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Friday, July 30, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Why Your Resume Isn't Working
by Mike O'Brien, Climber.com
If you're like most job seekers, you're probably satisfied with a resume that does a good job of positioning you and presenting your skills and experience.
Unfortunately, "good" isn't good enough anymore. Climber.com recently polled its entire national database of recruiters, and that poll shows that these one- to two-page documents have never been more critical to the professional job-search process.
The primary reason is sheer volume: recruiters are now reviewing at least 300 resumes per posted position, and taking approximately 10 to 30 seconds per document to decide whether or not a candidate is worthy of further review. Now more than ever, resumes are being used as reasons to say no to a candidate, not yes. What used to be considered minor errors--typographical issues, lack of scanability, or incomplete or poorly executed job-experience descriptions--are now enough to get your resume discarded.
To keep this from happening to you, consider the following tips:
Use generic 12-point fonts. Climber.com's recruiters became visibly frustrated when they had to increase the font size so they could read it.
Save your resume as a Word or PDF document--nothing else. A number of resumes that cross recruiters' desks are saved as CSV or RTF files--but this approach can be dangerous. More than one recruiter said that they are unable to open odd files due to their company's policies.
Create an easily scanned document. Experienced recruiters can scan a resume in less than 30 seconds. They have trained themselves to process a resume quickly, and then sort it into the "yes" pile or the "no" pile. Resumes that appear confusing or too dense don't fare well in this system.
Optimize your resume with the appropriate keywords. Research the companies that interest you the most, and see what keywords they utilize over and over again in their website content. If those keywords aren't present in your resume, you may not pass the automated review process many employers now use to weed out non-viable resumes.
Provide context for little-known companies. If you've worked at a company that isn't top-of-mind for a recruiter, explain a bit about the organization within your resume. For example, the following description not only names the organization but also positions it well for a recruiter's consideration:
"Medical Device ABC, a $30,000,000 leading manufacturer of medical equipment, located in New York, with approximately 300 employees"
Your resume is often the first opportunity you have to share yourself and your experience with a prospective employer--and you often won't get a second chance. If you don't feel confident enough to make changes to your own resume, many career-management sites offer resume-analysis services that provide feedback and guidance. Whether you seek outside guidance or do it yourself, however, take the time to create the best resume you can. It will help get you noticed by the people who matter.
Mike O'Brien is an innovative entrepreneur dedicated to helping others create breakthrough success, and is the founder and CEO of Climber.com, one of the nation's leading online career-management sites. For more information about how to find your perfect career, visit www.Climber.com, or connect with Mike on LinkedIn.
If you're like most job seekers, you're probably satisfied with a resume that does a good job of positioning you and presenting your skills and experience.
Unfortunately, "good" isn't good enough anymore. Climber.com recently polled its entire national database of recruiters, and that poll shows that these one- to two-page documents have never been more critical to the professional job-search process.
The primary reason is sheer volume: recruiters are now reviewing at least 300 resumes per posted position, and taking approximately 10 to 30 seconds per document to decide whether or not a candidate is worthy of further review. Now more than ever, resumes are being used as reasons to say no to a candidate, not yes. What used to be considered minor errors--typographical issues, lack of scanability, or incomplete or poorly executed job-experience descriptions--are now enough to get your resume discarded.
To keep this from happening to you, consider the following tips:
Use generic 12-point fonts. Climber.com's recruiters became visibly frustrated when they had to increase the font size so they could read it.
Save your resume as a Word or PDF document--nothing else. A number of resumes that cross recruiters' desks are saved as CSV or RTF files--but this approach can be dangerous. More than one recruiter said that they are unable to open odd files due to their company's policies.
Create an easily scanned document. Experienced recruiters can scan a resume in less than 30 seconds. They have trained themselves to process a resume quickly, and then sort it into the "yes" pile or the "no" pile. Resumes that appear confusing or too dense don't fare well in this system.
Optimize your resume with the appropriate keywords. Research the companies that interest you the most, and see what keywords they utilize over and over again in their website content. If those keywords aren't present in your resume, you may not pass the automated review process many employers now use to weed out non-viable resumes.
Provide context for little-known companies. If you've worked at a company that isn't top-of-mind for a recruiter, explain a bit about the organization within your resume. For example, the following description not only names the organization but also positions it well for a recruiter's consideration:
"Medical Device ABC, a $30,000,000 leading manufacturer of medical equipment, located in New York, with approximately 300 employees"
Your resume is often the first opportunity you have to share yourself and your experience with a prospective employer--and you often won't get a second chance. If you don't feel confident enough to make changes to your own resume, many career-management sites offer resume-analysis services that provide feedback and guidance. Whether you seek outside guidance or do it yourself, however, take the time to create the best resume you can. It will help get you noticed by the people who matter.
Mike O'Brien is an innovative entrepreneur dedicated to helping others create breakthrough success, and is the founder and CEO of Climber.com, one of the nation's leading online career-management sites. For more information about how to find your perfect career, visit www.Climber.com, or connect with Mike on LinkedIn.
Friday, July 16, 2010
What NOT to do: 7 ways to ruin your resume
by CBS MoneyWatch.com
By Hillary Chura
In the time it takes you to read this paragraph, the average recruiter will have plowed through six resumes. (We know; we timed one.) Want to increase the chances of your resume making it to the next round? Then don’t do any of these seven things, which recruiters say — more than anything — make them want to push the “shred” button.
1. Apply for a job for which you are not remotely qualified
Many candidates believe the job hunt is a numbers game — drop enough resumes, and you’re bound to land something. But shotguns are for hunting pheasant, not finding jobs. The reality is that recruiters hate wasting time on resumes from unqualified candidates. Morgan Miller, an executive recruiter at StaffMark, recalls the security guard who applied to be a financial risk manager (maybe Lehman should have hired him), while Scott Ragusa at Winter, Wyman talks of the aerial photographer who sought out a position as a tax specialist.
“Sorting through unqualified resumes is frustrating, unproductive and puts an extra burden on staff,” says Katherine Swift, Senior Account Director at KCSA Strategic Communications in Natick, Mass. “It also makes it much more challenging to find the right candidate.” So the next time you’re thinking of blasting out resumes to all 60 of the job listings on Monster.com that have the word “finance” in them , save your time (and that of the recruiters) and only apply for ones for which you’re qualified.
2. Include a lofty mission statement
More than ever, today’s savage job market is about the company, not the candidate. As such, mission or objective statements — particularly ones with an applicant’s hopes, dreams, and health insurance aspirations — will dispatch otherwise fine resumes to the circular file. Employers don’t care about how they can solve your problems — certainly not before they’ve met you and possibly not even after they’ve hired you. Instead, write an “objectives” statement that explains specifically how your skills and experience will help the company you’re applying to, not the other way around. And be very clear about what kind of job you’re seeking.
3. Use one generic resume for every job listing
To stand out amongst the sea of resumes that recruiters receive, yours must speak to each and every specific position, even recycling some of the language from the job description itself. Make it obvious that you will start solving problems even before you’ve recorded your outgoing voicemail message. Your CV or query letter should include a just touch of industry lingo — sufficient to prove you know your stuff but not so much that you sound like a robot. And it should speak to individual company issues and industry challenges, with specifics on how you have personally improved customer loyalty, efficiency, and profitability at past jobs, says workplace and performance consultant Jay Forte. Plus, each morsel should be on point.
“Think hard about how to best leverage each piece of information to your job search advantage,” says Wendy Enelow, a career consultant and trainer in Virginia. “Nothing in your resume should be arbitrary, from what you include in your job descriptions and achievement statements, to whether your education or experience comes first [recent grads may want to put education first] to how you format your contact information.”
4. Make recruiters or hiring managers guess how exactly you can help their client
Sourcing experts want to know — immediately — what someone can offer, and they won’t spend time noodling someone’s credentials. “Animal, vegetable or mineral? Doctor, lawyer or Indian chief?That’s what I’m wondering every time I open a resume. If it takes me more than a split second to figure this out, I feel frustrated,” says Mary O’Gorman, a veteran recruiter based in Brooklyn.
5. Don’t explain how past experience translates to a new position
Though candidates should avoid jobs where they have no experience, they absolutely should pursue new areas and positions if they can position their experience effectively. A high school English teacher applying for new jobs, for example, can cite expertise in human resource management, people skills, record keeping, writing, and training, says Anthony Pensabene, a professional writer who works with executives.
“Titles are just semantics; candidates need to relate their ‘actual’ skills and experiences to the job they’re applying for in their resume,” Pensabene says. An applicant who cannot be bothered to identify the parallels between the two likely won’t be bothered with interviews, either.
6. Don’t include a cover letter with your resume
A cover letter should always accompany a resume — even if it’s going to your best friend. And that doesn’t mean a lazy “I’m _____ and I’m looking for a job in New York; please see my attached resume.” Says Lindsay Olson, a partner at Manhattan’s Paradigm Staffing: “I’d like to know why you are contacting me (a particular position, referral, etc.), a short background about yourself, and a career highlight or two. It’s important to attempt to set yourself apart from the competition.”
7. Be careless with details
Reckless job hunters rarely make for conscientious workers. As such, even promising resumes must abide by age-old dictums: typo-free, proper organization, and no embellishment. Susan Whitcomb, author of Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer, says that almost 80 percent of HR managers she surveyed said they would dismiss otherwise qualified candidates who break these rules. She tells the story of one would-be employer who, when looking for an assistant, decided not to hire anyone because every resume she received contained typos.
“With a 6-to-1 ratio of jobseekers-to-jobs in the current marketplace, you can’t afford to make mistakes with your resume,” Whitcomb says.
By Hillary Chura
In the time it takes you to read this paragraph, the average recruiter will have plowed through six resumes. (We know; we timed one.) Want to increase the chances of your resume making it to the next round? Then don’t do any of these seven things, which recruiters say — more than anything — make them want to push the “shred” button.
1. Apply for a job for which you are not remotely qualified
Many candidates believe the job hunt is a numbers game — drop enough resumes, and you’re bound to land something. But shotguns are for hunting pheasant, not finding jobs. The reality is that recruiters hate wasting time on resumes from unqualified candidates. Morgan Miller, an executive recruiter at StaffMark, recalls the security guard who applied to be a financial risk manager (maybe Lehman should have hired him), while Scott Ragusa at Winter, Wyman talks of the aerial photographer who sought out a position as a tax specialist.
“Sorting through unqualified resumes is frustrating, unproductive and puts an extra burden on staff,” says Katherine Swift, Senior Account Director at KCSA Strategic Communications in Natick, Mass. “It also makes it much more challenging to find the right candidate.” So the next time you’re thinking of blasting out resumes to all 60 of the job listings on Monster.com that have the word “finance” in them , save your time (and that of the recruiters) and only apply for ones for which you’re qualified.
2. Include a lofty mission statement
More than ever, today’s savage job market is about the company, not the candidate. As such, mission or objective statements — particularly ones with an applicant’s hopes, dreams, and health insurance aspirations — will dispatch otherwise fine resumes to the circular file. Employers don’t care about how they can solve your problems — certainly not before they’ve met you and possibly not even after they’ve hired you. Instead, write an “objectives” statement that explains specifically how your skills and experience will help the company you’re applying to, not the other way around. And be very clear about what kind of job you’re seeking.
3. Use one generic resume for every job listing
To stand out amongst the sea of resumes that recruiters receive, yours must speak to each and every specific position, even recycling some of the language from the job description itself. Make it obvious that you will start solving problems even before you’ve recorded your outgoing voicemail message. Your CV or query letter should include a just touch of industry lingo — sufficient to prove you know your stuff but not so much that you sound like a robot. And it should speak to individual company issues and industry challenges, with specifics on how you have personally improved customer loyalty, efficiency, and profitability at past jobs, says workplace and performance consultant Jay Forte. Plus, each morsel should be on point.
“Think hard about how to best leverage each piece of information to your job search advantage,” says Wendy Enelow, a career consultant and trainer in Virginia. “Nothing in your resume should be arbitrary, from what you include in your job descriptions and achievement statements, to whether your education or experience comes first [recent grads may want to put education first] to how you format your contact information.”
4. Make recruiters or hiring managers guess how exactly you can help their client
Sourcing experts want to know — immediately — what someone can offer, and they won’t spend time noodling someone’s credentials. “Animal, vegetable or mineral? Doctor, lawyer or Indian chief?That’s what I’m wondering every time I open a resume. If it takes me more than a split second to figure this out, I feel frustrated,” says Mary O’Gorman, a veteran recruiter based in Brooklyn.
5. Don’t explain how past experience translates to a new position
Though candidates should avoid jobs where they have no experience, they absolutely should pursue new areas and positions if they can position their experience effectively. A high school English teacher applying for new jobs, for example, can cite expertise in human resource management, people skills, record keeping, writing, and training, says Anthony Pensabene, a professional writer who works with executives.
“Titles are just semantics; candidates need to relate their ‘actual’ skills and experiences to the job they’re applying for in their resume,” Pensabene says. An applicant who cannot be bothered to identify the parallels between the two likely won’t be bothered with interviews, either.
6. Don’t include a cover letter with your resume
A cover letter should always accompany a resume — even if it’s going to your best friend. And that doesn’t mean a lazy “I’m _____ and I’m looking for a job in New York; please see my attached resume.” Says Lindsay Olson, a partner at Manhattan’s Paradigm Staffing: “I’d like to know why you are contacting me (a particular position, referral, etc.), a short background about yourself, and a career highlight or two. It’s important to attempt to set yourself apart from the competition.”
7. Be careless with details
Reckless job hunters rarely make for conscientious workers. As such, even promising resumes must abide by age-old dictums: typo-free, proper organization, and no embellishment. Susan Whitcomb, author of Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer, says that almost 80 percent of HR managers she surveyed said they would dismiss otherwise qualified candidates who break these rules. She tells the story of one would-be employer who, when looking for an assistant, decided not to hire anyone because every resume she received contained typos.
“With a 6-to-1 ratio of jobseekers-to-jobs in the current marketplace, you can’t afford to make mistakes with your resume,” Whitcomb says.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Successful Phone Interviewing
by Todd Bermont, for www.123Movers.com
A phone interview gives an interviewer a better idea of who the person behind the resume is. Todd Bermont of The Careers College gives his top five dos and don'ts below, so you'll shine over the phone and land that face-to-face interview:
Don't "wing" your phone interviews. Do prepare as if they were face-to-face interviews.
Prepare and practice at least three hours for every one-hour phone interview. Research the company, know their mission statement, and create a message about how you can help them succeed. Finally, put together a list of questions you want to ask about the opportunity.
Don't talk too much. Do ask open-ended questions.
When it comes to job interviewing, we were given two ears and one mouth for a reason. We should be listening twice as much as we are talking. The best interviews are the ones where the interviewer is doing most of the talking. Ask open-ended questions that will help you uncover the interviewer's vision of the ideal candidate, the challenges the company is currently facing, the needs for the position, and the critical factors necessary to succeed on the job. With that information, you can position yourself as the best candidate for the job.
Don't forget to confirm logistics. Do confirm time, time zone, and so on.
In many cases, you''ll be interviewing with someone far away. Many a phone interview was missed because the time zone was not confirmed. Are you sure that your 9:30 a.m. interview is at 9:30 a.m. your time? Make sure you confirm not only the time but also the time zone. Secondly, confirm who will initiate the call and what numbers will be used. Get the interviewer's land line and cell phone in case connections are missed.
Don't forget to ask for the order. Do determine your desired outcome and go for it.
Usually, the goal of a phone interview is to earn a face-to-face interview. During your phone interview, show the proper enthusiasm for the job. At the end of the interview, convey your interest and ask for the next step in the hiring process.
Don't set yourself up for failure. Do position yourself for success.
That means, ideally, taking the interview in a secluded and quiet home office. Try to use a land line if at all possible, because cell phone connections can be dropped. Remove any clutter from your home office so you can fully focus on the interview. Dress as if you were in a face-to-face interview. Smile and keep the proper posture. Even try taking the call standing up, as you will sound more authoritative and confident. Over 90 percent of all communication is non-verbal, even over the phone. Interviewers can sense your subconscious energy.
Finally, believe you are the best person for the job. If you don't believe it, nobody else will. Visualize the success. Have fun, be prepared, and expect success, and you'll have winning phone interviews.
A phone interview gives an interviewer a better idea of who the person behind the resume is. Todd Bermont of The Careers College gives his top five dos and don'ts below, so you'll shine over the phone and land that face-to-face interview:
Don't "wing" your phone interviews. Do prepare as if they were face-to-face interviews.
Prepare and practice at least three hours for every one-hour phone interview. Research the company, know their mission statement, and create a message about how you can help them succeed. Finally, put together a list of questions you want to ask about the opportunity.
Don't talk too much. Do ask open-ended questions.
When it comes to job interviewing, we were given two ears and one mouth for a reason. We should be listening twice as much as we are talking. The best interviews are the ones where the interviewer is doing most of the talking. Ask open-ended questions that will help you uncover the interviewer's vision of the ideal candidate, the challenges the company is currently facing, the needs for the position, and the critical factors necessary to succeed on the job. With that information, you can position yourself as the best candidate for the job.
Don't forget to confirm logistics. Do confirm time, time zone, and so on.
In many cases, you''ll be interviewing with someone far away. Many a phone interview was missed because the time zone was not confirmed. Are you sure that your 9:30 a.m. interview is at 9:30 a.m. your time? Make sure you confirm not only the time but also the time zone. Secondly, confirm who will initiate the call and what numbers will be used. Get the interviewer's land line and cell phone in case connections are missed.
Don't forget to ask for the order. Do determine your desired outcome and go for it.
Usually, the goal of a phone interview is to earn a face-to-face interview. During your phone interview, show the proper enthusiasm for the job. At the end of the interview, convey your interest and ask for the next step in the hiring process.
Don't set yourself up for failure. Do position yourself for success.
That means, ideally, taking the interview in a secluded and quiet home office. Try to use a land line if at all possible, because cell phone connections can be dropped. Remove any clutter from your home office so you can fully focus on the interview. Dress as if you were in a face-to-face interview. Smile and keep the proper posture. Even try taking the call standing up, as you will sound more authoritative and confident. Over 90 percent of all communication is non-verbal, even over the phone. Interviewers can sense your subconscious energy.
Finally, believe you are the best person for the job. If you don't believe it, nobody else will. Visualize the success. Have fun, be prepared, and expect success, and you'll have winning phone interviews.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
VCC adds cybersecurity, digital forensics
Orlando Business Journal - by Melanie Stawicki Azam Staff Writer
Valencia Community College will offer a new cybersecurity and digital forensics program starting this fall.
The college got a $547,000 National Science Foundation grant to develop the new curriculum within its computer engineering technology associate’s degree program.
The computer forensics and digital forensics field is growing, said Richard Walters, a forensic technician with Data Analyzers, an Orlando firm that does computer forensics and data recovery. Judges and attorneys now recognize the importance of digital artifacts in court, and “we have more devices that are Internet capable where information can be stored.”
Valencia’s new focus could lead to partnerships with agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and attract more businesses specializing in these areas, said Gaby Hawat, Valencia’s executive dean for economic development and special assistant to the president for strategic initiatives. “If we put ourselves on the national map that we are doing cybersecurity and homeland security,” he said, “that may give more visibility to the area.”
Valencia Community College will offer a new cybersecurity and digital forensics program starting this fall.
The college got a $547,000 National Science Foundation grant to develop the new curriculum within its computer engineering technology associate’s degree program.
The computer forensics and digital forensics field is growing, said Richard Walters, a forensic technician with Data Analyzers, an Orlando firm that does computer forensics and data recovery. Judges and attorneys now recognize the importance of digital artifacts in court, and “we have more devices that are Internet capable where information can be stored.”
Valencia’s new focus could lead to partnerships with agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and attract more businesses specializing in these areas, said Gaby Hawat, Valencia’s executive dean for economic development and special assistant to the president for strategic initiatives. “If we put ourselves on the national map that we are doing cybersecurity and homeland security,” he said, “that may give more visibility to the area.”
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Job Interview Tips
Get Advice and Insight from Waggener Edstrom's Staffing Partner
By Thad Peterson, Monster Staff Writer
Like many career advice experts, Steve Fogarty, staffing partner at Waggener Edstrom, says candidates should research a company thoroughly before an interview. And if the company is a private firm, that's not an excuse to skip doing your homework.
Where there's a will, there's a way, and finding a way to gather information on a company "distinguishes the great candidates from the good candidates," says Fogarty.
Consider Fogarty's company, a large independent public relations agency. He says that if someone were trying to find out about Waggener Edstrom, the candidate could take a number of steps. In addition to simply visiting the company's Web site, joining a trade organization like the Public Relations Society of America would almost certainly give someone interested in his company exposure to people who work there.
Fogarty offers a less conventional method as well: "People might be able to find a press release that one of our PR people has written and contact that person and say, ‘I saw your press release. It looks really good. Would you be open to me asking a few questions? I'm doing research on your company.' That's a way to get information."
What else can you do to improve your chances at the interview? Try these tips from Fogarty:
Be Concise
Interviewees rambling on is one of the most common blunders Fogarty sees. "You really have to listen to the question, and answer the question, and answer it concisely," he says. "So many people can't get this basic thing down. You ask them a question, and they go off on a tangent. They might think you want to hear what they're saying, but they didn't answer your question."
Provide Examples
It's one thing to say you can do something; it's another to give examples of things you have done. "Come with a toolbox of examples of the work you've done," advises Fogarty. "You should come and anticipate the questions a recruiter's going to ask based on the requirement of the role. Think of recent strong strategic examples of work you've done, then when the question is asked, answer with specifics, not in generalities. You should say, ‘Yes, I've done that before. Here's an example of a time I did that…,' and then come back and ask the recruiter, ‘Did that answer your question?'"
Be Honest
Somehow, candidates get the impression that a good technique is to dance around difficult interview questions. "If you don't have a skill, just state it. Don't try to cover it up by talking and giving examples that aren't relevant. You're much better off saying you don't have that skill but perhaps you do have some related skills, and you're happy to tell them about that if they like."
Keep Your Guard Up
According to Fogarty, you can split recruiters into two schools. There are those who are very straight-laced and serious, and candidates had better take the process seriously as well when dealing with them.
"Then you have recruiters like me," he says, chuckling. "I'm going to be that candidate's best friend when they call me. My technique is to put them at ease, because I want them to tell me everything, and a lot of candidates mess up in this area. They start to think, ‘Oh, this guy is cool. I can tell him anything.' And then they cross the line." And that can take a candidate out of contention. Remember: Always maintain your professionalism.
Ask Great Questions
Another of Fogarty's interview tips is to come ready with good questions. He says nothing impresses him more than a really good question that not only shows you've researched the company in general, but also the specific job you're hoping to land in particular. "That makes me go, ‘Wow, this person has really done their homework. They not only know the company, but they know the role.'"
By Thad Peterson, Monster Staff Writer
Like many career advice experts, Steve Fogarty, staffing partner at Waggener Edstrom, says candidates should research a company thoroughly before an interview. And if the company is a private firm, that's not an excuse to skip doing your homework.
Where there's a will, there's a way, and finding a way to gather information on a company "distinguishes the great candidates from the good candidates," says Fogarty.
Consider Fogarty's company, a large independent public relations agency. He says that if someone were trying to find out about Waggener Edstrom, the candidate could take a number of steps. In addition to simply visiting the company's Web site, joining a trade organization like the Public Relations Society of America would almost certainly give someone interested in his company exposure to people who work there.
Fogarty offers a less conventional method as well: "People might be able to find a press release that one of our PR people has written and contact that person and say, ‘I saw your press release. It looks really good. Would you be open to me asking a few questions? I'm doing research on your company.' That's a way to get information."
What else can you do to improve your chances at the interview? Try these tips from Fogarty:
Be Concise
Interviewees rambling on is one of the most common blunders Fogarty sees. "You really have to listen to the question, and answer the question, and answer it concisely," he says. "So many people can't get this basic thing down. You ask them a question, and they go off on a tangent. They might think you want to hear what they're saying, but they didn't answer your question."
Provide Examples
It's one thing to say you can do something; it's another to give examples of things you have done. "Come with a toolbox of examples of the work you've done," advises Fogarty. "You should come and anticipate the questions a recruiter's going to ask based on the requirement of the role. Think of recent strong strategic examples of work you've done, then when the question is asked, answer with specifics, not in generalities. You should say, ‘Yes, I've done that before. Here's an example of a time I did that…,' and then come back and ask the recruiter, ‘Did that answer your question?'"
Be Honest
Somehow, candidates get the impression that a good technique is to dance around difficult interview questions. "If you don't have a skill, just state it. Don't try to cover it up by talking and giving examples that aren't relevant. You're much better off saying you don't have that skill but perhaps you do have some related skills, and you're happy to tell them about that if they like."
Keep Your Guard Up
According to Fogarty, you can split recruiters into two schools. There are those who are very straight-laced and serious, and candidates had better take the process seriously as well when dealing with them.
"Then you have recruiters like me," he says, chuckling. "I'm going to be that candidate's best friend when they call me. My technique is to put them at ease, because I want them to tell me everything, and a lot of candidates mess up in this area. They start to think, ‘Oh, this guy is cool. I can tell him anything.' And then they cross the line." And that can take a candidate out of contention. Remember: Always maintain your professionalism.
Ask Great Questions
Another of Fogarty's interview tips is to come ready with good questions. He says nothing impresses him more than a really good question that not only shows you've researched the company in general, but also the specific job you're hoping to land in particular. "That makes me go, ‘Wow, this person has really done their homework. They not only know the company, but they know the role.'"
Friday, June 25, 2010
The Savvy Networker
6 Shocking Job-Search Facts
by Liz Ryan
If you've been job hunting for a while, it's likely that nothing can shock you. Still, these job-search realities may give you pause. The 2010 job market is different from what many of us are used to, and some job-hunt tactics that used to work well are now ineffective (or should at least be reexamined). These six points represent the new reality--is your job search on the mark?
1. Most resumes submitted through company websites don't get read.
The biggest problem with the "spray and pray" approach to job hunting is that most resumes thrust into the Black Hole (that is, official job-search channels such as a company's website) don't get read. Even in organizations that search electronically for keywords, too many candidates have the right words on their resumes, and there aren't enough HR screeners to review all the resumes that pass the first screen. That's why you're better off networking your way into an interview, or reaching the hiring manager directly, than trying to be found in the Black Hole.
2. Most screeners have zero understanding of the job.
If you've spent time on either side of the hiring equation, you already know that most of the clerical screeners who separate resumes into "Let's Interview" and "No Thanks" piles have almost no experience with the function they're screening for. That's why your best bet is to avoid the screener altogether by reaching the hiring manager via LinkedIn, snail mail, email, telephone, or an intermediate connection (you'll likely find him or her on LinkedIn, too). You know what the job is about, so talk about what's important in the role--not the endless list of posted job requirements.
3. Most of the stated job requirements aren't required.
Employers dream up job-spec requirements the way little kids pad their holiday-gift wish lists. Most of the formal job requirements given for a job are not essential. Don't be deterred from applying for a job because you miss a few of the "must-have" bullets listed on the job ad. In most cases, if you can solve the pain the employer is facing, a missing certification here or a slightly different degree there won't amount to a hill of beans.
4. Most job ads that say "Salary History Required" are fibbing.
An employer wants to know that your salary requirement is not completely out of the company's hiring range. You need to give them a salary target, either in your cover letter or in your resume. They don't need to know every salary you've ever in your life. If you're filling out a web form that forces you to input a salary for every job you've held since high school, put your current salary target in the "salary" field every time. Then, at your first opportunity (an open comment box, for instance), say something like "All salary figures reported in this form are my current salary target."
5. Most managers don't want to ask all those interview questions.
If you think the interview is grueling and tedious for you, imagine it from the hiring manager's side--and then imagine the conversation repeated eight or ten times! Most hiring managers don't relish the idea of interrogating candidates about their backgrounds. Go into the job interview ready to talk about what the job requires, and what you've already done that's similar. That's the key. Don't sit passively and wait for the next question--join in the conversation with a question or two of your own: "So, I'd imagine that here at Acme Dynamite, a good knowledge of roadrunner behavior is pretty important--is that your view, also?" (Though this active approach works well with hiring managers, it doesn't work as well with HR screeners.)
6. Most of the hiring decision is "fit."
Don't pretend to be shocked! I'll bet you always knew that most of the hiring decisions at most companies focus on "fit" rather than textbook qualifications. How can you improve your "fit" for the hiring manager's sake? I wouldn't bother. Be yourself. The right employers will love what you bring, and the ones who don't love your persona wouldn't appreciate your gifts if you did get the job. Keep putting irons in the fire, and go to every interview you're invited to (if the job is too far from your house or the people in the company seem evil or crazy, you can always back out later). Fit is a two-way street, anyway. If the folks at a given employer don't get you, save your talents for somebody that does.
Liz Ryan is a 25-year HR veteran, a former Fortune 500 VP, and an internationally recognized expert on careers and the new-millennium workplace. Connect with her at www.asklizryan.com.
by Liz Ryan
If you've been job hunting for a while, it's likely that nothing can shock you. Still, these job-search realities may give you pause. The 2010 job market is different from what many of us are used to, and some job-hunt tactics that used to work well are now ineffective (or should at least be reexamined). These six points represent the new reality--is your job search on the mark?
1. Most resumes submitted through company websites don't get read.
The biggest problem with the "spray and pray" approach to job hunting is that most resumes thrust into the Black Hole (that is, official job-search channels such as a company's website) don't get read. Even in organizations that search electronically for keywords, too many candidates have the right words on their resumes, and there aren't enough HR screeners to review all the resumes that pass the first screen. That's why you're better off networking your way into an interview, or reaching the hiring manager directly, than trying to be found in the Black Hole.
2. Most screeners have zero understanding of the job.
If you've spent time on either side of the hiring equation, you already know that most of the clerical screeners who separate resumes into "Let's Interview" and "No Thanks" piles have almost no experience with the function they're screening for. That's why your best bet is to avoid the screener altogether by reaching the hiring manager via LinkedIn, snail mail, email, telephone, or an intermediate connection (you'll likely find him or her on LinkedIn, too). You know what the job is about, so talk about what's important in the role--not the endless list of posted job requirements.
3. Most of the stated job requirements aren't required.
Employers dream up job-spec requirements the way little kids pad their holiday-gift wish lists. Most of the formal job requirements given for a job are not essential. Don't be deterred from applying for a job because you miss a few of the "must-have" bullets listed on the job ad. In most cases, if you can solve the pain the employer is facing, a missing certification here or a slightly different degree there won't amount to a hill of beans.
4. Most job ads that say "Salary History Required" are fibbing.
An employer wants to know that your salary requirement is not completely out of the company's hiring range. You need to give them a salary target, either in your cover letter or in your resume. They don't need to know every salary you've ever in your life. If you're filling out a web form that forces you to input a salary for every job you've held since high school, put your current salary target in the "salary" field every time. Then, at your first opportunity (an open comment box, for instance), say something like "All salary figures reported in this form are my current salary target."
5. Most managers don't want to ask all those interview questions.
If you think the interview is grueling and tedious for you, imagine it from the hiring manager's side--and then imagine the conversation repeated eight or ten times! Most hiring managers don't relish the idea of interrogating candidates about their backgrounds. Go into the job interview ready to talk about what the job requires, and what you've already done that's similar. That's the key. Don't sit passively and wait for the next question--join in the conversation with a question or two of your own: "So, I'd imagine that here at Acme Dynamite, a good knowledge of roadrunner behavior is pretty important--is that your view, also?" (Though this active approach works well with hiring managers, it doesn't work as well with HR screeners.)
6. Most of the hiring decision is "fit."
Don't pretend to be shocked! I'll bet you always knew that most of the hiring decisions at most companies focus on "fit" rather than textbook qualifications. How can you improve your "fit" for the hiring manager's sake? I wouldn't bother. Be yourself. The right employers will love what you bring, and the ones who don't love your persona wouldn't appreciate your gifts if you did get the job. Keep putting irons in the fire, and go to every interview you're invited to (if the job is too far from your house or the people in the company seem evil or crazy, you can always back out later). Fit is a two-way street, anyway. If the folks at a given employer don't get you, save your talents for somebody that does.
Liz Ryan is a 25-year HR veteran, a former Fortune 500 VP, and an internationally recognized expert on careers and the new-millennium workplace. Connect with her at www.asklizryan.com.
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