|
Seven Ways to Stand Out in a Sea of ApplicantsIs your résumé getting lost in a flood of résumés? Are you certain you could demonstrate your value to potential employers, if you could just get in front of them? Do you want to dramatically increase your chances of getting a follow-up call from employers? Bait your job-search hook with these seven tips and you'll catch a whale of a good job. 1. Write a focused, accomplishment-centered résumé. Make sure that your résumé includes several examples of how you added value in previous positions. Include what you did, the outcome and why that is important. I guarantee you will stand out from the crowd if you target your résumé, highlight key skills, include success stories complete with results, and make it easy on the eyes. 2. Respond to appropriate ads. The owner of a successful job-search website often hears employers complain about job seekers who apply without offering any relevant qualifica-tions. Do yourself and everyone else a favor by responding to those ads that are obvious matches for your skills. If you have the right experience but your résumé doesn't show it, write a new résumé! Are you attempting to break into a new field? Do your homework first so that you can state your qualifications and background in terms that apply to the new job or industry. Remember, it's okay to have more than one version of your résumé. There is no such thing as good generic résumé. 3. Take time to write a cover letter that addresses the specific requirements of the position. Use the job posting to identify requirements then match them to your qualifi-cations. Include examples of accomplishments that demonstrate the required skills. 4. Make the subject line compelling when sending your résumé by e-mail. Simply writing résumé in the subject line is boring, boring, boring. How many e-mails in an employer's deluge contain résumé in the subject line? Thousands, I suspect. Use your subject line to immediately engage the reader and make him or her want to open your résumé first! If it lives up to the subject line he or she may never move on to the next one. 5. Whenever possible direct your résumé and follow-up call to the person who has the power to hire you. This requires that you do some investigating to find out the name or title of the person who is the hiring manager. Yes, this takes a little more effort but the payoff is worth it. 6. Call to follow up. Most job seekers send out their résumé and never follow up. They expect the employer to call them. Demon-strate that you are a go-getter by picking up the telephone and making that all important connection. First, confirm that your résumé has been received. Then politely inquire about the position and the next steps in the process. Ask when it would be appropriate to check back with them. Treat whomever you speak with on the telephone with respect-you could be talking with the decision-maker. 7. Be prepared to sell yourself over the telephone. Most companies pre-screen applicants by telephone. Don't make the mistake of thinking this isn't a real interview. You need to shine here or you won't make it to the next level. Be prepared. Smile when you answer the telephone. It's show time! Mary Jeanne Vincent is the author of Acing the Interview tip cards featuring answers to the top 20 "killer" interview questions. Also included are tips for interviewing in the new economy, ideas for responding to illegal and trick questions, and suggestions for avoiding 10 deadly interview mistakes. Go to http://www.2bworkwise.com for free job search articles and to sign up for the free WorkWise e-zine. For information on individual job and career coaching or to find out about other practical, easy-to-use career tools call Mary Jeanne at 831.657.9151. |  | | | RELATED ARTICLES Are You Suited for Self-employment? A recent poll conducted by Yahoo! Small Businessshowed that nearly 3 out of 4 Americans have consideredstarting their own business. In fact, of more than 2,200 adults surveyed, over half (51 percent) said they wouldlike to launch their small business within the next 5 years. Finding a Job Under Tough Circumstances Anyone can find a job. That's right, I said "anyone". And I meant it. But the caveat is: I didn't say what kind of job. You can go out and start flipping burgers, and whine about the tough breaks life handed you when your company down-sized, or you can reach higher, and go for that job you really want, and know you have the experience and enthusiasm for. Skilled Mechanic Wage Study Review Well what is a good mechanic worth these days? You cannot place a value on them simply as labor units as they teach in management school, they are worth more than money. So why not treat them with respect and dignity and pay them what they are worth, we believe that the national averages are too low. There is a partial report on the Automotive and Trucking Sector from the Fed's Beige Book, June 2002. The 10-Step Resume Critique Your resume will generally receive a 15- to 30-second scan upon first review by an employer. With that in mind, it is critical that your resume -- your "paper handshake" -- makes a positive first impression and compels the reader to put your resume in the "yes" pile and possibly call you in for an interview. Can Nurses Be Entrepreneurs? Yes, Nurses can be entrepreneurs. In today's market place nursing has a unique service to offer not only to hospitals but nursing homes, private care and doctor offices. We as nurses have the skill, knowledge and motivation to be successful entrepreneurs. Nurses are tired of being told how much our services are worth. The economy is ripe for the nurse entrepreneur. Why wait? The nursing shortage is just beginning and there doesn't appear to be a quick fix in the near future. Much of the nursing workforce is coming up on retirement time, which is only going to compound the lack of skilled nurses to deal with the oncoming baby-boomers. Searching for a Federal Job Many years ago searching for a federal job was a long, complicated and drawn out process. Today, it has been become far less complex and is now just a three-step process. Finding a federal job used to be accomplished through postings in a government office branch and sometimes in libraries. Today, finding an opening can be done right on the Internet. There is a web site that lists federal jobs also lists many state, local and even private business positions. Many of the federal, state and local jobs can be applied for right online. If a position requires a resume, individuals can take advantage of online resume development and transmission. What Your Guidance Counselor, Career Counselor, and Own Mother Probably Never Told You... The alarm clock jars you awake at some insanely early hour. As you hit the snooze button you think, "there's gotta be a better way to make a living." As someone who rolled out of bed this morning at 8:30, I'm here to deliver the good news: there is. A lot of people dream of escaping "Dilbert's world" and being their own boss. Perhaps the biggest reason these dreams get derailed is money. Or, more accurately, faulty thinking about what it means to "make a living." I'm no exception. For a long time I thought before I could take the leap to self-employment, I had to first figure out a venture that would generate the same amount of income as I was then earning. Develop Multiple Profit CentersNot so, says Barbara Winter, self-bosser and author of Making a Living Without a Job Winter is an enthusiastic advocate of what she calls "multiple profit centers." Instead of thinking in terms of a single income, i.e. a "job," Winter recommends aspiring entrepreneurs develop several income sources.  Outdoor enthusiast and neighbor Bob Sadowski is living proof that you can have your cake and eat it too. Bob lives on 80 acres in rural Plainfield, MA where he's parlayed his life passions into his livelihood. When not running New England Bob's Snowmobile Tours of Quebec snowmobiling tours throughout Quebec (one covers nearly 1,100 miles) this vintage car enthusiast specializes in buying and selling antique car and truck parts out of his barn.Today my income comes from five sources: 1) I publish eBooks and other resources for other people looking to take the leap from having a job to having a life.2) I do telephone consultations with people from literally all over world on how to turn what you love to do into income. 3) Drawing upon research I did in graduate school, I've established myself as an expert on the topic of women's self-limiting patterns and philosophies. Now I'm asked to deliver my How to Feel As Bright and Capable as Everyone Seems to Think You Are for such diverse organizations as American Women in Radio and Television, Bristol Myers Squibb, and MIT.4) I get paid to deliver other people's seminars. My biggest client for freelance training is my former employer, a company called Time/Design. Time/Design hires me to fly around the country to lead their one-day course called Time Management to Focus Management for such clients like Ruby Tuesdays, Georgio Armani, and the US Army.5) I seek out other productsKeep Your Day Job Maybe you aren't interested in quitting your job but you like the idea of not having all your eggs in one basket. When traveling to San Francisco, I stay in an apartment in a lovely hilltop home in the Ashbury Heights section of the city. The owner is a Bay area native who, in addition to teaching reading to grade schoolers (which she absolutely loves), has set up several additional sources of income.  For one, she rents the in-law apartment to tourists through the local B&B association on per night basis earning considerably more than she would with a year-round tenant. For weekend and summer time income, she parlayed her knowledge and love of the city into a personal tour guide business with a steady stream of customers right in her own home. She even takes in a few extra bucks renting videos to her overnight guests. Maybe you don't really like your job but can't afford to just up and quit. Say your long-range goal is to make $50,000. You don't need to be a math whiz to know there are different ways you can slice and dice this. For simplicity sake, though, let's say you decide to set up five income streams, each generating $10,000. Since you'll be building your multiple income streams while you're still gainfully employed, starting two side businesses simultaneously is probably about your max time-wise.What you now have is a monthly goal for each business of just over $800. That's $200 a week. If making $20,000 a year seemed daunting, Winter says, psychologically earning $200 is more feasible: "Knowing what your financial goal is makes it easier to determine what action you'll need to take to accomplish it." So what are you waiting for? It's your life! Supplement Your Skills and Improve Your Work Position It is often said that the majority of people are but a few checks away from homelessness. Without a consistent income, this may be a true statement.Some ability to multi-task can get you through a temporary employment down-spell. How ToTalk Your Boss Into Giving You A Salary Increase * If you believe you deserve a salary increase, ask for it as soon as possible; don't procrastinate or wait for your employer to offer it. 7 Secrets of a Highly-Effective Resume Cover Letter Just like the late, great Rodney Dangerfield, the "humble" cover letter gets no respect. Freelance Work: The Changing Face of Employment The world sure is changing, and if you look at job employment you will see what I mean. Let's just go back to our grandparent's generation, even though I'm sure if we went back further we would see very different structures of work in the tribal periods of our history. Our grandparents usually found a skill, and then used that one skill to work for their whole career. An example is my grandfather who was a salesman for the same suit company for 44 years. There is nothing wrong with this. His job was secure; he knew there would be a superannuating fund when he retired, and that there would always be food on the table for his family. These days in the 21st century things have changed, and they are still changing rapidly as we speak. Job Interviews: Answering Whats Your Greatest Weakness? Many interview guides advise candidates to answer the common "What's your greatest weakness?" question with a positive trait disguised as a weakness. For example, "I tend to expect others to work as hard as I do," or "I'm a perfectionist." Showing Appreciation to Workplace Un-Sung Heroes Millions of Un-Sung Heroes are born every minute! They are found everywhere-on street corners, in our homes, offices, and communities-wherever there are people in need of rescue. These special people, whose positive actions and initiatives are performed to benefit others, are not famous or in the news for what they are doing; but their efforts affect, enrich and touch countless lives. How To Type A Resume For Employers Learning how to type a resume may feel like a daunting task. Even the most affluent writers have asked themselves, how to type a mind-blowing resume. Follow the tips in this article, and you will find the answers on how to type an outstanding resume. The Group Interview Sometimes, when going on job interviews, you might end up in a situation where you are in a group interview. A group interview is where you are being interviewed along with several other candidates for the job. Some professions that might conduct group interviews are sales, education and flight attendants. Telephone Phobia: Make the Phone Your Job Search Friend You're pretty comfortable using the phone. It's something you do every day in your working routine; so why is it that as soon as you need to use it for career change or job-search it becomes too difficult? Independent RN Contractors Are Taking The Nursing Profession Nurses wake up and take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity. Are you tired of having no input in your career, little money in the bank, lack of respect for your profession and little compensation for the long hours and years of dedication? Independent RN Contractor is a great way to renew your interest and rejuvenate your nursing career. As An Independent Nurse Contractor you will increase your choices as to when, where and how often you work, substantially increase your income and most of all gain professional autonomy. Tell Me About Yourself The need to tell people about yourself may present itself during an informal conversation with a colleague, on the Little League field with a neighbor, on the phone with a past acquaintance, or in a face-to-face meeting for a job opportunity. "Tell me about yourself" is a favorite question that has befuddled many an unsuspecting candidate. 2 Job-Search Success Stories Here are two success stories from my readers who found great new jobs last week. As you read each story, ask yourself, "How could I apply this to my job hunt?" Serious Business Networking As they always say "It's not what you know, it's who you know." |
|
|
Copyright © Advancing Women (TM), 1996- 