Get Hiring Managers’ Attention in Any Economy
August 31, 2010
In his new book, Confessions of a Hiring Manager: Sage Advice for Fearless Job Seekers and Career Changers in a Confused Economy, J.T. Kirk shows anyone looking for a job or changing careers how to get the attention of hiring managers. Kirk’s book takes the reader from developing a job search strategy right up through controlling the job interview and negotiating a salary that doesn’t leave money on the table. Included is a special chapter for returning U.S. military personnel for translating military expertise into marketable civilian skills hiring managers understand and need.
Confessions of a Hiring Manager shortens the timeline and increases the chances of getting hired or changing careers based on hard-hitting, focused, and tried-and-true strategies author Kirk has seen in his twenty-year career as a hiring manager in marketing, communications, and technical positions for Fortune 500 companies in energy development and high technology businesses.
Here are three of the strategies recommended in Confessions of a Hiring Manager:
- Realize that the hiring process is not about you. It’s all about the hiring manager’s needs and how well you sell your skills, knowledge, and experience as his or her problem solver, solutions provider, or revenue generator.
- If your cover letter contains more instances of the words ‘I/me/my/mine’ instead of ‘you/your/yours’, you are not addressing the hiring manager’s needs. This is a simple rule of thumb that indicates how well your approach targets the hiring manager’s needs.
- Your resume must contain quantitative evidence of your accomplishments. Hiring managers want to know how much revenue you earned, what amount of costs were avoided, what percentage increase in improvement or efficiency you were directly responsible for. You can tell a hiring manager how great you are all day long, but it’s the quantitative data–the numbers–that tell the true story of your capabilities and accomplishments.
“The information in Confessions of a Hiring Manager gives job seekers a distinctly competitive edge, especially in today’s job market. I highly recommend it.”
Brian Jud, author of Job Search 101, Coping with Unemployment, and The Art of Interviewing
“J.T. Kirk has written the ultimate guide for properly positioning yourself for a job offer in this or any economy. No question is left unanswered in the process and the job seeker receives a valuable and powerful perspective from a hiring manager…this book covers it all…”
The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)
Confessions of a Hiring Manager is available from Amazon.com.
The Job Interview is Not Just About the Job Duties
August 23, 2010
By Carole Martin
www.interviewcoach.com
Are you stuck in the notion that the job interview is just about the job duties – it’s NOT! Here is what the interviewer is really looking for.
“CAN HE DO THE JOB?”
The first item of business for an interviewer to determine is if you have the qualifications to perform the duties of the job. That is the basic part of interviewing – to determine if the qualifications and experiences fit the requirements of the position.
“DO WE LIKE HIM?” “WILL HE FIT IN?”
The next item of business is to find out if this person is a good “fit” for the job. In other words, will he fit into the team and the company culture? Although this is the more subjective part of the interview, it can make or break your chances of getting the job.
The way you answer a question could be sending the wrong message. Are you describing yourself in the best light?
QUESTION: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
On the surface this appears to be a straightforward question, but if you answer too hastily you may end up sounding like every other candidate. What makes you unique? How can you make yourself stand out and be remembered?
Interviewers ask this question for a couple of reasons; to hear where you place the emphasis in your description, and to see how quickly and creatively you can think on the spot.
Organizing Your Employment Information
August 16, 2010
Many job seekers have difficulty recalling the details of their past positions when applying for future opportunities. Professional Organizer Jacki Hollywood Brown recently shared some excellent tips for keeping track of this information, including a free downloadable job information form.
Although her article was written specifically for students seeking summer jobs, her strategies would work well for job seekers at all levels.
Read Summer Job Organizing.
Cut to the Front of the Interview Line
July 28, 2010
By Carole Martin, The Interview Coach
www.interviewcoach.com
The question is, “How can you make yourself stand out when there are so many other candidates looking at the same job?”
The answer is to “focus” – focus on what makes you unique.
Let’s assume that you have an outstanding resume and that you make it to the top of the stack of resumes of people to be called for an interview. You, and maybe nine or ten other equally qualified people for the position, that is.
Because companies have so many candidates to choose from, they are interviewing more people so that they can select the “best.” When you are lucky enough to be invited to an interview, it is essential that you be ready to sell yourself, to let the interviewers know what makes you unique, what added value you can bring to the position – in other words, why you are the best person for the job.
Step 1
List the skills and experiences you have that would be required in the type of job you are seeking. For instance, a technical job would focus on programs, languages, and platforms, etc.
Step 2
Give some thought to those skills in which you excel, those that are referred to as the “soft skills.” These skills can be viewed as transferable– you can take them with you to any job you hold.
10 Most Common Job Search Mistakes
June 28, 2010
By Carl Bradford
Here is a list of 10 very common job search mistakes and what you must do to fix them.
Relying on your own personal experience and philosophies
Most job seekers base their job search methods and techniques totally on their own set of experiences. To do so will only serve to limit your opportunities.
Think like a marketer. Marketing professionals do not design their product advertising around their own personal preferences; instead they test and utilize approaches that appeal to a broader audience. Job seekers should learn how to do the same.
Being Too Close Minded
Actually this is closely related to reason number one. Most of us have difficulty stepping outside our comfort zone and embracing new and/or alternative ways of doing things. This attitude will only serve to limit our job opportunities. Don’t rely on your own personal experience and philosophies, instead study and discover other methods that will open new career opportunities for you.
Using Only One or Two Resume Versions
One or two resume versions just won’t work. Don’t rely on a sample resume. I’ve written extensively about this subject and my central message is that you have to “get inside the head” of the reader of your resume. The best clues for how to tailor your resume comes from the actual language of the specific job posting that you may be answering.
If you’re providing a resume to an employer on an exploratory basis – when they may not have listed a specific job – research their website to see if you can find information about the areas of your specialty and use that language. If you still can’t find information on the employer’s website in such cases, take the most common ad language content from 10-20 job ads that you can find and use the most common words, phrases and ideas.
What to Do When You’re Having One of “Those” Days
June 21, 2010
by Carrie Greene, CarrieThru, LLC, Coach & Professional Organizer
Last week was the week of job interview horror stories. One client was on his way to an interview when he got distracted and ran into a guard rail. Nobody was hurt, but his car was damaged and could no longer be driven. Another client got into her car for her interview with plenty of time and everything she needed, except her wallet and cell phone. This would have been bad enough but then her car broke down. She finally got the car started again, but was late to her interview and had no way to call.
I’m sure you can picture it, your mind is preoccupied with an upcoming meeting, event or project and suddenly, you’re thrown a major curve ball. Whether you threw the curve ball yourself or not doesn’t matter. What does matter is what you do next.
So how did these stories turn out? I am happy to report that both interviews went well. They allowed themselves to put their adventures behind them, let go of the self recrimination and focus on the task at hand – answering the questions the interviewer was asking. They decided that their interview would either go well or not, but not because of their morning.
So what does this mean for you?
When a situation suddenly takes an unexpected turn, take a deep breath and consciously decide to focus your attention on what needs to be done to move you forward. Later, after things have calmed down, take the time to figure out how or why you ended up in that situation and come up with a plan to avoid it next time.
Oh yeah, there were a couple of other lessons learned:
Don’t EVER clean the smudges off the car window while driving.
Double or triple check to make sure you have your wallet and cell phone with you whenever you leave one place to go to another, especially when changing purses.
About the Author
Carrie Greene is a Coach and Professional Organizer.
Work with Carrie to get places and get things done on time, figure out your priorities and get the projects that you start done. Cross things off your to-do list, get organized and keep the motivation and momentum going for the long run.
Break the hopelessness cycle! Work with Carrie to carry through on the steps it takes to reach your goals.
For free resources, including Carrie’s 4-part ecourse to help you get organized, please visit http://www.CarrieThru.com
How’s Your Network Working?
May 26, 2010
By Carole Martin, The Interview Coach
Seeking a job and networking are a lot like trying to meet new people at any event. I recently moved to San Diego – knowing only my family and no one else in the area. It was like I was starting all over and seeking to find new contacts.
One of the things I had to do – and job seekers will have to do – is decide that I was going to have to stretch and be assertive if I was going to meet new people.
Even though I am an out-going person doing this sometimes takes me out of my comfort zone. If you are an introverted or shy person this will be even more of a stretch and take you into a zone of major discomfort at times.
My advice – Get over it and do it. If you want results then you will have to move forward. Sitting still and sending out resume and hoping – will offer a slim chance of results or change. You are going to have to be assertive if this is going to work.
The next problem is where do you meet the “right” people?
I happen to have a passionate interest in movies and film. By attending local events I found out that there was a Cinema Society in my area and knew that I would find people of like-interests. I became a member and have enjoyed every meeting and event. Sometimes I make a new friend and sometimes I don’t, but I am around people who are interested in what I am interested in and have a far better chance of meeting someone than in going to a place where I have no connection. The people in this Society and I have a common bond.
The job seeker can use the same principle. What area of interest could you find a group of “like-minded people?” The more specialized your experience the easier this will be. For instance if you are an Engineer – The National Society of Professional Engineers would be an organization where you would find people who are in the industry that you have an interest in pursuing.
Career Transition Expert Harnesses the Power of Twitter to Deliver 800+ Tweets in One-of-a-Kind Career Book
May 24, 2010
Career transition expert, prolific writer, and author Billie Sucher, helps job seekers from any walk of life with her latest book, Happy About the Career Alphabet: An A-Z Primer for job seekers of all ages – 800+ fast and easy Tweet-Style Tips.
Sucher’s newest book delivers career wisdom, encouragement, insight, and direction to those searching for their next job or professional opportunity, offering 800+ easily-consumable A–Z tweet-style tips for recent college grads, career changers and seasoned senior-level executives to military personnel transitioning to civilian employment. Job seekers will delight in its 100+ pages of simplicity, inspiration, and breadth of career knowledge delivered in less time than it takes to fly from Dallas to Denver.
Happy About the Career Alphabet provides a quick read in Twitter format, giving job seekers over eight hundred tips on such topics as career transition, resume writing, interviewing, job search, networking and personal branding, inspired by Sucher’s 25 years of career coaching, consulting and counseling. With wisdom, humor, and reflection, the book helps today’s job seeker gain a competitive advantage in an ever-changing global market. Sucher’s colleagues have described Happy About the Career Alphabet as “Simply brilliant” and “a breath of fresh air.”
Billie Sucher is a nationally-known career transition expert, outplacement consultant, professional résumé writer, speaker, author, poet, and prolific blogger for Career Hub. For over two decades, she has provided professional career management services to organizations and individuals (entry-level to executive-level) throughout the country. Sucher holds a Master’s degree in Counseling from Drake University and numerous industry certifications including International Job and Career Transition Coach, Career Management Alliance Credentialed Career Manager Distinction, and William Bridge’s Transition Management Certification. Her résumé/cover letter work is featured in twenty-eight national best-selling books. Earlier this year, Billie was named one of the 150+ Experts on Twitter ALL Job Seekers MUST Follow and one of the 50 Personal Branding Consultants Worth Working With.
Job seekers of all ages will benefit from these tips to find a job. No need to spend hours learning or hundreds on a career coach; this book delivers quick advice that can be applied immediately.
Happy About the Career Alphabet is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
Changing Careers Requires a Fresh Perspective
May 13, 2010
One topic that hits home for North Americans dealing with economic uncertainty is how to make a meaningful career change. Many are seeking practical advice on how to adapt to the changing economy in order to advance in their present career or get a job in a new one.
Communications expert David Cunningham of Landmark Education was recently interviewed by Random House author and Wall Street Journal columnist Alexandra Levit. They talked about how a change in perspective can provide the keys for people to get unstuck and launch a new career.
Levit, author of New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career, says: “A lot of people are feeling very stuck in this current climate. Either they’re in a job that they feel is not personally meaningful or they’re just not sure what the next step is to take.”
Cunningham outlined some tips for career changers to give them power and explore their opportunities. To avoid confusing the facts of their situation with their interpretations of those facts, he suggested making two separate lists. The first should list the facts of their situation, such as salary and opportunities for promotion. The second list is for added thoughts such as “I’m not successful enough,” “We’re going to have trouble paying our bills,” or “I’m not going to be able to retire.”
“When you go to work on just the facts versus what you add to them, you get a lot of power,” Cunningham says.
New Job, New You: A Guide to Reinventing Yourself in a Bright New Career is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.
Job Interview Essential – The Thank You Letter
May 7, 2010
By Martin O’Brien
When I was a corporate recruiter I would interview candidates for positions within the firm. I was amazed how few ever bothered to send a thank you letter after the interview. Let me explain why it is always good to send a thank you letter after a job interview.
First, it is likely that the company has identified only a few candidates to interview for the position. Therefore, you can assume that the candidates selected for the interview will be almost equally in qualified. Now let’s say that you are one of two finalists. Up to this point both candidates have sent a resume with a cover letter, possibly had a telephone interview and were brought in to meet with the hiring team. The company may be having a difficult time determining who will be the better candidate. At this point a well-timed thank you letter may be just the edge to help you get the offer.
As I said above, when I was working as a corporate recruiter I very seldom received a thank you letter. Please don’t think my ego was hurt. That’s not the point. My concerns were more scientific than that. First, it says a lot about a person who recognizes and values of the interviewer’s time. Also, it shows the candidate is interested, has good follow-through, and takes ownership of what they do. When I’m in a situation where two candidates are virtually tied for the position, often the one who sends a thank you letter will get the job.
It would never be a decisive factor but it never hurt anyone’s chances either.
About the Author
Martin B. O’Brien is a former recruiter with over twenty years of experience. He shows job seekers how to utilize marketing concepts and strategies so they can stand out from the sea of competition they are up against. His latest report “The Marketing Bullets Resume Strategy” can be obtained at his website http://www.askmrjobhunter.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_O’Brien
