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Job Interview Anxiety: How to Cope.

January 31, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Sweaty palms. Rapid breathing. Trouble concentrating. These are just a few of the symptoms of job interview anxiety. When speaking with a recruiter or hiring manager, the goal is to sound and appear confident, in control. Anxiety can come across as a chink in the armor.

“Job interviews cause stress and anxiety because, no matter how experienced someone is, there’s still a pressure to perform,” says Dr. Sherry Benton, founder and chief science officer of TAO Connect. “Interviewers can generally make the assumption that a candidate is uncomfortable without them having to verbalize it. It’s completely normal to feel nervous during a job interview, so it’s best to avoid talking about it and instead focus on managing it.”

Managing your nervousness can sometimes be easier said than done. So we dug into this with Dr. Benton to get her tips on how to navigate job interview jitters and how to tell when the anxiety you are experiencing is more serious.

Glassdoor: Why do job interviews stir up anxiety and stress for job seekers, no matter how experienced they may be?

Dr. Sherry Benton: Job interviews cause stress and anxiety because, no matter how experienced someone is, there’s still a pressure to perform. When we are asked to perform in a situation such as a job interview, our brain produces small amounts of stress, or arousal, which is essential for optimal performance. Without these small levels of stress, we wouldn’t get excited about anything. It’s when our brain is producing high levels of stress, that anxiety symptoms can occur, which can cause our interview performance to suffer.

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Glassdoor: What are some of the ways anxiety may manifest leading up to or during a job interview?

Dr. Sherry Benton: If you find yourself stressed about an upcoming interview, you need to lower your arousal levels and calm yourself down. It’s important to understand that the human brain does not distinguish between a physical threat and a mental stressor. When you’re thinking thoughts like “I’m going to fail this interview” or “I’m not qualified enough so they’ll never pick me,” your brain is producing levels of stress that feed into anxiety symptoms. Other physical symptoms of anxiety that may appear before a big interview include trouble breathing or sleeping, difficulty concentrating or increased irritability.

Glassdoor: Are there ways that candidates can avoid job interview anxiety? Or is it more about managing it?

Dr. Sherry Benton: It is more about managing anxiety and balancing your arousal levels. Psychologically, arousal and anxiety are the same. Too much arousal, and you will experience increased anxiousness and likely decreased performance. On the other hand, if there’s not enough arousal, you may come across and uninterested or disengaged during the interview.

Glassdoor: What are a few tips to cope with job interview anxiety?

Dr. Sherry Benton: Write down the anxious thoughts running through your mind. When you see them written on paper, you can better realize how exaggerated they might actually be. Then you can replace your negative and anxious thoughts with positive self-talk, “I’m qualified for this position” or “I’m a strong candidate and the right fit for the job.”

Mindfulness exercises can also help lower stress levels. Essentially, mindfulness exercises turn off the constant chatter in your brain for a few minutes. The intent is to help your body stop the fight or flight response and increase the relaxation response. There are several meditation apps or online tools available, such as TAO Connect, that offer mindful meditation exercises to practice and develop mindfulness skills.

Glassdoor: Trying to force yourself to calm down can actually backfire. What are two or three tricks a candidate can do to quell anxiety when in front of an interviewer?

Dr. Sherry Benton: 1. Lower your heart rate by controlling your breathing. Try taking a deep breath before answering a question, no one will notice, and it can even make you appear more confident.
2. Don’t let your nerves talk for you. It’s ok to pause or take some time to think about an answer. By answering immediately, you may find yourself talking without knowing how you’re planning to respond.
3. Have those positive self-talk statements ready to go. Your brain will react to them and can make you appear calmer and more composed.

Glassdoor: Should anxious candidates admit they’re nervous to interviewers? Or is that a no-no?

Dr. Sherry Benton: Anxious candidates usually show outward signs of nervousness, so interviewers can generally make the assumption that a candidate is uncomfortable without them having to verbalize it. It’s completely normal to feel nervous during a job interview, so it’s best to avoid talking about it and instead focus on managing it.

Glassdoor: Lastly, when is anxiety more serious than just the interview? How does a job seeker know when their anxiety is bigger than the job search, but something that should be treated in conjunction with a professional?

Dr. Sherry Benton: A little bit of interview anxiety is normal and healthy. Still, it could be more serious if the anxiety begins to feel debilitating and interferes with your daily routine or your relationships. If you believe mental health problems are developing, it’s always best to seek help early. Mental health problems are more manageable to treat if identified earlier, and there are several options available to people looking to take control of their mental health.

GlassDoor.com | January 27, 2020 | Posted by Amy Elisa Jackson

Is It Ever Too Early To Look For A Job? How To Know The Best Time To Start A Job Search.

January 31, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

In my 20+ years of recruiting and career coaching, a more common problem is that job seekers don’t spend enough time on their job search – not too little time! Too many job seekers wait till they’re burned out or have even left their current jobs before they start looking and then have to launch a job search under duress. (It is still possible to land a job when you are under pressure, but this is not ideal.)

Tom asks a valid question since his ideal transition date is one year away, and companies rarely hire that far in advance. However, interviewing for specific jobs and getting job offers are just two steps in the multi-step job search. Interviewing and closing come towards the end of a job search and should be timed for closer to when you are available (several weeks or months depending on the role). In the meantime, there are other job search activities you can start now, even one year out.

Once you know you want to leave your job, it is never too early to start looking. The best time to look for a job is when you have one — and you don’t have the urgency of needing to land something quickly. Being able to take your time to look for a job is a big advantage. Here are 10 job search activities you can focus on now, well before you start interviewing for jobs:

1 – Confirming your ideal next job

Do you want to do the same job you have done before? Do you want a promotion to management? Do you want a different industry or a new role altogether? Your job search will vary greatly depending on what you want for your next job. Taking the time to get clear on the industry, function and location of your next job ensures you know where to focus your research, networking and marketing. Confirming if you want an established v. new company, small v. big and other work environment factors will help you narrow down the universe of potential employers. Your career exploration may take you further afield than you initially expected.

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2 – Researching possible job search targets

Once you have some definition around the job you want and potential dream companies, you need to do your research. Research takes time, and you don’t want to get to the interview stage and hurry through it.

3 – Refining your marketing material for your ideal job

Your resume, cover letter, online profile and networking pitch need to be tailored to your job search targets. This takes time – to get to know your targets, to make the necessary revisions – especially if you are looking for a job in a different area than you worked before. Even if you are targeting your same industry and function, you need to update your material for your latest accomplishments and level of expertise.

4 – Filling in any skills or expertise gaps

As you learn more about your target companies and roles and update your marketing accordingly, you may find that there are skills or expertise that you are missing. Now would be a perfect time to fill in those gaps, so that when you do go on the market, you are confident in being able to compete with other candidates.

5 – Building genuine and supportive connections in your ideal area

We all know people who only reach out when they need something – many times something job search-related. Now that you have a long time to look, invest that time in building genuine relationships with people that will support you. If you’re targeting a new area, you may need to meet new people – you’ll be glad you have a long runway for your job search.

6 – Strengthening your professional references

While you’re working on your job search, you don’t want your current employer to feel like you have checked out. You want a strong professional reference from your last job. You also want strong references from other employers and colleagues, vendors, customers. Take the time now to identify what references you have, who you need to track down and any problem relationships you need to smooth over. Employer references can be a deal-breaker in a job search, and too many job seekers overlook this.

7 – Confirming the hiring process for the roles you want

Some job search processes take longer than others. Executive-level searches can take over a year when you look at how much vetting is involved, getting sign off from the Board and the transition time for both the outgoing and the incoming executives. Confirm what the typical process is for the level and role you are targeting, and pace your job search accordingly. One year out may not be too early to apply to jobs or let your network know that you are open to opportunities.

8 – Practicing your interview technique

Depending on how long it has been since you have looked for a job, you may be out of practice with interviewing. In addition, you need to be comfortable with phone and video interviews, as well as talking to recruiters. Practice now, not the night before an interview.

9 – Maximizing your energy level – physically and emotionally

People hire people, and people respond to your energy level. If you are tired or anxious, you are not an attractive candidate. Yet, the job search is physically exhausting and emotionally draining. Start taking great care of yourself now, while you still have the runway to make any changes in your sleep, nutrition, exercise routine or other habits that will help you operate at your best.

10 – Getting organized

Just like you want to appear in control physically and emotionally, you also want to control external resources, like your time and workspace. When your job search is in the interviewing stage, you can easily spend 10+ hours on meetings. This time needs to come from somewhere – start planning now to get autonomy over your work schedule. Similarly, you will need to be more responsive to email, LinkedIn notifications and phone calls – get your workspace in order so you can juggle both your current job and your job search.

It is never too early to start a job search

One year out is not too early to start, especially as you view the long list of activities you start right now. There is a lot to do in your job search to be a competitive candidate, well before you even apply for jobs, much less interview and negotiate. Even if you end up not changing jobs, confirming what you want, knowing your market and taking great care of yourself are all essential for ongoing career success.

Forbes.com | January 31, 2020 | Caroline Ceniza-Levine

These are the 4 Sentences you Need to Make your Cover Letter Get Noticed.

January 30, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Writing an effective cover letter has changed a lot in the past few years.

Now the cover letter is shorter, to the point, and reinforces your pitch to prospective employers by highlighting what’s great about your “brand.” And its purpose is to get your résumé read.

A great cover letter does this by connecting the positive achievements of your past and future to the present needs of future employers. Your cover letter does this by touching on four points about your career: your yesterday, your today, your tomorrow, and your enthusiasm. One great sentence for each of these points is all you’ll need. And it should invite response by making it very clear what you’re looking to do next and why.

Here’s how it breaks down.

A BRIEF STATEMENT OF WHAT YOU’VE DONE

In your first sentence, share the most relevant details about what you’ve done, and inform your audience of your successes and achievements in your field.

So it’s not:

“I’ve been working at a company since college.”
“I followed my boss to her next job after she was hired there.”
“I’ve been working in the Eastern Division of my company for the past five years.”

None of these communicates any information to your future boss or recruiter about the work you’ve done day-to-day or your successes.

Rather, try:

“I’m a top producing sales professional in pharmaceutical sales.”
“I’m a DevOps expert with deep experience in AWS and security.”
“I come from a creative background where I’ve done award-winning TV ad creative for the automotive industry for the past 15 years.”

In this first sentence, provide the specifics about the type of work you do, who or how you do it, and an adjective or two to describe your success.

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A BRIEF STATEMENT OF WHAT YOU’RE DOING NOW

In your second sentence, explain to your audience your current role and how it demonstrates the connection between your past success and your future achievements.

So it’s not:

“I’m currently Director at Acme Inc.”
“I’ve been working in sales for the past seven years.”
“I’ve always maintained my interest in the water industry”

But rather:

“I’ve been rapidly promoted in the Aerospace industry.”
“I enjoy my work as a client services manager in media companies.”
“The challenges of semiconductor design captivate me and inform my present work.”

Share the energy, interest, or passion for what you’re doing today. It never makes sense to denigrate your current employer or position; instead focus on the positives that you want to carry forward with you.

A BRIEF STATEMENT OF WHY YOU’RE ENTHUSIASTIC

Employers respond to enthusiasm. It’s a great signal of your positive, achievement-oriented outlook, and speaks most effectively to your motivations. By providing a positive spin on your search in your third sentence, you are inviting HR professionals and recruiters to welcome you into an interview process.

So it’s not:

“I’m looking for more money for the work I do.”
“I need to get away from my current toxic environment.”
“While uncertain about where it will take me, I’m just looking for a change.”

But rather:

“I enjoy handling the accounting issues for growing companies and am particularly interested in venture-backed opportunities.”
“I’m passionate about hardware manufacturing and am looking for positions of increasing responsibility in tech manufacturing here in the Bay Area.”
or,
“I love the challenges of data-driven marketing and applying statistical analysis to ad spend—not just for online, but for radio and TV as well.”

A BRIEF STATEMENT OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO

Your fourth sentence should follow, logically, persuasively, from the professional you’ve described in the first three. It should also be focused on the benefits you’ll bring to your future employer, not your fears, setbacks, or unhappiness.

So it’s not:

“I’m worried about my company’s finances, so I’ve got to move.”
“My boss was terminated last year, and I’ve lost my corporate support.”
“I’m fed up with the office politics and have to move on.”

All of these are inward reasons for a change that hold little appeal to your audience and might, in fact, turn them off. Instead, you need to persuade them that your next step is obviously in their direction.

So you’d rather position it this way:

“I’m looking for bigger challenges in logistics, either inside or outside of retail.”
“I’d like to do project management at the same scale as a defense contractor after my 13 years in government.”
“As I’ve been adding more benefits, compensation, and succession planning work to my portfolio, I’m ready to step up the senior HR business partner role at my next employer.”
or,
“I’m looking to move to a smaller hospital group where I can take a step up the scope of administrative responsibility.”

You may think it is obvious what someone with your background and résumé would want to do next. Pro tip: it’s not. Because people’s careers are as different as snowflakes, don’t make your future boss guess your intentions. Make it as obvious as a drug commercial, and spell it all out.

Finally, cover letters no longer cover anything, and they’re not really letters anymore. In 2020, a cover email with the above four sentences and perhaps a brief introduction and wrap-up is at most two paragraphs in length. It’s even better to write one or one-and-a-half paragraphs.

If you use this format, you can convey a positive, forward-looking image to future bosses and their recruiting assistants in four brief, polished sentences. And that’s what is most likely to get you the invitation to interview in the terrific employment market of 2020.

Author: Marc Cenedella is the founder of job search site Ladders. He is the author of best-selling guides on resumes and interviews. You can read more about High Score Resumes at Ladders News.

FastCompany.com | January 30, 2020

Ranked: The World’s 20 Most Stressed-Out Cities (The Worst In The US Will Surprise You).

January 30, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) categorized burnout as an officially diagnosable syndrome stemming from chronic workplace stress. Elevating a condition to a syndrome means it’s been added to the WHO’s official compilation of diseases. But it turns out that burnout is more serious than anyone thought—especially when a 2018 Gallup survey showed that it affects nearly a quarter of the workforce on a regular basis.

Sleep research site Savvy Sleeper recently conducted a study to determine the world’s cities with the highest and lowest levels of workplace burnout. A total of 69 cities from 53 countries were analyzed. The study looked to key health and work-related categories to standardize the research, including percentage of population sleeping less than seven hours a night, percentage of population working more than 48 hours a week, time spent in traffic, mental health disorders and prevalence, lack of motivation at work, employee “presenteeism” and productivity, lack of vacation days, annual work hours and percentage of stressed-out Glassdoor reviews.

While the findings reveal low levels of workplace burnout for places like Tallinn, Estonia; Ljubljana, Slovenia and many other European cities, three US cities—Los Angeles (#9), Chicago (#12) and New York (#17)—ranked among the top 20 cities with the highest levels of workplace burnout. San Francisco (26th overall) and Miami (27th overall) rounded out the list of the top five most burned-out cities in the United States.

With Los Angeles taking the spot for the most burned-out city in the US, perhaps that laid-back Southern California vibe isn’t as prevalent as perceived. Despite Los Angeles’s beautiful weather and outdoor recreation, LA employees face a huge amount of workplace stress.

“The city has a high cost of living, which means employees often live further out from the city center,” says Ashley Doyle, staff writer at Savvy Sleeper. “Our study shows many in LA have over an hour’s journey to work every day.”

In addition, LA workers take an average of only 10 vacation days each year, and over a quarter of the city’s workers sleep fewer than seven hours each night. These factors decrease the ability to concentrate and make decisions, leading to more time spent on work tasks and greater employee burnout. “Time off from work is important to allow people to relax and recharge their batteries,” says Doyle, who also points out that the rise of tech giants in the area may be playing a part in LA’s growing overworking culture.

Another surprise: While New York is constantly referred to as “the city that never sleeps,” this study shows that Chicago, which comes in second on the list, has higher levels of burnout. “For example, Chicago has a higher volume of stressed employee on Glassdoor reviews than New York, and Chicago employees also report longer annual working hours, which is why its scores are worse overall,” says Doyle. In fact, according to Savvy Sleeper, employees in Chicago have the longest work hours of all US cities, with employees putting in nearly 41 hours a week, on average, or 2,123.50 annual hours. That’s 3.46% more than the US average of all cities at 2,051.24 annual hours.

Coming in next is New York City, which ranks as the third highest US city when it comes to employee burnout, but only 17th on the overall list. According to Glassdoor data, New York has a fair proportion of employees experiencing stress (2.21% of 1,082 reviews mentioned the word “stress”).

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So where did other global cities rank? Topping the list of the highest burnout levels in the world is Tokyo, due to some of the lowest scores for motivation and presenteeism, as well as the most number of people sleeping fewer than seven hours each night. Mumbai, which falls just behind Tokyo, sees employees working an average of 65 hours a week—double the average work hours of cities that see the least workplace burnout. Seoul, Istanbul and Manila round out the top five cities with the world’s highest burnout. Hey everyone! My story of ED began about five years ago. The doctor offered several drugs to choose from, but we’ve finally stopped the choice on Cialis. I don’t have any stable relations, so I take a pill only when I’m going to have sex. It’ works quite fast, about 40 minutes is enough for me to feel the effect. Can definitely recommend it.

On the other end of the spectrum is Tallinn, Estonia, which is the least stressed-out city in the world. “It is interesting to see Estonia receives the most positive score in our study, over the typically expected Nordic countries like Norway, Finland and Denmark,” says Doyle. According to Savvy Sleeper, the city offers a generous amount of vacation, with an average of 29.1 paid days off. Plus, just 5.6% of the population work more than 48 hours a week.

And there is good news around the world when it comes to workplace burnout, since cities and companies are becoming more aware of the problem and its effect on workplace productivity. Japan recently introduced a new law capping overtime to less than 100 hours a month in the hopes of tackling the nation’s culture of long working hours. Europe—which already has a reputation for being more laid-back when it comes to its workforce—is even making strides. Witness France’s new law that allows employees to switch off from work emails when they’re not in the office.

“Our research suggests businesses should make addressing some of the factors affecting employee work-life balance a priority. Not only will this ensure staff health and well being is protected, but it will also help companies continue to recruit and retain top talent,” says Doyle.

Read on for the list of the world’s top 20 cities with the most burned-out workers, as well as the list of the 10 cities with the least burned-out workers.

World’s 20 Most Burned-Out Cities

1. Tokyo, Japan

2. Mumbai, India

3. Seoul, South Korea

4. Istanbul, Turkey

5. Manila, Philippines

6. Jakarta, Indonesia

7. Hanoi, Vietnam

8. Taipei, Taiwan

9. Los Angeles

10. Buenos Aires, Argentina

11. Sydney, Australia

12. Chicago

13. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

14. London, United Kingdom

15. Bogota, Colombia

16. Beijing, China

17. New York City

18. Johannesburg, South Africa

19. Auckland, New Zealand

20. Hong Kong

World’s 10 Least Burned-Out Cities

1. Tallinn, Estonia

2. Ljubljana, Slovenia

3. Oslo, Norway

4. Sofia, Bulgaria

5. Copenhagen, Denmark

6. Barcelona, Spain

7. Amsterdam, Netherlands

8. Bucharest, Romania

9. Frankfurt, Germany

10. Prague, Czech Republic

Forbes.com | January 30, 2020 | Laura Begley Bloom

How To Use LinkedIn To Your Advantage: Tips To Build Career Success. Here are Four Ways to Make the Most Out of your Time on LinkedIn.

January 29, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Social networking can feel awkward and uncomfortable, even when done online. Many people tell me they find LinkedIn overwhelming and instead of using it to their advantage, they avoid it at all costs.

But the reality is that when it comes to networking and career development, LinkedIn is one of the fastest-growing and most valuable assets to access. In 2019 alone, LinkedIn had 645 million accounts, and 40% of those users actually logged on every single day. With over 30 million companies now active on the platform, there were over 20 million open job postings in 2019 alone.

It isn’t just for networking and job hunting. If you are looking for marketing your business, Hubspot found that traffic from LinkedIn generates the highest visitor-to-lead conversion rate at 2.74%, almost three times higher than Twitter and Facebook.

I get it… LinkedIn could feel like another app to master, and another thing to spend your time learning and building. The trick is to optimize what you are doing on the platform and how you are showing up to other users.

Here are four ways to make the most out of your time on LinkedIn.

1. Make your account appealing to the eye.

First impressions matter, and not just in person. Before ever meeting you, 41% of recruiters have admitted judging candidates by their photos. When people want to learn more about you, they will head straight to Google, and your LinkedIn profile will likely be one of the first things to pop up.

Although there are a handful of things to remove immediately from your profile, one of the most important aspects to keep updated is your profile photo. Get this: LinkedIn profiles with photos get 21 times more profiles views than accounts without a picture. Your ability to provide a visual on who you are actually contributing to someone’s decision-making. Studies revealed that the visual cortex of your brain controls more than interpreting images, it actually makes decisions. You want to share images that motivate your audience to connect you.

This isn’t limited to your profile. When you publish content, be sure to also include pictures. Updates with images are five times more likely to get comments and interactions than ones without. This doesn’t mean post a picture of you and your coworkers at happy hour; be thoughtful about what images you use. If you struggle to find photos, you can always turn to stock photography sites like Unsplash for access to a library of professional photos— for free.

2. Use the app to your advantage.

Look at the LinkedIn app like any other social media app. This means following and engaging with accounts you are interested in. When you are on the job hunt, find companies you want to work for, and make it a point to follow their accounts so you can stay aware of the company’s current happenings. The “companies” tab will display updates, employees and job postings, all in one central location that will then make its way over to your newsfeed.

Once you land an interview, you will already be well up to date on their latest product releases or corporate announcements, and this makes you stand out more than you realize. Job hunting is like dating, and by knowing the ins and outs of the company, you’ll come across as more interested in that actual company, versus giving off that usual job hunter vibe that tends to say: it doesn’t matter if you hire me, or your competitor does.

Companies want to feel wanted, just like romantic partners do in dating!

The app also contains a pulse tab, which allows you to see personalized articles and topics related to your industry and target audience. If you find something valuable, you can share articles onto your own profile. The more valuable content you share, the more of a following and personal brand you can create for yourself. And of course, make your own personal brand if you really want to excel in your career!

Dedicate a little time each morning to sift through the app. With your morning cup of coffee, spend 10 minutes finding articles worth sharing, or work towards building content around your industry (articles, blog posts, etc) so you can establish yourself as a thought-leader in your niche. If you commute to work or travel often without wifi, save article titles that you find intriguing and download them into your library to read later.

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2. Contribute content to the LinkedIn platform.

Out of the 645 million LinkedIn accounts, less than .5% are actually contributing new content. When you consider that nearly half of LinkedIn’s community is logging on every day, this place is a goldmine for sharing content and being seen. Low competition means high view opportunities, a recipe for success.

Set time aside and make a list of content articles you would like to author. If topics don’t immediately come to mind, you can use the articles as inspiration for your own content. If you find an article you liked within your realm of subject matter,, read the comments section to find questions that other viewers may have posed as a way to search for and address gaps that weren’t covered on the topic.

This allows you to then build an article around content that the market is showing you there is a need for. If you are answering a question you see commonly asked, you can always go back and share your article with the users who asked. Remember: sales go down in your DMs, or in the comments section! When you show yourself as a content provider and an educated voice to answer user questions, business opportunities tend to follow.

4. Connect with the right people.

Remember the days in school when you were willing and excited to be friends with just about anybody? LinkedIn is not the place to have that same mentality. Just because you got drinks a few years back in college doesn’t necessarily mean you want to connect with them on this professional platform. Your level of reach depends largely on how social and engaged you are on the platform, not necessarily how many people are connected with you.

Start by connecting with existing professional and personal contacts in the industry you are working in, or want to move into. If you meet a new coworker or connect with a professional during a networking event, seek out their account and send them a LinkedIn request that contains a short personalized message.

Building yourself on the LinkedIn platform will make you a more attractive candidate and garner you more opportunities in the future.

Get intentional with your usage and the app with becoming a career changer, not a time suck.

Forbes.com | January 29, 2020 | Ashley Stahl

The Resume Writing SEO 2020 Guidelines. Is your Resume Picked Up Online?

January 29, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

I’m invisible online,” said Joe, 57, a director at a large tech company. “After I send my resume in using my computer no one is calling me for an interview. I suspect they either notice my age and decide that they don’t want somebody as old as me, or I don’t have the resume written correctly. The bottom line is that no employer is calling me. What am I doing wrong? Can you help me improve my resume and get discovered,” he asked.

One of the problems when you submit your resume online is that you don’t realize the importance of keywords and how they affect your resume’s performance in getting found. The SEO (Search Engine Optimization) that you incorporate into your resume is what the electronic robots are searching. They find what the recruiter requested or they don’t. In Joe’s case, they aren’t finding him at all. I took a look at his resume and realized the problem. He doesn’t understand about how to use SEO strategies to get found.

There are many mistakes that Baby Boomers make on their resumes that can prevent them from being discovered by a recruiter. How this all works is that the recruiter or hiring manager types in some specific words that he or she is looking for in the candidate. Typically these are things like job titles, specific work tasks or skills that are needed to do the job. The typical recruiter has over 100 resumes to search through. Often times for large companies and Fortune 500 organizations there can be hundreds of resumes that are received for every one job posted. All the initial search and streamlining of those applicants is done electronically. This allows the employer to shrink the applicant pool down to 10-20, a more manageable amount to search and review.

Unfortunately one of the biggest complaints recruiters make is there are many people out there applying for jobs that they are not qualified for. That makes this whole process more challenging for everybody.

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Here is some advice that will help you when you’re trying to create your own SEO to optimize your resume so that it can be found more easily by employers.

Be Technology Ready. Most companies use employment software to handle the application process. It’s called ATS, or applicant tracking software, and is used by the employer when you apply online. The system often cannot read: text boxes, tables, color ink, photos, or see any graphics. These could be eliminated from your resume and the space is left blank for the recruiter so they miss these things you were trying to stress. You want to eliminate these obstacles from your resume. A clean resume that is easy to read is essential to get through the system.

Target the Job Title. Employers hire for a specific job. You need to make sure that the job title that you have and/or the career objective states the name of the job you’re looking for. For example, Career Objective: Nonprofit Executive Director.

Outline Work History using Keywords. When defining your work experience outline the major job duties that you have had in that position. It is important that the first sentence captures the most important work tasks you have performed. This is because these are some of the keywords that a recruiter is likely to use when searching through the applicant pool. Be sure to address your skills and abilities to fit the exact position you are applying for. Do not generalize. You need to include the essential experience that’s necessary for performing that position.

Stress Results. Results get attention! List your specific accomplishments. Note your actions on your job and what was the outcome of your work. List your innovations and new things you have developed and implemented. Did you save time or money? Did you make money? Have you created something new? Did you improve something? These are the kinds of results that employers want to know about.

Create a Summary of Qualifications. This consists of four to six sentences that highlight your key experience, strengths and top accomplishments. This is often the first part of any resume read. It needs to be strongly persuasive and you can outline top skills here.

Do not create a list of competencies

One error that many people make is they create a list of competencies or skills and put them across the page in tables. This is an ineffective way to get your keywords across. All keywords need to be involved in sentences and part of your accomplishments that you’re talking about in your work experience section.

Incorrect:

Project management Supervisor Manager

Organizational Development Human Resources Employee Benefits

Employee Relations Contract Management Compensation

More effective:

Use the words in sentences that demonstrate the skill. Example:

· Managed the human resources department employee benefits area negotiating contracts with better terms and lower fees.

Repeat Key Skills

As you create the resume you might use the words that foster the skill you want to emphasize. For example, you could mention project management three or four times throughout the resume. That keyword will be one that the algorithms notices first. That works if you’re looking for a job in which you need to use the skill of project management or if you’re looking for a job as a project manager. Keep in mind that you want to be addressing the skills for the job you’re going after so if it’s a promotion make sure you stress the skills that you have used the most that fill the need stated in that promotion job ad.

SEO when understood is not that hard to incorporate into your resume so you will be found and called in for an interview, the sole goal of your resume.

Forbes.com | January 29, 2019 | Robin Ryan

Career Coaches on the Biggest Mistakes People Make in the Job Search

January 27, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

How often, during a tough week at the office, have you heard your friends say, “Time to update my résumé!” You’ve probably said it, too.

Most people take this approach to the job search, and it makes sense. There’s so much you can’t control about the process, but adding new bullet points to your résumé feels actionable and straightforward.

But when it comes to thinking about your next career move, this isn’t the best place to start, says Jenny Foss, a career coach, certified professional résumé writer, and the voice behind the popular career blog JobJenny.com. “Job seekers will be in much better shape if they think about what they do (and don’t) want in that next job BEFORE they update the résumé,” she explains.

What other not-so-intuitive traps do we fall into? Here, seven experts who coach people through these very scenarios share how to job search the right way:

MISTAKE 1: NOT STARTING WITH YOU

Founder and lead coach Evangelia Leclaire agrees that people often initially focus too much on job search tactics, like their résumé and elevator pitch. “I suggest you focus on you first as the foundation,” she says. “The beliefs, attitude, and energy a smart person will bring to a job search will determine their success.”

Specifically, she advises spending time building up your confidence. Because you’re often competing with hundreds of candidates, it’s easy to doubt yourself, but that’s counterproductive, she explains. “We behave how we believe. So, if you believe that you are not enough or think, ‘I don’t have enough,’ your attitude, approach, and actions will reflect that.”

Some practical tips to boost your confidence? Leclaire suggests jotting down your competencies, character traits, and core strengths and using those to create a vision for your next chapter. She also recommends crafting a narrative about your future ambitions and repeating it daily, both in your mind and out loud.

These mental exercises can be powerful motivation. “You don’t want to end up in a job you hate, or simply tolerate, because you weren’t honest with yourself or didn’t believe you could grow into bigger and better opportunities,” she says.

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MISTAKE 2: THINKING LIKE A HISTORIAN, NOT A MARKETER

Once you’re clear on what you want, is it time to update your résumé? Yes, but maybe not in the same way you’ve done in the past.

Foss often tells her clients that a résumé is a marketing document, not an autobiography that details every role and responsibility you’ve ever had. “Just like in marketing, you’re trying to prompt a purchase decision. In this case, that purchase decision is, ‘Invite you in for an interview,’” she shares. “The easier you make it for decision makers to quickly connect the dots between what they need and what you can walk through their doors and deliver, the better the odds they’re going to want to talk.”

What does this look like in practice? Foss recommends digging into job boards and companies’ careers pages. Pull a few postings, and find the themes and criteria that keep coming up. “For instance, if you pull five job descriptions and four of them indicate in some form that they need someone who can solve complex problems and navigate ambiguity—and you can absolutely do these things—then you need to make it clear very quickly on your résumé that this is you.”

MISTAKE 3: NOT LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE

With that said, don’t forget about all of the skills that you bring to the table. “The biggest mistake smart people make during their job search is not looking at their experience in a holistic way,” says Dorianne St Fleur, a career strategist and the founder of Your Career Girl, a career development agency for black women. “While it may seem like a no-brainer to solely focus on your project management experience if you’re applying for a project management role, consider highlighting the complementary skills you bring to the table as well.”

For example, she explains, if you’re a project manager who also has experience in web design and operations management—and those skills are relevant to a specific role—find a way to highlight them. “Showcasing how your specific background allows you to bring a new perspective to your work will help you stand out among the hundreds of job seekers vying for the same position,” she explains. Just make sure to make it feel like a value add, not a random sidebar of your career. “It’s your job to connect the dots.”

MISTAKE 4: OVEREMPHASIZING WHAT YOU WANT

Another part of your job? Showing a company what you can do for them, not vice versa. “One of the biggest mistakes even the savviest job seekers make is they put too much emphasis on what they want,” explains Emily Liou, career happiness coach and founder of CultiVitae. “When asked, ‘Why do you want to work here?’ or ‘Why are you interested in this role?’ . . . they may catch themselves stating, ‘I want to grow and am ready for greater challenges.’”

But, she cautions, employers don’t really care—at least not initially. “What they want to know is: How will you make our lives easier? What are you going to immediately contribute? How are you going to solve my problem?”

FastCompany.com | December 2, 2019 | BY ADRIAN GRANZELLA LARSSEN

Considering A Career Coach? It Might Be A Good Idea. Study/Survey of 1K Employees about their Experiences with Sources of Professional Support, and Revealed some Interesting Findings.

January 25, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

To explore the benefits of career coaches, the ZenBusiness team surveyed 1,000 employees about their experiences with sources of professional support, and revealed some interesting findings:

Employees that utilized a career coach report a median salary of $50,000—$7,250 more than those that had not
62% of people have had a coach/mentor during their career—86% said the assistance helped advance their career
Workers who sought help from a coach, mentor, or sponsors earn the highest number of promotions (3.5) compared to those only using a sponsor (2.8), only using a mentor (2.6), and using neither a mentor nor sponsor (1.7)

If you’re considering a career coach to help guide your next moves, here’s how you can get started:

Identify Your Career Goals

Create a list of what you want in your current career. With the 35% of people who have utilized a career coach; career coaches were deemed extremely helpful for updating resumes (55%), prepping for job interviews (47%), and creating career plans (38%). Supplying a list of what you need will equip coaches so they can help you navigate your next career step.

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Nurture Professional Relationships

Make it a goal to network more this year. Reach out to co-workers or professionals you admire. Attend local events. Participate in conferences and update your social pages often. This proactive attitude can pay off in exclusive career opportunities and a great network of experienced professionals.

Initiate Mentorship Programs At Work

If your company doesn’t have a program in place to foster professional relationships, consider taking the initiative. Invite your colleagues to lunch and bring groups of people together often. Organize happy hours, volunteering days or team bonding exercises. Facilitating face-to-face interactions between different team members can not only help you form meaningful connections at work, but it will also make your job more enjoyable.

Forbes.com | January 24, 2020 | Shelcy V. Joseph

How to End the Perfect Cover Letter. The Truth is, the Cover Letter is the Only Piece the Recruiter will Read.

January 24, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

You’ve written an amazing intro and compelling body copy that perfectly highlights your achievements, but you’re having a hard time making it through the final stretch — “How in the world do I end this cover letter?” you might be thinking to yourself. The truth is, closing a cover letter is a difficult task for many job seekers. There’s a lot of pressure because, sometimes, the cover letter is the only piece the recruiter will read.

If you want to land an interview with your cover letter, you don’t want to sound vague or wishy-washy. Your cover letter should illustrate why you are the best fit and how you will help the company or organization reach success. However, when writing the closing paragraph of your cover letter, it’s easy to have a passive voice, because you don’t want to appear overconfident. For example, if you say, “I look forward to hearing from you,” that’s great — but that alone doesn’t seal the deal. The closing paragraph of your cover letter must be one of the strongest elements because it is the last impression you leave in the reader’s mind.

Here are five phrases to include in the final paragraph of your cover letter that will help you seal the deal for your next interview.

Examples for How to End a Cover Letter

1. “I am very excited to learn more about this opportunity and share how I will be a great fit for XYZ Corporation.”

Strong cover letter closings are enthusiastic and confident. You want the reader to have the impression you are truly passionate about the position and working for their company. This statement will also illustrate your ability to fit into the company culture and how your personality and work ethic is exactly what they’re looking for.

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2. “I believe this is a position where my passion for this industry will grow because of the XYZ opportunities you provide for your employees.”

It’s always a good idea to explain what you find attractive about working for the company and how you want to bring your passions to the table. By doing this, you can illustrate how much thought you dedicated to applying for the position and how much you care about becoming a part of the company.

3. “If I am offered this position, I will be ready to hit the ground running and help XYZ Company exceed its own expectations for success.”

By adding this piece to your conclusion, you will be able to add some flare and excitement to your cover letter. The reader will become intrigued by your enthusiasm to “hit the ground running.” Employers look for candidates who are prepared for the position and are easy to train. Therefore, this phrase will definitely raise some curiosity and the reader will want to discover what you have to offer for their company.

4. “I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how my qualifications will be beneficial to your organization’s success.”

Remember, you want to make it clear in your cover letter how the employer will benefit from your experience and qualifications. You want to also express how your goal is to help the organization succeed, not how the position will contribute to your personal success.

5. “I will call you next Tuesday to follow up on my application and arrange for an interview.”

The most essential part of your closing is your “call to action” statement. Remember, the purpose of your cover letter is to land an interview. Don’t end your cover letter saying you’ll hope to get in touch. Explain to the reader the exact day and how you will be contacting them. When you state you will be following up with the employer, make sure you do it!

Remember, the closing of your cover letter is the most important element that will help you land your next interview. By crafting a strong, confident and enthusiastic closing paragraph, you will leave the reader feeling like you would be the best candidate for the position.

GlassDoor.com | August 5, 2019 | Posted by Heather Huhman

Three Things An Interviewer(Recruiter) Won’t Tell You.

January 24, 2020/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

An interview is similar to a game of poker. Players look for “tells” and keep their cards closely guarded.

A job interview is a negotiation, a game of “cat and mouse” between a company and a candidate. As a candidate, you share your best material and remain vigilant in hiding your least flattering moments.

You can’t expect a company to behave differently. Hiring managers need to convince you to choose their company over competitors.

For that reason, they want to position the opportunity in the best possible light. Don’t be surprised if an interviewer leaves out a few important details.

1. The Position Is Short-Term

Many positions are created to address a short-term problem.

An assistant position created to help a team of sales reps who are facing a surge of business that is not expected to last.
A compliance position to help a company respond to a new regulation that will likely only last until the next election cycle.
A design engineer whose role will be focused on creating a prototype that might not make it to production.

In the wake of the financial crisis, banks were forced to hire hundreds of “loss mitigation specialists.” The primary function of this position was to work through the glut of distressed debt incurred prior to the meltdown.

Today In: Leadership

Once that pig worked its way through the snake, banks no longer needed the positions. Some were transferred into different roles while others saw their positions eliminated.

A company won’t tell you the short-term nature of the position you apply for, because it would dissuade good talent from accepting offers. This is a riddle you need to solve on your own by asking yourself pointed questions about the long-term need for the position.

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2. The Company Is Struggling To Retain People

You might be the fourth person to apply and accept an offer for the same job in the past year. Why would a hiring manager admit that to you?

First, it is embarrassing. Rampant employee turnover says more about the manager than the employees who leave.

Second, this information would lead to more questions about the position and company.

This should not stop you from trying. A great question to ask any interviewer is, “Why is this position open?” A follow-up might be, “Where is the person who previously held this role?”

If that person was promoted or transferred to a different position, you likely have nothing to worry about. But if they left on their own terms, it is perfectly acceptable to probe for more information.

Most people find out about bad morale on their first day. You can sense it in the way your peers interact with each other and management.

But during the interview process, it is difficult to pick this up if your radar is not searching for clues.

3. You’re On Your Own

Most new employees will get off to a slow start. A Gallup poll found that only 34% of employees strongly agree that their manager knows what project or tasks they are working on.

From an on-boarding perspective, many companies get it wrong. For that reason, nearly 33% of employees start looking for a new job within six months of starting, according to a Harvard Business Review survey.

Regardless of how busy the hiring manager is, they will not admit how they will disappear as soon as you accept your job offer.

They will tell you the exact opposite. You will hear about how closely the two of you will work. They might tell you how they will be with you every step of the way.

This might be true, but feedback from actual employees would point to this being the outlier.

You can mitigate some of this risk by asking for specific questions about your on-boarding.

Can you tell me what my first day will look like?
Will I be assigned someone to train with?
What does the training look like?

If the interviewer is vague about answering these questions and can only offer generic platitudes, rest assured that you will be on your own from the start.

Seek Feedback Elsewhere

A candidate and an interviewer will only share so much. Both typically shine a light on the positives.

Your interviewer will check references on you, both from names you provide and others that they dig up personally. If this is part of their diligence, why can’t you do the same?

Websites like Glassdoor can offer a general glimpse into how people feel in the company, but be careful in putting too much weight on the surveys you find here.

The best performing and happiest people in a company don’t have time to sign up for an account and offer a raving review. They are busy making money. You’ll likely just get the unhappy opinions if this is where you stop.

Check some references of your own. If you are applying for an engineering position in a specific office, run a search on LinkedIn with that location and position.

You are bound to find current or former employees who worked in that role and most will be happy to offer five minutes of feedback. You can learn more from a short conversation with someone in the role than in the rest of the interview process combined.

Remember that both parties need to thoroughly vet the other in the interview process. Don’t focus all of your attention on selling your strengths and experience without investigating whether the role is one that fits what you are looking for.

To follow Ian’s writing, connect at 5on4 Group.

Forbes.com | January 24, 2020 | Ian Mathews