When the job market is tight, it may be tempting to cut corners on your job search, but for the sake of landing a position, please don’t. When it’s a buyer’s market, you owe it to yourself and your family to put your best foot forward. To stand out, there are three key factors you need to concentrate on—your resume, interview skills, and a follow-up strategy.

Resume

While a homespun resume would have garnered interviews in the past, in a tight market you have to step up your game.

Here are several options:

1. Search for a professional—a Nationally Certified Resume Writer or someone who works at a One-Stop Center. A professionally written resume can make the difference between getting called in for an interview and getting overlooked.

To ensure the best possible service, ask to look at the writer’s resume samples. Don’t get caught up in all of the hype regarding certifications and publications – quality work trumps credentials.

2. Use the Internet to familiarize yourself with different resume styles. Review the format and content of your current resume. Ensure that it clearly defines the position you are seeking and succinctly describes your skills, experience and knowledge that makes you the best candidate for the job. Remember that our industry seeks candidates who are technologically and fiscally astute.

Interview Skills

Admit it. How many interviews have you gone on without preparing? In a job-seeker-friendly market when companies are clamoring for great employees, the “wing it” method works just fine. But to compete in today’s market, you have to invest time getting acquainted with common interview questions and sample responses.

To get you started, here are a few.

Many candidates have submitted their resume for consideration. Why should I hire you over other qualified candidates?
Keep in mind that the interviewer is interested in your candidacy. That is the reason you are interviewing for the position. When answering this question, mention the three main reasons you stand out from others. Depending on your position, reasons can include your proficiency in account management, customer service, and/or strategic planning.

What do you know about our company?
There is a difference between wanting a job and taking a sincere interest in working for the hiring organization. There are no shortcuts to answering this question successfully; you have to conduct research.

What areas of your abilities would you like to improve upon?
This is a tricky way of asking, “What is your greatest weakness?” Choose an ability that needs improvement, but isn’t an integral part of your job.

Follow-Up Strategies

The interview isn’t over when you walk out of the interviewer’s office. Chances are, many candidates interviewed for the position before you did and many more will interview for the position after you. To remain competitive, it is essential that you write a follow-up letter.

This is advice most job seekers tend to ignore. And it’s a shame because the follow-up letter can seal a job offer. This is because only a small percentage of job seekers write a follow-up letter, so those who do take the time to write one stand out.

Below is a sample of a follow-up letter:

Thank you for the opportunity to interview for <name of position>.

The level of professionalism displayed by the associates I met was impressive. Each was warm and exuded a level of enthusiasm. My initial impression of <name of company> was solidified during our interview.

From the information you relayed during our meeting, my qualities <name qualities here> are a direct fit with the job opening.

Please know that I remain interested in working at <name of company>. If necessary, I’m open to attending another round of interviews to explore this opportunity further.

I can be reached at <your phone number with area code> or <your email address. I look forward to your positive response.

In Closing
Following the advice above will make you more confident. Confidence leads to more interviews, which hopefully will lead to job offers that provide career satisfaction.

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About the Author – Linda Matias is certified in all three areas of the job search—Certified Interview Coach ™ (CIC), Job & Career Transition Coach (JCTC), and Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW). She is also the author of the book, How to Say It: Job Interviews (Prentice Hall Press). You can contact Linda Matias at linda@careerstrides.com or visit her website www.careerstrides.com

With layoffs running rampant throughout corporate America, jobseekers are at a loss on how to broach the subject on their resumes or during interviews.

One of the mistakes employees make while job hunting is stating they were ‘fired.’ Most don’t understand the difference between getting laid off and being terminated. But there is a distinction between the two. Representatives of hiring organizations understand the difference. Jobseekers should as well.

Layoffs occur due to a business decision – for example, the outsourcing of a department. The circumstances are usually beyond an employee’s control. Firings, on the other hand, are based on poor job performance or inappropriate conduct.

During the separation process, employees should clarify the specifics of their lay-off, since there are benefits which accompany being laid-off, (rather than being fired), which may soften the impact of losing a job:

1. Some companies offer severance pay, which can be worth 3 months to 1 year’s salary,  based on the length of time the employee has been with the company
2. Employees who are laid off can also apply for unemployment while looking for a new job
3. The company may opt to fully vest laid-off employees in their 401k

In order to assist in job hunting, employees should ask their former employer the reason(s) they were laid off. If advised that it is because the company had to make cuts in payroll, employees should ask what criteria were used to place them on the layoff list (low seniority, poor attendance, lack of specific skills, previous disciplinary action, etc.).

Uneasy that their candidacy is tainted, jobseekers are often discouraged about their chances of landing a new position. Jobseekers’ perception is their own worst enemy. Many will walk into an interview defeated and simply go through the motions. This strategy is sure to backfire.

Candidates should keep in mind that through the employment dates on resumes, interviewers are aware the jobseeker’s unemployment status prior to extending an offer to interview. They are purposely overlooking a job loss in favor of experience.

Over the years, the stigma surrounding those who are laid off has decreased significantly.  In fact, in some cases, jobseekers are harder on their unemployment status than those responsible for hiring.

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Linda Matias, president of CareerStrides and author of How to Say It® Job Interviews, has earned credentials in all three primary aspects of the job search: Certified Interview Coach (CIC), Job & Career Transition Coach (JCTC), and Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW). Through her career and outplacement firm, CareerStrides, Linda dispenses advice on topics including changing careers, resume writing, and effective interview techniques. Linda is also the former president of the National Resume Writers Association. Her contact information is as follows: website – www.careerstrides.com and email – linda@careerstrides.com

A chain is only as effective as its weakest link—and you don’t know which link is weak until the chain is tested.  If your job search is falling short, one of your job-search skills may be the weak link.  By analyzing your chain of job search skills, you can build a stronger chain, one that can stand up to any test.

There are three critical links in your job search chain.  Consider each of them carefully to determine your weakest link, then work to strengthen that link.

Link #1:  Resume and Cover Letter

If your resume and cover letter aren’t attracting attention and generating interviews, this may be your weakest link.  A quality resume should:

• Sell your best transferable skills
• Support those skills with bottom-line impacts and achievements
• Be easy to understand at a glance, without dense reading
• Have an easy-to-read format with a clear outline
• Not typecast you into an industry or job you are trying to leave
• Focus on only one career objective

An effective cover letter should:

• Support but not repeat the resume
• Not sound like a form letter
• Not start every sentence with I, Me, or My
• Focus on the hiring motives of the reader

If your weakest link is your resume and cover letter, you may want to consider investing in a professional resume writer.  Many of them have experience in Human Resources and recruiting, so they know what hiring managers are looking for and the best way to present that information.

Link #2:  Resume Exposure

Even the best resume will fail to generate interviews if it doesn’t reach a wide enough target audience.  To a certain degree, generating interviews is a numbers game.  If the resume is effective to begin with, then the more resumes you send out, the more interviews you will win.

How much exposure is enough for your resume?  The answer is subjective, but you’ll definitely increase your exposure by using the following methods and online tools:

• Post your resume on numerous job boards (i.e., more than two or three)
• Distribute your resumes using a reputable online resume distribution service
• Proactively mass-target your resume to prospective employers
• Proactively send your resume to a wide audience of recruiters
• Identify numerous job boards that target your specific industry or occupation (again, more than two or three)
• Use job board profile options to have job postings emailed to you on a regular basis
• Utilize your existing network or build a stronger network of industry and occupational contacts to uncover job leads

If resume exposure is your weakest link, then you might benefit from the expertise of a career coach to help guide you in better job search strategies.  A career coach can assist you in building a campaign to gain maximum exposure for your resume.

Link #3:  Interview Skills

If your resume is fine and you are getting plenty of first interviews—but no second ones—then your interview skills may be your weakest link.

To analyze the strength of your interview skills, ask yourself the following:

• Have I adequately researched this company prior to the interview?
• Am I prepared to answer tough questions?
• Do I know what questions they might ask, or do I find myself stumped by questions I didn’t expect?
• Do I know what kinds of questions to ask in order to gain insight into important hiring motives?
• Do I know how to uncover any concerns that might prevent a job offer?
• Am I a good interview closer?

If interview skills are your weakest link, you’ll receive more job offers by investing in interview coaching with a career expert.

By strengthening each link of your job-search chain, you’ll avoid months of frustrating, ineffective effort.  With each link strong enough to support your career objective you’ll win your dream job with confidence.
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Deborah Walker, CCMC – Resume Writer ~ Career Coach
To see resume samples and read more job-search tips visit www.AlphaAdvantage.com
Email: Deb@AlphaAdvantage.com

Technology has grown in leaps and bounds – even the résumé industry has been transformed with the introduction of various job-search conduits, such as online recruiters, headhunters, and job banks.

Like many employment agencies, job banks have seen a significant growth spurt in the last 10 years.   There arer 1,000’s of job boards containing the descriptions of open positions located locally, nationally, and internationally.

Job banks may seem intimidating to some, but in reality, they are no more than a fat section of help wanted ads in the Sunday newsletter – online

Many job banks also possess a résumé submission area, allowing a document to be available online and searchable by keywords and key phrases

Taking it one step further, these same job banks have incorporated “job sleuths” into their script programs.  Jobs matching your skill set, target area, and/or salary requirement are automatically submitted by e-mail account for your review and action

An increasing number of recruiters are focusing themselves within a niche market; and because of this, a rising number of industry-specific job banks have emerged.  Finding job banks serving the information technology, sales, health care, and manufacturing industries (among others) are more common today than even 10 years ago

Job bank results can vary upon a number of variables:

… Visibility of the job bank

… Keywords / key phrases contained in the résumé

… Jobseekers current industry and position

… Requirements for target position (i.e. some companies seeking medical sales professionals require a minimum of 18 months sales experience)

A number of résumé writers now advertise “keyword strong” documents, catering to technological advancements.

Posting to job banks can be an added approach to your job search, but shouldn’t replace the tried-and-true results produced from networking.

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By Teena Rose, Career, Writer, Résumé to Referral, http://www.resumebycprw.com

Teena Rose is a certified résumé writer, interview professional, and a credentialed career master.

Conducting a job search using the Internet has definitely transformed how jobseekers contact hiring companies.  The availability of copying and pasting a text version resume into a form at a company’s website has laid the foundation for an easier and more convenient process.  No longer does a jobseeker need to spend hours with the traditional method of printing and mailing his resume to countless recipients.

With the Internet’s convenience, a breeding ground for scam artists continues to grow each year as well.  Identity thefts have increased to an overwhelming 10 million cases per year, and many of them are the result of phishing – not surprisingly, the employment industry is under attack as well.

Phishing is an attempt to extract personal information through what appears to be authentic emails.  If you are job searching, an email from a seemingly interested recruiter, for example, may not raise a red flag with you.  You may think that the contact person and company listed are legitimate, yet looks can be deceiving.  Knowing what to look for and how to spot fraud (or potential areas for abuse) can be the best deterrent to ensuring you have a safe experience while conducting your job search.

1.) Be leery of submission invitations.

Scammers and spammers follow the same patterns.  Mass emails are sent to an enormous list of recipients.  Not everyone on the “hit list” is searching for a new job; however, only a small number of people need to be convinced, or tricked into believing, the email is authentic in order for the scam to be deemed successful.

Receiving an email from a recruiter who states, “We find your qualifications to be perfect for one of our clients.  Please complete our online application through the below link.”

* Ask yourself several questions and investigate:
Did you send your resume to this recruiter?  Visit the company’s website
(type the web address into your browser, avoid clicking the link in the
email).
* Do they appear to be reputable and have career opportunities in which you
would have an interest?
* How did they hear about you?  Call the company if necessary.  Always proceed
with caution when you receive a cold-contact email from someone.

2.) Avoid responding to requests for personal information, such as a social security or credit card number.

Let’s say you receive an email from what appears to be a well-known job bank.  The email states that your account needs your contact and payment information to be updated in order for service renewal.  You click on the link and you’re taken to a page that looks professional.

The link appeared safe, but you were taken to a site that may be designed to defraud you.  Reputable companies will rarely ask for personal information via email so examine every incoming email for validity.

3.) When purchasing from a resume writing or resume submission service, for example, ensure information is encrypted upon hitting submit.

Encryption, in short, ensures the private information you submit online is kept safe.  When at your browser, you can recognize an encrypted form when the root URL starts with “https:” instead of “http:” or seeing the padlock present in the bottom right corner of your screen.  Purchasing from companies having added security measures in place can ensure your private information avoids the hands of ill-willed people.  Learn more about encryption by reading Jeff Tyson’s article titled, “How Encryption Works,” at  howstuffworks.com

4.) Read and understand the privacy policy of sites you patron.

The Better Business Bureau possesses a strict policy for members who do business online.  A privacy statement must be displayed on the company’s website, no exceptions.  High business practices are a necessity for maintaining the trust of online buyers; and the BBB understands the critical importance of trust among consumers.

A privacy statement outlines what type of customer information is collected and how it’s used.  Alliances and partnerships, for example, arrange for Company A to sell or pass on client information to Company B.  The information transferred or sold could be basic, like name and email address,
or far more in-depth like name, address, social security number, and phone number.  No matter how basic or detailed the information, the company must have the logistics spelled out in their privacy policy.

5.) Report any suspicious behavior.

Reports show an estimated 80% of online fraud goes unreported.  If the proper authorities aren’t aware of the magnitude of fraud that actually exists on the Internet, then getting the much-needed funds to battle the problem will take more time.  The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (ifccfbi.gov) has an online complaint feature for individuals to report phishing attacks.  The IFCC report process requires basic information, including information on the perpetrator and type of fraud.

In addition to filing a complaint, forward the fraudulent email to the legitimate company.  Phishing is smearing the good names of countless companies, and notifying the company about the scam can also help the fight. Companies being brought onboard will ensure well-rounded efforts to this
epidemic.

6.) Avoid giving your information out freely.

Whether you’re at the end of a phishing attack or the job application requires more information than you’re willing to provide, proceed with caution.  Much like you’ll analyze job opportunities; intensely examine each person who receives your personal information.  With safe online practices,  you’ll get the best return from your job-search efforts – instead of spending hours filing a police report and calling credit bureaus and credit card companies.

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Written by Teena Rose of Resume to Referral (http://www.resumebycprw.com)
Teena Rose is a certified and published resume writer and author of “20-Minute Cover Letter Fixer” and “Cracking the Code to Pharmaceutical Sales” (available at CareerEpublications.com).