Are you ready to move forward with your job search? Let’s check.
Step 1 was Attitude. Attitude is the most important step.
If you have given yourself time to process the loss of the job and are looking forward to the next opportunity, then you are ready for the next important step to landing that job.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-stay-positive-in-job-search.html
Step 2 is Aptitude: knowing what you offer a future employer and what makes you better than your competition.
Take the time to inventory (discover and document) your abilities, accomplishments, strengths, values, interests, education, personality, and technical skills. This information will be used to strengthen your resume and to add power to your interview answers. A side benefit is that it reminds YOU how valuable you are.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2010/04/take-next-important-step-to-landing.html
Step 3 is Altitude: who is hiring and where you want to work, i.e. your target companies.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2010/04/take-next-important-step-to-landing_18.html
If and only if you have completed Steps 1, 2, and 3 are you ready to create or update your marketing materials. If you have not completed the previous steps, updating your marketing materials and launching your search at this point will sabotage your job search efforts. If you have been in a job search and it has not been going well, revisit the first three steps and then revise your marketing materials.
Complete List of Marketing Materials
The resume is not the only piece of marketing material. In fact there are other pieces of marketing collateral that are just as important as the resume. It is important to have these and use them as they are intended. Let’s look at the entire list and then we will cover each one in detail.
Brand Statement
Elevator Pitch
Marketing Plan
Business Cards
Resume / CV
Cover Letter
References
Salary History
Accomplishment List
Social Network Sites especially Linked In
To read up on creating a brand statement and developing an elevator pitch, go to:
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2010/04/take-next-important-step-to-landing_25.html
Marketing Plan
Have you looked at the face of family and friends as you hand them your resume and ask for their help getting that next job? It is probably a mixture of confusion and bewilderment as they think, “What am I suppose to do with this?” Your resume says what you have done, not what you are looking for, at least not in the level of detail your network needs in order to help you.
Other job seekers just tell their network contacts what they are looking for expecting their friends to remember it all with everything else they have going in their own lives.
Instead you want to give your contacts the key words to listen for, the target companies you’d love to network into, and the various titles of the position you are looking for.
To know more about this one page document, the marketing plan, that will help your network contacts help you, go to this link:
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2009/08/what-document-is-as-valuable-to-job.html
Business / Networking Cards
The most acceptable form for sharing contact information at events is the business card. The same is true at networking events when you are in a job search.
Office supply stores sell paper stock so you can print your own cards. A few words of caution: 1) do not use the stock that will leave a rough perforated edge. 2) Be very careful when printing that the card stock doesn’t feed through at a slight angle causing it to print askew. 3) Do not print and use a card that is too plain (ex. Lacking color). This is your marketing material; do not settle for anything less than professional looking cards.
There are on-line sites such as VistaPrint.com where you can choose from a select set of designs and get 250 cards for free (other than the price of shipping and handling which is between $5.45 and $25.19 depending on how fast you want your order).
Have a supply of your cards with you at all times.
At networking events, you want to have your business cards readily available to hand out. If you are right handed, put your business cards loose in your right hand pocket (not in a card case from which you have to pull them out of each time you need to get one). As you receive business cards from other people, put them in your left hand pocket. Do not mix the cards; you don’t want to waste valuable time routing through all of the cards to find one of yours to hand out. [Note: if you are left handed you can reverse these directions]. Jot a reminder on the back of the other person’s card with information on what you need to contact that person about.
Once you have a quiet moment, write on the back of all of the cards you received, the name of the event you met them at.
When you get home, follow-up on the promises you made (ex. the information you offered to send) and reach out and develop the contacts you made.
You can scan the cards or hand enter the information into Outlook or Excel , both of which provides easier look up and access to the information or you can keep a rolodex of the cards. A great little scanner that automatically feeds the information to Outlook is named NeatWorks. If you receive a lot of business cards through networking or through your line of work, this scanner is a time saver.
Designs: Choose a design that is professional and representative of your industry. A person in IT should not select butterflies. A graphic artist should not select a design that is too plain. If you are willing to pay for your cards (still a reasonable price), you can select from the other designs available.
Text: Of course you want to include on the card the primary contact information: 1) name, 2) phone number. On your marketing material, it is suggested you have the one primary phone number where you can be reached, which is usually the cell phone number 3) e-mail address. Your e-mail address should be professional and should include your name; it should not include a sports team’s name as the receiving party may be for the opponent team, it should not include the names of other family members, and it should not be “cute” (an e-mail address containing the cat’s name, Foxie, could send the wrong message). 4) You want to have the title of the job you are pursuing. 5) You can use the brand statement you created to differentiate yourself and you may also want to list a few other statements that help you stand out.
Have someone else review the text (spelling, grammar, the wording, etc.) before you print the cards.
Optional text:
Mailing address: On business cards companies include the mailing address. Job seekers fall into two camps: those who do not want their mailing address on the card and those who, like businesses, include them. I fall into the latter group and have never had an issue.
Linked In address: All job seekers should have a professional profile on Linked In. If your name is a common name, where more than one person has the same name, you may want to add the Linked In address so people can easily access the right profile.
Fax number: Although people still fax documents, it is not as common. You can save this space for other information and people can contact you to get that number if they need to fax something to you.
Web address: If you maintain a web site to illustrate your skills, the card should include the site’s web address.
What not to do:
Do not use all of the white space on your card. Doing so makes it hard to read and makes it hard for the other person to find a place to jot essential notes.
Do not put a miniature of your resume on the card. The purpose of the card is not to serve as the only form of contact.
Do not use a font size that is too small or a font type where the person cannot easily differentiate between characters such as one (1) and lower case L (l) and the letter O (o) and the number zero (0).
Do not use your former company’s business cards.
Do not mark out information on your card and write in corrected information.
Do not hand out your cards to any and every one walking by, as if you were handling out a flyer to an upcoming event. Cards should only be exchanged once a conversation has taken place and the parties agree to meet up or e-mail later.
Next week we will detail other elements of your marketing materials.
Copyright: The 6 Steps of a Job Search are copyrighted by Crossroads Career Services.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Take the Next Important Step to Landing that Job – Your Marketing Materials
Are you ready to move forward with your job search? Let’s check.
Step 1 was Attitude. Attitude is the most important step.
If you have given yourself time to process the loss of the job and are looking forward to the next opportunity, then you are ready for the next important step to landing that job.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-stay-positive-in-job-search.html
Step 2 is Aptitude: knowing what you offer a future employer and what makes you better than your competition.
Take the time to inventory (discover and document) your abilities, accomplishments, strengths, values, interests, education, personality, and technical skills. This information will be used to strengthen your resume and to add power to your interview answers. A side benefit is that it reminds YOU how valuable you are.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2010/04/take-next-important-step-to-landing.html
Step 3 is Altitude: who is hiring and where you want to work, i.e. your target companies.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2010/04/take-next-important-step-to-landing_18.html
If, and only if, you have completed Steps 1, 2, and 3 are you ready to create or update your marketing materials. If you have not completed the previous steps, updating your marketing materials and launching your search at this point will sabotage your job search efforts. If you have been in a job search and it has not been going well, revisit the first three steps and then revise your marketing materials.
Complete List of Marketing Materials
The resume is not the only piece of marketing material. In fact there are other pieces of marketing collateral that are just as important as the resume. It is important to have these and use them as they are intended. Let’s look at the entire list and then we will cover each one in detail.
Brand Statement
Elevator Pitch
Marketing Plan
Business / Networking Cards
Resume / CV
Cover Letter
References
Salary History
Accomplishment List
Social Network Sites especially Linked In
Brand Statement
Job seekers are taking a lesson from commercial marketing gurus and creating a brand statement that in a short phrase sets them apart from their competition. I’m sure many of you know which credit card uses the phrases “priceless”. Spend 10 minutes watching television or reading a magazine and you could compile a long list of these.
In the job market of yesterday, job seekers could show up and practically fall into a job. Today the job market is tougher and job seekers have to set themselves apart from their competition and a brand statement helps do that.
Since we are not high paid marketing gurus, it may take a while to come up with the right brand statement that in a few words conveys the right message: the value you bring, the type of challenge you want and excel at. The statement should not need explanation and should be objective, fact based, not subjective or boastful.
Draft up a few brand statements, bounce ideas off of job search professionals whose advice you value, and try them on a few occasions to see the reaction you get.
Although one IT manager was known for taking dysfunctional IT teams and increasing their productivity and quality, the phrase “troubled teams” sounds too much like “troubled teens” so the brand statement “Success at Turning Around Troubled Teams” was not so successful. Once the problem with the brand statement was identified, the problem was quickly fixed and new business cards ordered.
Your brand statement quickly identifies your passion and distinguishes you from you competition.
Elevator Pitch
There are many opinions on the elements of and uses for an elevator pitch. The elevator pitch gets its name from the very concise response that you give to someone in an elevator who says “I thought I knew everyone in this building but I have not seen you before. I’m Sam, What do you do?” You only have a few floors on a moving elevator to answer this question and solicit Sam’s assistance.
The other, slightly longer forms of what people call the elevator pitch have other uses such as introducing yourself at a table of other job seekers at a job networking meeting so they know what you are looking for – down to the list of target companies and previous companies you have worked for. That level of explanation is valuable in that situation. The briefer form of the elevator pitch is the base for which additional information can be added when solicited for further clarification.
Let’s start with the basic form.
The Core Elements to Include
After sharing your name, give the following elements of information in a concise manner:
1) Level of the position you are seeking. Examples of level include “entry level”, “mid level”, “senior level”, “C level” (as in CEO or CIO ), “certified”.
2) Position you seek. Examples combining the level and the position are: Senior Business Analyst, entry level financial analyst, certified project manager.
3) Industry
4) Location. State your preferred geographic area and whether or not you are open to relocation.
5) Closing Question. Indicate your interest in engaging in further conversation by asking a question, in the form of a question, soliciting their assistance.
Let’s put the elements together into a concise (notice the repetitive use of that term) example.
Hi, I’m Janice Smith, I am looking for a Senior Business Analyst position with a software company or a company with a large IT organization, preferable in the Metro Atlanta area but I am willing to relocate within the south east. Do you know anyone in software?
Additional Elements
If time and the interest of the other person allows, you can add the following elements:
a) Your brand statement
b) Target companies
c) Further explanation of the type of work you are pursuing
Do Not Get Historical
Sam asked what you did, not what you have done all your life. You will not only waste valuable elevator time if you start to give your life’s history, Sam will only hear Charley Brown’s teacher “wha wha wha wha wha wha” and start to regret asking the question. Unless you are specifically asked, do not say what you have done as that is backward looking and in this job search you are forward looking.
Your elevator pitch is the most portable element of your marketing materials and should be shared with everyone within three feet of you.
Next week we will detail other elements of your marketing materials.
Copyright: The 6 Steps of a Job Search are copyrighted by Crossroads Career Services.
Step 1 was Attitude. Attitude is the most important step.
If you have given yourself time to process the loss of the job and are looking forward to the next opportunity, then you are ready for the next important step to landing that job.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-stay-positive-in-job-search.html
Step 2 is Aptitude: knowing what you offer a future employer and what makes you better than your competition.
Take the time to inventory (discover and document) your abilities, accomplishments, strengths, values, interests, education, personality, and technical skills. This information will be used to strengthen your resume and to add power to your interview answers. A side benefit is that it reminds YOU how valuable you are.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2010/04/take-next-important-step-to-landing.html
Step 3 is Altitude: who is hiring and where you want to work, i.e. your target companies.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2010/04/take-next-important-step-to-landing_18.html
If, and only if, you have completed Steps 1, 2, and 3 are you ready to create or update your marketing materials. If you have not completed the previous steps, updating your marketing materials and launching your search at this point will sabotage your job search efforts. If you have been in a job search and it has not been going well, revisit the first three steps and then revise your marketing materials.
Complete List of Marketing Materials
The resume is not the only piece of marketing material. In fact there are other pieces of marketing collateral that are just as important as the resume. It is important to have these and use them as they are intended. Let’s look at the entire list and then we will cover each one in detail.
Brand Statement
Elevator Pitch
Marketing Plan
Business / Networking Cards
Resume / CV
Cover Letter
References
Salary History
Accomplishment List
Social Network Sites especially Linked In
Brand Statement
Job seekers are taking a lesson from commercial marketing gurus and creating a brand statement that in a short phrase sets them apart from their competition. I’m sure many of you know which credit card uses the phrases “priceless”. Spend 10 minutes watching television or reading a magazine and you could compile a long list of these.
In the job market of yesterday, job seekers could show up and practically fall into a job. Today the job market is tougher and job seekers have to set themselves apart from their competition and a brand statement helps do that.
Since we are not high paid marketing gurus, it may take a while to come up with the right brand statement that in a few words conveys the right message: the value you bring, the type of challenge you want and excel at. The statement should not need explanation and should be objective, fact based, not subjective or boastful.
Draft up a few brand statements, bounce ideas off of job search professionals whose advice you value, and try them on a few occasions to see the reaction you get.
Although one IT manager was known for taking dysfunctional IT teams and increasing their productivity and quality, the phrase “troubled teams” sounds too much like “troubled teens” so the brand statement “Success at Turning Around Troubled Teams” was not so successful. Once the problem with the brand statement was identified, the problem was quickly fixed and new business cards ordered.
Your brand statement quickly identifies your passion and distinguishes you from you competition.
Elevator Pitch
There are many opinions on the elements of and uses for an elevator pitch. The elevator pitch gets its name from the very concise response that you give to someone in an elevator who says “I thought I knew everyone in this building but I have not seen you before. I’m Sam, What do you do?” You only have a few floors on a moving elevator to answer this question and solicit Sam’s assistance.
The other, slightly longer forms of what people call the elevator pitch have other uses such as introducing yourself at a table of other job seekers at a job networking meeting so they know what you are looking for – down to the list of target companies and previous companies you have worked for. That level of explanation is valuable in that situation. The briefer form of the elevator pitch is the base for which additional information can be added when solicited for further clarification.
Let’s start with the basic form.
The Core Elements to Include
After sharing your name, give the following elements of information in a concise manner:
1) Level of the position you are seeking. Examples of level include “entry level”, “mid level”, “senior level”, “C level” (as in CEO or CIO ), “certified”.
2) Position you seek. Examples combining the level and the position are: Senior Business Analyst, entry level financial analyst, certified project manager.
3) Industry
4) Location. State your preferred geographic area and whether or not you are open to relocation.
5) Closing Question. Indicate your interest in engaging in further conversation by asking a question, in the form of a question, soliciting their assistance.
Let’s put the elements together into a concise (notice the repetitive use of that term) example.
Hi, I’m Janice Smith, I am looking for a Senior Business Analyst position with a software company or a company with a large IT organization, preferable in the Metro Atlanta area but I am willing to relocate within the south east. Do you know anyone in software?
Additional Elements
If time and the interest of the other person allows, you can add the following elements:
a) Your brand statement
b) Target companies
c) Further explanation of the type of work you are pursuing
Do Not Get Historical
Sam asked what you did, not what you have done all your life. You will not only waste valuable elevator time if you start to give your life’s history, Sam will only hear Charley Brown’s teacher “wha wha wha wha wha wha” and start to regret asking the question. Unless you are specifically asked, do not say what you have done as that is backward looking and in this job search you are forward looking.
Your elevator pitch is the most portable element of your marketing materials and should be shared with everyone within three feet of you.
Next week we will detail other elements of your marketing materials.
Copyright: The 6 Steps of a Job Search are copyrighted by Crossroads Career Services.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Take the Next Important Step to Landing that Job – Step 3
Are you ready to move forward with your job search? Let’s check.
Step 1 was Attitude. Attitude is the most important step. If you don’t have a positive attitude, it will show in your body language, which is 75-85% of your communication. Since people trust body language over the words you speak, without a positive attitude your body may be screaming “do not hire me”. A negative attitude will also be reflected in the words you say and in the energy you need to perform the job search.
If you do not have a positive attitude, if you are not looking forward to the next opportunity with hope- filled anticipation, do not start your job search; you will be sabotaging your own job search efforts. Instead, work on your attitude until you choose a positive attitude.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-stay-positive-in-job-search.html
If you have given yourself time to process the loss of the job and are looking forward to the next opportunity, then you are ready for the next important step to landing that job.
Step 2 is Aptitude: knowing what you offer a future employer and what makes you better than your competition.
Let’s use the analogy of selling a computer. You would not go before a customer and try to sell a computer without knowing how it works and what makes it better than the competition’s. When asked by the customer “why should I buy this computer?” you would never think of saying “I don’t know” or merely “it’s a good one”. Yet too many job seekers update their resume with just their job history and apply to jobs without really knowing their product (them), being able to articulate how they are unique, and how the company would benefit by hiring them.
Take the time to inventory (discover and document) your abilities, accomplishments, strengths, values, interests, education, personality, and technical skills. This information will be used to strengthen your resume and to add power to your interview answers. A side benefit is that it reminds YOU how valuable you are.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2010/04/take-next-important-step-to-landing.html
If you have completed Steps 1 & 2, you are ready to move on to Step 3.
Step 3 is Altitude: who is hiring and where you want to work, i.e. your target companies.
Go back to the analogy of selling a computer. You would not consider selling your computer at CVS Pharmacy. CVS is a great pharmacy but it is not a place people go to buy a computer. People who see a computer for sale at CVS would think it must not be very good since it is being sold there. Your PC sales would not flourish at CVS.
For your job search, you want to discover where you will flourish and who is hiring. It is only then that you can target your marketing materials, including your resume.
Where You Will Flourish
In Step 2 you should have discovered enough about yourself that you know how you work. You should know what type of environment in which you excel based upon your review of your personality, your career history, and what you liked best and least about each company, each manager, and each position you held. Using that information, identify companies that have the right culture and identify the type of work for which you have a passion. That passion will set you apart from your competition, from the people who are just looking for a job.
Leverage the most underutilized job search tool: the informational interview. The Informational Interview is a great way to get insider information to find out how the company is doing (is it flourishing?) and to find out if it is a company in which you will flourish.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2009/06/underutilized-job-search-tool.html
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2009/06/underutilized-job-search-tool_18.html
Who is Hiring
Most job seekers depend on the on-line ads to determine who is hiring. Since only 15%of the available jobs are posted, it is not the best way.
The best ways to find out who is hiring are 1) networking with employed people and 2) reading current business news.
Networking with the Employed
Find and attend industry or profession related networking groups. Examples of industry networking groups include healthcare organizations and automotive organizations. Profession related networking groups include SHRM for HR, PMI for Project Managers, and IIBA for Business Analysts.
Read Current Business News
Many of the major cities have business journals or chronicles. Atlanta has the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Chicago has Crains etc. Reading these publications weekly, as soon as they come out, will provide invaluable information about what new companies are moving to town, which are expanding, and which businesses are in trouble. The news also includes names of some of the key people in each company.
Only when you have successfully completed the first three steps can you properly update your resume and begin the search. Skipping the first three steps sabotages your job search efforts.
Make use of the Book of Lists available in most major cities that lists all of the area businesses, sliced and diced into various categories (or lists). You should read this book once from cover to cover and make note of the companies that interest you. Since most of the available jobs are in smaller companies, this is a great way to familiarize yourself with the smaller companies in your town that you didn't even know existed.
Next week we will discuss developing and powering up your marketing materials, of which the resume is only one piece.
Step 1 was Attitude. Attitude is the most important step. If you don’t have a positive attitude, it will show in your body language, which is 75-85% of your communication. Since people trust body language over the words you speak, without a positive attitude your body may be screaming “do not hire me”. A negative attitude will also be reflected in the words you say and in the energy you need to perform the job search.
If you do not have a positive attitude, if you are not looking forward to the next opportunity with hope- filled anticipation, do not start your job search; you will be sabotaging your own job search efforts. Instead, work on your attitude until you choose a positive attitude.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-stay-positive-in-job-search.html
If you have given yourself time to process the loss of the job and are looking forward to the next opportunity, then you are ready for the next important step to landing that job.
Step 2 is Aptitude: knowing what you offer a future employer and what makes you better than your competition.
Let’s use the analogy of selling a computer. You would not go before a customer and try to sell a computer without knowing how it works and what makes it better than the competition’s. When asked by the customer “why should I buy this computer?” you would never think of saying “I don’t know” or merely “it’s a good one”. Yet too many job seekers update their resume with just their job history and apply to jobs without really knowing their product (them), being able to articulate how they are unique, and how the company would benefit by hiring them.
Take the time to inventory (discover and document) your abilities, accomplishments, strengths, values, interests, education, personality, and technical skills. This information will be used to strengthen your resume and to add power to your interview answers. A side benefit is that it reminds YOU how valuable you are.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2010/04/take-next-important-step-to-landing.html
If you have completed Steps 1 & 2, you are ready to move on to Step 3.
Step 3 is Altitude: who is hiring and where you want to work, i.e. your target companies.
Go back to the analogy of selling a computer. You would not consider selling your computer at CVS Pharmacy. CVS is a great pharmacy but it is not a place people go to buy a computer. People who see a computer for sale at CVS would think it must not be very good since it is being sold there. Your PC sales would not flourish at CVS.
For your job search, you want to discover where you will flourish and who is hiring. It is only then that you can target your marketing materials, including your resume.
Where You Will Flourish
In Step 2 you should have discovered enough about yourself that you know how you work. You should know what type of environment in which you excel based upon your review of your personality, your career history, and what you liked best and least about each company, each manager, and each position you held. Using that information, identify companies that have the right culture and identify the type of work for which you have a passion. That passion will set you apart from your competition, from the people who are just looking for a job.
Leverage the most underutilized job search tool: the informational interview. The Informational Interview is a great way to get insider information to find out how the company is doing (is it flourishing?) and to find out if it is a company in which you will flourish.
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2009/06/underutilized-job-search-tool.html
http://rightchangesjobsearchcoach.blogspot.com/2009/06/underutilized-job-search-tool_18.html
Who is Hiring
Most job seekers depend on the on-line ads to determine who is hiring. Since only 15%of the available jobs are posted, it is not the best way.
The best ways to find out who is hiring are 1) networking with employed people and 2) reading current business news.
Networking with the Employed
Find and attend industry or profession related networking groups. Examples of industry networking groups include healthcare organizations and automotive organizations. Profession related networking groups include SHRM for HR, PMI for Project Managers, and IIBA for Business Analysts.
Read Current Business News
Many of the major cities have business journals or chronicles. Atlanta has the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Chicago has Crains etc. Reading these publications weekly, as soon as they come out, will provide invaluable information about what new companies are moving to town, which are expanding, and which businesses are in trouble. The news also includes names of some of the key people in each company.
Only when you have successfully completed the first three steps can you properly update your resume and begin the search. Skipping the first three steps sabotages your job search efforts.
Make use of the Book of Lists available in most major cities that lists all of the area businesses, sliced and diced into various categories (or lists). You should read this book once from cover to cover and make note of the companies that interest you. Since most of the available jobs are in smaller companies, this is a great way to familiarize yourself with the smaller companies in your town that you didn't even know existed.
Next week we will discuss developing and powering up your marketing materials, of which the resume is only one piece.
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