Posted By Amanda Collins on August 25, 2010

If you don’t look for a job very often—which you hopefully don’t—this whole idea of job searching may seem pretty foreign to you. I know it has been for many of my clients. In fact, when I asked a client who was frustrated at not having found a position within 60 days of receiving her new résumé what her job-search strategy was, she responded with silence.

The market is quite different now than it might have been the last time you were out looking. Now we have Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. And you don’t look for jobs in the paper anymore; now there are online sites like The Ladders, Hot Jobs, Indeed, Jobing, and Simply Hired. It’s a new world, and if you don’t have any clue how to navigate it, you’ll definitely get lost.

I’m a big fan of strategy. It helps turns big, indescribable—and sometimes scary—tasks into bite-sized steps that suddenly seem surmountable. As you’re looking to build your job-search strategy, you first need to think about your time line. How long will you be in your job search? If you have savings and can survive six months, you don’t have to be as quick as someone who must have a job by the end of the week. Also, know what salary you need to sustain your life. That way, you’ll stay focused instead of acting out of desperation.

Next, you should start thinking about how you’ll spend your time. If you’re unemployed, your job becomes looking for a job. You’ll need to split your schedule among social media, in-person networking, and actual job searching. Networking events typically happen at breakfast, lunch, and happy hour; choose a mix or one time slot that works best for you. Social media time should be spent primarily on LinkedIn (read my article on leveraging LinkedIn), but you can also try Twitter and Facebook. Look for jobs online and definitely set up Google alerts to tell you about new positions based on the job title.

An example of how your day might be spent:
8-10: networking event
10-12: job search
12-2: networking event
2-5: social media

Obviously, if you’re less social, you can opt for one networking event per day or per week, but you need to be out there. Résumés alone do not guarantee you a job; you need to be proactive and create a cohesive strategy. THAT is how you’ll see results.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on August 24, 2010

I reviewed a résumé last week that looked like a cover letter. This week, I saw one that looked like an article in a magazine. Both of these formats were missing the mark—and neither one of them is currently getting results. The format you choose for your résumé will, first off, determine if it gets a second glance. It will also ensure that it’s actually considered.

There are plenty of templates available online—some good and some awful. You don’t need a set template to have an eye-catching résumé, but you do need a strategy. Think about how you want to come across to the reader. Consider things like font, lines, bold, italics. Remember, you are trying to develop and maintain a brand, which will set the tone for future interactions with you.

Sometimes, I am completely wowed by the layout. . . and then I see the content, but at least the layout got me to take a second look! Think about it like how food is displayed in a nice restaurant. Somehow, it seems to taste better when it has a great presentation. Your layout and format are a significant part of your presentation, so make sure they’re clear, simple, and make you stand out (in a good way!)

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Tags: Resumes

Posted By Amanda Collins on August 5, 2010

Again and again, my clients want me to create a résumé that will reach every conceivable employer, regardless of industry or title. Once upon a time, you could create a generic objective on your résumé and let the reader determine where you fit best—but that is no longer the case. When 100+ people are applying for one position, you need to be a little more strategic.

The other thing I’ve heard recently is, “My résumé is more generic, but I make my cover letter targeted.” That’s great, but three of five hiring managers don’t read cover letters, and if they do, it’s after they’ve glanced at the résumé. Also, if you’re applying online, there may not even be an opportunity to include a cover letter.

The truth is that you’ll probably end up tweaking your résumé for each position to which you’ll apply. If they’re similar in scope, you’ll just update the top third of the résumé: headline, summary, and keywords. However, if you’re looking at two distinctly different areas, you may have two different strategies. It all depends on what you want to be when you grow up.

My suggestion: spend some time discovering what you want to do. Look at ads and see what appeals to you. See if people are hiring in that industry. Choose a title that fits for now, if not forever. Then make sure that everything you have on the document supports that goal. It will keep you focused and on track so you can really share your value with a prospective employer.

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Tags: generic resumes