Would you drive to the airport without knowing your final destination, and buy a plane ticket to any old city? Of course not.
Yet, a large number of job hunters start their search with no clear destination in mind. They’re looking for any old job. Does that make sense? Of course not.
Why not start 2004 off right, with a clear vision for your job search? Here are five tips to help you do that and find the right position faster.
1. Begin with the end in mind.
What’s your vision of the perfect job? Think of the skills, hours, environment and the pay you want. A good way to get clear on this is to define your ideal job in rich detail.
According to Don R. Monteith, author of “How To Get Your Dream Job", (www.howtogetyourdreamjob.com). All of your senses will help you focus your mind on the job you seek. Write down what your dream job looks, feels, sounds and even smells like.”
Before you dismiss this as too "new age" to work, know that all top athletes follow a similar process when they visualize the goals they train for years to achieve. The clearer your target, the easier it is to hit.
2. Gauge the demand.
Before starting your search in earnest, make sure employers are hiring for that job you want. After all, the best résumé in the world won’t get you hired as an elevator operator or stevedore. Use the Internet to see how many openings there are for your target job. Tip: you can uncover more jobs by experimenting with your search terms.
Example: a search at Monster.com for "client service Minnesota" brought back 78 job listings, while "customer service Minnesota" returned 224 matches. So, to find and apply for the maximum number of jobs, be open to all possible interpretations of your skills, experience and job titles.
3. Determine to meet the right hiring authority.
Always remember you will be hired by a person, not a computer. And the more people you meet and impress, the shorter your job search will be.
Today, jot down the names of five people who could hire you or help you get hired. These hiring authorities might include a recruiter, a district manager at your target company, an office manager you know who could recommend you to her boss, etc.
Then, determine to call those five people this week to ask for a meeting to discuss their needs and how you can fill them. Because, when it comes to producing job leads, one in-person meeting can be worth 100 emails or 20 phone calls.
4. Plan your course of action.
It’s been estimated one minute of planning can save 20 minutes of doing. So it’s important to schedule your job search tasks 1, 7 and 30 days in advance.
Writing down your job search plan forces you to think clearly. It may even generate new ideas and directions. Tip: write out the steps you need to take to get from where you are (unemployed or in the wrong job) to where you want to be (doing your ideal job).
Examples: write down the number of résumés you plan to send out, networking phone calls to make, face-to-face meetings to set up, and follow-up letters to send.
5. Take action and correct course as you go.
Now that you have a vision -- your ideal job -- and a written plan as a guide, you can proceed like Christopher Columbus, who, even though he sailed uncharted waters, knew his destination would eventually come into view.
All successful ship’s captains check their position regularly and make corrections. You should, too. At least once each week, ask yourself these 3 questions about your job search:
- What’s working? (Do more of it)
- What’s not? (Change it or stop it)
- What’s next? (Plan your next week’s job search tasks)
Here’s hoping these five tips will help you create -- and achieve -- a job search vision that brings all the best to you and your family in 2004.
Now, go out and make your own luck!
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Kevin Donlin owns Edina, Minn.-based Guaranteed Resumes. Since 1995, his firm has provided resumes, cover letters and online job-search assistance to clients in 48 states and 23 countries.
Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, WCCO Radio, WLTE Radio and KMSP TV, among others. His articles have appeared in the National Business Employment Weekly, Home Office Computing magazine, Twin Cities Employment Weekly, the cnet online magazine and others.
Kevin can be reached through his Web site Guaranteed Resumes.
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Find A Job Today is a blog sponsored by:
You Don't Know SQUAT About Job Hunting
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http://www.gresumes.otiscollier.net
http://www.otiscollier.com/
In my ongoing search for the latest and best job-hunting tips, I interviewed a Silicon Valley recruiter and cracked open my client files this week.
The employment methods we’ll explore here are highly effective, largely unknown, and all boil down to one word: people.
Because it’s not just what you know that will get you hired. It’s who you know. And – more importantly -- who knows you.
Without further ado, here are 3 job search secrets that can get you hired, even in tough times …
1. Employee Referral Programs – Get an Advocate
"In this economy, a number of companies refuse to interview candidates who aren’t referred by employees," says Dave Lloyd, a Silicon Valley recruiter and author of "Graduation Secrets," a career guide for young people (www.graduationsecrets.com).
Large corporations use referral programs to encourage employees to submit names of people they know for open positions. This screening process makes sense, since like attracts like -- talented employees often have talented friends. And companies are willing to pay $500, $1,000 – and more – to employees who refer new hires.
So it pays to start making friends at big companies you want to work for.
"I knew one motivated employee at a high-tech firm who made $500 for every hire he referred. So he actively searched for great candidates. He helped get three people hired while I was recruiting for that company in 2001," says Lloyd.
Takeaway Lesson:
The best way to learn about employee referral programs is to strike up a relationship with someone at your target company -- and ask. A simple email will do. Then, keep in touch. Your contact may end up walking your resume into a hiring manager’s office. You get hired and your "advocate" gets a cash award – win-win!
2. Network from the Inside – Create Your Own Job
From my client files this week comes the story of "Frank" from Toronto, who a marketing manager for a multi-national high-tech firm.
At first, Frank did what most job seekers do. He posted his resume online, sent it to recruiters and answered help-wanted ads.
But it was networking -- within his own company -- that really paid off.
"I used an internal contact in New York City, one thing led to another, and I was over in the US doing 6 job interviews in the last 2 weeks," says Frank.
His Fortune 500 firm is now creating a new position for him with a generous salary and relocation package. This came after I encouraged him to leave no stone unturned with his current employer.
"I emailed a co-worker and asked if I could use him as a resource for an internal job search. He agreed to help, which led to my interviews. And I already had a good reputation internally, with several VPs to serve as references. That gave me an advantage I would not have had at another company," says Frank.
Takeaway Lesson:
The grass may be greener on your side of the fence. If you’ve done good work for your current employer, be sure to exhaust every in-house option before looking outside for a new job. (I know this firsthand – back when I worked for other people, in the 1990s, my last employer created a new job for me. All I did was ask!)
3. Become a Power Broker in Your Field
It’s an old maxim: Givers get. And it’s especially true when job hunting.
Our Silicon Valley recruiter, Dave Lloyd, confirms this.
"Last year, I was trying to fill a supply chain management position for a computer firm, so I contacted an industry association to see who they would recommend.
"Everyone I talked to told me the same thing: call Joe Jones in Houston. It seems Joe had organized an online forum for job seekers and was helping a lot of other folks in the process. His name was well-known among industry leaders – we offered Joe the job," says Lloyd.
Takeaway Lesson:
You can join or create a job search forum for your city, using a service like http://www.yahoogroups.com. By sharing leads in a forum, you become the go-to person and your reputation can spread. As a result, you may be among the first to hear of new job openings.
Now, go out and create your own luck!
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Kevin Donlin owns Edina, Minn.-based Guaranteed Resumes. Since 1995, his firm has provided resumes, cover letters and online job-search assistance to clients in 48 states and 23 countries.
Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, WCCO Radio, WLTE Radio and KMSP TV, among others. His articles have appeared in the National Business Employment Weekly, Home Office Computing magazine, Twin Cities Employment Weekly, the cnet online magazine and others.
Kevin can be reached through his Web site Guaranteed Resumes.
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Find A Job Today is a blog sponsored by:
You Don't Know SQUAT About Job Hunting
-------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.gresumes.otiscollier.net
http://www.otiscollier.com/
E-mailing your resume to apply for jobs can be incredibly convenient and frustrating.
While it's easy to send your resume to hundreds of employers and recruiters with the push of a button, how can you be sure it was ever read at all?
Here are four ways to make sure your e-mailed resume gets into the right hands -- and gets read.
1. Attach and paste it
When e-mailing your resume, it's not enough to send it as a Word attachment because attachments can get scrambled during transmission, making them illegible.
You should also copy and paste the text of your resume into the body of your e-mail.
In your word processor, simply highlight the text of your resume and copy it into the clipboard (short-term memory). Then, switch over to your e-mail program and paste the text into your message.
Test and verify that you've done this correctly by e-mailing copies to friends.
2. Include a cover letter
Cover letters aren't just for printing or faxing -- send them with e-mailed resumes, too.
When a company posts an opening online, it might receive 100 or more e-mailed resumes within hours. To stand out and prove you're serious about a job, you must include a cover letter.
One recruiter I found puts it this way: "I give more consideration to resumes that are e-mailed with a cover letter than to simple cut-and-paste submissions.
"As the single recruiter in my department, I don't have the ability to carefully screen 80 resumes for an Internet job posting. Serious candidates usually take the time to prepare [and include] a cover letter."
3. Send it offline, too
Just as NASA builds in a backup to any mission-critical system, you should also fax or snail mail your resume to employers as a backup to your e-mailed submission.
You can include a line at the top of your cover letter that says "Sent via fax and e-mail" or something similar.
4. Finally, follow up
Remember that technology should assist -- and never replace -- human contact. The best way to make sure your e-mailed resume got there and got read is to follow up personally.
If you don't hear anything within 24-48 hours, contact the employer to see if the position is still open. Be polite when you call, fax, e-mail or write a paper letter, and offer to send your resume again if the hiring manager didn't get it the first time. This will always increase your response rate.
Best of luck to you!
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Kevin Donlin owns Edina, Minn.-based Guaranteed Resumes. Since 1995, his firm has provided resumes, cover letters and online job-search assistance to clients in 48 states and 23 countries.
Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, WCCO Radio, WLTE Radio and KMSP TV, among others. His articles have appeared in the National Business Employment Weekly, Home Office Computing magazine, Twin Cities Employment Weekly, the cnet online magazine and others.
Kevin can be reached through his Web site Guaranteed Resumes.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Find A Job Today is a blog sponsored by:
You Don't Know SQUAT About Job Hunting
-------------------------------------------------------------http://www.gresumes.otiscollier.net
http://www.otiscollier.com
When you write a cover letter, does it hook employers and leave them no choice but to call you for a job interview?
If the answer is "No," you're not alone.
To succeed, every sentence in your cover letter must be compelling and must prove that you -- and nobody else -- are right for the job.
How do you achieve this?
Take the "So, what?" test. It can actually force you to write better cover letters than ever before.
It works like this. After reading every sentence in your next cover letter, ask yourself: "So, what?" Is that last sentence compelling or fluff? Necessary? True? If not, rewrite or remove it. Then ask yourself, "So, what?" again.
Here are some real-world examples taken from cover letters I've seen this week.
Before
"I am currently employed with Oxydyne Systems in Detroit in the Production Logistic Equipment Assembly Division as a Technical Support Manager. (So, what?) I am willing to take up any engineering post." (So, what?)
After
"I am applying for a position where my eight years of engineering and end-user training experience will add value to logistical operations for your clients."
In the "After" example, the writer clearly states the type of job he's seeking, while promising to add value for the employer's clients. Much more powerful.
Before
"The message you are now reading is not a typical cover letter with an attached resume. Please, do not be afraid to continue reading because this evolving communique describes what I can do for Stanley Publishing (SP), if I am chosen as its new Marketing Manager." (So, what?)
Stop! Don't take forever to appeal to an employer's self interest. Often, you can find better opening paragraphs halfway down the page, as in this "After" example:
After
"I am energized by the opportunity to achieve significant things for your firm. Here's what I can give to Stanley Publishing:· Five years of publication and marketing experience for Fortune 500 clientele, resulting in repeat business, 210% revenue growth and three industry awards."
This "After" example came from the fifth and sixth paragraphs of the cover letter, but works much better as an opening.
If every sentence passes the "So, what?" test, your cover letters will be concise, hard-hitting and irresistible to employers. So, there!
Best of luck to you!
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Kevin Donlin owns Edina, Minn.-based Guaranteed Resumes. Since 1995, his firm has provided resumes, cover letters and online job-search assistance to clients in 48 states and 23 countries.
Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, WCCO Radio, WLTE Radio and KMSP TV, among others. His articles have appeared in the National Business Employment Weekly, Home Office Computing magazine, Twin Cities Employment Weekly, the cnet online magazine and others.
Kevin can be reached through his Web site Guaranteed Resumes.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Find A Job Today is a blog sponsored by:
You Don't Know SQUAT About Job Hunting
-------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.gresumes.otiscollier.net
http://www.otiscollier.com
