J Patrick + Associates Blog

by Guest Writer Barbara Safani, Career Solvers 

Job search is tough and it’s certainly a lot of work; but it doesn’t have to be drudgery. Here are ten suggestions for things you can do to make job search more rewarding, more enlightening, and hopefully more fun.

Eat. No, I’m not talking about pity eating and downing a bag of chips and a pint of ice cream in front of the TV. But meeting a friend for coffee, a drink, or lunch is a great way to combine something pleasant and fun with some power networking.

Write. Journaling is a great way to record how you are feeling during your search and examine the trends that could be indicators of what is working in your search and what is not. Some even turn their journals into blogs to create a following and make new friends and contacts as they chronicle their unemployment experience.

Study. Did you know that The Department of Labor funds job training programs? You may qualify for training in a specific skill or funding to return to school to complete a degree program. Going back to school can be fun.

Volunteer. Find a cause you are passionate about and volunteer for a role that allows you to create visibility in front of the decision makers in this volunteer community. You never know who these people may know and what types of introductions they may be able to make for you. And volunteering helps you feel needed and reminds you of all you have to be grateful for.

Exercise. Aerobic conditioning and weight workouts can help you feel better and burn calories more efficiently during the day. Pilates can help reduce the muscle aches often associated with hours of sitting at a desk hunched over a computer, and many people find that a regular yoga practice is a great way to reduce stress.

Do Someone a Favor. When you were working you probably didn’t have the time to watch someone else’s kids or pet or help someone with a home improvement project. Now that you have some free time, offer to help make someone’s life easier. Your efforts will be remembered and that help may be reciprocated in the form of an important introduction or job lead.

Primp and Pamper. This is not an indulgence. The little details like your hair and nails count during a job search. And it can be rejuvenating to get a new hairstyle or experiment with a new nail color.

Shop. I’m not suggesting a totally new wardrobe. But a new scarf, tie, hair piece, or handkerchief can change up the interview suit you are tired of wearing and give you a renewed sense of confidence.

Read. Books by Harvey Mackay and Keith Ferrazi have provided inspiration for millions of job seekers over the years. Check out some of their titles at your local library.

Reconnect. Get over your concerns about reconnecting with past colleagues and friends. Social media tools like LinkedIn and Facebook have made it fun, easy (and less creepy) to get back in touch with people from your past. Rekindle past relationships and you are bound to find a friend or two that can help you with some aspect of your search.

 

Barbara Safani,
Author, Happy About My Resume: 50 Tips for Building a Better Document to Secure a Brighter Future

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By Elissa Jane Mastel

As the technology industry continues to evolve, so do the requirements of the needs for Marketing Professionals in the field.  No longer relegated to just one task, marketing executives are expected to be integrated wizards with the hands in a host of activities moving skillfully like a quick moving jaguar who always lands on his feet.

Today’s hiring professionals are looking for candidates who can not only strategize, but can also implement all the tasks needed to propel their company forward.  The best way to exemplify your level of expertise is to present a strong portfolio.

Here are a few things to think about before crafting your portfolio for the hiring manager at the job of your dreams;

 

Brand Yourself

Branding is crucial in today’s market place.  Make sure you are well branded consistently throughout your portfolio.  Create a letterhead and put it on every document with contact information.  Use consistent fonts.  Pick a color scheme and stick with it.   Language is crucial, before crafting your portfolio and descriptions, sit down and do a little messaging workshop for yourself.  Identify keywords that represent you and utilize them strategically throughout the portfolio and your resume for punch.   

 

Quality not Quantity!

Chose each piece of collateral strategically.  Your portfolio will be stronger with a few key examples of your abilities.  Forcing the recipient to go through lots of pages of the same thing will dilute your presentation.  Pick a few examples of each category.  I like to pick pieces that garnered success, such as a press release that got a lot of pick up, or an email promo that generated a ton of buzz.  Be selective.   Show that you know how to get the job done skillfully with a few trophies. 

 

Key Ingredients – Use all the Food Groups

Variety is the spice of life.  Make sure you incorporate a pastiche of examples of your work that highlights your range and capabilities.  Make sure you save things as PDFs, that way they don’t get altered in the transfer.  Another solution is to create your portfolio using an online client such as Box.com, DropBox, Behance Network or Coroflot for example.  Make sure your portfolio is easy to access and send.  Try to use a client that doesn’t require a login by the human resources professional. 

 

“I’ve seen a growing trend of people using the Box.com platform on LinkedIn, and we really like it!  Candidates can post examples of work,” explains Dan Sullivan, President & CEO of J. Patrick + Associates, “I’ve seen multiple versions of resumes, writing samples, PowerPoint presentations and more.  The feature is free with LinkedIN, people should use it.”

 

Now, what on earth do you put in it?  They want to see what you can do, which includes writing.  Start with strong writing samples such as press releases, blog posts and media kit materials.  If you created a campaign, share key ingredients such as sales sheets and screen shots from the web site.  I recommend that you group your clips by campaign, showing you are a strong strategist who gets results.  Start with a short description of the campaign, and highlight the successes with your included pieces as evidences of your proven results. 

As Executive Recruiters focused on jobs in the Information Technology sector,  J.Patrick works with many job-seekers these days who are unemployed, underemployed, or just plain "consulting".   We see that in many cases, due to feelings of loss of control and helplessness, and being action-oriented people (not to mention not having the workload, boss, water cooler talk, and career concerns of an employed person) jobseekers' Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder come roaring to life. Here are a few things to do your best to let go of...

 

Don't focus on the competition.

You can't concern yourself with who else is interviewing for the marketing job you are zealously pursuing.  Candidates ask us how many other candidates are interviewing for the job.  My response always is:  "Would you rather be the winner in a field of 100, or the loser in a field of 2?"

Does the hiring manager have enough information about me to make a decision?

"He has to hire me if he sees my genius <insert ppt, resume addendum, writing, video resume"> Candidates who try to correct any interview mistakes by pinging the hiring manager repeatedly asking to submit more materials are missing the point.  Managers have made their decision viz. your candidacy.  If they don't ask for more data in response to your tasteful Thank-You email, they are unlikely to want it.  And just like the in personal sphere, continued attempts at contact will move you into the creepy stalker category.

What should I wear to the Interview?

Recently I read an article on preparing for running a marathon.  Literally, on preparing for the NIGHT BEFORE a marathon, and it had a nifty checklist approach, including small details like "use 2 forms of alarms, such as your watch and the hotel wake-up service" as well as "pin your racing number bib to your shirt at night".  All this was so a) you wouldn't miss anything in the morning and b) that you would sleep well before the race. 

It reminded me of a candidate (an Enterprise Software sales rep I ended up placing in an Information Security sales job) who had the same approach: he had a dress checklist for interviews, and he had 3 interview "uniforms" (suite & tie, blazer & khakis, casual) that he never varied in any element.   This way he was not making himself crazy the night before or the day of an interview making decisions, which allowed him to focus on his interview game-plan.

The point is to focus on the factors and actions that are fully within your control, and that will make a concrete impact on your job search. Figuring out what levers to pull, which ones to ignore and which ones to surrender control of will help you feel more in control of your destiny.

Quality interactions with hiring firms and recruiting agencies:  strong, focused resume, cover letter, phone screens, interviews, follow-up email, writing samples, online presence (LinkedIN, FB, Twitter) and references.  Success in ths phase come from preparation, attention-to-detail, as well as soliciting and implementing input from others.

Quantity is the force-multiplier of quality interactions.  More touches with more employers will translate into better opportunities to meet with someone who can hire you.  As I noted above, this does not mean following up with HR or hiring managers to the point of begging for a restraining order.

Put these together and you'll uncover more opportunities to find that manager that requires what you have to offer.

Good hunting!

Sully

 

So your resume is the first thing the hiring manager (and a recruiter) sees.  If it is not up to par, it is also the only thing they will see.  Each person writes their resume differently, however there are some guidelines that all resumes should follow.  As an executive recruiter I see about at least a hundred resumes a day, content is the most important, but without the right presentation, content won't get you very far.

 

Clean formatting

• Make sure you keep the font uniform throughout the entire resume.  Often times, when you write a resume you add to what was already there, this is a source of confusion and many times creates 2 different formatting styles.
• Use a standard black font that is easy to read.
• Do not add your picture.  If you add logos of certifications you hold, the best way to do it is by using a chart with invisible lines, this makes it easy to position, and keeps any images from jumping around.

 

Length

• it is often perceived that a resume should be only 1 page long.  This is not the case- if you've been on the work force for more than a couple of years, your resume should be longer than 1 page.  Don't skip on details to maintain a certain length
• While you don't want your resume to be 1 page long, you also don't want it to be 10 pages long. 
• The older the position is, the less details you should provide. 
• The older the skill is, the less details you need to provide (if you were a Windows 95 Administrator for 5 years, spare on the details, this technology is no longer being used).

 

What not to include

• TYPOS and grammar mistakes- read and re-read your resume. then give it to someone else to proof read.  For most hiring managers and recruiters simple mistakes like this will get you disqualified regardless of your qualifications.
• In most European countries it is common to add personal information (age, marital status, date of birth etc.).  Avoid putting this information on your resume.
• References- Today the hiring process calls for references towards the end of the process.  There is no need to include names and phone numbers of your references on your resume.

 

Some candidates like to have a PDF version of their resume for ease of use (easy to open on my computer regardless of the OS).  Today with databases being in such wide use, a PDF resume is challenging since the text cannot be copied.  If you want to send a PDF resume, make sure you also attach a Word version.

 

Recruiter's hint:  create an email address just for job boards, postings and resume submittals. Be mindful to check it on a regular basis, even when you are no longer looking.

 

A note from Gal Natel, the guest Blogger.  I wanted to take this opportunity to address some common and easy to fix mistakes I often see on resumes...  I would love to hear comments, thoughts and of course answer any questions.