Guest post by Katie Niekrash

Diving head-first into your job search without preparing sufficiently for it will only leave room for embarrassing and unprofessional mistakes. Applying to the same job twice, applying to the wrong job, and being caught off-guard when you do get a call are among these job seeker faux-pas. In order to be on point with every stage of your job search, you have to be organized ahead of time. Use these few tips to better manage what can become a complicated and disorganized process.

Set Goals

It’s all too easy to open up a search engine, apply to a few job listings, and then feel accomplished enough to let a week of inaction go by. Doing so will be inefficient and can prolong your search, so it’s important to have goals to speed up the process—and make sure you don’t miss any opportunities along the way.

Set aside a certain time each day to browse job forums, apply, and network. Know ahead of time what goals you’d like to accomplish in each of these sessions. Whether these goals are applying to a specified number of jobs each day or spending a certain amount of time on your search in general, having them will keep you working more efficiently. Keeping a calendar, whether electronic or on paper, can also help you stay on track.

Take Advantage of Social Media

Professional social networking sites like LinkedIn have become a staple in a jobseeker’s online presence. Make sure you keep your profile up-to-date and relevant. Use it to make connections, post on related topics, and stay on top of industry-specific knowledge. The more active your profile is, the better you’ll look—and the more empowered you’ll feel. Choose one site and use every relevant facet of that site to bulk up your online resume and portfolio. As you apply to jobs, you’ll have to tailor each resume and cover letter to the specific position. It will help having one accessible, general model to work from and showcase.

These sites also have great tools that allow you to keep track of jobs you’ve applied to as well as each application’s status. However, between these social networking sites and similar profiles on job search engines, keeping track of each application can get messy. That’s why it’s important to…

Keep a Master List

Probably your best organizational tool in your job search will be your list. Create an Excel spreadsheet that contains a row for each job you apply for. It should be as detailed as possible, including information such as: the date you applied; the company; the contact; the position for which you applied; how you applied; if, when, and with whom you interviewed; when you should next follow up or what your next steps are; and the current status of the application. It may be helpful to create separate tabs for open, pending, and closed applications.

Excel is a wonderful tool for this because it’s easy to move rows around and reorganize them depending on your current need. When applying for a large number of jobs across a variety of search engines, it is possible to come across a duplicate posting without realizing it. By keeping your list in Excel or a similar program, it can be as easy as using the automatic “sort” button to organize your list by the company name or position title to see if you’ve already sent in your resume for that particular position. Do this for every application sent, and you’ll never commit the embarrassing resubmission.

Organize Your Emails

Once you start making contacts and receiving responses to your applications, organize them into email folders. Keeping your email organized in a similar fashion to your spreadsheet is your best bet for preventing clutter and staying up-to-date on your progress. Should you arrange your spreadsheet into “Open”, “Pending”, and “Closed” tabs, do the same for your email. It will be much easier on the eyes to remove all of the emails from your inbox that are no longer relevant and store them in your closed folder. The Open and Pending folders will help you keep track of which applications are yet to receive a response and which have.

Finally, make sure to be prepared for calls. They can come at any time and seeming unprepared—or worse, that you have forgotten you applied to the position—is unprofessional. It’s easy to lose track, so keep an updated copy of your list on you at all times and your email open whenever possible. Remember, preparation is key!

Author Bio: As a Senior Managing Director within The Execu|Search Group‘s Healthcare division, Katie Niekrash has worked tirelessly since joining the firm in 2007. She is accredited with developing new markets for the firm and has been an active member in building the division into one of the largest of its kind in the Tri-State area.

Share this:

I was excited to be a guest on The Power Women Magazine! Deb Bailey is a great host and we really got into some juicy topics regarding why traditional job search methods are just not working and what to do about it.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/powerwomenmag/2013/06/04/mary-elizabeth-bradford

Share this:

http://www.businessinsider.com/6-tips-for-avoiding-burnout-in-your-job-search-2013-5

Share this:

Are you in a full-time job search? Many job seekers who are, find that supplementing their income until they land their next job takes a lot of pressure and anxiety off of them and helps to build their confidence and keep their energy and motivation up.

You can create one or more temporary income streams using the following strategies:

1. Management Consulting – Jobs in management consulting (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) have DOUBLED over the last 10 years. If you are experienced in your niche, this can make exceptional additional income! Guru and Elance are great sites for getting the word out and giving you the ability to instantly bid on projects. Flexjobs has an annual fee of $49, or you can sign up by the month – word from my clients is that this is an excellent site and resource. RealMatch is yet another option. 
2. Higher Ed Adjunct Teaching – Teach part-time in your area of expertise and get paid for it! Adjunct teaching is increasingly popular with state and local colleges as they do not have to cover benefits. 
3. Ebay/Craigslist – The business you can do using these mediums is pretty phenomenal. I know many people who generate significant passive income off these sites. 
4. Interim Executives – Many companies are looking for interim executives for various reasons. Most of the largest recruitment firms in the U.S., including Heidrick and Struggles, Russell Reynolds, Spencer Stuart and Spherion, now have specialized practice areas for interim executive placement. 
5. Corporate Project Assignments – Gear a version of your resume toward project assignments, highlighting the key skills/strengths you are really experienced in. This strategy appeals to companies (even for some full-time positions) because these positions don’t require automatic long-term commitments or benefit packages, and contracting projects can generally meet many corporate challenges at significant savings to them. The benefits to you are clear, including getting your foot in the door for more permanent work and giving you a chance to see if you and said company are a fit! 
6. Register With Your Local Temporary Agency – Employers hire entry AND mid-level professionals for project assignments through temp firms. 
7. Earn Income From Your Hobby – A few things I have seen people do in the past include selling fresh baked bread or veggies at their local farmers market, dog boarding, day care, ghostwriting, graphic design, selling antiques, equestrian lessons and photography.

Share this:

Want to know what is working in todays job market?

It was exciting to be interviewed last week by Peter Clayton of TotalPicture Radio on my Career Artisan Series of e-books available on Amazon. Click here to listen to a 3-minute promo of the interview (mp3 download).

If you want to listen to the full 30-minute interview, I share a lot of tips and tricks to succeed in today’s job market: Click here to listen to my 30-minute podcast on totalpictureradio.com.

Share this:

Guest post by Joe Franklin

Writing a resume that will stand out like a firecracker on the Fourth of July is certainly no easy task. With nearly any job today, there are always more qualified applicants than there are positions to fill. The ongoing challenging economic times are making the job market more competitive, as is the advent of computer scanning technology that can screen resumes just by looking for pre-set keywords.

No matter how great a candidate’s resume may be, since the first set of “eyes” that will likely view it will be electronic, knowing how to write a great business resume will make all the difference between getting left out in the cold and getting a shot at interviewing for the position you want. Luckily, with the use of resume scanning technology has also come a more formulaic approach to resume writing that takes away some of the guess work from the pre-computer resume screening days. Learning how to write a perfect resume for business can make a world of difference.

Perfect Resumes are Specific and Keyword-Driven

The first thing you need to remember when writing your resume is that today’s resume reviews are highly specific. In particular, they are all about keywords. Keywords encompass skill sets, strengths, job experience, prior titles and education, including specific information about degrees, certifications and grade point average (GPA). As an example, if you attended an online university based in Scranton, PA for your undergraduate and graduate degrees, writing “online Scranton University degrees” on your resume is not sufficient. You need to write the specific name of the university you attended, the year you graduated and your GPA, as well as the city and state. Do this for both your graduate and undergraduate degree.

In the same way, if your degree comes from a program that is an AACSB accredited online MBA program, if you use the acronym AACSB be sure to add in parentheses (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International). Don’t make the recruiter hunt for this information; they don’t have time and because of this, they will probably just put your resume in the “no” pile and move on. In terms of using specific keywords, often you can find critical position-specific keywords by reading the job description itself. Once you have found them, you can insert these keywords throughout your resume wherever they fit in naturally and then a computer will pick them up. As a result, your resume will be placed in the “short stack” to be reviewed by a real person.

Content Order

The next important step in writing the perfect resume is content order. Each recruiter is going to need certain pieces of information in order to even rule you as a candidate. They will need to know your education level and GPA. They will need to know about prior work experience, including the position(s) you have held and your job titles, in addition to what you did at each job. They will also need to know about any relevant certifications, volunteer positions or other credentials that are pertinent.

They will then look for something called an “objective statement,” which tells them why you are applying for their particular position and why you are a good fit. Having all of these elements present and in their proper order will give you a leg up over other candidates, because you will make the recruiter’s job of screening resumes easier. Also, a word about sharing past job roles – for business candidates in particular, using the “STAR” system can really aid in making your resume shine. STAR stands for “situations, tasks, actions, results.” Be as concise as possible, but explain about each aspect when describing relevant work or volunteer experience.

Brevity and Professionalism is Key

Finally, remember that in today’s job market, for every position that is announced, a recruiter might get 100 or 1,000 resumes for that position. While computer scanners can simplify the process, the recruiter will still not want to waste time scrolling through pages of your resume to find the information they need to prescreen you for the position. While a resume up to two pages long can work if you are applying for an executive-level job, for any position lower than that, keeping your resume to one page is best.

Statistics state that the average amount of time a recruiter spends reviewing each individual resume can be 30 seconds or less. Be brief, be succinct by following the STAR system, be sure to proofread your resume and have a second set of eyes do so as well. Finally, strive to make your overall presentation and contact information professional, which includes checking your voicemail message and choosing a professional-sounding email address. If you follow each of these steps to the letter, you improve your chances of writing a resume that can pave your way to landing any business job you want.

About the Author: Joe Franklin is a business school student who has written and re-written his own personal resume several times. It wasn’t until he brought his resume to his student career services office that he discovered the key elements he was missing.

Share this:

Finding the hidden jobs is easy, and anyone can do it. This video shows you how to find as many as you want. This video was made by my dear friend and mentor, the late Mark Hovind who passed away a few months ago. Mark was the only expert in the US that aggregated numbers from the BLS/US Census Bureau to educate job seekers that there are plenty of jobs available at all job levels all across the US.

Share this:

Were you on my free call this morning? I can’t believe how much info I was able to deliver in just an hour!

If you want to listen to the audio recording of the call titled:

Job Search Secrets For 5-and-6 Figure Professionals:
Your Toughest Job Search Questions Answered, Part II

Just click on this link:

http://careerartisan.audioacrobat.com/download/0b552813-5469-4237-7c76-280c163e4541.mp3

Here is what I covered:

How to use social networking to snag your next job opportunity.

How to meet the “key” individuals when networking.

How to network if you are a high level executive or an introverted person.

How do you craft a resume that actually gets read.

A special offer that can save you time and money in your job search.

Plus I made two more very special (time-sensitive) offers!

offer number one:

25% off my job search success system for the next 5 days – either package!

Check out the Job Search Success System here: job-searchsystem.com

(just use coupon code: SPRING)

offer number two:

Everyone that invests in a resume package with me thru the month of JUNE will be gifted the Job Search Success System (the full version with coaching) absolutely fr’ee.

Feel free to spread the word!

Inspiring your success,

Mary Elizabeth

PS Questions? Call us! 830-331-9398.

Share this:

In part one of this post, we looked at the facts and fallacies of the hidden job market including why you should consider tapping into it, why you should consider sending your resume to a company that has not advertised positions matching your skills and the level of experience you should be at in order to benefit from the hidden market.

Now I bet you are wondering precisely how to tap into the unadvertised market. There are three strategies to quickly get you started focusing on and finding great jobs that will never see a major job board.

Tip #1: Create a plan

If you are going to launch a proactive job search (i.e. knowing precisely what you are looking for, then reaching out to get it) vs. a reactive job search (i.e. passively scanning posted jobs, waiting to find the one that fits you) then it’s crucial you know the following things:

Your target markets

(e.g. Construction, commercial healthcare development, pharmaceutical, medical device, etc…)

Your titles & positions

(e.g. sales executive, VP of sales and marketing, business development director)

Your geographic parameters

(e.g. can’t leave Minneapolis, all of US, California only)

Your timeline

(e.g. need a job NOW, in the next 30 days, would like to make a change in the next 6 months)

Tip #2: Choose three main job search strategies for tapping into your market

Now that you have your plan, you should be crystal clear on what you want! Here are just a few unadvertised techniques you can utilize:

Growing/changing or moving companies: These are companies that are expanding, merging, acquiring other companies, are rolling out new products or services or are moving. These companies that are actively changing and/or growing offer you, the job seeker, an opportunity to offer your skills and strengths in order to help them.

Executive recruiters: Identify executive recruiters that are familiar with your industry and/or level of position. They often have contracts to fill positions of which the majority will never be advertised. Recruiters probably won’t be helpful to you if:

You are radically changing industries, a recruiter may not be the best source for you as they will be looking for “a match.”

Recruiters may be helpful if:

You plan on staying in your current industry, you have had less than 3 jobs in 10 years and you look fantastic on paper.

Direct company contact: The secret here is in the numbers. Contacting a company directly (fully knowing they probably have multiple open positions that are not advertised) is a great way to take leadership and control over your job search. Are you interested in looking at the higher education market in your state or the top organic food manufacturers in the US? Or maybe the fastest growing healthcare oriented businesses in your city? All of these “lists” are accessible to you and allow you to easily tap right into your market of focus!

Tip #3: Manage your job search like a professional project

Once you have your plan and have determined the best place to gather your resources and your general strategy, you must make a simple plan to move forward. Depending on your timeframe, pick the hours and the days each week that you plan to invest in your next career move. Block out those times and stick to them! Honor your commitment to your job search just like you would honor your commitment to your present employer to show up on time each day.
During your job search activity, keep things really simple and focus on the actions you are taking, not the results!

This way you can celebrate your initial “successes,” which in the beginning are the completion of each of your daily and weekly goals. The results will unfold elegantly and abundantly and you will enjoy feeling that satisfaction of success whether you are investing in marketing yourself or basking in the warm glow of landing your third or fourth interview!

Be careful not to devalue the importance of this tip. This strategy is one of the main points to averting thoughts of despair and feelings of overwhelm.

Share this:

When you are setting up a turnkey job search campaign and trying to tap into the hidden job market, you may happen upon some hurdles that can stop you in your tracks, shake your confidence and cause you to doubt yourself or tempt you to settle for much less than you deserve. In my previous feature article I covered how fear, negative thoughts, perfectionistic and isolating behaviors can create sticking points for you. Here are the final four pitfalls and how you can avoid them:

Pitfall #5: Not being open to try new job search methods

In this job market you are going to have very little success if all you do is answer a handful of posted jobs.

My clients who are having success right now are the ones that are using direct mail programs, learning how to research and use strategies to tap into the hidden job market (actually quite easy) and learning about social networking.

Pitfall #6: Putting all your eggs in one basket

I worked with a client once who secured three interviews a week after I sent this client her final resume copy.

She was so excited, and I was excited for her. But when I asked her how her job search strategies were going she said she was just waiting for her immediate interviews to pan out before she did anything else. Though I encouraged her not to do this, her mind was made up.

Six weeks later all three potential job opportunities fell through and my client was left with an empty basket and the daunting task of starting all over again from scratch.

Moral of the story: keep your pipeline full and your job search activities consistent until your first day at your new company.

Pitfall #7: No Strategy

In order to be successful in your job search, you have to have a foundation of basic goals and a clear understanding of your driving motivators.

If you don’t, you aren’t going to know what to focus on or where to best invest your time and energy.

I have worked with job seekers who when they first came to me shared that they had been in “I’ll know it when I see it” job search mode for over a year with nothing to show for it.

So, know what industries you are targeting and why, what your salary goals are, your timeframe and your basic game plan before trying to move forward. You’ll be so glad you did!

Pitfall #8: Work/life imbalance

You can’t job search 8-hrs a day. Well, you can but if you do you will probably be feeling drained and burnt out in no time at all.

During a job search you will most likely be experiencing more stress than normal. It’s important that you take better care of yourself and take more time off then perhaps you are accustomed.

This isn’t a luxury! It’s actually a vital part of your successful job search.

Eat right, get plenty of rest and do plenty of those things you love to do. This way you will have plenty of energy for creativity and strategy. You will be rested, clear-headed and enthusiastic in your job interviews which will make a positive impression.

If you see yourself in any one of pitfalls, take heart and use these simple techniques to break through the hurdles so you can stay focused and confident as you move toward the career opportunity you really want.

Share this: