CareerMysteries

We talked about the importance of using keywords or industry buzz words in the body of your resume to tip off the recruitment software that you are a qualified candidate for the job in our last discussion.

Now that you have their attention, don’t lose it.  Be careful about boring your audience with too many mundane duties and tasks.  Talk about your important accomplishments on that job.  What are you most proud of?  What important things or projects did you finish for them that will be used long after you have moved on to better horizons?  These are your career legacies.

 Talk about them in terms of quantification.  How much did your project save the company in money it would otherwise have spent?  What percent of sales increase did you find after you implemented key changes to the product design?  What did you do and what was the effect of this on the bottom line?

These things will get their attention and get you an interview.  Just be sure to be as truthful as possible.  If you cannot ascertain exact percentages, estimate to the best of your ability.  Be positive and proud of your accomplishments.  Now that’s real razzmatazz.

Winning the resume battle does not involve a regurgitated mass of tidbits and do-dads from your past experiences.  The one that will win the day will be carefully speckled with keywords that are vital to the particular industry and profession you are seeking.

Most of the larger companies and certainly all the recruitment firms are equipped with resume reading software programs that are designed to find the keywords appropriate to a particular job classification and setting.

 So make sure you include reference to things like ISO and six sigma if you are looking for a job in the manufacturing sector.  Or, if a certain software program exposure is desireable, include that word in your resume even if your exposure is not precisely what they are asking for.  You will have time to explain that later, but only if you get the interview by following my advice.  Good luck on your search, as it is really tough out there.

No, I was not referring to whether or not you should bring your trampline to work so you can jump for exercise during break, though that is a fun idea in principle.  I meant that you shouldn’t necessarily jump on the first job wagon that comes down your track.

I have told you in the past that you should do anything you can to get the job offer, within reason and proper ethical bounds.  Now that you have achieved your goal, it is understandable to be enthusiastic beyond belief when the coveted job offer is hanging in the air.

Generally speaking, I would advise you to get the offer in writing, to include any unusual  quirks you discussed as part of the deal like extra vacation, work-from-home days, or whatever.  Then, I strongly suggest you sleep on it.

Tell the hiring manager that you are very excited about getting this offer and that you would like to discuss it with your family before you formally respond.  Give him a specific time table and  make it a short window, like by Friday or after the weekend.  Do not ask him to wait for more than one week for an answer.

Now the center of power has shifted in your favor.  Here is the time that you can build into the agreement something that you really want or need.  For example, if the offer is low but you are already aware that they will not move the pay higher, ask for a six month review with wage adjustment.

Or, more important and fundamental than that, make sure you want to work for this company.  If it is not your first choice and another firm is sitting on the fence, call them and tell them you have a pending offer and would like to hear back from them at this time.  (Sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn’t).

Now you have the power. So, use it wisely.

Be sure to visit my other blog too, http://heathmysteries.today.com.

Be careful out there.  Don’t pay for someone to post your resume or represent you as a recruiter/coach just to find a job.  This is not the same as hiring a career coach to get you prepared for finding a job.  Some people would benefit from that kind of individualized attention, particularly if they have specific obstacles to employment.  But, as a general rule, you should not be paying anyone to sell you to somebody else.

Some have asked me about resume plastering services.  For a one time fee, they will plaster your resume all over the place like internet wallpaper and then they move on to the next sucker, I mean guy, who they do the same disservice for, and so on.

If you want to get your resume out there, post on Careerbuilder or the Monster, but be prepared to be contacted by every insurance company you know, who will attempt to recruit you to sell insurance to every relative and friend you can find.  (Does not increase your popularity at family outings, to be sure).

There are career experts at your local Job Service office who will help you write or will review your resume and give you interview practice sessions, job leads and all for free. Many of these services are of the highest quality with dedicated staff looking out for your best interests. 

So when job hunting, don’t pay anyone except yourself.  You deserve it.

Be sure to visit my other blog too, http://heathmysteries.today.com.

When a friend or colleague calls you and notifies you that they just got laid off from work and don’t know what they are going to do, you need to get yourself in gear.  Do whatever you can to help this person out.

That person could just as easily be you as it could be him.  Help him with his resume, any job leads you might have heard about, the names of companies who may be hiring, maybe even take him out to lunch so he can talk things through.  Be there for your friend.

 Believe me when I say that you learn who your friends are when this happens, in much the same way that you learn who really cares about you (or doesn’t) when you get sick, hospitalized, go through surgery and related medical dramas.

So take the time to help your friend in time of need even if it is just a shoulder to lean on or a sounding board for his angst. You just never know when you will be the one in need of a friend.

Be sure to visit my other blog too, http://heathmysteries.today.com.

 I think it is safe to say that most of us who have been on a few job interviews are eventually hit with some form of the question, “What are your weaknesses?”

The interviewer may use some guise by asking the question with a positive spin like, “Tell me about the areas where you would like to further develop your skills?”  This statement may sound somewhat benign, but it ain’t so.

So what is a good response to this question, if you really want to avoid scutiny of any of your actual flaws or shortcomings?  How about this one:

“I tend to be a perfectionist.  By that I mean that I have a very strong, driving work ethic and will do whatever it takes to get the job done.  I expect others working with me to be as dedicated as I am and will be disappointed in them when they don’t meet my perfectionist expectations.”

The interviewer will almost always like that answer.  Just be sure that if you are applying or a managerial role in the company, you are quick to state that you will follow all company rules and guidelines to correct behavior that fails to meet your expectations.

 Hopefully, the next question you will hear is “When can you start?”

Be sure to visit my other blog too, http://heathmysteries.today.com.

Good, old fashioned letter writing never goes out of style, even in this computer age.  One method of job hunting involves sending out letters and resumes to targeted companies that could potentially have job openings to suit your career goals.

You need to use a savvy approach with a touch of salesmanship along with tact and great grammatical prose to get his or her attention.  Be concise but detailed in how you plan to help his company achieve their bottom line.

A synopsis of your credentials comes next with a closing statement about why you would be the best candidate for a job with them and a comment about how you intend to follow up with him should be in the last sentence.

Then do it.  If you say you will call him on Thursday at ten, call him exactly at that time.  He may not take your call, but he will note that you kept your commitment.

Reach for the stars in your career.  By that I mean, be sure you don’t sell yourself short. Look at the totality of your life experience when you think about where you want to go in your career and put yourself in the position to achieve your goal.

This might involve going back to school as an adult.  You may be surprised to find out that you really enjoy the stimulation and experience.  You are in a different place now in your life than you were as a student years ago.  You have different motivations and skills.  Hopefully, you have a strong interest in what you are studying.

Adult learners can assimilate the information more fully since they have experiences that dovetail with the learning in the classroom or training environment.  Before you even think of saying that you are too old to go back to school, open up your mind to the possibilities.

Looking at the local newspaper advertisements for jobs is shockingly discouraging.  Even the Sunday papers are devoid of job listings to the point where what used to be a section is now about a two page spread.

 Some of that reduction is the change in the methods used by companies to advertise for jobs.  So many have gone the cheaper, easier route by posting jobs on the internet.  But some of the decline in classified ads for jobs is real.  Many jobs are disappearing.

This doesn’t mean that you should rely exclusively on internet listing for your job search.  The internet has become a major source of jobs much like the newspapers were twenty years ago, but working the internet is only part of the process.

Networking your contacts is also a major source of jobs.  This is where you can find out things that have not officially happened yet and if you can put yourself in the right place at the right time, you will be golden.

We will talk also about unique ways to find a job in future posts.

For now, happy hunting.

If a friend or colleague asks for your feedback on how they are doing, how they look, the resume they are using or whatever, try to use it as an opportunity to really help by giving honest feedback.

Now, that does not mean you tell them mean or negative things, certainly skilled tactfulness is your best way of proceeding, but don’t just say everything is “fine” when you know it is not fine.

If they have problems on the resume, offer specific suggestions on ways to improve and offer to help them come up with better alternatives.  If she wears inappropriate clothes to work or to an interview, show her something that would look nice, without having to insult her or call her a skank.

Constructive feedback and criticism with a suggestion on what would be better may hurt her feelings a tad, but it is better than lying to her and saying she looks great if she goes to work looking like a castoff from a Vegas curbside.