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#CareerAdvice : #ResumeWriting – 13 Must-Have Words to Include In Your #Resume …

September 4, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

We’ve all read about what not to include in a resume. After all, one of Glassdoor’s most popular articles “21 Words to Never Include In Your Resume”is bookmarked even by our staffers who want to gut-check before making resume faux pas. However, it’s time to talk about what works should be included in your resume.

Diction or word choice is important when it comes to drafting your resume, not just to ensure that your resume is reviewed positively by software, but also because you want to wow recruiters with your skills, competencies and relevant credentials.

“The words used show what level the candidates is at in their career,” says Susan Joyce, owner and operator of Job-Hunt.org, the guide for a smarter, safer job search. “If I picked up a resume for a C-suite candidate who chose vague descriptives, they would immediately be discredited. Some might think a candidate’s experience outweighs the actual text of a resume, but this is often not the case. If a hiring manager doesn’t see key indicators a candidate is qualified by appropriate word choice or diction at first glance, chances are, the resume will be eliminated before they are even considered.”

To help land your resume at the top of the pile, we tapped an expert panel of career coaches, resume writers and experts to ask, “What are the words you like to see on resumes?” Here’s what they had to say. Bookmark this article ASAP!

1. Numbers

“If you want to show that you’re results oriented and hard working, share the numbers. As they say, the proof is in the pudding,” says job coach Angela Copeland. “For example, rather than stating that you’re an “excellent digital marketer,” prove it. Say something that reflects your actual results, such as, ‘Grew online sales and revenue by 200% in one year.’ Now, that’s impressive!”

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2. “Redesigned”

For life & career coach Jenn DeWall, action verbs are a must on any resume. But not just any action verbs. She advises clients to include verbs that show leadership and transformation. “‘Redesign’ demonstrates problem-solving skills as well as the ability to think big picture and reduce process inefficiencies.”

3. “Launched”

If cliches are a no-no, simple yet powerful words are your go-tos, according to Glassdoor columnist Anish Majumdar. “Simple, practical words that denote responsibility have the most impact. Launched, solved, transformed, and optimized are all examples of action verbs that make you look good without resorting to cliches.”

4. “Modernized”

According to master resume writer Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, this word along with “conceived and metamorphosed” are, “like a switch, powering up the candidate’s story, showing how they’ve improved, envisioned and transformed their work environments, and therefore, gained revenue, customer growth, reputation, etc. traction for their company. They empower and advance the candidate’s story!”

5. “Value” or “Valuable”

“These words show that the candidate is thinking about their own activities in terms of how they’ll improve the business,” says expert and author of Fearless Salary Negotiation Josh Doody. “Terms like ‘hard-working’ don’t do this because working hard doesn’t necessarily produce better results. But focusing on being productive, adding value, and making progress show that the person is tuned in to improving the company, which almost always resonates with hiring managers.”

6. “Orchestrated”

“Anyone can say they “led” a team. Instead, use verbs that really explain what happened in that specific task,” insists Joyce. “Consider the verb ‘orchestrated’ and how it shows, versus just telling, the hiring manager what was accomplished. Orchestrated, by definition, means to arrange and direct. The key is to make a resume better than any great piece of fiction by embracing the storytelling aspect and showing readers your true qualifications.”

7. Get specific

If “results-oriented” and “hardworking,” are overused and lame, Joyce says instead of looking for the 2017 buzzword, job seekers are better off being specific in their resume. “It is really more about choosing words that accurately describe actions or goals that were met. In lieu of hard-working, consider saying what hard work was done, e.g. did a candidate work tirelessly to reach an impossible deadline? It is important to use verbs that really pinpoint what was accomplished, i.e. influenced, improved, achieved, etc. This way, there is no miscommunication about a candidate’s qualifications.”

8. “Create, lead, managed”

“I like to look for candidates who have had a role in shaping something from idea all the way through execution,” says executive coach Kate O’Sullivan. “One of the main qualities I look for is someone who can take a vague idea or strategic goal and see it through to completion, rather than someone who executes on a plan that’s already been decided. Using these key words will definitely signal that you’ve had a role in this higher level thinking, and will grab the attention of most hiring managers.”

9. Provide examples

“In general, it’s very hard to convince a resume reader that you possess various soft skills, e.g. team player, just by listing these on your resume,” says O’Sullivan. “If you put yourself in their shoes for a minute you will understand why. Most job seekers want to be desirable and so they list these in-demand skills. But just listing the skill doesn’t do any thing to set you apart from the crowd. The most powerful thing you can do is give examples. If you want to show that you are a team player, you can talk about things like working on cross-functional teams, on boarding new hires, or developing a cross-training program. By listing concrete accomplishments and projects, you are demonstrating you have these skills in a credible and believable way that will help set you apart.”

10. Be skimmable

Doody insists that a resume should be impactful while still skimmable, or able to easily be skimmed by recruiters and hiring managers. “I coach my clients to assume the hiring manager won’t even look at their resume until they’re already in the process of interviewing them,” says Doody candidly. “Hiring managers don’t sit down the day before an interview, pour a glass of wine, and meticulously read through each resume they’re considering. Instead, they scramble to make it to the interview on time, open up the resume as the interview is starting, and skim it to find things to talk about.”

11. “Spearheaded”

According to Copeland, a resume —and the job search, in general— is not the time to be shy. “Use strong words that emphasize your level of involvement. This isn’t the time to minimize yourself or your contributions. If you were instrumental in a project, replace the word “helped” with the word “spearheaded.” Spearheaded, created, and initiated all show that you took the lead and were not merely a participant in a project.

12. “Committed”

Show that you’re dedicated to your work, start to finish. This word, says DeWall, does just that. “If you disregard diction and word choice and think that they don’t carry any weight you’re wrong. Managers can gauge aptitude, readiness and even your leadership skills from paper,” she adds.

13. Edit expertly

Reading and re-reading your resume is just the beginning of the editing process. Don’t believe us? Each of our experts weighed in on the importance of editing a resume. Here are a few of their insights:

“Word choice is incredibly important. You only have a limited amount of real estate on your resume, so every single word counts,” says O’Sullivan. “Focus on achievements, quantify where possible, and make an effort to tailor your experiences to your target job. It’s more effective to talk about fewer projects and responsibilities more in-depth than to list every single thing you’ve ever done. Along these lines, concentrate on your most recent experience. Edit with the mindset of “does this piece of information directly help sell my experience for this role? If not, take it off.”

“The easiest way to improve your choice of words is to read your resume out loud to yourself,” advises Copeland. “This can catch many of the potential issues before anyone else sees it. Then, ask a friend or family member who works in another industry to read it. If they find your resume to be confusing, consider updating the wording, so that it’s more clear.”

“It’s not just about using the right words, it is equally about teasing out the nuances of your stories and then combining them in a way that is attractive to your target reader: recruiter, hiring manager, etc,” says Barrett-Poindexter. “You can use all the right ‘nouns and verbs’ that make a resume sing (on the surface), but without the right, focused stories, your resume will fall flat to the intended reader’s eyes and ears.”

“In addition to diction and word choice it’s important to be strategic and concise. No one has time or energy to invest in a multi-page resume,” insists DeWall. “Make sure that you’re highlighting the most relevant and topical experience necessary for the position.”

GlassDoor.com | September 3, 2018 | Posted by Amy Elisa Jackson

#Leadership : #CareerAdvice – Undermined at the Office? How Women Can Cope With Mistreatment From Female Colleagues…Mistreatment can Range from Humiliating Put-Downs to Intentional Sabotage, Experts say.

September 1, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Do some women undermine other women? It is one of the trickiest workplace issues.

Managerial women often hesitate to speak openly about female colleagues undercutting each other—and not just because doing so seems to reinforce a negative stereotype. Even those who have clashed with female colleagues say broader gender bias in pay and promotions pose bigger career obstacles. And such undermining appears less common than it used to be as more women reach higher management and actively mentor less experienced women.

Nevertheless, run-ins with undermining women at work can still happen, career advisers and recruiters say, and there are ways of coping. Among them: Find allies in the office who support you, says Gail R. Meneley, co-founder of Shields Meneley Partners, a career-transition firm for top executives.

“You must forge close enough ties that those allies can judge you and your work themselves,” she said.

Women who undermine other women sometimes do so when they feel precarious about their own position and view the other woman as a competitive threat, experts say. This attitude can stem from the belief that there are limited avenues for women to advance in an organization. In other instances, women who may be perceived as undermining could actually be trying to help by doling out the same tough advice given to them earlier in their career.

Mistreatment can range from humiliating put-downs to intentional sabotage, and targeted women tend to be outspoken and are often chided for making their voices heard, career advisers and university researchers say.

Leadership coach Perry Yeatman advises the female chief executive officer of a family-owned consulting firm whose board chairwoman belittles her in front of her management team, Ms. Yeatman said.

“My client’s boss makes her feel like she’s underperforming, and so she wonders if she really is as good as she believed and her results indicate,” Ms. Yeatman said. “Women shouldn’t tolerate bad behavior just because it comes from another woman.”

Workplaces, of course, abound with examples of supportive women helping other women succeed. Mary Barra became the first woman to head a major car company in 2014 when she was named chief executive at General Motors Co. Ms. Barra has several female executives reporting to her and is expanding that pool. Dhivya Suryadevara, GM’s vice president of corporate finance, will advance to chief financial officer next month.

There remains little agreement on the extent of the problem of women undermining other women, but recent research sheds some light on such misbehavior. Women are 14% to 21% more likely than men to report experiencing uncivil treatment from female co-workers, according to a study led by Allison S. Gabriel, an associate professor at University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management.

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The study, which reflects three surveys covering 1,340 male and female employees in the U.S. in a variety of occupations and industries, defined incivility as being ignored, interrupted, mocked or treated disrespectfully. It found that women mistreated by female counterparts reported lower job satisfaction.

“We are the first to help clarify that it [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][incivility] seems to be more of an experience women are experiencing from other women than from men,” Ms. Gabriel said.

Most women at a 2016 program on female rivalry hosted by the National Association for Female Executives reported that other women had undermined them, yet only a handful admitted to acting that way themselves, said Betty Spence, president of NAFE.

“Women don’t see themselves as undermining other women,” she said.

For some women who feel undermined, the only recourse is to change jobs. Kerry Jordan, a financial-services industry veteran, said a female executive she reported to in a past position repeatedly undermined her, including criticizing her public-speaking skills to their colleagues behind her back. When the female supervisor nixed Ms. Jordan’s request to accept an outside directorship on a board, she left the company.

Rayona Sharpnack, an organizational consultant, said she counseled a vice president at a Fortune 500 health-care company who told the consultant that another female VP stole customers and territory from her.

Ms. Sharpnack persuaded her client to signal the other woman’s importance by occasionally praising her competitive prowess during meetings. The complimented vice president subsequently approached her colleague and “created a couple of things that they could collaborate on,” Ms. Sharpnack said.

Such moves don’t always work. An executive recruiter tried—and failed—to mend a strained relationship through respectful chats after placing a longtime friend in the highest human-resources job at an East Coast hedge fund. The friend soon turned on her, lambasting the recruiter’s judgment and fees in front of the fund’s CEO.

“I was being betrayed and undermined by the very person I had introduced to the firm,” the recruiter said. During one face-to-face encounter about her mistreatment, the recruiter said the HR chief blamed work-related stress and said, “Don’t take it personally.’’

A New York lawyer at an Asian bank curbed her female mentor’s unsupportive behavior by divulging less. In 2013, the lawyer told her mentor that she planned to take advantage of their company’s policy and work from home one day a week once she returned from maternity leave. Her mentor cautioned that “you really are giving up your career plans,” she said, and mocked the altered schedule, joking sarcastically that she’d “love to work in my pajamas once in a while.”

The lawyer stopped discussing her personal life with the executive. “I don’t want to share things that can be used against me,” she said.

Despite her mentor’s dire prediction, the attorney advanced to director from vice president the year after her maternity leave ended.

—Ms. Lublin, former management news editor at The Wall Street Journal, is the author of “Earning It: Hard-Won Lessons from Trailblazing Women at the Top of the Business World.” (HarperCollins).

Write to the author Joann S. Lublin at joann.lublin@wsj.com

WSJ.com | August 22, 2018

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#CareerAdvice : 5 Steps to Become a #Manager …What are Some Other Steps #Professionals can Take toward Becoming a #Manager ? Share your Thoughts!

August 31, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Many people reach a point in their careers when they decide they’d like more responsibility. Becoming a manager can be an excellent way for professionals to advance their career development and even earn more money.

Managers are responsible for coordinating and overseeing many company projects and everyday tasks. That makes their position a unique one within the company – one that holds particular importance for maintaining business success. But becoming a manager isn’t always easy, you’ll often find yourself competing against other qualified candidates and co-workers to snag the position.

Here are five steps to take toward becoming a manager in your company:

1. Let your aspirations be known.

If you aspire to become a manager, don’t stay quiet about it! While you don’t have to border on obnoxiousness, it’s still important to let the right people know you’re thinking about taking the next step so they can help you get where you want to be. Let your current manager or boss know you aspire for more, and work with them to develop the skills you need to eventually make the transition.

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2. Become a mentor.

Ask your manager or boss if opportunities exist for you to become a mentor, or join a professional organization in your industry that will set you up with a mentee. This can be an excellent way to show you have the expertise to work closely with others and develop solid interpersonal relations – a must in any managerial position. Or, consider taking on a mentor yourself – someone who has more experience than you can help you to prepare for more responsibilities.

3. Strengthen your skills.

As a manager, you’ll experience less leisure time, more authority, more leading, and tons of other new requirements. For this reason, it’s important to strengthen your skills to ensure you’re prepared to step up to the plate. Actively assess the skills you already have, and talk to those already in managerial positions to determine what skills you need to acquire. Do your research, stay up to date on industry trends, and seize any opportunity to strengthen your abilities.

4. Show your worth.

It’s important to put your ambition into action. If you feel as though you need to show your boss how valuable you are before you can have a chance at landing a higher position, consider setting up a meeting and prepare a presentation that highlights your accomplishments and commitments to the company thus far. Provide concrete numbers to describe your accomplishments (“increased client leads by 40 percent,” or “managed accounts of advertisers contributing to a total budget of $200,000”) to make your arguments irrefutable.

5. Ask for feedback.

Ask your higher-ups and coworkers to assess your performance so far. Do you do a good job of responding to conflict? Do you react well to stressful situations? Are you able to lead a group without trying to take too much control–or too little? Glean feedback from your coworkers or managers to determine where your strengths are and where you need to improve. Not only will this show you’re open to feedback and continual improvement, but it will show you value the opinion of individual group members, something that any manager should commit to.

Becoming a manager can be an excellent way to advance your career and prepare you for further professional opportunities. As 2012 comes to a close, make a commitment to taking these steps next year to increase your chances of landing a higher role in your company. Good luck!

What are some other steps professionals can take toward becoming a manager? Share your thoughts below!

Glassdoor.com | August 31, 2018 | Posted by Heather Huhman

#CareerAdvice : #JobSearch – How to Find—and Make the Most of—a #Recruiter or #Headhunter …Headhunters are #Recruiters for Hire. Often they Work for an Outside Agency and are Hired by Companies (usually the Big Guys) to Find them #Talent ASAP. The Keyword here is “ASAP

August 30, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

You probably know someone who knows someone who landed a great gig by working with a recruiting agency or professional headhunter.

Maybe you’ve picked up the phone to a recruIter’s call for a reference on one of your former employees or coworkers. Maybe you’ve considered applying to a job listing through a recruiting agency. But at the end of the day, do you actually know what a recruiting agency is, let alone how to best take advantage of one?

Honestly, we weren’t so sure either. It’s a complex and foreign world of negotiation, phone screens, and email blasts so it’s natural if you feel like avoiding recruiters entirely, but this is also your career on the line. We set out to find out exactly how to use (and make the most of) an all-too-often underutilized resource.

In This Article

WHAT IS A HEADHUNTER?

Headhunters are recruiters for hire. Often they work for an outside agency and are hired by companies (usually the big guys) to find them talent ASAP. The keyword here is “ASAP”—which is exactly why job searchers often have a negative impression of them. They get paid faster if they make a hire faster, which means they might drop in, ask for your resume, and then professionally ghost you if you’re not the right fit.

Still, there’s a benefit to talking to them. For you, working with a headhunter can be a great opportunity because they bring you positions, cutting down on your time spent job hunting. And if you’re ultimately hired for one, the company pays the recruiter’s fees, not you. These for-hire headhunters often also have access to positions that aren’t posted to the usual job boards, meaning you could beat out the competition early if you are the right person for the job.

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WHAT IS A RECRUITER (AND WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RECRUITERS AND HEADHUNTERS?)

Recruitment agencies—or individual recruiters—are essentially intermediaries between you and potential employers slash hiring managers.

Recruiters might work for a firm that’s hired by companies to help them fill open positions or (maybe more often) they might work in-house for a single company. Because of this, there are a few positive elements: they know the company better than a headhunter would, and they’re also interested in finding candidates who fit with the company culture—which they know well since they’re a part of it.

Still, for the sake of how thorough this article is, here are the three types you’ll most likely encounter:

Corporate Recruiters

These are in-house recruiters who are tasked with finding talent for the company where they work, and they’re everywhere. Facebook has a whole team of them. Our founder, Lauren McGoodwin, used to work as a corporate recruiter at Hulu. Some recruitment teams even have their own Instagram accounts.

Typically, these recruiters will contact you—often through your LinkedIn profile, so make sure it’s optimized—but you can also reach out directly to a recruiter about a specific position you find on a Careers page or to request an informational interview.

If you want to get deep into the corporate recruiting process, our friends at The Muse have some in-depth tips for working with one.

Contingency Recruiters

Okay, so this is a bit of trick. “Contingency recruiter” is another word for headhunter, i.e. an independent professional who doesn’t work for a specific company but is hired by various teams to find the best talent. They’re compensated only if and when they find a candidate to fill the role. Just make sure you pick the right agency to work with—but more on that later in our section, “How To Find The Right One.”

Freelance Recruiters

Less common than the other two, but worth considering if you’re trying to make a living by working for yourself. Freelance recruiters can put you in touch with clients who need contract work. This is especially common in the design and web development industries. In the interest of brevity, we won’t go too much into this type of recruiting, but here’s a great resource if you’re freelancing.

WHY (OR WHEN) SHOULD YOU USE A RECRUITER?

You’re Looking in a Specific Industry

There are some definite advantages to using a recruiter or agency, especially if you’re in certain industries. Many companies in the fashion and beauty industries work exclusively with recruiters to hire new talent. The same goes for many web design, development, and technology jobs.

You Don’t Have a Strong Personal Network (or Just Want to Better Your Odds)

Often, recruiters have contacts at the places you’re applying (or in the case of corporate recruiters, they’re actually working for the company already) so chances are they can bump your resume to the top of the pile if they like your style.

You Want to Leave It to the Experts

Consider this too: a recruiter’s blessed with the stellar ability to sell you. It’s their job. We’re not always our best representatives during a job search (consider any interview you ever botched, and you’ll see what we mean), but it’s in the recruiter’s best interest to get you the optimal gig, and they do it with great form and style.

You’re Moving to a Strange City or New Industry

Then there’s the advantage of someone knowing the environment and competition. While I bounced ideas for this article off a close friend, who works in fashion as a Creative Director, she pointed out that it was in her best interest to go through a recruiter when she decided to move from the East to West Coast. “I had no idea what companies were working out of Los Angeles beyond two or three big names, and I didn’t know many people in my industry working out here,” she explained, “but my recruiter gave me all sorts of insight about my options, in addition to setting up some interviews. Then I started combing through LinkedIn.”

Still not sure whether you need one? Watch this in-depth discussion with Lisa Hall, a partner at VonChurch Recruiting to determine whether a recruiter is a good option for you.

HOW TO FIND A RECRUITER OR HEADHUNTER FOR YOUR HIRING NEEDS

How to Contact a Recruiter

Sometimes you know exactly which company you want to work for (some of us are just meant to work at Github or Everlane, you know?). If you’re after the environment and work style more than the job title or salary, you’re probably primed for reaching out to a corporate recruiter who works in-house at your dream company. Consider optimizing your LinkedIn profile for, and reaching out to, a company’s recruiting team via a carefully crafted cold email or LinkedIn message. If you have a few companies in mind, reach out to each of their recruiters as you see fit.

How to Find a Headhunter

The good news is, they’re everywhere. If you’re at a point where you have no idea what you want to do exactly, but you know you’re ready for a change, try reaching out to a contingency agency in your field (or the field you’d like to enter). Chances are they’re aware of some positions you don’t even know exist yet—and those positions might be a perfect match for your background and goals.

You can start by doing some research just by searching terms like “Fashion recruiting in Los Angeles” or “marketing headhunters in Chicago” whatever it might be. Just keep your expectations in check—if you understand that it’s a bit of stretch for a headhunter to come through for you, you won’t be disappointed if it doesn’t pan out.

BONUS: HOW TO GET (AND KEEP) A RECRUITER’S ATTENTION

Corporate Recruiters

As we mentioned earlier, corporate recruiters tend to reach out to you and not the other way around, but here are a few ways to up your chances of grabbing their attention:

Optimize your LinkedIn profile. We can’t say this enough. We know it’s a headache to navigate the various LinkedIn settings and sections, but it’s also the social platform that recruiters use most often. Make sure you have a killer LinkedIn summary, that all your information is updated, that you’ve optimized your skills list for the roles your seeking (see next bullet), and that you’ve requested as many connections in your field as appropriately possible.

Include resume keywords you know recruiters love. The keywords you use are completely dependent on your industry, but you can glean some insight by studying job listings that interest you. Update the experience and skills sections on your resume to include terms that a recruiter might be seeking for a specific role. If you’re applying for more than one type of job in your industry, create multiple versions of your resume and tailoring them depending on need. And consider these other tips that one Facebook recruiter suggests when optimizing your resume.

Treat any phone call like an interview. When a recruiter does reach out via email or phone, take the process very seriously. Their screening call may mean the difference between never hearing from the company again and landing your ideal job. Even if you don’t fit the open position, a recruiter may go out of their way to find you a place at their company if they like your personality and experience. A friend in the art industry once interviewed with a recruiter for a position at a museum—but they ultimately offer the position to someone in-house. That same recruiter, though, called her in for three more interviews over the next four months until finally, they found her a position that suited her needs and theirs.

Contingency Recruiters

Ask as many questions of the recruiter as they ask of you. The goal is to find a good fit for your goals and industry, so make sure the recruiter you go with has your best interests in mind during the process by asking them detailed questions. You’re kind of like a rising actor picking the right agent.
Don’t be afraid to pick their brain. Just like my friend who asked her recruiter for details on companies in Los Angeles, remember that your agency is working for you as much as potential companies. Don’t be afraid to ask their advice or suggestions on companies that might be a good fit or how they think you can optimize your resume for their field.
Make sure you pick the right recruitment agency for your field. Often recruiting agencies are industry-specific and that’s a great thing. No one wants to go through a Walmart-esque staffing agency to find a job. Trust us, it won’t be good. If you’re unsure what the best recruiting agencies are in your industry try these three tricks:
1. Start by talking with people in your network. See if anyone has worked with recruiters in the past.
2. As you’re scanning job boards, take note of any positions that look industry that were posted by a particular agency. When you start to see patterns, that’s the agency for you.
3. You can also do a Google search and reach out for a screening interview at a firm that looks promising, then browse through their site listings to see if anything appeals to you before contacting them.

FINAL TIPS

Return a recruiter’s calls or emails promptly and please spell check. Even if you don’t think the job they’re pitching sounds like your style, take the time to answer. They’ll have other jobs to fill in the near future, and they’re working hard just like you.

Don’t exaggerate or lie. Recruiters are there to find the right person for the job. Eventually, there will be a right job for you. By being as honest a possible, you ensure you won’t end up in the wrong position and you won’t burn any bridges with the recruiter who you might need to use again in the future.

Include links to your web presence. Recruiters see a lot of resumes and cover letters. In fact, some of them even hate receiving cover letters because going through them is such a time suck. By including clear links to your web presence like your LinkedIn, portfolio, or even an Instagram account, you help recruiters easily access and see your working style, background, and talent in a more digestible way. Include links wherever applicable.

Careercontessa.com| August 24, 2018 | BY KIT WARCHOL

#CareerAdvice : #YourCareer -Passed over for a #Promotion ? Here’s How to Recover…Your First Reaction Might Be to Get your #Resume Ready, but Quitting isn’t Necessarily Best Option.

August 28, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Finding out you’ve been passed over for a promotion can come with a host of emotions, from anger to resentment to feeling unappreciated. Yes, it stings.

But while your first reaction to being passed over may be to fire off your resume and show your boss what they missed out on, doing so may mean you’ll miss out on an opportunity to use this setback to your advantage.

DEAL WITH YOUR EMOTIONS

Resist the urge to act right away and take some time to reflect and cool down. Jacinta Jimenez, psychologist and head of coaching at BetterUp, says giving your emotions space is the best way to ensure you don’t react in a way that can harm you down the road. “Taking a moment to sit with yourself, your feelings, your reactions can allow you to approach the situation from a much more centered place,” she says.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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GET OUT OF THE VICTIM MINDSET

It’s normal to feel disappointed, but staying in this place of feeling rejected can cause many unhelpful thoughts to enter your mind. You may start to wonder whether you’re good enough. After all, if your manager couldn’t see your value, maybe they are right and you aren’t deserving of the promotion. As you can see, this train of thought can lead to a bad place very quickly.

Get control over your mind by taking inventory of your thoughts and ask yourself if your they’re driven by an emotional reaction or whether they are based in fact. “When we’re feeling the sting of rejection, we aren’t always able to see things clearly,” says Jimenez. This is why it’s even more important to take some time to reflect and not react right away, giving yourself time to get out of this victim mind-set and move toward action.

ASK FOR FEEDBACK

Instead of feeding yourself stories about why you were passed over, the best approach to find out why you didn’t get the job is to be direct and ask for feedback, while being mindful to maintain your professionalism. Keep the feedback directed toward you, and not about the person who was hired for the position you desired. “Be careful not to say something like ‘why did you give someone else that promotion instead of me?,” says Jimenez.

Instead, simply convey your desire to grow within the company and request specific feedback about why you weren’t offered the position so you can set yourself up for future opportunities. “Ultimately, you want to know what your boss’s reasoning for the decision was, in terms that matter to you, not about why the other person who got the promotion was better than you,” says Jimenez.

SET UP THE FUTURE

Use the feedback you receive to prepare for the next opportunity. Ask whether there was something more you could have done in order to receive the promotion you were seeking? Take the opportunity to do those things, perhaps getting involved in special projects or taking a course to improve your skill set and set yourself up for the opportunity for a promotion down the line, whether at your current company or elsewhere.

GET CLARITY AND FOCUS ON YOUR WHY

Rather than viewing the situation as a setback, look at it as an opportunity to focus on your “why” and set future goals. Ask what it is that is driving you toward your desired outcome? What is your purpose and your values? Are the steps you’re taking in line with those things? “If you are growing and learning and living close to your values and purpose all along the way, any outcome you experience will, at least in some ways, feel more worthwhile–even if it is not your ideal outcome,” says Jimenez. Take this time to re-evaluate and perhaps adjust your goals if they are no longer in line with your deeper why.

FastCompany.com | August 28, 2018

#CareerAdvice : #CoverLetter -How to Write a Letter of Interest in 2018… You can Have a Great #Resume but IF you Can’t get the #Recruiter to Read it, you Have Nothing. That’s What a Great Cover Letter does.

August 27, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

It’s one of the worst feelings in the world.

You’ve spent weeks perfecting your resume and crafting the perfect cover letter, and you’re finally ready to submit your application for your dream job.

But when you scan the company’s careers page, panic starts pouring over you. The job you wanted to apply for is no longer open. It’s gone. And as you stare at your laptop screen in shock, you can’t help but think you’ll never be able to join your dream company.

What should you do in this situation? You can’t just put your job search on pause until the company opens the position again. How do you express interest in joining a company when the position you want isn’t currently available?

One of the most effective ways to grab a hiring manager’s attention and get your foot in the door is by writing a letter of interest to the company.

What Is a Letter of Interest?

A letter of interest lets a company know that you want to work for them in a role that they’re currently not hiring for. In hopes that the company will contact you when they do open this position or another relevant position, your letter of interest focuses on how your skill set and culture fit can benefit the company, not how the company can benefit you. You can send a letter of interest at any time, regardless of whether or not the company is actively hiring.

Sending a letter of interest is a great way to introduce yourself to a company, and it shows them you’re willing to take the initiative to proactively reach out. This can keep you top of mind when the company starts recruiting for the job you inquired about or if they have any upcoming job opportunities that could be a good fit. If you’re really impressive, some companies might even create a position just for you.

Other times, sending a letter of interest can lead to a coffee chat or an informational interview with the hiring manager of the team you want to work for.

Writing a letter of interest sounds like an easy way to get your foot in the door at any company, but it’ll only pique a hiring manager’s interest and elicit a response if it actually resonates with them.

To do so, we recommend following a formula called problem-agitate-solve. It’s modeled after an old copywriting framework and has helped one job seeker skyrocket her cover letter response rate from zero percent to 55 percent. We’ll flesh it out below.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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How to Write a Letter of Interest

To compel a hiring manager to read your letter, respond to it, and consider you for a job, there are four crucial elements you need to include in your letter of interest:

1. Hook the hiring manager with proof that you understand their problem.

Hiring managers don’t hire people just to be nice. They hire people to help them run their team better. To immediately grab a hiring manager’s attention, you should show how you understand the problems they’re trying to solve, like the hook below:

“As a two-year blogging veteran in the marketing technology industry at companies like Return Path and SlideBatch, I know how hard it is to write well. I also know how challenging it is to get found on Google.”

By describing a similar experience you’ve had at your current or prior job, you can relate to them on a deep level, which will engage and prompt them to read the rest of the letter.

The hardest part of this step is discovering the hiring manager’s problems. One way to figure it out is by listing off the job’s responsibilities and asking yourself why these tasks are important to their team. If you keep analyzing until you reach a dead end, you’ll usually find their needs there.

2. Agitate the problem to remind the hiring manager they need a solution.

How do you make a hiring manager realize how valuable a solution could be? You remind them just how painful them problems are. And to make them visualize their dreaded problem as vividly as possible, you need to be specific, just like the example below:

“According to HubSpot’s careers page, you’re not currently hiring, but, in the future, if you’re looking for someone who can not only engage an audience with clear, concise and compelling blog posts, but also optimize them for search engines, while hitting every deadline, you can count on me.”

When they realize how much pain they’re actually in, they’ll have more of a sense of urgency to resolve it. And this’ll push them to respond to you because you might be their fastest route to a solution.

3. Prove that you’re the solution with an example of your skills and experience.

If you’re really the solution to their problems, you must prove to the hiring manager how you’ve used your skills to solve similar paint points in previous experiences. Then, you should describe how you’ll be able to use those learnings to help solve their current problems. Check out the example below:

“Last year, at Return Path, I was the top performing blogger, writing weekly posts that averaged 7,500 views, 1,000 social shares and 35 new blog subscribers gained. The year before, at SlideBatch, I devised and implemented a new keyword strategy that increased organic page views for our Visual Marketing 101 blog series by 15 percent.

I’ve read HubSpot’s blog every day since I started my content marketing career, and I’m inbound, content and email marketing certified, so I strongly believe I’ll be able to hit the ground running if I were to work on HubSpot’s blog team one day.

Whether I’d be uncovering high opportunity keywords or crafting blog posts to support and develop your team’s new pillar cluster model, I’m confident my skills and experience can help your team crush their goals.”

By quantifying your accomplishments and researching the company’s pain points, you’re proving your worth. But if you just list your skills and work experience, you’re only proving to the hiring manager that you’ve failed to make an impact.

4. Confidently request to move on to the next step.

At the end of your letter, you should express your interest in exploring upcoming opportunities or ask them to keep you top of mind when an opportunity opens up, like the call-to-action below:

“I’d love to learn about any upcoming roles on your team or be considered for a position later down the road. My resume is attached, and my contact details are listed in my email signature below. Thank you for your time! It was a pleasure connecting.”

These call-to-actions are crucial because they tell them how to get the ball rolling. If you don’t tell the hiring manager what to do next, then nothing will happen.

Letter of Interest Example

All together, a successful letter of interest looks like this:

Hi Greta,

As a two-year blogging veteran in the marketing technology industry at Return Path and SlideBatch, I know how hard it is to write well. I also know how hard it is to find get found on Google.

According to HubSpot’s careers page, you’re currently not hiring, but, in the future, if you’re looking for someone who can not only engage an audience with clear, concise, and compelling blog posts, but also optimize them for search engines, while hitting every deadline, you can count on me.

Last year, at Return Path, I was the top performing blogger, writing weekly posts that averaged 7,500 views, 1,000 social shares and 35 new blog subscribers gained. The year before, at SlideBatch, I devised and implemented a new keyword strategy that increased organic page views for our Visual Marketing 101 blog series by 15 percent.

I’ve read HubSpot’s blog every day since I started my content marketing career, and I’m inbound, content and email marketing certified, so I strongly believe I’ll be able to hit the ground running if I were to work on HubSpot’s blog team one day.

I’d love to learn about any upcoming roles on your team or be considered for a role later down the road. My resume is attached, and my contact details are listed in my email signature below. Thank you for your time. It was a pleasure connecting!

Sincerely,

Clifford Chi

Letter of Interest Template

Hi [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Hiring Manager’s First Name],

As a [X]-year [Your Profession] veteran in the [Space You Work In] industry at [Most Prominent Companies You’ve Worked For], I know how hard it is to [Pain Point #1]. I also know how challenging it is to [Pain Point #2].

According to [Company] careers page, you’re currently not hiring, but, in the future, if you’re looking for someone who can not only [Solution for Pain Point #1], but also [Solution for Pain Point #2], you can count on me.

Last [Specific Timeframe], at [Current or Old Company], I was the best performing [Your Profession], [List Your Responsibilities and Describe the Impact You Made]. The [Specific Timeframe] before, at [Current or Old Company], I [List Your Responsibilities and Describe the Impact You Made].

[Show Hiring Manager that You’re a Voracious Learner and You Regularly Keep Up with Company News], so I strongly believe I’ll be able to hit the ground running if I were to work on [Company] team one day.

Whether I’d be [What the Team is Working on Now], I’m confident my skills and experience can help your team crush their goals.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Steps to Take Before You Send Your Letter of Interest

After you finish writing your letter of interest, you need to make sure the company will actually open it. So before you send your letter, it’d be ideal if someone on the team personally knows who you are.

To do so, ask your connections or alumni that work at the company to introduce you to the team’s hiring manager. If you can’t do that, you could add the hiring manager on LinkedIn, tell them why you want to connect and send them your letter of interest.

Getting your foot in the door will ultimately help you stand out from the crowd of job seekers who are all sending the same “hire me” pitch to them.

Glassdoor.com | August 22, 2018 | Posted by Clifford Chi, HubSpot

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#CareerAdvice – #JobSearch -The Best and Worst Times to #JobHunt by Season…..We Break it Down by Seasons so you Know What to Expect while Searching for That Next Key Position.

August 27, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

When you have long-term career goals, job-hunting is more than a matter of making a slightly higher salary or having a slightly shorter commute. It’s about finding the role that will help you grow, whether it’s taking on new responsibilities, learning and applying new skills, or entering entirely new fields.

With that in mind, job-hunting is an ongoing and potentially never-ending process. Still, some times of the year are generally better than others to get a new job. We break it down by seasons so you know what to expect while searching for that next key position:

Summer: Keep a Steady Pace

During the summer, hiring slows down, but that doesn’t mean you should. Sure, there won’t be as many opportunities, but there won’t be as much competition either. For career-focused individuals, summer may be that best time to job-hunt. So take some time in June, July, and August to work on your resume, build your network, and keep your stream of job applications from drying up.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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Fall: Pick Up the Pace

Come fall, most people have finished with vacation and business ramps up again. It’s also the time when many organizations take a good look at their financial performance and buckle down on budget planning for the next year. They’re making all kinds of decisions that lead to job openings – not only to replace workers who resign or retire, but to fill positions that haven’t existed before, that require specialized skills. The fall — September, October, November — is a prime job-hunting season, so make the most of it.

Winter: Slow Down If You Need To

Job-hunting in the winter is a mixed bag. If you’re job-hunting, there’s no perfect time (or reason) to stop looking, but if you’re going to take a break, this is probably the best time to do it. The surge of hiring activity in the fall drops off significantly during the holiday season, roughly December through the mid-January. On the other hand, the New Year is a time when lots of people resolve to find a new job. By the time February rolls around, workers are shuffling to new jobs, creating openings that organizations need to fill. Make sure you’re ready when that happens.

Spring: Ramp It Up Again

Comparable to the fall, spring coincides with organizations’ needs for new employees. Through March, April and May, companies are filling positions left open by workers who made good on their New Year’s resolution to take new jobs. They’re also trying to get positions filled before summer vacations start happening and hiring naturally slows down. If you took a break from job-hunting during the winter, now is the time to devote your restored energy to finding your next great opportunity.

All-Year-Round: Work with Revature

As a strategic partner to Fortune 500 companies, Revature places emerging talent in enterprise-level organizations all-year-round. If you’re interested in a long-term career in software development, programming, or information technology, we can help accelerate your path to success. Revature pays its recruits to attend an intense and customized 12-week program, where they develop the skills necessary to excel in a real-world enterprise-level environment. Afterward, we place them in a promising job with one of our many clients.

GlassDoor.com | August 27, 2018 | August 27, 2018 Posted byRevature Team

#CareerAdvice : #JobChange – 6 Things You Don’t Want to Hear About #ChangingCareers (But Need to Anyway)…Changing Careers is Not Always Easy, However, and it Doesn’t Help When we Gloss Over the Tough Parts.

August 26, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Take a break from all the ads and blog posts promising quick fixes to life’s most complex problems and join me for some real talk about finding career happiness. I work with people who feel stuck in jobs they don’t like and want to change careers.

If this is you, there are many reasons to feel optimistic about making a professional transition: there are many affordable ways to learn new skills, we are more connected than ever, and there are new professions and opportunities thanks to technological innovations. Changing careers is not always easy, however, and it doesn’t help when we gloss over the tough parts.

Here are 6 things to know about changing careers and what to do about them.

1. Figuring out what you want to do can take longer than doing it

If you have had a couple of jobs or a business and have done relatively well at them, you most likely already know how to get what you want. Many people can be incredibly resourceful when motivated by and excited about their goals. But sometimes what makes it hard to move forward is not having a clue about what we want.

Human beings are terrible at knowing themselves and there are so many variables and unknowns, how can one possibly make a decision? If you feel stuck, it might take you longer to figure out what you want to do than to make it happen. Start by asking yourself whether you are unhappy because of your job or your workplace culture. Then zero in on what you must have to feel fulfilled professionally.

If you still find yourself unable to make up your mind, the issue is likely to come from one of two places – or both: either there is something inside that makes it difficult for you to accept and honor your needs and desires and/or you don’t know what profession offers you the type of work you want to perform. If the former, plan on working with a therapist or a coach to uncover and release what is holding you back, and if the latter, research, research, research.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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2. Timing has a lot to do with the career you have…

…and so does location. At every moment in time and in every place, there are different opportunities available, we do not live and work in a vacuum. When I transitioned from wedding photography to marketing, for example, I was living in San Francisco, there was a lot of hiring in tech, and a need for marketing people with a background in the arts and social media. Boom! I found my way to a new career.

If I had been somewhere else or decided to change careers at a different time, I would have leveraged a different set of skills and would have likely ended up doing something else. To find out where your opportunity is, ask people in the industries and professions you are interested in joining where they think there’s a need for someone with your skills, or what they would do now to enter the field.

Once every major blog starts talking about the need for a specific profession, you are already behind: get the scoop from people on the inside, before everyone catches on, and you’ll face much less competition as you change careers.

The best way to approach a career change is to think of it as a process: if you are unhappy in your current profession, the moment you start taking action towards finding career happiness will also be the moment you start regaining your sense of empowerment

The best way to approach a career change is to think of it as a process: if you are unhappy in your current profession, the moment you start taking action towards finding career happiness will also be the moment you start regaining your sense of empowerment

3. Ageism really is a thing

I seriously underestimated this issue until I started coaching people over 40 who want to change careers and are looking for a new job. Ugh. We have a long way to go to overcome age-based discrimination in the workplace. AARP recently published a study on the topic: in their survey of adults over age 45, “61% of respondents said they have either seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace and 38% of those believe the practice is ‘very common.’”

So what can you do if you are over 40, 50 or 60 and want to change careers? Traditional advice is to trim your resume: list only your last few positions and don’t write your graduation dates in your educational history, look for companies whose team shows age diversity, and join networking and professional groups that are welcoming and inclusive of people of all ages.

Or you can be bold and lead with what you think you have to hide: if you find that age is an issue, go all out and emphasize all your experience and wisdom, or start your own business and aim higher than ever before.

As an older career changer you do have some advantages: you have accumulated more skills and knowledge than you probably realize, and you might have a larger network, or more trusted relationships based on several years of interaction. Marianne Williamson said it best: “…younger people know more about those things that change, and the older people know more about those things that do not change.”

Invest time in learning new skills or technologies. It doesn’t have to be expensive, you can find many free resources or inexpensive classes online. And remember that even though you might be new at something, all the stuff you have already learned will not go to waste: after getting their first break, older career changers are often able to move up the ranks much faster than expected by leveraging their other skills, especially when it comes to working with and managing people.

4. You actually have to know how to do the job

When I launched Repurpose Your Purpose I hosted a number of free meetups and met many interesting people looking to change careers. One time it didn’t go so well, though: one person showed up and quickly became very angry at me.

I shared my story of how I changed careers, leveraging all that I had learned to move from photography into marketing. As a photographer I had to learn marketing and business skills, and then decided to pursue marketing as a career, successfully making my transition. This person felt cheated: she expected to learn how to change careers and get a new job without knowing how to do the job.

No one is going to give you a job unless you know how to execute it. Just look at job posts for interns, they often list what sound like requirements for experienced professionals! So what can you do if you decide you want to do something else and you don’t have the skills needed to land a new job, or never used such skills professionally? You have to close the gap.

Figure out exactly what you need to learn, then learn it in the fastest and most economical way you can. You can enroll in online courses, graduate certificates, extension programs, or full-fledged degree programs. If real-world experience is what you need, then intern, volunteer, or get the lowest entry level position you qualify for. As I wrote above, you can advance fast once you are in, especially if you have a lot of other transferable skills. Your other option is to pursue a more entrepreneurial path: as a business owner or freelancer you can quickly grow as long as you deliver results to your clients.

5. Getting a degree does not guarantee you a job

I know way too many people who borrowed tens of thousands of dollars and spent years going to college only to figure out they didn’t want a job using their major, or that there simply weren’t enough jobs available, or if there were, that the pay was less than what they needed. If you want to change careers and you are not sure what you want to do, going back to college is a very expensive way to figure it out.

There are only two good reasons to go back to school: either you want to learn for the sake of learning and don’t necessarily expect a job afterward, or you researched extensively what you need to do to enter a specific profession, and determined you need the additional learning or degree. Specific is the key word here: if you go back to school to get a job, you need to know exactly why you are going. Do not expect the school to figure it out for you.

6. Changing Careers is a process, not a destination

We don’t have a clear definition of what constitutes a career change: you might be going from employee to business owner in the same field, you might stay in your profession and change industries, or you could make a radical shift, from one industry and job title to something completely different. Depending on what you choose to pursue, your circumstances and various outside factors, the entire process can take a few months to a few years. Don’t get discouraged!

The best way to approach a career change is to think of it as a process: if you are unhappy in your current profession, the moment you start taking action towards finding career happiness will also be the moment you start regaining your sense of empowerment. Shift your goal from getting a specific job or career to living so that your thoughts, words and actions are all in alignment. Take the first step, celebrate every success, and determine to honor yourself starting today: you will discover that the process of changing careers can be incredibly transformative, and by the time you achieve your career goal, you will already feel like a new person.

Aurora Meneghello is a Los Angeles-based career coach and the founder of Repurpose Your Purpose. She works with groups and individuals who want to live a fulfilling professional life.

#CareerAdvice : Take These Steps if you’re Looking to Make a #CareerChange …Time & Money can Get in the Way of a #CareerMove, But by Taking some Small Actions, You can Make it Happen.

August 25, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

While the popular adage is true, sometimes the time spend and money send can get in the way of truly following a new path. With technology, making a career change (within reason) has never been easier. Using tools like LinkedIn, Udemy, and, yes, even YouTube, you can learn the skills of a trade and connect with the masters within it.

Use these steps to learn how to gather the skills, resources, and connections to make a meaningful career move within months (without incurring another wave of student debt!).

ASSESS YOUR CURRENT JOB AND YOUR SKILL

Maybe you hate your current job. Maybe you’re simply nonplussed with the day-to-day work and you want something more. Maybe you actually like the function of your job, but dislike your current company. Whatever it is, make sure to identify the why of your desired career move before you take action.

From there, asses your best skills along with your passions. Perhaps you’ve been drafting press releases or doing ad hoc social media work for your current company. Maybe you’ve done a little graphic work as needed outside of your otherwise administrative roles. Assess your interests and relative experience in order to determine your desired career direction.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

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ACTIVATE YOUR CONNECTIONS

So you want to be a graphic designer? Awesome! You know those LinkedIn connections you made in college; the friend of a friend of a former coworker?

Rifle through these connections. You might be surprised what you find hiding in your own LinkedIn connections or Facebook friends. Speaking of friends, speak to them, too. More often than not, someone will know someone who is open to talk to you. Reach out to see if they’d be willing to meet with you. While they might not have a job hot and ready, it’s a perfect opportunity to ask a few questions over a coffee.

TAKE A CLASS

Unless you’re looking to become an anesthesiologist or a trial attorney, you can likely build your skill set without applying to graduate school.

There are boundless opportunities to learn things on the internet (we rounded a ton of them up here). Resources like Udemy, Coursera, and Alison offer hundreds of free classes–you can learn anything from project management to web design.

Even if you’re not looking to change your career (why are you reading this?) you should take advantage of these free classes. Heck, we all should learn about probabilistic graphical models because, why not?

SEND SOME COLD EMAILS

This is my personal favorite thing to do, so approach with wary pessimism if you must. Once you have a clear idea of the position you want and type of company you’d like to work for, considering reaching out to the employees there. A personalized, well-researched cold emailcan be the perfect way to garner a new relationship.

You don’t have to come in too hot, revealing that you went 80 weeks deep into a CEO’s Instagram, but you can express a knowledgeable, thoughtful sentence or two. In addition, lay out your interest in the company and inquire as to whether they will be hiring for *your role* in the near future. If you see a gap in the team roster, you might even suggest the need for *your role* and why.

Consider sending out a few cold emails to your dream companies that might hold your dream future job. You can even reach out to employees at your dream company using LinkedIn. At best, you will manifest a miraculous job opening in your field. At worst, you will receive no reply.

FastCompany.com | August 25, 2018 | BY CAILEEN KEHAYAS—CAREER CONTESSA 3 MINUTE READ

#Leadership : #Recruiting – Here are the Benefits of #Hiring Someone Outside of your Industry… Hiring Outside of your Industry can Bring Unique Values that you May Not Get Within your Own Sector.

August 24, 2018/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Many employers feel they need to hire candidates who know their company’s industry like the back of their hands. But hiring outside of your given industry scope often can bring unique value that you might miss out on by hiring within your existing sector.

After all, a diversity of backgrounds and opinions is key to innovation. If you’re thinking about hiring someone from a different field, consider the following.

The candidate works in an adjunct industry where they currently are on the receiving end (customer) of the hiring company’s product or similar products from another company. While this candidate has service-industry experience, and the hiring company’s ideal position description seeks someone with manufacturing experience, they are open to those with different backgrounds.

Perhaps the candidate provides unique insight not only into what they like or don’t like about the product, but also about competitors’ products. As such, they can offer competitive intelligence that may be challenging to find elsewhere.

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What Skill Sets do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Continue of article:

2. HIRE A SALES CONSULTANT

The candidate has worked at an unrelated industry startup where they wore all hats, from sweeping the floor to managing the front desk, training, setting up sales calls and everything in between. While their official title is something like front office manager, it may be that they have been selling ideas or services throughout their tenure, without the title.

Bypassing them for a sales role because they don’t have the moniker or the specific industry experience could be a big mistake. Consider their ability to survive a startup, as well as influence the performance and operational success within a loosely defined, fast-paced structure that may drive revenue through the hiring company’s sales engine.

3. HIRE SOMEONE TO PAVE NEW REVENUE CHANNELS

The candidate has sold ABC widgets that are quite different from the DEF widgets the hiring organization markets. However, there is a specific channel of widget warranty sales (e.g., financial) experience that the candidate accrued that would transfer well to the hiring entity.

The candidate has a consistent record of skyrocketing sales and exceeding goals in every company they’ve worked, based largely on this unique financial acumen. If the hiring manager and this candidate can hammer out a deal contingent on their bringing that same expertise into a new widget market, then it could definitely be a win-win.

4. HIRE AN IDEAS PERSON

The candidate knows technology, and they’ve innovated repeatedly, applying their tech expertise in new and changing spaces within hypercompetitive environments. In some instances, the innovative ideas have been a shot in the dark and fell flat; but mostly, their ideas have culminated into revenue- and profit-generating coups that ultimately lined the pockets of ownership while also converting to salary security and long-term retention for the team members. For hiring companies in less innovative industries now finding themselves in increasingly competitive waters, the innovator candidate may be the answer.

5. HIRE A CHANGE LEADER

Inspiring leaders know not only how to capitalize on their reputation but are also genuine, thus getting people on board with change. The fact that they arrive from an unrelated industry is a clear advantage to their success as they won’t be bogged down in the industry politics otherwise associated with key leadership players.

6. HIRE LEADERSHIP WITH KEY CUSTOMER INSIGHTS

The candidate’s past manufacturing leadership role collaborating with executives and decision makers in top banking organizations could be helpful to a consulting company whose sole clients are financial institutions. The fact the candidate “gets” bankers and their core needs will be instrumental in closing large accounts and growing revenue.

FastCompany.com | August 24, 2018 | BY JACQUI BARRETT-POINDEXTER—GLASSDOOR 3 MINUTE READ