Job Advice from a Wall Street Headhunter

Think Before You Post!

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:18:44 -0400

Social Media is a tool that a growing number of employers and recruiters are using to evaluate and make informed decisions on whether or not to hire an individual. Below is a clip of a cool infographic that looks at different areas that affect possible employment.

This infographic was put together by Charles Vesley, David Lamb, Samantha Turner and Paul Murray for Professor Steven Johnson’s Social Media Innovation Course at the Fox School of Business at Temple University. For the entire infographic, go to Professor Steven Johnson’s blog.

TODAY’S TIP:

Think before post!

Evernote Hello!

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:38:50 -0500

Remembering people is hard. Evernote Hello makes it easy. Whether you’re meeting someone for the first time, trying to remember a person’s name, or recalling important aspects of a previous encounter, Evernote Hello is there for you.

When you meet someone new, launch Evernote Hello and give them your phone. They’ll quickly create a short profile (name, email, phone number, and twitter account). Alternatively, you can enter their data. You can then add photos and notes that will help you remember the person.

TODAY’S TIP:

Check out Evernote Hello as a way to keep track of people you meet while you network and interview.

Sleep is Awesome!

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:46:43 -0500

In preparation for an interview, make sure you’re well rested. The medical community agrees that an adult needs between 6 and 8 hours of sleep each night — less than that and sleep deprivation begins to starve the brain which could negatively impact the outcome of your interview.

About a year ago, New York Times bestselling author Julien Smith and FFunction teamed up to make this cool infographic titled Sleep is Awesome that highlights why getting sleep is so important. I like the factoid that one night without sleep leaves you performing like you were legally drunk at a blood alcohol level content of 0.08.

TODAY’S TIP:

Make sure you’re well rested for your interview.

Subscribe to Job Alerts.

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 22:09:03 -0500

Are you tired of going to job boards and manually searching for jobs? Maybe you should consider signing up for job alerts. By and large job aggregators and job boards offer job alert email services that will notify you of new jobs posted that match criteria (position, geography, etc.) that you specify.

Keeping abreast of new job openings will allow you to quickly apply for opportunities. Why is this important? Often recruiters get overwhelmed with applications so the sooner you apply the greater the chance the recruiter will respond to you. Furthermore, once several viable candidates are being interviewed some recruiters will either stop assessing new candidates or take their time responding to your application. As such, quickly responding to job postings could give you the edge.

TODAY’S TIP:

Subscribe to job alerts to keep abreast of job openings as they are posted.

Job Postings on Wall Street.

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 20:29:18 -0500

In a festive mood, I created a fun infographic on the U.S. job postings at the large and mid-sized investment banks. I hope you enjoy!

Make Yourself Heard.

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 22:15:36 -0500

Speaking at an industry conference is a great opportunity for you to raise your profile among peers, potential employers, and recruiters. Not only do you get exposure at the conference, but also afterwards as many conference organizers keep their conference speaker lists and biographies on their websites for months, if not years, following a conference. Many recruiters, including me, rely heavily on conference agendas and speaker lists.

Unfortunately, landing a speaking engagement at one of the notable industry conferences isn’t that easy unless you’re already fairly well established. Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs, wrote a good article last year titled How to Get a Speaking Gig: 12 Ways to Charm Conference Organizers that is worth a read.

TODAY’S TIP:

Pursue opportunities to speak at industry conferences to raise your profile among peers, potential employers, and recruiters.

Keep Organized through Evernote.

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 23:47:58 -0500

Do you find it challenging to keep track of your job search emails, phone numbers, research, and documents? Maybe the folks at Evernote have the solution for you. Once you have an account, you can access your data from anywhere you have access to the Internet, a smartphone or a mobile device. You can save your interview notes, job search details, and all of your job search documents to your Evernote account in your own customized folders to help you keep organized.

Evernote is free, but you can upgrade to a premium account that will give you bigger upload capacity, greater sharing options, access to note history, and more. Plus, you get PDF searching, faster image recognition, and no advertisements. The coolest feature for a job seeker is that iOS and Android users can add a lock to their app for an extra level of security. The premium account is $5 per month or $45 for the year.

The folks at Evernote created a humorous video that gives you an overview of Evernote: CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE EVERNOTE VIDEO

TODAY’S TIP:

Get Evernote to keep track of your job search.

Video Biography.

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:33:49 -0500

In this highly competitive job market, maybe it’s time to consider doing a video to set yourself apart from the herd. We recruiters always enjoy something innovative from a candidate like an infographic, video, or a personal QR code. These tools definitely get our attention.

The folks at videoBIO provide video making services and web-based video communication systems that will allow you to generate and share cost-effective, professional quality content. Once you have a video you can email it to potential employers, post it to your blog, or create a video page.

If you’re unemployed you might create a video that describes your values, abilities, and skills. If you have a job, such a video might not go over so well with your employer so I recommend you create a video that talks about an industry trend or hot topic.

TODAY’S TIP:

Consider creating a video to help you gain exposure to recruiters and potential employers.

Facebook De-Friending.

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:56:52 -0500

How many friends do you have on Facebook? Over the coming holiday week I recommend you find some time to review your connections and do some purging! Fortunately, de-friending on Facebook doesn’t notify the individual or post the action on your wall.

Many recruiters, including me, look for you on Facebook to see what we can find out about you. Sometimes we find a goldmine of data and pictures that we use to determine whether or not to contact you.

Sometimes we might find you on Facebook, but your privacy settings restrict us from viewing some or all of your profile. However, we might be able to see your friend list. So, you should consider adjusting your privacy settings or removing some connections! For instructions on seeing what your profile looks like to other people CLICK HERE.

TODAY’S TIP:

Review your friend connections on Facebook and do some purging, if necessary.

Job Seeker Badge.

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:46:46 -0500

How do you show a wide audience that you’re looking for a job? Maybe you should consider getting a ‘Job Seeker’ account on LinkedIn. With a premium account, the folks at LinkedIn claim that you will be 50% more likely to be found in search results and twice as likely to be contacted by recruiters and hiring managers about job opportunities.

How does it work? When you apply for a job on LinkedIn, you end up in a huge stack of applicants. A ‘Job Seeker’ account moves you to the top of the stack. You will also be able to reach out directly to hiring managers or connections at companies. Another cool feature is that you can add the ‘Job Seeker Badge’ to your profile to stand out in search results. More benefits are outlined on LinkedIn.

What’s a Job Seeker Badge? With a ‘Job Seeker’ account you can select to display a Job Seeker Badge on your profile and next to your name in search results. The badge ensures that you stand out as a job seeker when hiring managers and recruiters search for candidates. Your LinkedIn connections will be notified of changes to your badge settings.

How Much Does it Cost? LinkedIn offers two ‘Job Seeker’ packages. The basic package is $19.95/month and the premium package is $29.95/month. You can compare the packages at: COST OF JOB SEEKER ACCOUNT.

TODAY’S TIP:

Consider upgrading your LinkedIn account to a ‘Job Seeker’ account.

Social Job Seekers.

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:15:04 -0500

The folks at mbaonline recently published a cool infographic about how social media is reshaping the job search. They talk about how this new breed of ‘social job seekers’ are utilizing social networks in ingenious ways to successfully find jobs. Check out the infographic below.

TODAY’S TIP:

Utilize social networks to help you in your job search.

Training the Street.

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:44:23 -0500

If you’re out of a job or considering a job change, you might check out the courses or one-on-one coaching offered by Training The Street (TTS). TTS is the world’s leading provider of instructor-led courses in accounting, financial modeling and corporate valuation training to Wall Street investment banks, business schools, and top colleges. With offices in the financial hubs across the U.S., as well as an office in London and India, TTS boasts a deep field of expert instructors and extensive practical experience.

In addition to working with the investment banks and universities, TTS offers public and self-study courses as well as one-on-one coaching. These courses and/or coaching could help you prepare for the technical and practical components of the interview process. Also, if you attend one of the public course training programs, you will receive a certificate that you can mention on your resume.

TODAY’S TIP:

Consider utilizing Training The Street to help you prepare for the technical and practical components of your Wall Street interviews.

Visiblity on BlueSteps.

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:36:53 -0500

To increase your visibility to top recruiting firms around the globe you might consider registering with BlueSteps, a confidential career management service of the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC). The service will put you on the radar screen of more than 8,000 recruiters in over 75 countries.

A lifetime BlueStep membership costs $349 with additional premium services available at an annual renewal fee ($89), which is included in your first year of membership. To enjoy a 20% discounted membership, enter the promotional code “linkedin20” at the final stage of registration. This 20% discount is valid through December 31, 2011. To register for BlueSteps CLICK HERE.

TODAY’S TIP:

Consider joining BlueSteps as a way to gain visibility with recruiters around the globe.

Political Posts & Tweets.

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:25:20 -0500

Do you ever post your political views on Facebook? Do you tweet them? Have you ever changed your opinion of a friend based on a political comment they posted on Facebook or Twitter?

The folks at market research firm Lab42 surveyed 500 social media users on politics and published an extensive infographic. Below is a piece of that infographic that focuses on posting and tweeting political comments. Approximately 51% of those surveyed have posted political messages on their Facebook walls and 36% have changed their opinions of friends based on political comments they posted on Facebook or Twitter.

TODAY’S TIP:

If you’re looking for a job, refrain from posting or tweeting political comments.

Job Postings on LinkedIn.

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:27:00 -0500

Earlier today I received an email from the folks at LinkedIn with some intriguing hiring intelligence on the United States (see the infographic below). As a job seeker, you might be intrigued to discover that 537,971 jobs in the United States have been posted on LinkedIn in 2011.

Currently there are around 57,000 job openings in the United States posted on LinkedIn. Check them out: U.S. JOBS

TODAY’S TIP:

Explore the job postings on LinkedIn.

Grammar Checker.

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:40:49 -0500

Any communication (e.g., resume, cover letter, email, etc.) with a potential employer should be double and triple checked for grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes. If you need an extra set of eyes, I suggest you utilize an online grammar service like Grammarly.

Grammarly is a top proofreading tool that will help you instantly locate grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes as well as prevent plagiarism. Grammarly will analyze your document in real time and give an instant detailed report of issues and suggestions for improvements. Grammarly is available at www.grammarly.com.

TODAY’S TIP:

Double and triple check the grammar on any communication with a potential employer.

Tipsy..Buzzed..Drunk.

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:55:06 -0500

Some Wall Street recruitment activities occur over drinks. What seems like a harmless activity can quickly go from good to bad to ugly. While there might be a big difference between being tipsy, buzzed, or outright drunk, my view is that you shouldn’t even roll the dice when it comes to your future. Celebrate after you land the job!

While you should generally avoid alcohol at a recruiting event, it doesn’t mean you’re relegated to drinking water, soda, or juice. There are a number of non-alcoholic drinks (contain less than 0.5% alcohol by volume) that are widely available. Here are several websites worth exploring: www.thebar.com and www.drinksmixer.com.

TODAY’S TIP:

Drink non-alcoholic drinks at recruiting events so that you have complete control of both your physical and mental faculties.

Vizualize Your Resume.

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:40:00 -0500

The folks at vizualize.me believe that a “traditional text resume is boring, lengthy and long overdue for a makeover.” They’ve created an online resume format that is not only visually attractive, but also highly interactive.

While I’m not sure how many Wall Street recruiters or employers will visit your visualize.me resume, I do believe it’s a highly creative and innovative way to get noticed. Below is a screenshot of my visualize.me resume. To launch my electronic resume, CLICK HERE.

TODAY’S TIP:

Explore creative and innovative tools like vizualize.me to stand out from others in the job market.

Performance Reviews.

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:17:06 -0500

If you’re actively looking for a job or contemplating a potential move, I recommend you get your hands on your most recent performance review and use it as a tool to self-reflect. Like any other assessment tool (Myers Briggs, Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument, etc.), you don’t have to agree with or believe everything you read.

Many Wall Street employers employ 360 degree feedback systems for their performance review process which will provide you with feedback from subordinates, peers, and supervisors. It also usually includes your self assessment and feedback from external sources (customers, suppliers, etc.).

Notably, a potential employer might ask for a copy of your most recent performance review during your background check. If you follow my advice and get your hands on a copy of your performance review now then you’ll be able to expeditiously respond to such a request.

TODAY’S TIP:

Get your hands on your most recent performance review and use it as a way to self-reflect in preparation for future interviews.

Personal Business Card.

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:11:05 -0500

It can be socially awkward to whip out a resume at a business conference, dinner, or social event. It can also be awkward to hand a potential employer your current employer’s business card. One solution to these quandaries is to order custom personal business cards.

A number of companies offer inexpensive, custom business cards. Two of my favorites are FedEx Office and Vizibility. For as low as $19.99 you can order 250 custom business cards. Both FedEx and Vizibility offer various templates to select from. I recommend sticking with a basic, clean design like the two I selected below.

TODAY’S TIP:

If you’re a job seeker, order personal business cards that you can share with contacts and potential employers.