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#JobSearch : After Losing Your Job…7 Tips for Job Searching Success.

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Everything has been going along just fine with your career—nothing exciting, but things are stable. But, are they really stable? Do you know what’s around the next corner in your company? And, are you established enough in your career just in case something does happen?

Most companies, many industries, and the economy, in general, are constantly evolving. What does this mean as a worker in this twenty-first century? It means that you have to be prepared for uncertainty and a potential job change.

As a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), I have partnered with over 1,000 clients in developing forward-thinking, eye-catching, and industry-appropriate resumes and cover letters. Unfortunately, many of those clients contact me only when they have lost their jobs and need to quickly rework a 20+-year-old resume or are starting with no documentation.

Along with needing a new resume, there are other things to consider if you lose your job.

#1 – Don’t be ashamed of the job loss. First, job loss can happen to anyone. Companies, merge, businesses close, and organizational needs change. Tell people that you are actively seeking new employment opportunities. Did you know that most jobs are found via networking and existing contacts? It’s a much better way to find a job then replying to hundreds of job postings online.

#2 – Be sure your resume is up-to-date. Although it was mentioned before, it deserves repeating. If you have let others know that you are seeking a new job and they ask for your resume, it doesn’t look good to make them wait for an updated document. Be sure to include your most recent job and know that you don’t have to list why you left that particular position.

Quick note, even if you update your resume with above, today’s resume is more complexed than it was one year ago. You must have keywords that are picked up today by AI systems & algorithms.

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#3 – Get a new email address. Many of us are tied to our job email address, which is obviously gone if you have lost your position. And, home email addresses could be checked by multiple people in the household. Instead, open a new email account that is used specifically for job hunting. Then, you can be sure you will be the only one checking the email account. And, always use your name or a portion of your name as the email address. Don’t use your graduation year, birth year, or other information that could detail your age. Keep it professional and simple.

#4 – Join LinkedIn as your preferred social media outlet. LinkedIn is a professional resource for social media content, updates, company profiles, and job searching. If you already have Facebook, Twitter, and other profiles, then be sure there is nothing out there that could harm your job search. While it is true that everyone has a personal life, it is also true that a quick Google search of your name will generate hits on your social media profiles.

#5 – Attend networking events. Again, most people find job opportunities through contacts they know. If you can attend a local chamber of commerce expo or a local networking group, take the chance and do so. And, if those aren’t available to you, then schedule a lunch appointment with a contact you haven’t seen for awhile. The more people that know you are seeking opportunities, the more eyes and ears are out there assisting you with your job search.

#6 – Never badmouth your ex-employer. Never. Ever. Do. This. Have you ever heard the saying, ‘don’t burn your bridges?’ Well, this rings true when seeking employment. The more you badmouth your ex-employer, the more you are viewed as a critical, sad, and annoying ex-employee. Furthermore, you never know who may know the people and/or company that you are criticizing. It doesn’t matter if what you are saying is true—just don’t do it.

#7 – Take on part-time work, freelance projects, or volunteer opportunities. If you are unsure of your career direction or can’t seem to find the perfect full-time job opportunity, then grab the chance to volunteer with an organization close to your heart, find a part-time opportunity that meets your family needs, or be open to the idea of freelance work. These short-term gigs show future employers that you kept busy during your time away from the full-time workforce and still honed your skills while networking with entirely new groups of people.

Remember that you are not the first person to lose their job and you certainly won’t be the last. By keeping a positive attitude, being proactive, and establishing a network of people that are also seeking opportunities for you, you can be on your way to a new opportunity that may meet your needs even better than your previous position.

FSC Guest Author: Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish has a BBA in management from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, an MBA from Lakeland College, and a Ph.D. in Organization and Management from Capella University. She LOVES helping people position themselves for today’s job market. She can help boost your confidence by creating a resume that helps you land your DREAM JOB. Visit her website @ https://www.feather-communications.com

 

FSC Career Blog | March 29, 2020 | FSC Guest Author, by  

Job Search: The Value of Your Online Presence Being Up-to-Date. Your Online Presence is as Vital Today as Having a Current Resume.

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Many executives don’t appreciate the importance of having a positive online presence. And some don’t understand their online presence should always be kept up-to-date. If you’re actively looking for a job, you’re putting yourself in a big hole if recruiters can’t find you online.

Having a clean and updated executive LinkedIn profile is a necessity today rather than a luxury. It’s worth hiring a professional LinkedIn profile writer if you’ve never developed one before, and there are plenty of other ways to develop and maintain a positive online presence. Here are some reasons why it’s so important. 

Recruiters Always Look For An Online Presence

One of the first things a recruiter will do when they receive a resume is to conduct an online search for the person’s name. If you have a negative online presence, or no online presence at all, then your chances of moving to the next step in the hiring process are slim. At the very least, develop your executive LinkedIn profile to the point where it shows up at the top of the search results. That way, you’ll know exactly what recruiters are seeing when they search for your name.

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Tips For Enhancing Your Online Presence

With the high level of importance of personal branding for senior-level managers, there is always room to improve your online presence. Being active on LinkedIn and other social media platforms will increase your visibility. You can also publish original articles to your blog or social media profiles. Joining LinkedIn groups and participating in discussions on professional forums can also help promote your name. Just be sure to think carefully about everything you post online, as anything you say can be used against you. 

Monitor Your Online Presence Regularly

Once you feel comfortable with your online presence, you can’t get complacent. You should always be looking to improve your presence and brand. Monitoring your brand online is critical since anyone can post negative information about you. Do a search for your name periodically and see what results show up. While you may not be able to remove information completely, you can combat it by responding appropriately. You don’t want to let any negativity about you linger online for too long since it could tarnish your reputation.

Your online presence is as vital today as having a current resume. Recruiters and hiring professionals will search for you  online before they offer an interview. It is imperative that your online presence shows your most recent achievements and activities. Do not make the mistake of letting your online presence become stale and out of date. It could cost you your dream job.

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog |  March 20, 2020

How Old is Your Executive Resume? Simply Updating will Not Do.

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If it’s been a while since you looked for a new job, you likely haven’t updated your resume during that time. Depending on how long it has been, simply making updates to it won’t be sufficient. When writing an effective resume today, you have to take into consideration how it looks digitally as well as on paper.

And a lot of the resume writing strategies that applied a decade ago should be avoided now. Recruiters and hiring managers will be able to easily tell if your resume is dated, so here’s how you can rework yours to catch it up with modern times.

Old Resumes Need To Be Reworked Completely

Any professional resume writing service will suggest rewriting your resume completely if it’s close to a decade old. Sometimes it’s best to start with a blank document so you won’t be tempted to operate under the same framework as your old resume. But when you’ve only written a couple of versions of your resume, and none of them have been recent, how do you know where to start? An executive resume writer is a good resource since they are up-to-date on what should and shouldn’t be included. 

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

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Resume Writing Strategies To Consider

Old resumes didn’t typically highlight a job applicant’s personal brand. Today, personal branding is essential to include on resumes, since it’s what sets you apart from the rest. It can be difficult to do this if you’ve never done it before, so there’s no harm in working with an executive resume writer for assistance.

Keywords, formatting, hyperlinks and more should also be modernized in your resume. With more employers using applicant tracking systems to help them filter through resumes, it’s essential to include proper keywords and phrases to ensure your resume gets recognized. Targeting is also highly recommended when writing an effective resume. Employers can spot a general resume quickly, so do your research and demonstrate your knowledge about the company and their needs in yours. 

Outdated Details Should Be Removed

Details like where you live, professional references, outdated expertise, an objective statement or other personal information don’t belong on resumes anymore. Of course, if a specific employer asks for this information, then you should have it handy and ready to provide it to them. Nothing demonstrates an outdated resume more than including these types of details, which most employers aren’t interested in.

Keeping up with the times is difficult today in the fast-paced world we live in. It’s especially difficult to do so if you have held the same job for many years and need to put together a resume quickly. Take time to consider whether your resume may be out-of-date before you start your job search process.

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

FSC Career Blog |  March 10, 2020

Get Beyond the Pile: Three Ways Your Cover Letter is Hurting Your Chance for a New Job.

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For many people, sending a resume is one thing. Then, when you read the job posting and it asks for a cover letter, you just kind of put one together and hope for the best.

Rather than doing this, it’s better to take some time on this document. Putting time in on the front-end will save you time and effort for each future job opportunity. However, even though you think you have a top-notch cover letter, here are three cover letter mistakes that I consistently see from clients that really hurt their chances of landing that job interview.

Your cover letter format is different than your resume format. The fonts are different, headings don’t match, and the consistency just isn’t there. When the formats don’t align, it looks like you are not consistent with anything. This is your first impression and shows that you don’t have attention to details. Instead, copy and paste your heading from the resume to the cover letter file and ensure fonts, colors (if used), and formatting is the same. This shows cohesion, organization, and alignment with your documents.

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(Want more tips? Download our TOP 5 Resume Tips to GET THE INTERVIEW in Today’s Competitive Job Market. Click HERE to access the free download NOW!)

You addressed the cover letter “To Whom It May Concern.” I like to think of this as the ultimate deal-breaker. If you can’t take the time to find out the appropriate contact person or even just say, “Dear Human Resources Manager,” then you are not worth calling in for an interview. That may sound harsh, but hiring managers need to find an easy way to weed people out and this is one of the easiest. To Whom It May Concern or Dear Sir or Madam are old-fashioned and tired phrases that shouldn’t be used in today’s job market.

Every paragraph starts with the word “I.” After you write your cover letter, quickly scan the left margin and count the number of times you used the word “I.” If it’s more than twice, then you need to rewrite some of the verbiages. Remember—it’s all about the employer—not you. By starting with the word “I,” you are making it about yourself. Use the you-attitude and think of what you can do for the company and how your skills will help them. Mention things like “your company,” “your needs,” “your unique vision,” etc.

Remember that the cover letter is one of the first items that an HR Leader(recruiter) reads. Make a great first impression so they are interested enough to keep reading and find out more about your skill-set and how you can successfully impact the organization.

FSC Guest Author: Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish has a BBA in management from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, an MBA from Lakeland College, and a Ph.D. in Organization and Management from Capella University. She LOVES helping people position themselves for today’s job market. She can help boost your confidence by creating a resume that helps you land your DREAM JOB. Visit her website @ https://www.feather-communications.com

 

 

FSC Career Blog | March 4, 2020 | FSC Guest Author, by  

Don’t Make These Resume Mistakes. Great Two(2) Min Read!

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Whether I am working with a CEO, a customer service manager, or a teacher, I consistently see the same resume mistakes over-and-over again. Remember—if you haven’t written a resume in five or more years, things have changed!

Please see the list below for the most common resume mistakes and how to avoid them.

Tip #1 – Don’t include personal details. Believe it or not, people sometimes include photos, marital status, and personal hobbies. Photos and personal details allow individuals to pre-judge you BEFORE you even get to the interview. Stay with professional information and documentation.

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Tip #2 – Don’t include SO MUCH information. I understand that your work history is important and it’s difficult to know where to ‘draw the line’ with what is and what isn’t included. However, including everything makes NOTHING stand-out. Focus on what that particular employer needs to know about you. Keep the information concise and on-target for your desired positions.

Tip #3 – Beware of strange formatting. Don’t decide to utilize three different fonts, some clip art, and various colors. It’s very important to be consistent with your formatting and to give your resume a clean, cohesive, and consistent appearance. Remember – a recruiter or hiring manager is most likely only reviewing the document for about 5-7 seconds…you do NOT want that person to be distracted by formatting.

Tip #4 – Ensure space is utilized. Your resume contains prime real estate and we want that real estate to work for us. Put a header at the top of your resume instead of the word “Summary.” Mention your past positions or future desired positions by stating something like, “Executive-Level Administrative Assistant” or “Entry-Level Accounting Professional.” And, don’t include things like hobbies and volunteerism if you have more pertinent and relevant information that is DIRECTLY related to your future roles.

The tips listed here are just the start of things to consider when crafting your updated resume. If you are still unsure of how to include certain information or what sections you need to use on your resume, I’d love to chat – click HERE now!

 

FSC Career Blog Author:  Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, owner of Feather Communications, based in Colfax, Wisconsin, has been working with job seekers since 2008 to develop eye-catching and dynamic resumes for today’s marketplace. She is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and has written thousands of resumes for clients in a variety of fields. Dr. Rothbauer-Wanish has a BBA in Management, an MBA, and a PhD in Organization and Management.

 

FSC Career Blog| February 27, 2020

#BestofFSCBlog : How Often Should I Be Posting (job boards) Resumes for My Job Search?

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When searching for a new career position, the job seeker has two options – as an active search or passive candidate.  A passive candidate will update their resume, ensure their LinkedIn profile is robust and complete, and post their resume online to the big resume databases (e.g., Monster, Indeed), but then sit back and wait for folks to find them.

 An active candidate will update their resume constantly (especially if still employed) and consistently post to open positions. They will also upload resumes into company resume databases, regardless of whether the business has an open requisition that matches their skills.  The purpose of loading resumes into company databases is to help recruiters ‘harvest’ skills of qualified candidates from their ‘resume farm’ when that new job requisition is posted.

An active job seeker should be seriously networking with friends, peers, co-workers, clients, and industry group members. Statistics seem to support networking will result in hires for about 65% of the time.  It’s also productive to be a part of a trade group or industry organization. For instance, MeetUp.com has trade groups from computer geeks and coding programmers to quilters and writers and website designers and marketers.  Members in these network groups join to learn something new or interact with like-minded folks. Recruiters may pop in to scope potentially qualified candidates for future positions.   The human resources organization, SHRM, has job opening posted on their website, as well as monthly meetings for continuing education credits, where sometimes as many as a few hundred HR-related members will show up, including recruiters.

Sales reps should track top clients’ point of contact – not just to respond to work-related communications, but to develop friendships beyond work. If the job seeker is an amazing salesperson or customer service rep, that customer will remember you and maybe a great source for industry job openings – as well as being able to provide work referrals.

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One overlooked source is state employment agencies. The Virginia Employment Commission is an example.  Job seekers can visit the website, create a profile, upload a resume, and post to positions online or wait until an employer reaches out.  Some companies post open jobs to this resource to save recruiting costs (its free to Virginia-based companies).  Other companies use this option to ensure Affirmative Action Plan goals by postings jobs to reach the minority, disabled, and veteran job seekers.

There is nothing wrong with driving around a geographic area and looking at businesses located within the desired commute.  Alternatively, use Google maps to search.  For instance, a Computer Scientist with a desired commute of no more than an hour from Gloucester uses the search term ‘Software Development.’ They may find a few software or IT companies in Gloucester, as well as a dozen potential employers in Richmond, Williamsburg, and Newport News.

So, the answer to the question, “how often should I be posting my resume into databases?” is varied.  If you are unemployed, and a serious job seeker, then your full-time job is ‘looking for work.’ You should be posting resumes to job announcements and uploading the resume into company resume databases (ATS) for between 10-20 resume uploads and applications daily.  Your goal is to get your resume into as many company databases as physically possible to increase the potential for ‘being seen’ by recruiters.

If you are a passive job seeker, then post your resume to the big databases once and ensure your LinkedIn Profile is ‘open for inquiries from recruiters.’ Both active and passive job seekers should revisit resume databases every 30 days to update (just add a line or space) by reloading the ‘updated’ resume to ‘trick’ the system into thinking it’s an entirely new resume.  (Most job board or resumes systems push resumes down in the results queue as they age.)

How long should a job seeker expect to search for a position?  If you have a well-written resume and are posting to the perfectly matched job descriptions and getting phone calls from employers for interviews (and you interview well), there is a loose standard for time expectations.

Before the 2009 market crash, during the economic boom, the expectations were an average of one month of job searching for every $10K in salary expectations over $40K annually. The present economic environment is similar, so if the job seeker is looking for a minimum of $60K annually, then about two months would be the average search.  To reduce that time factor, it’s vital to post hard, post fast, and apply for the maximum daily time allowance daily.  It usually takes about a week for valid job inquiries to come back from most recruiters who are actively searching for keywords and phrases in the resume.

 

FSC Guest Author: Dawn Boyer, Ph.D., owner of D. Boyer Consulting – provides resume writing, and editing/publishing/print-on-demand consulting in the Hampton Roads and Richmond metropolitan areas. Reach her at: Dawn.Boyer@me.com or visit her website at www.dboyerconsulting.com.

 

FSC LinkedIn Network |  February 19, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

Number of words, including title and POC info:  ~829

 

SEO Key Words for web post:

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Bio: Dawn D. Boyer, Ph.D., has been an entrepreneur and business owner 20+ years, with her own consulting firm (CEO) in Hampton Roads and Richmond, VA.  Her background experience is 24+ years in the Human Resources field, of which 12+ years are within the Federal & Defense Contracting industry.   She is the author of 822+ books on the topics of business, human resources research, career search practice, women and gender study, genealogy and family lineages, quotes for motivation and self-improvement, and Adult Coloring Books.  Her books can be found on Amazon.com under Dawn D. Boyer, Ph.D.

 

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

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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.

How to Write a Cover Letter

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

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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.

How to Master the Art of Bragging Like a Pro

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.

 

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5 Common Mistakes Job Seekers Make When Searching For Resume Help Online. Before You Pay, Read This!

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Resume help can be found all over the web. There are resume templates and builders to help format your resume, online tools to identify important industry keywords, resume samples to get inspiration from, and articles like this one containing tips and tricks to help elevate your resume to the next level.

In fact, there are so many resources to choose from that sometimes it’s hard to pick out what’s actually accurate and useful. Like anything you Google on the internet, there’s going to be a lot of hogwash that just isn’t worth your time. So with this in mind, here are 5 mistakes you should avoid when searching for resume help online.  

Mistake 1: Believing the first thing you read

Your resume may be printed in black and white, but how you should actually go about writing your resume certainly isn’t that simple. Blanket statements that “resumes should never exceed one page” or that “resumes should never include an objective statement” are thrown around willy-nilly by self-proclaimed resume experts all the time. Sadly though, things are almost never this simple. Many of these pieces of advice are oftentimes only applicable in certain situations, and sometimes just downright incorrect.

Before treating the first piece of advice you read as gospel, be sure to do some more research. Ask yourself: What’s the logic behind the advice? Does the advice apply to everyone at all job levels and in all industries? Is the advice an oversimplification of the truth? Do all resume experts agree on it? 

 

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

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Mistake 2: Paying for something you can get for free

Let’s get two things straight here. First, whatever type of resume help you’re searching for, chances are there’s a way to get it for free. Whether it’s resume builders, resume templates, resume samples, resume critiques, or resume articles, you can easily find free options for all of these resources. 

Second, just because there’s a paid option doesn’t mean it’s any better than the free option. This is the trap many of us can fall prey to. We see a fancy resume template that costs $20, and we immediately think it must somehow be better than all the free templates we’ve been staring at for the past hour because one costs money and the others do not. In actuality, paid templates are oftentimes too over-the-top and not compatible with applicant tracking systems.

Mistake 3: Hoping resume builders will solve all your problems

Resume writing can be a very painstakingly difficult and drawn-out process. This is why many job seekers turn to online resume builders with the hope that they will make the writing process a whole lot more bearable. Unfortunately, this is all just wishful thinking. 

For the most part, resume builders really only help you with formatting your resume by providing an assortment of different resume templates to switch between. While this certainly is a handy feature, resume builders are completely useless when it comes to helping you with what you’re likely really struggling with – writing the actual content of your resume. So, if you’re looking for help with highlighting your work achievements and constructing each bullet point, don’t get swept up in all the hype resume builders are getting these days.

Mistake 4: Not utilizing resume samples

If resume builders are the most overrated tool, I daresay the most underrated resource you can use would be industry-specific resume samples. While everything else you find online merely tells you how to write a resume, resume samples actually show you how a well-written resume should look like – and that’s priceless.

I’ve had so many job seekers over the years ask me to critique their current resume, and many of them looked nothing like how professional resumes should appear. Whether it’s using a poor design, personal pronouns, paragraphs instead of bullet points, or oversized fonts, job applicants often make a ton of fundamental mistakes that can easily be avoided by perusing online resume samples in order to understand the basic mechanics of a resume.

The Dos and Don’ts of Resume Editing

Mistake 5: Failing to realize when to use resume writing services

The crème de la crème – that is the standard you should be setting for your resume. However, if writing has just never been your forte or if English isn’t your native language, it can be nearly impossible to get your resume to that level of excellence all by yourself – even with all the online resources out there at your disposal. If that’s the situation you’re in, you should consider asking for professional help.

Now keep in mind, this is by far the most expensive alternative to take when it comes to having your resume written. Even as the CEO of a resume service myself, I would only suggest using a resume writing service as a last resort. However, if you are certain that you can’t write a stellar resume on your own and can afford to spend a few hundred dollars on a resume, then going with a resume writing service may be the best decision you can make for your career.

It’s honestly awesome that there are so many ways the internet can help you with writing your resume. However, don’t just dive into this without any strategy in place. With so much at your disposal, it’s important to identify what types of help are out there and what exactly you need help with.

 

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#BestofFSCBlog : How to Search for a Job. This Today’s Guide will Take you Through Every Step You Need . Best One Stop REad!

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A Guide for Finding & Landing the Job of Your Dreams

Whether you’ve never searched for a job before — perhaps you’re a new college graduate — or it’s been so long since you’ve applied to a position that you don’t know where to begin, have no fear, dear job seeker. This guide will take you through every step you need to take to snag your dream job, from how to prepare to the best days to search. Read on for more.

How to Prepare

As they say, sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to simply start. When you’re looking for a new job, this statement is true: with thousands of job listings to consider, and what seems like a million items on your job-search to-do list, it can be tough to force yourself to sit down at your computer and get to work. But the good news is, with preparation, you can make your job search so much easier. How can you prepare? Here are a few simple steps.

Ramp up your resume: You’ll want to tweak your resume for each job you apply to, but it is still a good idea to make sure it’s up-to-date and in tip-top shape. Reconnect with yourreferences to make sure they’re still willing to vouch for you, and proofread for errors. Review your resume and ensure all dates, positions and descriptions are accurate.

Practice for an interview: While you can’t prepare for every single interview question you will be asked, you can still brush up on your interviewing skills by practicing your answers to the mostcommon questions asked by recruiters and managers alike. Knowing how you will respond in advance will keep you cool, calm and collected during any future interviews.

Network: Mark industry events on your calendar that you can attend, where you can meet recruiters or industry insiders who can give you the scoop on open positions. Alternatively,join a club or organization you’re passionate about. You never know who you could meet there — or the ways you could help your resume pop — by giving your time to a good cause.

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

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What Days You Should Search

You may think that any day is a good day to search for a job. And while that’s mostly true, data shows that there are better days to apply than others. In fact, Tuesday seems to be the best day of the week to send in your resume. (And the same research shows that you could find more success in your job search in the months of February, March, May and June.)

Another important element when it comes to the timing of your job search is to make sure it doesn’t consume all your time. (If it does, you’ll go crazy —trust us.) So stick to a 72-hour schedule, if possible: prepare on Monday, apply on Tuesday and follow-up on Wednesday.

What Sites You Should Use

Of course, we think Glassdoor is the best place to search for a new job. (The stats don’t lie: Glassdoor helps 67 million people per month in their job search.) But that doesn’t mean Glassdoor is the only site you can use in your job search.

If you’re looking for a flexible work schedule—or even the chance to work from the comfort of your couch five days a week—consider signing up on FlexJobs, a site that only posts job listings for positions that offer flexible or remote work options. (FYI: it’s a paid service.)

Another website you could use in your job search is LinkedIn. After all, it’s not just a place to post your resume; LinkedIn also posts job listings tailored to your field and interests. So, make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and robust, with projects, videos, or blogs.

Other sites that post job listings include: Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder and US Jobs.

How You Can Use Apps in Your Job Search

Your phone could be your new best job-search friend: with apps, you can ramp-up your job search, get prepared for an interview, get reminders for follow-ups and so much more.

Did you know Glassdoor has an app? It does! And it’s a great one to use to find jobs. The app pairs millions of open job listings with important information like company reviews, salary estimates, interview questions and more to help prep you for the job hunt.

You’ve got dozens of jobs to apply to, and that’s a lot to organize. We’ll get to the nitty-gritty of organizing your job search soon, but in the meantime, download Workflow, an app that will help you organize your job content and create shortcuts that will save you major time.

Once you’ve scheduled an interview, it’s time to practice your interview skills. If you’re the kind of person who clams up, consider using Orai as a speaking coach. The app will “coach you to add fewer filler words, speak clearly, and at a good pace,” according to its website.

Lastly, don’t forget the value of social media apps in your job search. You should use social media to build a personal brand, which will make you more attractive to a hiring manager. (For example, you can post pictures or summaries of projects you’ve worked on, include a short bio about your skills, or share articles that show you know a lot about the industry.)

 

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#CareerAdvice : #ResumeTips – #Recruiters Nightmares: The Copy and Paste Resume

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“I was told to copy the job description online to ensure key words were in my resume …” is something I often hear from resume clients. Job seekers copy and paste ‘everything’ from the online announcement but can’t understand why they are ignored.  Copying and pasting a job description won’t help.

When recruiters see ‘copy & paste’ resumes, they recognize and reject the resume. Recruiters want to read applicant job accomplishments, task capabilities, and achievements … written uniquely to a job seeker’s specific background, skills, and experience.

Job seekers can analyze the important words from an open position announcement by scrutinizing the job requisition for general and specific requirements sections.  Ignore the benefits and company description.  Target the ‘must have’ qualifications for clues to key words recruiters are seeking.  For example, the job requisition “Budget Analyst” (posted on usajobs.gov) notes:

  • Assist in work to be accomplished; communicate assignments, problems to be solved, issues, and deadlines.
  • Coach team in selection and application of appropriate problem solving methods and techniques; resolve employees complaints.
  • Maintain program and administrative reference materials, project files / relevant documents; prepare reports; maintain records of accomplishments / administrative information.
  • Represent the team for the purpose of obtaining resources; securing needed information or decisions from the supervisor on major work problems / issues.
  • Represent team findings and recommendations in meetings; deal with issues that have an impact on the team’s objectives, work products and/or tasks.
  • Research a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods to identify, assess, analyze and improve team effectiveness, efficiency and work products.

This description is in the generalized job section.  “Assisted in work” could equate to a team member assigned specific workload assignments to research, analyze, identify, and implement solutions to problems, methods, and technical issues. “Represent the team” can be interpreted as presenting reports on specific topics to a group.  “Maintain program and administrative reference materials” could equate to a document-database librarian or database maintenance tech with software skills, and alphabetical- and numeric-filing capabilities, and ability to recognize documents ‘classes.’ “Prepare reports and maintain records” of work accomplishments equates to filing documents in a manual or in digital format (e.g., create electronic files on a server or SharePoint website in a logical organized manner.

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

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“Research qualitative and quantitative” equates to an ability to ask questions, perform statistical analysis, and possibly conduct Lean Six Sigma studies or process improvements to work tasking, production (lowered man-hours), recommending automation processes for work-task processing, and improving customer service timing and services.  “Resolve simple complaints” could equate to ‘being a people person’ (please don’t use that cliché’ term!) able to provide diplomatic work-place resolutions fair to all parties.

What is missing in this ‘general’ job description? Anything related to financials, accounts receivables or accounts payables, budget oversight, monetary or financial analysis.  Now review the ‘must have’ job description details:

“Knowledge of budget concepts, process, financial coding structure and the interrelationships among appropriations; interpret budgetary aspects of laws, regulations, policies, procedures and provide guidance; interpret / apply budget instructions, administrative memoranda, and regulatory guidelines from procedural, technical standpoint; analyze and relate financial data to work plans, business plans, Strategic Plans, and organizational accomplishments” notes specific key words the job applicant must ensure is describing past and current experience in their resume to catch the eye of the recruiter.

Target the mandated job skill requirements and write about tasks accomplished related directly to that experience using the key words.  “Knowledge of budget concepts, process, financial coding structure and the interrelationships among appropriations” means describe the accounting system (name brand software) and the line item coding, accounts receivables / accounts payable, budget appropriations (funding) and funding designations (to / from business units) and obtaining approvals for expenditures.

The section noting: “interpret budgetary aspects of laws, regulations, policies, procedures, and provide guidance” means detailing knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP), and experience as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) law, regulatory compliance (including Sarbanes-Oxley; SOX), and internal company policies and procedures related to taxes, budgeting, finances, and accounting to advise peers and management.  The ability to “analyze and relate financial data to work plans, business plans, Strategic Plans …” means data research, analysis, auditing, and compiling reports to share in group presentations.

The remainder of the job description is more ‘generic’ capabilities. The ability to “communicate orally and in writing; make presentations clearly; manage time, balance priorities, and work under tight timeframes and conditions; use of computer for word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, and communications programs; use of analytical and problem-solving techniques; use of automated financial systems” can easily be interpreted as strong work capabilities that are discussed in the same bullets explaining specific skill requirements.

Copying and pasted the original job description won’t help job seekers.  Describe ‘how’ a specific task or responsibility matches the job description’s mandatory experience requirements to showcase an ability to interpret, analyze, and write to satisfy the recruiter’s need for documented capabilities.  Recruiters can read between the lines for skills, experience, and education via those key words describing experience.

Guest Author of the FSC Career Blog: Dawn Boyer, Ph.D., owner of D. Boyer Consulting – provides resume writing, and editing / publishing / print-on-demand consulting. Reach her at: Dawn.Boyer@me.com or visit her website at www.dboyerconsulting.com. 

 

FSC Career Blog | July 30, 2019 

 

 

Number of words, including title and POC info:  ~871

Sent to: Inside Business, Virginian Pilot, Ron Crow via ron.crow@insidebiz.com

 

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Key Word Hash-Tags (#):

 

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Bio: Dawn D. Boyer, Ph.D., has been an entrepreneur and business owner 20+ years, with a successful business in Richmond, and in her own consulting firm (CEO) in Virginia Beach, VA.  Her background experience is 24+ years in the Human Resources field, of which 12+ years are within the Federal & Defense Contracting industry. She is the author of 750+ books on the topics of business, human resources research, career search practice, women and gender