|
Seven Ways to Stand Out in a Sea of Applicants
Is your résumé getting lost in a flood of résumés? Are you certain you could demonstrate your value to potential employers, if you could just get in front of them? Do you want to dramatically increase your chances of getting a follow-up call from employers? Bait your job-search hook with these seven tips and you'll catch a whale of a good job. 1. Write a focused, accomplishment-centered résumé. Make sure that your résumé includes several examples of how you added value in previous positions. Include what you did, the outcome and why that is important. I guarantee you will stand out from the crowd if you target your résumé, highlight key skills, include success stories complete with results, and make it easy on the eyes. 2. Respond to appropriate ads. The owner of a successful job-search website often hears employers complain about job seekers who apply without offering any relevant qualifica-tions. Do yourself and everyone else a favor by responding to those ads that are obvious matches for your skills. If you have the right experience but your résumé doesn't show it, write a new résumé! Are you attempting to break into a new field? Do your homework first so that you can state your qualifications and background in terms that apply to the new job or industry. Remember, it's okay to have more than one version of your résumé. There is no such thing as good generic résumé. 3. Take time to write a cover letter that addresses the specific requirements of the position. Use the job posting to identify requirements then match them to your qualifi-cations. Include examples of accomplishments that demonstrate the required skills. 4. Make the subject line compelling when sending your résumé by e-mail. Simply writing résumé in the subject line is boring, boring, boring. How many e-mails in an employer's deluge contain résumé in the subject line? Thousands, I suspect. Use your subject line to immediately engage the reader and make him or her want to open your résumé first! If it lives up to the subject line he or she may never move on to the next one. 5. Whenever possible direct your résumé and follow-up call to the person who has the power to hire you. This requires that you do some investigating to find out the name or title of the person who is the hiring manager. Yes, this takes a little more effort but the payoff is worth it. 6. Call to follow up. Most job seekers send out their résumé and never follow up. They expect the employer to call them. Demon-strate that you are a go-getter by picking up the telephone and making that all important connection. First, confirm that your résumé has been received. Then politely inquire about the position and the next steps in the process. Ask when it would be appropriate to check back with them. Treat whomever you speak with on the telephone with respect-you could be talking with the decision-maker. 7. Be prepared to sell yourself over the telephone. Most companies pre-screen applicants by telephone. Don't make the mistake of thinking this isn't a real interview. You need to shine here or you won't make it to the next level. Be prepared. Smile when you answer the telephone. It's show time! Mary Jeanne Vincent is the author of Acing the Interview tip cards featuring answers to the top 20 "killer" interview questions. Also included are tips for interviewing in the new economy, ideas for responding to illegal and trick questions, and suggestions for avoiding 10 deadly interview mistakes. Go to http://www.2bworkwise.com for free job search articles and to sign up for the free WorkWise e-zine. For information on individual job and career coaching or to find out about other practical, easy-to-use career tools call Mary Jeanne at 831.657.9151.
MORE RESOURCES:
Jobs City of Rochester (.gov)
Careers Washington State University
Careers Freedom of the Press Foundation
Careers Gwinnett County Public Schools
JobFeed NSW Department of Education
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Fascinating Ways to Make a Living Doing What You Love May Be Closer Than You Think...
You don't have to look very far to find fascinating ways to make a living. Opportunities are literally everywhere? if you're looking, that is.
The 4 Job Search Facts You Need To Know!
Are you harboring bitterness or anger towards your current or past employer?Do you find it difficult to be upbeat when interviewing or networking because of past job experiences?Have you spent sleepless nights worrying about how to explain your choppy resume?If you are currently in the job market, you need to dump this baggage fast!Here are 4 key job search facts you need to know:Fact #1:Your past employer is not investing hours in a personal vendetta against you.Fact #2:Employers know that the demise of dot.
The Career Athlete: What It Takes to Manage Your Career
Managing your career, just like managing your life, requires preparation and ensuring that your time is directed meaningfully. Don't wait and see; make things happen.
Air Liquide: Driving Liquid Air
Have you ever heard of liquid air? The process of liquifying air was a major scientific achievement that took place over 100 years ago. Even after 100 years there are only a few companies that liquify air, which is probably why you've never heard of it before.
How To Establish Trust, Credibility and Enthusiasm To Your Interviewer
If you use your voice to get attention, you use your eyes to hold attention. People tend to believe you, trust you, and listen to what you say if you are looking at them.
3 Reasons To Hire From Outside Your Industry
While at times it may prove comfortable and convenient to hire from within your current industry, often the best candidate for the job comes from outside your "comfort zone". How can that be? As a recruiter focused on a highly regulated and competitive industry experiencing significant growth nationwide, here are 3 reasons to hire from outside your industry:1.
Gray Hair, Black Prospects
If you're reading this article, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that discrimination has become much more sneaky than in the past. No one comes out and say, "We're not hiring you because you're too old.
Ten Careers For High School Seniors Who Hate School
Let's face it?not everybody likes going to school and high school can be a terrible experience for many students. Whether you're the hands on type who preferred Shop class to English class, or an athlete who liked working as a team more than studying alone, or even someone who liked schoolwork more than schoolmates; the idea of four more years of school is unbearable.
Seven Success Tips For Recent Graduates Entering the Professional World
1) Build a Relationship With Your BossLike it or not, no single individual has a greater impact on your career future than your direct supervisor. So, how do you get on their good side from the start? Managers want to feel that you truly care, and that you are "in it with them" as a team.
Feng Shui Your Desk for Career Success
Have you used feng shui around your desk? It's a great way to "test drive" feng shui, to see how well it works for you.In feng shui, we work with a 3x3 grid called a bagua (said "bagg-wahh").
Marketing You and Your Career
Imagine if a business invested years into the research, design, and creation of a new product, and then failed to tell anybody about it. What if the company assumed (even expected) that consumers should discover their new product, just because it was â??greatâ??? Flawed logic, right? Yet, thatâ??s how many people treat their careers! They spend years learning a trade, gaining education, and writing resumes - but do nothing to promote themselves.
Self-Knowledge: The Key To Finding The Right Career Direction
Your career, like any journey, has a beginning, an end and a direction. For many people, the present direction of the career is probably not a result of entirely their own choices.
Death By Workers Compensation
Excerpt of Death By Workers' Compensation"The Bleeding Rose"In this Excerpt the time that has lapsed is over an hour after the accident. What you are about to read will sicken you and make you wonder why no charges were ever pressed and why this man was not arrested for his part in destroying another person's life, let alone possibly destroying a unborn child's.
Using The Internet For Job-hunting
The Internet is a very useful tool for job seekers as it is a great source of information. Also, taking into account of a more wired world, getting online has never been easier.
Kick-In-The-Pants Job Search
Believe it: three obstacles will hold you back from your ideal job -- your résumé, you, and your job-search methods. There's no hidden formula; there's no bribery needed; there's no one standing in front of employment - other than YOU!You've probably heard all the excuses, or used them yourself.
Working with Recruiters: 5 Critical Words for Candidates
As professional recruiters working both retained and contingency search assignments, we spend a significant part of our effort preparing both the candidate and the client employer for prospective interviews. Preparing each side to meet and interact removes much of the predisposed tension that is inherent to the interview process on both sides.
7 Steps To A Job-Winning Resume
A new resume can jump-start your career. Your network contacts may ask for a resume and some industries absolutely, positively demand a resume as the price of admission.
The Inevitable Job Interview Question: "Why Did You Leave (Are Planning To Leave) Your Last Position
This is a question that you can almost count on being asked at your next interview What the interviewer wants to know is, "Why are you available?"The answer you give could set the tone for the rest of the interview. For instance, if you were to indicate that you were bored or burned out at your last job, the interviewer would quickly become concerned about your performance at this company.
The Group Interview
Sometimes, when going on job interviews, you might end up in a situation where you are in a group interview. A group interview is where you are being interviewed along with several other candidates for the job.
3 Questions No Job Seeker Ever Wants To Be Asked?
Employer and interviewers expect you to answer tough question during interviews. Take a few minutes to brainstorm on how you might elaborate on the following answers.
|