Job Search

INTERVIEW! 10 Commandments to help you through the INTERVIEW!

2011-02-25T17:14:00.000-08:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

The interview is an important part of getting a new job. It is inevitable that if you are going to get a new job you will be interviewing. Each interview is different and how you perform will be different for each interview you do. Outside of the other preparation you do for your interview, you should mentally prep for how you will conduct yourself during the interview. A preparation plan will be done for each interview since each interview is different from the rest; however, a preparation for performing essentially remains the same. You have a plan for your preparation, now here is your plan for performing.

1. ATTITUDE, is yours great?

Never underestimate what a great attitude can do for you. Think about it this way; would you like to interview someone with your attitude? Attitude is sometimes overrated but one thing you can be sure of, a great attitude is far better than a bad attitude. And when I reference attitude, I am referencing it for everything, not just the interview. If you are having a bad day, someone upset you before the interview or you are generally not in a good mood, it will affect your interview. If this is the case, stop and take a deep breath, clear your head, think about what you are about to do, the interview, and realign your attitude to be a great one. If yours is not great, do whatever it takes to make it a great ATTITUDE before your interview.

2. EARLY is on time!

Ever hear of Lombardi time? I first heard this when I was attending the US Air Forces Military Recruiting School years ago. The reference to Lombardi, the late great and infamous Head Coach of the Green Bay Packers, is that Vince Lombardi believed and professed that arriving 15 minutes before your scheduled time to arrive is being on time. Think about the analogy of this for a moment. How can you walk into an appointment seconds before the scheduled time, introduce your arrival and yourself, sit down and take a deep breath to relax and start the appointment on time? And many times you are asked to complete an application. How does that get done before your appointment if arrival is seconds before? Difficult at best, not is more likely. Whether you subscribe to Lombardi time, or whatever time you want to subscribe to, arrive EARLY to allow yourself enough time to take a deep breath, relax and complete the proverbial application.

3. Oh, and HUSTLE!

Show some bustle to your hustle, or, in other words, enthusiasm, energy, vibrancy and interest. Ask questions as well. You don’t want to ask questions for the sake of asking questions, however, questions are buying signs and show interest. Interest is why you are interviewing so show it. No one wants to interview someone who lacks these qualities. Enthusiasm, energy and vibrancy are self-explanatory. Interest is as well but I want to expand on interest. If you are not hearing what interests you, or, what you are looking for in the early stages of the interview, you should still show interest. It may turn out that as the interview progresses you will see things that are of interest to you and that your interest grows. A second interviewer could interest you more that the first interviewer. Regardless, think of it this way; if a lack of interest is initially perceived by the interviewers then you are likely to lose them. Ask yourself; have you ever lost your audience in a meeting, a presentation or a speech and tried to get them back? Very difficult if not near impossible. You don’t want to lose your interview audience. You can always say no to an offer if one were to come, but, if you have a lack of interest or there is a perceived lack of interest, you will likely be able to call the interview practice. So, be sure to show some HUSTLE!

4. LISTENING; to follow instructions, are you really listening?

Knowing what to do when something is new to you requires listening to instructions, developing perceptions on how to prepare for it and how to act doing it. The company, the interviewer and the interview are likely to be new to you. In order to properly prepare and do your best during the interview requires listening to what will be expected of you. Your developed perception will help you determine how best to prepare and act. Listening for the hints to tip you off on what to prepare for, how to prepare and how to act will pay dividends. You will perform much better if you are properly prepared and act accordingly. Good LISTENING helps get you there.

5. LISTEN more, talk less!

Balancing your dialog during your interview is critical. Have you ever been in conversation with someone and carried on too much with an explanation of something? How about dominate a conversation? I’ve talked too much before, maybe you have too. Have you ever been on the other end where you felt you couldn’t get a word in edgewise or were even listened to? There is no perfect balance; the situation dictates what it should be. The important point here is that you want to answer questions accurately, informatively and completely without carrying on with irrelevant information, which happens very often. Dazzle your interviewers with your brilliance, not baffle them with your, well, you know. Your interview should be conversational, a sharing of information, not robotic, and, not dominant. You should know what to share, how to answer, what to answer. When someone belabors an explanation on something or an answer to a question, it implies they don’t know what they are talking about. They are scrambling for a good answer. If that is the case, you will likely lose your interviewer and it will be hard to get them back if you do. Good listening is more important than talking too much. If you are not listening well you may miss the gist of a question and unintentionally give a wrong answer to a question that you are very capable of answering. So listen, make sure you know what the question is by good listening and give an accurate, informative and complete answer. It is OK to restate the question to validate it, but you sure don’t want to give a wrong answer when you know the right one. Listening is an acquired skill and as with any skill, takes practice. So, if you need to, practice to LISTEN more.

6. Give the interview your very best as a matter of PRINCIPLE!

Sometimes people have or show a lack of enthusiasm, energy or interest in what they are doing. It can be from lack of knowledge of what they are doing, lack of confidence or no interest in what they are doing. They are not putting forth their best effort. That could show a lack of character and less than stellar work ethic. When people do their best they are showing character and exhibiting an excellent work ethic. Ever hear of “you are what you eat”? Well “you are what you do”! When I attended the US Air Forces Military Recruiting School, every morning and every time we came back to the classroom after lunch or a break, everyone in class was required to shout out in unison “boy, am I enthusiastic”! At first, most everyone thought it was a lame exercise, but later it was proven to have a very positive impact on everyone. That exercise motivated everyone to do their very best in class. Whatever you do to get yourself in an appropriate frame of mind and do your very best in what you do, your objective should be to do your very best. It shows when someone is doing their best and they are generally rewarded for it. The moral here is not just to have the right frame of mind for what you do, but as an element of who you are and what you do. As a matter of PRINCIPLE, do the very best you can!

7. SKIP the gossip, opt out!

Stay away from gossip, opt out! Don’t buy into rumors, they are just gossip with another name. Gossip can take different forms and what may not appear as gossip could very well be construed as gossip by just the way it is presented. Many times, an interviewer will ask questions about your current company, your management, product line, what’s going on and how it’s going. They may ask you about your likes and dislikes. You will be expected to answer such questions but be careful how you answer them. Answer them like you would any other interview question; you want to answer questions accurately, informatively and completely being careful not to give away any information that is considered confidential or irrelevant. Stay positive with your answers as well. The way you answer these types of questions will do several things; establish your professionalism in the way you answer the questions and how you would respond if you were their employee. No one is looking for a water cooler gossiper and if there is any idea that you may be, your interview will likely be over. You probably will not be able to avoid those kinds of questions but how you handle them will tell volumes about the kind of person you are, about your character and your professionalism. Chose not to distribute gossip; SKIP the gossip!

8. Don’t BASH the boss, policy or show negativity!

Many times you will be asked about how you work with management and your relationship with management. Behavioral questions are becoming more popular. One series of questions you may get goes something like this; “Was there ever a time when you were asked to do something by your manager that you disagreed with”? “If so how did you handle it”? “What was the outcome”? If someone did not have a very good relationship with their manager it would easy to “bash” the boss in the way the questions were answered, the tone of voice and the angst that rises as the question is being answered. Don’t think this isn’t possible, think back to a time when you answered a question about an unpleasant situation. I know it can happen and you probably do too. Regardless of the exact question or how it is asked, the point here is to not bash the boss or show negativity in your response. Be very diplomatic, professional, positive, and, answer the question accurately, informatively and completely. How you answer the question will tell as much about you as much as to what the answer actually is. It can be construed as a test as to how you would talk about them if they employed you. Never good to be negative or BASH.

9. Show DISCIPLINE dipped in diligence!

I like to use the term “comfortably confident” when I brief someone going into an interview. I am not employing cocky and arrogant. If someone goes into an interview with anything less than comfortably confident, they show a lack of self control and discipline. Diligence instills discipline and discipline breed’s confidence. If you know what you are doing, confident in your ability, is there any reason you wouldn’t show it in everything you do? Continued long term discipline helps insure success in what someone does. Diligence helps get them there. Presenting yourself confidently illustrates that to others. The interviewer is not likely to take an interest in someone who is not diligent, discipline or confident. Have it, practice it and show it. Exercise your DISCIPLINE in your interview.

10. Get it DONE!

Getting it done is not just about your tasks, your job or the projects you are in or get involved with, it is as much about your attitude as well. When you illustrate a “get it done” attitude there will likely be less to explain about the get it done in what you do. You instill confidence in others that you can get it done and the proof is what you have gotten done. Your hard and fast examples discussed during an interview are easy enough to validate, how you present yourself validates your “get it done” attitude. Present yourself well in your interview and you will show you can get it DONE!

Some say attitude is everything; I say attitude is almost everything. How you control it and having it is the everything. Each of these commandments has ATTITUDE in them. To get the most out of your interview you need to be aware of your attitude when you interview. Let your attitude help influence your performance and you will likely see the success you are looking for as a result of your interview.

There is much that can be said about interviewing but I think most would agree that without the right attitude, you’re swimming up stream. I know for a fact that the right attitude can overcome a weakness in another area. The weakness could be from lack of training or experience and at the time of the interview can’t be changed, however, you have control over attitude and it can be controlled and changed. Learn these commandments, keep them in mind when preparing for your INTERVIEW and you will be miles ahead of the competition.

There is more to the INTERVIEW and than can be covered in one BLOG. Watch for future BLOG’s on all topics JOB SEARCH at http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com/. You should also look at past published BLOG’s as well, you won’t be disappointed.

If you like what you see and find value in this information, BOOKMARK this site as a favorite, become a follower and COME BACK often.

If you know someone else in JOB SEARCH mode, I suggest you

TELL A FRIEND!

I encourage you to do so as they also could benefit from this information. .

I welcome comments and if you wish me to address a specific subject let me know in the comments section or send me an email at rsc@infoexchangegroup.com

Special NOTE: This BLOG is still developing and will eventually have its own web site to be easier to find and better serve those viewing this material. An announcement will be made when that happens.

The JOB SEARCH! Get into a HABIT and become more EFFECTIVE!

2010-12-03T18:34:00.000-08:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

You have probably heard the term “Practice Makes Perfect”! That term is commonly associated with athletes and musicians. They practice to get perfect, to become #1 in their profession and continue to practice to stay there. They get in and stay in the HABIT of practicing.

Regarding a JOB SEARCH, I don’t know anyone that makes it a profession. I do know many that are in job search mode though. The ones with the greatest success get in the HABIT of doing the things that need to be done and continue to do them until they achieve their objective, getting a new position. They get into a habit. They practice to become highly effective in their quest to attain their objective.

This does not imply getting into the habit of doing just anything, the wrong things, or, working without a plan. Everyone should know that PROPER PLANNING PREVENTS POOR PERFORMANCE. With all the elements in place that constitute a good job search plan and being in the habit of exercising that plan, you will be much more effective during the whole process and get a better result.

Let’s recall the fundamental steps in the JOB SEARCH process:

1. Determine you objective

2. Develop your resume, cover letter and presentation(s)

3. Post your resume

4. Conduct search, create search wizard

5. Research your targets

6. Contact your targets

7. Develop your network

Dr. Stephen R. Covey wrote a book entitled “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. The book was about habits and when practiced, how they make people more effective. Although written 15 years ago, its message still applies to this day. Getting into a habit mode when conducting a job search, to have a plan and do the things that need to be done, will make you more effective in the quest for your next position.

HABIT 1 is about being PROACTIVE

As in any number of situations in your life where you are or should be proactive, being reactive puts you in second place, or, first loser. You design your personal life, as well as your professional life. Every situation provides you with choices and you chose how to deal with them. Taking responsibility through proactivity will get you to do different things to get different results when you are not getting the results you are looking for. You embrace the positive and expel the negative. You chose to control your environment and not allow yourself to be affected by it. You will have greater power when taking control of your environment. Taking control is doing something about it. To influence you speak in the positive I can, will, do. You focus your efforts on what you can control choosing to be in a Sphere of Influence instead of a Center of Concern. Being proactive you will determine the areas to focus on that will keep you in the Sphere of Influence and on track to a more effective result in your job search. You chose your behavior, be PROACTIVE! Something to remember; there are people who make things happen, people who want things to happen and people who wondered what happened! Which one are you?

HABIT 2 is about the END IN MIND (the GOAL)

Being all you can be is “what” you should want to be. What and “where” you want to be should be part of your goal. When victories come at the expense of things far more valuable, are they truly victories or, steps on the stairway to the ultimate prize? If you are not headed up the stairs you want to be on, to where you want to be, this is less a victory than a climb to dissatisfaction. Visualize what you want and where you want to be 5, 10 or 20 years out. Have a mental image to create a physical image. Visualize whom you are, what you want and how you are going to get there. Think about how you will win friends, influence people and overpower the people and circumstances that will shape your future. Develop a personal mission statement, as companies develop business mission statements, to be your goals and to help you keep your eye on the prize. Keep the END IN MIND. Re-affirm who you are, your goals, focus on those goals and elevate yourself up the stairway to success. If you conceive it, and you believe it, you will achieve it.

HABIT 3 is about putting FIRST THINGS FIRST (the PRIORITIES)

Time management is very helpful in putting first things first, or setting and working the priorities. It will also help you with having a balanced existence, a quality of life balance. Being proactive and having goals come together here. It’s about life management, your purpose, your values, your roles and your priorities. Priorities are the things that are most important to you and when putting first things first you are organizing and managing your time according to what’s most important to you. Practicing the A, B, C time management methodology will help in the organization of your priorities. Put FIRST THINGS FIRST, set your priorities, focus on them and you will be more effective in getting to your goal.

HABIT 4 is about THINKING WIN-WIN

Negotiation results in both parties winning. There are concessions from both sides, whatever they may be, and the result is an agreement, WIN-WIN! The human interaction and collaboration is a win for both parties. It is not an I win, you lose, if you win, I lose scenario. That ends up being a zero-sum game. WIN-WIN is cooperative, having the frame of mind and heart that seeks mutual benefit, solutions that are mutually beneficial and satisfying. Approaching life’s issues with a WIN-WIN attitude displays vital character traits:

1. INTEGRITY: sticking with feelings, values and commitments

2. MATURITY: expression of ideas, feelings with courage and conviction and consideration for ideas and

feelings of others

3. MENTALITY: the belief of abundance, plenty to go around

Many think you’re nice or you’re tough, either or. With WIN-WIN, both either and or are required balance between courage and consideration. You need to be empathic as well as confident. You need to be considerate and sensitive as well as brave. To achieve balance is the essence of maturity and fundamental to WIN-WIN. This is all about you and life around you. It’s about your INTEGRITY, MATURITY and your MENTALITY. It’s about you attaining balance with the attitude to succeed, to WIN-WIN.

HABIT 5 is about SEEKING FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD

Communication is the most important skill we have. If you don’t communicate well, you will have trouble being understood. Listening is an integral part of the communication process. If you are not a good listener, you will have trouble understanding. You need to understand if you expect to be understood. Many seek first to be understood and get their point across. When it comes to listening, many pretend to listen selectively hearing only certain parts of the conversation or attentively focusing on the words being said while missing the meaning entirely. They listen while preparing a reply, comment or answer in their mind before they fully understand what is being said. Referencing what is heard through their “life experience” they measure it up and consequently decide prematurely how to respond or answer a question before the other person finishes communicating. The cart starts getting ahead of the horse here. Your chances of giving an intelligent response or answer after listening poorly are slim. Because of how we process communication we tend to respond by:

1. EVALUATING: we judge and then either agree or disagree

2. PROBING: we ask questions from our own frame of reference

3. ADVISING: we give counsel, advice and solutions to problems

4. INTERPRETING: we analyze others motives and behaviors based on our own experiences

Sometimes “life experience” responses are appropriate, such as, when specifically asked for help from your point of view. Regardless of how you communicate, you should understand that if you are a poor listener you probably are a less than stellar communicator. Don’t let the cart get before the horse, listen to UNDERSTAND and communicate to be UNDERSTOOD.

HABIT 6 is about SYNERGY

Synergy is achieved through collaboration, putting heads together, and, interaction. This is the habit of creative cooperation, teamwork with open mindedness and finding new solutions to old problems. It’s the process where people bring all their personal experience and expertise together for the team to learn from. They discover things they are less likely to discover on their own. It is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. When people interact they’re open to each other’s influence and begin to gain new insight. Capability to invent new approaches increases exponentially because of difference. Valuing difference drives synergy. Many mistake uniformity for unity and sameness for oneness. Differences should be seen as strengths and not weaknesses. Ever talk to someone where something is said that helps you solve a problem, complete a project, make something more efficient? SYNERGIZE yourself and collaborate your way to success putting heads together; network.

HABIT 7 is about SHARPENING THE SAW

You are your greatest asset. You should be sharpening your skills and preserving and enhancing that asset, YOU! Invest in yourself and hone yourself through self-improvement to make a better you. If you are not investing in yourself, you are doing yourself an injustice. Through self-improvement you are developing a balanced self-renewal program, a reinvention of a better you. Key elements in self are:

1. PHYSICAL: eating, exercising, rest

2. SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL: having social and meaningful relations with others

3. MENTAL: learning, reading, writing and teaching

4. SPIRTUAL: spending time in nature, expanding spiritual self through mediation, music, art, prayer and

service

You create growth and change in your life. Working the habits will increase your capacity to produce and handle challenges around you. Through renewal, your body will remain strong. Your mind will be sharp, your emotions healthy, the spirit sensitive and your person generous. Feeling good about one’s self doesn’t just happen. You need to take time for renewing yourself to live a balanced life. Renew yourself through relaxation, practice the spiritual and mental elements and know what your well being requires. Experience the vibrancy and energy. Practice and experience the benefits of good health and exercise. Revitalize yourself to peace and harmony. Expel apathy before your get up and go has got up and gone. Watch for that new opportunity for renewal each day and recharge yourself. It takes desire, knowledge and skill. That can only come from YOU!

So, when traversing your way through your job search and working the fundamentals of:

1. Determine you objective

2. Develop your resume, cover letter and presentation(s)

3. Post your resume

4. Conduct search, create search wizard

5. Research your targets

6. Contact your targets

7. Develop your network

You should be developing and incorporating:

HABIT 1; be PROACTIVE

HABIT 2; keep the END IN MIND (the GOAL)

HABIT 3: put FIRST THINGS FIRST (the PRIORITIES)

HABIT 4: THINK WIN-WIN

HABIT 5: SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD

HABIT 6: SYNERGIZE

HABIT 7: SHARPEN THE SAW

“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Dr. Stephen R. Covey

The definition of INSANITY is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. If you keep getting the same results with what you are doing and you are looking for a different result, then you need to change the way or what you are doing. Are you in the HABIT or just wandering around in your JOB SEARCH? Only you know the truth. Recognize, initiate and implement the change you need to change things. Get in the habit of doing what it takes to affect change. Embrace it; you will be glad you did.

Remember, the more dedicated and committed to habit formulation when conducting a JOB SEARCH, as well as other aspects of your life, the greater your chances for better and more successful outcomes.

To view more on the elements of a JOB SEARCH, the practical application of those elements, the how to and the tips, view the other BLOG’s on all topics JOB SEARCH at

http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com/

You won’t be disappointed.

If you like what you see and find value in this information, reference my other BLOG’s, become a FOLLOWER and BOOKMARK this site as a favorite to COME BACK often.

ALSO, TELL A FRIEND! I encourage you to do so.

I welcome comment and if you wish to have a specific subject addressed let me know in the comments section or email me at

rsc@infoexchangegroup.com

Now go out, get in the HABIT and SEIZE the DAY!

Job Searching During the Holidays

2010-11-22T17:34:00.000-08:00

Author Byline: Peggy McKee

Author Website: http://www.career-confidential.com/

True or False? Companies stop hiring during November and December.

FALSE.

One of the top myths of job searching is that no one hires during the holidays—but that’s just not true. But many job seekers take a break from the search during the holidays because they believe it (and because they get distracted by family plans and holiday parties).

The truth is, the end of the year is a great time to land a job.

I know as a recruiter, we don’t see any drop in business during the holidays, and January is always one of our busiest times of year—and the groundwork was often laid in December.

Why are the holidays a great opportunity to get the job?

1. You can take advantage of the fact that other candidates have temporarily dropped out of the race—because they believe the myth. That means there’s less competition for you, and a much greater chance to stand out.

2. Companies don’t stop needing great employees in November and December. You never know when they’re going to have an opening, and often, they have their own end-of-year deadlines to meet to fill a spot. Don’t miss it.

3. Networking opportunities are plentiful during the holidays—holiday parties, professional networking events, and all kinds of social occasions. Even though you should tread lightly and make a point of gathering information, you should definitely let people know you’re looking. (Here's a link to a quick video - what to say when you're unemployed.) It’s also a great idea to send out a funny or entertaining Christmas letter that mentions your search and what you’re looking for. You never know where your next job lead might come from.

Look at the holiday season as a unique opportunity for your job search. Goodwill and friendly feelings often abound at this time of year. Absorb some of it, project some of your own, and stay motivated. Your persistence will eventually pay off.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

What Is The Top Recruiter Pet Peeve (And How Can You Avoid It)?

2010-11-17T17:48:00.000-08:00

Author Byline: Cathy Eng, CARW, Owner of Resume Rocketeer, Inc.

Author Website: http://www.resumerocketeer.com/

"What makes you want to work at our company?"

"What was a challenge you were met with and how did you approach it?"

"Do you have any questions you would like to ask me?"

Lack of preparation to answer these deliberate interview questions is among the top corporate recruiter pet peeves. There are very specific reasons interviewers ask you these questions and how you answer them says a lot about you. Weak or incomplete answers send a negative message and leave a poor first impression.

Here are some tips to ensure you are prepared for your interview:

- Research the company and its products or services. When you are asked, “What makes you want to work

here?” you can bet they really just want to know if you researched the company. If possible, gain at least a

high level knowledge of its mission and vision, financials, and business practices.

- Research the position. Have a clear understanding of what the job entails before you interview for it. If you

don’t, the hiring manager will soon realize that you either don’t know, don’t care, or aren’t qualified.

- Always have questions prepared for the interviewer. At the end of the interview, ask them for more details

about the position and the company. If you can’t think of any real questions, ask a great fallback question

that will bring attention back to the interviewer: “What makes you enjoy working here?”

- Practice, practice, practice. Then practice some more! Find a friend or family member who has a couple

free hours to help you. Dress in interview attire and find quiet place out of your comfort zone (e.g. library

study room) to meet. You will think and answer questions a lot differently there than sitting on your couch

in your pajamas! Give the person a list of interview questions and conduct a mock interview. Have the

person give you feedback and run through them again.

Other essentials for interview preparation:

- Groom and dress appropriately. Although it may seem superficial, you can bet your appearance sends a

strong message about your personality, confidence level, and how seriously you take the interview.

- Plan to arrive a little early. When I interviewed for my first job out of college, I drove to the office the day

before my interview to be sure I knew long it took to get there! Know your drive time (consider rush hour)

and plan to be there 5-10 minutes early.

- Bring the requested materials. Many companies mail out packets before interviewing candidates with

employment applications and other forms, so it is imperative that you bring this completed paperwork in

addition to requested work samples, college transcripts, references, recommendation letters, etc.

Being prepared for a job interview takes more than dressing up and arriving on time. You must be ready to provide thoughtful, smart answers to the strategic line of questioning you will receive. That takes thoughtful research, anticipation, and a lot of practice. Don’t get caught unprepared!

Article courtesy of the http://www.recruitingblogswap.com a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for http://www.collegerecruiter.com/internship/ students looking for internships http://www.collegerecruiter.com/jobs/ graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

JOB SEARCH! The JOB DESCRIPTION! Is it what it appears to be?

2010-11-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

There is no short answer to that question. And, considering that most JOB DESCRIPTIONS are poorly written, how could there be? If a JOB DESCRIPTION is well written though, then the most appropriate answer would be “almost always”.

There is a process in most companies as to how a job is created and a JOB DESCRIPTION generated for that job. It starts with a Hiring Manager having a need as well as a budget to hire someone. From that point, the request goes to Human Resources (HR) to determine if it is a justified need. If the Hiring Manager does a good job in justifying the need, HR will buy off on the request and approve a requisition for it.

The Hiring Manager gets word of the approval as well as a request for the JOB DESCRIPTION they will use for the “requisition”. Here is where things usually get convoluted. Convoluted, because, almost all Hiring Managers go back to their JOB DESCRIPTION database and retrieve the last JOB DESCRIPTION they used when they last filled a “like” position. That JOB DESCRIPTION could be months or years old. That is not necessarily bad, however, the Hiring Manager usually does not update nor make the necessary changes to bring it up to date. HR accepts what it is given to work with because they assume the Hiring Manager knows best what they want, are looking for and would have updated the JOB DESCRIPTION. So what you end up with is less than the best of a JOB DESCRIPTION going forward to attract the best talent for the job. “How’s that working for them, usually not so good”.

If the position is turned over to an internal recruiter, they take what they get and run with it. Seldom is the time taken by the Recruiter to sit down with the Hiring Manager to discuss all the nuances of the position to assist in finding the best of the best in talent. In the recruiter’s defense, sometimes if they were to try, hiring managers don’t always make themselves available to discuss it. The mindset usually is “you have the JOB DESCRIPTION and should know what we are looking for”. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard a comment similar to that. The assumption is good recruiters know what they are doing and don’t need anything more than what was given to them to get the job done. So, we have a dated JOB DESCRIPTION, no discussion with the hiring manager and are expected to find the GURU that is expected to fill the position.

So, in the interest of getting the position filled recruiters move on into the hiring process with less than the best of information. What a concept. It is more like a recipe for settling. “Settling” is settling for what you get instead of going after what you want! Settling in this kind of scenario is when so much time goes by, anxiety levels go up with the desire to fill the position and the best candidates are yet to be found. What happens is best of the rest is hired instead of the best of the best.

Smart and good recruiters, whether they are corporate or outside recruiters asked to assist on the search, always redo the JOB DESCRIPTION to what it should be after discussing it with the Hiring Manager. If they can’t talk with the Hiring Manager they do their best to edit the JOB DESCRIPTION to bring it up to date, be the best that it can be and attract the right talent.

Follow along as I discuss the “usual” target areas that come under the editing pen.

JOB TITLE:

Sometimes the job title is more specific to the company and not easily recognizable to the industry. I have seen Product Managers do Project Manager work. The company may have the position titled that way. If you were looking for a Project Manager position would you key word it with Product Manager? Not likely. Unless Project Management was used in the body of the JOB DESCRIPTION the position would not likely come up in your search. To preempt an inappropriate JOB TITLE for a position you want, are looking for and are qualified for, you need to “think outside the box”. If the JOB TITLE were right on, no problem! Chances are more likely it’s not, so, think of all the possibilities of the JOB TITLE you could/would fit and use them as key words in your search.

SALARY:

Companies usually use a range when listing compensation. Sometimes they refer to benefits as competitive. If there is a relocation package, it’s usually stated as relocation available. None of these references tell you how much. There is some reasoning behind it. First of all, lets talk compensation. Companies target to hire someone at what is called the “mid-range” of the compensation. If the position is listed at $70 - $100K, they are looking to start someone at $85K. The reason is companies want to have room for merit, COLA and other raise incentives such as merit in the pay grade. If they start someone at the top, there is no room, consequently, no raises until promotion to the next pay grade. Although someone could get more than “mid-range”, not likely will they get top dollar. The only chance of more, and the usual carrot used to get more going in, is a sign on bonus. Now, on to talk benefits. The competitive part comes in on the company view as to competitive compared to whom? A like size company in the same industry, in a different industry, a small company, or what? Only the company defines competitive in this case. As for relocation, it is usually tied to the level of position. Do skilled professionals get the same package as Mid to Senior Level Management? Hardly ever! Knowing how the dollars work helps you get a better idea of what to expect. You can only evaluate the other perks once you know more specifically what they are. Use this information as your guide to determine if the compensation for the position you have interest in meets your requirements.

INTRO:

This is where the fluff comes in. A popular buzzword in the industry is “branding”. Companies and recruiters are all the time encouraged to brand the company and themselves to create better awareness and interest. If the company is doing the advertising, you will likely see their name listed in the JOB DESCRIPTION. If a recruiter is running the ad content, they will likely not list the company name. They almost always keep it confidential until they talk with you. Either way, the intro is where you will see “fortune 500 company”, “industry leader”, “#1 in the nation”, or some like type comments. The intent is to shout out that they are everything you want and expect them to be. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with this, except, if you never heard of them you should check them out to better know who they are. In their minds eye, they could be #1 but in the real world they could be on the bottom. You don’t want to be taking interest in a 3rd rate company if you are looking for a 1st rate company. Do your research, as you always should, to have absolute certainty who they are, where they stand in the industry, and, are they financially solvent enough to pay you should you be hired. Are they who they say they are.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

This is where you get to the substance of what the company is looking for. Here you will see the duties and responsibilities of the position. Many times this area is vague on substance and too much on generalities. You may have to interpret the meaning from what you know about like positions. If the JOB DESCRIPTION is well written, this area should be loud and clear. This is where you will see if you are qualified, the areas you can emphasis when you sell them on your background and what is expected as part of the job. This is the heart of the JOB DESCRIPTION. This is where you will see if this position is for you.

REQUIREMENTS:

This is where you will find the wants, the must haves and the preferred skills. Nothing is absolute, but you will at least see what the company’s first choice of skill sets are and the strength of their desire for specific skill sets. In some cases, companies use this area to screen out certain talent. Don’t let this deter you if you have a comparable rather than a specific requirement. Many times comparable or transferable skills are acceptable.

If a JOB DESCRIPTION is written to its optimum, it will have branding, education, motivation, sales and encouragement to make a move to action. You will see the fluff, get an education, could become motivated, get sold and be encouraged to a move to action. If that is the case, you will be armed with information to make an intelligent decision as to how you want to proceed. If that is not the case, at least you were able to decipher everything to make an intelligent decision and “is this the one”! Knowledge is power and invaluable to make the right decision.

How does the title “When is it more than it appears to be” fit this article? Simply put, if you do not understand the intent of what the JOB DESCRIPTION is saying in its entirety and how to read between the lines, clear or otherwise, you could be pursing something that is erroneous or does not exist. I am not implying you should not follow every lead, just saying you should know, as best is possible, what it is you are pursing. The better informed you are, the better you can “work smarter and not harder”. Call it a best use of time a resources.

One more point to help put you on a level playing field when it comes to introducing yourself to a position. Just as the JOB DESCRIPTION draws you in with branding, education, motivation, sales and encouragement to a move to action, YOU SHOULD do the same when you present yourself. BRAND yourself in your presentation, EDUCATE the company you are approaching on you, MOTIVATE the company to take interest in you, SELL the company on all the attributes of your background and skill set that qualifies you for the position and encourage them to a MOVE TO ACTION.

It is hoped you found value in this article on JOB DESCRIPTIONS. The more you know about dealing with all the elements of a JOB SEARCH the more successful you will be in attaining your OJBECTIVE. You don’t have to settle for what you get, go after what you want.

There is more to a JOB SEARCH than can be covered in one BLOG. Watch for other BLOG’s on all topics JOB SEARCH at

http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com

You won’t be disappointed. And, if you like what you see and find value in this information, reference my other BLOG’s. You should also BOOKMARK this site as a favorite to COME BACK often and

TELL A FRIEND! I encourage you to do so.

I also welcome comment and if you wish me to address a specific subject let me know in the comments section or email me at

rsc@infoexchangegroup.com

And, by all means: NEVER give UP, give IN or quit TRYING! If what you are doing is not getting you what you are after, you have to change what you are doing to get a different result.

Now go out there and SEIZE the DAY! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Are You Making the Most of Your LinkedIn Profile In Your Job Search?

2010-11-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

Author Byline: Expert resume writer Jessica Hernandez is the President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast a top-tier job search and resume writing firm.

Author Website: http://www.greatresumesfast.com/

Although hiring appears to have picked up a little over the last month or so, some sectors are still cutting back. We still talk to job seekers who are finding themselves out in the job market for the first time in a long time. These candidates often feel overwhelmed and don’t really know where to start with their job searches. Obviously, getting a polished, keyword-rich resume together is one of the most important steps. For many, a step that is equally important is creating or updating their LinkedIn profiles.

Studies show that the majority of recruiters and hiring managers now use LinkedIn at some point during the hiring process. So it’s not just important to have a LinkedIn profile but to have a complete profile that focuses on your brand and what you can offer the employer. You want your profile to show up in the top of search results and then convince the hiring manager to make contact.

LinkedIn also offers somewhat of a one-stop shop for a hiring manager trying to learn more about the candidate behind that fabulous resume on his desk (that would be you!) If you have recommendations on your profile, your candidacy receives instant credibility. If the companies you’ve worked for have created company pages on LinkedIn, the hiring manager can instantly learn things like how big the organization is and its Web site address without having to search around. Your LinkedIn profile also offers you the opportunity to create a more personal connection and communicate additional information not included in your resume.

So what’s in it for you? Besides allowing hiring managers to actively search for you or learn more about you once you’ve applied, LinkedIn also offers you a fabulous opportunity to research companies in which you’re interested. There’s probably no other place on the Web where you can find information like what percentage of the employees at a particular company have a master’s degree or attended particular schools. Wouldn’t you feel more confident walking into an interview knowing that 20% of an organization graduated from your alma mater?

If the idea of creating an attention-grabbing LinkedIn profile feels overwhelming, our professional branding experts can do it for you!

Article courtesy of the http://www.recruitingblogswap.com/%22%3ERecruiting , a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for http://www.collegerecruiter.com/internship/%22%3Ecollege students looking for internships http://www.collegerecruiter.com/jobs/%22%3Erecent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Is There Still a Market For What You Do?

2010-11-06T06:38:00.000-07:00

Author Byline:
Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter.

Author Website: http://www.greatresumesfast.com

Most people know that certain sectors of the economy have been hit harder than others, like real estate, construction, and banking. If you’ve spent the last decade or two working in those industries, what are you supposed to do now? As you begin your job search and sit down to write your resume, you should ask yourself an important question: “Do any companies pay people to do what I do?”

Remember five years ago when the real estate market was booming and everyone you knew was becoming a realtor? Fifteen years ago, IT was the popular industry that everyone was going into. Both of these sectors have been profoundly affected by economic forces, although fortunately, the IT industry is now back on an upswing.

The reality is that the economy has changed. There simply isn’t a market for certain things for which there was in the past, i.e., new homes. Some of these markets will return as the economy recovers, but some of them will never be the same. The changing economic landscape requires workers to change and adapt along with it.

If you conclude that your career is one that needs to take a different tack, your resume should clearly demonstrate where you’re going as much as where you’ve been. This offers you a wonderful opportunity to reshape your career and align it closely with the type of work you most enjoy. For instance, for our example realtor, his strong suit may have been combing data to produce excellent competitive market analyses. This is a transferable skill that could allow him to do pricing in a different type of industry. On the other hand, if the realtor’s strong suit was staging a home, photographing it, and marketing it online, then perhaps a new career in PR and communications would be a great fit.

Many people have no choice about making a major career change, and others just have the desire to. Whatever your circumstances, the current economy requires all of us to stop and think, “Do companies still pay people to do what I do?”

If you’re faced with a career change consider asking an expert for help. Certified resume writers are trained to strategically address career changes in resumes.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap < http://www.recruitingblogswap.com/ > a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, < http://www.collegerecruiter.com/jobs > a leading site for students looking for internships and graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Looking For Work? Your Job Search Is Your Job!

2010-10-28T18:20:00.000-07:00

Guest Post: Author Byline: Cathy Eng, CARW, Owner of Resume Rocketeer, Inc., http://www.resumerocketeer.com/

For professionals who are out of work and looking for a job, the search becomes a job in and of itself. That is why it is so important to take it just a seriously as if you have a full-time job! When there is a substantial gap between jobs, it is easy to get discouraged and lose motivation, but there are some reliable ways to stay focused in the career game while you are out there searching.

Organize your job search. Keep an Excel spreadsheet updated with jobs you have applied for. For each job you should list the job title/reference number, the date you applied, format you used to apply (e.g. emailed resume, online application), the date you plan to follow up, interview dates/times, any contacts you have within the company, and notes. This will help prevent a lot of frustration and make you feel like you are making progress.

Get up and get going. Sleeping late and job searching in your pajamas sounds great, but it is massively unproductive. It is best to keep a steady habit of waking up by 8 a.m., showering, getting dressed (keep it casual if you wish, but avoid those old sweats!), and starting your search by 9 a.m. This way, you are right in line with the rest of working world and you won’t feel so excluded. Also, research has proven that looking presentable, even though you are at home, helps with productivity.

Stay on task. Whether you have a job or you’re unemployed and looking, your day should start essentially the same. Grab a cup of coffee and sit down in front of your computer (or head to the public library if you don’t have an internet connection). Open your spreadsheet to get a sense of where you are in your search, make your to-do list for the day, and set some realistic goals. Here is a sample list:

To Do (Monday, 9/20/10)

1. Send resume to Bradford & Sons, Inc. (Posting for Accountant II)

2. Send resume to Smithington Associates (Posting for Accounting Supervisor)

3. Follow up with Sherry Miller at Huffington & Miller, LLC (applied last Wednesday)

4. Call Matt’s brother about open position at his firm.

5. Get a haircut before tomorrow’s interview at CRC, Inc.

It is important to be realistic and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t complete the list. Just carry items to the next day. Keep in mind professionals are most productive on Mondays and Tuesdays, so those are the best days to contact or follow up with hiring managers.

When you are out of work it is easy to become overwhelmed, discouraged, and even depressed. But, if you keep a positive mind and approach your job search just like you would a job, you will find a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day and, odds are, a job in your near future!

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

JOB SEARCH! Is your JOB SEARCH going like you want it to? Expect it to? As well as it should?

2010-10-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

I don’t know of anyone who would say their JOB SEARCH is going like they want it to. Nor as they expect it to or as well as it should! The first reason would likely be that they would rather be employed than in the midst of a JOB SEARCH.

A JOB SEARCH is not what would be called a pleasurable event. Nothing seems to go as planned, decisions from who we interact with take an eternity and we are not getting the results we would like as fast as we would like.

As frustrating and hard as the JOB SEARCH is, generally the two primary reasons they do not go as smoothly as they could are unreasonable expectations and failing to follow a process, or plan if you will. Not to sound cruel or insensitive, there needs to be reasonable expectations. There also needs to be a process or plan to be followed. You may have heard me say before that Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. That with reasonable expectations will make your JOB SEARCH less painful and more productive.

Lets start with more about REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS:

At one time it was said, and although I have not checked recently, believe to still be accurate, that for every $10K in salary you got or are worth, you can expect your JOB SEARCH to take a month. In other words, if you are looking to get $70K in salary, your JOB SEARCH will likely take 7 months. This is only a barometer but a reasonable expectation.

There are so many factors that play into this time element that it would be impossible to write about every possible scenario. Here is a list of some of the most common:

Finding the RIGHT POSITION:

It takes time to find the right position for you. You may settle for something less than your previous position or strive to get something equal to or great than. Either way, finding the position does take time. After you find it, there is the application process, online or otherwise. Once the company sees your application, they then have to decide whether they want to interview you. That decision is not just the Human Resource person or Recruiter’s decision. They must get the Hiring Manager to agree that you are the right candidate for an interview. Most Hiring Managers are busy and don’t make quick decisions when it comes to hiring. This is all part of finding the right position and getting an interview.

Getting through the companies HIRING PROCESS:

This is also a time consuming process. An interview schedule has to be set up and everyone who is part of the interview process needs to be present and have time available. Once the interview is over the people involved will be exchanging interview notes as to their take on the outcome. This is like an acceptance by committee and if there are some with concerns or objections, it will create more time to get a decision. In addition to this, how many others are being interviewed and over what time span of time? Additional candidates being interviewed will complicate the decision process, thus, increasing the time it takes to get one.

Getting through the BACKGROUND CHECK PROCESS:

Say you get an acceptable offer. Now comes the background check. You can count on this taking anywhere from 7 to 21 days. Background checks generally go back 7 years, some 10 years. They check past residences, past employers, schools you graduated from or attended, any military service, and, more and more a credit check! Not all municipalities, police departments or schools respond in a timely manner to a background request so the background check drags on. Hardly anyone is cleared through the background check until all the information requested is in. And if you spent any time overseas, add more time. There is little a company can do to rush a background check through because of the dependence of getting information from sources they do not have any control over. Remember, this takes time.

Getting to the START DATE:

Everything is back and you are ready to start, like, right now. Not so fast new hire. You can reasonably expect to start in about a week, maybe two. It will most assuredly be the first day of a new pay cycle, and that will likely be on a Monday. What you may be faced with is a company budget issue that affects a start date by moving it out to the 1st day of a new month or quarter. It could also be affected by the start date of a new project, which may also be affected by a budget. Any way you look at it, you will probably not start the day after the background check results come in.

Have reasonable expectations and put time in perspective. Rome was not built in a day and a JOB SEARCH takes time as well. Keep in mind what John Quincy Adams said one fine day many years ago; “Patience and perseverance have a magical affect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.”

Now for the PROCESS or PLAN:

Remember the 5 P’s referenced above. They do work and if it is doubted, think of something you have done in the past without one. Be honest, objective and think how the same task would have worked out following a 5 P principle! It is hard to deny that in almost every instance you will get a better result when you have a process or a plan.

Reference the BLOG entitled: JOB SEARCH! Following a RECRUITING process will enhance your results! It can be found at: http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com

That BLOG references 12 steps that relate to how a Recruiter goes about working a process/plan. I illustrated how a job seeker can follow the same process to achieve the same results with efficiency and effectiveness. Here are 10 of the steps referenced in that BLOG:

1. Define a TARGET

2. Determine your targets HOT BUTTONS

3. Do your RESEARCH

4. Do your BRANDING

5. Determine your target’s HIRING PROCESS

6. Post the RESUME

7. Contacting your TARGET

8. Complete the APPLICATION

9. Illustrate your BACKGROUND

10. Securing the INTERVIEW

Some of these steps may not make sense or look strange, however, read the BLOG referenced that go into these steps and I believe you will understand what I am talking about here.

Remember the title of this BLOG; “JOB SEARCH! Is your JOB SEARCH going like you want it to? Expect it to? As well as it should?” If anything in this title is true in your JOB SEARCH then you should consider an audit of your process/plan. When you analyze each step look for areas that you are either not doing or not working for you. If there are any then you may have found the weak link in your process/plan. If everything is as it should be and you feel there is something missing, try tweaking the process/plan more to what you feel fits the way you work. There is nothing wrong with making change that works for you. There is no one perfect process/plan and if the one laid out for you is ineffective in any way, change what you feel is more appropriate for you and run with it. The whole point is to have a process/plan and to work it.

Other points to consider are:

1. Are you applying for jobs you are qualified for

2. Do you know what the company is looking for (don’t trust the job description)

3. Are you branding yourself (previous employers, the right school, the right job title)

4. Are you following your targets process completely and thoroughly (online application process)

I won’t get into definition on the other points other than to say that they are important as well. You be the judge as to how they will work for you.

A JOB SEARCH is a job in itself. Treat is as such, dedicate your time and effort in the manner you did in your job and commit to a successful outcome. Never give in, give up or quit!

The intent of this informative article on how your JOB SEARCH is going is to impress on the importance of REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS and working a PROCESS/PLAN. With that is encouraging you to audit the elements of your process/plan that you think are not working as well as you expect. Do this and you will be more comfortable with your JOB SEARCH, it will be more effective and you will get a better outcome.

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

If you like what you see and find value in this information, reference my other BLOG’s, BOOKMARK this site as a favorite to COME BACK often and

TELL A FRIEND! I encourage you to do so.

I welcome comment and if you wish me to address a specific subject let me know in the comments section or email me at: rsc@infoexchangegroup.com

JOB SEARCH! How the RULES FOR SUCCESS and POSSIBILITY THINKERS CREED can help your JOB SEARCH succeed!

2010-10-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

Years ago I was given a set of “Rules of Success”. This was the staffing industry and I was new to the industry. I just came off of my own successful business that the bottom suddenly fell out of and it ended up being a disaster financially. I hung on to the hope far too long that I would turn it around.

I didn’t have a set of “Rules of Success” in my previous business. I can’t say that is the reason for its eventual failure but do believe if I had had a set it could have made a difference.

Since my failed business and entry to the staffing industry, remember, years ago, I came across an inspirational and motivational practitioner named Dr. Robert Schuller. I was drawn to his motivational message and delivery of the message. I bought a few of his books and got more familiar with him. One of his key messages was the “Possibility Thinkers Creed”.

Why do I bring this up? Well, because I believe these are excellent points to expound on as they relate to the JOB SEARCH. I can also tie the “Rules” to the “Creed” and some key elements of the JOB SEARCH. If you keep an open mind and willing to read what is here, you will likely come away with a fresh perspective and attitude for your JOB SEARCH. And, it will be a good one that you can use for other things going on in your life.

“RULES OF SUCCESS”

1. COMMIT

2. SHARE

3. MOTIVATE

4. COMMUNICATE

5. APPRECIATE

6. CELEBRATE

7. LISTEN

8. EXCEED

9. CONTROL

10. SWIM

“POSSIBILITY THINKERS CREED”

When faced with a mountain, I WILL NOT QUIT!

I will keep striving until I climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath, or, simply stay and turn the

mountain into a gold mine - - -

NOTE: Dr. Schuller is also the pastor of the Hour of Power TV Ministry and of the Crystal Cathedral in Orange County, California. I owe it to Dr. Schuller to inform you that the closing phrase after gold mine is “with God’s help!” You should know the “CREED” in the original form but by the same token not misconstrue my purpose to tie it to the “RULES OF SUCCESS”.

Conducting a JOB SEARCH is a very trying experience. You want something, do all you can to get it, but, you are at the mercy of someone else’s decision as to whether you can have it or not. But, do you really need to be at someone else’s mercy? To some extend, yes, but there are things you can do to give yourself an advantage over everyone else competing for the same thing you are.

What are those things you say? Well, read on and you will see.

“RULES OF SUCCESS”

COMMIT

When you were on the job you probably did everything you could to not let anything interfere with you getting the job done. You were committed to the job and the rewards of a job well done. Do you apply the same work ethic to your JOB SEARCH? Most people don’t. They get up in the morning, find things to do that are not JOB SEARCH related and consequently do not have the same work ethic, read that Commitment, as they do when on the job. Give the same commitment to your JOB SEARCH that you did to the job and you will experience the success you had on the job in your JOB SEARCH. The JOB SEARCH is a job in itself and “When faced with a mountain” DO NOT QUIT!

SHARE

Sharing can be a great thing and be very giving. Think about networking, which you should be doing. When you ask someone for leads, contacts, who do you know questions, you are asking them to share with you valuable information. You will not likely use it all and should be willing to share with others, information that you may and may not use. The giving you do is more likely to give more back to you than giving nothing. If you give nothing, that’s usually what you will get in return. The mountain you are looking to climb over, pass through, or, tunnel underneath, can be turned into a gold mine if you mine it! Mine it with shared information.

MOTIVATE

Self motivate yourself and others around you. Remember when you give, you get. Keeping yourself motivated will be contagious to others and there will be better karma around you during your JOB SEARCH. Think of what you will learn during your JOB SEARCH, the value it has, how you can put it to use or how it can be shared with others. Appreciate the tools you have to assist you in your JOB SEARCH such as your computer, your Internet connection and the Internet itself. Look at the material, tips, BLOG’s and FORUMS that are out there to offer help for the JOB SEARCH. Be motivated to utilize all the tools at your disposal and enhance your JOB SEARCH results. You smile and you get a smile back. When you are cheerful, you get cheerful back. When you motivate, you get motivated back. When you give, you get back. That is turning the mountain into the gold mine!

COMMUNICATE

Communicating dovetails into sharing and motivating as well as networking. You can’t share or motivate without communicating. Information can be very valuable but is impossible to get without a form of communication, whether it is verbal or written. What you are looking for in your JOB SEARCH will very well come to your through communication. That makes communication essential.

APPRECIATE

When you appreciate all you have going for you, you will be better able to illustrate that to your audience in the JOB SEARCH. Appreciate the education, training, mentoring, seminars and anything else you have received that has help grow your career. They all have value and can be used to market yourself to your profession, your industry. When you appreciate what you have you take better care of it and know the value that it has. Have an enthusiastic and positive attitude about who you are and what you can do and market that value. It will pay off.

CELEBRATE

Celebration of success can be done for the small successes you have while you march on to the ultimate success of getting a job. You do research and find the name of a hiring manager! You network and are given the name of a company hiring or other leads. These examples can be cause for celebration. They are examples of “climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath, or, simply stay and turn the mountain into a gold mine”. You are finding your way to the gold mine or turning the mountain into a gold mine. Celebrate the steps in your JOB SEARCH. It will help you get through it better.

LISTEN

I had to be far more careful about this in the past than I need to be now. I was not the best listener and many times talked too much, listened too little. Over the years spent in staffing, I have learned and now know the value of and the art of listening. When you communicate with others, listen carefully for the value you can get out of the conversation. There will also be unsolicited hints in the conversation that you may miss if you don’t listen well enough. Listen for the hints and ask questions relative to them. You may find the gold in the mountain. Listen and you shell learn.

EXCEED

Set some reasonable goals for yourself and exceed them. Have some flexibility built in and don’t get concerned if you miss a time line or a goal. You can always reset or adjust based on the situation. What is most important is setting expectations and making every effort to meet them. Exceeding is putting your best foot forward, doing the best you can and more. When I work on my cars (my hobby) doing bodywork my wife likes to check on me to see what I am doing and how it is going. When she sees that I made a change in a design, am redoing bodywork, or, whatever the case, she says it appears I made a mistake and am redoing it. I say, no, it is a design change. I remind her that car builders don’t make mistakes, they make design changes. The design change is intended to continue to do better. If you make a mistake, not accomplish an objective or need to redo something, make a “design” change.

CONTROL

Sometimes you may feel you have no control and in some instances, such as over the Hiring Manager who is deciding who they want to hire, you may not, however, you have more control than you are taking credit for. If you are working with a Recruiter, they have control over who they market you to, how it will be done and the effort that will be put forth. When you market yourself, you are in control. Don’t ever depend entirely on someone else to do what you can do yourself. Your JOB SEARCH is too important to pass onto someone else, particularly someone who doesn’t feel the same pain as you having to search for a job when they currently have one. You can share control when it comes to recruiters but you want to take control and keep control. Generally, whoever has control gets the win.

SWIM

Swim upstream and be a winner. There is an 80/20 rule to share here. 80% of job seekers focus their JOB SEARCH on where 20% of the jobs are located, the Internet job boards. This 80% continually do the same thing over and over and are getting the same results. They don’t know of anything else or do not do anything else to get a different result and wonder why and/or when they will get a different result. Sooner or later they may. What they probably never heard of, or, don’t know of is the definition of insanity. Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. That’s what 80% of job seekers do. Be 20% er, do research, call companies you never talked to before, call hiring managers you don’t know, network with people new to you. Pull out all the stops. Use the Internet as a tool for research and as an additional source, but not as your only source. “When faced with a mountain, I WILL NOT QUIT! I will keep striving until I climb over, find a pass through, tunnel underneath, or, simply stay and turn the mountain into a gold mine”. Now get out there and turn that mountain into a gold mine.

What you BELIEVE, and CONCEIVE, you will ACHIEVE.

This article is meant to be more inspirational and motivational than functional in process. Other articles have been written on the mechanics of the JOB SEARCH. I suggest you go to:

http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com

There you will find other articles on all topics JOB SEARCH. Check it out and you won’t be disappointed!

If you like what you see and find value in this information, reference my other BLOG’s, BOOKMARK the site as a favorite to COME BACK often and

TELL A FRIEND!

I encourage you to do so.

I welcome comment and if you wish me to address a specific subject or have a question, let me know in the comments section or send me an email to:

rsc@infoexchangegroup.com

Now, go out and SEIZE the DAY!

JOB SEARCH! Ten Commandments to help guide you through your JOB SEARCH and career!

2010-10-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

There are rules to follow in all aspects of life that help enhance the outcome in achieving objectives. Whatever your objective, without rules or a plan, you will likely have a harder time achieving your objective or have a less than an optimum outcome.

Your JOB SEARCH is comprised of various parts, two of the most important being your RESUME and the INTERVIEW. Your RESUME is your written first impression and the INTERVIEW is your visual and verbal first impression. And, everyone knows you want to make a great first impression. Although the Ten Commandments you see here can be looked at as rules to more than just the JOB SEARCH, they are very appropriate and fitting for the JOB SEARCH.

To illustrate what I am talking about here, let me explain. Most people accept the fact that a tone or attitude can be detected in the way something is written, hence the tie to the RESUME. Nobody disputes that a tone or attitude can be detected in a person visually and how they verbalize, hence the tie to the INTERVIEW. This is how the Ten Commandments tie into your JOB SEARCH, through the RESUME and the INTERVIEW.

The Ten Commandments to follow here are indisputable. Some are less important or critical than the others, however, they all are still an important part of your JOB SEARCH. Let’s get into them, discuss their importance and illustrate how they fit.

The Ten Commandments

1. Have a great ATTITUDE

This should be self explanatory, however, sometimes a less than great attitude comes through in the

written word of the RESUME and can more easily be detected in the visual and verbal at the

INTERVIEW. There is little question that job searches many times are stressful and frustrating. Those

feelings can easily come through in actions so you should be very aware and conscience of your actions

and not let them come through to negatively affect your attitude.

2. Show some ENTHUISIAM

Enthusiasm is a cousin to attitude and is as contagious as attitude can be. If you don’t have any

enthusiasm, go get some. Usually looking at past successes, achievements, triumphs and good times, you

know those happy places will likely be the place to find some. Others you connect with in your job search

will pick up any lack of enthusiasm and if there isn’t any, you will likely look lethargic. To create interest in

you will be difficult if your head is not in the right place. Short story; I attended the US Air Force

Recruiting School to be an Air Force Recruiter. The first thing we had to do before starting each class

session was stand and shout: “Boy, am I enthusiastic”! At first we all thought this was mindless and what

purpose could this possibly have, much less, the result it would achieve. As it turned out we could see the

shout get stronger and more resilient as time went on. It almost became a competition as to who could

shout out the loudest and be heard the most. The point became clear and the proof was in the result. The

shouting achieved the desired result and the enthusiasm displayed through the shouting became

contagious.

3. Practice Lombardi TIME

If you don’t know, Vince Lombardi was the Head Coach for the Green Bay Packers during one of their

most successful eras. He had a philosophy that was introduced to me when I attended the US Air Force

Recruiting School. That philosophy was you should always be 15 minutes early to every appointment you

have. It was called “Lombardi Time”. That was considered on time. It’s a good philosophy to have, to

never be late and to always be early. Whether it is a network meeting, Job Fair, interview or any kind of

function, practice “Lombardi Time” and never be late. Being late could cost you in a way you do not

want.

4. Carefully listen to and follow INSTRUCTIONS

This is particularly important when completing documents, doing online applications or following

someone’s lead. Listen and follow. Think about documents or online applications for a moment. If you

don’t pay attention to the instructions and not dot your i’s or cross your t’s, your application could be

overlooked, missed or even ignored. The way it is completed may also be a testament to your attention to

detail and an interviewer could use that as a measure to your qualification for a position. So, if the

application instructions are to fill out every block, not leave any blanks, fill out every block. I suggest that

even if that is not clear in the instructions to do it anyway. If an NA in a block makes it clear whether that

part of the application is applicable to you or not, put one in the block. It is easy enough and could pay

you dividends. Look, listen and follow instructions.

5. Give it your best because of who you are, don’t make it about the PAY

When you make a commitment to something you should be committed to doing the best you can in

whatever it is. It should not all be about the pay. Although pay is an important part of attracting and

keeping talent, when you commit to doing a job for whatever pay that was offered do the best you can on

the job. You will be far better off and will get your rewards more readily by doing the best you can than

doing what you think should be the best to give for what you are being paid. I don’t know anyone who

gets what they think they are worth but I know people who have gotten bonuses, promotions or pay

raises because of a job well done. I don’t recall knowing or knowing of anyone who was rewarded for

poor performance.

6. Talk less and LISTEN

The rule of talk less and listen more applies almost everywhere in the work place. When you listen more

you learn more, are more amenable to suggestion, will be more of a team player and would be a better

leader. Talking too much is distracting and the conversation tends to wander off the subject. It takes more

time and becomes counter productive. I have struggled with this commandment myself and believe now I

have it in check, although I still have to work at it. Keeping it in check for me has allowed me to learn

more, actually come off more knowledgeable with credibility, and be able to stay on topic and not

wander or go off on tangents. Be cautious on this and when someone asks you for the time or how to set

a watch, don’t tell them how to build one. Like what I heard when I was in basic training in the US Air

Force, LISTEN up! So, LISTEN up.

7. Avoid GOSSIP

This can apply to the workplace environment, what you hear in an interview that is not credible or on

most any other front. Gossip lacks credibility and anyone who gets involved with it comes across as less

credible. Ever work with someone who seemed less credible than the rest of the team? Was information

distorted with inputs of nonfactual information, something input by gossip? Gossip can be dangerous. It

can ruin a project by infusing bad information, relationships because of false information or even

workplace harmony. Gossip has no place anywhere, anytime. It is usually composed of false or

nonfactual information. It is like a virus that spreads and inflicts great damage in its path. Don’t get

involved with it and avoid it. You will be much better off if you do. You will also be in a better position to

avoid being the subject of gossip if you are not a carrier of the disease, gossip.

8. Don’t bash the BOSS

This dovetails with gossip but can be more malicious when targeted. Whether in the workplace or the

interview to get into the workplace, talk good of others and they will likely talk good of you. When

interviewing, the interviewer is not interested in hearing how bad someone is, particularly a past boss.

When you bash a boss you are taking away your credibility and discrediting yourself as an authority on

your own background. You are less believable and your capability will come in question. Not the

impression you want to leave with your interviewer. And, more times than not, you haven’t accomplished

anything and nobody really cares. In the workplace, the same thing applies. The consequences in an

interview are you lose out on a job. The consequences in the workplace are you alienate everyone or end

up getting fired. This usually follows an individual who has a tendency to talk bad about someone, as it

can become a small world in an industry where people do move on from one company to another. Do

yourself a favor and talk nice about the BOSS.

9. Drive your discipline with DILIGENCE

Discipline goes a long way in helping you get the job done. It helps you stay focused and on task. It does

take effort and diligence. Without being diligent in your discipline your efforts to accomplish will suffer.

Don’t forsake a quality result on whatever you do by lacking the discipline to do it and do it right. You

will be rewarded for the DILIGENCE given to discipline.

10. Git r DONE

A famous comedian who is part of the Blue Collar Comedy Team coined “GIT r DONE”. Can’t

remember exactly how this came about but it has made him more famous than he already was. The point

is to finish what you start. In the workplace, this is probably happening but is it really? Delays in

completion are sometimes unavoidable but in many cases they are. When they happen, is this really

getting the job done? Are the circumstances surrounding the delay or lack of delivery just? Is there any

diligence present that is driving discipline? The variety of reasons that a job is not getting done becomes a

mute point if you are the person responsible for getting it done. The bottom line here is to “GIT r DONE”.

These Ten Commandments are appropriate in every facet of life, not just the workplace. You can chose to have a “set of rules” if you will to live by or wander aimlessly through your life and career. You could very well be successful in both aspects, however, a better prepared person with Commandments or a set of rules that guide them is many times more likely to be more successful than someone that wanders.

However and whatever you set you compass on for life or career, have some commandments to help guide you. You will be much better off and more successful if you do.

It is hoped you found value in this informative article on the Ten Commandments as related to the RESUME, INTERVIEW and career in general. Be aware of and address them as part of your JOB SEARCH. You will certainly set yourself apart from others and enhance your objective if you do.

There is more to a JOB SEARCH than can be covered in one BLOG. Watch for other BLOG’s on all topics JOB SEARCH at

http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com

You won’t be disappointed. And, if you like what you see and find value in this information, reference my other BLOG’s. You should also BOOKMARK this site as a favorite to COME BACK often and

TELL A FRIEND! I encourage you to do so.

I also welcome comment and if you wish me to address a specific subject let me know in the comments section or email me at

rsc@infoexchangegroup.com

And, by all means: NEVER give UP, give IN or quit TRYING! Now go out there and SEIZE the DAY!

JOB SEARCH! Is the JOB FAIR or CAREER DAY part of your JOB SEARCH plan?

2010-10-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

I have participated in many JOB FAIRS and CAREER DAYS and can tell you, as you may already know, they don’t always live up to what they say they will. That is not necessarily a bad thing, however, there are several things you should keep in mind that will help you maximize the benefit you get from attending them, which you should!

Lets start with EXPECTATIONS. Don’t have any, simple as that. Think about the objective of companies that participate in JOB FAIRS and CAREER DAYS. They are usually multiple, such as:

1. To find qualified candidates to fill their positions (this is not their primary objective, although you would
think so)
2. To build their database with candidates for future positions

There is a chance you may get an interview but it likely will not be with the Hiring Manager since few hiring managers actually attend JOB FAIRS and CAREER DAYS. The interview you do at JOB FAIRS and CAREER DAYS will likely be with a Recruiter, a Human Resources representative or someone from the department you would work in if you were an employee of the company. The department representative you would likely interview with would likely be a non-volunteer asked, or told, to attend the JOB FAIR or CAREER DAY as a representative of the company. None of these people are likely a decision maker so any interview you do have will more likely be an audition to get you to an interview with the decision maker, whom is, the Hiring Manager. So, getting past the JOB FAIR or CAREER DAY representatives to get to the hiring manager should not be your expectation, it should be your objective.

You should RESEARCH the companies in attendance at the JOB FAIR or CAREER DAY. Many times you can get an advance copy of the attendee list, and, if you can, get that copy. Once you do, research your targets, the companies you want to talk to. Develop a planned strategy on approach, what you want to leave with them such as a cover letter and resume, what you want to say and the impression you want to leave with the representative you talk with from the company. In your research know what positions they are looking to fill so you have some intelligence to prepare for your approach to them. Know what they do, their product line and check news releases for the latest and greatest news on them. Collect what business cards you can and plan to do what follow up that is necessary. And, by all means, do a follow up contact with whom you talk with as you would a follow up to an interview. You will score big time if you do the right things.

Be a PARTICIPANT in the JOB FAIR or CAREER DAY. The last thing you want to do is walk around, drop off resumes and not say anything to company representatives. You won’t get information or be able to present yourself if you are a non-participant. The only way to find out what’s out there that you may not know about is to participate. Talk to people, collect business cards and communicate what you are looking for. People will remember a personable friendly person they have talked to more than someone who just drops off a resume and moves on. Keep in mind that connecting with people leads you to other people, such as, hiring managers. Contribute information and ask questions. You will be much better off participating and not drop boxing your resume.

Keep in mind that JOB FAIRS and CAREER DAYS are just another means to an end in your JOB SEARCH. There are no guarantees on the success you will have with JOB FAIRS or CAREER DAYS. Look to them as another tool in your tool box and a means of networking, which is critical, in your JOB SEARCH. Work them effectively and you will find value in them. Maybe even get a job out of them. Attend for the sake of attending and you will likely be wasting your time.

Regardless of what you do in your JOB SEARCH and how you effective you are, what you must always keep in mind and do is:

Never give up, Never give in and Never quit trying!

So, go out there, seize the opportunity and seize the day!

For more information on JOB SEARCH watch for my other BLOG’s on all topics JOB SEARCH at

http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com/

you won’t be disappointed.

If you like what you see and find value in this information, reference my other BLOG’s, BOOKMARK this site as a favorite to COME BACK often and

TELL A FRIEND!

I encourage you to do so.

I welcome comment and if you wish me to address a specific subject let me know in the comments section or email me at

rsc@infoexchangegroup.com

JOB SEARCH! Your COVER LETTER, CAREER SUMMARY and RESUME, presented in THAT ORDER!

2010-09-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

The “KIS” (keep it simple) method for the COVER LETTER, career summary and RESUME is always a good method to keep in mind and use. You can’t go wrong keeping these documents simple to read, to understand and to pull information off of. Put yourself in the place of the reader, your audience. You want to capture their attention quickly, draw them into the document to “read it” in its entirety, to clearly “understand” what they are reading and “pull” the necessary information off of them to have interest in doing an interview with you. If these documents are cluttered and difficult to read you will lose your reader before they take interest. Not what you want to have happen.

So, where to start? Let’s see, how about with a chronological RESUME. By far the best choice for almost every RESUME! I wouldn’t even consider using a function RESUME, and, most hiring managers, the individuals who are your primary target audience, are not interested in reading them. They are usually cluttered, hard to read and hard to pull information out of. Why take the chance of losing your audience at the first glance of your RESUME! Nothing will introduce you or speak better of you than a well written COVER LETTER, career summary and RESUME.

I won’t dwell on the COVER LETTER or RESUME here. What I really want to cover with you is the “career summary”. You can also consider the “career summary” your “career profile” or just “profile”. I touched on it previously but it is worth bringing up again and addressing it directly.

COVER LETTER was touched on in the BLOG:

JOB SEARCH! When the shoe drops, you go into JOB SEARCH mode.

RESUME was covered in the BLOG:

Resume; Candidate, Do you “KIS” your resume to your “Audience”?

Both can be seen at:

http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com/

Both COVER LETTER and RESUME will be featured again in future BLOG’s, however, right now let’s focus on the “career summary”.

Anymore, presentations are done on paper and through various means of communication that allow documents to be sent to the receiver. Email is the most common mode of sending the COVER LETTER, career summary and RESUME. When I present candidates to clients I always put these documents in the following order: COVER LETTER, career summary and RESUME. I want the short, concise and informative COVER LETTER to draw the “audience” into the “career summary” and the well written and informative “KIS” written “career summary” to draw the “audience” into reading the well written and informative “KIS” written RESUME. If you get the reader to the RESUME there are better than even odds you have their interest. Although getting an INTERVIEW is your objective, without getting their interest you will never get an INTERVIEW.

Just as the COVER LETTER and RESUME are written short, concisely and informative, so should your “career summary” be. Don’t forget to put the “KIS” on it as well. The more consistent the lay out and content of the documents, the better they will look and more likely draw the attention you are looking for.

Why have a “career summary” as part of your presentation, the “first impression”? To summarize your skills and experience, your background, to the position you are applying for. You want to focus what you have to offer and tie it to what the company is looking for in the position. The “career summary” will compliment the COVER LETTER and RESUME and ties everything together with the additional detail that makes the COVER LETTER too long and cluttered and the RESUME too specifically written that it takes away from a broader experience you have to offer up.

What should the “career summary” contain? Well, its time to tell you. It goes like this:

NAME

I know, lame, but, what happens if the “career summary” gets separated from the other documents? Better to have your name on each document of the presentation package.

POSITION

The COVER LETTER usually mentions the position you are applying for but remember what I mentioned above about documents getting separated from one another? There is no reason to not have the position title on the “career summary” and it is a reminder as to what you are applying for. No one will be offended, trust me.

NOTES

This is where I put certifications, licenses and other notations that are relative to the position buy take away from other areas if mentioned elsewhere. This is the best place for anything not skill or experience related.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

This is where you would list all your relative skills and experience you have for the position. I would use a bullet format here to illustrate your background as you would on a RESUME. And, remember, relative to the position. Hiring managers are not interested in things that don’t interest them and anything outside the qualifications for the job will not interest them here.

TRANSFERABLE and/or ADAPTABLE SKILLS

Any transferable and/or Adaptable skills or even experience should be listed here. Be sure it will be relevant and add value to your qualification for the position. Don’t add things just to have them here but when in doubt, I would list them. I would also use the same bullet format you use in relevant experience.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Hiring managers like to see and usually ask during interviews about accomplishments. I would list them but keep them relevant. To list an accomplishment that shows little to no relevance may come across as reaching. Better to not give that impression. Also, you should list accomplishments that may not be functional in skill set but credited to your experience. An example may be how you came up with an idea for manufacturing whom you interface with yet is not an area of responsibility or expertise. It could show the ability to think outside the box or from a broader perspective.

STRENGTHS

Definitely list your strengths but list the ones relative to your skill set or experience first and other ones next. An example here may be; fuel system product development, product testing, product management, project management, mentoring, supervision, team leader, team player, quick study.

PAST MANAGER COMMENT

I always ask candidates “If I were to ask your past managers what they thought your best attributes are what would they tell me”? This is not a reference or reference question. I am looking for things like excellent work ethic, excellent qualify of work, diligent, motivated, excellent mentor of others, etc. The objective is to let the reader know what others think and will say about you. This is a testimony of sorts that will help establish credibility.

INTERVIEW

It is a good idea to let the reader know your availability to interview, days and times.

START

It is also a good idea to let the reader know when you are available to start. If you need two weeks notice, say so. If you can start immediately, let them know. Either way you could state it such as “immediately upon acceptance of an acceptable offer”.

There you have it, an informative piece on the “career summary”, something you should use in your presentations to prospective employers. Give yourself an edge over other candidates, set yourself apart and get the attention you are looking for. You can’t go wrong giving the extra effort it takes to do this. Go out and SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY!

Watch for other BLOG’s on all topics JOB SEARCH at

http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com/

you won’t be disappointed.

If you like what you see and find value in this information, reference my other BLOG’s, BOOKMARK this site as a favorite to COME BACK often and

TELL A FRIEND!

I encourage you to do so.

I welcome comment and if you wish me to address a specific subject let me know in the comments section or at

rsc@infoexchangegroup.com

JOB SEARCH! INTERVIEW, non-verbal communication is as important as the VERBAL!

2010-09-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

There is much to be said about how to make a good FIRST IMPRESSION. Verbal is as much a part of the first impression as non-verbal. You could do an excellent job of verbally illustrating your background, however, if your non-verbal cues are not coming across like they should, are as good as they should be or offensive, you are only half communicating and will have a tough time getting the “nod” when it comes offer time.

So, what are the most common non-verbal messages you send when communicating with people, INTERVIEW or otherwise? Well, let me tell you:

HAND SHAKE
This is part of that first impression so when you hold out your hand for the hand shake, do it with confidence and some firmness. Don’t pump the interviewers hand like you are pumping water out of a well. If your hands are warm and moist, try running some cool water on them to cool them off. Don’t cool them off too much though. If you hands are cold you can try running warm water on them to warm them up. Keep in mind “FIRST IMPRESSION”.

EYE CONTACT
Speak “with” the interviewer, not “at” the interviewer, and, always look them in the eyes when doing it. Make eye contact! You don’t want to stare at them but eye contact is very important and you come across with more sincerity and will get more credibility. Avoid looking all around when talking because that insinuates nervousness and lack of confidence in what you are talking about. “MAKE FREQUENT EYE CONTACT”.

POSTURE
You want to stand upright when standing as well as when sitting, having good posture. This will show energy, enthusiasm and confidence. Slouching indicates lack of concern or caring during the INTERVIEW. Your best choice is “STAND UP, SIT UP”, straight.

HANDS
Many people talk with their hands and or gesture frequently when talking. It is natural to do that, and, moderation is OK, however, you should watch how you use your hands. Too excessive can be distracting. So, keep them in a place that is not distracting and “GESTURE IN MODERATION”.

FIDGETING
This displays nervousness and lack of confidence. Included in this form of body movement is playing with your hair, clicking a pen, picking at your nails or cuticles. You are much better off if you fold you hands in your lap or put your hands and arms on the arms of a chair. The impression you make during the INTERVIEW will not be enhanced if you “FIDGET”.

SMELLS
Whether your perfume or cologne is expensive or not, or, even in good taste or not, not everyone is interested in smelling it. Also, they are not interested in smelling it in excess. The sensitivity to smell varies from person to person. If you wear too much it is “too much”. It is best to not wear any, however, if you are inclined to wear some, very MODERATE at best. Unless there is a reason you need to wear perfume or cologne, you will not offend anyone if you don’t. Look at it this way, you won’t offend anyone if you don’t use it, however, if you do, you could. Suggestion; don’t use it because only the “NOSE KNOWS”!

COMMUNICATION (the non-verbal)
An INTERVIEW is a conversation of sorts. Conversation is two way communications. One of the biggest things interviewers don’t like is when candidates don’t talk. And, when hiring managers ask open ended questions, like who, what, where, when and why, or even the how, they are asking probing questions. Candidates sometimes still don’t talk much if at all and don’t answer the questions. If you expect to have an INTERVIEW, that turns out “GREAT, you need to COMMUNICATE!”

Now, lets move on to the verbal communication.

COMMUNICATION (the verbal)
Remember an INTERVIEW is a conversation? And, conversation is two way communications? That is why you should be cautious and not TALK TOO MUCH! When you ramble on while answering a question, it can dominate the conversation and be counter productive. You need to answer questions completely and accurately, however, don’t go off on a tangent and get into things that are irrelevant to the question. That can lead the interviewer into thinking you are not confident in your answer, you don’t know what you are talking about or you just can’t give a straight answer to their question. Listen to the questions carefully, understand them and answer them completely. Stay “FOCUSED and on TASK”.

FOCUS
Try not to feel intimidated or overly nervous during the INTERVIEW. It is not an interrogation. You want to be cautious answering a question with a question but it is very acceptable to “restate and validate” the question to be sure you understand the question and know what the interviewer is asking. Don’t answer a question unless you are absolutely sure what it is asking so you can answer it correctly. Asking follow up questions to be sure you gave the interviewer what they were looking for is acceptable. Answering a question not being clear what it is asking can be a recipe for disaster. Avoid setting up a disaster by lack of “FOCUS”!

SLANG
Slang is poor communication in an INTERVIEW. It is all about the proper use of language and has no place in business. The excessive use of an “um” or “uh” also negatively impacts your communication skill. The better prepared for the INTERVIEW you are the less likely you will excessively use the “um’s” and “uh’s”. Rehearse your answers to expected questions so you will be more prepared and comfortable during the INTERVIEW. This will lessen the chance of exhibiting poor communication skills. Also, avoid the “like” and “you know” in your responses. These are used far too much as well and you will likely lose the attention of the interviewer. Best thing to do is avoid using “SLANG”.

DECEPTION
You want to be completely truthful and forthright with relevant information during your INTERVIEW. Embellishing accomplishments, omitting jobs, misrepresenting positions and responsibilities or misleading the process is a sure kiss of death to the INTERVIEW. You want to build trust and get credibility during your INTERVIEW and that will enhance your changes to getting an offer. There is not place in an INTERVIEW for “DECEPTION”.

CONCISE
When you listen to the question carefully, and, understand it, you will be able to give an accurate and concise answer to the question. As referenced above in COMMUNICATION (the verbal), you do not want to ramble on when answering questions and, again, understanding the question will better position you to answer concisely. Also, be precise while being “CONCISE”!

EXAMPLES
One of the best things you can do when answering questions is to give examples. I call this method the example answer and goes something like this; you would answer the question stating what the objective was of what you are about to answer, then an explanation of what you did making sure it is understood what your part was, and, finish it off with the accomplishment and the benefit to the company. Here is a quick example: “I have done that (whatever it is) in a project (product development or whatever it was) with an objective of (state what the objective was). My role was specifically to (whatever it was). This was accomplished in (under time allotted, under budge, etc) and the benefit was (a product that garnered more market share for the company, more dollars in revenue for the company, etc). Study this example and I think you will see what I am getting at. OBJECTIVE, ROLE, ACCOMPLISHMENT and BENEFIT! Call it ORAB if you must but if you follow this method, you will win friends and influence people. Develop your response to a question, “ORAB it”!

HONESTY
This would be a relative to DECEPTION but with a twist. When asked difficult questions you can’t answer or lack a skill relative to a specific question, say so. The last thing you want to do is tap dance around trying to give an answer. Don’t cover it up with irrelevancy. You can try to tie it to a related skill though. Say for example you don’t have skill A but know it is a variant to skill B which you do have. You could say “I don’t have skill A but I have experience with skill B which is very much like skill A”. Then finish your answer off with ORAB. It leaves a positive impression to a possible negative. If you do not have the skill and not sure what it is don’t hesitate to ask what it is. Here is an example: “I am not sure what that is but may have some related skills, could you tell me what that is or does”? If it turns out you have a related skill, then you can use the above example answer, ORAB, to answer the question. Again, “ORAB it”!

QUESTIONS
Have good questions ready to ask. Questions are buying signs. Interviewers expect to get questions and if they don’t, they think there is lack of interest in them, the company and the position. So, come ready with some good questions. Research the industry, company and the job. Do your homework. Develop some good questions. This will go a long way in making a good impression. Remember the “first impression”? That’s not the only impression you can make, you can also make a lasting impression! Show your buying signs with good “QUESTIONS”.

There you have it, an informative article on verbal and non-verbal communication. Use these techniques in your INTERVIEW and you will miles ahead of the competition.

There is more to this than can be covered here. Watch for my other BLOG’s on all topics JOB SEARCH at

http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com/

you won’t be disappointed.

If you like what you see and find value in this information, reference my other BLOG’s, BOOKMARK this site as a favorite to COME BACK often and

TELL A FRIEND!

I encourage you to do so.

I welcome comment and if you wish me to address a specific subject let me know in the comments section.

JOB SEARCH! INTERVIEW, the prep, the questions you may get and the postscript!

2010-09-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

Interviews are usually stressful events for candidates. The hopes are high, expectations good and there is usually a lot of built up anxiety. There is little idea of what to expect and that doesn’t help. What will the INTERVIEW team be looking for, what kind of questions will they ask and how should you prep? Well, glad you asked. I will commence to tell you.

Hiring managers have an objective when they INTERVIEW. That objective is to find the best candidate for their position. They have a number of parameters they use to decide who to select and make an offer to.

Generally hiring managers are verifying your background against your stated background and qualifying you for their position. They are making sure you meet all the qualifications stated on the resume, in the cover letter or from notes from a phone INTERVIEW that may have taken place. They also want to see body language and facial expressions when a candidate is being asked qualification questions.

The INTERVIEW is all about presentation. The old adage of “you only have one chance to make a great first impression” couldn’t be truer. Great “first impressions” are great influencers. Hiring managers are looking to see how you are dressed, how confident you are with hand shakes, your eye contact and how your manners are. They are evaluating you both professionally and personally. You could call this the “chemistry” test.

Part of the test is looking for signs and/or qualities during the INTERVIEW that do not show up on a resume. Those can be your critical thinking ability, how you make decisions, how you process information, your thought process, how you communicate and your ability to handle difficult situations. If they detect or feel you may be lying, you are toast. There is little tolerance for the inability of the candidate to convey an understanding of the job or asking questions about it, having no understanding of the responsibilities, not knowing anything about the company, or even being a poor listener.

Concerns hiring managers have are usually specific to an issue. If they like the answers they get to questions asked, they move on to the next question. If there is a concern with the answer you will likely get additional questions that probe deeper on the issue. When questions are repetitive the Hiring Manager is not hearing what they are looking for. That should alert you to the fact that you have not answered the question with the “correct” answer. Listen carefully during the INTERVIEW, carefully to the questions. You want to stay in the moment where you are at during the INTERVIEW, not be thinking too far ahead or how wonderful it would be to work there. When you emotionally step outside the moment, you lose site of where you are, what you are doing and not capable of listening well. And remember to focus.

Interviewers expect you to be somewhat nervous during the INTERVIEW. This is natural; however, if you are overly nervous, it may come across as a negative. It can be looked at as a lack of confidence or unsure of your answers. Either way, not the impression you want to make. If you exhibit nervousness let the interview(s) know and give reason for it. You could also try to change the tone of the INTERVIEW from the typical question/answer mode to a conversational mode. This generally helps calm things down. Whatever you do, try to maintain your composure and give your best performance.

Show interest in the job, even with what limited knowledge you may have about it. You want to show interest by getting to know the position better. You should have studied the job description and have questions ready to ask. Questions are buying signs and if you don’t ask any, it comes across negatively. You should also understand the company, have read the company mission statement, look at postings on their web site by the senior management and look at the new releases. A good move is to have some good things about you that you want the company to know about. You can work them into the conversation as you get through the INTERVIEW. The INTERVIEW is as much about you interviewing them as it is about them interviewing you.

Whether your INTERVIEW is one on one with a number of interviewers or a panel INTERVIEW, there will have to be a consensus and agreement as to how the company wants to proceed after the INTERVIEW. Their objective is to fill the positions with the right candidate. They will be looking to see that you have the skills and experience necessary to do the job, and be looking for the “chemistry”. If you only have one, you will be toast. A strong skilled and experienced candidate that has poor “chemistry”, toast! A strong “chemistry” candidate with weak skills and experience, toast! Passing on both counts is critical to the success of your INTERVIEW and getting an offer.

During the course of the INTERVIEW your transferable and adaptive skills will become apparent. Hiring managers look for them because almost every environment is fluid and with the transferable and adaptive skills you have, the more value you bring to the party. Your strengths dovetail this to some extend as they can shore up you abilities in key areas. So, know your strengths. You should also know your weaknesses because you may get the question of what you feel they are. Following that kind of question is usually “how are you dealing with them”?

So, the objective hiring managers are trying to achieve out of all this is; are you the “best candidate for the job”! That question must be answered or there will be no offer. You will have had the opportunity to answer lots of questions and illustrate your background. The hiring managers will be looking to evaluate your answers to give them the answer to:

     1. Are the skills there for you to do the job?
     2. Are you a fit for the organization; is the “chemistry” there?
     3. Do you have understanding of the company and its product/service?
     4. How do you rate with the competition?
     5. Do you have the right attitude (can do) for both job and company?
     6. Have you shown you want the job?

If the answers to these six primary questions are yes, you have done a very good job on the INTERVIEW and the prospects of an offer are very good.

How do you get to the point of preparation that will give you the edge you need to pass this test? Well, let me first refer you to a previous BLOG:

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

This BLOG was about INTERVIEW prep and interviewing. It is suggested that if you have not seen this BLOG, you go to it and read it over. There is some great information here. You can find it at:

http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com

Not to diminish INTERVIEW prep here, you should be researching the company on their web site. Look at the management team, their profiles and at anything else you can find on them. Then take a look at what news releases that are posted, what messages there are from management to the employees that are posted and new product information. Without a doubt, their product line! What’s old, what’s new and where they stand in the industry. Look them over on their entire web site and study it. You will be doing yourself a favor if you do.

Find their competitors and get to know something about who they are and what they are all about. You don’t need to research competitors to the level you do the company you are interviewing with, but, you will get some points in if you “happen” to know something about the competitors. This will also give you more information and insight into the industry. To find those competitors let me refer you to a previous BLOG:

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

You will find everything you need to know about research here. Again, I suggest that if you have not seen this BLOG, you go to it and read it over. There is more great information here. You can find it at:

http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com

GOOGLE search the company to see if anything is or what is being said about them. You may find some negative information or positive information. Either could be minor or major but if there is something going on it will likely be posted and you should know about it.

Try to find out who the hiring manager is, and, if possible, who is on the INTERVIEW team. It is very appropriate for you to ask the person who is setting up the INTERVIEW. They should know since they are setting up the interview with the INTERVIEW team. Get their names and positions they hold with the company. With this information, try to find them on the company web site to view their profiles. If you can’t find information there, you can check linkedin. If they are a member, you will likely find them there. Look over their profiles to get to know more about them; a good move.

OK, before we get to questions, let’s recap some here. You know that you should have studied the job description. You also know you need to brush up on you own background to prevent getting caught off guard when questioned about it. You don’t want to get caught off guard and have that “deer in the headlights” moment trying to remember something that should come out instinctively. Be able to give your answers quickly, precisely and concisely. Don’t carry on and start getting out of focus. Remember, concise.

You know you shouldn’t embellish your background although you want to come across as what I call “comfortably confident”. Embellishing sometimes comes across as lying and if it is thought that is the case, it will kill the INTERVIEW instantly.

Know what your accomplishments are, how you did them and what the benefit was to the company you worked for at the time. These are things you may be asked about but if not or overlooked, try to integrate them into the INTERVIEW at the appropriate time. Be prepared to talk about them when either asked or it is appropriate to bring them up. Know your qualities, your strengths and what your past managers would say are your best attributes. If asked about weaknesses, be prepared to state them and what you are doing to overcome them.

You know that if you don’t understand a question to ask for clarity. This is sometimes called “restate and validate”. You will be able to give an accurate and absolute answer to a question you understand versus one you think you understand or are guessing at.

To help quell the probability of nervousness arrive early, take a deep breath, use the rest room and take a moment to clear your mind. Look over notes if you feel the need to do that. Look yourself over in the mirror and be happy with your look and frame of mind. You’ll be fine.

Questions are buying signs and if you don’t ask any you show lack of interest or worst yet, you don’t know enough about the job or them to ask any questions. I wouldn’t suggest you ask a question just for the sake of asking, however, surely you can find something to ask questions about.

Good “chemistry” is almost imperative. Hiring managers know they can train someone to bring them up to speed on anything they may be lacking in skill set and experience. They also know that you can’t train for the “chemistry”. It just doesn’t work that way. Have the “chemistry” and if you have everything else going for you, you are in a good position.

Adaptable and/or transferable skills can be very important and hiring managers know that. They can see the future that you may not know about yet and they can see if you will be able to bring more value to them for the future. If the INTERVIEW places some emphasis on adaptable and transferable skills, don’t be surprised and consider them as important as the skills that qualify you for the position. Those adaptable and transferable skills may be underlying skills you don’t know you need that they are interested in. Hiring managers think ahead with proprietary information while you are thinking in the present.

Think company first and you second during the interview. Hiring managers are not as interested in what they can do for you as they are in what you can do for the company. Sometimes a candidate gets a little to over confident and comfortable during an interview and loses sight of this fact. Your own agenda is noble and understandable, getting the job, however, theirs is to fill their job with the best candidate. Don’t lose sight of it and you can be that best candidate.

One last thing on what hiring managers will be looking for during an interview, the close. You need to close the deal, like a sale. Let them know of your interest for the job and why you want it. Restate your qualifications for it, the value you bring to the company and what you will do for the company. Of course this comes at the end of the interview.

Everything here comes down to ingredients and packaging. The ingredients include things like skills learned from past experiences, education, transferable skills, personal traits and elements that make you who you are. The packaging is how you look to the buyer, how you grab their attention, how you get them to buy. You got the INTERVIEW, now close the deal.

Everything above is about the prep. Why all that about prep? Think about it this way. The more you know on the objective of the Hiring Manager, what they look for and how they make their assessment on the best candidate, the better equipped you will be. In other words, prepped! I can’t do all the prep for you but I can surely give you information that will help you be prepped.

Now on to the questions! You will get questions, because, that is what an INTERVIEW is all about. There are different kinds of questions. The kinds of questions you can expect are basic, behavioral, salary, career development, getting started and more about you. Before I give you some examples, a comment! When answering questions you want to keep your answers positive oriented. When a question is answered starting negatively you will likely turn off the listener and lose them. If that happens it is hard to get their attention back. Think positive!

Now for the examples:

     1. Tell me about yourself
     2. What are your strengths?
     3. What are your weaknesses?
     4. Why do you want the job?
     5. Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?
     6. What did you like least about your last job?
     7. When were you most satisfied in your job?
     8. Why are you leaving your present job?
     9. What do you know about our company?
   10. What was the last project you headed up and what was the outcome?
   11. Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work
   12. Have you ever been on a team where someone was not pulling their own weight? How did you handle
        it?
   13. Tell me about a time when you had to give someone difficult feedback. How did you handle it?
   14. What is your greatest failure and what did you learn from it?
   15. If I were your supervisor and asked you to do something that you disagreed with, what would you do?
   16. What’s the most difficult decision you have made in the last two years and how did you come to that
        decision?
   17. What salary are you seeking?

There are obviously any number of and types of questions that can be asked. The more prepared you are the better you will be able to respond to them.

The postscript here is follow up on the INTERVIEW with the interviewers. This is the courteous and professional thing to do. You want to stand out from you competition and writing a “thank you for the INTERVIEW” letter this goes a long way in doing that. Surveys conducted on this issue show that 15% of hiring managers will not hire anyone who doesn’t send a letter and 32% of hiring managers think less of candidates who do not. No can be found that is offended when you do. So, do it.

Don’t put off sending the letter. You want to send it to everyone you interviewed with (you did get their business cards, didn’t you?) and do it within the first 24 hours after the interview. An email works as well as a card or letter. Regardless of the mode of delivery you chose to use, you should consider this a “must do”!

About this “thank you for the INTERVIEW’ letter thing”; make this more than its original intent. Turn this letter into a “restate and validate” information letter as well. Address how strong you are as a candidate, the high points of qualification. Touch on the accomplishments you have that fit well with the company and department. Talk about the “chemistry” you have such as team player, dedication to profession, contributor to the bottom line, passion for the product and industry. This is a good place to address areas you want to shore up like areas of concern. Don’t be afraid to address them head on, directly, concisely and positively. That will show strong character. Let them know you are confident that the INTERVIEW went well and restate your interest in the job; reclose the sale.

Some additional comments here about the letter, is, remember that each interviewer is different from the other. DO NOT send the same letter to everyone. Personalize each letter to the person it is being sent to and be sure to address each issue they individually may have had. Keep it short as well. And last but not least, proofread it, not once, not twice but as many times as you feel necessary to absolutely have it right and like it. Walk away from it for 15 minutes and come back to it with a fresh perspective. Put yourself in the position of your audience. Would you like to receive this letter, would it influence your decision? If so, and there are no errors, your good to go.

Errors on resumes, cover letters, letters and other documents are one of the biggest turn offs to hiring managers. You almost can’t proofread for spelling and grammar enough. MS Word is a great help in this area so look your work over carefully and be sure it is what it should be and what you want it to be before hitting the send button or dropping it into a mail box. Here are some actual examples of not proofreading well enough:

     1. “Dear Sir or Madman”
     2. “Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain store”
     3. “I am anxious to use my exiting skills”
     4. “Following is a grief overview of my skills”
     5. “Hope to hear from you, shorty”
     6. “Directed $25 million anal shipping and receiving operations”
     7. “Strong Work Ethic, Attention to Detail, Team Player, Attention to Detail”
     8. “Demonstrated ability in multi-tasting”
     9. “My work ethics are impeachable”
   10. “I consistently tanked as top sales producer for new accounts”

Once you have gone through the gauntlet of the INTERVIEW process, did the above things, relax. You have done your best and everything you could. Anticipate the results but don’t stop looking for new opportunity. You have only accomplished “your” objective when you get an offer that is acceptable to you.

There is far more to this than what can be covered here. Watch for my other BLOG’s on all topics JOB SEARCH at:

http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com

You won’t be disappointed. If you like what you see and find value in this information, reference my other BLOG’s. Bookmark this site as a favorite to come back often, become a follower and

TELL A FRIEND!

I encourage you to do so.

I welcome comment and if you wish me to address a specific subject let me know in the comments section.

JOB SEARCH! Your ATTITUDE, the HIDDEN JOB MARKET and a comment on your RESUME!

2010-09-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

ATTITUDE is critical to carrying you through tough times, whether it is health issues, financial issues, problems with a home, maybe a car, or even, your JOB SEARCH. If you do not have a good ATTITUDE almost nothing else matters.

Now I know that sometimes it is tough having or keeping a good ATTITUDE. It takes a lot of faith in what you are doing. What I do when I need an ATTITUDE check is go into survivor mode. What I mean by that is I think of what I have been through before and how I got through it. I ask myself “what did I do to get through this”? I also think about what I learned from previous experiences and try to apply them to the current issues that are working on my ATTITUDE. I have self-inflicted a lot on myself, and family, but we have always come through and always have come out the better. The next issue that comes up usually doesn’t seem as dramatic because I believe in the Marine saying “that that does not kill you makes you stronger”. Now who can argue with a Marine?

I am not trying to be a psychologist here! I am only trying to encourage you that if you are having some ATTITUDE check issues as I have had in the past, look to your family support system, think of all you have come through, take the learned experiences you had in previous situations and put the best elements to work in getting yourself in a better place. A wise man once said, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration!” That gentlemen found approximately a thousand (don’t remember the exact number) ways a light bulb would not work. When he did find the solution, the rest became history. I believe that Thomas Alva Edison had near absolute control over his emotions, kept his ATTITUDE in check and prevailed. You can too!

Here is the last word on ATTITUDE by Charles Swindoll:

ATTITUDE

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say, or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company . . . a church . . . a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past . . . we cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have and that is our attitude . . . I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it”.

Have you ever heard of the HIDDEN JOB MARKET? Do you know what it means? Maybe you have but do not believe it? Well, I can tell you from experience that it in fact does exist and according to statistics approximately 80%, yes, 80% of all jobs are never advertised.

Now, even though a job is not advertised, doesn’t mean that there isn’t one out there with your name on it. In previous BLOG’s I covered topics such as:

1. Going into JOB SEARCH mode; having a plan

2. “KIS”ing your RESUME to your AUDIENCE

3. Getting the invite; TIPS for a great INTERVIEW

4. Candidate presentation (for you, the candidate), making that great first IMPRESSION

5. RESEARCH for your JOB SEARCH

6. Choosing and working with a RECRUITER

7. Getting your RESUME read

8. Following a recruiting process

9. Getting attention for your RESUME or during an INTERVIEW

10. Posting RESUME

You can find these BLOG’s at: http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com/

They are all written with you, the job seeker, in mind. You will find valuable information to help you with your JOB SEARCH and all material is written for and targeting the JOB SEARCH.

Now, getting back to that HIDDEN JOB MARKET.

Most people think that the only jobs available would be what they find listed on the job boards, such as Monster; www.monster.com or Career Builder; www.careerbuilder.com and that if you don’t see anything there, it doesn’t exist. NOT TRUE. Remember the reference to 80%? Think of the HIDDEN JOB MARKET this way; the 80 – 20 rule! Lets look at it two fold; there are 80% of job seekers searching for 20% of the jobs (those listed). It is like a funnel, which is very clogged at the inlet, or, even a water hose where you are trying to run a fire hose worth of water through a water hose. Doesn’t work out well at all. Bottom line is you have 80% of candidates (20% of the candidates actually know how to search the HIDDEN JOB MARKET) fighting for 20% of the jobs (the known job market). Not the best playing field to be on.

So, if this is really the case, how do people get jobs from this HIDDEN JOB MARKET? Typically through networking, working inside contacts or maybe even word of mouth is what they are doing. With 80% of job seekers chasing 20% of all jobs, you can see what you should be including as part of you JOB SEARCH plan; networking! Get yourself in the 20% category networking your way into the 80% hidden job pool.

Look the Going into JOB SEARCH mode; having a plan and RESEARCH for your JOB SEARCH. You will find information and guidance into finding contacts and company information. Make attempts to network with those contacts. If you don’t see a contact for your specialty don’t hesitate to call the company to try an find out who runs the department you are looking to work in. Linkedin was mentioned as a source to develop a network from. Look up a company name and see who shows up. Anyone who has worked for a company of your choice or is still working there is someone you should be networking with. There are a number of ways to find sources to network with. Don’t exclude your Alma Mater, job fairs or career days. One important thing I would like you to remember when attending job fairs or career days, “they are as much networking events as they are job fairs where you would expect to find a job”. Also, many times companies don’t advertise positions when they attend a job fair; they are many times there to collect resumes for their database and to stuff their internal pipeline with talent for future opportunity. Network with everyone, even the least likely source.

A quick comment on “least likely source”! That least likely source could be a person you call about a position you do not want or are even qualified for, however, you call them with the intent to introduce yourself and ask if “do you have any other opportunity you have not advertised for”? That is networking.

Now, about that RESUME! I saw a RESUME today and there was a 2-year gap in the employment history. When I asked the candidate what they did for those 2 years they stated, “it was work that was outside my specialty”. I told them that every RESUME should have a complete seamless work history because if it doesn’t, questions get raised and red flags start flying. Additionally, many times resumes as used to validate work history when compared to a background check. The application that gets completed is also part of the checks and balances of qualification. If the RESUME, application and background check does not match up, companies will often withdraw any offer they may have extended. The assumption is there has been a falsification of information on either the RESUME or application. So, moral to this story, have a complete and accurate chronological resume and use your resume as a guide when completing your application. That way everything will match and there will be no questions to answer or red flags flying.

Watch for BLOG’s on all topics JOB SEARCH at

http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com/ you won’t be disappointed.

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

I encourage you to do so.

I welcome comment and if you wish me to address a specific subject let me know in the comments section.

JOB SEARCH! The RESUME! Where you post it and are you maintaining the post to your advantage?

2010-09-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

Many people post their RESUME to almost every RESUME database they come across and let it go at that. They may get some initial traffic but after awhile, usually 30 days or more, the traffic lessens or disappears. They don’t know why they are not attracting attention but they are not. What happened? How could this be? Positions are showing up for their skill sets! What is going on here?

It could be all in the way your RESUME is posted and even more how you are maintaining the posting. The way it’s posted and maintaining it? What good would that do! Well, it could do a lot to drawing more attention to you and your background. It could also get you closer to, of all things, the invite to INTERVIEW.

Let’s start with where it is posted. Most recruiters have access to the two most prominent RESUME database’s, Monster www.monster.com and CareerBuilder www.careerbuilder.com. If your RESUME is on one or both, you do not need to populate every RESUME database with your RESUME. You will in essence have full coverage. I look at posting the RESUME everywhere as spamming, not necessary. I will digress on one point though. That is on niche RESUME databases. Niche databases focus on specific industries, skill sets or any number of specifics. Posting on a niche site is a good idea. Many recruiters work what is commonly referred to as a desk specialty and they know which niche sites can help them find candidates. If you have your RESUME out there in this manner you will have all the coverage you need.

As well written as your RESUME may be, you still could be overlooked when a recruiter is looking for you. At one time the RESUME databases would sort search results by having the most recently updated resumes at the top. If a person did not update their RESUME for, say, 30 days they would find themselves far down the result list. Recruiters do not always look at the entire result list if they find 3 – 5 good candidates out of the first 50 results, out of, say 200 results listed. That is part why you should update your RESUME regularly, and, I suggest weekly. Here is a caveat to that though. The RESUME databases have gotten smarter. Monster www.monster.com for example can now sort by:

1. default (not sure what the parameters are for this choice)
2. resume title
3. resume updated
4. location
5. relevance

So where do we start here! Let’s start with:

1. Key words on your RESUME
   a. First and foremost you want an excellently written RESUME that is an attention getter for you, however,
      you should try to integrate “key words” that a recruiter would use to find someone like you. You could
      have a string of “key words” on the bottom of your RESUME that will be invisible. That is where you
       should consider putting a string of “key words” that are appropriate for your skill set and help you be
      found and read. These “key words” may be over kill for a RESUME, not fit the verbiage and make it
      look poorly written. That is why you make them invisible.
   b. How do you make them invisible? You chose white for the font color. I have never seen a case where a
      Recruiter, Human Resources or anyone in business use anything but white paper. Use white for the font
       color and the “key word” string won’t show up when the RESUME is viewed and/or printed.

2. Give your RESUME a title
   a. Having a name for your RESUME gives quick identification as to what you do, so, give it a title such as
      “Jane Doe, Automotive Applications Engineer”. Do not be so generic as to have a title such as “Jane’s
      resume 2010”. That will not serve you well. You want the person looking for you to have a quick
      identifier to draw them in so when they are looking for an “Automotive Applications Engineer” they will
      quickly recognize that before having to open up the RESUME. They will also be more likely to open
      and read it. You don’t want to have a Recruiter assume what you do, they don’t usually take the time,
      so, tell them in a title. Used, as a title behind your name, is a great place to have your title. You should
      also avoid having multiple titles for your resume, it can confuse and doesn’t serve you as well as having
      multiple resumes applicable to each titled skill set.

3. Have a target job title
   a. This somewhat dovetails with the above but the additional intent is to be specific. You don’t want to
      have something as generic as “Project Manager/Account Manager/Engineer”. The “and/or” doesn’t
      work well. You particularly don’t want something as broad as “open to anything” (I have seen this).
      Candidates who are open to anything usually get nothing.
   b. The purpose of being specific is you surely have a preference and a background that would support that
      so let the reader know what you want to do. If you have several preferences it is suggested you have a
      different RESUME for each targeted position you would like to have. There is absolutely nothing wrong
      with having more than one RESUME posted and you have more clarity to what you are about and
      looking for with each one.

4. Refresh RESUME weekly
   a. Refreshing your RESUME weekly will help keep you at the top of the result list for recruiters looking for
      your kind of talent. It is a wise thing to do and only requires something as simple as adding a middle
      initial to a name one week and taking it out the next. If when you make a change and the site you are on
      responds with RESUME updated, you have updated.

5. Have a concise and direct career summary on your RESUME and the profile when setting up your
   account
   a. The profile for your account could be something as simple as “Automotive Applications Engineer for
      interior design, BSME”. This shows up on the result list as well and again is a quick read to help draw
      the recruiter in to identify the RESUME as what they are looking for and get them to read it. The career
      summary on your RESUME would be more expanded but still should be concise and direct.

More on this; when you are posting your RESUME be sure to review it so it looks like you want it to when recruiters view it. I have had a number of times when I would ask someone something about their RESUME and they would say “ it is not suppose to say that”. It was obvious that they did not preview the RESUME before they posted it. When you review it you will see what, if anything, should be changed to make it look like you want it to. Very important, don’t over look this.

And last, do your resume in a word doc format! Do not use a RESUME builder program or any preformatted program. It will work for posting purposes but does not work well for the Recruiter, Human Resources or whomever is interested in it when they want to download it. It doesn’t work well with some of the company databases. I wouldn’t even use “rich text” “wps” or any other of the other formats. Some can be easily converted to a word doc but creates extra work for the interested party. Something you do not want to do. And, absolutely, no PDF files. It is best and easiest to just use the word doc format. You will be better off for it and not regret it.

These pointers on posting your RESUME will help you get to the goal line. In past and future BLOG’s you will find help in getting over the goal line.

Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life! Go out and SEIZE THE DAY!

Watch for other BLOG’s on all topics JOB SEARCH at

http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com/, you won’t be disappointed.

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

I welcome comment and if you wish me to address a specific subject let me know in the comments section.

JOB SEARCH! Mistakes companies make; How to get ATTENTION with your RESUME or during the INTERVIEW!

2010-09-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

Companies have a particular mindset when it comes to hiring. That is usually driven by Human Resources (HR) and is fueled by the past experiences of those involved in the hiring process. When you have someone who brings recruiting experience from a previous employer to their new employer, they bring the mindset with them. What happens more times than not is the process the company uses then becomes very much like the masses. It does not always have relevancy to what is best for their company.

Here are some of the most common mistakes companies make, generally perpetuated from HR, since they almost always manage the recruiting process for the company.

   1. Rejecting candidates based solely on the RESUME
   2. Not understanding the scope of responsibility or role of the position, having a poorly written job
      description, stating inaccurate or incorrect qualifications and being too generic
   3. Having a short term mindset for filling the current need versus the hiring a candidate for a future bigger
      picture
   4. Hiring candidates like themselves (or the Hiring Manager whom the position reports to) instead of a
       qualified candidate with the right skill sets for the current need and additional skill sets that can add
     additional value for future growth
   5. Being poorly trained to INTERVIEW, poor INTERVIEW skills
   6. Having a lengthy decision process
   7. Asking candidates for proprietary or quality information to help solve their problems with no intent to
      hire
   8. Hiring like everyone else instead of what is right for the company

So, how do you get the attention you are looking for and work your way through a process that that has these elements associated with it? You find a way to circumvent them, that’s how. What am I talking about here? Glad you asked.

Before I answer that question let me say that you will not likely get any attention if you are marginally or not qualified for the position. Companies have been raising the bar on their qualifications for several years now and if you are not a very well qualified candidate, there is probably not much you will be able to do. Additionally, this is a two-part scenario. Having a RESUME that gets you the invite to INTERVIEW and going through the INTERVIEW to get you the position.

Here we go, addressing the items above by the numbers.

   1. Almost all, if not all, companies have Automated Tracking Systems (ATS) for candidate management. It
     also functions as their database to internally search for candidates (although that is not always done, and
      if so, done poorly limiting a candidates chance to be discovered). I won’t get into why but the ATS is
     also where your RESUME goes when you do an online application for a position. It is always better to
     get your RESUME into the hands of the Hiring Manager first and/or the HR Recruiter or Representative
     second. You want someone to read it. Having a RESUME, with a Career Summary and Cover Letter
     that is written to the position and reads well, will enhance your chances greatly to getting the invite you
       are looking for, to INTERVIEW.

   2. The Hiring Manager does not always write the job description, and if they do not, guess who writes it?
     And, who do you think is the best person to write the job description? The Hiring Manager, of course.
       So what happened here? Many times job descriptions are sitting in an archive and get recycled when a
       new like position is opened. They are not always up to date or have the right information in them. The
       Hiring Manager is busy, not necessarily trained in writing job descriptions or just doesn’t want to deal
       with it and selects what they think is the right one to use. They send it forward to HR to have the
       position filled. The job descriptions are scanned for accuracy and correct qualifications by, guess! HR of
       course. Is this the best place for that, not likely. So what you end up with is job descriptions that can be
       inaccurate, too generic and have incorrect qualifications. Ever see one like that, wondering what are they
      really looking for? You probably have. Here’s a way around that but the burden will be on you. Get to
       know the company and its product line. As best as you can, with your knowledge, skills and expertise,
       determine what it is the company is really looking for. Get to know what the company would expect in a
      candidate for the position. That, and your interpretation, is the job description your RESUME should be
     written to.

   3. Hiring Manager’s and HR both usually have a short-term mindset when filling positions. They look for
      someone that does exactly what the job description calls for and overlook or ignore the “added value”
       of a candidate. That doesn’t discount the fact that they like to hear what is in a candidate’s background
       that can make them a leader or keep them a leader in the industry. Well stating your background
       addressing “added value” during the INTERVIEW will carry much weight in your favor when it comes
       decision time.

   4. Hiring Manager’s have a tendency to hire candidates much like them instead of recognizing the
     candidates that bring the best value. They don’t always recognize the attribute that compliments the
      group and brings some different but additional value. You can be like “Mikie” without being ‘Mikie”.
     Show how you are not narrow minded and can think beyond the box, that you thrive in a team
     work/player environment and be innovative while being like “Mikie”. There is such a thing as modeling
      and if you model your interviewer during the INTERVIEW you will come across like “Mikie” without
     being “Mikie”. It does work.

   5. Your interviewers are not likely to have been trained much, well or at all to INTERVIEW. Many have
       poor skills at best. I despise the usual lead in question that many interviewers use; “Tell me about
      yourself”! When I hear that I always think, “now where do they want me to start”? If you get that
     question, I suggest you start with something like “when I was in school I always liked doing things
       mechanically. That interest led me to get my Bachelor’s (or whatever is appropriate) Degree in
     Mechanical Engineering. I developed a further interest in automotive design and after graduation took a
     position with X (an infamous auto manufacturer, your choice) as a Design Engineer. With my training,
       the experience received, skills gained from that employment and my accomplishments with that
     employer, I am looking to take that value to another employer to contribute to the growth of their
       product line and company as well as my career”! A little long winded but I think you get my point.
       Targeted, concise, direct, to the point, about company first and about you second. This kind of response
       will provoke more questions from the interviewer. If you listen closely to the gist of each question, and
       answer them carefully, you will find yourself controlling the course of the INTERVIEW. Not a bad
       position to be in.

   6. Many companies have a lengthy decision process. With multiple interviewers involved in the process
       they want to give every participant a chance to give input to the decision process. The Hiring Manager
      ultimately has the decision but they are not likely to go upstream if someone strongly objects to the hire
      of a particular candidate. It is very appropriate, in fact almost a must, to close each INTERVIEW, with
       each one interviewed with, with a close. You should be saying something like “I am very interested in
      your company and the position of (whatever it is). I believe my background to be very appropriate for
      the position and I will not only be a great candidate but I bring additional experience and
      accomplishment that has added value. I look forward to positive feedback from this interview and a
      positive outcome. When do you think a decision on my candidacy will be made”? Remember this.
      Recruiters consider interviews to be sales calls. When they send a candidate in to INTERVIEW they
      look to the candidate as well as themselves to “close the sale”. You should “close the sale”. This
      example is “closing the sale”.

   7. Getting asked for proprietary or other information as testament to your capability without any hint of
      getting hired. This happens on occasion. You should try to avoid this if it comes up, however, it is hard
      to say no during an INTERVIEW when you are looking to gain favor with the company. You may get a
      question that illustrates a problem (real or otherwise) that the company has and how you would attack it.
      If you can, don’t show all your cards. You can illustrate how you may have had a similar problem, how
      you approached, what you did and what the outcome was. Hold back enough so they can’t do
      something like this without you but enough where you can show that you can solve it. It has been
      known, in technical and non-technical positions, where a company would ask for specific information
      and reschedule another INTERVIEW to have you come back to go over it with a team in the company.
      It could be an engineering issue or even a business plan of sorts. You come back, give them copies for
      them to follow along, they like what they see and hear, thank you for you excellent presentation, your
      time, and then, tell you they will get back to you. I have seen a number of cases where this happens and
      the follow up call does not happen. They got a resolution to their problem and don’t need the candidate
      anymore to help solve it.

   8. This one somewhat emulates #4 in that the company follows a hiring process like many other companies
      do. Remember the ATS? Well, companies usually build their process around the ATS and most of the
      companies that develop the ATS assist them. So what you have is one shoe fits all. Not much you can to
      here except be aware that most company’s processes start looking alike after awhile. When they do you
      can fall into the trap of approaching them all the same way. What you want to remember though is they
      are not alike. Remember some of the information from above such as target your RESUME to the job
      description. Do differentiate one company from another and keep track of what you do with each. You
      will be much better off and your results will likely be better if you do.

A few more points I would like to add here. When you INTERVIEW you want to dress for success. Dress one level up from what everyone would be expected to wear in the work environment you would work in if you were hired. If they wear business casual, you wear business, suit and tie. Be groomed with haircut, neat and trimmed and shined shoes. If they wear less than business casual, at the very least wear a sport coat and tie. At the very least, men and women, dress one step up.

It would be a good idea to have business cards to give to the people you INTERVIEW with. They could have your name, your business title or what you are searching for in the way of a position and obviously your contact information. You also want to be to collecting business cards from the people you INTERVIEW with. That way you will remember whom you interviewed with and their contact information to send them a “thanks for the INTERVIEW” note. You can also use the contact information for future networking.

There you have it, a roadmap to help you get attention. If you follow these tips you will enhance your chances for success. So, GO SEIZE THE DAY.

JOB SEARCH! Following a RECRUITING process will enhance your results!

2010-09-02T20:34:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

When you are in JOB SEARCH mode you should have a plan. That plan should compliment your goal of, finding a job. Without a plan you are likely to wander aimlessly though whatever your process may be and will be less efficient, effective and your chances of success will be hindered. Have a plan, work your plan and embrace the success you will achieve from your plan. Think of these 5 P’s as very pertinent to your JOB SEARCH and remember them: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance!

I wrote a BLOG recently; JOB SEARCH! When the shoe drops, you go into JOB SEARCH mode. In this BLOG I referenced the 5 P’s and putting together a plan. I also wrote a BLOG on; JOB SEARCH! The RECRUITER; how to chose the best RECRUITER or become your own! In this BLOG I referenced how you could work your JOB SEARCH, as a RECRUITER would recruit, in essence, becoming your own recruiter. Both of these BLOG’s can be viewed at:   http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com     In addition to the valuable information both of these BLOG’s contain their common purpose is to provoke thought. Provoking thought for planning, taking control of your JOB SEARCH and having knowledge to run an affective JOB SEARCH serves that purpose. You really should have a plan and work it. Knowing something about the recruiting process and how to work it will enhance your results!

Here are 12 steps, with definition, to guide you through the process:

1. Recruiters define a recruiting target (candidate)
     a. Recruiters do this by going over the requirements of the position, knowing what the client wants,
       determining the qualifications and developing a profile of the ideal candidate
     b. OBJECTIVE:
          i. To know what the best skills, experience and attributes the candidates will have that the client will be
            interested in

            1. You should define a job target (company)
                 a. Do this by doing RESEARCH on the competitive companies of your employer, research
                    contacts, do social networking (linkedin, Face Book, etc.) and determine companies having
                    positions or to contact looking for a position that best suits your background and interests
                 b. OBJECTIVE:
                      i. Find companies with positions or to look at for positions with and contact them to interest
                        them in your background

2. Recruiters define a candidates hot buttons
     a. Recruiters try to determine what the candidates hot buttons will be, what is it that would interest them
        most in their client; maybe it is the companies product line, their standing in the industry, the reputation
        they have
     b. OBJECTIVE:
          i. The hot buttons will help the recruiter sell the candidate in having interest in the company and
            position

             2. You should define your companies hot buttons
                 a. Do this by researching their product line, look at their web site, look at their news releases,
                   what are they doing and bragging about
                 b. OBJECTIVE:
                     i. The hot buttons will help you connect with your company, get their attention, show you have
                      done your homework and create interest in you

3. Recruiters RESEARCH where to find their targets
     a. Searching through their database, getting into chat rooms, working with user groups, using social
        networking (Linkedin, Face Book, etc) and searching resume databases
     b. OBJECTIVE:
         i. Find qualified candidates to contact and interest in the position

           3. You should RESEARCH where to find your companies
               a. RESEARCH done in number 1 may already give you this information but here you particularly
                 want to find the right contact and contact information
               b. OBJECTIVE:
                   i. Find qualified companies to contact and interest them in your background, to pursue a position

4. Recruiters develop branding to attract candidates to a client
     a. Branding is developing an awareness, familiarity in their candidates about their client; like when you
         think of tissues the first thing that comes to mind is Kleenex
     b. OBJECTIVE:
         i. To have the branding create interest in the candidate to be working for a company with great name
           recognition

            4. You should brand yourself to attract a company to you
                a. Do this by referencing companies you have worked for, projects you have been involved with,
                   technologies you have used
                b. OBJECTIVE:
                    i. To have your company take an interest and associate you with the name recognition of the
                      companies, projects and technologies you have experience with

5. Recruiters get to know their clients JOB SEARCH process
     a. Getting to know the JOB SEARCH process by asking the client for information on the process and
         how to properly work it
     b. OBJECTIVE:
         i. Knowing the process allows the recruiter to be more efficient, more thorough and provide a better
           service to their client

            5. You should get to know your companies hiring process
                a. Do this by asking how you can get your RESUME, COVER LETTER and profile/career
                   summary in front of them, ask how you apply for a position
                b. OBJECTIVE:
                    i. To get your information in front of them (preferably the hiring manager) and properly apply for
                      a position (to avoid getting lost in their database)

6. Recruiters post positions for active candidates to find
     a. Recruiters make sure the job description is accurate, thorough, an easy read and understandable to
         attract the right attention; they also post it in the best places for maximum exposure
     b. OBJECTIVE:
         i. To draw attention to them, their client (not divulging their clients name yet) and to attract the best
           qualified talent

            6. You should actively post your RESUME for targets to find you
                a. Post on the top 2 RESUME databases (Monster, Career Builder) and no more that 2 niche
                    boards relative to your background
               b. OBJECTIVE:
                    i. To attract attention and to have visibility to attract attention from companies and recruiters

7. Recruiters identify, from various sources, candidates, contact them to build a relationship and interest
   them in their clients position
     a. Recruiters use social networking searching for targets through sources such as Linkedin, Face Book,
        Twitter
     b. OBJECTIVE:
         i. To find qualified candidates or get leads on qualified candidates to introduce their clients position to

        7. You should identify companies from your RESEARCH, contact them and interest them in your
            background
            a. Get familiar with social networking and make yourself visible
            b. OBJECTIVE:
                i. To be seen and solicit leads for sources to contact, and, don’t forget to use the results of your
                   RESEARCH to network from

8. Recruiters get candidates to complete applications for themselves and their clients
     a. Recruiters have this as part of their process to gather information for their own database
     b. OBJECTIVE:
         i. Having an application for the database also provides additional information the recruiter can use to
            get to know the candidate better

            8. You should complete applications for your companies
                a. Ask or offer to complete an application for your company and offer to send it with your
                   RESUME, COVER LETTER and profile/career summary directly to them
                b. OBJECTIVE:
                    i. If you are doing this for a hiring manager, that’s the person you really want to get this
                      information in front of; if it happens to be someone else in the company they may be more
                      willing to take it directly to the hiring manager through the rapport you built with them over the
                      phone

9. Recruiters do initial phone screens on candidates of interest
     a. Recruiters call the candidates of interest that they source
     b. OBJECTIVE:
         i. To verify qualification, to interest them in the position and recruit them

            9. You should illustrate your background to your companies when you contact them
                a. Like a recruiter does on an initial phone screen you should be sure to verbalize your
                   background to your companies when you talk with them
                b. OBJECTIVE:
                    i. To introduce your company to your background, have them recognize your qualifications and
                      potential fit for their company and have them take interest in you

10. Recruiters advance their candidates to INTERVIEW with their clients
       a. When recruiters introduce their candidate to their client they don’t ask if the client wants to do an
           INTERVIEW, they ask when the client wants to INTERVIEW the candidate
       b. OBJECTIVE:
           i. To exhibit confidence the client will want to INTERVIEW the candidate and to in fact
             INTERVIEW the candidate

             10. You should attempt to secure an INTERVIEW with your company
                   a. Do as a recruiter would, ask when you can come in to do an INTERVIEW; at the very least
                     when you can come in to meet and discuss the company; think company first and then you as
                     to your interest in the company, your compatibility with them and how you can contribute to
                     their organization
                   b. OBJECTIVE:
                       i. To get an INTERVIEW or at the very least a chance to meet with your company;
                         remember, think what you can do for them first

11. Recruiters do follow up with candidates and clients following an INTERVIEW
       a. Recruiters always follow up on candidate interviews with their client to know the high points of the
          interview, the low points and if the client is interested in the candidate
       b. OBJECTIVE:
           i. To know if the candidate will be moving forward in the process and if he is on track with finding the
             right candidates for the position

             11. You should do follow up with your company following an INTERVIEW
                   a. Always follow up to ask what your company likes best in your back ground, what they liked
                      least, what they would like to see more of and if they would be interested in more dialog
                   b. OBJECTIVE:
                       i. To know more about the fit for their organization, if there is a position you would be
                        qualified for and is there any interest in your background; also, ask about being able to have
                          ongoing dialog and network with them

12. Recruiters negotiate an offer for their candidates with their client
       a. Recruiters negotiate offers being presented to their candidates
       b. OBJECTIVE:
           i. They have some insider information that they can use to negotiate a better offer for their candidate

              12. You should negotiate an offer with your company
                    a. Know what the industry going rate is, your worth and be ready to negotiate any offer you get
                       from a company, you are not usually expected to accept the first offer
                    b. OBJECTIVE:
                        i. With some good knowledge you will be able to negotiate a better offer and other elements
                          such as relocation if applicable, sign on bonus, bonus’s depending on position, etc

There you have it: a 12-step plan to take you to success in your JOB SEARCH. It has been said, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. Don’t let that happen to you. Develop your plan, work your plan and plan for success. Once you have experienced the success of your JOB SEARCH, celebrate, decompress and start planning for your new position.

In retrospect, each step can be defined as:

1. Is the qualification
2. Is the hot button talking points
3. Is the lead list
4. Is the branding
5. Is getting to know the companies candidate search process
6. Is posting your resume
7. Is identifying your targets, refining your lead list
8. Is working with a companies application process
9. Is the initial phone call, the phone screen
10. Is getting the interview
11. Is doing the follow up to the interview
12. Is negotiating the offer

There is far more to this than what can be covered here. BLOG’s have been written about most of the elements of this process. Not to be too repetitive, however, you can view them here: http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com Future BLOG’s will address the other elements, watch for them, read them, and, you won’t be disappointed.

If you like what you see and find value in this information, reference the other BLOG’s. Once again, here is where:    http://jobsearch-rsc.blogspot.com

Bookmark this site as a favorite to come back often and TELL A FRIEND! I encourage you to do so.

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

Seize the day and make something happen!

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

2010-08-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

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

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

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

Let’s start with some generalities.

First:

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

Second:

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

The DO NOT:

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

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

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

RESUME does)

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

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

or any other such personal information)

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

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

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

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

happen; just put “references available on request”)

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

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

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

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

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

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

document format)

The DO:

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

is not as critical of an issue)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now let us get to the specifics.

Let’s start with COVER LETTER!

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

Now, on to the OBJECTIVE!

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

Now we get to the RESUME!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2010-08-28T06:10:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I encourage you to do so.

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

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

2010-08-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

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

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

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

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

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

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

For the non- member you can still get valuable information

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

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

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

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

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

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

For the non – member you can still get valuable information

Search your company name on the Companies tab

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

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

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

Manta       http://www.manta.com/

For the non – member you can still get valuable information

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

ReferenceUSA      http://www.referenceusa.com/

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

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

AND NOW FOR MORE:

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

GREAT SITE:

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

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

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

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

LINKEDIN

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

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

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

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

2010-08-19T04:46:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2010-08-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2010-08-12T04:52:00.000-07:00

Authored by: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here is a suggested lay out:

1. Reason for seeking a new opportunity:

     a. Answer

2. Relevant scope of experience:

     a. Answer

3. Strengths:

     a. Answer

4. Greatest accomplishment:

     a. Answer

5. What past managers would say are greatest attributes:

     a. Answer

6. Availability:

     a. To Interview: Answer

     b. To Start: Answer

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

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

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

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

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