I get calls and notes from job seekers asking me about all kinds of crazy plans to get certifications, take classes, pay job placement agencies, or otherwise spend a lot of money trying to get a job. What do I say? One, never pay anyone who says they can place you in a job; and two, before you invest a huge amount of time and money into something you may not need, look at the simple fixes first--like your resume.
Look at this note I got from Rebecca:
Hi Peggy,
Just a note to say THANK YOU for your help. Since I sent my newly revised resume, my phone is ringing and I am also receiving offers from e-mails for jobs. You Are GREAT!
God Bless,
Rebecca McConnell
She revised her resume and her phone started ringing. Does your resume need a revision, too?
To make sure you don't miss a thing, I've created a Complimentary Special Report - How to Ask for a Raise with all my hints and tips written out for you. It's completely free--no charge. Click the link below to get it.
It's very important to prepare for phone interviews because these are a gating process for the company. They're trying to weed out candidates, which means they're looking for reasons to cross you off their short list. Part of your prep work (along with researching the company) should be preparing answers to phone interview questions.
If you have a phone interview coming up, read these articles on how to answer phone interview questions.
What's the most basic job search advice out there? "The best time to get a job is when you have a job." So what if you're already unemployed? Maybe you've been out of the workforce for a while. What now?
Unemployment can take a toll on your finances, certainly, but also on your morale and your job hunt itself. There's a stigma that can become attached to candidates who've been out of the workforce for a while, for whatever reason. Employers think, basically, "If that person is so good, why hasn't he/she found a job yet?" Obviously it's an unfair blanket assumption, but there it is.
If you find yourself in this situation, read this terrific article on CNN.com:In the job hunt, the stigma of being unemployed is hard to erase (and I am thrilled to have been quoted in it!). It talks about the effect that being laid off can have on your job search, but more importantly, it shows you what you can do to overcome it. Very worth the read.
If you're unemployed, you're in a defensive position in the job search. That affects what you might normally do or say in the job search, but not by much. Here are the best strategies to get past unemployment issues and land the job:
Techs who transfer to sales usually either love it or hate it. Why? It's because the laboratory is a black and white world with absolutes. In the sales world, there are many more variables, many more maybes, and much more fluidity involved in dealing with people. The laboratory person who has good people skills coupled with that extensive technical background and who can deal with the uncertainty and constant change in sales jobs will be very successful.
So, if you've got the people skills and the technical background necessary for success in laboratory sales, how do you make the leap?
Sales is a vibrant, challenging and exciting sector to get involved with! If you have a natural talent for selling stuff to other people, it’s a skill that you could build a career out of. For many salespeople, each day is unique and not without its challenges.
The drive and determination of each individual helps them to achieve their goals and targets. Regardless of how difficult they might seem to reach. There are plenty of things that a salesperson can promote.
They could be anything from small, inanimate objects to large buildings and heavy machinery. The latter proves to be a lucrative way of making a living, as companies pay a lot for large industrial machines. As most salespeople get a commission of each sale, they will have a healthy wage to look forward to each month!
LinkedIn is one of the most important places to have an online presence because it is currently the top networking site for professionals of many industries. This is where a potential employer will look you up to see if you are a good fit for the job opening and where many people find the connections that bring them a career. It’s a very valuable resource and worth taking the time to make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete and contemporary.
If your profile is out of date or incomplete, how is being on this vital networking site doing you any good? In fact, an out of date, incomplete profile will probably be doing your career harm because it reflects badly on you. So make the investment and get that profile in shape because good things will happen as a result.
Sending a thank you email after a phone interview is just as important as sending one after a face-to-face interview. It helps you stand out and reinforce why they should be talking to you.
Dig in to 10 of our best posts on writing thank you emails after phone interviews (although many will also help with your thank you emails after face-to-face job interviews, too):
When you’re sitting at your desk dreaming of starting your own business, the barriers may seem as daunting as a track of high hurdles. The good news is there’s an efficient way to help you raise your odds for success: a franchise system.
With a great franchise, you gain the collective experiences of many successful business owners who over the years have helped the franchisor perfect a system, the proven procedures that provide a roadmap to long-term success.
The beauty of the system is it’s all of a piece. You follow the franchisor’s guidelines for everything from how to set up your shop, to how to train employees to how much money you should have on hand to get you through the initial startup phase. As you struggle to learn the system, a good franchise will offer lots of training and ongoing support to get you across the finish line.
Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot;
but make it hot by striking.
- William B. Sprague
Have you heard that hiring is picking up speed? It is--but I'm telling you: Do not wait until a company you'd love to work for posts a job that would fit you. Contact the company now.
This is what this quote is about. Don't wait. Strike now. Everyone else will wait until the job is posted (or the iron is hot, if you're following the analogy.) If you strike first by contacting the hiring manager (your future boss) in that company, you'll be ahead of everyone else who would apply for that job. You'll make a hot opportunity for yourself to snag a new job.
Online applications will get you nowhere; but contacting hiring managers directly will get you interviews!
See how this happened for Claude:
Hi Peggy-
Funny thing, after the webinar yesterday, I looked at a few of the positions I had applied for in the past week that I am very interested in, but heard nothing yet, researched the organizations, did my homework, found the right people, and reached out to them directly. I sold myself and explained why I am the person they need, advised them my resume is in the "application pile", but would be more than happy to forward to them directly.
I actually received follow up, and [was] advised that I will be included in the interviewing next week.
- Claude M.
If you have applied for some great jobs but haven't heard anything back, take a page from Claude's book and contact the hiring managers for those jobs. (The hiring manager is the person who would be your boss or your boss's boss.)
If you're not sure how to get this done, use my Hidden Jobs Finder. It shows you how to find the hiring manager you need to speak to, and it tells you what to say to them (and you'll find more jobs overall). Best of luck!
Searching for executive jobs in today’s world can be tougher than ever. It’s imperative that executive-level job seekers stand out from their competition and prove to their potential employer that they offer a high return on investment. To do this, job seekers need certain tools, including the essential job-search documents needed to effectively market oneself in the job hunt: executive resume, cover letter, career biography, reference dossier, etc.
If you are a part of the executive job hunt remember that personal branding is important to strategically position you ahead of the crowd. It links your key personal attributes, passions and strengths with your value proposition. Does your resume brand you? What about your LinkedIn profile? Does that let the reader know that you are the leader their company needs? If done right this will translate into a crystal clear message that differentiates your unique promise of value that will resonate with your target audience. By showcasing your expertise and unique personal brand in the best possible light, you’ll open doors that others can’t and be in charge or your career destiny.
So you've had the phone interview, and now you don't know if they're moving you forward to the face to face or not. You even tried to call the nice HR woman you spoke to, but you still don't have an answer. Do you just give up? What if you really want this job?
Watch this video to get cutting edge tips on who to you need to talk to and what to say to that person in this situation to give yourself a shot at moving forward to the face-to-face.
Click to watch, and then download my Free Report on How to Follow Up After the Interview. You'll know exactly what to do after phone interviews and face-to-face interviews, in every circumstance--from your thank you note to any follow up phone calls you may need to make. This report will help you get more job offers.
Did you ever wonder what the global job market is actually looking for? LinkedIn is in a unique position to find out, so after analyzing over 330 million LinkedIn member profiles, they came up with The 25 Hottest Professional Skills of 2014. Of that 25, the top 5 are:
Phone interviews are a big, big deal--companies use them to screen job candidates and weed them out before they get down to the more serious business of face-to-face interviews. Before you get on any phone interview, you need to know what phone interview questions you'll probably be asked--so you pass their screen test and get invited to interview in person. Here are some common phone interview questions:
Tell me about yourself. Don't fall into the trap of thinking it's a social question to break the ice. It isn't. All your answers should relate to the job.
HOW TO WRITE A 306090 DAY PLAN - These do take some work to research and put together, but the investment you make in time and effort is going to pay off big for you in terms of money and job offers
read more...
I get calls and notes from job seekers asking me about all kinds of crazy plans to get certifications, take classes, pay job placement agencies, or otherwise spend a lot of money trying to get a job. What do I say? One, never pay anyone who says they can place you in a job; and two, before you invest a huge amount of time and money into something you may not need, look at the simple fixes first--like your resume.
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