Posted by ResumeHelp on March 5, 2010
As if the dreaded R-word wasn’t already making the job hunt tough, applying for work online can feel like you’re tossing that carefully crafted cover letter and résumé into an abyss of HTML. After polling experts in human resources and career development, we gathered a few tips for separating yourself from the other online applicants.
1. Use position-relevant keywords: “Most recruiters today do not look at each individual résumé that comes in. They perform searches on electronic résumés by keywords,” says Allison O’Kelly, CEO of staffing firm, Mom Corps. “Therefore, it is critical that you make sure that you have keywords in your résumé that you would expect a recruiter to use in a search.”
2. Label your résumé clearly: “If you are e-mailing your résumé directly to an employer, you can name the document “Full Name’s Résumé for Name of Position Applying to,” says Tara Malone, assistant director of career development at Purchase College.”
3. Use the appropriate subject heading: “If sending via e-mail, the subject line must clearly state “who” you are (for example, sales associate- pharmaceutical industry) or the position for which you are applying,” says career consultant Wendy S. Enelow.
4. Don’t use “helper words”: Jane Goldner, president of the Goldner Group, adds that words like “assisted” and “coordinated” emphasize that you’re less of a doer and more a passive helper.
5. Try the FedEx trick: “A candidate sent FedEx envelopes to each hiring manager with a short note telling us that the best candidate we could hope to see was about to present her résumé and that we should be ready,” says David Lewis, president of a human resources outsourcing firm, OperationsInc. “A few days later, another FedEx arrived with the résumé. She got the interview. She was as advertised, and we hired her.” Click here for more ideas like this that really work!
http://www.metro.us/us/article/2010/02/28/22/4724-82/index.xml
Posted by ResumeHelp on March 4, 2010
David Lewis, president of Operations Inc., a human resources consulting firm, has seen his share of embarrassingly bad job candidates. He says one woman crossed her legs, looked at her feet and realized she had forgotten to change from sneakers to heels before the interview. She stopped him mid-sentence to change her shoes. Another brought her lunch to the midday interview and proceeded to eat it in front of him. When he asked what she was doing, she responded: “You know I am here on my lunch hour!”
Extreme, yes, but these examples highlight the myriad gaffes, mixed signals and wrong impressions that could happen in your one shot at proving yourself. With unemployment rates hovering at 9.7% in January and 8.4 million jobs lost in the last two years, job competition has skyrocketed. Fewer jobs and more applicants require job seekers to have packed résumés and impeccable interviewing skills.
Plus, “Whatever people say, gender issues can still be present in the interview process,” says president of executive search firm Alliance Consulting, Paul Sorbera. While men and women make many of the same mistakes–arriving late or unprepared, refusing to answer a question or lying about previous experience–women can make particular missteps that may cost them the job. From appearance faux pas and chattiness to not emphasizing their strengths and professional wins, the experts are clear about what you should not do the next time you’re in an interview.
Some women, in an effort to avoid stereotypes that paint them as overly emotional or indecisive, overcompensate with chilly professionalism. If the woman appears too stiff or standoffish, the interviewer may have trouble relating to her. “Women are a little reticent to let energy and passion show,” says Gail Blanke, CEO of Lifedesigns, an executive coaching firm. “This is the time. People are looking for that because things are so bleak.”
More Interview Advice From ForbesWoman
Women can also fall into the trap of fumbling over family questions. C-level executive recruiter Patricia Lenkov says women have been taught that speaking about children and family make them appear less ambitious, causing many to glaze over questions about career gaps due to child-rearing. Instead, she suggests offering a well-cultivated answer about how you managed to stay plugged-in and productive over a gap. A good response might be, “While I was not employed during this time I did do a fair amount of volunteer work to keep myself active and mentally challenged. Now that my kids are older, I am ready to get back to my career.”
Another common misstep is talking too much. Women often wait for the interviewer to cut them off, uncertain of how much information is necessary, says Dory Hollander, Ph.D., career coach and founder of WiseWorkplaces. She suggests that applicants keep answers concise and let the interviewer speak 60% of the time.
But the wrong kind of silence can also damage an interview. Many women are reluctant to tout their accomplishments, fearing they’ll appear arrogant or overly ambitious. “Women have a tendency to wait to be discovered,” says Lifedesigns’ Blanke. She suggests that applicants boldly and clearly state their achievements and talents.
Career coach Hollander also notes that some women have a tendency to issue disclaimers in their interview responses. For example, when asked a question about her management experience, an applicant prefaces her response by saying, “To be honest, I haven’t actually been in charge of an entire division, but…” Hollander calls this “testifying against yourself,” and says that this stops people from hearing what may have been an acceptable answer and projects insecurity and self-doubt.
If a candidate focuses more on her weaknesses than her strengths, the interviewer will likely do the same. Instead, Hollander advises applicants to focus on the assets they’ll bring to the job. For example, asked the same question about management experience, the savvy job seeker could say, “I’ve always been great at motivating a team, and I could apply those same skills as a manager here.”
Since first impressions have a lasting impact, women need to choose their interview outfits wisely. A common mistake that women can make is appearing “too flashy,” says Patricia Cook, CEO of Cook & Co., an executive recruiting firm. Showing too much skin, donning dangling or distracting jewelry or wearing too much makeup or perfume will damage an applicant’s chances for employment, she says.
Instead, wear sedate colors like navy blue, dark gray and black; tone down jewelry and makeup; and keep hemlines to the knee and heels modest. It’s also a good idea to find out what the dress code is for the company’s employees. Ask around, and if all else fails, go to the site and watch people as they’re coming in and out, noting formality. Ultimately, “it’s better to overdress than under dress,” Cook says.
But even when a woman successfully leaps over all of these interview hurdles, there’s another big obstacle in her path: the pay package. According to Sara Laschever, coauthor of business advice books, Women Don’t Ask and Ask For It, most women don’t negotiate as hard as they should, and they often set their targets too low.
“Women tend to get excited and feel automatically grateful, and they end up accepting [the offer] right away,” she says. Since employers rarely offer the maximum salary that they can pay, women who don’t negotiate can cheat themselves out of a substantial amount of money. Laschever recommends searching Web sites like Salary.com and JobStar.org for salary information, as well as talking to other professionals in your network and job recruiters about what the market is currently paying.
Once an offer has been made, Laschever recommends asking for a higher amount than your goal and then pushing back a few times until both sides are in agreement. She cautions, however, against negotiating too aggressively. She recalls a woman who worked as a high-end designer and made it through several rounds of interviews at a bohemian design firm. The company loved her and offered her the job, but for considerably less than she was hoping. She felt she needed to make a strong case and forcefully negotiated for a higher salary. She watched as her potential employer wheeled back in his chair away from her, eyes wide and mouth agape. Knowing that the approach might have actually cost her the position, she went back and softened the request, clearly explaining her rationale and illustrating that she would be flexible if he would be fair. They ultimately agreed on a package, and she accepted the job.
Being flexible can be a valuable asset for job seekers in this down economy. Instead of latching on to the perfect salary figure, candidates should also consider other benefits that go along with the job, such as office space and title. During negotiations, prospective employees may be able to trade salary points for a better office, more vacation time or an assistant to help with some of her tasks.
In the end, the company has a role to fill and positioning yourself to meet that role will benefit both sides. “I think the most important thing to remember is that the interviewer usually knows less about what you’ve accomplished and sometimes knows less about the job than you do,” says recruiter Cook. “Just remember that you’re the expert on you.” It might be the very thing that convinces them.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/08/job-interview-mistakes-forbes-woman-leadership-professional_print.html
Posted by ResumeHelp on March 1, 2010
The move from school to your first job is one of the most profound transitions in life. All your life you’ve been asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Well now you are grown up. But if you’re like many recent grads, you still don’t have a clear answer to the question.
And that’s OK. Neither did I and I’ll bet your parents didn’t either. Most people start with a two – or three-year series of less-than-ideal jobs. This is the rubber meets the road that will teach you the survival skills you’ll need to be successful in the professional world and help you decide which direction you will eventually go.
Here are five tips that will make the transition from student to professional move along as more smooth.
1. Realign Your Focus
In school, the focus was on you! Your needs and preferences. At work, you no longer have that level of control. And to get a job and succeed, you’ll need to turn your focus toward the people who sign your paychecks.
This is the real world so figure out how you can contribute to the organization’s business needs. Become a team player. Focus on putting the organization’s needs above your own.
2. Work on Your People Skills
You got away with a lot of stuff in school that you can’t in the workplace. Tempers flare, competitions arise, and people take sides. Don’t try that at work. Regardless of who’s right or wrong, drama in the office reflects poorly on all parties involved.
A bad attitude will get you “canned” quickly no matter your skill. A person who is likable and pleasant to work with is the more valuable employee than the individual with a bad attitude.
3. Pay attention and Learn
Learning is what school is all about. But learning is really what your first couple of jobs should be about as well. I remember my first job was in a supermarket. Not the best job but I had a lot to learn and I did. It’s always wise to observe and learn from the more experienced workers. Who are the most respected team players; model your behavior after those people. And be sure to avoid office politics. Those are deadly.
4. Network, Network, Network
This can’t be emphasized too much! Your networking in college may have been limited to social networking on the Internet.
When you’re looking for a job, talk to anyone and everyone. Don’t exclude anyone. You never know who knows someone, who knows someone, who has a job opening. Tell them what kind of job you’re seeking and make sure they know how to get in touch with you. Also here’s a bit of sage advice my dad gave me when I entered the workplace: Never burn your bridges. You never know when you may need that job reference. Did I always follow it, of course not. Did it cost me, it sure did. Networking will help you at every step of your career, but especially at the entry level.
5. Keep Your Resume Up To Date
Even if you’re quite comfortable with your job, it’s always good practice to keep your resume up to date. Many people forget this and then scramble to remember the facts later. When you land a job, add it to your resume. Keep it updated.
A new opportunity can come along at any time so be prepared and you will be ahead of other qualified candidates. So be sure to keep a record of all the contributions you make and the compliments you earn, saving copies of those that were e-mailed or handwritten. Many people forget this and when they need confirmation they cannot find them. They can help vault you to your next career challenge.
Conclusion
With your fresh diploma or degree in hand and a head full of knowledge, you probably thought your education was complete. But a successful transition from school to work is a learning process all its own.
You are ready for the next step. Go get ‘em!
