The Savvy Networker
Liz Ryan, Yahoo! HotJobs
If you're job-hunting today, you know that employers are looking for sharp, self-motivated people. Paradoxically, just about the worst way to convey your talent and motivation is to say in your resume or cover letter, "I'm self-motivated." Anyone can say that! The phrase falls flat. You can't afford to let done-to-death boilerplate language sink your resume like a boat anchor.
Resume cliches like "self-motivated individual" and "results-oriented professional" are out of date in 2010. You can do a better job of letting hiring managers know how you solve problems on-the-fly or leap over tall buildings in a single bound.
Here are ten of the deadliest resume phrases in use ("massive overuse" would be more accurate) and replacements for each one. You'll rewrite the replacement phrases to reflect your own accomplishments--and that's the key! We can't expect a timeworn piece of resume boilerplate to stand in for our own pithy, personal examples.
Kill this: Results-oriented professional
Replace with your own version of this: I love to solve thorny supply-chain problems
Kill this: Excellent team player
Replace with your own version of this: At Acme Dynamite, I partnered with Engineering to cut our product cost in half
Kill this: Bottom-line orientation
Replace with your own version of this: My accounting-process overhaul saved the company $10M in its first year
Kill this: Superior communication skills
Replace with your own version of this: I led a two-day offsite that yielded our 2010 product lineup and a $40K cost savings
Kill this: Possess organizational skills
Replace with your own version of this: Reduced customer-complaint resolution time from three weeks to one by revamping the process
Kill this: Savvy business professional
Replace with your own version of this: I'm a PR manager who's gotten his employers covered by Yahoo! and Time magazine
Kill this: Strong work ethic
Replace with your own version of this: I taught myself HTML over a weekend in order to grab a marketing opportunity
Kill this: Meets or exceeds expectations
Replace with your own version of this: Invited to join our executive staff at a strategy summit during my first year at the company
Kill this: Strong presentation skills
Replace with your own version of this: Was recruited to join Acme Dynamite after my boss heard me speak at a conference
Kill this: Seeking a challenging opportunity
Replace with your own version of this: I'm looking for a midsize manufacturer primed to grow its business in the Pacific Rim
Get the boilerplate lead out of your resume today, and replace it with concrete, visual stories that bring your power to life. Watch employers respond! You can't afford to send out another lifeless, sounds-like-everyone-else resume. Employers want the real you on the page. Try it!
--
Liz Ryan is a 25-year HR veteran, a former Fortune 500 VP, and an internationally recognized expert on careers and the new-millennium workplace. Connect with her at www.asklizryan.com.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Google Alert - job search tips
Google News Alert for: job search tips
| 10 tips for keeping your job search under wraps TechRepublic (blog) Having your job search become public knowledge always has been a risk of job changers. In this economy, that risk looms even larger. ... See all stories on this topic |
| Social Networking Profiles Sinking Your Job Search? Computerworld Schoonover offers job seekers the following seven tips for ensuring that their social networking profiles don't sink their chances of landing a new job. 1. ... See all stories on this topic |
| Tweet and lowdown: Microblogging your way to a better job Las Vegas Business Press Now authors Susan Britton Whitcomb, Chandlee Bryan and Deb Dib bring you the short, tweet Twitterized job search, in which people relay their experience and ... See all stories on this topic |
| Job search culture has shifted, says expert Brookson "Yes, use the right recruitment agencies, yes, look at job ads, but understand the secrets of a job search and work them. Keep every avenue open." See all stories on this topic |
| Experts Offer Tips For College Scholarship Search 10TV "They have to look at the scholarship hunt kind of like a part-time job," Palazzo said. "Does that get through to them? Sometimes it does, because some of ... See all stories on this topic |
| Graduates should seek job-hunting tips online Belleville News Democrat A number of Web sites feature advice and guides designed to help graduates with an array of job-search topics. Here is a sampling: See all stories on this topic |
Google Blogs Alert for: job search tips
| Job News | Job Search Tips For Success By admin This article offers three tips you can use to improve your chances of landing a new job. In today's competitive job market, it pays to learn as much as you can about conducting an effective job search campaign. ... Job News - http://staringfrog.com/jobs/ |
| Top 10 Creative Job Search Secrets : CAREEREALISM: Because EVERY ... By sparktalk My friend, Bryon Abramawitz (The HR Technologist) feels the same way about the job search which is why we've teamed up to bring you the 10 Most Creative Job Search Secrets (Guaranteed). Bryon lists his Top 5 Job Search Tips on his blog ... CAREEREALISM: Because EVERY Job... - http://www.careerealism.com/ |
| Tigers Prepare: Student Perspective: Job Scam Tips By Career Coach Recently however one of my friend's was duped by a job search scam, and she was very disappointed. She found out about the job in a Google search for marketing jobs. She sent in her resume and received a phone call the very next day for ... Tigers Prepare - http://tigersprepare.blogspot.com/ |
| Job Search Answers – How to Tap the Hidden Job Market & Win the ... By brian befoundjobs.com presents Job Search Answers to Your Questions – How to Tap the Hidden Job Market & Win the Interview Everytime. You've asked and we answered. At… ... The tips that you have given for job seekers are really very crucial considering the current job scenario. Specially the ones about "networking" as well as "branding yourself". Only suggestion for you: Make your presentation more visual: Maybe show how to face interviews or how you can work on your networking ... Fast Job Resume .com - http://www.fastjobresume.com/ |
| Career Advising & Planning Services at UChicago: Are You ... By CAPS But vanity aside, de-tagging certain types of pictures is pretty important when it comes to your job search. Now that anyone with an email account can create a Facebook profile—and thus search for your Facebook profile—surreptitious ... Career Advising & Planning Services... - http://uchicago-caps.blogspot.com/ |
Google Web Alert for: job search tips
| job search tips on Shine Apply for a Job - Find Your Ideal Job Right Now ! job search tips - Finding the job of your dreams Related: , tnt career, medical records clerk job… shine.yahoo.com/channel/none/job-search-tips-1279413/ |
| Job Search Tips - Attitude Determines Your Altitude - Stay ... Job Search Tips - Attitude Determines Your Altitude - Stay Positive During Your Job Search. ezinearticles.com/?Job-Search-Tips---Attitude-Determines-Your...Job... |
| Click Tips 1 - The Job Search on Vimeo Hello to everybody joining us for the first time. Paula Thompson here from the Big Sandy CTC campus in Pikeville, KY. This video, "The Job Search", ... vimeo.com/10874166 |
Tip: Use quotes ("like this") around a set of words in your query to match them exactly. Learn more.
Create another alert.
Manage your alerts.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Google Alert - job search
Google Blogs Alert for: job search
| Mid-Hudson job seekers willing to explore new paths <span style ... She's looking for work as a surgical technician and is using the Ulster Works OneStop Job Center in the town of Ulster in her job search. Freeman photo by Tania Barricklo. Jonathan Auleta, a former New York City resident living in ... News from www.dailyfreeman.com - http://www.dailyfreeman.com/ |
| How I Got the Job: Dan McCord, 46 | Dollars & Sense By Donna Vestal What helped the most in the job search? Filtering out which jobs I was most interested in, by going to different Web sites and networking with various people. I targeted federal government positions because I felt like it is a more ... Dollars & Sense - - http://economy.kansascity.com/ |
| Oil and Gas Jobs Oil and Gas Jobs Location Broussard, LA, United ... By lowongan kerja Job search for 11825 Oil Industry Jobs at indeed Leasing Company - Broussard, LA SAP IS-Oil — Manager Deloitte - United States - +1 location; broussard jobs glassdoor com. PROJECT MANAGER I Job Title: PROJECT MANAGER I Job Type: Regular ... Oil and Gas Jobs|Oil Gas Jobs Vacancy - http://lowonganker-ja.com/ |
| Finding Work As A Window Cleaner In North London During The ... By Zara Mazur Colwell Various different sites are out there in order to help people with their job search. Some of these sites are better equipped than are others, however all of them serve the purpose in helping people to find a job. ... Lawn Care - http://lawncaremanual.com/ |
| Home for all your niche articles is here! » Finding an Accounting Job By ama_contributor If the search for an accounting job online fails, your second step is to check out local papers. Local companies who are in need of accounting graduates will usually post an advertisement in the local paper and not on the internet. ... Home for all your niche articles... - http://www.50niches.com/ |
Tip: Use a minus sign (-) in front of terms in your query that you want to exclude. Learn more.
Create another alert.
Manage your alerts.
How to Find a New Job 65% Faster!
SUBJECT: How to Find to a New Job 65% Faster
Mary Berman, from Farmington Hills, Michigan, had been looking for work since February 2009 before starting her Guerrilla Job Search, in mid-September.
Up to that point, 20 weeks of job hunting had produced zero job interviews.
Just 7 weeks later, she accepted a job on Thursday, November 12, as a marketing executive assistant.
How did she use Guerrilla job hunting tactics to find work 65% faster?
"I started with the Coffee Cup Caper. I sent a paper Starbucks coffee cup with my cover letter and Guerrilla Resume. I heard back from them a couple days later to get my first interview," says Berman.
After her first interview, which went well, Berman followed up with panache.
"It was Halloween time, so I decided to send them a chocolate covered apple with my hand-written thank-you note attached. A friend of mine, who was off work that day, played delivery person and took it to [the employer]. That was a big hit -- they were thrilled -- and I got the second interview out of it."
Berman's second interview was with the executive vice president. Afterwards, she followed up diligently. "When I came home, I wrote a 30-60-90 day plan. I had taken copious notes during the interview and used that information given to create suggestions for what I would do in the first 30, 60, and 90 days. I sent that to them via FedEx with another thank-you note. And I got a job offer."
Now. Let's break this successful Guerrilla Job Search down ...
1. Start smart
The Coffee Cup Caper -- a paper Starbucks cup, full-color Guerrilla Resume, and a Guerrilla Cover Letter (asking to meet for coffee), shipped in a box -- gets extraordinary results. By contrast, ordinary resumes and cover letters, sent by email, get ordinary results.
2. Follow up with style
Delivering a Halloween treat with her thank-you note was correct seasonally, if not politically. Use good judgment before sending items that might be perceived as bribes by employers sensitive to such things. In Berman's case, however, it worked like a (chocolate-covered) charm.
And, leaving out the gift, could you arrange to have your thank-you note delivered by a courier, or a friend posing as one? Of course.
3. Give employers another reason to hire you
Mary did this in spades after her second interview, when she sent a written plan of action for her first 3 months on the job.
A 30-60-90 day plan is a way of proving you can do the work -- before you're even on the payroll -- by describing how you would learn the job, build rapport with employees/customers, and contribute to the bottom line.
Mary's plan was 8 pages long and took the better part of a Friday night to prepare. (Before you balk at spending an entire evening at home researching and writing a 30-60-90 day plan, ask yourself if you wouldn't trade a night out for getting a steady paycheck again.)
4. Score style points with your delivery
Mary's first follow-up, the chocolate-apple-thank-you note, was delivered by a courier, not by email. Her 30-60-90 day plan was delivered by FedEx, not by email.
Do you NOT see a pattern? Email should NOT be the sole delivery method for your career documents.
Bottom line: This smart Guerrilla had failed to get even one job interview in 20 weeks of conventional job hunting with conventional tactics.
After adopting unconventional Guerrilla tactics, she found work in only 7 weeks.
If Guerrilla job search methods can work in Michigan, where the unemployment rate tops 15%, they can work where you live. The only thing stopping you from thinking and acting like a Guerrilla is you.
Resource: The same Guerrilla Resumes and Cover Letters Mary used are here.
Mary Berman, from Farmington Hills, Michigan, had been looking for work since February 2009 before starting her Guerrilla Job Search, in mid-September.
Up to that point, 20 weeks of job hunting had produced zero job interviews.
Just 7 weeks later, she accepted a job on Thursday, November 12, as a marketing executive assistant.
How did she use Guerrilla job hunting tactics to find work 65% faster?
"I started with the Coffee Cup Caper. I sent a paper Starbucks coffee cup with my cover letter and Guerrilla Resume. I heard back from them a couple days later to get my first interview," says Berman.
After her first interview, which went well, Berman followed up with panache.
"It was Halloween time, so I decided to send them a chocolate covered apple with my hand-written thank-you note attached. A friend of mine, who was off work that day, played delivery person and took it to [the employer]. That was a big hit -- they were thrilled -- and I got the second interview out of it."
Berman's second interview was with the executive vice president. Afterwards, she followed up diligently. "When I came home, I wrote a 30-60-90 day plan. I had taken copious notes during the interview and used that information given to create suggestions for what I would do in the first 30, 60, and 90 days. I sent that to them via FedEx with another thank-you note. And I got a job offer."
Now. Let's break this successful Guerrilla Job Search down ...
1. Start smart
The Coffee Cup Caper -- a paper Starbucks cup, full-color Guerrilla Resume, and a Guerrilla Cover Letter (asking to meet for coffee), shipped in a box -- gets extraordinary results. By contrast, ordinary resumes and cover letters, sent by email, get ordinary results.
2. Follow up with style
Delivering a Halloween treat with her thank-you note was correct seasonally, if not politically. Use good judgment before sending items that might be perceived as bribes by employers sensitive to such things. In Berman's case, however, it worked like a (chocolate-covered) charm.
And, leaving out the gift, could you arrange to have your thank-you note delivered by a courier, or a friend posing as one? Of course.
3. Give employers another reason to hire you
Mary did this in spades after her second interview, when she sent a written plan of action for her first 3 months on the job.
A 30-60-90 day plan is a way of proving you can do the work -- before you're even on the payroll -- by describing how you would learn the job, build rapport with employees/customers, and contribute to the bottom line.
Mary's plan was 8 pages long and took the better part of a Friday night to prepare. (Before you balk at spending an entire evening at home researching and writing a 30-60-90 day plan, ask yourself if you wouldn't trade a night out for getting a steady paycheck again.)
4. Score style points with your delivery
Mary's first follow-up, the chocolate-apple-thank-you note, was delivered by a courier, not by email. Her 30-60-90 day plan was delivered by FedEx, not by email.
Do you NOT see a pattern? Email should NOT be the sole delivery method for your career documents.
Bottom line: This smart Guerrilla had failed to get even one job interview in 20 weeks of conventional job hunting with conventional tactics.
After adopting unconventional Guerrilla tactics, she found work in only 7 weeks.
If Guerrilla job search methods can work in Michigan, where the unemployment rate tops 15%, they can work where you live. The only thing stopping you from thinking and acting like a Guerrilla is you.
Resource: The same Guerrilla Resumes and Cover Letters Mary used are here.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Google Alert - job search tips
Google Web Alert for: job search tips
| Job Search Tips for New Grads - Simply Hired Blog For those of you finishing up your final college classes and enjoying your last few weeks as a student, Simply Hired has some tips for you to get your job ... blog.simplyhired.com/2010/04/job-search-tips-for-new-grads.html |
| Job Search Tips for Oil Rig Jobs - CVTips.com One way that you could help your job search for oil rig jobs is to get involved with a recruiter. Many oil rig companies contract with recruiters to help ... www.cvtips.com/job-search/job-search-tips-for-oil-rig-jobs.html |
| Online Job Search Engine, Website with All Jobs Database, Job ... Innovative approach for job search at world's largest database of jobs, find easy ways for online job search for all types of jobs with job search tips, ... www.hound.com/gjviewblog.php?id=6357 |
| Tips For Using Social Networking In Job Search Tips For Using Social Networking In Job Search from OI Partners. Social networking websites are being used more often to make connections that can lead to ... superperformance.com/socialjobsearch.php |
This once a day Google Alert is brought to you by Google.
Create another alert.
Manage your alerts.
Google Alert - job search tips
Google News Alert for: job search tips
OCRegister (blog) She will cover interview tips, common questions asked in the interview and and job search techniques. Career Fair -- The Orange County Register and ... See all stories on this topic | ||
| Tips About Working With Freelancers - PragmaticOutsourcing.com I-Newswire.com (press release) Since many companies are turning to search engines in order to find a freelancing directory, Pragmatic Outsourcing has decided to compile a list containing ... See all stories on this topic |
Tip: Use a minus sign (-) in front of terms in your query that you want to exclude. Learn more.
Create another alert.
Manage your alerts.
Job Finding Tactics for College Students
Colleges, students use new tactics to find jobs for graduates
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
5:39 a.m. Friday, April 9, 2010
It used to be college seniors would attend job fairs held on campus and walk away with multiple offers.
That's no longer the case, as the nation struggles to come out of the recession. To attract employers and win jobs, colleges and soon-to-be graduates have taken a more aggressive approach this year.
Students learned how to network through workshops held on campus. They've settled for freelance work or internships instead of full-time jobs. They started their post-graduation job search during their junior – and sometimes sophomore – years.
"We all know there is a recession, but you still have to put yourself out there and go to every lunch or any other corporate event because you never know when that one connection can lead you to a job," said Herman Riley, a graduating senior from Morehouse College.
Reaching out
College career centers placed recruiters in other parts of the country to connect with companies unfamiliar with their programs and students. They held recruiting activities to target certain industries. They used Web conferencing and other technology to reach companies that cut their travel budgets.
"In today's economy we have to do more than just organize career fairs," said Lynn Barrett, career services director at the Atlanta campus of the Savannah College of Art and Design. "It's about keeping up good business relationships and making it easy for these companies to reach our students."
The National Association of Colleges and Employers reports companies expect to hire about 5 percent more college graduates this year. That's positive news considering last year's decline of about 22 percent.
Georgia's colleges report an increased demand for jobs in finance, engineering, technology and human resources.
"My general sense is we've bottomed out and we are beginning a slow upswing," said Scott Williams, executive director of the University of Georgia Career Center.
Williams noticed an uptick with this year's spring job fair. Typically about 30 fewer companies attend the spring job fair but 139 attended, compared with the 136 at the fall event. Those numbers are down from last year, when 211 companies attend the fall 2008 job fair and 146 attended last spring.
Changing times
Emory University officials said the number of companies attending job fairs remained nearly unchanged. What's changed are the positions they wanted to fill, said Britney Fields, associate director of Emory's Career Center. Companies recruiting full-time employees dropped by about 10 percent, while internship recruiting increased by about 25 percent, officials said.
Other colleges reported similar trends noting interns are cheaper than full-time employees. A strong pool of interns also provides recruiters with full-time candidates for when the economy recovers.
Craig Belinfanti graduated from Morehouse in December with a degree in sociology. He's interned with a local executive search firm since October and enrolled in an MBA program after struggling to find full-time work.
"I was getting a lot of dead-ends," he said. "I'm hoping a master's will open doors for me and hopefully the job market will be better when I'm done with that degree."
Companies in the areas of math, science, technology and engineering continue to hire, which gives students at Georgia Tech an advantage.
Still, the career center at Tech held virtual career fairs in November and February to reach employers who couldn't afford to travel to campus, and planned another for July. About 50 employers and 1,800 students participated in the February event, said Ralph Mobley, director of career services at Tech.
The center also organized a few virtual interviews for students and recently had 10 Web cams donated for future interview use.
"A lot of companies don't have the budgets to travel at this time," Mobley said. "This is a way for them to continue campus recruiting without having to leave the office. They save time, money and resources. It allows our students to still compete for their jobs."
Different approach
Tech isn't the only one taking new steps.
Emory offered workshops on how to network and held special sessions geared toward specific fields, such as green industries. The career center also tapped into its alumni to learn about opportunities, and held Emory Network Nights in Atlanta, New York and Washington, D.C., Fields said.
Over the past year, SCAD's career center placed a staff member in New York, Los Angeles and Colorado to reach out to businesses. Now more companies from those areas are posting job openings on the college's career site and traveling to Georgia, Barrett said.
Morehouse saw more interest in its job fairs partly because of increased networking and an increased interest in diversity recruitment, said Kellye Blackburn Eccles, director of career planning and placement for non-business majors. When Morehouse held its first spring career fair in 2009, 55 employers attended. During the 2010 event in February, 93 employers showed up and some were turned away, she said.
Ahead of the game
Students said they are working harder -- and sooner -- to find jobs.
Jim Robinson, a senior at SCAD, began his job search last year. The fashion design major sent his resume and work to about 15 companies. He interned last summer and during the winter, and made the connections that helped him win a job with The Row.
"When you're in college it's always on your mind that you need to find a job, especially when you have friends who graduated who can't find work," Robinson said. "Finding a job while in college is like applying for college when you're in high school. It's something you have to start early on."
Riley applied for a job with American Express only after a professor at Morehouse invited him to a luncheon with officials from the company. He was previously rejected for an internship there and wasn't planning to try them again. But he'll be working for them after graduation.
"Had she not invited me, I never would have applied for that job," Riley said. "You have to be open to all possibilities because you never know what will lead to an opportunity."
On the Job Hunt
While the job market for graduating seniors has improved, it's extremely competitive. Officials from college career centers across Georgia and other experts offer these tips:
- Visit the career center on your campus. Get help with resumes, cover letters and review lists of job fairs and openings for full-time jobs and internships.
- Take advantage of all networking opportunities. Attend conferences, luncheons and evening events designed for special companies or industries.
- Set up a LinkedIn account to search job postings and find connections at companies. Be sure to use a professional e-mail address.
- Reach out to alumni. Ask the college for a list of alumni at companies or fields you're interested in.
- Follow-up with recruiters. Remember, just because a company rejected you once doesn't mean they'll turn you down again.
Who found work
The number of students finding full-time jobs after graduating college has decreased, according to national and local statistics. The number enrolling in graduate school has increased. Here are the percentage of graduates who are employed:
Year graduated ... University of Georgia ... Georgia Tech
2009 ... 57 percent ... 57 percent
2008 ... 64 percent ... 66 percent
2007 ... 67 percent ... 70 percent
2006 ... 66 percent ... 64 percent
2005 ... 68 percent ... 62 percent
Source: UGA, Georgia Tech career service officers
NOTE: Percentages are rounded. Tech's figures are for undergraduate students employed by graduation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)