Landing the job

Personal Profile

Landing the job• What is a resume?

– A resume is a self-promotional marketing tool. Think of yourself as a product, potential employers as your customers, and your resume as a brochure about you. What are your features and benefits? What makes you unique?

• Determine your job search objective prior to writing the resume.

– You should have different resumes for each vertical market you are trying to service

• Hard Copy Resumes– 24 pound paper– White or Ivory– Report cover– More than one page is fine– Cover letter, resume, and references (recommendations)

• Soft Coy– Cover letter in the body of the email– Resume as the attachment

Landing the job• Show who you know.

– If you have reported to someone important such as a vice president or department manager, say so in your resume.

• Use bulleted sentences – – Resumes are read quickly. This bulleted sentence format

makes it easier for someone to quickly scan.• Use #’s, $’s and %’s

– managed a department of 10 with a budget of $1,000,000.

– Increased sales by 25% in a 15-state territory.• Get rid of the Objective Statement

– Replace with a Summary of Qualifications.• Have someone else review your resume.

– Have someone review your job search objective, your resume, and listings of positions that interest you. Their questions can also point to items on your resume that are confusing to the reader.

• Testimonials – If you are going to use this option only use three

Landing the job• What if you don't have any experience in the kind of work

you want to do?– Find a place that will let you do some volunteer work right

away. You only need a brief, concentrated period of volunteer training.

• Drop Dates– This is a cutting edge approach which allows you to control the

information the interviewer can glean about your age and tenure in certain position.

• Email address– Create a generic email– Have your name in the address line– Website resume are fine… MY Space and Face Book are not

• What do you do if you have gaps in your work experience? – Tell what you were doing ~ Here are some examples:

• 1993-95 Full-time parent • 1992-94 Maternity leave and family management • Travel and study -- or Full-time student • Parenting plus community service

Landing the job• What if you have a fragmented history,

with lots of short-term jobs?– To minimize the job-hopper image, combine

several similar jobs into chunks for example:• 1993-1995 Administrative Assistant; Jones

Bakery, Micro Corp., Carter Jewelers

• How can you avoid age discrimination?– You can simply label that part of your resume

"Recent Work History" or "Relevant Work History" and then describe only the last 10 or 15 years of your experience.

Landing the job• What if you worked for only one

employer for 20 or 30 years?– Then list separately each different position you held

there, so your job progression within the company is more obvious.

• What about listing hobbies and interests?

– Don't include hobbies on a resume unless the activity is somehow relevant to your job objective, or clearly reveals a characteristic that supports your job objective.

• What about different paper?– Employers do not like parchment paper and

brochure-folded resumes.

Where do you market yourself• Networking• Internet• Recruiters vs. Headhunters• Newspaper• Warm Calls• Job Fair

Networking• Where the Contacts Are - Tried and True Places to Network

Local alumni association Conventions

Class reunions Club meetings

Cocktail parties Internet list-serves

Fundraisers Volunteer opportunities

Business conferences Continuing education classes

•Networking Knows No Boundaries – You never know who will step onto the adjacent elliptical trainer at the gym; who will be parked behind you in an interminable grocery store line; who will sit next to you on an airplane. Don't let these opportunities pass you by.

Networking• Follow Up

– After you meet with a contact, it is absolutely essential to write a thank you note. Tell your contact how much he or she helped you, and refer to particularly helpful, specific advice.

• What Goes Around Comes Around– If you want executives to make time for you, make yourself

available to others whom you might be able to help out.

• Stay Organized– Keep a record of your networking. Whether you do this in a

Rolodex, in a notebook, or in a database file on your computer, it's important to keep track of your contacts. Make sure your system has plenty of room for contacts' names, addresses, phone numbers, companies, job titles, how you met them, and subsequent conversations you've had with them.

Resume Business Cards• Creating Resume Business Cards

– VistaPrint.com (first 250 are free)– Front ~ Name, position you desire, and contact

information– Back ~ three bullets that state accomplishments

• Never leave home without them– Before leaving home, your checklist should be

expanded to include business cards, as part of "do I have my wallet/money, house keys, driver's license'“

• Use proper business card etiquette– Whenever you give a business card, ask for a

business card. Write comments on the card such as date, location and common points of interest. These comments will prove valuable when following up with that person.

Research• Approximate number of employees • Products and/or services• Types of clients• Growth and financial stability• Competition • Mission/Values/Vision statements• Typical career path

Getting Past the Gatekeeper• Time to use your thirty second highlights• Best day to do a warm call ~ Tuesday• Keep offering times that would be convenient• Make a connection ~ as the relationship can

open doors that are unknown• Do not ask for Human Resource ~ know your

department • Send portfolios to division heads the old fashion

way ~ be creative for your top selections• Do your homework on the internet ~ search

and ask by name

Leave at Home• Cell phones• Excessive cologne or jewelry• Bad manners or negativity• Friends and family• Inappropriate language• Controversial views or offensive topics

In the interview• Dress for success• Remember ~ you are interviewing the company as

much as they are interviewing you• Get the interviewer to talk more then you• Interviewers will make their decision within seven

minutes• Eye contact is essential• Show confidence• Have several copies of your resume• Showcase your strategic plan ~ do not provide copy• Never cut off the interviewer. Think before you answer. • Do not eat, chew gum, or smoke

Illegal Questions• Age/date of birth• Marital status• Parental status• National origin• Religion• Mental health issues• Race/ethnicity• Arrest history• Impairments or disabilities irrelevant to the

position

Types of Questions• Opinion:

– “What are your strengths?”– Subjective analysis on your response to

scenarios

• Offbeat: – “If you were an animal, what kind would you

be and why?” – What is your weakness, is the client always

right, talk to one person, tell me a joke– Get past pre-programmed responses

Behavioral Interviewing• Behavioral:

– “Can you give me an example of when you successfully dealt with a difficult client?”

– “Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.”

– “Give me an example of a time when you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it.”

– “What is your typical way of dealing with conflict? • Identify 5 examples from your past experience where you

demonstrated top behaviors and skills– Examples could be positive (accomplishments or

meeting goals) or situations that started out negatively, but either ended positively or you made the best of the outcome.

STAR Interviewing Technique• Situation or Task

– Describe the situation that you were in or the task that you needed to accomplish. You must describe a specific event or situation, giving enough detail for the interviewer to understand.

• Action you took– Describe the action you took and be sure to keep the

focus on you. • Results you achieved

– What happened? How did the event end? What did you accomplish? What did you learn?

Questions to ask in return• “What are the three most important attributes for

success in this position?”• “What are the opportunities for growth and

advancement for this position?” • “How does a new employee successfully integrate

into your company culture”• “What do you expect as deliverables within the first

ninety days”• “What do you like most about working for this

company?”• “When can I expect to hear from you regarding

your hiring decision?”

The Interviewer• The Buddy

– Be friendly in kind, but don't be lulled into completely letting your guard down.

• The Inquisitor– Often, the Inquisitor believes a stressful interview unearths a

candidate's hidden qualities. It's also important to remember that the Inquisitor can often become your best advocate throughout the interview process and on into the job.

• The Shotgun– This is where your careful presentation really pays off, because you

can relate your strengths to many different aspects of the job. • The Silver Bullet

– Believes there's one magic question to ask -- and one magic response that determines whether you're right for the job. The Silver Bullet asks a few perfunctory questions about your skills, then leans back as he says, "Tell me, how do you tie your shoes?" or "If you could have dinner with three people, who would they be?" From your answer, the Silver Bullet decides yes or no.

• Panel Interviews– From setting to timing of questions this approach is meant to throw

you off your game. Stay calm.

Negotiations• Never Negotiate Until the Sale Is Made

– Here, you're setting the tone for your long-term relationship. The best negotiators are prepared and never cause irritation. Make sure to be sincere and reasonable, never cold or calculating.

• Avoid Discussions about Money – Premature discussions about money can be a real deal

breaker. Besides, the more enthusiastic an employer becomes about you, the more likely they will pay more. Here, you remain gracious while avoiding a direct answer. If an interviewer persists, here is a response: "I'd rather avoid discussing compensation. Challenge is most important to me, and I would like to talk money after we both feel I'm right for the job."

• Never Commit When You Get an Offer – When offered a job, take the opportunity to praise the firm

and explain that you need some time to consider it.

Negotiations• Base salary and signing bonus

– Also commissions, medical and life profit sharing.• Exit strategy

– Standard agreements cover a minimum of six months' to a year's severance, and are triggered if the firm lessens your responsibilities.

• Stock option purchase plans – If you purchase stock at market price, the company may buy an

equal amount under your name up to a percentage of your income. • Relocation expenses

– This can include house purchase, moving expenses, mortgage rate differential, real estate, closing costs, cost of bridge loan, trips to look for a home, lodging fees, tuition, and spouse reemployment services.

• Other perk – These can include automobile lease, athletic/country club

membership, child care, product discounts, financial planning assistance, tuition reimbursement, tax assistance, and deferred compensation. If you don't have any success in your negotiations, then shift from the "present" and focus instead on futures: a review after six months, an automatic increase after time.

Factoids• $10,000 in salary = one month search (full-time)• Five years start looking, seven years begin the transition, after

ten years will be difficult to move• It takes approximately six weeks for contact to be made once

a resume has been sent• Five percent of all interviewees will send a “Thank You” card ~

this step can make the difference– Today's economic climate dictates you might be competing

with 50 or more people for the same position. It's quite a task for people to keep track of each individual meeting. So it's up to you to give a person a reason to call you back. Now you're in the driver's seat in standing out from other people. If you get no response, do it again. Patience and persistence pays off.

• The interviewer has made up their decision to hire within seven minutes– 4 seconds: 1 impression is made– 10 seconds: 11 impressions are made– Impressions are based on: personal appearance, grooming,

eye contact, articulation, personality, handshake

Brand MOI• One paragraph that sum you up professionally,

with a slice of your personal interest.• A one-page bio highlighting your professional

achievements and experience• A series of articles on you area of expertise• A victory file of letters and testimonial quotes

from those who respect your work• An email signature that has your contact

information and a branding element• A speaking presentation related to your business

interests• A thirty second written introduction about

yourself• Promotional giveaway item that symbolizes your

personal brand essence

References• http://perrymartel.com/GuerrilaMktg.html• http://www.chiff.com/a/interview-

thanks.htm• http://www.articlealley.com/

article_29747_36.htmlhttp://www.businessb.com/interviews.htm

• http://interview.monster.com/articles/interviewer%5Fspecies/

• http://www.enetsc.com/JobSearchTips14.htm