Four Steps to Creating Your Very Own Targeted Job Search

October 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Even though Christopher Columbus sailed across the ocean on a whim with little to no navigation, not everyone can blindly find a hidden treasure without the proper planning and a detailed map. Executing your own targeted job search will not only help you navigate the murky waters that define today’s economy, it will also keep you sane throughout the entire process.

Below you will find all of the tools necessary to start creating your very own targeted job search. By following these steps, you will feel more in control of your career destiny.

Identify your top companies

You need to generate a list of 30 to 50 companies that might be a good fit for you. Take the opportunity to use print materials, LinkedIn, the Internet, and your own personal network to connect with decision makers (or others) at your specified companies. Focus on: Location/commute time, company size, reputation, opportunities available within the company, passion for the company’s products/services, relationships with people in the company, company culture, benefits, and so on. Stay organized by keeping a spreadsheet of contact names that can lead you to a decision maker in your target company.

Read, research and get informed

Stay current with the news that surrounds your industry. Spend time reading materials related to job searching and preparing for interviews. Here’s what you should be reading:

  1. Read your target company’s website, which has a wealth of information.
  2. Industry/niche websites
  3. Company blogs
  4. Online news, trade journals, and local/regional/national newspapers
  5. Analyst reports, industry and white papers, popular business books, etc.

Use a targeted letter search

This letter simply describes your unique career situation and background. It’s often addressed to the hiring manager of a target company. You will need to do your homework and take the proper steps when writing this particular letter. By implementing this strategy, you have created an excellent way to get your foot in the door of an organization.

Talk to people you know

These people will come from your business relationships.

  • People inside your target companies
  • Colleagues
  • Customers/clients
  • Distribution/retail partners
  • Vendors
  • Industry leaders
  • Service providers
  • Peers
  • Support staff in other companies
  • Members of industry or professional organizations
Filed Under: Article, Career Coaching, Job Search Strategies

Do I Really Need to Send a Thank You Note After My Interview?

August 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

To send a thank you note or not is the question that I get asked on a weekly basis. The answer is absolutely YES!! For the record, email thank you notes don’t count. If possible, you need to send a hand-written thank you card to each individual who interviewed you. If your handwriting is poor, type it.

One important rule of thumb: Don’t write a generic thank you note. Instead, use your thank you letter as one more way to highlight your skills, value, and successes.

Here are the components of a professional and compelling thank you letter that any recruiter or employer would appreciate.

  • Recap your conversation from the interview in an intelligent way. Reinforce your goal.
  • Single out what the company is facing – competitive situation.
  • Highlight how you are equipped to tackle those challenges.
  • Thank employer for time and consideration.
  • Be upbeat and tell them your next steps.

By closing with a friendly and excited tone, the employer will remember you and hopefully make you an offer! If you aren’t sure how to end it on a high note, check out the example below.

Example: “I hope you can tell how excited I am about joining your team!”

Filed Under: Article, Career Coaching, Job Search Strategies

The Critical Cover Letter

August 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In today’s challenging employment market where the competition is heating up, you MUST have a GREAT cover letter that sets you apart from the crowd. Now, more than ever, job seekers must come with their “A” game! Unfortunately, too many job seekers are skipping writing a cover letter all together. This is a missed opportunity for job seekers to clearly communicate who they are before the employer begins reading their resume.

Consider this…You wouldn’t introduce yourself by just listing your attributes without having a formal introduction of who you are as a person. The same holds true when applying for a job. Use your cover letter as a formal introduction of yourself, your skill set, and your career ambitions. Your cover letter will not only highlight your best features, it will also serve as your first impression to a potential employer.

To ensure that your cover letter is effective, it must be targeted. Research the potential employer and find out what their specific needs are. A quality, customized cover letter will quickly move you to the top of the stack. The only time the cover letter is detrimental is when it’s poorly written, or not tailored for the specific job that you are applying for.

Overall, the reason you are writing a personalized cover letter is to convey to the reader that you possess the skills, experience, and desire needed to land the job.

There are three essential ingredients that encompass a top-notch cover letter:

Step 1: Introduce yourself. You want to get right to the point. Who are you? You need to reference the position (make it crystal clear) that you are applying for in the cover letter. Get right to the point and drop names if possible.

Step 2: Support your unique selling points. Ask yourself, “What were the RESULTS of my efforts on previous jobs, projects, or tasks that I’ve undertaken?” Take this opportunity to address several points in the job description to inform the reader that you have the skills and abilities needed to perform them. Offer any accomplishments from your past efforts as proof that you can do the job. The bottom-line is to show the potential employer your true value.

Step 3: Be direct about getting an interview. Employers love perseverance! Don’t be shy and say that you hope to hear from them. Instead, take the extra time to locate the contact information of the hiring authority and state that you are going to call him/her at a future date and time. You MUST then follow up because he/she has marked that time on his/her calendar. It’s critical to provide your contact information as well because the hiring authority might just call you up to find out more information that will help him/her in the decision making process. Politely, let them know that you will follow up with a phone call if you don’t hear from the hiring manager in two weeks.

Reality Check Proof: A client of mine, Jennifer, followed up once for a position that she was seeking. Thank goodness she decided to call back because the employer had lost her cover letter. If she had not called and had waited for the hiring manager to call her instead, she would have never been asked to interview for the job, which she ultimately landed.

Here’s the bottom-line on the cover letter dilemma. Some recruiters will read them, some will not. Hiring managers almost always do. You put yourself at a huge disadvantage with decision makers that do read cover letters by not submitting one. There is absolutely no downside to writing a cover letter that isn’t going to be read.

In my opinion, you should absolutely write a cover letter for every resume that you submit!!!

Filed Under: Article, Career Coaching, Resumes

A Well-Written Resume Makes All the Difference

June 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Kris NiklawskiKris Niklawski, ACRW, has been an executive/professional resume writer for more than 13 years. During her tenure, she’s observed numerous resumes. If you don’t think a well-written resume is important, listen up. Niklawski explains why it’s imperative to hire a professional resume writer to ensure that your resume outshines the competition.

What difference does a good resume make, and how does it boost your success rate?

In today’s competitive market where hundreds or even thousands of candidates are competing for the same job, a stand out resume is essential!  You must ensure that your resume is not only satisfactory, but also noticeably different in language, tone, style, impact, and overall effectiveness than your pool of fellow contenders. In return, this will boost your success rate and land you that coveted interview.

What are the top mistakes that you often notice on people’s resumes?

One of the most common mistakes I often notice on people’s resumes is the lack of a clearly defined job target or title. It is important to include a job title or headline at the top of the page that is clear and descriptive as to quickly inform employers of what type of position you are seeking.

I also notice that many people lack a summary section. The summary section is designed to give an overview of your qualifications and strengths as a candidate. This section is meant to sell the reader in 10–15 seconds by illustrating that you are a valuable, viable candidate.

What’s the first thing that a hiring manager looks at when he/she glances at your resume?

The first thing a hiring manager looks for is “What can you do for me.” Therefore, it is essential that your greatest attributes, whether it is your experience, achievements, technical skills, or other qualifications stand out as the asset it truly is.

Do you personally know of someone who has used your services and has landed a job because of their perfect resume?

A client who was a successful sales executive was tired of her commission-based position and wanted to make a career change to supply chain management or purchasing. We used a headline to call attention to career goals, documented personal attributes and professional experiences related to her current job target, and concentrated on her ability to produce results. Within a few weeks time, she had landed several interviews and ended up accepting the job of her dreams as a purchasing manager with a highly reputable company and has since been promoted to purchasing director.

Why should someone hire a certified resume writer?

A professional resume writer can create a powerful, attention-getting resume that reflects your unique skills and qualifications. An expertly prepared resume heightens the likelihood that you’ll be chosen from a crowd of qualified competitors, and it can make the difference in getting selected for a job interview—or not. A credentialed resume writer has successfully completed a training/testing program and has demonstrated the competency to deliver best-in-class resume writing and design. Specifically, ACRW certification indicates the recipient has completed a rigorous training and mentoring program and has earned the world’s most exclusive professional resume writing credential.

Filed Under: Article, Business Tips, Resumes Tagged With: , ,

Overcoming the Barriers of LinkedIn

June 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Recently, I’ve been critiquing a lot of mid-level to executive resumes. While a well-written resume says a lot about the job seeker, one aspect that shouldn’t be ignored is your LinkedIn profile.

When I glance at these candidates’ LinkedIn profiles, I often find that there is not much content and value in the brief information that is listed. I often wonder why their job search has stalled and why they haven’t taken the time to update this essential online networking tool? As a career coach, it is my duty to grasp why their job search has come to a standstill.

Most professionals eagerly tell me that they are on LinkedIn, but upon further questioning, they quickly realize that their profile is less than stellar. What many people fail to realize is that an incomplete LinkedIn profile will not grab the attention of an employer or executive recruiter.

My initial advice would be to get your LinkedIn profile developed so that you can successfully begin your job search. If you’re solely relying on job boards for your next position, you’re going to lose out on receiving the next great opportunity. If you want to get noticed by a hiring manager, make sure you have the following information on your LinkedIn profile.

 

Hiring officials are looking for LinkedIn profiles that include:

  • What you have accomplished? Think of things that you have accomplished by being in your current leadership role – solving problems, saving money, making money, and/or adding value.
  • What you are currently doing? Showcase your talents, expertise, and successes. Provide insight into who you are and how you operate.
  • What are you interested in doing? Look towards the future and how you can solve problems and add value to a company.

In today’s competitive job market, you have to have more than one selling piece. While having a quality resume is essential, a LinkedIn profile is equally, if not more, important, especially in an online world.

 

Tips for Making Your LinkedIn Profile Productive and Effective

For those of you who have been absent from the job market in the last five years, the rules, career tools, and techniques have all changed significantly. Don’t go it alone; it is a jungle out there. Seek out a career professional to help you get to your next great opportunity.

This is an area that I often help leaders overcome. By removing their LinkedIn barriers, I can help launch their job search to the next level. Below you will find five of my tips for getting noticed on LinkedIn.

Looking to be Found – If you aren’t on LinkedIn, you don’t exist. If your profile is barebones with just your initial information plugged in, this will not get you found. You will be overlooked because hiring professionals will not understand your value and will move on to the next candidate.

Wanting Visibility – It’s a necessity to have a developed LinkedIn profile so that employers and executive recruiters can see what you can do and how that talent can be transferred to your new opportunity. Being able to attract the “right” audience to you will provide more opportunities/connections.

Networking/Building New Relationships – You have an online presence providing you with unlimited connections. Also, your professional colleagues can uncover leads for you in the future.

Groups/Answers – You can keep yourself in the know about what is going on in your industry. LinkedIn is a place for you to gather valuable information, trends, etc.

Get Recommended – This is your chance to “shine” and let potential employers get a glimpse of what you can do for their organization. Ask former bosses, colleagues, vendors, etc. for their endorsement of your work. It can be a one line statement or longer. Remember, you have to be willing to ask for what you need.

Filed Under: Article, Business Tips, Job Search Strategies, Social Media Tagged With: , , ,
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