Brilliant Job Search

Be discerning

If you're searching for work (because you're unemployed), you're not alone; in fact, according to the New York Times, new jobless claims are at a 16-year high; more than 4 million of you are looking for jobs. If there's any good news for individuals in this position, it's that the Federal government has just extended unemployment claim eligibility to 46 weeks. If you don't know how unemployment benefits work (and I wouldn't, if I were to suddenly become unemployed) click here.

That being said, I doubt that the less than three hundred bucks per week you're entitled to, will keep either you, or those you support, (or help to support) very comfy.

Now you probably know that the primary job of the unemployed is finding a job. It's hard to do that in an economy where positions are being eliminated more quickly than they are being created.

So, how do you up the odds of finding a job at a time when very few are available? Telling you that is, more or less, the purpose of this blog.

I've already said quite a bit about topics such as the  construction and content of resumes (if you haven't yet read my posts on the topic, scroll down or hit this link ). That being said, there are a few intricacies I want to comment on or re-emphasize.

First of all, if you read (and took direction from) my post about composing your resume with a tool like emurse, it should be pretty easy to store its various renditions in various formats (Microsoft Word, PDF, and  txt).

If you're not going to use a web-based tool, here's how to create the various renditions yourself. The one point that I can't OVEREMPHASIZE is the naming convention you use.

You SHOULD NOT NAME YOUR RESUME FILE "RESUME".

Why? Because, while it may be one of only a few files named resume on YOUR computer, it may be one of thousand files named resume in a recruiter's computer or in a corporate file system. Not only that, but you're asking the recipient of your resume to jump through extra hoops when they don't even know who you are or what you're about. (And in this economy, there will be recruiters who will either be too busy to download resumes from strangers or who will forget to rename your file and won't be able to find it.) Talk about getting lost in the crowd!

The next thing you should do is be mindful of is what you do with your resume. DO NOT send it out to everyone and his brother, and do not post in on the web. You might think that the more resumes you have out, the better your chances of scoring an interview; but the opposite may be true.

Why? Because just as the Internet makes the world seem larger and more accessible, it also makes it more connected and smaller. You see, recruiters tend to e-know each other, respect each other (and each other's opinions), and talk about the jobs they're trying to fill with one another.

So, if you've applied to be a manager at my company and  told me that management is your passion; and if you've also applied to be an individual contributor at my colleague's firm, saying that management isn't your "thing" ; then if we chat about  you,  chances are that neither of us will want to interview you. Why? Because we'll think that you don't know what you want and that the chances of you being happy over the long term, in either role, are questionable. And what's the cost of a wrong hire ? It's more than most employers want to bear (especially in a recession).

There's something else to consider as well. Every time you apply for a position over the web, it's tracked. A manager at a Fortune 50 firm told me that he was going to bring someone in for an interview until a database query revealed that the individual had applied for eight different positions at his firm. He didn't want to hire the guy seven of his colleagues had rejected.

Finally, I will say this; last week I called a prospective candidate about a position he had applied for. "Which company and which job are you calling about?" he asked me. When it became obvious that he had applied to so many jobs that he couldn't verbalize his strong interest in any one, he apologized and told me that he had sent out more than 500 resumes that week. As soon as he said that, I was ready to hang up the phone.I did not want to know anything more about him; his actions spoke for him.

But I held on to the phone and explained why I was put off. I certainly understood that he had probably felt desperate- but who wants to hire a desperate man? Companies want to hire talent and value; they're having to do more with less, so each person has to excel.

Now I'm by no means suggesting that talent, value, and desperation can't co-exist, maybe they can; what I'm saying instead is that, in this market, most employers can't afford to throw caution to the wind to find out.

The bottom line is this: when you send your resume to anyone, be professional and respectful. Present yourself as valuable.  Apply to only those positions for which you are a strong fit. If a company you'd like to work for doesn't have a job open today that calls for your skill set, wait until it does. Be smart, use judgement, help companies discover you as a "strong match" rather than a retread!

It's a lot like Dancing with the Stars

Suppose you've never seen Dancing with the Stars and Emmit Smith comes into your dance studio looking for   work. After you exchange pleasantries, you start asking him the kind of questions you might ask a would-be dance instructor, such as:

You: Can you dance?

Fox: Sure

You: Can you do the fox trot?

Fox: Yes

You: Can you do the mambo?

Fox: I mambo.

You: Waltz?

Fox: I'm alright.

It goes on like this until you're out of questions. At the end of the interview, Fox feels pretty confident; he knows all the dances you need him to know. He smiled at you and you smiled back. He's pretty sure he's got the job. You're pretty sure you won't hire him. Why?

(Now remember you've never seen Dancing With the Stars and Fox didn't bring a resume) Because he didn't tell you how he learned to dance, how much time and effort he put into it, or that he won a contest. He didn't get up and do the cha-cha or demonstrate a proper dance frame. He did nothing other than say "Yes I can do that" without elaborating.

And where does this leave you? Wondering if this massive man can even do the two-step. He's not a likely hire. Why? Because he's failed to tell you WHY he's qualified to do the job.

Before your next interview, take the time to not only make a list of your skills but an elevator pitch that explains why you're the best and how they can't afford NOT to hire you.

Every Employer's Crazy 'Bout a Sharp Dressed...Woman

In a recent New York Times article about how the suit - be it pant or skirt - is making a come back, I must say, I highly agree.  While the idea of a "casual" office always been appealing, what does "casual" actually mean?  And wasn't the idea of a "casual" office actually supposed to support individuality and freedom?  The problem with that is that everyone's interpretation of "casual" ranges from a DNKY City Style or LandsEnd skirt to overalls (yes, I've worked in an office, not a farm, where a woman wore overalls to work every "casual" Friday!).  In this particular office, and I'm sure in many others, the powers that be had to define "casual", which kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think?  But a business suit....while there are many kinds - pant, skirt, traditional navy or black, pinstripe, solid - everyone knows what one looks like.  

Wearing a suit shouldn't be making a comeback, it should have never left.  Do you really think that Alexis Carrington could have been as powerful and manipulating as she was in Dynasty, or Kitty Walker, first a right-wing media personality, then a senior member on Senator McCallister's staff, had they taken the casual attire at-work route?  Alexis' shoulder pads alone had to make her feel more powerful.  Just looking smart in a navy pinstripe suit had to command some respect for Kitty when she walked into the Senator's office.  I am by no means saying that clothes alone will forgive you from actually being and working smart, but dressing like a real business person sure will give you a head start.

You feel as good as you look.  As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I have heard with admiring submission the experience of the lady who declared that the sense of being perfectly well-dressed gives a feeling of inward tranquility which religion is powerless to bestow".  Of course, "perfectly well-dressed" also may mean many different things, depending on the situation.  But remember when you were waiting to grow up to wear "big-girl" clothes?  Well, you're a big girl now in a big-girl world.  I, and the New York Times, suggest you wear them.

Somebody's watching you

If you read job search related newspaper articles at all, you probably already know that there's a  pretty good  chance that your next employer will Google you before you're made a job offer; in fact, they may do that before you're even brought in for an interview.

What will they find?

If you're like I was in 2000, they might find your marathon results, content generated by a hobbie, and/or a plethora of other personal citings that are no more intimate than something someone might tack to a bulletin board.

But chances are that, if you're reading this, you live in an Internet savvy community and you belong to a social networking site of some sort. If that's true, then you should be aware that much of the content that you've contributed to a password protected site is probably accessible by folks with whom you don't have a consensual relationship.

And while this has been true for quite a while, finding ALL your content used to be a rather tedious task; but no more. Spokeo/hr automates background checking on 40 social networks; all the inquiring party has to do is enter your e-mail address and out comes a neatly grouped summary of the text, videos, photos and blogs that appear to be related to you.

Want to see what they'll find? Go here, enter you e-mail addy and check it out.

Everything but the kitchen sink

Guest post by Joe the Plumber

Geez!  If everything written in the article is true, then looking for a job, as I've heard before, is a full- time job!I already have about five different versions of my resume, even though I am looking for a position in only one discipline (I think I should have a clean sink!!!).  We are required to take the time to match our job qualifications to the job positing, yet how many of us have taken a job, been given the job description, and then realized that the description hardly reflects the job we actually perform?  We are required to fit into a box when submitting our cover letter and resume; yet on the job interview, I am sure the company is looking for someone who can think outside of it. 

The idea of asking a current employee for an introduction to the powers-that-be has worked time and time again.  Recently, my friend's son, a junior in college, was looking for an internship for the summer break.   I knew a guy who was very high up in a company that hired IT personnel (my friend's son is an IT major) and asked him if he could help him out.  Because he trusted me, and more importantly because I trusted my friend's son, he did the favor.  The same day that the resume was sent to him, my friend's son was called.  He is now working there full-time.  I also asked another friend for a job interview for an opening at her company, and was granted the interview.  Unfortunately, the company has had a hiring freeze and the position in indefinitely on hold.  I would add this warning, though: It's hard to find friends who have enough influence, and who you would feel comfortable with seeing every day not in a light-hearted friendly way, but possibly in a subordinate position to them.  Be sure you could handle it should you be offered the job.

As I'm writing this, I've received more emails from the various job-search websites I've signed up with to send me the latest listings.  Judging from their needs and how the five versions of my current resumes read, I know I will be filling my kitchen sink with at least twice that many versions.  At some point I think maybe it's my resume - but since I'm feeding back the requirements the companies need and letting them know I can fulfill them, I'm thinking maybe I just need to buy some Liquid Plumber and try again......