How to Find a Job in This Job Market

I want to preface this by stating that I have been a practicing career coach for six years, during which time I have helped almost 400 job seekers. Every case is unique because no two circumstances are alike, but ultimately there is a lot of commonality between job seekers. Finding a job, especially in today’s job market, is supercompetitive, so let’s not forget that. In principle, there are two significant steps every job seeker has to master. Without that mastery, chances are slim for getting a job. The first step involves the résumé, and the second, interviewing skills.

Résumé

The résumé is the most important document a job seeker needs. At the résumé submission stage, the competition is fierce. An advertised position could draw literally hundreds and hundreds of résumés. The quality of such résumés of course varies from blatantly poor to stunningly excellent. In the middle are several that are very good. Sorry, though, but those will not be in the running. Why should a human resources rep, a recruiter, or even a hiring manager consider those when plenty of excellent résumés have been submitted to select from? My point is that only excellent résumés will be considered.

So, how does one produce an excellent résumé? After years and years and seeing hundreds of résumés myself, I am completely convinced that it takes a professional résumé writer to do that. Statistically speaking, the vast majority of job seekers initiate their own résumés. Next, they ask others whose opinions they respect to comment and possibly edit. And by accepting others’ recommendations, they’re thus covering a patch with a patch.

At times, a résumé morphs into something very different from what it started out to be. With all due respect to those who are willing to help others in need, the fact is that most of those people are simply not professionals at writing résumés. They want to help and are doing their best, but the final product will not be at the excellent level. Opposite this are professional résumé writers, some of whom are certified, have years of successful experience, and strive to be good at this service because their livelihood depends on it. They keep taking courses to learn what’s new, and they clearly know what sells. They not only craft a good-looking résumé, but they know how to weave in the right keywords and in sufficient numbers. Without the right keywords, résumés go into a black hole and may stay there for a very long time, if not indefinitely. Many people declare themselves professional résumé writers to attract clients. Best is to use one who comes highly recommended by several people. Their fees vary, but I’ve learned that you get what you pay for.

Interview Preparation

This is the area I specialize in. Again, from my experience I conclude that only a tiny fraction of the population is innately good at interviewing. Job interviewing essentially calls for being an actor onstage. Many people phone me, say, two days before they’re scheduled for a critical interview. This is clearly not enough time to prepare. It takes a significant amount of practice to review common interview questions and be ready to answer them proficiently.

The interview process involves not only going through the motions but also understanding interviewers’ thinking. When interviewers ask about your weaknesses, do you know what they mean? Do you know what you’re being tested on?

Interviewing well can be learned. It is certainly not as complex as brain surgery. It just takes practice till you feel confident. And if you exude confidence, the interviewer senses that. Congratulations! An offer is coming your way.

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Too Old to Be Hired?

The law says employers are not permitted to discriminate because they deem someone too old, yet employers do so every single day. How can they get away with it? The answer is, By thinking it but never talking about it or documenting it. When questioned, their answer is, It was not a good fit.

There are many reasons people who are no longer young are associated with certain preconceived ideas—for example, poor physical appearance. In some cases, it’s true, and a candidate should show concern and responsibility for improving such an image. Easily said and challenging to reverse but often can be improved through, say, physical fitness, a more contemporary eyeglass frame, better-looking and better-fitting clothing, and proper grooming can make a huge difference. Another example is the expectation that an older and more experienced person is expecting—and needs—more money. In many cases, this is not true. While everybody wants more money of course, there are many situations in which the person has already built a nest egg, and money is a secondary or tertiary concern. Going out and working, regaining identity, contributing, and just being with other people often outweigh everything else. One more example is the preconception that younger people are more tech savvy. Yes, that’s often the case, but I can easily argue that an electronics engineer with years of experience and who’s gone through the technology evolution has a profound understanding and a big-picture point of view, which could be major assets. And how about the notion that older folks have low energy, often have a so-called corporate mentality, and a lack of flexibility? Again, some of those might be true in some cases, but from the examples I’ve presented here, it’s easy to see that each case must be judged independently and weighed on demonstrated facts.

How can a candidate mitigate often-false prejudices? First, a candidate must be careful about social media presence. Ninety percent of employers check out candidates prior to making a first contact. Why this practice? Because it’s simple, quick, and free. The way candidates do the same by checking out the company and, possibly, everything they can about those they’re going to interview with at the company. It’s called due diligence on both sides. As a job candidate, you should check out your own social media score via mywebcareer.com. Furthermore, check out your social media presence via socialmention.com. The latter Web site takes a holistic approach, including videos.

Second, if you’re not clear on how the potential interviewer might view you, a session with a career coach can surface and reveal all your doubts. In fact, if the career coach is in the habit of using a video camera, you could see it for yourself. In addition, do not be embarrassed to initiate a conversation on this subject with your spouse and your good friends and possibly do a mutual exchange of opinions with other job seekers.

Third, get into the frame of mind that says that as an older person, you possess a special asset: experience. Practically speaking, that means that all of the past mistakes were made on some other employer’s account and would not be repeated. How about your problem-solving skills, which are by now well developed? And how about the fact that you’re already in the habit of practicing good judgment and have good work habits. After all, you come from the old school.

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In Transition: So What's Your Brand?

More than ever, when you are in transition you should have a brand. Why? you ask. Because that is how you differentiate yourself and stand out from the proverbial crowd.

Branding is not about what you like but about what employers like. Your branding statement—whether in writing, on the Internet, or spoken via your elevator pitch should have the triple purposes of gaining credibility, arousing curiosity, and increasing your likability factor. And your work toward those goals will not be in vain, because 90 percent of employers check out candidates prior to making initial searches via, say, LinkedIn, Spokeo, or ZoomInfo.

Nowadays, employers use Google when searching for prospects. Research shows that

29% of people use two words when searching, 28% use three words, 17% use four words, and only 11% use one word. This means that your résumé or any other information about you should be rich with nouns and phrases. This advice is different from what we were told in the past: that résumés should have lots of action verbs. In fact, a combination of both is best. Yes, certainly computers are looking for keywords, but when people actually read about you, they want to see both action and accomplishments.

A recent study found that 90% of people search on the first three pages of search engine results and that 62% search only on the first page. Good branding work rewards candidates by resulting in a high ranking on Google searches. To find out what’s out there in cyberspace, here are the most common social media search engines:

• www.socialmention.com
• www.twittersearch.com
• www.whostalkin.com

Setting it up is a bit time-consuming, but you might be surprised at the information available about you and that you didn’t have a clue about. One of the best ways to find out what people are saying about you is to monitor your reputation via www.google.com/alerts.

It’s very important to communicate properly, for this is how people judge you. And there are certain words and phrases you should avoid because they’re overused and most often meaningless. Here are a few examples:

• Extensive experience
• Motivated
• Dynamic
• Team player
• Problem solver
• Innovative
• Results oriented
• Proven track record
• Fast paced
• Entrepreneurial

These days 90% of recruiters check LinkedIn. Therefore it makes good sense for you to improve as best as possible the information on your LinkedIn page. Here are a few simple ideas:

• Increase the number of recommendations.
• Ask questions and provide answers.
• Update your status periodically.
• Inform your connections about projects you’re working on.
• Connect with your Twitter account.
• Share links to articles of interest.
• Import e-mail addresses from Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, and Outlook.
• Connect with ex-colleagues: people on LinkedIn from companies you worked with before.
• Connect with people you met in person via networking events and whose business cards you collected.

As you can see, branding yourself is of utmost importance. Otherwise, you stay hidden from those you really want to see you.

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The Trouble with Your Elevator Pitch

 Scott Morgan is my guest-blogger.  He wrote a terrific short piece well worth reading

Alex

4-U: 4 Tips for Better Communications

 The Trouble with Your Elevator Pitch

by Scott Morgan, President of 4West Communications

 You walk into a networking event, your business cards at your hip, the inner gunslinger in you waiting to draw, when a pleasant person walks up to meet you and asks “What do you do?”

So you bust out your elevator pitch. Only to watch the other person walk away. What went wrong?

1) You tried too hard. I sympathize with anyone whose brain gets hogtied in one-on-one conversations. In an effort to sound impressive, hit emotional buttons, and leave a lasting impression, you say things like “I am the cement that binds you to your customers.” That stuff works in a speech, but try saying it as a direct answer to “What do you do?” and watch the eyes start rolling. The antidote? Relax. Don’t try to knock it out of the park, then out of the whole stadium. Nix the big words and just be direct.

2) You didn’t rehearse. The great Jackie Gleason never rehearsed and he was a killer comedic talent. You are not Jackie Gleason. The antidote? Work on your response. Practice it until it sounds natural; until it sounds as if you casually whipped it off the top of your head. The only way to do it is to say it and say it and say it and say it.

3) You spent all your time on you. Rattling off a list of your services and punctuating things with “because I’m the best there is” works with potential business partners as well as it works on a first date (seriously, try it, and please post the hilarious results on YouTube). The antidote? Frame your response to reflect what you can do for them. What needs do they have that you can serve? Here’s a hint: Look at what you do for a living. You do it because it needs to be done. So that’s the need you’re serving.

4) You didn’t stop talking. People babble when they get nervous. That’s how cops know who did it. And it’s easy to just keep your lips moving long after you’ve made your point. The antidote? If you feel you’ve made your point and are uncomfortable with the hovering silence that follows your succinct response, turn it back on the questioner. Ask “So what do you do?” It’s an amazing way to, you know, start an actual conversation. You both might find you need each other.

Want to stay up on the latest from 4West Communications? Look for the “Follow” button at the bottom right of my homepage, www.4-west.com, to follow my blog. 

Scott Morgan,

Speaker, Author, Editor, Ghostwriter, Consultant

President, 4West Communications: Expert Copywriting and Copyediting

609-372-0548

www.4-west.com

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Are You Media Social?

Many people don’t realize how different from the job search of today is from the job search of not even too many years ago. Many others find it difficult to learn about today’s different kind of search and therefore shove the issue to their back burner, planning to deal with it later—if they do at all. Yet others, often younger ones, embrace the new wave and benefit from it.

Social media are open for two-way communication and are important for more than social interaction. Those media are especially important for job seekers because more than 80 percent of recruiters use social media to find job candidates. In 2008 and 2009, many company human resources departments eliminated part of their staffs, and thus the recruiting responsibility fell directly on the shoulders of the hiring manager. An advantage offered by social media is that they reveal people’s personalities, and after all, companies are looking for candidates who will fit into their cultures.

Using social media, job seekers should follow the following steps.

• Identify target companies and the people in your specific area of expertise.
• Research specific problems you can help with.
• Identify people within the target company who might be willing to be of assistance to you. This requires tenacity!
• Connect to those people via social media.
• Start interacting with them to establish credibility.

Admittedly, accessing the Internet to find a job is tedious, laborious, dull, and exhausting, but it can be made easier with several existing job search tools and organizers. For example:

·       CareerShift.com

·       Becomed.com

·       JibberJobber.com

·       JobKatch.com

None of those organizers are perfect, and users experience a steep learning curve to set one up and master it. Some of the organizers connect easily with LinkedIn and Outlook. Others require a fee. And yet others do not connect with certain job boards.

It’s all about building mutually beneficial relationships. But it’s worthless unless the other party can help and is willing to refer you to others. Of course, the same is expected from you. The advantages of online networking are numerous: It’s free. Job seekers can do research before meeting the other party. The connection is fast and easy. And such communication is effective and speedy. Regrettably, though, in many cases the relationships are shallow and not durable.

In the past, job search networking meant going to meetings, shaking hands, smiling, exchanging business cards, and following up. That still holds true today, but via social networking, one can do preliminary research in order to make an event more effective than it would be without such advance research.

One way or another, to benefit from networking, one needs to vastly increase one’s sphere of acquaintances. And that process itself needs to be managed carefully. Luckily, several programs can provide some help in this area. For example:

• BatchBlue.com
• Plaxo.com
• Gist.com

Again, another learning curve with advantages and disadvantages.

Looking for a job is very time-consuming, but it can have a fun component if one has the patience, tenacity, and foresight to see that at the end of the job search tunnel will be a wonderful job waiting to be found. Good luck on your journey and I invite your comments.

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How Hiring Decisions Are Made

Years ago, I had a large office in the Wall Street area with a personal secretary screening my phone calls, opening mail, taking dictation, and managing my calendar. Since then of course, the business world has changed. The next phase had executives sharing a pool of secretaries using floppy discs working on word processors. That was followed by an administrative assistant supporting at times an entire group.

Whereas years ago the hiring process and the hiring decision were the exclusive domain of the executive, nowadays—since so-called teamwork has become a major part of the work environment—hiring decisions are often shared and thus made by several team members. That process supports the concept that a group decision is better than an individual decision. As a result, the process has become convoluted, protracted, and not necessarily better—in my opinion.

Today’s job market is flooded with lots of very qualified candidates chasing very few openings. The way hiring happens has also changed. Technology has infiltrated the process, and today’s submission of one’s candidacy is purely mechanical. Nobody sees the candidate’s skills and qualifications unless the hiring manager’s keywords match those on the résumé, and only then is the original résumé reproduced for reading. Once that happens, several candidates get reviewed via a selection process.

To save time and money, a phone interview, or screen, is the next hurdle candidates face. It’s usually accomplished by someone junior in the human resources department who does not fully understand the hiring department’s particular needs. If an external recruiter is the intermediary between the candidate and the hiring company, then the recruiter’s financial motivation is playing a key role. That’s because recruiters work for the company paying their commissions.

Decision Making

Decision making is a complex process because several parties have a say and a stake in it. For example, sometimes the human resources department representative’s opinion carries significant weight, and other times the rep is merely a paper trail processor. Sometimes a candidate is interviewed by several people in addition to the final decision maker. Those others, too, have a say—because hiring managers want to show their support of their teams by demonstrating their collegiality—but to what extent those other opinions matter is probably variable. And what happens when a hiring manager favors a particular candidate but several others who’d be future peers of the candidate show resistance? In addition, in most cases hiring managers know the thinking and mentality of the person they report into, so what happens if their own opinion is opposed regarding the type of person who should be hired?

A recent large survey was conducted among human resources professionals and hiring managers. The survey clearly found that by far, the number one factor in the hiring decision is the fit factor—meaning, the determination about whether a candidate will fit into the culture of the company. Fully 100 percent of the respondents said so! But what is this culture that’s referred to? Who defines it? Who interprets it?

Some companies use exclusively behavior-based or situation-based interview questions. The tenet here is that past performance is a good indicator or predictor of similar such performance. I wonder if those companies can decisively demonstrate that by practicing this theory, they become able to hire and retain a higher-caliber labor force.

Ultimately, of course, it is people who make the final decision about which candidate to offer the job to. The interview process is certainly not a science but an art. Can that art be learned in order to improve one’s chances of being hired? Well, I’m sure you know the answer to the old riddle that asks, Do you know how to get to Carnegie Hall?

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Can YOU Control the Interview?

Think what the interview is all about. Sorry, but it’s not about you. It’s about the interviewer’s perception regarding your fit into the organization’s culture combined with your ability to perform the job very well. No interviewer is looking for Mr. Average. So, what does the word perception include here? Primarily two issues: the image you create in the interviewer’s mind and the facts you bring as evidence based on the organization’s specific circumstances or problems it needs solutions to.

Your image

This subject is complex. It incorporates the interviewer’s personal biases, cultural perceptions, and personal likes and dislikes as well as age and gender and all the rest of the items covered in antidiscrimination laws vis-à-vis the organization’s culture. The candidate will get evaluated on appearance, looks, attire, passion, excitement, body language, smile, tone of voice, accent, and many other factors combined.

The facts

The interviewer knows that the candidate came to the interview to impress and sell himself to the potential buyer. That’s why the interviewer is selective and suspicious. It’s because of having to evaluate whether the candidate’s answers represent opinions or facts.

The first impression

When meeting an interviewer for the first time, the job seeker is creating an image. If the impression is a good one, it carries throughout the interview. If the impression is unfavorable, the candidate has to fight a probably losing battle—often without knowing it.

The interview

An interview most often starts with chit-chat or a warm-up period consisting of a few easy-talk sentences. Then, once the interviewer feels comfortable, he signals the beginning of the interview.

There are several common interview questions, and candidates must be prepared for them with the right answers. How many of you have had interviews that didn’t have a starting lead-in such as, Tell me about yourself, or a starting question such as, What are your strengths or accomplishments?

Preparation for the interview must include great answers to such basic questions. The candidate’s objective here has to be to engage the interviewer to the point that the interviewer becomes willing to tell the candidate the specific problems he’s looking for the right candidate to resolve. In answering, the candidate must select the right words, give pertinent answers, use positive phraseology, and not be long-winded. Lack of preparation for that opener or showing nervousness and lack of enthusiasm is a sign of weakness. The interviewer is also expecting the candidate to look in his eyes.

Nowadays, some companies are using what’s called situational, behavioral, or, sometimes, case-study-type questions. The thinking behind this concept is that if in the past one behaved a certain way, then this personality trait will likely be continued. Most of these types of questions start with such wording as, Tell me about a time when, or, What was your strongest, toughest, etc. [fill in the blank], or, Can you cite an example that . . . ? Many candidates are not properly prepared to answer such questions or in fact do not have a rich repertoire of such experiences. With some preparation and guidance, though, anyone can excel—even in the face of such difficult questions.

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