A Great Resume Blog

JoAnn Nix’s Top 10 Ideas To Land Interviews

I am a Certified Professional Resume Writer and Career Coach who has worked with over 10,000 clients. I wanted to share 10 strategies on ways to land interviews. If you need any assistance, I may be reached at [email protected] or via 1-800-265-6901.

1. Know What You Want.  Be sure you know what type of job you want. Many people are willing to accept any type of job, so they say. You will not be successful in a job search until you clearly know what you want. Consider these two conversations:

 

--“I don’t care what type of job I get. I just need a job, any job will do. I need to feed my family and keep my house. Whatever I land, I’ll be happy.”

--“I am searching for a Director or Vice President of Business-to-Business (B2B) Sales in the manufacturing, aerospace, or high-tech industry where I can generate millions of dollars in new sales each year.”

My question to you is this, “Which person do you think will be the most successful?” How can a job seeker with zero goals and no clear indication of the type of job he/she wants, really move forward and capture interviews?

2. Identify Your Target Industries and Companies. You must know what industries you want to work in; it’s absolutely critical for job search success. Your job search must always travel down a clearly defined path. People can’t point you in the right direction and connect you with other people if you can’t articulate your target industries and companies. Once you identify target industries, you must complete a list of companies. Share this list with other people to see if they have connections. There are many ways to identify target companies, such as the Internet, networking, Chamber of Commerce, Internet directories such as Yahoo, professional affiliation databases, and many other resources.

3.  Research Companies.  After you compile your list of target companies, you need to initiate your search. There are many ways to do this. Talk to people who work at the company or do business with the target company. Read about the company on the Internet. Read articles about the company through print publications. Do your research; it will pay off for you. Uncover, if possible, any “pain” they are having so you can position yourself as the solution. If you address their issues and present yourself as a solution, it will help you land interviews. Be sure to address your cover letter to specific hiring decision makers. It is easy to find out the name of the hiring decision maker (“your new manager”). Call the company or search the Internet to find this information.

4. Create a Blog.  In today’s world, you need an Internet presence. You should really create and maintain a blog. This will help you be found by recruiters and human resources professionals. It will enable you to share your expertise with the world if you write and post articles. It will help brand you. There are many companies that can help you set up a new blog. Be absolutely sure the blog is about you and your career. Recruiters and hiring agents are not interested in pictures of your pets, learning about your children, seeing vacation pictures, and so forth.

5. Develop Your Own Website. A website can also be an integral part of your Internet presence. The website should only be focused on your career, and not your family or your personal interests. Be sure it is search engine-friendly, and is filled with significant keywords. Register it with search engines. Add your professional photograph. Make it sophisticated, and not cute.

6.  Volunteer. This is a great way to gain more exposure, build your brand, and connect with other people who can introduce you to decision makers you need to meet. Get involved in professional associations, and volunteer for roles. Gain exposure to other members. Follow up meetings with brief phone calls or short e-mails. Get to know other people. Strategically build long-term relationships. Don’t force your resume on them and don’t come across as desperate for a job. Cultivate the relationships today which will help you support any future job searches. You want people to start approaching you about jobs, instead of you always needing to hunt for your next position. Create a “top of mind” approach to your professional career.

7. Write Articles. We live in an information-driven culture, and most people are ready for new information. This is a great avenue to showcase your knowledge. Write articles and post them on your blog and website. Take it a step further, and submit your articles to industry publications and relevant e-zines. When people realize you are a subject matter expert and read many of your articles, they will want to interview you.

8. Cold Calling. It sounds old-fashioned, but it should be an integral part of your job search strategy. It will make you memorable. Send follow up e-mails to people that helped you. You may not immediately reach the right person, but others in the company can become your advocate. Know what you want to say. If you need to leave a message, be sure to speak slowly and clearly. Be sure to state your name and telephone number very clearly. Repeat your phone number. If the person has to listen to the message over and over to try to understand your name or phone number, you probably won’t get a return call.

9.  Stop By the Company. I read an article the other day written by a Human Resources Director. She said she would be mortified if a job seeker came to the office. I disagree vehemently. This is a great chance for you to meet people in person, have brief conversations, express your interest in the company, and begin a new relationship. Even if you need to start a relationship with the receptionist, that’s ok. At least you know an employee now. Guess what --- he/she also knows many people in the company. The conversation would be well worth your time. Be sure to follow up and thank people for their help. Why not give a single rose or a couple of flowers to the person that helped you, or a small Starbucks gift certificate? Make people feel appreciated, and they will help you!! A small gesture can go a long way to helping you.

10. Network Day In, Day Out! I wanted to save this for last, because you’ve heard about this topic dozens of times. I could write two books on this subject. So in summary, if you want a new job, you must get out in the business world and network. Read books on the subject and online articles. Just start talking to people you know and get them to introduce you to new people. Communicate what you want, and tell people how they can help you. That’s the very basics of networking. There is so much more I could cover. Don’t forget to prudently use linkedin.com and other social networking sites as part of your network strategy. Most importantly, focus on face-to-face networking.

 

Ten Strategies To Help You Transition Into a New Industry

If you have decided to change industries but are not sure how to achieve your goals, this article will provide several ideas to help you be more successful.

1. Industry Evaluations. First things first! You need to evaluate selected industries and make sure the industry is doing well. Has the industry been heavily impacted by the national recession or are they sustainable when economic problems occur? What are analysts saying about the industry today? Is the industry cutting-edge or antiquated? What is important to you? You probably want to study and analyze several industries before you make a final decision.

2. Interview Industry Professionals. Discuss the industry with people who have this experience. What do they think about it? Are they happy, or do they want to exit the industry since they know it is facing problems? Do they see a great future for the industry? Is the industry entrenched in federal regulations? What challenges has the industry faced in the last five to ten years? This is a great opportunity to undercover the ‘real’ truth about the industry and its future.

3. Your Geographic Preference. Have you decided on a geographic preference? Is the industry a dominant leader in your targeted region?

4. Selected Companies. Compile a list of targeted companies in the industry you have chosen, and in your geographic preference. For example, if you want to work in the healthcare industry in Dallas, you will need to create a list of healthcare companies in Dallas. This list will really help you in several ways, particularly with networking.

5. What Qualifications Are Needed Today? When you begin speaking with decision makers and industry professionals, you want to acquire an excellent understanding of the skills needed in the industry. Do you have any shortcomings that will need to be resolved? For example, a company in a specific industry may require certain certifications. The more information you have, the easier it will be for you to make the transition.

6. “Talk the Talk.” It is critical for you to become familiar with the industry’s terminology. This information can be gathered through networking and conversations, by reading publications and articles about the industry, by reading company blogs, and so forth. You will want to sprinkle the terminology in your marketing documents and conversations.

7. Part Time Opportunities. Consider any part-time or lower level opportunities that will allow you to gain practical experience in the industry. Is it possible to secure an internship or perform  volunteer work that will be a gateway to the industry?

8. Join Industry Associations. If possible, join major industry associations and become a visible member. Attend any local or national industry conferences and network extensively. This is an outstanding opportunity for you to speak with countless professionals who have extensive industry experience and can support your career decision.

9. Intelligence Gathering. Read any online and offline publications and articles you can find on the industry. Be sure to read blogs written by industry professionals. Don’t forget to use linkedin.com, zoominfo.com, twitter.com, spoke.com, and other information related websites.

10.  Resume Writing. Once you have this information, you will be able to position yourself for a new industry. Leverage the information you have gleaned, and transform it into significant information that sells your ability to deliver critical accomplishments.

JoAnn Nix is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and Career Coach with nearly 18 years of experience. She has helped thousands of professionals with career transitions. She may be reached at [email protected] or 1-800-265-6901.

Is Your Personal Website Sending The Right Message?

You have a personal website... that's great. Does your website communicate the right messages, especially if you are conducting a job search?

If you are searching for a new job, most recruiters, hiring managers, and HR professionals will conduct an Internet search - aka "google" you. If your website is found, your messages must be powerful and must reflect your career and professionalism.

Most people with personal websites never consider that a hiring manager, recruiter, or HR professional will visit their website to discover more information. The content of your website could possibly get your name crossed off the list of possible candidates.

Your website should be extremely professional. My recommendation to anyone conducting a job search is to delete any non-professional information. In other words, hiring decisions makers do not care if a person likes a particular rock band, needs to lose 25+ pounds, recently went on a vacation, or loves their pets! Moreover, they do not need to know your religious or political views. They do not want to know your goals, such as getting out of debt or hoping to find the right soul mate. This type of information is not conducive to selling you as a perfect candidate.

Your website should be incredibly professional. It can include a professional photograph, your resume, short articles that demonstrate your expertise, and other professional information.

If you have a website and are conducting a job search, perhaps you might want to review the content and see if it is time for changes. I'm sure you don't want your content to discourage hiring decision makers from discussing possible job opportunities with you.

If you need help writing content about your career, I'd be happy to discuss this with you.

JoAnn Nix, Certified Professional Resume Writer

E-mail: [email protected]

www.agreatresume.com

Are You CEO of YOU, Inc.?

To be successful in today's global job market, you need to be CEO of YOU, Inc. This means you need to drive a job search as if you are the leader of a corporation. You, alone, are responsible for your job search success - not recruiters, not professional resume writers, not career coaches. Let's examine a few similar traits between a company and your job search.

1. Define Your Product. The product is just not you or your name. The product is what you are offering, the value you bring to the table, the services you deliver, the ways you contribute to business. Craft your value statement, your mission statement, and define your product. Differentiate your product from the competition.

2. Target Audience. Companies always define their target audience, and so should you. Who are you selling to - what companies, which industries, what specific people are in your niche audience?

3. Teams. You should form a job search team. No matter how small or large a company is, they all operate on team-based models. Even a solo entrepreneur should have a Board of Advisors or Board of Consultants (aka teams). The same concept applies to your job search - form and leverage the wisdom of a team or a Board of Advisors. Job searching is complex and multi-faceted... why not use a team for assistance?

4. Project Management. Job searching is a large-scale project. Break your job search down into manageable components, with goals, budgets, deadlines, and more. Integrate best practices into your job search and expect much better results. Projects always begin by defining targeted results and work backwards - what resources are needed, what is the budget, and what human capital resources are required to execute the project and deliver mission-critical results? The same is true for your job search.

5. Business Plans. Successful companies craft and execute business plans. They don't "fly by the seat of their pants" and pray everything works out for the best. The same principle applies to your job search - a successful, well designed business/job search plan will position you for success.

6. Promotions, Branding, Advertising, Communication Strategies. These are integral components to successfully marketing a product in the corporate world. The same principles apply to your job search. How will you promote and advertise your product? Have you completed a branding program? What are your communication strategies?

These are six similarities between a corporation and your job search. I hope these are helpful in driving your job search success.

JoAnn Nix, Certified Professional Resume Writer and Career Coach

www.agreatresume.com

1-800-265-6901

[email protected]

8 Reasons to Job Search During the Holidays

The majority of job seekers believe companies stop hiring during the holiday season. Most job seekers will begin moving into a hibernation mode, and plan to wait until after the holidays have passed to relaunch their job search. This can be a serious mistake as this holiday season is actually one of the best times to search for a new career opportunity.

Here are eight reasons why you should continue to move forward in your job search during the latter days of November and December.

1. Since most job seekers put their job search on hold, that’s good news for you! This means your competition is drastically lowered and your chances of landing interviews skyrockets. There will never be another time of the year when competition is so low.

2. At this time of the year, people feel less stressed in their jobs and are in a festive spirit. Busy professionals and executives are more available for exploratory meetings with job candidates and more eager to find time in their schedules for business meetings, networking, and interviews. Moreover, executives are typically in the office more so than other times of the year.

3. This time of the year equals greater opportunities for socializing and networking. Take advantage of all event gatherings. Establish new relationships, get reacquainted with family members, touch base up with former colleagues, etc. Briefly discuss your career with people during these networking opportunities, and be sure to follow up with each person you meet. Remember briefly discuss your career and/or job search – do not spend more than two or three minutes on this subject. After all, no one attends a party or event to listen to the details of someone’s job search.

4. You may find opportunities to volunteer during this time of the year. Volunteering is an excellent way to meet new people. In concert, this is an outstanding time of the year to donate your time and resources to worthy organizations and the people they help.

5. Plant seeds for the future. The relationships you build during this time period may be critical to the job search success in 2007.

6. Professionals will continue to change jobs, earn promotions, retire, and more during November and December. Managers will still look for an ideal candidate to replace poorly performing professionals. Hiring needs never end, they may taper, but the need for professionals never stops, not matter the date on the calendar.

7. Hiring managers and recruiters have a sense of urgency related to staffing at this time of the year. They do not want to begin the new year with a staffing deficit. The want to be ramped up to meet new business opportunities January 2.

8. Be available and flexible during the holidays. Would you be willing to interview for a job in the last few days of December? I know several people who have been available for interviews at Christmas time and even flew across the country for interviews – and they received a job offer!

Are You Making the #1 Job Search Mistake?

The biggest mistake that job seekers make is not following up! Job seekers constantly complain that companies, networking leads, and others they reach out to, never contact them. The reason this occurs is due to non-existent follow up techniques.

You've heard the adage - the squeaky wheel gets the oil? If you're gently, but firmly, persistent enough and follow up consistently, you will be successful.

Have you ever sent your resume to a website and waited patiently for weeks and months, but never heard back? Did you send your resume to a Human Resources Director or Recruiter and finally gave up? Have you called a person in your network, or sent an e-mail a time or two, and just assumed they didn't want to talk to you?

If you can answer yes to any of those questions, the problem stems from poor follow-up.

See, everyone has a high degree of responsibilities - exhaustive work schedules and many personal committments... you name it, our plate is full. Couple that with family and other responsibilities, there seems to be little time left for other things. However, we always seem to find the time to do what really matters to us.

That's why I encourage you to be very, very relentless in contacting recruiters, HR professionals when necessary, reaching out to decision makers, networking professionals, etc. You must follow up. Here's an example of a follow up conversation:

"Hi Susan. My name is Bill Jones and I posted my resume at your company's website three weeks ago, and I also faxed it over to Jenny Smith in your HR Department. I am really excited about speaking with your Vice President of Sales about my qualifications and 15 years in sales management. I've sold the same products your company sells, and have generated over $250 million in sales.

I wanted to do two things. First, verify that you do, indeed, have my resume. Secondly, I want to see where you are in the process of interviewing. Do you think I could go ahead and schedule a time to visit with your VP of Sales?

Since you're an insider in the HR Department, what advice would you give to me that would be helpful in reaching out to the decision makers? What should I do next?"

Now that you've got her name and have established rapport, follow up with her again and again. I'd do this every few days - perhaps every 4 to 6 days.

The message I want to convey is the power of following up. Never leave it up to the other person to contact you. Take every initiative you can to contact them.

This is not a great time to exercise your patience, it's a great time to be assertive and follow up your resume. Following up is one of the most important tools you have, use it wisely!

JoAnn Nix, Certified Professional Resume Writer / Career Coach

[email protected], , 1-800-265-6901www.agreatresume.com

Cover Letters - Do I Need One?

"YES," you need a professional cover letter. In fact, if you don't send a cover letter to a company, the decision makers won't review the resume, 98% of the time. I have spoken to thousands of hiring managers and recruiters in the last 13.5 years and all but one said cover letters were critical and they would not read the resume unless there was a cover letter.

I spoke to a Hiring Manager yesterday employed by IBM, and she told me that resumes without a cover letter don't stand a chance! She said if a candidate is too lazy to write a cover letter, she doesn't even want to talk to them, let alone hire them.  Well, "lazy" may be a strong word, but I get her point! :) Perhaps the job candidate was not aware they needed a cover letter.

Not only do you need a cover letter to go with your professional resume, but you need all types of letters! Don't think you can simply write one letter, and you are done. :) Not in today's job market.

If you are searching for a job, you will be writing all types of letters --- follow up letters, networking letters, letters to recruiters, letters for job openings, hiring proposal letters, introduction letters, letters to venture capitalists, private equity firms, CEOs, Board of Directors, resurrection letters, etc. The list goes on and on!

The fact is cover letters are a primary document in your job search.  Don't be fooled in believing that one cover letter will be the only one you need. It doesn't work that way. Letters are used to respond to all types of and opportunities.situations

Most people find cover letters exceedingly PAINFUL and difficult to write. If you are confused about letters or struggle writing your cover letters, I can help. I've written thousands of successful cover letters as a Certified Professional Resume Writer. If you need help, contact me at 1-800-265-6901 or [email protected] and let's talk about the letters you need.

Have You Realized Your Career Potential?

Do you feel you have great career potential but it's not being realized? Do you feel you are not yet at the place you need to be in your career? Do you honestly feel you are incredibly smart, ambitious, and talented and just haven't found the right job, the right career, or the right employer yet?

If that sounds like you, you are not alone. Most of the workforce is not living up to their full potential. Every day I work with job seekers who have not reached the top of the ladder, realize they are so much smarter and better suited for other jobs, and yearn for more. In short, they lack career satisfaction.

I work with a lot of clients every day, and many times I wonder why they are not working for a Fortune 1,000 company. They have so much potential, so many talents, so many business gifts, and such ambition!

There are many reasons for a person to be in this situation. Perhaps they have never had any career coaching, no one would help them see their future, perhaps they've never had a mentor, perhaps they lack confidence, think no one would hire them, let lack of education hold them back from **true** success, maybe they simply don't know how to climb the career ladder.

I believe if a person has to work to earn a living, then they should be doing the type of work that really satisfies them, meets their intellectual status, gives them passion, joy, and confidence. Why be under-employed? Why not be overjoyed to walk into your job each day, be happy about your future and your career?

If you feel that you really haven't reached your potential, perhaps you want to take the first step towards career success and letting companies know you exist and how you can help them. If you're really ready to move up the ladder, maybe today is the day to make decisions that will affect your future.

One way to do this is to team with a career coach. The Internet is a great place to find a career coach. As a Career Coach, I am also qualified, trained, and experienced to work with you. If this is something you would like to discuss with me, send me an e-mail at [email protected] or call me at 1-800-265-6901. If you like what you hear and are interested, we can chat. If not, that's ok too!

7 Things To NOT Include In Your Resume

As a Certified Professional Resume Writer with 13.5 years of experience, I review countless resumes every day, and the majority of the resumes contain information that should never be included. I thought you might be interested in knowing some of this information.

Personal Information

1.   Employers should never know you are married, single, or have children. The majority of professionals have children, particularly young children. Young children are prone to getting sick, which means the employee will have to make trips to the doctor, take off work to go to school and talk with the teacher, attend school events, and so on. The bottom-line is that it is never a wise strategy to tell prospective employers in the resume you have children.

2.   Moreover, employers do not need to know you are single: ("Great, we'll get him/her to work l-o-n-g hours!). They don't need to know you are married either: "(Great, his/her spouse won't be happy with him traveling or working late!")

3.   Your height/weight. It is certainly not a selling point to announce your height or weight. Who really cares? :) Adding this screams "1960s!"

4.   Moreover, no one cares that you like to bowl, go dancing, read books, use the Internet, chat with your family and friends, sleep late on Saturdays, or play golf. Again, this dates back to the 1960s. Your interests and hobbies are not selling points, and this should not be part of your resume.

5.   Religious affiliations. It is never, ever a good idea to include any religious information in your resume! Never. Ever. People are prejudice and can use this against you, no matter how great you are in the business world.

6.   Political affiliations. The same principles apply here - don't announce your political beliefs; it will most likely work against you and it has no connection to your career.

7.   Personal photographs. It's never, ever a good idea to include your photograph in your resume. It's simply not done. Here's the reason - if you were to place your photograph on your resume, it is prejudicial. I want to be delicate on this issue, but the fact is there are many prejudices in the world, and you don't want that to stop you from getting interviews.

These are seven things you should avoid including in a resume. This type of information adds no value to your professional resume, and doesn't make your resume comply with 2006 guidelines.

If you need help writing a professional resume, contact me at [email protected]. I'd be happy to help you. JoAnn Nix, www.agreatresume.com, 1-800-265-6901

"To Whom It May Concern"

When sending your resume to a company, have you ever written a cover letter that begins with this salutation? If so, you're not alone - this is a universal phrase.

However, this is not a good strategy for your letter. People love to see their name in print, even in cover letters. If you want to advance in your job search, do everything in your power to make sure you address your letter to a particular person!

Most people have no idea how to find out the person's name who will  receive the cover letter. But it's really very simple. You need to put on your detective hat and conduct research. You will truly impress your audience if you address the cover letter to the right person. Here are some ways you can do this:

1. Call the company and ask the receptionist, "Who's the Director of XXX Department?"

2. Call the company and speak to someone in the Human Resources Department and ask, "Who's the Director of XXX Department?"

3. If you receive automated messages when you call the company, do what you can to connect to ANY department and then ask that person who's the Director. If they don't know, ask them to transfer you to the Marketing or Public Relations Department. Call the company back as many times as you need to.

4. Visit the company's website, many companies have a roster of employees. Use that as a bridge to identify your reader.

5. Use Google, Vault.com, Hoovers.com - if you find the person's name, you need to make sure that person is still employed and still holds the job title.

6. Network with other people. Ask everyone you know, "Who's the Director of XXX Department over at ABC Company?"

This is a very important strategy for you to use. Don't send your resume "To Whom It May Concern" - send it to the right person. They will be very impressed that you took the time to do your research! It could take you 5 minutes or several hours, but the payoff is handsome...especially when no other job seeker is willing to go the extra mile!

JoAnn Nix, CPRW, JCTC, CEIP, CCMC, CPBS

[email protected]