J Patrick + Associates Blog

Are you ruining your chances of getting a raise?

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Dec 23, 2014 @ 12:33 PM

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With January just around the corner you’re probably already thinking about New Year’s Resolutions. I’m willing to bet that “make more money” is toward the top of your list.

But before you walk into your boss’ office asking for a raise you may want to check yourself. The truth is you could easily ruin your chances of getting a raise if you aren’t careful.

If you’re exhibiting any of the following signs or behaviors you may have some work to do before you can ease your chances of getting that raise.

 

Feeling entitled to a raise.

I’ve previously mentioned how executive arrogance can get in the way of landing a job, so it should be of no surprise that it can also impede you from getting a raise.

Bottom line is you are not entitled to anything, not even more money. Furthermore, no one is going to give you what you want unless they like you.

As such, you may want to start checking your attitude at the door.

 

Not being concerned with what’s in it for the decision maker.

Humans are pretty simple creatures: most of the time we’re just concerned with what’s in it for us.

Unfortunately, we tend to forget about the other person when we’re asking for something we want. We think it’s all about our gain without even considering what the other person will gain as a result.

This is especially important when you’re asking for more money because your request can easily seem like a loss to the decision maker. They’re immediate thought will probably have something to do with the company budget.

The lesson is simple: you must make sure they are aware of how they will benefit as a result of you getting a raise.

It could be that they keep you as an employee. Or, it may be that your skills are hard to come by and very much needed to handle current company problems. The point is to get clear on why giving you more money is also a good thing for the company.

 

Not understanding human psychology.

Understanding human psychology can go a long way in social and professional situations. It eases tense situations and makes persuading another person much easier.

By not educating yourself on communication, body language and persuasion techniques you’re missing out on a lot of tools that will not only better your chances of getting that raise, it will also make your entire life easier.

You can even use human psychology before asking for a raise to improve productivity, teamwork and results therefore putting you in a better position overall when it comes time to ask for that raise.

 

Not going the extra mile.

Just because you’re an executive doesn’t mean you no longer have to go the extra mile or prove yourself worthy of more money.

It’s never enough to do only what’s expected of you. Anyone can do that. Instead, you need to focus on managing other people’s expectations and then exceeding them.

For example, you can’t just meet quarterly goals, you need to consistently blow them out of the water.

Bottom line is you’re never done proving yourself.

 

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, an accomplished executive resume writer, social media profile writer and job search consultant, to achieve social media exposure and interviews you want, sign up for an exploratory call now and learn about the Chameleon Resumes services that can help you land your next role.

Tags: Career Strategies

3 Little Known Ways to Conduct a Long-Distance Job Search (Relocation)

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Mon, Oct 20, 2014 @ 10:00 AM

conduct a long distance job search 300x300Sometimes the perfect executive level job for you just doesn’t seem to exist in your area. You resolve to looking for jobs that require you to relocate thinking this will help expand your job search.

While this may be true, you soon realize there’s a special set of challenges that present themselves when trying to conduct a job search that requires relocation. Use the tips below to show recruiters that you are serious about relocating for the job.

 

Try Recruiters That Work Within the Company

The first step in applying for a job that requires relocation is to find recruiters who are willing to work with you. This is, unfortunately, a little more complicated than it sounds.

Local third-party recruiters may be skeptical to take you seriously as a candidate.. Reason being that their income (the fees the company is paying them) is contingent upon the candidate actually showing up to work. If the candidate needs to relocate this presents the chance that they will not come through.

The recruiters within the company may be skeptical for the similar reasons. The good news is their pay isn’t contingent upon presenting a candidate which makes them much easier to work with.

Direct recruiters (also known as corporate recruiters) may be more willing to accept your candidacy if you can provide a P.O. Box or a local address. They’ll also be more willing to help you out if you have circumstances that would help you relocate regardless of whether or not you had the job, such as family in the area.

 

Show Commitment to the Move

This is not the time to say something like “I’m a financial professional looking into filling your CFO position. I’m currently in California but I’m considering a relocation to New York for the position.”

If you want a job that requires relocation you must commit to it. By telling the recruiter you are “considering” relocation this only tells them that you may not be serious. As a result they will not be likely to work with you.

You must remember that recruiters aren’t really looking for candidates outside of the area so you must pursue them with confidence. Furthermore, you have an advantage – when it comes to executive level positions good candidates are hard to come by.

Rather than talking about your considerations use affirmative statements, give dates and take hold of the reigns. For instance, “I am moving to New York and I will be there on the 27th. I’d like to set up an interview for the CFO position. Here are my qualifications.”

 

Network in the Area

Having personal referrals gets you far when looking for a job that requires relocation. Tap into your network and see if any of your contacts know someone in the area. Connect with the recruiters on LinkedIn or see if your college has any alum in the area.

This gives you the opportunity to reach out to people directly which makes all the difference when wanting to relocate.

No job search is complete without a rock-solid, comprehensive resume which reflects the experience and expertise necessary for your desired position.  If you want to take your resume to the next level to stop recruiters in their tracks, register for our no-cost How to Design a Powerful Executive Resume to Land Interviews…Even If You’re Not An Executive Webinar, live tomorrow, Thursday, Sept 18th at 9:30am EDT.

 

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer

If you are interested in working with Lisa Rangel, an accomplished executive resume writer, social media profile writer and job search consultant, to achieve social media exposure and interviews you want, sign up for an exploratory call now and learn about the Chameleon Resumes services that can help you land your next role.

Tags: Career Strategies

What Every Executive Needs to Know About Handling A Layoff

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Mon, Oct 13, 2014 @ 10:00 AM

How Should an Executive Deal with a Layoff

Although we may like to think that we are always in control of our careers, sometimes unforeseen circumstances take us for a loop. One such circumstance is that of an executive layoff. The good news is, in most cases, you should know ahead of time that you are on the executive layoff list. This gives you time to plan your next moves as an executive who now finds themselves on the job hunt. The bad news is this presents a set of challenges you were not expecting.

Use our tips on handling a layoff to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Mourn your loss.

No matter which way you slice it, a layoff can seem devastating – especially if you didn’t see it coming…even with advanced notice. Before doing anything, make sure to actually feel any emotions of frustration, sadness or anger. Simply put, you want to get it out sooner rather than later so it doesn’t affect your ability to look for work. Stuffing the feelings down and not honoring your feelings as they happen will cause havoc on your search later in the process, when the feelings escape in an unplanned manner in the form of fear, anxiety and/or gloom. Furthermore, getting the emotions out early makes it easier to answer the “Why are you looking for work?” question. While being a part of a layoff is a perfectly acceptable answer you don’t want to run the risk of showing any negative emotions when on the interview. The interview is not the time for therapy. Lastly, you’ll want to change your mindset. It’s easy to see yourself as a victim in a layoff. Unfortunately that kind of mentality won’t help you find your next job. Instead, try seeing it as a fresh slate for a new adventure. It’s a much more empowering perspective that can lead to major motivation during your new job search.

Update yourself on the latest trends.

If it’s been a while since you’ve looked for a job you may find yourself with a lot of changes. The best thing you can do is prepare yourself and research what has changed since you last looked for work. For instance, you may want to look into new technology services, hop on social media and research the latest trends in job hunting.

Start sending out feelers immediately.

If you know your time at your job is limited you’ll want to start reaching out to your contacts and send out some feelers. By letting people know that you are looking for a new job you open the door for them to help you. In fact, many jobs are found precisely because the candidate had a contact. Start with your more personal contacts, like colleagues you know well. You can then work your way into putting out feelers on LinkedIn and contacting recruiters.

Think outside of the box.

While layoffs may be a sign of a shaky economy the good news is that there is always someone looking to hire. However, this may require you to think outside of the box a bit. For instance, maybe you’ve been a sales executive for a software company for 15 years and really enjoy the art of selling. Rather than limiting yourself to only software companies try asking yourself which industry currently needs someone with your particular skill set. The reality is you can bring a lot of value to a new industry as an outsider so why not broaden the job search?

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer


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Tags: Job Search, Career Strategies

Do You Have Job Search Burnout?

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Apr 22, 2014 @ 10:00 AM

Job Search Burnout

Despite it being a new year, many job seekers have been looking for a job already…in some cases, conducting that job search for a while and are burnt out.

While some job seekers have new inspiration to start a search, I know some of you may be tired and burnt out on your search and need a renewed source of perspective. Well, you have come to the right place.

When you are burnt out on your job search, you may need a mental break. Rest to rejuvenate is crucial, but what I think can be equally as effective is to give a good, hard look at the job search activities that you have been doing.

Are you setting yourself up for disappointment and job search burnout? 

Here are 5 Questions to Ask yourself

1. Have you submitted to more than 10 – 20 online job postings per week?

If yes, then you may be spending too much time on job boards and not enough time engaging actual people. You should not be spending more than 10% of your job search time on job boards. Set up Google Alerts and job alerts within notable job boards to have applicable jobs emailed to you and stop wasting time mining for jobs on the boards. 

2. Are you Reaching Out Directly to Hiring managers?

Of the job applications you applied online, how many did you find someone at the company and reach out directly to connect about your application?

If the answer is less than 50%, you are depending on the computer/database gods to get you an interview, when you need to be talking to people. You need human discussion (phone and email) and contact (in person meetings) throughout this process to stay energized and get hired. “A computer hired me,” said no one ever.

3. How Many People are you Talking to?

I suggest keeping a log of how many conversations you are having with people. If it is less than 10-15 people per week, you need to step it up. Again, people hire people–so talk to people. Computers do not hire people, so do not spend time submitting to electronic job applications for most of your time. 

4. Do You Say "I'm Open to Anything"?

If this is exactly how you ask them, I ask you: Do they know what you do, really? Do they know specifically what you want? It is much better to say, “I am looking for an accounting manager position with a mid-sized company in manufacturing” or “I am seeking a customer service position with a technology firm” than say “Hey, let me know if you hear of any job openings” — Specific is so much better than general each and every time! Specific also breeds confidence. 

5. Are you speaking to the right people in your industry?

How many new contacts are you adding to your contacts list each week–or are you circling back to the same 50 – 200 people each month? Add new people by attending industry and profession-related networking events, alumni get-togethers, former co-worker get-togethers and events in your community. Be sure your business card markets you in a memorable way.

Generally speaking, if you are not speaking to people about your job search, not speaking in specifics to people about your job search and/or not speaking to the right people, you could be spinning your wheels a bit, which will contribute to your burn out. It is important to rest and have fun to recharge…but it is also important to do the right activities suggested above to help support your success and preserve your mindset. Good luck!!


Originally posted at: Chameleon Resumes on Job Search Burn Out - Lisa Rangle

 


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Tags: Job Search, SaaS, Job Interviews, Resume Optimization, Career Strategies

How Having Life-Work Balance Can Help Advance Your Career

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Apr 15, 2014 @ 10:00 AM

The Importance of Like-Work Balance

Many people assume that companies couldn’t care less about life-work balance. 

On the contrary, many companies are now trying to make sure their employees are healthy, happy, and balanced. As a result, they want to make sure that any new employees they take on (or anyone they promote) embody these same characteristics. 

The reality is only by being a balanced employee can you attract a truly balanced employer. (Note: We call it life-work balance, as we believe only by putting life first, can you start to have life-work balance.) 

Below you’ll find some reasons why companies want balanced employees as well as how life-work balance can help advance your career. These are all ideas you can implement at the office and at home.

 

Start hitting the gym again

If you’ve been thinking about getting healthier you can now add another reason to the list as to why you should: companies know that healthy people help make them profits. 

Think about it...

Healthy people take less sick days, look good, and have a lot of energy. More specifically, companies know that unhealthy people cost them their bottom line. To put it into numbers unhealthy employees cost companies $1.1 trillion in lost productivity. Many companies have tried to combat this by implementing healthy initiatives that encourage employees to take care of themselves, like lunchtime yoga or run clubs. 

If it’s been a while since you’ve hit the gym you may want to get yourself a new membership and stick to it. As a bonus, we all know that exercise helps us deal with stress, an attribute that is essential for high-level jobs.

 

Practice determining priorities

Having priorities and acting accordingly not only helps you become less stressed, but it also shows a company that you can handle getting the important stuff done. Furthermore, multitasking actually makes people less productive, so prioritizing allows you to follow through on your responsibilities at your highest capacity. 

You can start by ridding your schedule of anything that only makes you seem busy. For some this may mean leaving for lunch instead of working at their desk. For others, it may require dropping committees they joined but have no interest in. Take a look at your calendar and start getting rid of anything that is not essential.

 

Learn how to outsource and delegate

At an executive level, you will be expected to outsource and delegate to other employees or departments, however this a skill that many people can’t seem to master. If you have the tendency to want to do everything by yourself, stop it and start asking for help. 

By delegating to others you give yourself the space to tackle your most important tasks for the company. It also lifts a weight off of your shoulders when you realize you don’t have to do everything by yourself. This is also a skill that hiring managers are really looking out for so make sure to give them concrete examples of how you delegate tasks to others.

 

Start setting clear boundaries

Employees will oftentimes find themselves stressed and unproductive because they didn’t put proper boundaries in place. For instance, maybe they have an open-door policy and people pop in at all hours of the day, causing them to lose their focus and take on too much. Or, perhaps they are still answering work emails in the wee hours of the night. Neither of these scenarios help employees get their work done and could have negative long term effects on their health. 

The only way to combat this is to set boundaries and stick to them. In order to get the most out of your career, you must make sure you’re taking care of yourself. By implementing some of these strategies you not only start living a healthier life, but you also express qualities that are needed in a leader.

Originally posted at: Chameleon Resumes on Life-Work Balance

 


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Tags: Career Strategies

How To Have The Right Job Find You

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Oct 22, 2013 @ 10:00 AM

How to Have the Right Job Find You

Make no mistake--being found by the right job is not a passive job search tactic. Eliminate the vision of sipping margaritas on the deck waiting for recruiters to call. Today’s job seeker must put a lot of thought and hard work into ensuring she/he is a part of communities where hiring managers source for viable candidates.

There is much written about how to find the right job.  However, one of the most overlooked items in a strategic job search plan is how to ensure the job seeker is searchable—or how to have the right job find you.  With the prolific rise of the internet to source candidates by corporate and search firm recruiters, it is paramount that job seekers take steps to ensure they can be located and sourced for the positions they seek.

Recruiting for an open position by posting an ad is one of the last tactics a recruiter wants to utilize. It is a waste of their time to wade through a flood of resumes, which often contains many poorly-qualified candidates.  So it is not very effective for job seekers to apply through a job board posting. Recruiters source and recruit--and candidates that are present and active in those pools get attention. So how do you become that candidate? 

How to Be Found by the Right Job 

LinkedIN Title

Ensure the title of your LinkedIn Profile states your situation and what you are looking for in your next role. It helps your network help you.  For example, do not have your title be simply “SVP – Strategic Marketing.”  Instead, have it read, “Marketing SVP | Consumer Products | Digital & Traditional Strategy Expert“

Social Media Status Updates

Stay present in the information stream by regularly updating your social media status.  This way, you keep yourself visible to your connections and audience.  Out of sight is out of mind--in order to be thought of for particular roles, you need to be present and top of mind.            

You can update your status by offering pertinent industry information, attendance to virtual and live tradeshows, participation in industry learning events, volunteer activities, or athletic and hobby achievements.  This way you are branding yourself as well as demonstrating that you are a life-long learner and an active-in-the-world type of person. This is highly desirable to prospective employers.

Be Search Term Rich

 

Hiring managers use search terms to locate candidates for the positions they are looking to fill. Ensure your  online resume, social media profiles, status updates, user group discussions and blogs all have relevant key words peppered throughout the text. The more search terms you have that are well-placed, the more you increase your chances of being discovered in a recruiter search.

 

You can never have too many friends

Ensure you qualitatively maximize your connections, friends and tweets. This does not necessarily mean you just randomly increase your numbers, but do thoughtfully to expand your reach within each social media medium.  Specifically on LinkedIn, the larger your connection base, the exponentially larger your third degree reach is to search for prospective hiring managers within your target company list.

Join Relevant Social Media Groups

If you have exhausted your connections for the moment, you can increase your reach through joining relevant social media groups. Find groups in your present discipline, previous fields, industries you have interest in, geographical relevance, etc.  This optimizes your search results by expanding the pool of networks.

Join Like-minded User/Industry Groups

This can be done both virtually and physically.  For example, financial recruiters often seek out executives through groups like Financial Executives International or Financial Executive Networking Groups. IT recruiters source candidates in online user groups on gaming, specific programming languages, products, and shareware. Become an active participant at the in-person events as well as in virtual discussions and see how you get noticed for your knowledge and generosity with information. Follow up with new and previously-known contacts after the group’s get-togethers. Contribute to online publications and newsletters. Again, stay visible so you can remain top of mind.

Answer Questions & Inquiries

Offer insight to specific questions posed by individuals both inside and outside your network. Often it can be awkward to introduce yourself to someone. But if a person you would like to engage poses a question in an online forum, feel free to offer your expertise or insight to break the ice.  This is a great way you can begin to develop a relationship with that individual.  Plus, you never know what recruiter is reading your answer and taking note of what skills and knowledge you may have to offer.

Give to Get

This is a universal networking mantra. All the previous tips have this underlying philosophy as its basis. When applied to job seeking, give leads to others that are not fully suited for you. Offer candidate referrals to corporate and search recruiters.  Post resources that can be helpful to those in your industry/discipline. You can be helping people within your network even as you are looking.  In turn, when positions applicable to you arise, your network will remember your generosity and want to assist you. Metaphysically speaking, if you are giving to the world, somehow the world gives back! It may not come back to you exactly from sources to which you gave, but it will come back, often from unexpected places.

These are a few ideas to jump-start your job search.  Use them to ensure you are not only seeking the right job, but also can be FOUND by the right job!   In no time, you will be on your way to a great new chapter in your career!  

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer


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Tags: Recruiter Tips, Job Search, Job Interviews, Career Strategies

HOW TO TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR JOB SEARCH!

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Fri, Oct 18, 2013 @ 10:00 AM

How to Take Back Control of Your Job Search

Why is it important to take control of your job search?

It can be extremely frustrating and demoralizing to not get any response from search firm recruiters after you have submitted your resume to them. You may feel you’re perfect for the job posted and know you can succeed at it, however you never hear back.  It is hard not to take things personally.  However, there are some easy solutions to keep you upbeat about your job search, and get better results! 

1. Set Yourself Up for Success

Know your background and see if it matches what recruiters are looking for.  If you are missing even one piece of what is being sought, they won’t be sending your resume to their client. If you know you have a background that is lacking what the recruiter needs, no matter how well-qualified you are, you are wasting your time.  Stop approaching recruiters and instead find other channels to present and market yourself and your experience.  Network, apply directly on company websites, and update social media to ensure you are active and top of mind. 

2. Put Skin in the Game

Commit to doing the work YOURSELF needed to execute an effective job search plan. There are no short cuts. Do not pay someone to do the dirty work. If you need help, pay someone to show YOU how to do it correctly. But the key is to do it yourself.  If you need to update your credentials, learn about what is going on in the industry you want to be in, or grow your network, do it.  There is no time like the present!

3. Be Creative

Be Creative In Your Job Search. Use venues that increase your chances of being reviewed and called for a particular job.  If you have a background that is not going to be attractive to search firms, then choose other venues: Use target company lists, industry-focused job boards and networking groups.  Utilize LinkedIn and other social media sites.  Check out company websites, career fairs, and even volunteer in relevant fields. 

4. Quality over quantity

Better to create a target list of companies and do research. It is more effective to mindfully pursue 30 leads directly than to send a mass, impersonalized, poorly-targeted email to 3,000 people.  The less effort you put in, the less results you get back.

5. Build a Brand

Commit to have the best branding presentation ever. So many cover letters and resumes are poorly written, formatted in an amateur manner or simply do not do the candidate any justice.  Make sure your communication documents (resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, networking communications, and blogs) help put your best foot forward.  This will ensure you are not automatically disqualified due to careless errors or omissions. 

Using these 5 suggestions may not be a guarantee that you will get a call back for every position you apply for.  However, being proactive and using all the opportunities out there will help you remain upbeat and in control of your job search!

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer


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Tags: Recruiter Tips, Job Search, Job Interviews, Career Strategies

11 Reasons Why Recruiters Don’t Call You Back

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Tue, Oct 15, 2013 @ 10:00 AM

11 Reasons: Why Recruiters don't call you back

Frustrated by search firm recruiters not calling you back after you have submitted your resume to them?  Feel you’re perfect for the job posted and baffled by the fact that you haven’t heard back?  Here are some answers as to why you haven’t heard back, and some things you can do to better optimize your job search. 

1. YOU may think you’re qualified, but that does not mean THEY think you’re qualified!

Search firms are paid a significant fee to evaluate candidates that the client company cannot find on their own. They are charged with having to determine if a candidate will exceed expectations for that client in the given job. The client company gives the search firm a series of parameters to meet that justify paying a fee to the search firm if the candidate embodies those requirements.

Frankly, it just does not matter that you think you can do the job. The search firm has to ensure you have ALL of what their client's expects:  the proper years of experience, company caliber exposure, demonstrated track record of results, culture fit potential, professional training and educational credentials. If you are missing even just one piece of it, typically you will not be considered by the search firm and your resume will never be submitted for the job. 

As long as you have not been contacted by the search firm or submitted to the company by them, apply through a different venue (networking, applying directly to the company website, etc) that does not add a fee to your head if hired.

2. Search firms are not paid by you, and therefore, do not work for you.

Reputable search firms are only paid by their client company. The company is their client--not you, and they do not exist to find you a job. Credible search firms do not accept fees from candidates for representation to companies, and only get paid when they actually make a placement for a company.  If your background will ensure that they get that placement fee, rest assured that they will contact you.

3. You paid a firm to send your resume to 1,000 recruiters…and it shows.

If you are doing a mass emailing, you cannot expect personalized response results. Even a very successful direct email campaign has a response rate of just 1-2%.  If you have a properly targeted, well-written direct campaign to 1,000 contacts, you will get 10-20 quality calls. If you have a well-written campaign sent to a random sampling of recruiters, you may get 5-15 calls from recruiters who may not place what you do.  And if it is a non-targeted, poorly written campaign, no one will call—or you will receive calls to sell you job search services since you clearly need some help!

4. Search firms don’t place what you do.

You are a Medical Director of a Big Pharma Firm and the recruiter places digital media experts within advertising agencies. You live in Wyoming and the recruiter works with companies in Illinois and Texas.  No matter how great you are and how good your experience and achievements are, you are not getting the call. It is important to know the capacity of the search firm before you send your resume.

5. The search firm has no idea what you do.

Your resume is filled with so much corporate-speak and fluff that they have no idea what you do.  Saying “Leader in the industry” does not help anyone understand what you do. What kind of leader? What level of leader? What industry?   What did you achieve? If the recruiter has to work at figuring out what you do, you are not going to hear from them.

6. They do not have the right job for you.

The search firm actually thinks your background is amazing. They know what you do and are impressed where you do it and how you have done it. But they simply do not have the right job for you. Given that recruiters need to focus on finding candidates that can fill their jobs to make a living, they most likely will not have time to call you. 

7. Your background is not worth a company paying a fee.

This may sound harsh, but it is true.  If you are unemployed or you have too many jobs in a short period of time, you may fall into this category.  If you do not have a series of promotions or you have an eclectic group of varied experiences, you are in this boat, too. This is a simple economics issue.  The supply of these types of candidates is too great right now and companies will not pay a fee unless your background is worth it.

Accepting this fact about yourself does not mean you are doomed to not find a great job. It just means you will probably not find one through a search firm. This really is not that bad of a situation. Search firms account for a very small percentage of hires in the US.  Most hires are made through networking!  So companies will hire you, just through other venues without the price tag attached—so go to those venues!

8. The search firm is overwhelmed and, unfortunately, cannot get back to every applicant with the “Thanks, but no thanks” email.

Don’t take it personally when recruiters do not call to tell you that you are not right for the job. Do not cause yourself added stress by thinking it is personal—it is simply a logistics issue regarding limited resources.  With the volume of resumes that third party and corporate recruiters receive in today’s market, it is physically impossible to get back to everyone. To help ease the rejection you might feel, set goals for outbound activity each week, knowing that only a certain percentage will reap results. It is all a numbers game.

9. Your resume has been posted on all the job boards for a long time.

Companies pay recruiters to find candidates they cannot find themselves. If your resume is posted on many job boards for any significant length of time, you are not exclusive. You are readily available and easily found. When I recruited, I had company clients tell me I could not submit candidates that were found on the job boards--even if I sourced that candidate myself or the candidate was referred to me!  As frustrating as it was, I understood.  Why would they pay a recruiter for someone they could easily find on their own? 

Does this mean you should not be on the boards? Not necessarily. It depends on your story.  If you are not working or know that your company is going to be laying you off and you cannot be without a job, do what you have to do to get that next job.  If you know you will not be well served by recruiters, then you must use other means.  But consider being selective and not post yourself everywhere. Or consider submitting to job postings only. The best option is to commit to networking within the target company list you create and approach contacts directly.

10. You are looking to switch careers or start your career.

You are a successful pharmaceutical sales manager, who just recently graduated with a bachelors in accounting. Now you are looking to get an entry-level position in accounting.  The best option is to contact companies directly for a position in your new career. A recruiter cannot help new college graduates or individuals who want to change careers. Why? Remember, recruiters get paid by clients to find candidates who have had prior success in a job similar to the one they need to fill. A company is not going to pay a recruiter to hire someone to start a new line of work with no proven track record in the field.

11. Don’t test the waters on the recruiter’s time.

On paper, you may appear too comfortable in your job.  Recruiters want to work with candidates who want to make a move.  If it seems you may be shopping or comfortable, but not serious about a new position, your resume will be passed over. Reformat your resume to show career progression, achievements and promotions.  If you present yourself as someone out looking for the next ripe opportunity and who gets results, you increase your chances of getting the call. 

You may find that you identify with a few of the reasons and fall in a few categories above.  Does this mean you are not destined to find a job?  Absolutely not!!  This is a lesson in marketing and economics.  Instead of expecting results from recruiters, you need to present your background in venues where you will be reviewed and perceived as a valuable candidate that should be hired!

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer


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Tags: Recruiter Tips, Job Search, Job Interviews, Career Strategies

How Being Private Is Affecting My Job Search

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Fri, Oct 11, 2013 @ 10:00 AM

How Being private Can Negatively Affect your job Search

How Being Private can Negatively Affect Your Job Search

A high-level executive is eager to find a new job.  He uses Facebook for personal things, is present on Linkedin but barely uses it, and sees no value in Twitter.  He states he is looking diligently at job boards and networking strategically but has gotten nowhere in his search. He believes it is vital to maintain his online privacy, and it seems to be working:  he is so private, no one can find him!  It is impossible in this day and age to conduct a job search without using these social media tools in a robust and proactive way. 

There is one thing most people looking for a job may not realize:

Recruiters automatically filter out the less technically savvy from their applicant pools by using these tools. So make sure you are present in these mediums, or consider yourself filtered!

There are certainly legitimate safety reasons for some to remain under the radar and off the grid. I am not advocating publishing your social security number or the answers to your banking security questions on public domain. However, with the exception of a select few individuals, both passive and active job seekers need to have a branded presence on the web to ensure the other aspect of their search strategy can be effective. Everyone must have a vibrant online presence in order to be found by the right people--those who can lead to the next opportunity.

Have at least 250 LinkedIn connections. 

You are already on LinkedIn, so make it work for you. If you consider people on all levels from many different aspects of your life (professional employment, education, childhood, family, friends, neighbors, vendors, clients, service partners, personal services, hobby enthusiasts, extracurricular activities…you get the idea.), you can reach this connection threshold. This will improve your qualitative search result dramatically to yield you better job search leads.

Side consideration: If you are thinking, “LinkedIn never really worked for me.”, ask yourself, “Do I REALLY work it?”  Would you walk into a networking event, not speak to anyone, and then come out and say “Wow, what a waste of time…no one spoke to me and I did not receive one lead!” Of course not!  You need to think of LinkedIn in the same way--use it to proactively reach out to others to make it work for you.

Strategically use Facebook contacts to help your boost your job search network. 

Using Facebook for mostly personal stuff is okay, but consider contacting certain people offline to connect with them and determine if you can help each other out in a professional and meaningful manner.  You won’t be able to help everyone and everyone will not be able to help you, but all you need is a few key contacts to help bring you to the next level in your search.

Start using Twitter, even if you don’t tweet!

If you are not sure what to say in the 140 character limit, then don’t say anything!  Instead, create an account to follow recruiters in your industry and/or discipline that post positions in which you have an interest. You can be a silent presence on Twitter until you are ready to tweet—which may be never. But until then, do not let this goldmine of opportunity pass you by.

Create a searchable webpage housing your resume, achievements and means of contact.

This page only needs to include your general location, phone and email. Specific identifying information does not need to be listed. Even general location does not matter if you are open to relocation or are looking for virtual positions or jobs that naturally require significant travel.  You can even create an email address for your public page that is different from your personal email address.  As hiring managers run searches for what you do, doing this ensures you can be more easily found by them.

With many cases of identity theft occurring every year, online privacy is obviously extremely important.  But when you need to advance your career, get out of a dysfunctional company or end your time in transition, there is a way to prudently advance your online professional profile that doesn’t risk your security.   Otherwise, you have to consider the consequences of staying hidden and determine if it is a cost you are willing to pay in the form of stagnant career or unemployment.

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer


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Tags: Recruiter Tips, Social Media, Job Search, Job Interviews, Career Strategies

The Three Components of An Effective Branded Resume

Posted by Daniel Sullivan on Fri, Oct 04, 2013 @ 10:00 AM

3 Components of an Effective Branded Resume

The most effective resume is a branding document showcases a job seeker’s previous experience in a way where a prospective employer can see how the job seeker’s expertise can work within their organization. When this happens, the prospective employer sees how the job seeker’s experience can help their organization achieve results and will call the job seeker in for an interview.  A traditional resume, that only houses job duties, does not outline achievements and is visually boring cannot stand up to a well-branded resume.  

There are three things that differentiate a branded, contemporary resume from a more traditional one

Searchability

Can your resume ensure that you are found in an online search by a prospective employer, whether that resume resides in an applicant tracking system (ATS) or is the basis of your keyword optimized LinkedIn profile? A successful job search in today’s times has two active components.  The first component is to perform the actions that help you find the right job. The second is to include the activities needed to enable the right job to find you. A keyword-optimized resume that is searchable enables hiring managers and recruiters to find you when looking for talent with your skill set.

In this digital age of LinkedIn, Facebook, and online resume pages, finding the perfect candidate is driven by various search engines.  It is absolutely vital for your resume to house keywords and phrases used by hiring managers in searches so your resume can be found. If your resume can’t be found, it won’t be read and you will not land an interview; it’s that simple. 

If you don’t know what terms to include, use an employment website or job board to look for positions in which you are interested.  Including the phrases and words from these postings naturally in your resume, alongside your achievements for each of those functions will improve the likelihood that your resume will be found in employer searches.  

Results

Every job seeker out there today needs quantifiable results on their resume. Results are what employers want, and in order to sell yourself, you need to demonstrate what you were able to achieve.  Here are some examples of questions you might ask yourself to help define your results:

  • If you upgraded software, what were the labor cost savings?  How much employee payroll time was saved by the conversion?   
  • If you launched a marketing campaign for a major consumer products firm, what was the ROI on the marketing dollars spent for the product launch? In what time frame was the profit/revenue realized? 
  • If you managed a pharmaceutical drug development department, how many drugs did you bring to market? What revenues did those products generate? How long was the process?

Size and Scope

Understanding the size and scope of your previous companies helps the hiring manager determine how you can fit into their organization. Saying you did something without the context to support the statement leaves a gap in understanding. Tell your prospective employer about the environment in which you performed these tasks.  Here are some examples of how to put size and scope into each point on your resume:

  • Did you manage an IT department of three, thirty or one hundred and thirty employees?
  • What was the technology budget that you were accountable for--$10,000, $100,000 or $1,000,000?
  • How much savings did your last three IT initiatives generate?
  • How many new employees did the 10-person team you supervised get promoted in the past twelve months?

There is no right or wrong answer to any of these questions, but it starts to flesh out the details of the types of environments in which you have performed, and paint a picture for the prospective employer. 

Your resume is part of your employment brand and it needs to tell the story of your experience, achievements, and include information about the environments in which you worked.  Additionally, what it says about you should be reflected in a consistent manner on your LinkedIn profile, Facebook page, and online resume page.  This ensures that you are found in job searches, can demonstrate that you achieved measurable results, and that you are the excellent fit that the hiring managers are seeking. 

Written by Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer


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Tags: Recruiter Tips, Job Search, Job Interviews, Career Strategies