One of my favorite books is The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey.
Over the past two decades I have constantly referred to this book for insight and personal growth. Covey describes one of the habits effective people embrace as “Sharpening the Saw’”.
Sharpening the Saw is the process of becoming better, learning more, seeking knowledge to improve what you do. It’s a life-long desire to improve yourself through deep learning, uncovering best practices, learning from others, adapting the techniques and stories you find on blogs, books, workbooks, iTunes, YouTube, and other sources.
Through an informal survey of thousands of executives and managers conducting a job search – less than 10% are investing time to “Sharpen their Job Search Saw”
Why? Does this seem dysfunctional?
It’s NOT brain surgery – there is a wealth of material out there that is both inexpensive and free – why are the vast majority of job seekers NOT taking advantage of it?
Let’s take the content Brad and I publish on Job Search. I’m biased – but I do think we offer some of the very best tools, techniques, methods, and framework for implementing job search best practices. Our ecommerce site offers a wealth of job search materials that are easy to use at a price that is embarrassingly low.
Layered on top of some of our kits, workbooks, audio, and other tools is a vast archive of FREE tips, tools, templates, and audio. Why do most job seekers NOT take advantage of the inexpensive best practice tools to improve their job search. Okay – forget inexpensive tools – let’s just talk about the FREE content Brad and I publish. Wait – Brad and I are not the only job search experts out there writing, recording, and publishing great material on improving your job search.
There are some extraordinary experts on personal branding, resume writing, cover letters, interviewing, and networking. Yet, less than 10% of all job search executive and managerial candidates would be able to identify who are the top three writers/publishers on personal branding for a job search, who are the very best content providers for networking?
If you are in a job search, how could you not know this information – it’s because you are not continuously Sharpening the Job Search Saw.
Let’s agree you will begin to Sharpen the Job Search Saw from this point forward – no more excuses about not having time or resources to improve your job search. Here are 5 immediate things you can do to Sharpen the Job Search Saw:
Every person that has put together a resume knows the basics, no spelling errors, limit to two pages, chronological format, use keywords and so on, but there are other basic issues that candidates do and don’t do that have a big impact on getting their resume noticed. By getting noticed I mean read and ultimately you get a phone call or email.
Lets all agree there is only one reason for a resume, and that is to get an interview. That is it — PERIOD. A resume isn’t to get you a job, it isn’t a networking tool, it isn’t a bio and most important of all a resume isn’t ABOUT YOU.
A resume is about the person reading the resume. If the only purpose is to get you an interview, then the resume better stand out so they take the time to read the resume. Standing out doesn’t mean gimmicks, highlighting or other tricks that only make you look desperate. Standing out means they see what they are looking for and want to read on and ultimately engage you.
I believe candidates need to realize how people review resumes or take a step back, be very objective, and think about how they reviewed resumes when they had a stack of 100+ resumes sitting on their desk.
I know for me it starts with the 10 second review. I’m looking for a few box checking items or points and if they are missing, or aren’t a fit, I move on. For example:
If my client isn’t going to relocate, and you are from out of the area, you are gone.
If I’m searching for a VP of X and you are a VP of Y you are gone.
If for whatever reason you have to have experience in a specific industry and you don’t, or haven’t at least worked in an industry that is a close fit, you are gone.
If my client is a small entrepreneurial company and you have only worked in very large companies you go into the “B” pile.
If you have had 8 jobs in the last 8 years chances are you are either gone or in the “B” pile.
If the scope of your positions don’t align with my client’s you are gone. For example, if I’m searching for an International X and all your resume discusses is domestic, I think you know what is going to happen.
A recruiter, HR person or hiring manager can determine these in 10 seconds or less. Once all of these fundamentals are box checked then I’m going to take the time to read the resume in more detail. It is here that the rubber meets the road. This is where the resume needs to be about my client, NOT YOU. It is here that I’m making the decision of whether to pick up the phone and call you or not.
So it is critical under the “do” column of “Resume Do’s and Don’ts,” that you meet these basic screening issues or at least in one fashion or another address them. For example, if you are open to relocation and willing to pay your own relocation expenses that should be in the cover letter. This could help level the playing field with local candidates, if other points on your resume are compelling. You may go to the “A” or “B” pile instead of being eliminated.
Under the “don’t” column of “Resume Do’s and Don’ts,” you need to make sure that when the person gets to the reading stage of your resume that you don’t discuss irrelevant issues or accomplishments. This is the time to stand out, differentiate yourself and hit a home run.
The biggest “don’t” is don’t try to get by with a one-size-fits-all resume. These resumes are so generic it is impossible to know exactly what the candidate actually did. The bullet points don’t include results and are so vague the reader could change the name at the top and the resume would be like all the rest.
Don’t regurgitate the duties, tasks and responsibilities of the job in bullet point format. Most companies will not consider you a great hire if all you do are the very basic duties of the job. Your bullet points should demonstrate the exceptional work you have performed. The resume bullet points should sing out loud and clear, “Here are the benefits to you if you hire me.”
Change your perspective on the resume. Stop thinking of it as a resume about you. Start thinking of it as a marketing document or advertisement. These are generally about the targeted audience and designed to get their attention.
Join our Linkedin Job Search Networking Group along with over 3100 others. Exceptional articles and discussions are all free. CLICK HERE to join.
To help you build a great resume, we have a put together our “Complete Resume Writing System.” Everything you need to make sure your resume is compelling and about the reader is included. Candidates spend hundreds of dollars on resume writing services when they don’t have to. Our Complete Resume Writing System is available for just $39.95. CLICK HERE to at least see if it can help you. It will save you hundreds.
Knowing how your resume is screened will help you understand why you do or don’t hear back from recruiters, HR or hiring managers. These are not the basic do’s and don’ts such as spelling, grammar, or formatting. You already know those things. We are discussing the practical application of the most common mistakes candidates make that result in their resume getting screened out. Most of these mistakes are so easy to fix, so common sense and so obvious one wouldn’t think it would take a whole show to discuss. We give you insight into what our clients tell us, their actual screening methodology and what you can do to get past the 10 seconds resume screening 90% of the time.
Join our LinkedIn Job Search Networking Group along with 3100 other LinkedIn members. To join CLICK HERE.
You can download for FREE a Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. This will help evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in your job search so you can identify what you need to tweak. This will help you conduct the most effective job search possible. CLICK HERE to get your free assessment.
To download this and past radio shows in our audio library – CLICK HERE
Recent surveys and news stories are addressing the issue of how many people are changing careers due to the recession. For many this is turning out to be a very positive experience. For some it is an opportunity to do something they have wanted to do for years, but never had the chance. Regardless of your reason for wanting to do something different, it should start with an assessment of your skills and which of these skills is transferable.
Jumping into a career change is tough enough, but not knowing what skills you bring to the party and how you can leverage these skills will make the transition even tougher. Many candidates believe that just because they have a skill it makes them marketable. This is not necessarily true. You are only marketable if a need exists for that skill. You can’t assume that there is a market, and that the market is willing to pay what you are asking.
Also, others may have the same skill, and some additional experience using that skill, that makes them more desirable.
A suggestion would be to first conduct a skills assessment (CLICK HERE to download a FREE Assessment). We suggest that you complete this, but also that others complete it for you. Those that know you the best will see your skills from a different perspective.
Once you know what skills you have rank them. The ranking should not only be based on how strong a skill this is for you, but also if it is a skill you really enjoy using. Just because you have a skill and are good at it doesn’t mean you enjoy it. For example, you may have a skill that allows you to really get into details, quickly grasp the issue, and come to a conclusion. However, if you hate getting down into the details, have dreaded it every time you have had to do it, it may be a strong skill, but not a skill you want to base a career change on.
Next you will have to determine if there is a market for these skills, where the market is, and the value of these skills in the market. More specifically not the value as a whole, but as it relates specifically for you. You can’t forget others that have these same skills. If they have some additional or unique experiences that you don’t, then your market and value in that market is decreased.
You can do some of the market research on the Internet. Go to the job boards and search open positions seeking these skills. This will give you an indication of market size and value. For example, if 100+ job openings appear and the compensation is in line with your expectations, you are more likely to be able to make that career change than if there were only one or two openings.
Don’t ignore the colleges and universities that have majors in the functional area in which your skills align.You might even discover some additional education you need to be successful.
Finally, I believe too often candidates don’t even explore the opportunities to buy a business or start a business. I would recommend contacting a business broker and at least having a conversation with them to discover if this is a viable option for you.
Making a career change isn’t easy, it takes time, planning, and the right set of transferable skills to be successful.
Download a free skills assessment from our Web site. Go to www.impacthiringsolutions.com and scroll to the bottom to the, “What’s New” section and click the Skills Assessment link.
Also, listen to our weekly radio talk show on Monday’s at 11 – Noon PST on www.latalkradio.com
Candidates too often focus exclusively on the verbal communication aspects of a job search. How much time have you spent on the body language aspect of communications?
Some say body language is 70% of communications. Whether or not you agree with this percentage is irrelevant. All will agree it is a high percentage. So that begs the question, “What have you done to ensure your body language is communicating the right way?”
Knowing I was going to write an article on this topic, for the last two weeks I have asked over 100 candidates, “What have you done to ensure you are using proper body language during your job search?” Not surprisingly, most just looked at me like a deer in the headlights. A few actually knew what I meant and one even admitted they had thought about it. The famous thought about it, not necessarily done anything about it. Two indicated the outplacement firm had videoed them so they could see themselves.
Given this incredibly high percentage, I would think more candidates would at least have read up on the subject, maybe videoed themselves in a mock interview, or practiced so as to be aware of what to do and not to do.
The reason for this topic is because of feedback I received from an interview one of my candidates recently had. The problem wasn’t regarding the person’s technical abilities, it was around the candidate’s body language and what it conveyed. Right or wrong, it doesn’t matter. In this economy the company can move on to the next candidate, get the same technical abilities and body language that conveys the right message.
When I met with the candidate, I noticed a couple of issues and mentioned them to the candidate. One was poor eye contact and the other was how he sits in the chair. He looked at me when the question was being asked, however, as he started to answer the question he would lose eye contact. He would look down, glance up from time to time then look back down, adjust his glasses, and then look down. I mentioned this to him. At first he was shocked, denied it, and flat out didn’t believe me. I have mentioned this hundreds of times to candidates over the last 30 years. This is a common reaction by most candidates. They don’t even realize they are doing this. Nobody has ever told them, and since they have never been videoed, they can’t see it for themselves.
The second thing I mentioned was how he sits in the chair. He was rather tall so he tended to slouch down in the chair almost like one does at home on the couch while watching a baseball game. I strongly recommended sitting up straight, and when wanting to stress a point, he could even slightly lean forward to engage the interviewer. Coming across overly relaxed in a somewhat formal setting of an interview is not the proper presentation. As my client said, “This would not look appropriate during a board or investor meeting.”
As a candidate, you should not assume you have good body language. You should test it. Consider videoing yourself. You will not only notice poor body language, but you will also pick up little nuances that you don’t even realize you are doing. This is a powerful tool. Most candidates have or can borrow a video camera to work through this exercise.
Don’t underestimate body language. It not only applies during an interview, but also in your networking. People only want to refer others they are proud of. If you present poor body language in a one-on-one networking coffee you probably will not receive any referrals.
Download our free LinkedIn Profile Assessment and make sure your profile is as compelling as it can be. CLICK HERE to download your free assessment.
Our Linkedin Job Search Networking Group has over 3000 members and provides a wealth of topics and resources for you. CLICK HERE to join, it is FREE.
Also, our Web site has a sample cover letter for you to use that will help you stand out and align your background with the job needs. You can find it at the bottom of our home page at www.impacthiringsolutions.com in the “What’s New” section.
I welcome your thoughts and comments. If you have a story about poor body language, please share it so others can learn.
A job search is much like a cable news show, you have to get your point across in sound bites. You often don’t have time to give a detailed answer. Candidates need to get comfortable with doing this.
Think about all the times during your job search when you are required to give the famous, “30 second talk.” Many times during the interview process you have a short period of time to answer the question or give your introduction, you use bullet points on your resume and even your business card, and all of these require you to express yourself in just a few words.
This is one reason why a job search is so difficult. Not only is it very difficult to speak in sound bites, most candidates are not prepared on how to do it. This technique takes practice and fore thought. This is not a case where you can just wing it. How many times have you left a meeting, only to realize you didn’t give a great answer to a question, didn’t get your point across as well as you would have liked to or thought, “OOPS I forgot to say ___.” This happens mainly because the candidate hasn’t taken the time to really get prepared.
A job search is not the time for on-the-job-training.
It is our experience that candidates wait too long to understand this point. You can’t wait and hope you will do just fine. First off, “just fine” in this economy doesn’t cut it. Secondly, in this economy, there may not be a second chance for months.
As part of our job search coaching programs, we spend a lot of time preparing candidates for these short sound bites. Although frustrating for candidates, we have seen these sound bites pay off so many times, we have to continually reassure the candidates of the need to prepare for them.
Candidates need to spend more time preparing and less time running to networking meetings, coffees, and one-on-ones until they are completely prepared. We find that candidates waste excellent opportunities because they were not prepared on how to communicate in sound bites. I get calls weekly asking how best to do a do-over because the candidate believes they missed an opportunity.
There are rarely do-overs in a job search.
To learn how to speak in sound bites consider:
Write out what you want to say. Then wordsmith it until it is less than one minute.
Get help. This is a difficult task that takes experience. Don’t be afraid to invest in some professional help.
Take the known items and the comments or questions, such as your introduction, elevator talk, the question,”Tell me about yourself,” or “So, what do you do?” Most of you know these, after all you have been asked them many times during your search, and convert them into short sentences that get the point out in less than one minute.
Practice them. Go to people in your network and test them. This is like any marketing campaign.
Once you have the answers for these then add one more set of comments and answers. Having two different sound bites is always a good thing.
Take some time to step back and get prepared. I know every candidate wants to jump into a job search as soon as possible. The problem is this jump is often in the wrong direction.
Like most things in life, if you do the ground work, get prepared, and do some planning things go a lot better.
Our Linkedin Job Search Networking Group has a lot more resources to help with your job search. Join the other 3000 people in this group. It’s FREE to join, just CLICK HERE
If you would like a free sample cover letter to help you stand out and align your experience with the job, you can download it for FREE at www.impacthiringsolutions.com and scroll to the, “What’s New” section at the bottom.
The traditional process of interviewing is typically an exercise in box-checking.
Hiring Managers and Executives use the traditional job description to check off whether you meet the criteria for the job. As we described in a previous blog posting, the traditional job description is a set of minimum and mediocre criteria. We’ve identified the use of inadequate criteria in a job description as the Number One Hiring Mistake made by CEOs and Senior Executives. You can download a copy of the study we conducted to identify the Top Ten Hiring Mistakes Made by CEOs and Senior Executives.
In the face of all rational thought and objectivity – why do most hiring executives and managers still cling to the outdated and ineffective job description? By all standards, it is a worthless document to measure and predict future success. Let’s explore some of the reasons why the traditional job description is the primary tool you’re evaluated against in a job interview:
1. Hiring Managers don’t know any better. No one has ever taken the hiring manager by the hand and shown them a more effective method of defining success for a position. We cling to tribal hiring methods passed down through the generations without thought as to whether or not they are effective.
2. Hiring Managers refuse to accept accountability. Defining success and then publishing the definition of success (we call this a Success Factor Snapshot) is high accountability. As a Hiring Manager, if I define success and you as the candidate don’t achieve the expectations, then I’ll be forced to do something about it – as will my boss when the department/team misses their overall goals.
3. Hiring Managers give lip service to the hiring process. Saying that people are NOT your most important asset and consequently it’s NOT worth spending much time on the process is akin to being against motherhood and other cherished traditions. Instead, many hiring managers and HR professionals talk about how important hiring is in their company, but their actions convey something else entirely – they are unwilling to invest the time it takes to define, measure, and predict success.
How can you overcome these 3 obstacles to winning the interview when you don’t match up perfectly with the job description? Who could ever match up to a job description – one that has a list of random and arbitrary criteria which has nothing to do with the real job – it’s not a job or role description – it’s more of a people description.
Over 25 years in executive search, 1000 executive search assignments, interviews with over 100,000 candidates has shown me that top talent rarely meets the criteria described in the job description. In fact, if I had to make my living as an executive recruiter who depended on candidates meeting the box checking of the job description, i would have been bankrupt long ago.
Sorry – got sidetracked there for a moment. Back to the core question – how do you succeed in a box-checking interview when the criteria established is guaranteed to exclude you from consideration??
You do it through asking the most important interview question “How will you measure my success?” (or other variations of this question such as “What do I need to do in the job for you to consider me a success”?” What are the top 3 things I must achieve in this role to be successful?”). I discussed this idea in a previous blog posting regarding the syndrome of most candidates to interview blindly, flailing away with irrelevant information that the hiring manager most likely couldn’t give a darn about.
It’s like a magical question! Suddenly the interview transforms itself from an interrogation of bright lights and rubber hoses over box-checking your background to the job description to a discussion and consultative dialogue about the work that needs to be accomplished. Now you have an opportunity to demonstrate how your unique accomplishments and abilities will ensure the expectations of the hiring manager can be met.
Shame on all candidates who don’t ask that magical question. You are doomed to a prolonged job search and constant rejection. STOP allowing the tribal hiring methods used by most companies to dictate your career and job search success.
If you’re not asking a version of the question “What are top 3 things I’ve got to do in this position to be successful” in the first 5 minutes of the interview – you might as well shut your eyes and put your hands over your ears – the effect will be virtually the same.
Without a specific list of what defines success, you’re “flying blind” as the metaphor goes for pilots.
How do you know what to talk about?
What points will the hiring manager be most interested in?
Not understanding quickly what defines success allows the hiring manager to trap you into a box-checking discussion of the job description. Very few candidates can survive box-checking (more about the syndrome of box-checking against the job description in the next post).
Without extracting the performance criteria for the job from the hiring manager, the interview is a worthless exercise in futility. Giving examples, sharing skills, articulating your knowledge on box-checking job description criteria posed by the hiring manager (which is the tribal methodology of most hiring practices) leads to interview failure over 95% of the time.
You cannot possibility meet this unattainable list of silly, inane, inconsequential, and irrelevant criteria for the job. It’s almost like failing to interview before the interview really starts.
Once you know what the “REAL” criteria for success in the job is – then you can tailor your answers around that criteria.
Let’s take a real example (names have been changed to protect the innocent):
Bob is being interviewed by Mark for a position as Chief Financial Officer. In summary form the job description is:
12-15 years of experience in a technology-oriented business
CPA and a BS in accounting or Finance – MBA preferred
Good understanding of international accounting, GAAP, Tax Planning, Banking Relationships
Ability to supervise and develop the staff in accounting/finance
Put budgets, forecasts and special analysis together as required
Candidate should be self-motivated, multi-tasker, high initiative and a strong team player
Good systems skills are important
You get the idea – it’s a laundry list of experiences, skills, attributes, and activities. However – it’s NOT the job – in fact, it has NOTHING to do with the job.
In this form of the tribal interview, the questions go like this:
Do you have a CPA?
Have you had experience with international accounting?
How strong are your systems skills?
And so on until you fall asleep!
Let’s take our imaginary candidate Bob and have him pose the “What are the top 3 things I’ve got to do to be successful in this job over the next year” question.
The CEO thinks for a few minutes, remarks that no one in the interview process has yet asked that question and proceeds to describe the following three objectives:
1. You need to identify specific strategies in the next 60-90 days to lower our costs by 10% over the next 12-18 months.
2. Our budgeting/forecasting/analytical systems and processes are out-dated and need to be revamped over the next 6 months.
3. We need to convert our existing old disjointed, hodge-podge, home-grown systems to a new ERP comprehensive system within the next 9 months.
Based on knowing this information, would the interview be different? Would Bob structure his responses differently given what he now knows is important to the CEO?
Are you praying that the traditional shotgun approach to interviewing by spraying the hiring manager with as much information as possible will work – or would a more laser-focused approach be better?
Finally, have you downloaded the FREE Audio Programs Brad and I have posted on our website from our weekly Internet Radio Talk Show regarding interviewing?
As candidates become more and more desperate in their job search they often turn to desperate measures that more often than not hurt the candidate. One example of this is with the resume.
Lately we have been noticing an increase in resumes that contain some sort of gimmick or strange presentation to get noticed. This is not necessary. If your resume is focused, well presented, and easy to read, it will get noticed – at least by us.
If your resume has a lot of highlighting, gimmicks, smells like perfume, or is on bright colored paper, all that is saying to the reader is, “I’m desperate.” Companies today don’t want to hire desperate people. They still want to hire the best and the brightest.
The best ways to get your resume noticed and read is:
Have a good cover letter. Download a free sample from our Web site. CLICK HERE.
Have an easy to read resume. Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs, make sure it is not over crowded, has white space, 12 point fonts, two pages, and does not have a lot of abbreviations, functional or industry jargon.
Make sure vital information used for screening stands out such as,company description and industry, title, dates, organization, number of people managed, scope of responsibility, etc.
Pleasing to the eye.
Well organized and laid out.
Highly recommend chronicle not functional.
It should be as targeted to the position as possible and that bullet points address what the hiring manager is looking for. NOT a generic one size fits all.
There are probably more and feel free to comment and add your ideas. Just don’t try and stand out by using desperate gimmicks and tricks.
Join our Linkedin Job Search Networking Group along with the other 3000 members. The group contains extensive articles and discussions on conducting a job search. CLICK HERE to join it FREE.
Please download our free sample cover letter to make sure your background aligns with the job needs and stands out. CLICK HERE to get your copy.
You don’t want to see your savings account evaporate, you don’t want to wonder how you’re going to make the mortgage payment next month, and you don’t want to network since talking with people who ask “How’s it going” trigger a set of painful emotions you’d rather not face right now.
So, instead of playing the victim from a reactive angle – how about starting to play the proactive angle. STOP waiting for the phone to ring and start doing the best practices in your job search that makes the phone ring off the hook with job leads, referrals, and interview requests.
Where to start you might ask?
The place to start is with a frank appraisal of your job search. What are doing wrong, what’s working, what can you improve?
We’ve developed a widely popular tool called the Job Search Plan Self-Assessment. Thousands of candidates have completed this self-assessment and shared the results with us. The stats are both depressing and insightful about how most candidates conduct a job search. As the title of this blog posting suggests, most job search strategies are based upon hope and luck.
Our self-assessment tool is a one page scorecard that zeros right in on whether your job search is effective. Overcoming many of the classic job search mistakes and errors is the only way you’ll ever reduce the time it takes to find a great opportunity.
Do you know what the Top Ten Job Search Mistakes and Errors are that limit job search effectiveness? Brad and I did a radio show on this subject. You can download it from our FREE Radio Show Library. Have you assessed the effectiveness of your Job Search Plan. We did another radio show on this topic built around our FREE Job Search Plan Scorecard.
Barry
P.S.: Don’t forget to join our Job Search Discussion Group on LinkedIn where we facilitate a wide variety of Job Search Discussions, ranging from overcoming job search mistakes to winning the phone interview.
