and improve your chances of being called in for the next round of interviews.
Efficiency. When you email your thank you letter, the hiring manager can follow your response electronically and easily share it with other members of the team. There is less chance of the document getting lost or misplaced as well.

2007-07-27T20:35:00.000-04:00

Why Blog When You Are in a Job Search?

Resumes are great tools for introducing yourself to potential employers and recruiters. But resumes do little to foster the relationship between you and decision makers in your field. Blogging gives you the opportunity to consistently authenticate the skill set demonstrated on your resume and continue a conversation with the people who need to know who you are. If you’ve been thinking about incorporating a blog into your self-marketing strategy, below are eight blogging tips to help you move forward.

Setting Up A Blog

A number of services are available for setting up a blog quickly and easily. Hosting services like Blogger or Typepad provide formatting templates and blog publishing systems like MoveableType and WordPress help users produce custom-designed sites.

Keep it Real

Writing for the web is different from writing for other mediums. Readers expect to see a personal side of you. They look for quality information from a trusted source. You want them to feel comfortable with you and the information you present so they keep coming back to your blog. Avoid “corporate speak” and use a conversational, but professional tone in your posts, similar to your speaking style during a networking meeting . Your audience wants to feel like you are talking directly to them.

Stay on Topic

The best blogs are those that create community for a specific niche. They are not designed to be everything to everyone. If you are marketing your candidacy to multiple industries, your blog should address common, yet specific issues that are relevant to your profession. If your expertise benefits a very narrow niche, your blog should center on industry or product-specific information that is important to your audience and an extension of your brand.

Stay In the Now

Since most blogs list entries in reverse chronological format, it’s critical that you blog frequently; once a week is acceptable, but two to three times per week is ideal. If the “shelf life” of your blog posts has expired, your readership may question the value of your posts or your commitment to your blog and your profession. Try to schedule time each week for blogging so your content stays fresh and your readership stays intact.

Use Keywords to Boost Search Engine Rankings

Blogs contribute to the frequency with which search engines such as Google and MSN identify a person. You can accelerate your page ranking by incorporating relevant keywords into your blog copy and headlines. “Blogrolling”, a term that means setting up links on the blog, also boosts positioning on Web searches.

Build Credibility

By writing frequently and writing about a specific topic, you build credibility with your readers. If readers return to your blog, they are likely to also want to comment on your blog and connect personally. Since they have already established somewhat of a relationship with you, they are more likely to be "pre-sold" when they inquire about your availability for new opportunities.

Create Community

A great blog creates a community where people can come to learn, build relationships, exchange ideas, and have their concerns validated. Your blog is a virtual extension of your network. Expect to give more than you receive in the form of content and advice. In no time visitors will be tuning in for your latest installment, recommending your blog to others, and spreading the word about you and your expertise.

Get the Word Out

Include a link to your blog on all your personal marketing collateral including business cards, email signature line, published articles, bios, and voicemail recordings. This strategy encourages prospective employers to visit your blog and helps them stay connected to you.

Setting up a blog is easy; maintaining one is hard work and a significant commitment. But the process can be extremely satisfying and the benefits to your job search can be priceless. As an expert in your field, you offer a unique slant on your area of knowledge. Blogging raises not only your individual credibility, but that of your industry as well.

Interested in learning more about how a blog can help you in your search? Contact us for details.

2007-07-26T00:39:00.000-04:00

Changing Your Mind About a Job Offer

Over on the SittingXLegged blog, there is a post about candidates who accept a job and then back out of the offer in order to take another, higher paying position. Rescinding an offer carries significant risk, because by doing so your integrity may be questioned and your reputation damaged.

Sometimes candidates take jobs that they are not completely satisfied with and continue to look in the hopes that something better will come along. A better strategy is to negotiate an offer so the final offer is attractive to you and compelling enough for you to make a serious commitment to the new position. If you are not sure if you want a position because you are simultaneously courting other employers, either continue to negotiate or ask for more time before making your final decision. In the long run, this is a much better strategy than taking a job and then changing your mind.

2007-07-20T19:10:00.000-04:00

Career Management 101

Over on the Cube Rules blog, there is a post about the fact that people take various career paths following a layoff, but few plan for such an event. People plan for so many life events; weddings, college, vacations...Yet few map out a career management strategy that includes annual goal setting and reflection. As a result, we are frequently caught off guard following a life changing event such as a layoff. I've seen every possible emotion from people following a downsizing from shock to fear to anger to depression and the people who suffer the most are the ones who never took the time to think of the "what if" scenarios.

Employers aren't life partners. The relationship can change on a dime if the business conditions warrant it. If you are currently in a job search due to a corporate restructuring, this is a hard lesson to learn. Take the time to map out a career plan, update your resume, and foster relationships with friends and colleagues who can help you weather the storm.

2007-07-19T20:55:00.000-04:00

Everything Is Negotiable

The Evil HR Lady blog has an informative post about a recent job seeker's negotiation dilemmas
that will resonate with many. The candidate discusses a desire to negotiate additional paid time off, flexible work hours, and a more generous severance package and asks if these requests are appropriate.

In salary negotiation, anything is negotiable as long as it is fair and reasonable. This candidate makes a compelling argument for why these negotiation points are important to him and points out how flexibility on the company's part will contribute to his individual performance and contribution to the company.

The post has a happy ending and the candidate is able to negotiate for many of the items that he considers top priorities. If you are in the midst of a negotiation conversation with a prospective employer, concentrate on what is fair and reasonable in your specific situation, not what you think is the "standard policy". Once you can show an employer why your proposal makes good business sense for their company you will be able to negotiate for more of what you want and start your employment off on a positive note.

2007-07-18T22:55:00.000-04:00

Networking for Introverts

Over on the Jobs in the Money blog, there's a link to an article on networking that recommends networking strategies for introverts. In addition to their recommendations, including attending professional and social events and volunteering for leadership roles in professional organizations, I have one more idea to add.

If working a room isn't your thing, a great way to gain a comfort level with networking is to take advantage of the ever-growing list of on-line networking tools. LinkedIn, Ecademy, and Ryze, just to name a few allow you to connect with members on-line. For introverts, this approach can be a great place to start a networking campaign. The beauty of the on-line world is that you can think about what you want to say and review and tweak your message before you hit send. (Who hasn't wished they could do this at one time or another in a face to face meeting!)

While on-line networking should not replace traditional networking opportunities, it is a great way to supplement your ongoing networking campaign and gain a comfort level with the process.

2007-07-17T19:46:00.000-04:00

Base Pay for Commercial Bankers at All-Time High in NYC

According to a recent article in Crain's New York (subscription required), New York banks are facing a shortage of commercial bankers. This may be good news for bankers who are currently in a job search. The competition for talent has accelerated base pay from $125K for the average banker to $175K for a star and the salaries have increased close to 25% over the past two years.

2007-07-17T00:32:00.000-04:00

Make Sure a Prospective Employer is a Good Fit

According to a recent article in SHRM, many professionals feel that their employer’s core values are frequently not aligned with their own and this feeling can lead to lowered productivity or even silent sabotage of projects and ideas.

For the job seeker, it is important to determine if the organization you are interviewing with provides a good cultural fit and matches your life priorities and core values. It’s acceptable to engage the hiring authority in questions that help you determine fit. Don’t be afraid to inquire about the company’s values and culture, philosophy on work hours, and strategies the company uses to keep employees fulfilled in their work. Do a Google search to find out anything you can about the company and help validate your perceptions. This type of information will help you make a qualified decision if an offer is extended.

2007-07-16T22:46:00.000-04:00

Salary Increases in 2008 Expected to Be 4%

According to the Compensation Force Blog, 2008 salary increases are expected to average 4%. With that in mind, job seekers should consider strategies for negotiating their total compensation packages that go past the base salary. By negotiating a signing bonus or pro-rated bonus based on individual or company performance, job seekers may be able to barter for a more generous total rewards package. Stock options and company perks like cell phones and laptops when appropriate may also be requested to help "sweeten the pot". Companies will only budge so far when negotiating a performance increase. Try to negotiate more of the "extras" before you take the job to help compensate for some of the "average" salary increases you may be offered along the way.

2007-07-16T21:48:00.000-04:00

Career Solvers Nominated for 5 Toast of the Resume Industry Awards

I'm pleased to announce that Career Solvers was nominated for 5 TORI (Toast of the Resume Industry Awards) for 2007. This international competition is like the Oscars for resume writers and this year Career Solvers was nominated in the following categories:

Best Executive Resume
Best Professional Resume
Best Technical Resume
Best Return to Work Resume
Best Creative Resume

2007-07-15T23:04:00.000-04:00

Dress for Success...After the Job Interview

Over on the Jobs in the Money blog, there's a post about how confusing company dress codes can be for employees and how difficult it is to interpret the nuances of a company's dress policy. The interview dress code is pretty straight forward. Business attire still reigns supreme. But once you are on the job, what influences the dress code? Is it determined by how much interaction you have with clients on a regular basis? If you work for a casual clothing company, do you don their latest tank tops and flip flops or stick with something more corporate?

When you are interviewing, check out the dress of your prospective boss and colleagues. After an offer is extended and you are asking your final questions about the position and the company, don't be afraid to ask about the dress code if you have doubts. The first 90 days in a new job are critical. Everything, even your style of dress, may be under the corporate microscope, so take the time to become acquainted with the company's dress code.

2007-07-15T14:38:00.000-04:00

Digital Dirt Strikes Again!

Ms. New Jersey's recent experience with digital dirt may serve as a cautionary tale to all job seekers. Setting your Facebook or MySpace page to private does not ensure that the photos will stay that way. Fortunately for Amy Polumbo, the pageant board did not strip her of her crown, but would an employer who expected you to represent their company and service their customers be so forgiving? Think before you post...if you wouldn't want a previous or potential boss to see the picture or entry, don't post it.

2007-07-13T21:43:00.000-04:00

Get the Job Offer in Writing

Before you sign on the dotted line of an employment contract or offer letter, make sure that every point you worked so hard to negotiate for is documented. Candidates frequently tell me that they were promised something during the negotiation process, but because they didn't have a written record of the agreement, promises were not always honored by employers later on.

If an employer does not give you a formal offer letter, create your own letter to document all the points that were agreed upon including start date, job title, starting salary, time off, signing bonus, and any perks you have negotiated as part of your package. Ask the hiring manager or HR contact to sign your letter and keep it in your employment file. Be leary of employers who are reluctant to put each point of the offer in writing.

2007-07-04T12:06:00.000-04:00

Top Excuses Why People Don't Network

The idea of networking is often resisted by job seekers. Since a strong network is the key to a successful job search, it's important to uncover the reasons for this resistance. Here are the most common obstacles people face and some recommendations for how to move past them.

1. I don’t want to ask for a favor

Many people think that when you network you are asking someone for a job. But this is not the goal of networking. When you network, you never ask for a job. You ask for information about an industry, company, or position

2. Fear of rejection

Many people fear that if they ask for information the other person might not be willing to talk to them. While it is true that not everyone will agree to meet with you, many people will extend help to you and you have nothing to lose by asking.

3. Lack of awareness regarding the effectiveness of networking

Most people in a job search spend too much time canvassing the open job market, the market everyone gets to see through job posting boards and recruiters. Far fewer explore the hidden market; the jobs that are never posted, but instead are filled through connections. The odds of finding a position through the smaller, hidden market are greater than those in the open market.

4. Not comfortable talking to people they don’t know

60% of the population considers themselves shy. This perception leads to less networking. If the prospect of speaking to someone you don’t know is overwhelming right now, start to build your network by talking with people you do know such as friends, family, neighbors, or your doctor or dentist. If they can lead you to others who can help you gain necessary information for your search, your network will grow in a steady, comfortable way.

5. I want to do it on my own

When you are selected for a position, it’s because you have the skills to support the needs of the position. You showcase your individual accomplishments and differentiate yourself from the competition. But in order to tell your stories to the right person you need to cast a wide net. You leverage your network to find the right audience, not to get the job.

6. Uncomfortable talking about yourself

Many of us were raised to be humble and not to brag. Networking and interviewing requires that you talk about yourself and your accomplishments. When you talk about your skills, you are not bragging. It’s only bragging if your discussion contains hyperbole, half truths, or lies.

7. Concerns about others knowing your business

Feeling too proud to tell people you are in a job search? Examine the cause. Have you assumed that networking is asking for a job? Next, examine the consequences. If you fail to incorporate networking as a method of search, it may take you much longer to find a job.

8. Lack of knowledge regarding the process

If you don’t understand networking, now’s the time to learn. To be an effective networker, you need to be willing to share information, build relationships based on trust and reciprocity, leverage existing relationships to create new ones, and create ways to stay in touch to continue giving. Those who don’t understand the process, who use people for information and never build the relationship or return the favor give networking a bad name and lose credibility in the eyes of others.

9. Expecting things to move too quickly

Networking is an ongoing process. Like a child, your network needs time to grow and you need to nurture it along the way. You must pay attention to your network to keep relationships strong. Many contacts are not able to lead you to the person capable of making a hiring decision. You must constantly “stir the pot” to effectively network. Take care of your network and it will in turn take care of you.

What's your excuse? Feel free to share your thoughts so we can help you break through your networking barriers and accelerate your job search.

2007-07-02T10:09:00.000-04:00

Cover Letter Tips and Tricks

A cover letter is recommended when sending a resume to a hiring manager or recruiter. The letter allows the job seeker to tailor their resume to the open position and start a dialogue with the hiring authority. Here are ten tips for more powerful cover letters.

Begin your cover letter with a compelling statement. Rather than starting your cover letter with a reference to the position you are applying for, write a statement that aligns your candidacy with the organization, industry, or job function you are targeting.
Minimize the use of the word "I". Vary your sentences to keep the reader engaged.
Ask for the interview. Create a strong call to action in your letter by expressing your interest in the company and requesting an in-person interview.
Match your qualifications to the requirements of the job. Create a cover letter that addresses each job requirement point by point. The stronger the match you can make between the two, the greater the likelihood of securing the interview.
Build rapport with your audience. Discuss relevant business issues and ask thought provoking questions to show your reader that you recognize their needs.
Include a famous quote to make your point. Incorporating quotes that are relevant to the topics discussed in your letter is a great way to create an interesting and memorable document.
Keep the letter to one page. Keep your cover letters short and use short paragraphs and bulleted lists to keep the reader's attention and make it easy for them to determine the match between your qualifications and their open job.
Address the hiring authority by name. The likelihood of building rapport with the reader and validating your interest in the job is increased when the inside cover address refers to the specific person rather than "Dear Sir". Whenever possible, sleuth around for additional information on the hiring manager so you can personalize your letter.
Reference the position you are applying for. Be sure to mention the job title and job number in the body of your letter as well as in your email subject line. Many hiring authorities request this information and your inability to follow their instructions could jeopardize your candidacy.
Sign your name. In this age of email, sometimes people forget to do this. If you are sending a letter regular mail, include your handwritten signature. If your correspondence is via email, create an electronic signature.

2007-06-10T18:27:00.000-04:00

Time, Time, Time is on Your Side

Penelope Trunk of the Brazen Careerist blog recently posted on the ROWE (Results-Only Work Environment) policy instituted by Best Buys that is changing the way some people think about work. In the ROWE environment, employees are given the autonomy to structure their work day as they see fit and flexible schedules and working from home are not the exceptions, but rather the norm. According to a recent article in HR Magazine (subscription required), instituting ROWE has paid off big time...Productivity has increased an average of 35 percent within six to nine months in Best Buy units implementing ROWE and voluntary turnover has dropped between 52 percent and 90 percent in the three divisions that were part of the turnover study.

So what does this mean to the job seeker? So many of my clients express a desire to work in a more flexible professional environment and they often ask me when is the appropriate time to discuss flexible work options with a prospective employer. My response is that the best way to create a flexible arrangement for yourself is to target the companies that tout themselves as companies that offer alternative work arrangements. Once an employment offer is made, should you chose to pursue a conversation around workplace flexibility, you will be more likely to get what you want because the company has positioned itself as a firm that embraces work/life balance.

Two other companies that are public about flexible work arrangements are Sun Microsystem and IBM. Sun's program, called Open Work, has a 40% participant rate and employees average a 34% productivity gain under this flexible arrangement. IBM has experienced similar gains and in a 2004 IBM work/life survey, flexible work options was rated as the top reason to stay at IBM.

Other great sources of information for learning about workplace flexibility include Working Mother's
100 Best Companies and Fortune Magazine's Best Companies to Work For.

2007-06-09T21:41:00.000-04:00

Interviewing Authentically

A recent article in SHRM's HR Magazine (subscription required) suggests that some of today's job seekers have studied interview books so thoroughly that it is hard for the hiring manager to uncover authentic answers to their questions. Candidates are answering questions with what they believe is the "correct" answer as deemed by a book on interview strategy rather than speaking about their specific experiences.

Nothing kills a candidate's chances for a job faster than a perceived lack of authenticity. When I prepare candidates for interviews, I recommend forgetting about the interview books and concentrating on success stories. Write out your stories using the PAR system. Look at Problems faced on the job, the Actions you took to fix the problems, and the quantifiable Results of your actions. Look for trends within your stories and group your experiences into categories based on the story themes. Create groupings of stories that effectively demonstrate your competencies as a leader, decision maker, creative problem solver, collaborative business partner, or anything else that is an integral part of your professional brand.

By using this strategy, you eliminate the need to use stale responses to the hiring manager's questions. Regardless of the question asked, you will have an authentic story that demonstrates your competency within a given area. Good interviewing is all about building a relationship with a hiring authority. Offer responses that showcase your success and prove your value add. You will generate immediate credibility with the hiring authority and score big points in the interview game.

2007-05-31T00:45:00.000-04:00

Good Things Come to Those That Wait?

Over on the Compensation Force blog, there's an interesting post about internal job posting policies at large companies and their potential impact on employee retention. Companies with strict posting policies that state that employees must be in their current jobs for one or even two years before posting for a new position may inadvertently be sabotaging their retention strategies. The new crop of Gen Y job seekers are ambitious, demanding, question everything, and less loyal to their companies than past generations according to a recent article in Fortune Magazine. Posting policies that were accepted by the Baby Boomer generation may be difficult for the Millenials to swallow. My prediction is that the companies that break away from structured job posting policies will fare better over the next decade and be more successful at retaining key contributors and building increased loyalty towards the organization.

During your job search, it's important to find out as much information as you can about a company's culture. If upward mobility is an important priority for you in your next job, try to learn about the job posting policies in your target companies so you can achieve your career goals at a rate that is appropriate for you.

2007-05-23T22:01:00.000-04:00

Accelerate Your Network During the Slow Summer Months

When I counsel clients on their job search during the summer months, they often tell me that they plan to put their search on hold because they think that everyone is out of town and no one is hiring during this season.

Actually, the summer months can be the best time to step up your search campaign because so many applicants believe this misperception of the market. Consider the following:

Fewer people in town could mean more opportunity.

Savvy job seekers know that the more visible they are, the greater the chances of meeting the person that can connect them with a viable job opportunity. This concept may be even more important when you are searching during the summer months. Some job seekers make the mistake of taking a break from their search during the summer months because they assume that no one is in the hiring mode. The reality is that summer networking may be more productive. Decision makers’ schedules are not as tight and they may be more generous with their time. By establishing relationships with the key players now, you are more likely to be remembered when the hiring picks up.

People do more entertaining during the summer months.

Memorial Day weekend is synonymous with firing up the grill, taking the tarp off the pool, and planning informal gatherings. These venues are excellent opportunities to reconnect with old friends and hook up with new contacts. There is always a chance to share information about what you do at these events.

Networking options increase in the warm summer months.

With the warm weather comes the opportunity to network in places that you can’t network in the colder months. One such place is the golf course. Golf continues to be one of the most effective places for referrals and new business. If you have children, consider spending time with them in the playground. Parks are filled with people who have connections to others. Parents tend to gravitate to certain playgrounds on a regular basis so you have a chance to establish and grow the relationship over several visits. Bring along toys that encourage cooperative play including balls, Frisbees, and jump ropes and you’ll have an audience of eager kids and adults in no time.

Family obligations may be reduced during summer.

If you have older children, your family obligations might be reduced during the summer months. Children typically aren’t juggling as many activities and their time away from you may be extended if they are in a day or sleep away camp program. This could be the perfect time to participate in some early morning or after hours meetings and activities that are difficult to commit to during the school year.

Establishing relationships in the summer time is an excellent way to make inroads with decision makers who may be hiring in the fall. Hiring managers may be more accessible, more relaxed, and just in a better frame of mind during the summer months.

2007-05-18T00:55:00.000-04:00

To Niche or Not to Niche

Over on the Itzbig Blog there's a post about the value of niche job boards. The post references a recent Career Journal article that reports recruiters find that the niche boards offer better quality candidates.

I've been thinking about this from the job seeker's perspective. The success rates around landing a job sourced off the big boards are abysmal, partly because hiring authorities are overwhelmed with candidates and partly because the candidate pool on these boards is so diverse that hiring authorities have a hard time finding suitable candidates.

Niche boards offer the possibility of beating the odds when it comes to being found by a hiring authority on-line. It's easier to be a big fish in a small pond. Here are a few niche boards that I like:

Finance
Technology
Human Resources
Healthcare
Non-Profit
Telecommunications
Recent Grad

2007-05-07T22:17:00.000-04:00

Sizzling Job Opportunities Across the U.S.

This month's issue of Business 2.0 profiles America's best jobs in the hottest markets.
Among the top cities for job opportunities are Orlando, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. Top jobs include software developers, financial analysts, and IT project managers.

2007-04-29T22:34:00.000-04:00

Facebook - Not Just for College Kids

According to a recent article in Fast Company, Facebook members are not just college students anymore. Three million of their users are between the ages of 25 and 34. 380,000 are between 35 and 44, 310,000 are between 45 and 63, and 100,000 are 64 and older. In addition, Facebook features a number of employee networks including CNN, Ernst & Young, IBM, and Time Inc.

Consider diversifying your on-line networking presence to create visibility for your candidacy in a variety of on-line communities. Sites liked LinkedIn and Ecademy are fantastic for business networking, but they are not the only game in town. While many social networking sites have a certain "niche"-ability, employers are finding ways to break into a variety of social and business networking spaces to source the best of the baby boomer, gen X and gen Y talent.

Break out of your on-line comfort zone and experiment with the multitude of networking sites on-line. You will quickly expand your network, strengthen your personal brand, and accelerate your connections into new communities.

2007-04-23T20:47:00.001-04:00

25 Top Career Portals

In the recent CareerXroads' Candidate Experience White Paper, Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler look at the career portals of the Fortune Top 500 companies and rate them based on their ability to attract talent and showcase their employer brand. Out of the 500 company career portals reviewed, the white paper states that less than 20% create an outstanding experience for someone seeking information on career opportunities with the company.

The best sites answer these critical questions for job seekers...

Are you looking for me?
Why should I come here?
Why should I stay?
Is this information believable?
Will you keep me informed of my candidate status or other appropriate opportunities?

Here are the CareerXroads top 25:

2007-04-20T02:12:00.000-04:00

Down and Dirty

Recently a colleague of mine was recruiting for a fairly entry level supervisor role managing a team of telemarketers. After reviewing the resumes, only one stood out and my colleague was seriously considering bringing the candidate in for an interview even though he currently lives hundreds of miles away in another city.

Since she could tell from the experience level on the resume that the candidate was fairly young, she decided to conduct a Google search on the candidate, assuming he probably had some sort of on-line presence. Despite the fact that the candidate had a very common name, she was able to quickly locate his MySpace page. What she found there was less than flattering. The page was filled with several derogatory comments towards women and accounts of recent drinking escapades. My colleague never called the candidate in for an interview.

I recognize that living your life out in front of people is part of the Millennium culture. Maybe the culprit is You Tube or reality TV. But how will young job seekers cope with an interview where the goal is to maximize accomplishments and minimize blemishes? How will their MySpace page reflect on them if a hiring authority chooses to conduct an on-line search?

If you find that your job search is compromised by a questionable on-line persona, there are tools available to help. Ziggs, ClaimID, Ziki, Naymz, and Zoom Info help people manage their on-line presence by creating new, cleaner listings that can overcome the positioning of the less flattering ones . But since it's probably easier to remove a tattoo than to clean up a damaged on-line identity, make every effort now to proactively manage your on-line identity and keep it dirt-free.

2007-04-11T23:50:00.000-04:00

Free Interview Guide

I recently partnered with some of the most well-regarded career coaches in the industry on our third Career Hub eBook, "Insider's Guide to Interviewing". This book and our two previous titles, "Insider's Guide to Resume Writing" and "Insider's Guide to Job Search" are available for free download

2007-04-10T23:55:00.000-04:00

Show Me the Money!

Penelope Trunk of the Brazen Careerist has a very informative post on ways to get a raise. Here are a few of my own ideas for getting noticed and getting more money from an employer.

Document your accomplishments regularly throughout the year
Keep track of all the projects you manage. Upon completion of each assignment, write a note to yourself detailing your contribution and how your efforts helped the company make money, save money, save time, grow the business, or retain customers. Quantify your accomplishments with dollars, percentages, and other appropriate metrics. Actively seek out opportunities to improve efficiencies and profits regardless of the task at hand. By showing and quantifying your specific value add, you build a better business case to support the requested salary increase.

Become hard to replace
Create opportunities to diversify your experience by offering to learn how to perform tasks that support your main role and make you more efficient at what you do. An alternative strategy is to become a subject matter expert in one specific aspect of the job so you are seen as the "go-to-guy" for a particular type of information. No want wants to lose the "go-to-guy" because then they have to do it themselves.

Take on tasks that no one else wants to do
This does not mean taking on grunt work. It might just mean mastering a new technology that no one else feels comfortable with or taking on an assignment that is outside of the traditional scope of the job. Employees who demonstrate this level of flexibility tend to get more flexibility from their bosses on other issues, including compensation.

Accept high profile assignments close to review time
Since it is easier for people to remember what has happened most recently, why not take on an important assignment to coincide with an upcoming review? The project is bound to become a focal point of the performance review discussion and the boss can quickly remember and document the acheivements relevant to the project.

Your success negotiating a salary increase or promotion hinges on your ability to discuss the increase in terms of what is fair and reasonable. By including some of these ideas into your career management strategy, you can keep the conversation focused on measureable achievements and build a compelling business case for the requested pay raise.

2007-04-04T00:35:00.000-04:00

Five Reasons to Send Thank You Letters After an Interview

Thank you letters are an excellent self-marketing tool and a critical component of your job search strategy. The time spent crafting a targeted thank you letter after an interview will be well spent and can contribute to a more credible and efficient search. Here's why.

A thank you letter creates an opportunity to reconnect with employers.

Chances are you are one of many candidates being interviewed for an open position. Writing a follow up letter allows you to build a relationship with the interviewer and develop rapport. By expressing your gratitude for the interview and recapping the highlights of the meeting, you revisit the reasons you believe there is an appropriate fit between you and the organization.

Following up keeps your candidacy “top of mind”.

Often candidates make the mistake of putting too much control in the interviewer’s hands. They believe that if they are the best candidate, the interviewer will remember them and keep them in the loop regarding the selection process. But this is often not the case. It’s critical that candidates remind prospective employers of their interest in a position and the thank you letter is the perfect vehicle for communicating this.

Written correspondence allows you to sell your strengths again.

While part of the reason for the thank you letter is to express gratitude for the meeting, the document serves a much more strategic purpose. It provides an opportunity for the candidate to repackage their skills and accomplishments into another format and market their value added to the employer.

The document enables you to address points you neglected to discuss during the interview.

Many candidates report that after they leave the interview they think of all the other things they could have said during the meeting. Rather than labeling this a liability, turn it into an asset by discussing these points in the thank you letter and remind the reader of your ability to produce similar results for their organization.

A letter helps develop rapport and increases employer’s comfort level with your candidacy.

A good strategy is to recap a part of the conversation where you and the interviewer shared similar views on a job-related topic. The thank you letter can also be a forum for demonstrating your consultative problem solving skills. By addressing current issues the employer is facing and proposing solutions, you are contributing to the company’s success even before you are on board.

Thank you letters continue to be an important component of a successful job search campaign. But the focus has shifted from a simple courtesy and show of appreciation to a targeted self-marketing tool. By creating letters that validate your candidacy, build rapport, and remind the reader of your value added, you can significantly influence potential employers and increase your chances for subsequent interviews.

2007-03-31T17:30:00.000-04:00

Make Your Network Work for You

Networking is the art of building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships. Frequently when I coach people who are in a job search and we discuss networking within the context of job search, many will say "Does that really work?" Like anything else, networking requires a bit of practice and finesse, but if done correctly, networking can be an invaluable part of your job search campaign. Here are a few tips to help you develop a network that works for you.

Be a teacher
Not everyone you meet will understand what networking is or how they can help you. Many think that the best way they can help a job seeker is to take their resume and pass it on to their human resource department. While their intentions are noble, their strategy is seriously flawed. HR managers, like recruiters, may only be motivated to take action on your resume if there is a current job opening within the organization that matches your skills. If a position is not available, they have no incentive to contact you and the connection is lost. Rather than giving your contacts a resume, thank them but tell them that what you would really like is an introduction to someone at that company so you can learn more about the company, share information about yourself, and begin to build a relationship.

Be a helper
Good networking is all about reciprocity. Always try to give more than you receive. Perhaps you have information about a particular company, industry, or educational program that would be valuable to someone in your network. Look for ways to help people in your network achieve their goals and they will be more likely to help you in return.

Be a conduit
Become a great connector for people and open up your network to them. Always think about who you might know that could help other people in your network in some way.

Be patient
People may want to help you, but you may not be the first item on their agenda. If someone agrees to meet with you, but can't do so immediately, accept the offer graciously.

Be authentic
Take a sincere interest in the lives of the people you meet. Don't milk people for information and then abandon the relationship. Nobody wants to feel like they are being taken advantage of. Find ways to reconnect with your network periodically to stay up to date and let them know that you care about what is going on in their lives.

Want to read about real life networking in action? Check out these great networking stories to hear how others have successfully networked to build relationship and manage their careers.

2007-03-22T09:45:00.000-04:00

I Just Landed a New Job, so I'm Done Networking, Right?

After you find a new position, the relationships you developed during your search may continue to be important to your career. Here are a few suggestions for maintaining a viable network once you conclude your job search.

Update contact information
Be sure to send information on your new work location to all those who supported your efforts. This includes all personal contacts, recruiters, and other interested parties. Thank them all for their efforts and support. Plaxo and Spoke are great tools for keeping your network up to date.

Stay connected to colleagues
Keep in touch with co-workers, clients, and vendors from your previous position. By proactively managing these relationships now you strengthen the quality of your network and improve the opportunity to leverage these relationships at another point in time. Keep in mind that reciprocity is an important piece of the networking dynamic and by staying in touch you may be in a position to help your contacts should they decide to pursue other employment opportunities.

Keep professional memberships active
Continue to remain active in professional organizations. Contribute your time and knowledge to the organization’s events, special interest groups, and newsletters. The visibility you create now will benefit your professional development in many ways. An excellent resource for finding appropriate professional organizations for your industry is Weddles.

Conduct informational interviews
Remember how grateful you were when you were granted an informational interview or networking meeting? Consider doing the same if you are asked to offer advice or information to someone interested in your field or organization. What goes around comes around and such interviews give you the opportunity to source new talent, mentor a colleague, or build a relationship that will benefit both of you in the future.

Go to lunch
The lunch hour is a great time to bond with new co-workers and grow your network. Dine with a diverse group of colleagues across business units and job functions.

2007-03-13T23:13:00.000-04:00

So What Does That Recruiter Really Think of Your Resume?

Jason Alba of Jibber Jobber is hosting a "resume critique extravaganza" over on the Jibber Jobber blog and the invited guests are recruiters and resume experts. Each "judge" is weighing in and offering opinions on one anonymous job seeker's resume content and design. OK, it's not exactly American Idol, but there are several "Simon Cowell-esque" comments to view and lots of great resume writing advice. The recruiters and resume writers are clearly on the same page as evidenced by the consistency in their comments. All agree that a strong resume needs to showcase accomplishments over tasks, clearly communicate the candidate's core brand and value add, and have a neat, clean, and eye-catching visual design. If you would like to have your own resume critiqued, without having the content on full view to everyone, email me for a free resume assessment (my style is much more like Paula Abdul and I will tell you what is working in your current resume as well as what can be improved).

2007-03-11T21:47:00.000-04:00

Not for Profit Salary Survey

I've blogged before about the importance of sourcing industry-relevant salary information to support a candidate's salary negotiation conversations. The Compensation Force blog has a post on a recent New York non-profit salary survey done by PNP, a staffing firm specializing in the non-profit sector. If you are interested in sourcing jobs in non-profits, take a look.

2007-03-04T00:43:00.000-05:00

Wanted: Companies With Strong Employer Brands

Personal branding has become a hot topic among savvy job seekers over the past few years. Organizations with forward-thinking recruiting strategies are now applying the concepts of personal branding to attract top talent and many marketing experts including Seth Godin have blogged on how to market a job opportunity.

Ultimately, employers want to create an employer value proposition (EVP) that is so strong that the employer becomes a magnet employer. Rob O'Keefe of TMP Worldwide, a leading recruitment advertising agency,blogs about how to become an employer of choice; one where everyone knows their employment brand and many want to work for the organization.

O'Keefe suggests that creating a compelling employer brand proposition is critical to attracting top talent and appealing to both active and passive job seekers. And it seems quite likely that employers who create a strong employment brand will have a captive audience. According to a 2005 Conference Board Study, over 50% of the workforce is unhappy in their current job. This presents an enormous opportunity for companies to position themselves as the employer of choice and garner exceptional new talent in the process.

In their book Talent Force, authors Rusty Rueff and Hank Stringer refer to a company's website as their virtual lobby. The virtual lobby is a good indicator of the company's employer brand.

When a prospective candidate comes to a company’s website and submits a resume online, what type of response do they receive? Is the message welcoming, does it say we will call you if something comes up, or is there no reply at all? According to the authors, many corporate websites ask for a great deal of personal information as part of the job application process. Companies with this type of interface lose 98% of their visitors before capturing any information about them and most never return. Instead of making the process cumbersome and invasive by asking for a resume, the authors recommend that employers simply invite candidates in, allow them to remain anonymous, and ask for minimal information. If they acquire just a first name, email address, and area of interest, they can begin to establish a relationship with the candidate and they can engage with them on their terms.

So what does all this mean to the job seeker? By targeting companies that present a strong employer brand, you are more likely to find the culture that speaks to your values and future career aspirations. By studying company websites and career portals, you can determine if an employer has a strong employer brand and one that matches your employment expectations.

2007-03-02T00:32:00.000-05:00

Sudden Death From Too Many Resume Bullets

Bulleted lists are often used on resumes to highlight specific talking points and areas of achievement. But too frequently bullets are misused and they end up diminishing the impact of the talking points rather than enhancing them. Here are a few common mistakes candidates make when using bullet points on their resume.

Too Many Bullets
When job seekers create a list of more than five bullets in a row, nothing stands out and the text starts to look like one big paragraph. A better strategy is to create functional headings such as Business Development, Marketing, Financial Analysis, etc. This allows you to group your bullet points in sub-sections and quickly differentiate the types of value-add statements you are including in the resume.

Mixed Purpose Bullets
Frequently job seekers mix information about job tasks with information regarding accomplishments. This waters down the value of the accomplishment statement and makes it harder to spot amongst a sea of task-oriented statements. A better strategy is to report job tasks in a brief paragraph format and identify accomplishments in a bulleted list to differentiate the two and make it easier for the reader to quickly spot the accomplishments.

Unique Bullets
Sometimes candidates use unusual symbols for their bullets that can be quite distracting for the reader. It's better to stick with traditional circles and squares when creating bullet points. You want your resume to be memorable based on its accomplishments, rather than unusual formatting.

2007-02-27T22:56:00.000-05:00

Stand Out in a Crowd

I just returned from the Women for Hire Job Fair in New York City where I was offering free resume critiques. In the sea of women that attended the event, I spotted one man. While some of the participants seemed to be looking at this gentleman with a "how did he get in here" attitude, or at least a somewhat bemused fascination, I thought this man was brilliant. What better way to get noticed at a crowded job fair, than to be the only person with a certain differentiating characteristic (in this case, gender). He was, I'm sure, one of the most memorable attendees at the event.

There are a lot of other ways to differentiate yourself in a group. Technology professionals with a specialty in financial services applications can attend an industry event for a financial services professional organization. A human resources executive interested in media companies can attend a workshop relevant to media professionals. A recent college graduate with an interest in attending nursing school can attend a healthcare related professional event. By being "the only one" in a given field at an event, you are more likely to be remembered.

If you are seeking a position in accounting, don't just network with other accountants. Diversify your network to include people from other professions. If you are in your early 20s don't only socialize with other people in their 20s. Network with people in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond. You never know who other people are connected to. Do you tend to associate with people from the same socioeconomic or ethnic background? Make a conscious effort to meet and network with people from a variety of backgrounds to expand your social circle and your potential opportunities.

Dare to be different and you will be remembered. If you can remain top of mind with the people in your network, you are more likely to secure a new and better job faster.

2007-02-22T00:35:00.000-05:00

Negotiating Total Compensation Can be Totally Awesome

Recently during an online conversation about negotiating total compensation rather than just base salary, I was asked "What are the best resources to use to figure out how to quantify your 'total compensation' and make sure you are not forgetting anything?"

Total compensation can include base, benefits, performance bonus, sign on bonus, relocation assistance, perks like an expense account or company car, cell phone, laptop, etc. Other things to consider are amount of vacation time, severance package, and commuting reimbursements…it all adds up in the end…think of all the money people save at Google on the free lunch (and think of all the weight they gain!).

When comparing healthcare plans, look at things like the out of pocket expense, deductible or co-pay, healthcare reimbursement savings accounts, number of well-care visits, and health provider network.

The Compensation Force Blog has an excellent post outlining many of the extra benefits that may be negotiated as part of a total compensation package.

Base salary is just one part of your total compensation package. With a little bit of knowledge and some careful planning, you can successfully negotiate a valuable and competitive package for yourself.

2007-02-18T10:04:00.000-05:00

Writing Powerful Introductory Letters

A visitor to my site recently asked me to critique a letter he was sending to someone he saw speak at a professional conference. The purpose of the letter was to introduce himself and request an informational interview. Like many of the introductory letters I see, the letter was very general and lacked the information necessary to compel the reader to pick up the phone and say "come on in".

Like cover letters, letters of introduction must contain evidence of your past successes and an overview of how these successes are transferable to another business environment. Don't just tell your reader that you are a fast learner, an out-of-the-box thinker or a great communicator...these attributes are meaningless unless they are discussed within the context of your achievements.

A better strategy, when writing an introductory letter, is to identify your profession and core competencies and then list three quantifiable examples of your success within this profession. For example, don't just say that you are detail-oriented...say that your attention to detail is evident from the $300,000 in accounting errors you uncovered last year or your ability to master five new computer software products in under three months is proof of your ability to learn new things quickly.

Remember, when you send a letter seeking an introductory meeting, you need to differentiate yourself and your most marketable skills. Ultimately you want the person you are trying to meet to become an advocate for your candidacy who can introduce you to a potential hiring manager or decision maker.