Q. I have only worked for one company in my career. Recently our company was sold and I’m not sure how to start a job search or even how to put together a resume. Where do I go to get help?
Like most things today the best place to start is the Internet. The good news is that there is a wealth of good information available on the Web and most of it is free. Google, “job search help” “resume writing” “job search networking” “where to start a job search” “how to start a job search” and you will be surprised at the amount of information available. On our website we offer an extensive amount of articles, audio files, examples to download, tools and resources to help you and the vast majority are free.
In addition, LinkedIn offers a tremendous amount of resources via the groups. Once you establish a profile on LinkedIn join some of the job search groups. These groups have great discussions, links to resources and many excellent professionals offering advice. All are free. Twitter is another wonderful resource. Set up an account and download the Twitter application Hootsuite. It is free. Once you do this simply set up columns for resumes, unemployed, interviewing, and jobsearch. You will then be able to view all the information professionals discuss using these subjects. Both LinkedIn Groups and Twitter are excellent resources to start learning about conducting a job search.
Finally, don’t forget the State’s unemployment department. They also offer many courses and support to help with these issues. Again, these are all free.
To download the free chapter on Conducting an Effective Phone Interview from our book “This Is NOT The Position I Accepted” CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
How effective is your job search? If you are not sure, download our free 8 Matrix Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Brad Remillard
Q. How important are keywords on the resume?
Most companies don’t have sophisticated resume software to search resumes. Large companies may have this, but most Orange County companies are small and therefore don’t have the software. The issue is with job boards. For companies that search online resume databases having the right keywords is important. If you are going to post your resume you should make sure you know the best keywords that will bring up your resume. Often it is title, industry, some functional keywords such as sales, marketing, employee benefits, accounting and so on.
One way I have found to identify your best keywords is to ask others what keywords they would use if they were looking for a person in your field. Collect these and embed the ones most often mentioned in your resume.
To download the free chapter on Conducting an Effective Phone Interview from our book “This Is NOT The Position I Accepted” CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
How effective is your job search? If you are not sure, download our free 8 Matrix Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Brad Remillard
Q. I’m currently one of those who is underemployed. I’m considering looking for a better job and would like to know the best way to go about it while working?
I would start with your current employer. Situations like yours often happen when a candidate is in need of a job. That is generally why they accepted a lower position in the first place. So I believe some level of loyalty should be given to a company that helped you when you needed it. You might check to see if a position will open up as the economy continues to improve? Are they open to expanding your role in the company? Converting you from part-time to full-time? If you haven’t already, you might consider giving them this opportunity before throwing in the towel.
If you still decide it is best to move, then you will have to conduct a search. Many candidates search while working. Start by building or updating your LinkedIn profile, post your resume on the job boards, let people you trust know you are open to something different, attend networking meetings before or after work hours, check the Web sites of potential employers in your industry to see if they post open positions and when appropriate engage a recruiter and respond to ads. Most companies are willing to conduct interviews during off hours for those people working. You basically have to get out and let people know you are open to referrals or find a position via job postings.
To download the free chapter on Conducting an Effective Phone Interview from our book “This Is NOT The Position I Accepted” CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
How effective is your job search? If you are not sure, download our free 8 Matrix Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Brad Remillard
Question: Is having a profile on LinkedIn critical for professionals? I have asked many of my colleagues with profiles and only one has ever been contacted via LinkedIn.
I get this question a lot. LinkedIn is simply one tool in your job search tool box. I think too many candidates think they can just put up a profile and the phone starts ringing. Nothing could be more incorrect. I do believe you should have a compelling profile on LinkedIn. I speak with many recruiters, human resource professionals and hiring managers and almost all are using LinkedIn in some way. During a job search you must cover all the bases as there is no way to know where the job lead will come from. LinkedIn increases your visibility. It is not much different that posting your resume on a job board. Doing that doesn’t guarantee you will get a call, but most still should do it. An effective job search has a lot of moving parts. LinkedIn is just one of those parts.
To download the free chapter on Conducting an Effective Phone Interview from our book “This Is NOT The Position I Accepted” CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
How effective is your job search? If you are not sure, download our free 8 Matrix Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Brad Remillard
Question: What is the best way for an executive to distinguish themselves from all of the other executives chasing the same positions?
This is one of the most important issues all candidates must tackle during a job search. In today’s job market companies are very specific when hiring. You cannot be a jack of all trades. You must be the king or queen of your trade. So it is imperative you determine what distinguishes you from others.
Most candidates have a hard time doing this for fear of being excluded from a possible position. I disagree. Candidates should find their sweet spot and build a search around that, instead of around some long shot opportunity that might come their way.
I have coached many executives and they all have something that makes them unique. It may be international experience, M&A, turnarounds, startups, changing a company’s culture from dysfunctional to one that thrives on success, a specific technology, and so on. I recommend you survey your peers, bosses, customers, vendors, subordinates, trusted advisors, for what they believe distinguishes you from other executives. Once you know these then build your brand and job search around those distinguishing characteristics.
To download the free chapter on Conducting an Effective Phone Interview from our book “This Is NOT The Position I Accepted” CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
How effective is your job search? If you are not sure, download our free 8 Matrix Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Brad Remillard
Question: Most of my career is in financial services. I want to get out of that industry and into healthcare. What is the best way to make this transition?
Making an industry change in this economy is difficult, unless you have one of those jobs in which the skills required are not industry specific. Meaning your skills and training are easily transferable to another industry. The issue you have to overcome is your competition for an opening will probably include people in the healthcare industry. Most companies will look at those with industry experience first.
The best way to make an industry change is through networking. You need to build relationships with people in the industry. To do this consider attending professional associations, joining networking groups in healthcare, attending trade shows or conferences and connecting with healthcare people in your local area via LinkedIn. As they get to know you they will be able to determine how your strengths, outside the healthcare industry, can apply to the problems they need solved in their company. Recruiters and submitting resumes via ads are long shots.
There are some barriers you should think about overcoming when changing industries, assuming your skills are not easily transferable. The first one is compensation. Chances are you are more valuable in the financial services industry than healthcare. Therefore, the position will probably be at a lower level and so will the compensation. Secondly, some additional training and education maybe required.
To download the free chapter on Conducting an Effective Phone Interview from our book “This Is NOT The Position I Accepted” CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
How effective is your job search? If you are not sure, download our free 8 Matrix Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Brad Remillard
Question: What is the best way to show forty years of experience on a resume and still keep the length to two pages?
I recommend showing in chronological order your last ten to fifteen years of experience. For experiences prior to that simply list your companies, job titles and dates. For most candidates their most recent experiences are what recruiters and hiring managers are interested in. Let’s face it your experiences forty years ago should not be all that relevant. I hope in that forty year time frame you have grown. You should question whether this is the right position for you if the company’s decision is based on what you did forty years ago, when compared with the last fifteen years.
There are exceptions to this, if you believe some experience forty years ago is important to the new role, I recommend expanding that relevant experience in your resume.
To download the free chapter on Conducting an Effective Phone Interview from our book “This Is NOT The Position I Accepted” CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
How effective is your job search? If you are not sure, download our free 8 Matrix Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Brad Remillard
Question: There must be a better way to find job leads than networking. After attending so many networking events with little to show for it I’m burned out.
I firmly believe networking is the key to finding a new position. I find that most candidates don’t network the right way. Candidates too often view networking as attending a lot of meetings and meeting a lot of people. They somehow think the more people they know the better the odds are of finding a job. Sorry, this just isn’t the right way to network.
First of all, networking isn’t about how many people you know. How many people you know is completely irrelevant. What really matters is how many people know you. One hundred great relationships are far more valuable than a thousand business cards stacked on your desk. Good networking should be about building strong relationships. This ensures people know you and will refer you.
Secondly, you should always network with a purpose. Why are you going to so many networking meetings, if you aren’t getting anything out of them? What are your expectations by attending these meetings? Instead of attending so many meetings, I suggest identifying three or four networking groups, then go deep in those groups. Serve on the board or committees or be a greeter. Build relationships with all the members of these groups. If each group has fifty members that is 150 – 200 relationships you have developed. That is powerful networking.
Finally, know why you are meeting someone. You don’t have to meet everyone. Be selective with your time, just as you are when working. Always have a reason for meeting with someone. Remember, it is all about networking with a purpose.
To download the free chapter on Conducting an Effective Phone Interview from our book “This Is NOT The Position I Accepted” CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
How effective is your job search? If you are not sure, download our free 8 Matrix Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Brad Remillard
Question: Is there a bias for people working over those unemployed?
The short answer is yes. Companies seem to always prefer those working. That doesn’t mean if you’re unemployed you won’t find a job. It simply means there is a preference towards those working. You should not be discouraged if unemployed. Bad things happen to good people. I find that when I present highly qualified candidates to my clients the issue of whether they are working or not goes away.
You must be able to demonstrate why you are the best qualified person for the position. What value do you bring to the company? How does your background align with what needs to be accomplished? How well do you interview? Do you present a positive and professional image? Just to name a few. There is a lot more to getting a job than whether you are working or not. If you can demonstrate you are the best candidate for the position, chances are you will be hired.
To download the free chapter on Conducting an Effective Phone Interview from our book “This Is NOT The Position I Accepted” CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
How effective is your job search? If you are not sure, download our free 8 Matrix Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Brad Remillard
Question: How does an older person deal with the issue of age discrimination? If we are graying should we include a picture on LinkedIn?
This is a very controversial issue. In my thirty years as a recruiter, I have never encountered what I consider to be age discrimination. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t occur, as I’m sure it does. I do believe that candidates often claim age discrimination first, when the real issue is something else. For example, a person at the VP or manager level is clearly qualified for a lower level position; however, that doesn’t mean they are right for the position. Not only are they overqualified for the position, they generally require a salary reduction from their last role. This has nothing to do with age, but is often called that by candidates I coach. Another example is lack of energy or passion for the position. Older workers often come across as burned out, just wanting a job, or needing something until retirement. The passion, energy and enthusiasm they once had no longer comes across in the interview. This isn’t age discrimination either. I know many people in their late fifties that have more energy than many in their twenties and they seem to find opportunities.
I recommend before claiming age discrimination, first eliminate all the other issues. If candidates immediately claim age discrimination they will never step back and evaluate if it might be something other than age discrimination. This results in the real issue never being addressed.
Regarding your picture, you should have one posted. If you are graying and believe this is an issue there are options to deal with this. Besides you can’t hide the graying in an interview. Not having a picture only delays the first impression, it doesn’t eliminate age discrimination.
To download the free chapter on Conducting an Effective Phone Interview from our book “This Is NOT The Position I Accepted” CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
How effective is your job search? If you are not sure, download our free 8 Matrix Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. CLICK HERE and then click on the Free Search Resources link.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Brad Remillard
