CareerAlley

College Grad, Job Bound, Late Summer Job Search Vol 2

CareerAlley — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:00:55 +0000

“Doing the job right the first time gets the job done. Doing the job wrong 14 times gives you job security.” Author Unknown

Are those leaves I see falling off of the trees already? What? Summer is almost gone and you don’t have a job yet? Unless you want to start a neighborhood leaf blowing company as a side line, it’s time to get serious in your job search. This is the second in a series of posts to help you in your job search for your first full time job.

What comes first: First things first and this short list covers some of what you will need:

Resumes
References
Research
Cover Letters

Resumes:

Entry Level Resumes – The first and most important thing you will need is a resume. Take your time with this as your ability to “get your foot in the door” is heavily dependent on the content and “look and feel” of your resume. There are so many choices these days. This resource, from Collegegrad.com, provides a list of links to help you get started (or to improve on what you already have).

Resume-Resource.com – This is an excellent site and one of the best I’ve seen and it is definitely worth spending some time here. There are numerous articles and tips for almost every aspect of the Resume process (writing, cover letters, thank you letters, etc.) It provides:
- A broad range of tips and articles
- Sample Resumes for many careers / industries
- Resume writing tips
- Resume templates (for a fee)
- Cover letter examples
- Thank You Letter examples
- Follow-ups

Monster Career Advice – Monster offers resume, letters and some career advice. Not nearly as comprehensive as Resume-Resource.com and it looks like the bulk of services are fee based.

eResumes.com – Another comprehensive site which offers a broad range of samples and advice. There are also quite a few recommendations for fee-based resume services. High level, this site provides:
- Resume writing advice and examples (including a tutorial on writing your resume)
- Sample cover letters
- Numerous articles and advice including links to third party services

Next post will focus on References.

Good luck in your search.

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The Best Companies to Work for – Vol 13

CareerAlley — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:00:25 +0000

“A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof was to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools” – Douglas Adams

Competition. We were taught from a very young age that that’s what it’s all about (weren’t we?). From our first sporting event (did you win or lose?) to your grades in school, to trying out for plays, sports, you name it -taking the SATs and getting into the best college (can you spell scholarship?). It was always about performance (as in being the best). But in the world that we all live in, very few people are at the best at everything, but being the best at even just one thing can sometimes make the difference. That is very much what the best companies are all about. They may not be the best in everything, but what they are best in makes all of the difference.

Build-A-Bear Workshop - Who wouldn’t want to work at the Build-A-Bear Workshop? Ranked at 80 on this years list(up from 94) , Build-A-Bear has over 6,000 employees globally but lost 150 jobs last year. Their career site has a few links on the left for View Opportunities, Benefits and Diversity. There are four choices in the middle of the page - Retail Locations, World Bearquarters (not a misprint), Distribution Center and Internship programs. You can search from each of these tabs for specific job opportunities but you can not search across the entire company.

Meridian Health – Ranked 79, Meridian has over 7,000 employees and hired 615 people last year. Their careers page has an overview center page with links on the left hand side for Search Jobs and links on company information. Click Career Opportunities to open their job search engine. Once you find your job, click for full details and apply directly from that page. There were 307 job opportunities when I checked the site.

Mattel – This toymaker is number 78 on the list. They have over 30,000 employees (with 25,000 outside of the US). Their career site provides links to Jobs, Benefits, Diversity and Campus Recruiting at the top of the page. They provide a direct email address for those needing assistance in contacting them for a job. Center page is a company overview. Clicking on Search Job Listings links to a career center where post your resume, update your resume, review jobs applied for and sign up for a job alert. A quick search returned 334 job openings.

Baker Donelson - A law firm, Baker is ranked 77 on this year’s list. They are a small company, and their careers site is fairly simple with sections for Law Students, Lateral Attorneys and Professional Staff. Click the category that pertains to you. Once you click, you will see a full page with an overall description and additional links on the left hand side of the page. Click “Open Positions” to see current job openings.

Balfour Beatty Construction – Ranked at 76, Balfour is a small construction company. Their careers page has quite a few related links on the left hand side of the page. Center page is a company overview, followed by next steps, what to expect and top 10 reasons to work at Balfour. Click job search on the left hand side of the page to see current open positions. You can also join their career center.

Good luck in your search.

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While I’m on Vacation

CareerAlley — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:00:46 +0000

“No vacation goes unpunished.” – Karl Hakkarainen

I remember my first job as an analyst on Wall Street. I shared an office with another analyst on one of the Trading floors and there was always lots of yelling, selling and cursing during trading hours. Anyway, I remember when my boss was going on vacation. He made this huge list of things for my office mate and I to do while he was gone. Of course, it was enough work to last for ten vacations and we were lucky enough to have a week to get it done. So while he was sitting on some beach sipping some exotic frozen drink, we were stuck in the office. What became clear to me over my career is that you learn more from bad managers than you do from good managers. So what’s all this talk about vacation? Well, while I’m on vacation, you will be reading this and a few other posts. Hopefully they won’t be as painful as my boss’ vacation was for me. Bon Voyage!

Taking Your Job Search on Vacation – I just couldn’t help myself when I saw the title of this article, which is published on About.com and written by Alison Doyle. Very short and to the point. Don’t forget to click on the “job search travel tools” which is definitely worth a read.

Search for a New Job on Vacation – This article, from Monster.com, provides the pros and cons of looking for a job when you are on vacation. One obvious advantage is the fact that you will have lots of time on your hand (assuming that you are not on a beach). Certainly worth a read if you’ve not decided what to do on your vacation. There are related links at the bottom of the article.

Now while I’m on vacation . . .

Jobsonline – If this is your first visit, you will need to create an account to do a search (the site’s creators are currently working to move some functionality outside of the login process). If you do a job search it will ask you to register or can also use this link ==>> REGISTER to go directly to the account creation page page. Once you’ve created an account (the process is similar to other sites), you are taken to the main page which will initially show jobs based on your home zip code. The page is very clean, search results are easy to read and will indicate which search site it is from and the age of the posting. You can sort by Relevancy or by Date Added. You can also create saved searches and edit your details from this page. One nice feature is that you can print your resume, see it in two styles and even email it directly from the Resume page. The site is well done, easy to use and has a clean interface.

Experience – This site might be geared to college students and recent grads (not really sure). Similar to Jobsonline.net, you must create an account before you can do a full search. Using the “Browse Jobs & Internships” from the main page (you must select an industry) will return some results, but additional information requires an account. There are tabs at the top of the main page for Jobs, Portfolio (profile, resume, experiences and references), Networking (to chat with peers and mentors) and Guidance. Once you create an account, you can update your profile (resume, search agents, advice, etc.). Advanced job search provides a lot of flexibility. Overall, provides most of the tools that a college student or recent grad needs to organize and conduct their search (in one place). Again, not sure if this will work as well for experienced candidates.

Jobing – Very simple main page, the tag line is “Search local jobs, find local employers, connect with local people and discover local job resources in your Jobing Community”. Not clear from the main page, but the site currently covers only certain parts of the US. Type in your zip code to find out if it covers yours. From the “coverage” page, you can click to crate an account which allows you to add your resume, add job agents, view and store jobs you’ve applied to and make your resume searchable by potential employers.

Searchease – The main page has two choices, click “career site” on the left hand side (unless you are interested in job board software!). From the main career site page, there are several tabs at the top (Post Resume, Search Jobs, Job Search Agent, Jobs In-Box, Resource, plus much more). “Hot Opportunities” are listed on the left and a standard job search function is in the center of the page (along with advanced search – but you need a login for this). Featured employers are listed on the right hand side of the page. Clicking “Post Resume” from the top tab will take you to the registration page. While I did not register on the site, using the basic job search was difficult and I did not get many hits (and the back button did not work for me).

Addison Search – This recruiter focuses on four industries: Finance & Accounting, Information Technology, Administrative and Healthcare. From their main page, you can click on one of the four industries. This takes you to a page that has jobs for that industry by city (middle of the page) with locations on the left. Below locations is a Job Hunting Tips area where you can get additional information on Resumes, Search Firms, Interview Tips and more. A very good point they make under “Search Firm Rules of the Road” is that you should keep track of where your resume is sent. Don’t let more than one search firm send your resume to the same place. This is not good for you and certainly won’t help with your relationships with the search firms.

Tyler & Company – Tyler & Co is a Healthcare Executive Search Firm. Their site includes information for candidates as well as job search (Open Positions on right-hand side of the page). Clicking on “Contact Us” will take you to a page where you can either search for jobs or submit your resume.

Street Advisor Group – This company provides both job placement and consulting services. Their home page has a listing of the latest job postings. Clicking on Job Seekers takes you to the advanced job search page. You can also submit your resume from this page. Street Advisor Group specialized in Wall Street placement.

Stan Hamlet Associates – Stan Hamlet Associates specializes in placement for Accounting, Auditing, Tax, Finance and HR for Fortune 500 companies. Their main page has sample postings and the email addresses of their staff. Their areas of focus are also listed, clicking on these takes you to a dedicated search page/listing of jobs associated with that profession. Clicking on “Apply” on the left hand side of the page will take you to a page that allows you to apply for a specific job or submit your resume.

Good luck in your search.

Who’s Hiring in the Top IT Companies – Vol 1

CareerAlley — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:00:49 +0000

“There are only two industries that refer to their customers as ‘users’.” – Edward Tufte

I’ve worked in partnership with a number of the larger technology companies. We all have our “external view” of a company’s profile and corporate image. You really don’t get a good feel for what a company is actually like until you’ve worked with them as a business partner or an employee. They all have their “pimples” (as do we all), but by and large they typically live up to their external image. So if you are looking to make a move to a top rated company (or any company for that matter) you should always do some research so that you don’t wind up working for “one of the worst companies to work for”. (see my post How to Build a Job Search – Company Research Revisited for some links and tips for doing your research).

Microsoft – Ranked 36 on the Fortune 500, we all know what this company does. In addition to being at the top of Fortune’s most profitable list, Microsoft is also on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work for“ and is based in Redmond Washington. The Careers page has been streamlined and follows the “minimalist’s view”. Job search is at the top of the page, enter keyword, job category and location to start. There is a link for students and graduates below the search engine and you can select your country of choice from the center of the page. You can register, search jobs, submit your resume and create a job agent.

Oracle – Operating in over 100 countries around the world, Oracle is ranked 105 on the Fortune 500 list. Their career site has a full range of company information with links on the left hand side of the page. Special sites for college recruiting and professional development as well. Click on Open Positions at Oracle where you can register, job search, create a profile and look for opportunities in other countries. You must select specific criteria to search for jobs.

Symantec – Ranked 353 on the Fortune 500 list, innovative technology is the name of the game at Symantec. Their Careers page has a company overview center page with links on the left hand side of the page has links for College Connections, Current Opportunities and more. From the right hand side of the page you can click links to function specific jobs. Click “Start Career Search” from the bottom of the page to start searching through the job openings. There were over 550 job opportunities when I checked the page.

CA Technologies – According to their website, “CA Technologies is an IT management software and solutions company” and is ranked 482 on the Fortune 500 list. Their careers page has a company overview center page, with a number of career links on the left hand side of the page – Career Paths, Employee Benefits, Job Search and more. The bottom right hand side of the page has associated links. Click Job Search to get started. The main job search page lists “hot jobs” on the top left hand side of the page and the main search engine center page. There were 90 job opportunities when I checked the page.

Electronic Arts – 494 on the Fortune 500 list, EA’s career page has links at the top of the page for Careers, Search for Jobs, News & Events and more. There are links on the left hand side of the page for company information, student links and more. Center left are links to additional company information. Click Search for Jobs at the top to get started. There were lots of job opportunities when I checked the site.

Good luck in your search.

College Grad, Job Bound, Late Summer Job Search Vol 1

CareerAlley — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:00:50 +0000

“In my simple way Guess you could say I’m living in the big time” – John D. Rich, Kenny Alphin

The sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance” have faded to a memory and the hard reality of looking for a job in the real world has set in. Four years of college went by really fast and settling back in to “life with the folks” is a lot harder than you thought it would be (all the more incentive to get a job). But let’s face it, this is the big time and very little of what you learned in school has prepared you for looking for a job. Yeah, you may have visited the college career office at one point in your senior year, but what did they tell you again? Not to worry, you are not alone (although your parents don’t really want to hear “none of my friends have found jobs either”). The first in a series of posts leveraging CareerAlley’s vast library of resources to help you get on your way to getting a job in the real world.

Where to Start – Do you have your Resume?

Recent College Graduate Resume – This list of links, from one of my favorite college career sites – www.collegegrad.com, provides a number of different resources to help you in writing or updating your resume. The links provide examples, templates and advice on references. This is the best place to start if you are reviewing or writing your resume.

Entry Level Resumes – The first and most important thing you will need is a resume. Take your time with this as your ability to “get your foot in the door” is heavily dependent on the content and “look and feel” of your resume. There are so many choices these days. This resource, also from Collegegrad.com, provides a list of links to help you get started (or to improve on what you already have).

Make a Plan:

Keep a list to keep track of which sites you’ve visited. Include your username and password for each site. You think you will remember them but you won’t. Also include the last date you visited
ALWAYS return calls as soon as possible, start off your day doing this
Review your top 5 job search sites
Check jobs on LinkedIn
Respond to emails as appropriate (and related)
Research, research, research – making a list of companies you would like to work for
Register on 3-5 company websites
Register on 3-5 job search sites
Send your resume to 3-5 recruiters/headhunters
Use job agents and leverage technology
Register where you can and make sure you upload your resume
All done with every list known to man (not likely)? Recycle the list, revisit the job search boards and try new searches

Other Options – Internships: Just because you graduated college doesn’t mean that you can’t consider an internship. At a minimum, this will give you some great experience and there is always the possibility of a job offer:

OneDayOneInternship.com – Associated with OneDayOneJob.com, I’m sure you’ve guessed what this site is focused on. Links at the top of the main page for Today’s Internships, Past Internships, Entry Level Jobs (links back to ondayonejob.com), About US, Blog and more. The Past Internships link leads to a list of internships previously posted on the site. You can view the list by Date, Employer and Tag Cloud. Clicking on any company link leads to a full page with a broad range of information (including internships). There are additional helpful links on the right hand side of the page which provide additional information or direct links. If you’ve read any of my college career posts you will know how I stress the power and importance of internships during college. This is the site to go to when making your decisions regarding internships. A wealth of information is included in all of the links with a very clean and crisp interface.

Internweb.com – It’s a very good idea to have as many internships during your college education as possible, but if you are graduating this year and don’t have a job, you could certainly still do an internship over the summer until you find full time employment. This site has tabs near the top for Intern Listing, Intern Jobs, College Intern and Intern Board. Below this there is an Intern Search bar to the left and below that is a section for students with plenty of resources. Center section is your main search area where you can subscribe or look at some internships now.

Good luck in your search.

Resume Content vs Form

CareerAlley — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:00:23 +0000

“For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.” – H L Mencken

Author Byline: Resume Builder
Author Website: http://resumebuildertemplate.com

If you are a happy applicant, looking for your dream-job and you don’t know what to start with then this is the article for you.

You must have heard a saying, that the first impression of a person is formed judging from his or her clothes and behaviour. The same happens with your CV and you should think how to “serve” the information under the right “dressing”. For example, if you are a student, applying for a job it’s better to list your education and skills first. This will draw away unnecessary attention from your poor work experience.

But if you’ve got an impressive work record or positive complimentary references from the former employers- don’t hesitate and start chronicling your rewards’ satiated working life. You may include everything that shows you to the best advantage before the employer. Write about your educational background, public affairs even voluntary work if this will help you to score the points. Though don’t let pride carry you to far away. Highly unlikely will the prospective employer be interested in your skills of a trombone player if you are applying for the position of a manager. Being precise and concrete are the qualities valued by any company. Each paragraph in the CV must not only be concise ( remember that your resume will not be the only one and employment consultant spend only from 5 to 7 minutes reading each) but also titled. There are almost no restrictions in choice of titles ( information on your work experience may be titled as “Employment” or just “Work experience”). But still there are some rules: for instance it’s generally accepted to place your latest job first and to mention your previous duties and how they will help on your new job. Don’t forget to mention the name of the employer, duration of each employment. There exist even special manuals training you what words to use in order to hint subtly the urgent need of the company to take you and only you for the position.

It happens sometimes that you don’t know how to group all the experience you have. For example if you decided to turn over a new “job leaf” and feel that your heavy “experience bag” doesn’t exactly suit the “gate” to a new “career lea”. Then you definitely need to stake on your skills not the references from the former employer. In such a situation you may emphasize the level of your trainability and ardent desire to work. Naturally the section of skills and their importance for the required job will be put in the forefront and take the biggest part of the resume. You may unite some of your skills. For instance if you learned quick typing, while working on one position and used to be a hostess in some other firm, then definitely you could act as a secretary, though you might not be applying for this job.

And remember the golden rule of all job seekers: not only the content of a resume must correspond to its form, but also you must correspond to the content. So, trying to seem better than you are don’t forget that when taken for the job you really will have to be better.

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.

Good luck in your search.

The Best Companies to Work for – Vol 12

CareerAlley — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:00:36 +0000

“People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, and the boss drives.” – Theodore Roosevelt

So what’s with the dogs? You know the deal and you know the quote (“If You’re Not the Lead Dog, the View Never Changes”). The companies included in the Best Companies list are all lead dogs for all different reasons. Many of these companies show up on the list year after year (and you know that is no accident). We continue our countdown to the top of the list, but make no mistake, whether it is company #100 or #1, these are the Best Companies.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital – Ranked at 85 on the list Arkansas Children’s Hospital is a health-care company and ranked at 85 last year as well. They have over 3,700 employees and hired 220 people last year. Their career page provides a company overview (center section) followed by links for How to Apply, Non-Nursing Positions, Nursing Positions and information on some departments. Left hand side of the page (center left) has additional career links. There were quite a few nursing positions open when I checked (as well as some non-nursing positions).

Accenture – Best known for management consulting, technology services and outsourcing, Accenture is ranked 84 on this year’s list. Their career site has tabs at the top for Working Here, Career Options, Search Jobs and more. The middle of the page has a brief paragraph about the company and a number of other career search tools below this. You can explore where you fit by clicking “Learn about working for Accenture”. You can also explore career opportunities based on skill. Search Jobs requires that you use a drop down list of all of the countries where Accenture is located. Click you country from the list to see opportunities.

S. C. Johnson & Son – Ranked at 83 with 3,300 employees in the US and over 8,600 outside of the US) S.C. Johnson has very well known products (Pledge and Windex to name a few) and added 50 jobs last year. The link to their careers page is very prominent on their home page (it is usually a very small link at the bottom of the page for most companies). The careers page has a number of links down the left hand side of the page each of which leads to a page with dedicated information on those career items. On the right hand side of the page is Search Job Openings where you will get an opportunity to register or just search for openings if you don’t want to register at this time.

Marriott International – Marriott is a hotel chain with over 133,000 employees globally (110,000 in the US), is ranked 82 on the list and lost over 10,000 jobs last year (that is not a typo). Their careers page has a basic company overview in the center with all of the links listed below the overview at the bottom of the page. Plan Your Career lists a number of career choices. The “Apply Now” link lists locations which then links to a list of opportunities.

Atlantic Health – 81 on the list (second year on the list), this New Jersey hospital has over 7,100 employees and added 145 jobs last year. Their career page leads with a brief company overview followed by a video below which is a link to their job search engine. The left hand side of the page has a number of links (benefits, career events, job agent, etc.) followed by a list of hot jobs (clicking on any of them links to a listing of those jobs). You can register on the site and post your resume or search for a job.

Good luck in your search.

DECISION TIME! The shoe dropped, you are now in JOB SEARCH mode

CareerAlley — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:00:38 +0000

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Author Byline: Ron Cottick, CPC, CHRM
Author Website: http://jobsearchinfoexchange.com

Regardless of the reason, when the shoe drops and you lose your job, its Job Search time. Whether this just happened or you have been in the job search mode for awhile, you need to be thinking ahead. Maybe the shoe has not dropped and you have more control or are taking more control over your career. You should still stay ahead in your job search and be thinking ahead.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

COVER LETTER; your cover letter should always be personalized to the position and company you are sending it to. You do not want to have a generic cover letter to address a specific position or company. You should keep it to about ½ to ¾ pages long and address how your experience fits the position you are addressing with it. You also want to add some accomplishments that are relative to the position and how your experience and skills will fit what the company is looking for. The cover letter objective is to interest the reader and draw them into looking at the other material.
PROFILE; another term for profile is career summary. Your summary can/should address the job description as the cover letter. It will be more specific than the cover letter though. The profile should address the key components of what the company is looking for. Be sure your profile has relevant experience (to the job description), your strengths (functional relative to the hard skills such as a particular technology, not something like team player) and your accomplishments (what the issue was, what your role was, how you accomplished the task and what the benefit was). You may want to provide responses to the following question: “What would your previous manager(s) say are your greatest attributes”? You can do that by saying something like “my managers would tell you my best attributes are”. This is not a reference, just a brief testimonial of what others who know you professionally would say.
RESUME; your resume should be accurate, up to date and appeal to your experience relative to what you are looking for. It needs to be conclusive. When you illustrate the responsibilities for your position(s) be sure to state what you did as much as the scope of responsibility you have/had. The more important issue is what you did in the position. Do not forget accomplishments that illustrate the success you had with what you were doing. List the benefits of the accomplishment such as increased revenue, increased market share, reduced time getting product to the market, reducing warranty issues, etc. An accomplishment in your career is always worthy of presenting in your resume. As for the look of your resume, use a bullet format. Bullet formats are an easier read and the reader can more easily see what they are looking for. Paragraph formats are not as reader friendly. This is particularly true if there is a large amount of content. The reader of a resume written in a paragraph format has a harder time finding what they are looking for in a paragraph format. The analogy in getting attention on the resume is similar to a speaking engagement. If you can not get the attention of the reader in the first 15 to 20 seconds of the read, you will likely lose the readers interest and they will move on to the next resume. You want to get their attention, keep them interested and get them to read the entire resume. A well written resume will do that for you. And, if you need two pages for a resume, have two pages. The argument over resume length is just that, an argument. If you have a solid and extensive background that needs to be told, do it. You do not want to explain how to build a watch when you are only telling someone the time but you do need to introduce yourself completely. Two pages of well written, concise and informative content that keeps the readers attention is OK. With three, you are probably starting to tell your reader how to build a watch.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Determining what you want to do
Who you want to do it with
Searching your targets
Putting together your cover letter, profile and resume
Posting your resume
Conducting searches and creating your search wizard
Initiate your social networking
Reach out to your targets
Track your efforts

They are intended to get you started. Taking and following these steps gives you a roadmap. Discipline yourself to get started and have the momentum to keep you going.

And, one last thing: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE IMPOSSIBLE AND THE POSSIBLE LIES IN NOT GIVING UP!

Good luck in your search.

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The Art of Job Search – Recruiters

CareerAlley — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:00:28 +0000

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step” – Lao-tsu

There is always lots of debate about what percentage of jobs are filled by recruiters versus through someone you know. For me, almost every job I’ve had (and I’ve had lots), was through a recruiter with the exception of one. On the flip side, I’ve probably hired as many people through recruiters as I have through someone I know. Where I currently work, the vast majority of positions are filled through recruiters (maybe 75%). Most larger companies leverage their internal recruiting staff, leveraging LinkedIn and job search boards to do most of their recruiting, although they do turn to recruiters for the tough positions. So now that I’ve definitively solved that debate, on to today’s topic – covering recruiters from CareerAlley’s library of links.

Targeted Search:

Alden & Associates, Inc. – This firm specializes in executive recruiting for Higher Education. Although located in Massachusetts, prior searches cover many locations (which is true for many recruiters). Clicking on Executive Search will take you to a page that shows their current searches as well as targeted searches for Athletic Administrators, Senior Administrators and Head Coaches. Applying for a specific position will bring up a screen to enter the appropriate information. If you don’t see specific positions to apply to, forward your resume (with a cover letter).

Edgelink – Specializing in direct hire and contract staffing for Technology, Edgelink’s site has a number of resources for the job seeker. There is a blog (link is at the top right-hand side of the page) and there is a link to “About Edgelink” which has links to a number of resources. Clicking on “For Candidates” will open a page that allows a search of current assignments, “submit resume” and candidate login. As with all of these sites, best bet is to search jobs first and apply if appropriate, otherwise use the “submit resume” link.

Butterfass, Pepe & MacCallan – This firm specializes in Financial Services, the hardest hit industry (so far) in the current recession. Main page offers information on the company, services offered, industry links and “submit resume”. You can also forward your resume via em from the contact page (although I would recommend the “submit resume” function).

Medical Executive Search Associates, Inc (MESA) – Based in Arizona, MESA has been in business for over 20 years and specializes in the Medical Industry. Click on “Candidates” from the main page, fill out the form (don’t forget to click the “send your resume” link on the right-hand side of the form). Although the first page has key contact information, there is no indication of previous placements on the website

Addison Search – This recruiter focuses on four industries: Finance & Accounting, Information Technology, Administrative and Healthcare. From their main page, you can click on one of the four industries. This takes you to a page that has jobs for that industry by city (middle of the page) with locations on the left. Below locations is a Job Hunting Tips area where you can get additional information on Resumes, Search Firms, Interview Tips and more. A very good point they make under “Search Firm Rules of the Road” is that you should keep track of where your resume is sent. Don’t let more than one search firm send your resume to the same place. This is not good for you and certainly won’t help with your relationships with the search firms.

Tyler & Company – Tyler & Co is a Healthcare Executive Search Firm. Their site includes information for candidates as well as job search (Open Positions on right-hand side of the page). Clicking on “Contact Us” will take you to a page where you can either search for jobs or submit your resume.

Street Advisor Group – This company provides both job placement and consulting services. Their home page has a listing of the latest job postings. Clicking on Job Seekers takes you to the advanced job search page. You can also submit your resume from this page. Street Advisor Group specialized in Wall Street placement.

Stan Hamlet Associates – Stan Hamlet Associates specializes in placement for Accounting, Auditing, Tax, Finance and HR for Fortune 500 companies. Their main page has sample postings and the email addresses of their staff. Their areas of focus are also listed, clicking on these takes you to a dedicated search page/listing of jobs associated with that profession. Clicking on “Apply” on the left hand side of the page will take you to a page that allows you to apply for a specific job or submit your resume.

Good luck in your search.

A Fresh Look at Job Search

CareerAlley — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:00:20 +0000

“The superior man is modest in his speech, but excels in his actions.” – Confucius

You know the old saying – “the only thing that is constant is change” and that is exactly what the Internet is all about. Job search is no different, and the Internet helps fuel this change. It is almost the two year anniversary of CareerAlley and I’ve watched the explosion of new job search sites, the growth of technology in job search and the sharing of ideas that would not have been possible ten years ago. Today’s post is all about a “fresh look at job search”. That does not necessarily mean that each of today’s links are new to the Web (although they may be), but they do provide another view into the world of managing your job search.

Talentopoly.com – “Be Found”. Great tag line. This site is currently in beta, but don’t let that stop you from taking a look. Center page is a job search engine (job type and location), but the interesting part of the site is about resumes. The best way to understand is to “take the tour” by clicking the “Take a Tour” link in the middle of the page. So what does this site do for your? Post your resume, promote your resume and manage your search. Also, take a look at the blog (the link is at the top left hand side of the page) where you will find lots of great job search tips.

Oodle – Oodle does lots of “listing like” stuff, and job search is one of those. Listed in the top 20 job search sites by PC Magazine, their main job search page leads with a search box and a place for location. Once you enter your location, it will list the number of jobs within 50 miles of the location. Along the left hand side of the page are additional filters as well as related listings at the bottom of the page. You can also browse by category, city and job title.

Your Career Planning and Job-Search Calendar – If you’ve decided to look for another job (no matter the reason), you need to have a plan. This article, posted on Quintcareers.com, provides some easy steps for planning and executing your job search strategy. Presented in calendar form, the article is filled with lots of good advice. Also, there are embedded links to additional information throughout the article. And, if that is not enough, also check out the career tools on the left hand side of the page.

Pimp Your Resume – Okay, you may be wondering about the title of this article which was posted on Net-temps.com. The word used in this way means “to decorate”, but in this case it is about making your resume a better document. Five tips are provided in this article and they will help improve your resume. The site also has related links under career tools at the top of the page.

Inovahire.com – Their tag line is “100% free Job Board & Live Interview Website“. For a start, they have a database of jobs you can search by using the Keywords and Location boxes at the top right hand side of the page. Right below this are a set of tabs for Live Interview, Career Resources, Blog plus some for employers. For job seekers, once you sign up (for free) apply for a job and interview online. The Career Resources tab is neat, it has links for Industry News, Job Fairs, Skills Training and more.

Special Mention – Some links to sites previewed in prior posts:

Good luck in your search.