Posted By Amanda Collins on September 29, 2010

There’s no question about it: social media is here to stay and can have a significant impact on your job search. But, like anything else, there are some parameters you should consider.

Manage your online reputation.
Unless you’ve locked your accounts, they’re open for everyone to see. You can leave the accounts open for public viewing, but be sure to remove anything—and I mean anything—that could be misconstrued. Otherwise, go to the privacy settings and be sure that everything is set for friends only.

Build a network.
Connecting with your friends is fun, but expand your horizons to companies and people who can help your cause. While Facebook might be just for friends, Twitter and LinkedIn are where companies can post jobs and look for candidates. Start targeting the right places so you’ll know what’s new and you’ll have a better chance of creating results through social media.

Continue to learn.
You may feel like you know everything there is to know about social media, but it’s an evolving system and there’s always more to learn. Continue to take classes and get advice from experts on how to best leverage your connections and maximize social media.

Remember the old-school methods.
Sure, social media is a fantastic tool to find a new job, but don’t let it be the only one you employ. You should still be using networking, classified ads, and other old-fashioned methods to look for positions. Statistically, nearly 70% of jobs are unlisted, so however you can make yourself known will make a difference.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 27, 2010

If your résumé is doing its job, and you’re using it in conjunction with social media and networking activities, the likelihood is that you’ll be offered a few interviewing opportunities. If you find that you get a lot of interviews but no offers, there might be something going awry in the one-on-one. Perhaps you’ve forgotten to apply to basic principles of manners once you enter the interview room. Here are some areas you might want to brush up on before you’re called for your next opportunity.

Arrive early.
First impressions count. If you are strolling in 5-10 minutes following your scheduled interview time, it definitely doesn’t leave a good impression. If the company has stacked appointments, it may also cost you your slotted time—and the job. Plan to arrive about 10 minutes early, and be sure to bring along a list of references, a copy of your résumé on good-quality paper, and your smart phone for any information you might need for employment applications.

Show interest.
An interview is a test of who you are as a person. If you don’t appear engaged in the process by having good eye contact and asking questions, it may come across as a lack of interest. According to some statistics, communication is 38% tone, 55% visual cues, and only 7% words. So be sure that what you say matters but what you do and how you say it are just as relevant.

Listen.
I can’t tell you how many times when I was growing up that my mother used to get on me because I was thinking about what I was going to say next in the conversation rather than listening to what the other person was saying. In an interview, listening can be even more challenging because the situation is often nerve-wracking and can cause you to second-guess what the next question will be.

Say thank you.
It seems like such a simple suggestion, but so many people forget to “close” the interview. In addition to saying thank you as you’re leaving the interview room, be sure to follow up with a note. I suggest a handwritten card because it makes a huge difference.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 10, 2010

When it comes to résumés, one size does not fit all. Sure, any résumé writer (myself included) can give you general hints and strategies, but they apply to the masses, not to each person. As any woman can attest, if a garment says “one size fits all,” it likely is too big in some places and too small in others. You need to get the right size to look fantastic.

That’s where your strategy and goals come into play. Do you know what you want to be when you grow up (or at least for the next year)? I so often see clients who want to leave their industry because it’s dead. Or they’re looking for a more junior position because they have to start over at a new company. The worst-case scenario is the person who says, “I’ll take anything!”

But the truth of the matter is that you have to be specific in your job search. Even if you have 10 different goals, that’s much better than not having one. There is a strategy behind a well-crafted résumé, and I cannot write that golden document without a career goal. Just today, I had a client in my office with more than a decade of experience in constructions who is considering being a product representative. But I could tell there was no passion behind his drive. He expected I would just be able to write something up based on what he did in the past, but a good writer always looks to the future.

If you’re not sure what you want to be in the next phase of your life, look at available positions, do some informational interviews, and get that research in (read a past blog on how to do that). You may also consider hiring a career coach / counselor to help give you a road map moving forward. Believe me, you’ll be a lot more focused and have a better chance of finding that perfect fit.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 9, 2010

So your resume is working for you and you’re getting interviews. But what if you’re still unemployed? As I tell people, if you’re not getting interviews, look at your resume; if you are getting interviews, look at how you interview.

According to Karalyn Brown, an Australian resume writer and career consultant, there are likely five reasons you’re not getting the job following an interview.

1. There are too many people in the interview process.
If 20 people show up for a day of interviews, it will be challenging to stand out (in a good, positive way). Make sure you are professional and maybe share something unique about yourself. Definitely follow up immediately with a thank-you card.

2. The position has been withdrawn.
Sometimes, there is an internal candidate who is chosen. Or maybe they chose someone from the first string of interviews and you’re in the second string. For whatever the reason, this happens and there’s not much you can do about it.

3. You may threaten or intimidate the interviewer.
If the interviewer feels you’re bucking for his/her position, it stands to reason you won’t be wanted. It’s a hard line to ride to be assertive but not overbearing.

4. There is no job.
It may seem ridiculous, but sometimes there isn’t a position available. Most often, that will happen with recruiters who are screening you in the hopes of securing a client—and then it falls through.

5. You don’t interview well.
The issue here is how will you know? Unless you’re keenly aware of your strengths and weaknesses, you’ll not notice how well or poorly you interviewed. It may be beneficial to engage an interview coach if you have this situation arise often. At least you’ll get some constructive, unbiased feedback to improve.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 7, 2010

If it’s been a few years since you wrote a resume, you probably think it’s merely a compilation of everything you’ve done before, leading you to where you are now. But, in truth, each resume should have behind it a clear strategy based on where you want to go, not where you’ve been. This is where a lot of people miss the target. They write from the past instead of writing to the future.

The first question you need to ask yourself is, “What position do I want?” Even if you know the industry and level, you’re a step ahead. Once you define what you want to do, you can start building the resume around that, focusing your title, summary, keywords, and accomplishments. You should always keep your goal in mind as you’re creating the resume; it will help you remain focused.

This, of course, may mean that you’ll need more than one version of your resume. If you’re merely changing titles within the same industry, you’ll likely only need to tweak the top third of the document: title, summary, and keywords. That will be a quick fix.

Remember that a resume is a career-marketing document. You are the widget you need to sell. You wouldn’t buy a brown-paper-wrapped box if you didn’t know what it did, would you? So don’t expect an employer to be interested in you if you don’t explain how you can help them.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 4, 2010

When working with resume clients, I always finish with the same question:

Imagine that you are in a second interview for the job you’re targeting. The interviewer(s) says, “Joe, we’re obviously interested in you for this position, but we’re still looking at a few candidates. We want to ensure we’re hiring the best person for the job, so tell me/us why you’re the best and why we should hire you.” What would you say?

I typically get a few responses to this question: something spot on, something about how they’re nice and a team player, or a deer-in-headlights look. I ask the question for three reasons:
1. Interviewers are asking this question.
2. It’s part of what I use in the summary section of the resume.
3. It can become a coachable moment.

Since I like formulas, here’s a great one for answering this question. It has three parts:

1. Sum up your career experience.
Talk about your depth of experience and how your career progression has led you here. If you’re new to the work world, focus on education and preparation. “I have been in this industry since college, working my way up with small firms as well as major players.”

2. Throw in an accomplishment.
Share a way you added value in a past situation. If you’ve already covered it in the interview, just remind them. “At my last position, I effectively increased sales 25% in just six months by streamlining processes and creating an employee accountability system.”

3. Bring it back to them.
Ultimately, the interviewer wants to know how you can help their company. Tie up your package with a bow: “I heard you say you’re looking for someone who can produce results and advance your efforts. I’ve done that throughout my career, and I’m eager to do that for your company as well.”

Simple tactics; great results!

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 4, 2010

In the current economic conditions, résumé writers have been sprouting up all over the Internet. Some promise a 24-hour turnaround, some will provide a reworking of your current document for $99, and many will never speak to you at all. Some of the larger job-search sites offer résumé-writing services, but many of their writers are overseas and making a pittance. Their concern is to churn out a high number of résumés to get paid, instead of being focused on your needs.

A professional résumé writer should be able to meet you where you are, provide support and guidance, and deliver a flawless document that helps you garner results. Your writer is a strategic partner in your job search, assisting you in creating a targeted document based on your strengths and value proposition. There are a number of credentialing services for résumé writers, but don’t base your choice purely on the letters after your writer’s name! Unfortunately, a certification does not always equal quality or ability.

Have a conversation with a few writers to determine if there is a fit. This is an intimate relationship you’re developing and personalities matter. What kinds of résumés has the firm produced? What results have they received from their clients? Are they partnering with other firms or executive recruiters?

These kinds of questions and a bit of upfront research will help you find a real fit that generates results for your job search.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 4, 2010

I can’t tell you how many times clients have come to me asking for a “general” resume. When I started this game nearly 15 years ago, that’s pretty much all there was: you listed your career history in bullet form on one page and hoped the reader figured out where you best fit. Now, however, it’s a totally different situation.

Your resume truly is a marketing document, and it needs to be tailored to the position you want. Now, employers are wading through hundreds of resumes for each position, so they don’t have time to ascertain what you want to be when you grow up and then try to figure out if you fit with what they want. Truly, they’re looking for reasons to exclude resumes rather than include them.

So what’s the answer? If you’re looking at a few different opportunities, create different resumes. If they’re within the same industry, about 95% of the documents can stay the same; you’ll just change the title, summary, and keywords. If they’re vastly different focus areas, though, you’ll need a few different approaches.

Remember the adage, “You have to be specific to be terrific.” It’s definitely the best approach in a competitive job market, and it will land you more opportunities than having a one-size-fits-all resume. We women know those never fit right anyway.

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