Don’t Be Desperate…Avoid Unfortunate Job Search Techniques

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Yahoo!Hotjobs posted the following (allegedly true) stunts job hunters pulled to try to get an interview:

• Put up posters of himself in your company parking lot.
• Attached pineapple scratch-and-sniff stickers to his resume.
• Announced his candidacy with a singing telegram.
• Sent lottery tickets with her resume.
• Rented a billboard that you can see from your office to list his qualifications.
• Baked cookies with icing to write several reasons why she should be hired.
• Delivered pre-paid Chinese food, including a fortune cookie with his name and number.

Other (not recommended) ideas from the survey included:

• One applicant sent six postcards, each a puzzle piece, which formed his resume.
• A candidate sent an egg carton with faux eggs and a message saying she delivered fresh ideas daily.
• A job hunter used an office building across the street to post his qualifications on a large sign.
• Another sent a baseball mitt and said he wanted to be part of the team.
• A woman printed her name on golf balls and sent them to executives that were hiring.

Creative? Maybe. Sound a little desperate? Absolutely.

The consensus of the advertising and marketing executives (you would think they’d be a pretty creative group) was that gimmicks like these are not very impressive.

The fact is, no one wants to hire a desperate job seeker. In fact, many believe that the “passive” (not looking) job seeker is the best candidate. See this discussion on linkedin about this topic.

Stay tuned for more tips if you are starting to feel that your search is turning desperate!

Don’t wait until you are desperate to get professional career advice: www.keppiecareers.com

Search for Jobs By Company Size

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This week’s Wall Street Journal’s tip of the week: Search for jobs by company size.

I have many clients who do this.  They say, “I want to work for a small company where I will be able to get involved in a lot of different areas.”  Or they say, “I want to work for a large company with opportunity to be promoted.”  Or, “I’d love to work for a large firm and be pigeon-holed into doing the same work day after day.”  Except for that last one…

I have a client who works for a small family firm.  Her stories are exactly what one would expect based on stereotypes of small family firms…Uncle Bill comes in to do the taxes, Aunt Sue is hired to decorate the waiting area.  Non-family members work at their own peril.  At the same time, this client had the opportunity to take on responsibilities and hone skills she otherwise would not have had the chance to do had she worked at a larger firm. 

Points to consider…

Small businesses offer:

• Quick response time
• Decision making flexibility
• Personal attention
• Specialization opportunities
• Ability to change with the times

Salary.com offers these reasons to choose a small company:

• Improved work/life balance
• Less political
• Better company culture

Larger firms may offer better benefits (free lunch, anyone?), training opportunities and an HR department that prevents Uncle Jim from getting a job that someone else is more qualified to do.  Although I was glib in noting that large firms may pigeon-hole their workers, it is also true that they may provide more opportunities for advancement from within or transfers from one office to another that would not be possible in a small firm.

Suite101.com notes these advantages of working for a large company:

• More resources
• Leadership potential
• Ability to specialize
• More job options

The Wall Street Journal’s expert notes:

In general, small company people find delegating difficult and like to have hands-on control over as many aspects of the business as possible. Conversely, large company people usually like to control large fiscal budgets and see their products or work in lights.

There are pros and cons to every choice, but it is interesting to consider:  Are you a large company or small company worker?

Keppie Careers can write your resume to appeal to any type of company.  We’ll support you in your job hunt every step of the way:  www.keppiecareers.com.

Thinking of Adding Linkedin Link to Your Resume?

Have you considered adding a hotlink to your linkedin profile on your resume or other job-search correspondence?  If so, keep these tips in mind:

• Make sure your linkedin and your resume match up 100%.  Sometimes, since it’s “just linkedin,” jobseekers are not as careful about dates and details as they would be on a resume.  You don’t want any discrepancies to raise red flags.
  
• Spend as much time making your linkedin profile perfect as you do your resume.  Neither  should have typos or careless errors.
  
• Enhance your linkedin profile.  Be sure to optimize your linkedin materials, as many recruiters source from that pool.
  
• Be aware that potential employers will use linkedin resources to find out about you.  Granted, this is true whether or not you offer the link, but if you have a profile and offer the link, be sure you don’t mind people following up with common connections without your knowledge.
  
• Be careful about what information you make public.  For example, if you’ve asked a lot of questions about job hunting, you may not want to make your list of questions public on your linkedin profile.

If you have a strong linkedin profile, solid connections to colleagues and employers and have spent time enhancing your linkedin image, you will be prepared to use linkedin as a job-hunting tool.

 

Keppie Careers will help you with your linkedin profile, your resume and coach you through every step of your job hunt.  www.keppiecareers.com.

 

Don’t Dread Working a Room – Revise Your Thinking for Career Success

It’s always a good time for a reminder of the importance of extending ourselves in order to meet job success – literally.  Jason Jacobsohn at Networking Insight recently suggested that networkers who dread a room full of strangers change their mindsets to take full advantage of the potentially beneficial contacts before them.  He suggests the following mindsets (commentary my own):

Mindset 1:  Room Full of Opportunity
Remember, all it takes is one great contact to get you on the way to where you want to go. If there is a room of people, every “Hello, my name is…” could turn into a possibility.  You may meet your next employer, business partner or spouse.  All you need to do is walk inside and introduce yourself.  No one is going to bite you.  Just do it! 

Mindset 2: Channel Fear into Energy
How many people do you know who LOVE to “work a room?”  Probably not many.  Most of us (even extroverts) don’t jump for joy at the idea of a room full of strangers.  A little nervous energy could be a good thing.  Don’t let fear paralyze your chances for job search success.

Mindset 3: Speaking Practice
If you’ve developed and practiced your elevator pitch, there’s no better place to use it than a room full of potential contacts.  This is just the opportunity you’ve been waiting for!

Mindset 4: Posture Practice
Jacobsohn reminds us to have good posture, a firm handshake, smiles and strong eye contact.

Mindset 5: Learning Opportunity
It is nice to sell yourself, but remember that you have a great opportunity to learn about other people in networking situations.  Think about how you can help them before trying to figure out what they can do for you. You don’t know enough to know what it is you don’t know.  (Trust me…This is true.)

Networking is a way to open those doors.  I’ve written about the importance of speaking to people you think can’t help you.  One way to break the ice in a networking situation is to find someone whom you are pretty sure isn’t a great contact.  Approach them, introduce yourself and try out your elevator pitch.  You’ll get great practice and you may be surprised to learn how the “cold lead” may become your best networking ally.

Keppie Careers can teach you how to network, write your resume, and get on the road to career success.  We encourage, enlighten and empower job seekers!  www.keppiecareers.com

Remember Their Names for Career Success

The  Wall Street Journal.com’s  (wsj.com) career tip of the week…

One of the most valuable business skills is the ability to remember people’s names…Name recall will boost your image, earn you respect and differentiate you.

You’re not good with remembering names?  All is not lost! 
Try these tips:

• Be sure to repeat the person’s name.  “Nice to meet you, Sarah.”  Try to say the name several times during your first introduction.
• Write the name down or secure a business card as a reminder.
• Did you meet two people together?  Perhaps a couple?  Link their names to try to remember them.  I know a couple named Debra and Brett.  Once I learned Debra’s name, I used the “B” sound to remind me of Brett’s. 
• Use a mnemonic device.  BuildYourMemory.com suggests:  In order to remember that the name of a tall, thin man, that you have just been introduced to is Mr Adamson, you might try the mnemonic of visualising the biblical first man ‘Adam’ (complete with fig leaf), holding a little boy in his arms. Adams son – ‘Adamson.’

• Think about how the person looks.  For example, Short Shelly, Muscular Mike or Dapper Dave. 

Witt Communications suggests that you create an exaggerated image, rhyme or connect a feeling based on the name to help you remember:

• Imagine a ham that weighs a ton spinning on the end of Mrs. Hamilton’s nose.
• Picture an old-fashioned car jack under Jack’s prominent jaw.
• See margarine melting through Margaret’s curly, blond hair.
• Dave needs a shave.
• Latrice is Patty’s niece.
• Michelle, ma belle. (The Beatle’s tune)
• Martin Peck is a pain in the neck.
• Suzanne Patterson has sweaty palms.
• Paula is pushy.

If you make an effort to commit a name to memory, you are much more likely to succeed!  It may be worth the effort!

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Keppie Careers wants you to remember our name!  We’re a head above the rest!  Keppie Careers will write your resume, teach you about networking and how to search for a job and assist you every step of the way!

Outgoing Answering Messages, the Phone and Your Job Hunt

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It’s not rocket science – potential employers and everyone else will judge you based on anything you offer them. 

• A typo on your resume?  You’re careless. 
• Unkempt appearance?  You’re a slob. 
• Unprofessional phone greeting?  You’re unprofessional!

Since no one wants to hire someone who is unprofessional, take the time to make this very easy check of your outgoing phone greeting.

• Does it contain music?
• Are there childrens’ voices?
• Is there background noise?
• Does it make an effort at humor?  Is it “cute?”
• Is it political? Religious?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, stop everything you are doing - change it now!

Record a basic, easy to hear greeting:  “Hello, you have reached April Showers.  Please leave a message and I will return your call.  Thank you.”

Listen to the greeting.  Is it garbled?  Did you rush it, as if you were escaping a fire but wanted to record the message first?  Re-do it!  Ask your hard-of-hearing neighbor to call and listen.  Does he understand what you said?  If so, you are golden!

Now, don’t get me started on kids, family members or roomates who answer the phone and don’t relay messages.  Or who tell the caller that you’re stuck under the car trying to rescue the cat.  Or in the bathroom, and you won’t be out for a LONG time. 

Try to give out a number on your resume that only you or a trusted adult will answer. Usually, that is a mobile number. Many of us answer our phones whenever they ring – even when we are driving or in the middle of a mob of screaming baseball fans.  If you are job hunting, be aware that trying to scream, “I can’t HEAR you” or cursing the driver who just cut you off as you are picking up your phone does not offer the impression you want to give your prospective employer.

Once your resume is out there, be aware that any time the phone rings, it might be your dream job on the line.  If you’re in a bad or loud spot – let it go to voice mail (to your nice, clear, professional greeting), listen to the message and call back as soon as possible.  You (and the caller) will be glad you did.

Need help with your job hunt?  Resume needs updating?  Don’t know where to start?  Keppie Careers will coach you every step of the way:  www.keppiecareers.com.

The Behavioral Interview: Have STAR Job Stories to Share

Each week in BusinessWeek, Jack and Suzy Welch contribute a column.  This week’s (April 7) column concerns questions for interviewing CEO candidates. 

While most of us will not interview for a CEO position, it is interesting to note the questions the Welches suggested.  Some samples:

In your career, what’s the best example of you anticipating market changes that your competitors did not?

Can you point to any of your people who “grew up” with your guidance and  have gone on to succeed in your own company or beyond?

What was the toughest integrity violation you have encountered and how did you handle it?

Have you ever had to define yourself in the midst of criticism, and did you succeed?

You’ll note that all of these questions are behavioral in nature…They ask the interviewee to tell a story demonstrating his or her abilities regarding the question.  The point of the behavioral interview question is to determine how a candidate has behaved in the past, thus suggesting their future behavior.

Answering behavioral questions requires some preparation.  Consider the “STAR” technique:  Answer this type of question by offering:

S – situation.  Describe the scene.   Offer some background for the listener.
T - task.  Elaborate on the work that you did to solve or address the problem.
A – action.  Describe what you did.
R – result. Don’t forget to explain how it all came out.  Hopefully, you were the hero in a story with a happy ending!

It’s a good idea to have some stories that describe obstacles you’ve overcome, including problems with colleagues or bosses, as well as several stories describing successes.  Have some “job stories” to share and you’ll be better prepared to explain what you have to offer an employer.

Keppie Careers will help you prepare for your interview!  Need a top-notch resume?  Keppie Careers offers confidence, clarity and job-search know-how!  www.keppiecareers.com