Question: Should I reply to job ads that don’t identify the employer? Do recruiters post ads for non-existent jobs to solicit resumes?
If you are unemployed you should respond to all job ads for which you are qualified. It shouldn’t matter if the employer is identified. If you are working caution is required. Many employers don’t want to be identified when posting ads for a variety of reasons. The company may not want people just showing up in the lobby to apply and others may not want their competitors to know they are looking to hire someone. The position could also be confidential and the company doesn’t want their employees to know. I wouldn’t let this discourage you from responding if you are unemployed.
It is very likely that recruiters do place ads for non-existent jobs. On the surface this sounds like a bad thing, but it is actually a good thing for people actively looking for a position. When a company contacts a recruiter with an opening, the recruiter may have only a few minutes or hours to submit your resume before the company selects the ones they want to interview. If your resume is already in the recruiter’s system they can do this. It could take days to write an ad, post the ad, you read and reply to the ad, and then the recruiter screens your resume. By this time the company may already have a short list of candidates and you missed out. Recruiters that recruit in a specific functional area know they need to have an inventory of talent at the ready. Being able to present your resume within minutes of a client’s request is a good thing for candidates.
One of the best resources we can offer you is our sample cover letter. We get more positive feedback on how this tool has impacted a person’s job search than any other resource. I encourage you to download it and use it. We make this available for FREE because we want to help you. CLICK HERE to download.
Join our LinkedIn Job Search Networking Group. It has 5,400 members and is one of the most active job search resources on LinkedIn. CLICK HERE to join.
I welcome your thoughts and feedback.
Brad Remillard
Question: I hate it when I’m asked the question, “Tell me about yourself?” in an interview. I never know how to answer this.
It is, for the most part, a break the ice question. It gets the candidate talking, gives time for everyone to relax, is wide open, and generally a meaningless question. However, just because it is meaningless, that doesn’t mean you can ignore it. In fact, this is an excellent opportunity for you to engage the interviewer. You have a golden opportunity to hit the salient points in your background, open a discussion around what defines success in this role, and get the interviewer excited about you.
In our opinion this should be a short 2 minute answer and so well rehearsed that it doesn’t appear to be rehearsed. This is not the time to give your autobiography, go over every position in your background or bore the interviewer with a long winded answer.
We recommend that you start with your most relevant position and hit the accomplishments that closely relate to the position. It is even acceptable to outline some of your current responsibilities, organization, relevant company information, products or services, and basic duties. The goal is to give the interviewer the information they need to better understand how your company, industry, experiences and organization aligns with theirs.
You should have a number of canned, well rehearsed, thoughtful answers to this question. This is your opportunity to start the interview on the best footing for you.
For a more in-depth discussion on this topic read the article http://www.impacthiringsolutions.com/careerblog/2009/10/02/tell-me-about-yourself-why-is-this-question-asked-in-an-interview/
Join our LinkedIn Job Search Networking Group. It is one of the biggest and most active groups dealing with job search issues on LinkedIn. CLICK HERE to join.
Download our FREE Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. Take the evaluation and discover if your search is all it can be. CLICK HERE to download.
Visit our audio library. No library card required – all audio files can be downloaded for free. There is an extensive amount of files on all of the different topics surrounding a job search. CLICK HERE to review the library.
If this was helpful, then please help others by forwarding it on to your network, posting on your Facebook page, Tweeting with the link, posting to your LinkedIn groups or status update. Let’s all do everything we can to help those looking for employment.
I welcome your 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 what is 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, or if you are working part-time will they convert you 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.
Join our LinkedIn Job Search Networking Group. It is one of the biggest and most active groups dealing with job search issues on LinkedIn. CLICK HERE to join.
Download our FREE Job Search Self-Assessment Scorecard. Take the evaluation and discover if your search is all it can be. CLICK HERE to download.
Visit our audio library. No library card required – all audio files can be downloaded for free. There is an extensive amount of files on all of the different topics surrounding a job search. CLICK HERE to review the library.
If this was helpful, then please help others by forwarding it on to your network, posting on your Facebook page, Tweeting with the link, posting to your LinkedIn groups or status update. Let’s all do everything we can to help those looking for employment.
I welcome your 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. That means that your skills and training are easily transferable to another industry. The issue you have to overcome is that your competition for an opening will probably include people already 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. In this case going through recruiters or 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 in healthcare. Therefore, the position will probably be at a lower level and so will the compensation. Secondly, some additional training and education may be required.
Join our Linkedin Job Search Networking Group. 6,000 other people are benefiting from the discussions and articles. CLICK HERE to join, it is free.
Turbo-charge your search by evaluating its strengths and weaknesses with our FREE Job Search Plan Self-Assessment Scorecard. This will help you and your accountability partner get your search started out right. CLICK HERE to download your scorecard.
Need a great cover letter? A free sample cover letter that has proven to get you noticed is on our Web site for you to use with your resume. CLICK HERE to download yours.
If this was helpful, then please help others by forwarding it on to your network, posting it on your Facebook page, Tweeting with the link, or posting to your Linkedin groups or status update. Let’s all do everything we can to help those looking for employment.
I welcome your comments.
Brad Remillard
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Question: What is the best way for an executive to distinguish themselves from all 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 that 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 and trusted advisors for what they believe distinguishes you from other executives. With that information you can build your brand and job search around those distinguishing characteristics.
Join our LinkedIn Job Search Networking Group. 6,000 other people are benefiting from the discussions and articles. CLICK HERE to join, it is free.
Turbo-charge your search by evaluating its strengths and weaknesses with our FREE Job Search Plan Self-Assessment Scorecard. This will help you and your accountability partner get your search started out right. CLICK HERE to download your scorecard.
Need a great cover letter? A free sample cover letter that has proven to get you noticed is on our Web site for you to use with your resume. CLICK HERE to download yours.
If this was helpful, then please help others by forwarding it on to your network, posting it on your Facebook page, Tweeting with the link, posting to your LinkedIn groups or status update. Let’s all do everything we can to help those looking for employment.
I welcome your comments.
Brad Remillard
Q. I have some turnover in my background that makes me look like a job hopper. Most of the turnover resulted from the company either closing or moving, not me leaving. Do you have any recommendations on how to handle this when asked about it in an interview?
A. Yes, don’t wait to be asked. Regardless of your negative situation you should always address it head on. Bring the issue up before you are even asked. In your case I would say, “From my resume it appears as if I have a lot of turnover. I would like to clarify this as in most cases the company either closed or moved. I never really left the positions.”
Candidates often think that because the interviewer didn’t bring up the issue that they are comfortable with it. This just isn’t correct. It is always better to make it appear that you have nothing to hide. I refer to this as making a preemptive strike.
This is especially true if you have been let go. It is better to discuss the issue on your terms and get your point of view out, than to let the interviewer jump to an incorrect conclusion.
Is your LinkedIn profile complete and compelling? Test it by downloading our free LinkedIn Self Assessment. CLICK HERE to download. Make sure your profile is the best it can be.
To validate whether or not your job search is effective, we have put together a job search self-assessment scorecard. You can’t fix what you don’t know isn’t working. This free download will help you to identify weaknesses in your job search. CLICK HERE to download your free copy.
Tired of sending resumes and hearing nothing back? Try this cover letter. It has proven over many years to increase responses from recruiters and companies. Download a sample by CLICKING HERE
If you liked this article, please send it to others so they will benefit too. Post it to your Facebook page, Tweet it, or submit it to your LinkedIn groups.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Brad Remillard
Interviewing is an art more than a science so it does take preparation and practice to ace the interview. Here are some things to help you ace your next interview.
1) Confidence I find this lacking, especially with candidates that have been in a job search for a long time. As candidates become more and more desperate they tend to exude less and less confidence. This comes across in a number of ways that I believe most candidates don’t even realize. For example, body language, how you sit in the chair, eye contact, tone of voice, confidence when answering questions, staying so general when answering a question for fear that getting too specific or detailed may rule you out, or giving long rambling answers so as to encompass everything in the hope that you have covered what they are looking for.
Nobody wants to hire a person that isn’t confident. This is especially true at the manager level and up. Most candidates are more confident on the job than in an interview so it is very important that the interviewer sees the same confidence you will bring to the job.
2) Preparation This is the solution to having confidence. Taking the time to properly prepare is the biggest thing that candidates fail to do (or do properly) and I have seen this happen over and over again. Poor preparation is just as bad as no preparation.
When I coach candidates here are some of the ways we prepare:
1. I have the candidate write out answers to frequently asked questions. Candidates know that the questions about their ideal job, why they want to work here, compensation, why they left their last company, their strengths/weaknesses, management style and so on are going to be asked. Take some time to have prepared and practiced answers to these questions.
2. Video record yourself in a mock interview. This is one of the most powerful things you can do to prepare. This helps you see what the interviewer sees. You will see how you answer the questions, your body language, if you look at them when answering, how often you say, “UH” or “like,” if you actually answer the question the person asked you and if you come across confidently. These small things make a big difference in an interview.
3. Years ago when I first started recruiting, a Vice President of Human Resources at Rockwell told me the four “A’s” are critical to any successful interview, so you should consider these while preparing to interview.
• Appearance – This is not just how you dress for the interview, it is much more than that. It includes your body language during the interview, your handshake, the appearance of your resume and cover letter, the appearance of any materials used during the interview, presentation skills, and I hate to say it, but it does include physical appearance.
• Assertive – This is mostly about how you project yourself during the interview. Please take note, the word was not “aggressive.” There is a big difference between aggressive and assertive. Most interviewers respect an assertive person and dislike aggressive people. Do you come across as confident, do you answer the question with a strong voice, do you engage the interviewer during the interview, do you ask probing questions or just sit there and answer questions, do you mirror the interviewer, and does your body language and voice have a strong presence?
• Affable – Are you friendly, outgoing, easy to communicate with, engaging and even have a sense of humor? Does the interviewer feel comfortable talking with you, are they relaxed and feel at ease, on the way from the lobby to the interviewing room are you able to engage the interviewer, are you comfortable with casual conversation and are you building rapport with the person the second they lay eyes on you?
• Articulate – How well do you communicate? Do you listen to the question? Are your answers sharp and succinct? Do you have proper language skills, syntax, avoid using the word “like”, proper sentence structure and use of verbs? Do you ramble in the interview to make sure you hit every point in your background or are you able to quickly get to the point? This is one of the easiest “A’s” to master. It takes practice and rehearsing. Many will probably need a coach to help with this one.
On the surface, as you read these, they seem so obvious. Most are thinking, “I already know this stuff.” This may be true, however, knowing something and mastering it are substantially different. Good preparation and practice will help you master interviewing.
To help you focus on your job search be sure to download our free radio show recordings. They are in our candidate audio library. CLICK HERE to enter the library.
To validate whether or not your job search is effective, we have put together a job search self-assessment scorecard. You can’t fix what you don’t know isn’t working. This free download will help you identify weaknesses in your job search. CLICK HERE to download your free copy.
Tired of sending resumes and hearing nothing back? Try this cover letter. It has proven over many years to increase responses from recruiters and companies. Download a sample by CLICKING HERE
If you like this post please share it with your Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Brad Remillard
Q. What are some common interviewing problems you encounter when interviewing candidates?
A. This answer could be a book. Candidates do some really, let’s just say, unique things in interviews. Some of my favorites, they swear like the proverbial drunken sailor, put their feet up on a table, accept cell phone calls in the interview, reply to text messages, ask the interviewer to wait while they finish a call, dress inappropriately, chew gum and blow bubbles, just to name a few off the top of my head.
One of my personal favorites is how a candidate answered the question about why they were late to the interview, “They overslept because they were hung over.” At least they were an honest person.
I find the two biggest mistakes candidates make are not answering the question and failure to ask for clarification when they don’t understand the question. Here are some common problems that happen when one of these occur:
The kitchen sink answer: Candidates answer the question so it includes everything they’ve ever done. They ramble on for what seems like forever hoping that if they talk long enough the person will forget the question they asked.
The politician answer: They don’t answer the interviewer’s question. Instead they answer the question they wanted the interviewer to ask or give a preplanned answer to every question.
The dentist answer: Their answers are so short it is like pulling teeth to get a complete and thorough answer.
Multiple choice answer: The candidate wants to make sure they don’t leave anything out so they rattle off a list of accomplishments and skills, leaving it up to the interviewer to pick from this list the ones they feel best fits the question.
If you don’t understand the question don’t be afraid to ask for clarification.
Q. Should I reply to job ads that don’t identify the employer? Do recruiters post ads for non-existent jobs to solicit resumes?
A. If you are unemployed you should respond to all job ads for which you are qualified. It shouldn’t matter if the employer is identified. If you are working, caution is required. Many employers don’t want to be identified when posting ads for a variety of reasons. The company may not want people just showing up in lobby to apply. Others may not want their competitors to know they are looking to hire someone or the position may be confidential and the company doesn’t want their employees to know. I wouldn’t let this discourage you from responding if you are unemployed.
It is very likely that recruiters do place ads for non-existent jobs. On the surface this sounds like a bad thing, but it actually is a good thing for people actively looking for a position. When a company contacts a recruiter with an opening, the recruiter may have only a few minutes or hours to submit your resume before the company selects the ones they want to interview. If your resume is already in the recruiter’s system they can do this. It may take days to write the ad, post the ad, you read and reply to the ad, and then the recruiter screens your resume. By this time, the company may already have a short list of candidates and you missed out. Recruiters that recruit in a specific functional area know they need to have an inventory of talent at the ready. Being able to present your resume within minutes of a client’s request is a good thing for candidates.
Is your LinkedIn profile complete and compelling? Test it by downloading our free LinkedIn Self Assessment. CLICK HERE to download. Make sure your profile is the best it can be.
To validate whether or not your job search is effective, we have put together a job search self-assessment scorecard. You can’t fix what you don’t know isn’t working. This free download will help you to identify weaknesses in your job search. CLICK HERE to download your free copy.
Tired of sending resumes and hearing nothing back? Try this cover letter. It has proven over many years to increase responses from recruiters and companies. Download a sample by CLICKING HERE
If you liked this article, please send it to others so they will benefit too. Post it to your Facebook page, Tweet it, or submit it to your LinkedIn groups.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Brad Remillard
Q. I’m getting job interviews but not receiving offers. Is there anything I can do to change that?
A. I assume from your question that the interviews are with companies, as opposed to recruiters, and that they are in-person rather than phone interviews. In addition, the company has seen your résumé prior to interviewing you. This means that your résumé is working. Companies, maybe even recruiters, like your background, experience and skills enough to want to meet you so I wouldn’t change a résumé that is working. The problem then is most likely your interviewing skills.
My guess is that you have not done enough preparation in this area. When I coach executives with this issue, the first place we start is by filming the person while I interview them. I suggest you try this. People are amazed at how different they look on video from how they perceive themselves. For example, some studies indicate as much as 70% of communication is nonverbal, i.e. body language. When you review the video, what is your body language saying? How are you sitting in the chair? I know candidates always think they are looking the interviewer in the eyes when answering, however, often the video reveals something different. You will hear exactly how you communicate in your own words. How often do you use the word “like” or “uh” to connect sentences? Do you actually answer the question asked or the one you want to answer? Seeing yourself in an interview may solve your issues.
Q. Should I use a cover letter with my résumé and is there a preferred format?
A. I recommend having a cover letter. As a recruiter, I’m interested in your résumé way more than a cover letter. I have spoken with many executives and HR professionals that expect a cover letter. The important thing to remember about a cover letter is that it is not an extension of your résumé, an addendum to your résumé or held to the same standards as a résumé. Candidates often think because they included something in the cover letter, they don’t have to include it in the resume. Wrong. A cover letter is just that, a letter. It highlights points of interest relevant to the position you are applying for. If something is mentioned in the cover letter, it is imperative that it is also presented in the résumé.
I prefer a one-page, two-column cover letter. One column is titled, “What you seek” and the second column is, “My experience.” This format makes it easy for the reader to quickly align your experience with their needs so they will want to read your résumé. After all, there is only one purpose for a cover letter, which is getting the reader excited enough to read your résumé.
Join our Linkedin Job Search Networking Group. 6,000 other people are benefiting from the discussions and articles. CLICK HERE to join, it is free.
Turbo-charge your job search in 2011 by evaluating its strengths and weaknesses with our FREE Job Search Plan Self-Assessment Scorecard. This will help you and your accountability partner get your search started out right. CLICK HERE to download your scorecard.
Need a great cover letter? We have a free sample cover letter on our Web site that is proven to get you noticed. CLICK HERE to download yours.
If this was helpful to you, then please help others by forwarding it on to your network, posting it on your Facebook page, Tweeting with the link, posting it to your Linkedin groups or status update. Let’s all do everything we can to help those looking for employment.
I welcome your comments.
Brad Remillard
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These questions are from readers of my weekly column in the Orange County Register. It appears every Tuesday in the business section and on-line at www.ocregister.com
Q. What is the best way to show 40 years of experience on a résumé and still keep the length to two pages?
A. I recommend showing in chronological order your last 10 to 15 years of experience. For experience before that, simply list your companies, job titles and dates. For most candidates, their most recent experience is what recruiters and hiring managers are interested in.
Let’s face it: Your experience 40 years ago should not be all that relevant. I hope in that 40-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 40 years ago, when compared with the last 15 years.
There are exceptions to this. If you believe some experience 40 years ago is important to the new role, I recommend expanding that relevant experience in your résumé.
Q. Most of my career is in financial services. I want to get out of that industry and into health care. What is the best way to make this transition?
A. 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 health care 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 health care, attending trade shows or conferences and connecting with health care people in your local area via LinkedIn. As they get to know you, they will be able to determine how your strengths outside the health care industry can apply to the problems they need solved in their company. Recruiters and submitting résumés 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 health care. Therefore, the position will probably be at a lower level and so will the compensation. Secondly, some additional training and education may be required.
I welcome your thoughts and comments. If this was helpful please forward to your network and connections on LinkedIn or facebook.
Brad Remillard
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