hr

Think Before You Selfie

Let’s face it – there are a million things to consider when you are on the job hunt. One of the most commonly overlooked considerations is your personal brand. We know that over 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates. LinkedIn is one social media account that is great for networking, staying in touch with current and past counterparts and getting those recommendations. It is also a great job search aide – allowing employers to find you.

I have said it before, but it bears repeating. Take the time to clean up your social media accounts and beef up your LinkedIn profile. Ideally you aren’t posting rants or other items in poor taste… Keeping an eye toward your personal brand, make sure your LinkedIn profile picture is professional – if not taken by one. First impressions matter. Make sure you are setting a positive and inviting tone. The goal is, after all, being invited to interview!

Don’t have a LinkedIn account? It’s time! Use it as an excuse to re-connect with past bosses and coworkers. Many of my clients thank me for pushing them to do this, being pleasantly surprised by the responses they receive. Plus, you never know when a connection could result in a job offer.

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Salary & Negotiation

salary pic

First, let me begin by stating openly and emphatically that I am not a career coach. What I share with you today comes from my experience and the experiences my clients have been wonderful enough to share with me. Disclaimer. Check.

When it comes to salary and negotiating yours for a new position, remember not to settle. Once more I am going to ask you to do your research. Look at the salary range for the position on Glassdoor or Google Jobs. Think about your worth and the skills you bring to your potential employers’ table. Consider what your bills and living expenses are. These factors give you a good idea of what you need to ask for salary-wise – and what your walk-away point is.

A word of caution. Although the job market has come back full-force, employers have continued to use some of the tight-market tactics with candidates. Things to watch out for and, in my mind, walk away from, are; offering the base salary, offering the base salary with promises of increases and no plans/steps to see them materialize and agreeing to the mid to high-end of the salary range with the responsibility of supervising 10 extra people and 4 additional territories. You may think this sounds crazy and wonder who would go for it, but it happens more often than you think. And it happens to some pretty talented and sharp candidates.

While these are extreme cases and there are examples of employers behaving badly that run the gamut, I believe most organizations and corporations truly mean well. You need to remember that their ultimate responsibility is to protect their bottom line. Your responsibility is to provide for your family, and, hopefully have some work/life balance. There are many mutually beneficial employer/employee relationships to be had. If you are dealing with a situation or potential employer where the benefits seem to be all one-sided, it may be time to walk away.

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Keywords Versus Power Words. Which One Wins?

All my clients are super sharp people. Without exception, each one is highly trained, skilled and has a multitude of excellent achievements to their credit. You can be an intelligent person and still get tripped up by keywords. In fact, most of my clients are on the right track when they come to me – meaning that their resume has a good portion of quality content and, what I like to refer to as, power words.

Power words and industry phraseology are important on a resume. A hiring manager must believe you know the industry or role you are submitting your resume for, after all. It is important not to mistake power words for keywords. Keywords, like the hiring and resume industry, are constantly changing. Therefore, each new resume requires complete, fresh, industry and position-specific keyword research.

Keywords need to be included throughout your resume and cover letter. Keywords specific to your target position / industry are populated in the applicant tracking system (ATS). If you do not have the right mix of keywords in your resume, ATS filters you out and your resume is not seen by a human being. Similarly, if your format and content aren’t visually engaging when your resume makes it through ATS, the hiring manager will not add your resume to the stack for interview.

Without keywords, you don’t stand a chance. No chance of your resume being seen. No chance of be invited to interview. No chance at landing the job. Keywords win.

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I had My Resume Professionally Written 2-Years Ago. Would You Critique It for Me?

First, let me say that I do not even like my own work from 2-years ago! Second, resume and hiring trends are constantly changing and evolving. For this reason, I do not charge for, nor do I offer, reviews or to critique resumes. In all the years I have been writing resumes, there has never been a client that I have not had to do a total re-write and / or re-format of their resume. Not once.

There has only ever been a singular time that I felt I could not help a client. In his case, he had no relevant experience for the industry he wanted to transition to – and I can always find ways translate experience so that it lends itself well to the target position – even when switching industries. While there is a trick to resume writing, I never suggest false information on a resume. Not only does this devalue what you have to offer, it always comes out – and usually in the interview. That’s embarrassing for everyone. So, I had to turn that gentleman away. An experience I hope I never have to repeat.

The thing about my service is, while I don’t offer critiques, I am completely upfront. I charge you one fee, which includes my total service; resume, cover letter and interview. Many companies charge a separate fee for the critique, resume, cover letter and a fat fee if you want to actually speak to a human being. Many companies charge far more than I do. And the money is well-earned, I assure you.

My business model has always been a simple one. Serve people well, at an affordable price. This model has, in turn, served me well, as my clients continue to bless me with referrals and support. I know I could raise my fees and charge needless critique fees in addition to separate service fees for every product I provide my clients with. While it would be nice to make more money, I feel it is more important to serve my clients well and share my talents in an affordable way. No critiques. Just straightforward, quality service.

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Sites to Research Your Next Employer

Let’s talk about your next employer for a minute. What is the company culture? Are their values in line with your own? How do they treat their employees? What need do they have that you can fill? While 2019 is definitely shaping up to be the year of the candidate, after years of employees staying in a situation they were unhappy with, the job market is fierce.

As I have said on many occasions, it has never been more important to do your homework. Make sure you have done your research. Know the employer, the salary you want, and they are willing to pay, and how they do business. Employers are looking for anything they can use to eliminate a candidate from the hundreds submitting resumes. They want you to invest the time to understand them and their business needs. The internet and their website make this simple.

Quick side-note:  Another trend we are seeing is employers wanting you to find them directly, not through a search application, although many still post their open positions with job search apps. Whenever you can, apply directly on the company site.

To help you along with your research, below I share a few resources for learning more about your next employer (and, handy as they are, can be used to find your next employer/position):

Glassdoor

Indeed

LinkedIn

CareerBliss

Twitter

Facebook

Google

Fairygodboss

Whether this is new information or a valuable reminder, be sure not to overlook the details in any step of the hiring / job search process.

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I Live in A Different State. Can You Still Write My Resume?

You bet I can! I write for clients across the country – and have completed several international resumes and CVs. Resume writing, like many roles, has become a virtual gig. Sure, I still have those clients that prefer to meet face-to-face. While I deeply enjoy getting to know a person’s story, we live in a world where that can be done quite well through email and by phone.

The upside to our culture of expediency, is that a resume writer can remain accessible to you while you are able to go about your busy life. I find that the most important aspect of any client project is the “resume interview.” This is where I ask questions that I have developed from the initial information you provide me with (i.e. your last resume or timeline of experience), to dig into your achievements and pull out what I like to refer to as “golden nuggets” from your career. This is critically important because our culture is also one of humbleness – and the resume, and subsequent interview phase of the hiring process, require you to be the opposite of humble.

Location, in resume writing, is a non-factor. What is important to me as your resume writer? That you have reliable access to the internet, an active email account and that you have a working phone line (are willing to carve out one to one-and-a-half hours of your time for the “resume interview”). It goes without saying that you want an experienced resume writer that conducts in-depth keyword research and fresh formatting for each client. Beyond that, don’t let location stop you from using the resume writer you prefer.

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The Top Job Search Apps for You

In follow up to all these posts about the big obstacles to getting hired, I thought I would share some helpful apps to aid you in your search for your next career. According to http://cio.com, here are the top job search apps:

Glassdoor

Good & Company

Switch

Indeed

Monster

ZipRecruiter

LinkedIn

SnagaJob

Personally, I am happy to see LinkedIn made the list. I heard rumblings that it was trending out but have always found it to be a useful tool. On that note, be sure you are using LinkedIn to its fullest. Connect to counterparts, current and past. Be sure to request recommendations from your teammates, direct reports and previous supervisors. As you request recommendations, remember to jog their memory with a note about a successful project you worked on together, the time you led the team in results or the goal you exceeded, etc.

Hopefully you are already using these tools to your benefit or there are one or two new resources for you to get familiar with in this list. Either way, happy hunting.

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What is the Biggest Obstacle to Getting Hired? – Part 1

In my experience,the answer to this question is twofold – so be sure to tune in for Part 2! For now, the obstacle I want you to consider in your career search is… you. There have been many times my clients have come back to me and shared stories of how the interview got the better of them. It could be going into the interview unprepared and/or not researching the company, but, in most cases, it’s a lack of confidence that I see holding those few candidates back.

Regardless of why you are looking for a new career, if you made it through ATS to the interview,your resume is doing its job. Now, its your turn. So, shake off that layoff, those doubts about your skill set aligning perfectly with the job posting or feelings of inferiority because you have been managing your household and every fundraiser at your kids’ school for the last several years. Sing that rock ballad that makes you feel like the rock star you are and nail that interview.

 If you have been invited to interview, you have already beat out hundreds of candidates to be the average 1 in 5 interviewees, per job. Your achievements, consistent track record of exceeding expectations and repeated successes have already impressed the hiring manager and laid a strong foundation for you to build on in your interview with the organization. Know what the company is about, be confident in how you fit in and let that shine through in your interview.

Not getting interviews? Then your resume isn’t doing its job. Take a hard look at your resume to see if it is visually interesting, makes you stand out and accurately reflects what you have achieved in your career. Does your resume help you outshine your competition? If not, it’s time for re-write. Or, to just give me call.

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Beginning Your Job Search This Weekend?

If you are one of the 40% or so of candidates looking to make a career change now that the jobs market has made it’s come-back, there are several things to consider before you get started.

  1. Have you updated your resume (to current standards)?
  2. Have you populated keywords for your target role/industry throughout your resume and cover letter?
  3. Have you researched your target company in preparation for the interview phase and tailored your cover letter accordingly?

To further help you along, here is a helpful article from CareerFAQs regarding some of the skills the majority of employers are looking for in potential candidates. As a final step in your preparation for your career search, you will want to be sure to demonstrate these skills throughout the body of your resume:  https://www.careerfaqs.com.au/news/news-and-views/the-10-skills-you-ll-need-by-2020-and-beyond .

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