Real Job Searching Tips

Real Job Searching Tips


See a good job, send a copy of your resume, and get an interview then a job offer…. just that easy right? We all know it never goes that easy and there are many processes behind the scenes. I like to think of the job process as a funnel. You start in a large group and the select few make it through to the end.

So let’s start with the very first step….the resume. You need to think of your resume as your personal marketing piece.

YOU GOT 10 SECONDS TO SELL

When a company posts a job they get literally hundreds of resumes in response. Yikes… I totally hear ya! The first step of the Recruiter/ HR is to weed out all of the non-matching candidates from the pile. Here is a crazy fact: most recruiters read a resume in 10-20 seconds or less (crazy right?). The first point is to screen OUT resumes that do not match. So, to make it IN the second pile we need to answer the job criteria and QUICK.

On the top half of page 1 of your resume, your reader should quickly determine: your expertise or job function, your location, industry expertise, career level (manager, lead, hands on worker), recent experience, education, turnover/ stability, and overall format, grammar and spelling. Not saying that your resume needs to be short or that you need to put ALL of that info in the first ½ of the first page, but get the best part in there. That is prime real estate!

In the first part of the process, 80%-100% of the applicants are eliminated! Those that are left are read in detail or the long resume version is reviewed.

FIND YOUR INNER ADVERTISING GURU

Think about your marketing tone, if your resume currently reads “here is what I did in the past” rather than “here is what I can do for you today” then you need revisions.

Take a tip from Hollywood! Let’s say you have worked with Fortune 500 leading companies then make sure speak to that in the experience: i.e. worked for Fortune 500industry leaders including Shell, Continental Airlines, MD Anderson- name dropping like totally works in like building credibility on your resume.

Find your “Sizzle” story, share details of when you improved a process, saved or earned money for a company, or were given public recognition. Often the most stressful times in our career have given us the most personal growth.

Make a tag line. Create a resume title under your name so the reader mentally associates your name with your expertise (i.e. John Smith, Senior Mechanical Engineer).

SOCIAL MEDIA IS YOUR FRIEND

Best advice right now in your job search- make sure you have a Linkedin.com profile, add groups, apply for jobs and get public recommendations.

Stay on the look out for future advice!

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