Career Strategies for Recent Graduates – Part 1 of 2

Posted on October 25, 2011 | Posted in Articles

 

Now that it is September, many recent college graduates are about to start their first professional positions. Many more are still engaged in the job search. I have been contacted over the past few months by parents who are deeply concerned about their childrens’ ability to find and keep good jobs. Their anxiety is certainly understandable, given the terrible job market we are now facing.

With this in mind, I thought it would be helpful to offer some tangible suggestions and strategies to help students and their parents to cope better with this issue. The piece below is from an interview I recently did with an online career magazine called “Talent Egg.” Readers of this forum are generally students and recent graduates who are seeking meaningful, entry-level work.

Q: Your new book, “Get the Job You Want Even When No One’s Hiring” clearly focuses on an older segment of the working population — people with a decade or more of experience. How can students and recent graduates tweak your advice and the tools in the book to make it more applicable to them?
A: It is vital that students and recent graduates have an understanding of what career management is, and how they can achieve their potential by learning this discipline. I tell college students to start planning their career path long BEFORE they graduate, not WHEN they graduate. Many students have actually read my book and done the exercises — and they have found the experience to be extremely beneficial. While students’ resumes, cover letters and other documents won’t look like those of senior executives, all the forms and exercises in my book can be easily adapted and customized to the student level. My advice is: DON’T WAIT. Start now, and your career will really take off!
Q: Since they typically lack the business connections of more experienced workers, how can students and new graduates compensate for being outside of the “inside job market,” as well as their lack of professional references/letters of recommendations?
A:

I have found that students have more “connections” than they often realize, and plenty of networking contacts. They have friends and relatives. They know people from school, camp, church or synagogue, part-time jobs or Summer jobs. They know teachers, guidance counselors, neighbors, and parents of friends. With all these relationships, there’s no reason why a student shouldn’t be able to generate a huge database to network into. Networking is a skill that is easy to learn and fun to do. The key is to start early, and begin building the “Contact List” before graduation. This list will then grow and grow, throughout the student’s entire career. And as I always say, the “Contact List” is the backbone of every successful person’s career.


Click here to read the entire article.

Seven Truths of Career Success – Part 2 of 2

Posted on October 20, 2011 | Posted in Articles

 

4. An employer’s first offer is NEVER their best offer

When it comes to compensation, employers expect that you’ve done salary research, and they anticipate having dynamic negotiations with you. In fact, they’ll often be disappointed and question your candidacy if you DON'T negotiate. You might be tempted to think ANY job offer is great in a tough economy or that this is the WORST time to negotiate — but you’d be wrong.

Employers usually start with a low salary offer merely as a “trial balloon,” to see how you’ll react — and there’s almost always room to improve on the initial compensation offer, even in a tight job market. If you don’t negotiate further, I guarantee that you’ll be leaving money — and possibly a whole lot more — on the table.

5. Always research and be “plugged in” to the competition

Research and be aware of the competition — whether it be information about other companies or other professionals in your industry. Always know who they are and what they’re doing. Endeavor to “know the competition better than they know themselves.” This will greatly enhance your competitiveness when jobs are hard to come by, and it will allow you to jump on opportunities that others might not yet be aware of!

So “research your way to success.” Read industry publications, your daily newspaper’s business section, Business Week, Fortune, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and so on. Pay attention to other local, regional, and national sources of “business intelligence,” such as web sites, newsletters, blogs, and radio or TV shows.

Connect with people, companies, and groups that you read about. The more you know about the competition, the easier it will be to land the right position in a challenging job market.

6. Networking is not as important as you think it is

It’s far more important!! Put time aside every week for active networking to maintain established relationships and develop new ones — both inside and outside the company where you work.

You should always be positioned to leverage your professional and personal contacts when the need arises. So, adopt the discipline of blocking-out time on your calendar specifically for networking activities — every week, every month, and every year, for the duration of your career!

It’s important to keep networking in both good economic times and bad — and to continually expand your contact database. This vital resource becomes the “backbone” of every future job search, as well as your overall career development process.

7. If YOU’RE not managing your career, nobody is!

When I speak to audiences about career management strategies, I often start by asking, “Who is responsible for managing your career?” Is it Human Resources, your manager, a recruiter, your Career Coach, or none of these?

In the past, when the job market was much healthier, perhaps any combination of these would have been the correct answer. But in today’s economy, the answer is clearly “none of these.”

It doesn’t matter what your Human Resources department says about “succession planning” or “leadership development.” It doesn’t matter that you have great relationships with recruiting firms. It doesn’t matter if you’re working with the world’s best Career Coach. It doesn’t even matter if your boss loves everything you’re doing, has big plans for you, and has nothing but praise for you at every performance review.

The bottom line is that YOU, and only you, hold the keys to your career and professional future. Although there is no longer such a thing as “job security,” if you take 100% responsibility for managing your own career, you can still develop and maintain own brand of “employment security.”

To read the entire article, click here.

Seven Truths of Career Success – Part 1 of 2

Posted on October 18, 2011 | Posted in Articles

 

1. The most qualified candidate does not necessarily get the job offer

Many times, candidates with lesser qualifications get job offers simply because they’ve prepared and presented themselves in a more compelling way. They “package” themselves better, with an outstanding portfolio of career documents and oral presentation skills. The winning candidate is the one who knows how to tie his or her achievements, strengths and assets directly to the employer’s needs, problems and challenges.

In a difficult employment landscape, strong qualifications and accomplishments are necessary, but not sufficient, to find a job you love and earn what you deserve. Don’t be fooled into believing that the work world is a meritocracy — it’s not. In the end, it’s the best self-marketer who gets the job.

2. The best time to work on your career is when your job is secure

Even if you’re very happily employed today, you never know what may happen tomorrow! To avoid a career crisis, you should incorporate the concept of “Perpetual Career Management” into your professional life. This means consistently pursuing activities that you THOUGHT were only for job seekers.

Vital tasks like keeping your success stories up to date, practicing interviewing and negotiation skills, or networking regularly with professionals in your industry, should be incorporated into your routine whether the economy is good or bad — and whether you feel you need to or not.

Instead of focusing only on doing your job, you should focus on managing your career — at all times, regardless of how the economy or job market is doing!

3. Graduating from school is the beginning of your education, not the end

In good economic times or bad, you should always look for ways to advance your industry knowledge and professional qualifications. Attending seminars, reading trade journals, pursuing certifications, etc. — these activities must be a part of your ongoing professional development process. It’s imperative that every professional remain current in his or her field. No company wants to hire a candidate whose intellectual capital is stale. NOT upgrading your knowledge and skills on a continual basis is a risk you can’t afford to take.

You should continually build your credentials, which will make you more attractive and marketable as a candidate — both inside your company and in “the outside world.”

Plus, in a down economy, the greatest assets you have to sell are your knowledge and intellectual resources. When business gets tough, the demand for people who can think strategically and deliver tangible results goes UP, not down!


To read the entire article, click here.

Should You Respond to Online Job Postings and “Help-Wanted” Ads? – Part 2 of 2

Posted on October 13, 2011 | Posted in Articles

 

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">See the list of strategies below for some good suggestions. Don&rsquo;t answer ALL the help-wanted ads and job postings that are related to your background and qualifications. Instead, respond only to a select few. When you do reply to an opening, follow these guidelines:</span></p>

<ul style="padding-top: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 25px; padding-left: 25px; list-style-image: url(http://www.careerpotential.com/images/bullet-li.gif); ">

<li style="line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Give yourself a limit of two hours per week (about 5% of your time) to read and respond to help-wanted ads and job postings, and select only the ones that ideally match your goals and qualifications.</span></li>

<li style="line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Find someone through your network who works at (or used to work at) the company, or at least knows a lot about it.</span></li>

<li style="line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Ask probing questions about the company, and determine if it would be a good fit for your background and preferences.</span></li>

<li style="line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">If it is a good fit, network yourself to the appropriate hiring manager (not Human Resources), and try to schedule an appointment.</span></li>

<li style="line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-top: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">In the meeting, focus on the company&#39;s needs and challenges, and explain how your related accomplishments could be of direct help.</span></li>

</ul>

<p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">Of course, this approach requires that you have the right career tools, that you&rsquo;ve practiced your interviewing skills, and that you can bring some &ldquo;finesse&rdquo; to the process. Although these strategies don&rsquo;t work every time, when they do work, you can really&nbsp;<a href="http://www.careerpotential.com/articles/should-you-respond-to-online-postings-and-help-wanted-ads.html#" id="_GPLITA_1" in_rurl="http://www.textsrv.com/click?v=VVM6MTA1NzY6MzExOndpbjo5M2FiMzg0ZDA2MDliZjIxMTM2YTg1Yzg0MDZkZGVmYjp6LTEwMzItMTAzNjg6d3d3LmNhcmVlcnBvdGVudGlhbC5jb20%3D" style="color: green; text-decoration: none; border-bottom-width: 3px; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: initial; ">win</a>big! And it sure beats &ldquo;sending a resume to Human Resources,&rdquo; where it will probably wind-up buried in a pile of other resumes.</span></p>

<p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">While it is tempting to sit at your computer all day hitting the &ldquo;send&rdquo; button, this is really the laziest way to search for a new opportunity. Try to view the online job postings and &ldquo;want-ads&rdquo; merely as indicators or &ldquo;hints&rdquo; of where the opportunities are &ndash; and then concentrate on actively leveraging your network to get you inside for a meeting with the hiring managers!</span></p>

<p style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">To read the entire article, <a href="http://www.careerpotential.com/articles/should-you-respond-to-online-postings-and-help-wanted-ads.html">click here.</a></span></p>

Should You Respond to Online Job Postings and “Help-Wanted” Ads? – Part 1 of 2

Posted on October 11, 2011 | Posted in Articles

Let’s assume that you’ve just spent a lot of time preparing, strategizing and tooling-up for a job search. Now, you’re finally ready to get into action. What’s the first thing you’re likely to do? Of course! Go online (or open a newspaper or trade publication), to start scanning the job postings and help-wanted ads. You need to send out as many resumes as you can, as quickly as possible, right? WRONG!!!

Most job seekers focus far too much time and energy on Internet job postings and help-wanted ads. When the job market is tight and no one’s hiring, these are the WORST places to look for a job – your probability of success is close to zero. Our experience shows that only one job in ten is ever advertised, and only one in ten of those is any good! That leaves about 1% of help-wanted ads and job postings that are worthwhile. Newspaper ads represent the bottom of the job-seeking barrel: entry-level opportunities, high-turnover jobs, and straight-commission sales positions. This means that only 1% of “good jobs” are ever advertised – jobs for which 100% of your competition is also applying.

With the advent of the Internet, of course the whole want-ad world changed forever. “Job board” web sites now number in the thousands, with more popping-up every day. While these web services have improved the convenience and efficiency of finding job postings, unfortunately the quality of the listings, and the results you can expect from them, are usually very poor.

And yet, every job seeker seems to spend hours and hours sending resumes into this “online black hole,” hoping that maybe one, just one, of their resumes will land on the right person’s desk and generate the interview they’ve been dreaming of. (Sound familiar?)

If responding to advertised job postings is clearly the least effective job-seeking method, what’s a job seeker to do? When you learn of a specific job opportunity at one of your Target Companies (in this case, through a job posting or want-ad), spend the bulk of your time on the other, more productive job search methods!

To read the entire article, click here.

 

Your Resume’s Building Blocks

Posted on October 6, 2011 | Posted in Articles

 

Regardless of format, every resume will be composed of some standard sections. Below is a quick guide to the main elements that should be included in every resume.

Personal Information – Always include your full name, street address, phone numbers (home and cell), and e-mail address. If you have your own web site, include the link here too. All this information is placed at the top of page 1 of your resume, in the “header.”

Summary – A brief statement of who you are, where you’re “coming from,” and what skills and expertise you have to contribute to an organization. Five or six lines maximum. This will target and focus the reader on where you might fit into the big picture of their organization. Targeted and specific is better than general and vague. The content of your Summary must be oriented toward the benefits and contributions you offer as a professional. (You can think of the Summary as the “headline” in an article. If the reader is captivated by the “headline,” they’ll go on to read the body of the “article”).

Professional Experience – Your past jobs, roles and responsibilities, and accomplishments. This is the “body of the article,” and where most employers and recruiters will focus 90% of their attention. The information you present here, and how you present it, can decide the fate of your candidacy within about 10 seconds of scanning time! Use good journalism habits and put the most important or impressive facts first within each job. Make your Professional Experience section easily “scannable” by using bold headings and bullet points. Be specific and results-focused. Quantify results whenever possible, by using percentages, dollars, and other hard numbers. Highlight increases in good things (like retention, sales, profit, performance, effectiveness); as well as decreases in bad things (like turnover, losses, costs, inefficiencies, wasted time). This is no place to be shy. Don’t lie or exaggerate, but don’t undervalue or overlook your past successes, either!

Education – List the schools, academic degrees, and years in which you earned them. (Note: you might choose not to include the dates if you graduated a long, long time ago.) Include degree, major, and any honors or special achievements. Generally speaking, the longer you’ve been out of school, the less important this information is to an employer.

Affiliations, Professional Development, or Related Experience – Include work-related professional development activities, memberships in associations, trade groups, and professional societies, leadership positions in industry-recognized organizations, and any additional certifications, accreditations, or designations you’ve earned since leaving college or graduate school. If you don’t have a college degree, the professional development programs you’ve participated in will take-on special importance here.

Many clients have asked about including their “Objective” at the top of the resume. I advise them not to use an objective, for two reasons. First, unless you clearly state otherwise, the reader will automatically assume that you are seeking an opportunity at the next level of the field or niche you’re already in. Second, the objective is much better addressed on your cover letter, wherein you can really tailor your comments to the specific company or position.

Here are five quick “rules of thumb” to keep in mind as you develop your resume:

  1. Be brief (less is more)
  2. Be specific
  3. Be active (at the beginning of every sentence, use strong action verbs)
  4. Be selective (focus on information that is truly relevant to your career goal, and edit out the rest)
  5. Be honest (never ever lie on a resume). If you lie, you will always lose in the long run.

Use the guidelines above to create your own “effective selling” resume, in order to get people interested in interviewing you. If you find that your resume isn’t getting the results you want, change it!

Remember, your resume is a “living document” that will be edited and updated throughout the course of your job search – and your entire career!