What is your Job Search Marketing Campaign?
Let’s say you want to change jobs, you were laid off, or, you are tired of doing the same old, same old, but you don’t know how to change or what the job titles are that might meet your needs. You need to do a self assessment. Then you need to figure out which titles are good for you based upon your skills and interest. A job target consists of three things: a job title or function, an industry, and a geographic location. 1. Job Title – Let’s say you are interested in finance, you have been a financial analyst abut now you want to be a financial planner. Or you have been a magazine editor and now you want to be a media feature editor. You need to create a list of possible companies that have the job titles you are interested in. 2. Location – Are you planning to stay in the greater New York metropolitan area, or, are you moving to the West Coast or the Midwest or the South? If you are finance, there are several cities known for finance, New York and Chicago are two of them. If you are in IT there are several cities know for that, San Francisco being one of them, as well as the research triangle in North Carolina. Do your research. Make a list of the companies in your preferred geographic location that have your job title. 3. Industry – Industries have many sub-sections and niche areas. If you are in communications – that may include digital media, television, publishing, print media. If you are in finance, that may include banking, wealth management, trading, investing, mortgages. If you are in non-profits, that may include NGOs, foundations, associations, colleges and universities. Be specific. 4. Numbers – How many positions with that job title exist in each company? If you are a CFO or CIO or CMO, there’s only one. If you are a middle manager there may be several or dozens, depending upon the size of the company. If you are just starting out, and want an entry level job, there may be a half dozen or a dozen or more positions. 5. Hiring Manager – Who is in a position to hire you if there were a position? Not HR, unless you want to work in recruiting, benefits, compensation. Find the name and contact information of the person two levels above the job title you are seeking. Write to ask for a meeting. Then call to get the meeting. www.geffencareers.com
How do you deal with a GAP on your resume?
If you are like some of us who have a gap in our work history when we were not working a full-time paying job, how do you handle that on your resume? Do you leave it out and risk more questions at the interview or risk being shut out? Or do you take a positive attitude and find a way to fill the time and your resume? What is the reason for the gap? Were you attending graduate school? Were you at home raising your kids? Taking care of an elderly parent or a sick family member? Or just out of work, depressed, and not having an easy time of it? You need to find a way to transpose what you have been doing in that time into a marketable skill. So, you can do any one of the following: 1) Volunteer – lead a team of volunteers; volunteering is a legitimate way to spend your time if you are not working. It shows you have taken the initiative, you are using some skills, and you are giving back to your community. A local food pantry or New York Cares are two ways to give back. 2) Pro bono consulting such as with TapRoot Foundation, Junior Achievement. If you want to use your hard skills, such as marketing, strategic planning, financial planning or data analysis, organizations such as Taproot offer short-term pro bono consulting opportunities. 3) Join a professional organization and be active – lead a committee. A great way to meet new people in your field, get a sense of where things are going, and learning current practice is to become active in your own profession’s association. There is a professional organization for every field and job title. Find your niche and get to be known while doing good work. 4) Part-time employment – While you are looking for full-time employment, it pays to take a part-time, temporary, or interim job for the experience, the paycheck, and a placeholder on your resume. There is a prejudice against job seekers who are not working at all. You can then list this work even though it may have been part-time, temporary, interim or other. 5) Transfer your skills from the situation – If you have been helping an aging parent or a sick family member-you may be dealing with Social Security, with hospitals, with attorneys, patient advocacy, etc. If you have been a stay-at-home mom taking care of children -you have been planning activities; PTA membership, etc. Think of some specific accomplishments you have achieved while being out of work and add those to the accomplishments list of your resume. www.geffencareers.com
How to Reach Employers (From Cold Calls to Meeting)
You have your list of companies. You know your job target. Now you have researched the names of hiring managers two levels above the job title you are going for. How do you make the call? What do you say? Here are some strategies to help you through the cold call dilemma. 1. When do you make the call? Make the call at 8 am or 6 pm. If the hiring manager is a senior level executive s/he will have an administrative assistant take the calls. So how do you get around that? Never leave a message. Ask when will Mr/Ms Right be in? What’s a good time to call? Keep calling. 2. The hiring manager finally takes your call, what do you say? I am (your name) who wrote you an email asking for your career advice. Would you have fifteen minutes to chat by phone or in person? If they say no, say thank you. If they say yes, set up an appointment. 3. What do you say at the meeting? Make some small talk, e.g. how you heard about the company’s fantastic first quarter earnings, or an innovative process, they are implementing, or an article you read in the WSJ. Be prepared to say three things about yourself. Do you have your pitch ready? Mention your past experience. Illustrate with an example of a major accomplishment. Tell how you can contribute to the solving the company’s problems. 4. Ask three questions about the company, their challenges, the hiring manager’s career path…after all, you are looking to go down that path. How did s/he get there? What are the intermediary steps? At the close of the meeting, take out your job marketing campaign with the list of companies. Then ask, “Would you be able to introduce me to someone who works at one of these companies? Are there any companies that should be on my list?” 5. Follow up with an email – NOT just a thank you for your time, but illustrate how you are differentiating yourself from other people with your job title. Repeat what you said about your skills. Restate what you can do for the company. Say what you learned during the meeting and connect the dots so the hiring manager knows that your skills are applicable to their situation.. You will get a lot of “NO’s”. That is part of your job search. That is why you need to start with a long list of potential companies and a long list of people with whom to network. www.geffencareers.com
5 Tips for Baby Boomers in the Job Market
If you are a baby boomer and have been let go, due to re-org, re-engineering, takeover, or some other reason beyond your control, listen up. It is a jungle out there! Today I am going to be candid and give it to you straight. 1.Be prepared to face the following and answer these questions on an interview. Why do you want this job? Why should we hire you? This job seems too easy for you. Won’t you get bored? Why do you want to step down from a CEO or executive role at this stage in your career? You want to give back to your profession, you want to go back into operations, you don’t want to deal with a board, or politics any more. You really enjoy the “x” factor or part of the job that uses your favorite skills. 2.Take a look at yourself in the mirror – The first things people look at during an interview are shoes, teeth and hair, and then the rest of you. Are your teeth as white as they can be? Does your hair give you away? Grey is fine for men, but not for women (depending upon your industry). Are your clothes up to date? If you are not good at selecting or buying clothes and putting together outfits, then try using a personal stylist to put together your wardrobe and accessories. 3.Resume – Of course, you can leave off your dates of college graduation and only put in the last 10-15 years of work experience. But when you walk in the door and they look at you, they see a baby-boomer. 4. During the interview – Emphasize your passion for the mission of the organization, your passion for the particular field. Show positive energy and enthusiasm. Don’t dwell on the negatives, pivot, and turn the conversation around to what you can do for them. 5. Be a problem solver – Illustrate how you can help solve the company’s problems. Use specific examples from your past experience of how you solved problems and the results you produced. Mention other problems they have not thought of that you have solved in other positions for other organizations. Remember…be prepared for difficult questions. Be ready with your accomplishments to illustrate how you can be their problem solver. Act like you are already part of the team. www.geffencareers.com
How do I Best Answer Employment Ads on the Internet?
You spend your day at your computer answering ads for jobs. But you are not getting responses. It seems like your application goes into a black hole. Well, that is partially true. You should be spending only 10% of your time answering ads on job boards because only 10% of job seekers actually land a job from answering ads. Why? First off, 144 million people are on LinkedIn and hundreds of thousands of people are answering ads. Then you have to contend with ATS – Applicant Tracking Systems, which match your resume to the job description to search for key words. So, if you do answer ads, here are some tips to get the most out of your time and energy: 1. Only apply for jobs where you meet 80 to 90 percent of the qualifications. Don’t waste your time on something that sounds interesting, but you don’t have most of the qualifications. Answer the ad with 24 hours of its appearance. 2. Tweak your resume to include key words from the job descriptions. The more key words, and the more frequently they appear in your cover letter and on your resume, the better chance you have of being noticed by the ATS. Answer all the fields in the online application. Do not include salary. If they ask, just put in $1 or $10 or $100. Also include a short cover note tailoring your resume to the job. 3. Research the name of the hiring manager in the department and location for that job. Find out the email address and phone number. You can find this out either on the company website, on LinkedIn or other websites. Use LinkedIn to see if any of your 1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree contacts work in the same company. Get an introduction. 4. Write directly to the hiring manager, the person in a position to hire you if there is a position and you are a fit. Send the same resume and cover letter you attached online. Say you will call to follow up. 5. Call the hiring manager to get a meeting.It may take a few tries to get through to the hiring manager, and past the gatekeeper. Keep trying. Do not leave a message. Say, Mr/Ms So-and-so is expecting your call. www.geffencareers.com
How to Overcome Obstacles and Roadblocks
Have you experienced any obstacles or roadblocks tin your job search? All of us do at one point or another in the job search. Here are some common problems and what you can do to overcome them. 1) Can’t decide on a job target. You may have an idea of what you would like to do, or a dream of becoming a particular professional. But how realistic is that? You need to do online research, and more importantly, talk to real people who do what it is you want to do. Nothing takes the place of talking to a person to find out what do they do all day, how did they get to that position? What education and experience does one need to do that job? What people? Search on LInkedIn for people who do the same thing. Contact your alumni association and look up alums who do what you want to do. 2) Not getting interviews – If you are spending all your time answering ads on the internet, start writing directly to companies. Make a list of companies in your preferred field. A job search is a numbers game. The more people you write to, meet with, network with, the more chances you will have to get interviews for jobs. 3) Getting a lot of “nos”. You send your resume and get a no. You go on an interview and don’t get a call back. You write to someone asking for a meeting and don’t get an answer. Don’t take it personally. The job may have already been filled, or they may hire a relative of the boss, or they may take someone who was recommended by a current employee. Send more emails. Make more phone calls. 4) Feeling down and alone? Find a job buddy , someone you can talk to each week about your job search. Or, join a group of similar job seekers or a long term workshop that keeps you motivated and accountable. Or, find a career coach who can hold your hand and keep you going every step of the way. 5) Inertia -You just can’t seem to get going. You keep procrastinating. Make a schedule. Plan to spend anywhere from one to three hours per day on your search. Take one step at a time. Do one thing each day to get you closer to the job you want. Remember that a job search is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to keep going for the long haul and when you get stuck, find a way to get unstuck. www.geffencareers.com
How to Answer 5 Difficult Interview Questions
In preparation for your interviews, you need to expect that there will be at least one, or more, “zingers.” Questions you wish they didn’t ask, but which you know will probably be asked, based upon your resume. So you need to be prepared. Here are some of those difficult questions and how to answer them. The important thing to remember is this: be brief, and then turn it around to illustrate how you can help solve the company’s problem. 1. Why did you leave your last job? Stay positive. Think, take a breath, and go for it. I left for a new growth opportunity. I left to learn new skills in a more challenging job. And then go back to what you can do for them. 2. Why were you fired? The roles and responsibilities turned out not to be what was explained during the hiring process. Or, it was not a good cultural fit and it was a mutually agreed upon departure. That is why I want to work with this company where I feel I will fit in. And I can help you solve problem x. 3.. What is your weakness? Everyone has one. Be ready to talk about something that is not related to the job at hand. For example, if you are in the tech field, perhaps your weakness is in financial analysis. If you are in finance, perhaps it is social media. Then say what you have done to improve, or move on. And I have taken on a course or a project to improve that skills. 4. What have you been doing for the past x years? Be ready for this one if you have not been working for the past x years. I have been (doing one of the following): volunteering, raising children, going to graduate school, doing pro bono consulting. Then say, “And that is why I am excited to use my skills in x for your company.” 5. How would you handle a disagreement with your supervisor? Stay positive..This question is about how you handle adversity and interpersonal communication. Say, “Although we may have disagreed I always put forward my suggestions and solutions to problems.” Give a few positive qualities, characteristic skills and what you did at that company. And this is how I can help you solve your problem. www.geffencareers.com
5 Things to STOP and 5 Things to START in your Job Search
Just checking in to see how your job search is going. Not getting the results you expected? Here are five things you need to STOP doing and 5 things you need to START doing to get unstuck. 1) STOP giving out your business card to everyone your meet. INSTEAD, set up a coffee or a lunch to get to know them better. Start building relationships with people instead of simply collecting cards and building your contact list. 2) STOP wasting your time answering ads on the Internet. INSTEAD, write directly to a hiring manager, a person two levels above you at a company where you would like to work. Not in answer to an ad. Say how you can help them solve their problems and what accomplishments and skills you bring to the table. Ask for the meeting. 3) STOP using job descriptions in your resume. Everyone with the same job has the same job description. INSTEAD focus on your accomplishments with measurable results. Try to quantify your results with numbers, percents, dollars earned, dollars saved, clients satisfied. 4) STOP blaming your age or lack of skills.You can’t change your age but you can improve your chances of being hired. INSTEAD, start upgrading your skills with online courses or certificates at your local community college. 5) STOP complaining about the tough job market and saying woulda, coulda, shoulda. INSTEAD, assess your skills, make a plan, list the companies where you would like to work and start writing, emailing, calling, networking to get the meetings that will lead to the job you want. Do one thing each day that gets you closer to your goal. www.geffencareers.com
How to Research In Preparation for Your Interview!
Preparation for an interview is crucial for your success as a job candidate. Not only must you be prepared to talk about your accomplishments and how you can help the company, you must also learn as much about the company, its mission, and culture as you can. Here are 5 ways to research a company and the people who will interview you: 1. Company website and company LinkedIn page. Learn as much as you can about the company purpose, history, issues and projects. Read the annual report to find out the highlights of the past year, the financials and other info the company wants you to know about. Review the section for investors to find out the score on where the company stands against its competitors. 2. Read reviews on Glass Door by former employees. Here you will find out info on salaries, benefits, people, and the company culture, and maybe, if you are lucky, some negatives they don’t want you to know about. 3. Research the interviewers on their personal LinkedIn pages. Learn about their education, past job history, connections, and interests. See if you have anything in common with the interviewer. This can be a good opener for conversation, just don’t spend a lot of time on it during the interview. Or, maybe you know someone who went to the same school or worked in the same company who knows them. 4. Read trade publications to get further insight. If you are staying in the same industry, you should already be reading your industry publications. If you are changing industries then you definitely must do the research. Every industry has a professional association with free information and more if you become a member.Go to the association homepage for the industry to learn even more 5. Talk to real people who work or have worked in the company. Do you know someone who works there? Talk to them before the interview. If not, do you know someone who can introduce you to someone at the company? Talk to them before the interview. If not, write directly to a hiring manager to get a 15-minute informational meeting. Nothing takes the place of talking to an insider. www.geffencareers.com
What Do I Do AFTER the Interview to help seal the deal!
So you’ve had an interview for the perfect job for you and you think it went really well. Then what? There is no such thing as a “thank you” letter. It’s all about reinforcing your candidacy and making sure they remember what you can do for them. Here are 5 tips for the follow-up email: 1) Write an individual email to each person who has interviewed you. Make sure to take notes during the interview so you remember who said what. There is no such thing as “one size fits all” when you follow up. 2) Add anything you forgot or left out. Often, in the excitement and nervousness of an interview, we forget something that is crucial. Make sure to mention it in the follow-up. 3) Reinforce what you already said. Don’t assume that people will remember exactly what you said about your skills and accomplishments. Repeat specific accomplishments related to the position in your email. 4) Clarify anything that was a little mushy because you want to make sure they understand. Let’s say you answered a question partially or not to your or their liking. Tell the story again, briefly, to make sure nothing is left unclear. 5) Address any objection they may have about your candidacy. If they feel you lack a particular skill then write a proposal or offer to solve a problem, or analyze data, or create a newsletter. Then follow up again to get a meeting to discuss your ideas for a solution. The follow-up email is crucial to your differentiating yourself from the rest of the candidate pool. Don’t simply say thank you. Add the important information that distinguishes you from the competition. (c) Amy Geffen All rights reserved www.geffencareers.com