Recession-Proof Résumés: Get Hired Before Everyone Else
By Beth Madden, Madden Industrial Craftsmen, Inc.
The economy appears to be recovering quite slowly, and recent reports have mentioned that more than six million unemployed individuals have been out of work for six months or longer!
As you create your résumé, remember that it’s much more than just a listing of your previous jobs, duties and employers. Your résumé first and foremost is a sales tool — you’re “selling” your skills, knowledge and accomplishments to an employer. Your résumé should whet a potential employers’ appetite enough that you’re called in for an interview.
Below are some tips to help you craft a résumé that helps you get noticed…and hired!
Fall-Back Jobs & The Marketing Delta
By Matt Youngquist, Career Horizons
Many times, when you’re caught between employment engagements for a number of months, you’ll find yourself wondering whether — as the old saying goes — it might be time to fish or cut bait.I have clients come in on a fairly frequent basis, in fact, saying things like “Matt, I’ve been looking for work for a while now, without much success, and am thinking that maybe I should settle on this one marginally-crappy job I have brewing, or take some temp work, or try my hand at selling cars, or fall back to a ‘survival’ job waiting tables or something similar. Do you think this is a smart move?”
After holding this discussion with a great many people over the years, I think that there are times when this kind of “fallback” move makes a ton of sense — and other times when such a step would be grossly premature. At the end of the day, it all comes down (in my humble opinion) to what I call the “marketing delta” and how aggressively and competently a professional has been running their job search up until such time as this type of decision point is reached.
With Ads, Reading Comprehension is Key
By Matt Youngquist, Career Horizons
Remember those annoying “reading comprehension” questions on the SAT exam? Boy, I hated those. While I’m generally pretty good with the English language, the idea that there was only ONE acceptable interpretation to a given story always got under my craw.
For example, I specifically remember one question that asked “Who built the Erie Canal?” and forced you to choose between 1) Irish laborers; 2) New York government officials; 3) Mules; or 4) Civil engineers. To this day, I don’t have a clue what the right answer was to that one, given that the word “built” could have so many different interpretations! Still makes my blood boil, just thinking about it…
But anyway, my own bizarre hang-ups aside, there’s no question that reading comprehension is a key ingredient to job hunting success — especially when it comes to responding to published advertisements. To put it bluntly, if you’re going to go through the trouble of pursuing an advertised opportunity, make sure to read the job description carefully so that you can demonstrate a strong comprehension of the employer’s needs, challenges, and requirements in your cover letter!
Great Online Resources for Job Hunters
By Cathy Feole.
From the weather, one would not think that summer is just around the corner. However, there is finally some sun in regards to employment opportunities in our area. Perhaps it’s time to update that resume to be ready when the right job comes along. Or, maybe the time is right to start looking for that dream career and figuring out what to do to get it. Regardless of your circumstance, there are a number of online tools available that let you explore careers, find training, determine your skills and even figure out what salary you need to meet living expenses. Even if you have looked at some of these utilities before, take another, deeper look now. You may be surprised at what you learn about yourself that will help you map a brighter future.
After the Interview: 7 Tips to Help You Edge Out Your Competition
By Beth Madden, Madden Industrial Craftsmen, Inc
You’ve just finished your interview. It went well. Maybe even very well.
Is this the time to sit back, relax and wait for the phone call that says “You’re hired!”
Hardly.
Now is your time to shine and edge out the other people who interviewed for the position. Here are seven tips to help you do so:
1) Send a thank you letter. Always, always, always! do this. You’d think that this is an obvious first post-interview step, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t take the time to thank the interviewer Use their laziness to your advantage and, as soon as you can, craft a personal thank you letter to your interviewer(s). Don’t just say “thank you,” however. Use the thank you letter to restate your skills and qualifications. Mention any relevant accomplishments you may have failed to mention. Make sure the letter is brief and professional. And, yes, you can send and e-mail thank you. You must send the thank you within 24 hours of your interview.
2) Thank everyone with whom you interviewed. Ask for business cards or, if you aren’t able to get cards, go to the company’s website to see if you can get names and titles. Visit LinkedIn, as well. As a last (or even first) resort, call the company and make sure you have the correct name, title and spelling.
