Friday, December 17, 2010

Why is no one responding to my resume?

Is there something wrong with your resume that you are not getting any responses?

I was asked this question today by a frustrated job seeker who wanted help in fixing her resume.

My response follows:

I would be more than willing to look at your resume and offer suggestions, BUT it is essential that you share with me the job titles and company names of the openings to which you have applied.

Without knowing to what and where you have submitted your resume, I have little clue as to what should be in your resume.

Your resume is only as good as the specific keywords it contains as they match with the keywords of the job posting or description.

Also, most importantly, your qualifications have very little to do with whether or not you get any response to your resume.

The resume gatherers, the people to whom you send your resume, are screeners. Their job is to scan quickly resumes for keywords and send on those that have all, or at least a majority, of their target keywords.

They only have seconds to review a resume or applications and don't have time to read much of anything let alone think about what they see. In fact, in many cases, they have computer software scanning and finding the keywords for them.

The overwhelming, 90% of the time, reason why you don’t get responses is simply that resumes get lost in the heavy volume of them, in many cases 1000s, that are sent by desperate job seekers.

Your odds of ever getting any response to your resume or application, regardless of your qualifications, without following up repeatedly, is less than one in one thousand or .1%.

So playing the odds by just sending in your resume and/or submitting your application and waiting for a response means you would have to send in a resume or apply to at least 1000 openings to get one response!

You’ve got 900 more to go.

And, better still, you have one hundred with which you need to follow up.

Discover and determine the contact information for the company holding the job opening. Knowing specific contact people within the company, especially the hiring decision maker(s), makes all the difference in getting noticed. And without getting noticed, you probably won’t get a response.

If the company is not clearly identified, then do some detective work based on clues in the job posting like an email address or the type of business and location.

Then follow up with additional information like faxing another version of your resume or emailing your Facebook or LinkedIn link or dropping off your resume in person.

Repeated follow up has now become a requirement in making contact after you have sent your resume or applied for the job.

Let’s stay in touch,

Walt

And stay in touch with me and JVS at www.jvsdet.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Monday, November 29, 2010

The Four Basic Steps to a Successful Job Search - Step 2

As stated in Step 1 - Make Contacts, a job search is really very simple.

And this bears repeating.

No secrets, no magic, no special skills or hidden markets...just four simple steps.
BUT you do need to take action. You do need to make the effort. And you do need to keep at it, to stay the course. It is your responsibility, and your responsibility alone, to start and to stop.

Step 2 is Follow Up.

"Success comes from taking the initiative and following up..." Anthony Robbins

Once you have started, initiated contacts, then you assume the responsibility to stay in touch. It is up to you to keep the contact going.

Not only is it very unlikely that the employer, recruiter, contact, with whom you are trying to connect will have the time or be able to make the effort to respond to your application, resume, email or phone call; but when you follow up you also take the opportunity to demonstrate your interest, seriousness, commitment, persistence and many other desirable qualities.

In fact, most employers await your follow up to see how you handle yourself. And the applicants that follow up are always more likely to get the employers attention.

Add to your follow up efforts by thinking of, and doing, things that add value to your application.

Share information of interest to the employer. Email a website, an article, or news that shows your deeper interest in the company and gives something of value to them.

But, above all, stay in touch. Even if it is a 30 second phone message or a brief email message that expresses your continued interest and availability, staying in touch is a requirement.

If you need help in following up and staying in touch, do so with us at JVS.
Visit us at www.jvsdet.org
Let us help.

Walt

Walt Tarrow, wtarrow@jvsdet.org, www.LinkedIn.com/in/walttarrow

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Four Basic Steps to a Successful Job Search - Step 1

A job search is really very simple.
No secrets, no magic, no special skills or hidden markets...just four simple steps.
BUT you do need to take action. You do need to make the effort. And you do need to keep at it, to stay the course. If you stop, you are the one who quit.
Advisors and experts and coaches are creeping out of the woodwork promising you amazing results by sharing their secrets of how to get your dream job.
But the answer, the way, the method is very simple, very basic and really no mystery at all. And this truth does not get attention, does not sell books, does not fill seminars, does not put money in their pockets.
By the way, what kind of secret, magical method, is it if you tell anyone who is willing to pay the fee?
Step 1 is Make Contacts.
"The secret to getting ahead is getting started." Mark Twain
You get started by making contact.
Start with a website like www.indeed.com and search for jobs of interest. Use the titles and keywords of jobs which you have done, or believe you can do, and in which you have an interest. You can also search using the names of companies for which you would like to work.
Then apply according to the instructions -- online, submit a resume and a cover letter, email, fax, mail, in person, and/or phone.
Just make the contact! Don't delay by continuously reworking your resume, your cover letter. Capture the keywords from the posting, incorporate them into your application, resume, letter and send them on their way.
"If you keep thinking about what you want to do or what you hope will happen, you don't do it, and it won't happen." Joe Dimaggio
Then expand your contacts to any and all companies that are similar to the companies to which you have applied. Even if they are not hiring currently. Especially if they are not hiring currently.
Most jobs are filled before they are ever advertised. Get in before the flood of resumes.
The objective, your goal, in Step 1 of your job search is to make contact with, become known by, and, hopefully, impress, every employer who might sometime have a job for you.
How's that going for you? Are you working toward that goal? If not, then it's time to get to work.

If you need help in making those contacts, make contact with us at JVS.
Visit us at www.jvsdet.org
Let us help.

Walt

Walt Tarrow, wtarrow@jvsdet.org, www.LinkedIn.com/in/walttarrow

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Are you wasting their time?

When you are looking for a job you want to contact and connect with as many people as possible. The more connections you have, the more likely you will make the right connections.
BUT are you an asset or liability to those connections?
Do your emails, your phone calls, your visits add value to their days, their lives? OR, worse yet, are you wasting their time?
When you apply for a job online, by email, fax or mail, do you follow up with a phone call to verify they received your application, your resume, your cover letter?
You may be fortunate and connect to someone who takes some time from their busy schedule to talk with you. But have you added value to their day?
And after your application is in process, are you easily reachable?
Do you make it easy for employers to know what they need to know about you? Are your application and your resume complete and error free? Do you have additional information, such as references, a complete LinkedIn profile, diplomas, degrees and transcripts, and work samples, readily available?
Can employers get in touch with you quickly and easily? Is your voice mail set up properly and professionally? To be certain, maybe you should call yourself and listen to what they will hear.
Do you have an email address that is easy to understand and remember for employers? Does your email even work? To be certain, maybe you should email yourself and see what they will see.
And do you check your voice mail, your email throughout each day? Or, better yet, do you stay in close touch with them?
And are you an asset or a liability?
When you make your contact, what is your purpose? Is it all about what you want, what you need? Are you entitled to their time, their return call, their help? And that is according to whom, to what rule?
If you keep taking from them, wasting their time, giving nothing in return, you are a liability. And you are even more of a liability if you make being in touch with you difficult for them.
Approach all of your contacts keeping in mind how you can be of value to them and how you can minimize their effort in getting back, and staying in touch, with you. If you keep withdrawing from any shared account you might have without contributing, very soon you will be overdrawn and have no credit with them at all. They will have no reason to stay in touch with you. They may even close the account, stop all contact with you, and feel you owe them big.
Stop wasting their time.
Respect all your contacts. Be considerate of their time, their effort and their value to you.
Be clear, complete, quick and concise in your emails and phone calls. Short and sweet is the way.
Hopefully, you will find ways to add value for them. But, at the very least, don't be wasting their time.

Make effective use of your time by using the job search resources at JVS. Visit www.jvsdet.org for calendars of upcoming events, weekly meetings and seminars, for links to JVS on Facebook and Twitter, for our online job bank, and more.

As always, you can reach me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org and on LinkedIn.

Now go out there and make some contact happy,

Walt

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Some more observations on what means overqualified

Are you told you are overqualified?

Is your resume presenting you as overqualified?

If you are not getting interviews, your resume might be overshooting the "profile" of the job. Your resume might not be matching the duties, responsibilities and/or requirements for the job.

It is all about the match. And a mismatch can go both ways - under and overqualified.

If you get interviews, your resume obviously is working.

But overqualified means much more than just the mismatch.

Employers use interviews to get to know the candidate, the potential employee, better – who you are, what motivates you, what makes you tick. They are a chance to demonstrate that you have the right stuff. Think of them as sales calls. After all, when it comes to interviews, are we not all in sales?

"Overqualified” translates for them to mean you, based on your length of experience and past compensation, expect, and feel entitled to, a higher level of pay. And that you don’t have to justify why you deserve it since you have professional “seniority.” They are afraid that you will leave your position and the company as soon as a better offer comes along because you deserve more money, better benefits, and a better opportunity.

Be prepared with enthusiasm and even excitement to tell them why you want to work for them and how you will eliminate problems and add value. Without presenting solid and passionate evidence about how you will deliver each and every day, you are in danger of being seen as resting on your assumed laurels and coming across as arrogant.

Just because you have experience, perhaps even extensive expert experience, does not make you invulnerable to the pitfalls and problems of everyday work life. Even if you are the best of the best of the best, you still need to be doing your best always. Overqualified means you are presenting yourself as above it all and that very likely you will not try to do a better job of it because nobody does it better than you. And again you deserve top pay just because you are you.

As it’s been said in the circles of sales professionals, “you are only as good as your last sale.” You have to prove your worth. Be prepared to do so when you have that face to face meeting, that interview, that sales call.

Listen to their needs and tell them, show them, how you will deliver.


If you need to practice that interview, contact me.

Walt Tarrow
wtarrow@jvsdet.org

And check out JVS at www.jvsdet.org for job postings, seminars, events and more.

Join me and NextJobs~JVS Detroit on LinkedIn.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Some recommendations about recommendations

Regarding recommendations on LinkedIn or anywhere else for that matter.

Who is/are the target audience that you want to see, and be impressed by, your recommendations?
What do you want people to say about you that sends the right messages to, creates the right images for, your target audience?
Who can best represent, and speak to, your various work, education, and other experiences?
Who, and from where, are the people who are most relevant to your target audience?

Once you have answered the questions above, contact the people you want to recommend you on LinkedIn (they have to be members of LinkedIn to give you a recommendation). Provide them with a recommendation you scripted for them and ask them to review, edit if they want to, and send to you to be posted on your LinkedIn profile.

Offer to do the same for them.

LinkedIn prompts and directs you about recommendations under your experience and education on your profile.

Any performance review or evaluation you received at your workplaces from your immediate supervisors can provide an excellent source of recommendations. If you do not have copies of performance reviews, contact the company and ask for a copy of your personnel records.

Remember that the most preferred recommendations come from previous supervisors and other work associates including customers who can testify to your work performance.

You can also provide evidence of your "soft skills" such as interpersonal, communication, organization, leadership and the like with recommendations from non-work contacts who have been witness to related behaviours. Also, fellow workers and other contacts of yours can speak to personal characteristics of yours such as trustworthiness, reliability, honesty and professionalism.

Recommendations are simply testimony provided by others to verify and support your claims about your different sets of skills, work performance and achievements.

Your skills, work, and achievements easily could fill a book, but without the right "recommendations" on the jacket, that book may never be bought.

For help with crafting your recommendations, feel free to contact me.

And follow me and JVS at www.jvsdet.org and check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. Job postings are at www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org as well as the calendar of upcoming seminars and events.

Walt
wtarrow@jvsdet.org

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Interviewing Questions

So many questions, so few answers...

There are hundreds of job search books containing thousands of interview questions with suggested answers to help you prepare for your interview. Yet every interview you have seems to add at least one question you never heard before.

Here is a list of ten questions that a helpful job seeker emailed to me just today. The company provided him with these questions to help him prepare for his interview for a logistics/warehouse position.

1. How does our position fit in with your career goals and objectives?

2. What separates you from the rest of the candidates? In other words, why should we hire YOU?

3. How would your previous Supervisors and Co-workers describe your ability to be dependable?

4. Please give us examples in one of your previous positions that addresses your productivity level while still maintaining a high level of accuracy and quality?

5. Tell me about one of your previous positions that you enjoyed? Why did you enjoy working for that company? What are some things you would have liked to see change?

6. Please describe how you would handle the following situation: At 9:00 am the Warehouse Supervisor gives you several shipments that need to go out by 10:00 am. By (9:45 am you realize you will not be able to accomplish this and your Supervisor is nowhere in sight).. How do you think you might handle this?

7. There are times when we work without close supervision or support to get the job done. Tell us about a time when you found yourself in such a situation and how did things turn out.

8. When we talk about customer service, we often think about external customers or the people who are not part of our organization. Tell me about a time you were confronted by a frustrated ‘customer’? What did you do to resolve the situation?

9. Give me an example of when you showed initiative and took the lead on a project at work?

10. Listening is an important part of providing good customer service. Describe good listening skills. Please give us an example of a time when you’ve demonstrated good listening skills?

Question #2 is one of the two basic questions that are asked, in a great variety of ways, ultimately by all interviewers.

Those two essential questions are:
Why should we hire you?
Why do you want to work for us?

The number one reason that applicants lose interviews is lack of preparation.

And having, and practicing, good answers to basic interview questions is essential interview preparation.

What answers do you have?

What messages do you need to deliver at your interview to be a winner?

Be prepared to be a winner.

If you have any tough interview questions you would like to have some help with creating good answers, please contact me.

Walt Tarrow
wtarrow@jvsdet.org
www.linkedin.com/in/walttarrow
www.jvsdet.org

Follow me and JVS on Facebook and Twitter.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Is Your Job Search Out of Control? - Part 3 of 5

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Plato

Whose job is it?

Whose responsibilty is it?

If it is not your job, why is it theirs?

Why should you/it matter to them?

And if it does not matter to them, is it not time for you to take matters into your own hands?

Is it not time for you to take responsibility for your own actions? Your own behavior?

What is the good, what is the benefit, what is your gain, if you criticize their behaviors?

What do you hope to accomplish? Are you on a mission to make everyone behave your way? Is that time well spent on your job search? What do you have to gain?

Or are you better served by doing what you need to do to make it worth their while...instead of expecting them to behave your way and getting upset when they do not?

Being critical and getting upset over others not doing what you expect them to do for you, in many cases a complete stranger, is childish, self-centered, non-productive and a waste of time.

And if you express your impatience, frustration, even anger at their "rude" and "unprofessional" behavior, are you presenting as an employee with whom they would want to work?

Did you ever think about taking the time to consider why that person is being rude and not professional? Maybe they have way, way too much work to do.

The most recent measure shows a drop in productivity in the US. That is an indication that workers are having to do more with less and not being able to do it. That may be called overwork in some circles. So you label the overworked employee who did not respond to you in a prompt and obedient way as rude and not professional. Thanks a lot, buddy!

Why not take this great opportunity to show them that you are the right person for the job, the person who handles unpleasant people, difficult situations, disappointment with a positive attitude and a smile!

Expressing your indignation with their actions only brings you down to their level and excuses your own lack of responsibility. Be responsible for your own behavior and only your behavior. Conduct your job search in a considerate, professional, and responsible fashion.

It may not be natural. It requires you to be thoughful, mindful and patiently persistent.

So take the high road. It will put you in control. And it will get you there much easier, faster and take away a whole lot of stress.

Stay in touch with me and JVS.

We are here to help.

Walt Tarrow
wtarrow@jvsdet.org

Visit us at www.jvsdet.org, be a fan of JVS Detroit on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and look for jobs and events at www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org.

And find me and our group NextJobs~JVS Detroit on LinkedIn.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Thirteen Lucky Tips for the "Networking Challenged"

Courtesy of Karen Gutman, Employment Specialist at JVS Detroit...thanks, Karen!

1. Remember why you are networking – We network to make connections and broaden our knowledge base. Whether we are in sales or job searching, we do not approach our network to make sales (or get a job), but to gather information and seek referrals of others to meet. Embracing this thought takes the pressure off and allows us to enjoy meeting new people.

2. Dress for Success – Dress professionally in business attire. Be sure your clothes are clean and neat. Do a quick check in a mirror before entering the room. Wear a suit or sport jacket with pockets for business cards. You can keep your cards in the pocket on one side and those you collect in the other.

3. Be prepared to network – We are more comfortable if we know we have everything we need to network. One should never be without business cards! As a job seeker, your cards should include your name, your contact information, and your job goal as a profession. For example, “Inside Sales Professional”, “Executive Administrative Assistant”, or “Licensed Auto Mechanic”. Know your elevator speech! You don’t want to fumble or ramble on when asked the “what do you do” question. Your speech should include they type of people you are looking to connect with.

4. Plan your strategy – Pause for a few minutes at the door to see who you would like to approach. Look for someone standing alone, as they will be eager to engage with you. If you have specific people you want to meet, approach them or join in their conversation. If you put it off, they just might leave before you get your chance! Set a realistic goal for how many people you plan to talk to at the event. It’s ok to start small. Once you get more comfortable, you’ll set higher goals. But push yourself to meet your goal!

5. Plan your approach – Rehearse your approach. Extend your hand, “Hello, my name is _______”. Then have your first question ready. Good openers are: “What do you do?”, “Is this your first time here?”, “How did you hear about this event?” “What other networking meetings do you attend?” Then ask follow up questions and use their name often. It will help you remember and personalize your conversation.

6. Ask a lot of questions. You can find out what the person does, how they got into the field, and what other networking events they attend. People love to talk about themselves and it will put you both at ease. If they ask about you, answer with what you do – such as the title on your business card. Give your elevator speech and let them know with whom you are looking to connect.

7. Do not ask for a job! You didn’t attend to find a job; you are networking to make contacts. It’s ok to mention you are looking for a new position, but DO NOT make that the focus of the conversation. Don’t hand out your resume, that’s what your business card is for. If you are asked for your resume, you can always email it.

8. Know when it is time to move on. The purpose of a networking event is to connect with people you want to get to know better. It is not the time for a lengthy conversation. Once you have determined that this is someone you want to have more conversation with, say something like, “I would like to talk more with you, but I am sure you want to meet others. Would you be interested in meeting sometime for coffee so we can continue this discussion?” If they are interested, make sure you follow up! If the conversation isn’t worth pursuing further, just say, “I will let you go” or simply, “It’s been great meeting you”.

9. But before you move on… shake hands and be sure to ask for a business card. Don’t flaunt your card or hand it out unless it is asked for. No one likes the person who walks around an event handing out their cards and calling it “networking”!

10. Be confident; don’t apologize for taking time or asking for a contact – that’s why everyone is there!

11. Take note! Make notes on the back of business cards to remind yourself what you talked about and what follow up you need to do. You can do this when you are “moving on” or when you return to your car.

12. Follow up... make LinkedIn connections with your new contacts. Follow up with meetings or information. Look for information or articles to pass along to your new contacts in areas of interest that you discussed.

13. It gets easier every time. It’s ok if you feel nervous before you go in. Many people get uncomfortable in new situations. Take a few deep breaths, let the oxygen circulate, and feel confident because you know you are totally prepared!

Prepared by Karen Gutman
Employment Specialist at JVS Detroit
kgutman@jvsdet.org
248.233.4248
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karengutman
http://twitter.com/karenegutman

Karen is just one of the helpful professional staff at JVS Detroit.

Visit us at www.jvsdet.org, search our job bank at www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org, join our group NextJobs~JVS Detroit on LinkedIn.com and follow JVS Detroit on Twitter and be a fan of JVS Detroit on Facebook.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Is Your Job Search Out of Control? - Part 2 of 5

Yesterday I advised not looking for "anything" and having a focus in your job search.


But what if your focused job search is coming up empty, no leads, nobody hiring someone like you?

The hidden secret, known for the past several decades and probably for all time, the majority, as much as 80%, of all jobs NEVER GET ADVERTISED.


Most job openings are filled BEFORE they can ever go public.


And most employers would rather their job openings not go public because when jobs are advertised, made known to the public, then the mad rush, the spammers, the tsunami of job seekers all storm the gates.


Keep your focus, keep your eye on the prize and stop stampeding with the crowd.


Contact all those companies of interest even if they are not advertising any openings.

Use a letter of inquiry or introduction, ask for advice from key people, phone the switchboard and ask general questions like to whom should you speak to learn more about the company or how they go about hiring when they have the need, create marketing pieces and campaigns to promote your strengths, assests and value to the company.

But do not limit your job search only to those companies advertising openings.

If you need help in creating and putting into action your marketing and prospecting plan, get in touch with me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

Be sure to come back for Part 3.

And don't forget to check out what's happening at www.JVSDet.org.

Is Your Job Search Out of Control?!? - Part 1 of 5

Is your job search out of control?

How can that be when you are you looking for anything, just any job, to get back to work?

I just searched on Indeed for all, any, jobs in the metro Detroit area posted since yesterday and came up with 1,585! Now I have to narrow that list down somehow and review all that might be of interest. Being open to anything, it may be a challenge. BUT if I can get the list down to only 5% of the original total, I will have only 80 to look at.

Giving myself no more than three minutes per posting, I would need about four hours to look at only 5% of today's new postings. That's, on average, four hours EVERY day!

Just to look at the postings. And that does not even consider the time it would take for me to apply to the ones that look promising.

And forget about following up on any of those applications.

And no way will I have the time to go in person to any of them or to visit any other companies in the neighborhood. Or open up the phone book and call any of them.

After all, you are willing to take anything. How can it take so much time, so much effort, to find "anything?"

But what if you start my search with some job targets, some choice keywords that match my talents, my experience, my education/training, my strengths?

After all, are you really willing to take "anything?"

If you start out asking for anything, you set yourself up to get something you would never want or nothing at all.

But most important of all, no employer wants to hire anyone who is looking for anything.

With at least a general idea of what you want and what you know you are good at doing, you tell employers what they need to know to offer you the job.

Otherwise, you are nobody special who will take anything and just does not care.

Not someone to be hired.

But what if your search with all the right keywords, for your job match, your job fit, keeps coming up empty? What then?

Be sure to come back for Part 2.

In the meanwhile, you can keep on top of all the events, activities, resources and more at JVS by visiting our main website, http://www.jvsdet.org/, or search for jobs at http://www.parnossahworksdetroit.org/, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Walt

Monday, June 21, 2010

What's the use of resume keywords?

When jobs are posted, incoming resumes and applictions are screened to create a subset of applicants that are somewhat, in general, qualified.

The Good Enough category is necessary to get to the Choice Candidate category.

The overwhelming method of screening is based on determining a list of screener, or key, words. These keywords are used to filter IN resumes and applications that are to be moved along in the process, and screen OUT, eliminate, those that do not have at least a predetermined minimum of these words.

For example, someone with the job title of "secretary" on their resume, although they might be fully capable of performing, and experienced with, the duties of a receptionist, would be screened OUT and not included with the resumes moved along in the recruiting process. Without the keyword "receptionist" on their resume, they would be eliminated from consideration.

Your resume and application must have a majority, if not close to 100%, of those keywords to be included with those not eliminated during the initial screen.

I advised a job seeker about this and he took my advice word for word. He copied and pasted the actual job posting at the top of his resume under his contact information, titled the pasted ad "Summary of Skills" and emailed his resume as such to the company. He did not even delete the phrase "Equal Employment Opportunity Employer" from what he copied onto his resume.

He was called in for an interview within a couple days and offered the job!

Also, if you have an overwhelming number of other keywords not related to the position, you might also be excluded. Since the majority of your experience appears to be in something else or elsewhere, you will likely not fit the profile of a qualified candidate.

Whether or not the process is automated, computerized or manual, it is basically the same.

A job description is created formally or informally and a posting may come from that or be cobbled together on its own.

But, regardless of how this process goes, keywords are the filters, the criteria upon which the search for qualified candidates is based. Especially given the ginormous number of resumes and applications submitted nowadays.

First, foremost and exclusively, the lesson here is to use keywords in your resumes and applications that are not just synonymous but are exactly the same as the keywords in the job descriptions and postings to which you apply. And limit or exclude keywords that are not related to the positions for which you wish to be considered.

Unlike vampires, you must present a personal image which mirrors the image of the target job in order to survive the screen.

And if you think that this process of screening using keywords does not make sense for an employer considering huge numbers of applicants, consider this quote.

"If you think the products don't match what you want from a product, don't buy it." Donald Norman


If you want your resume pre-screened for keywords, please email BOTH your resume and the posting to which you are applying. My email address is wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

And be sure to check out our calendars of upcoming group meetings, seminars and events at http://www.jvsdet.org/ along with our job postings at http://www.parnossahworksdetroit.org/.

Remember, keywords are the key to get you past security and in the front door.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

You Can't Get a Job Because of Your Age

Do you think your age is an issue in your job search?

Are you not getting any responses to your applications, your resumes, your phone calls because of your age?

Is your age keeping you from the interview?

Are you being discriminated against because of your age?

If you believe your age is an issue, that your age is keeping you from being considered as a candidate, is keeping you from being seen as qualified, and is keeping you from being interviewed, first ask yourself why you believe this is true.

What evidence, what proof do you have to support your belief that the employer has an issue with your age?

How does the employer, the recipient of your application, your resume, your cover letter know how old you are?

Are you giving them information that tells your age? Do you have to provide that information? Is that information required by the application? If information is not required, why provide it?

Even if you are required to provide certain information that reveals your age, how do you know that your age is the reason why you did not get a response or an interview? Is it possible that there are other reasons you have not heard from them?

Was your application, your resume one of hundreds, thousands? Did it get buried in the pile, the folder, lost in the electronic black hole in cyberspace? Did you do anything else, anything special, anything different to get noticed? How do you know it was your age?

Did you have all the keywords they were searching for? Did you write your resume to penetrate the screen, to get through the filters, to give them exactly what they wanted to see? How do you know it was your age?

Did you take the opportunity to present your value proposition, to present how you have and will deliver the ultimate result, to present how you can meet and exceed their bottom line? How do you know it was your age?

Did you follow up, stay in touch, continue to express through any and every means of communication your interest, your enthusiasm, your desire to make it happen FOR THEM, for their success? Or did you pester them without mercy because YOU NEED a job? How do you know it was your age?

Before you believe that age discrimination is keeping you from the interview, ask yourself if you have done any and every thing that you could to get noticed. And are you getting noticed in the most positive and appealing way?

We will discuss any possible issue with age as it relates to the interview itself in my next blog.

Over 50? Having a difficult time finding a job?
"Get a Job" workshops for Job Seekers Over 50 are being offered April 27 through April 30 at the JVS Southfield office. For details and to register, go to the workshop calendar at www.jvsdet.org, the Seminars/Events tab at www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org, or follow me on LinkedIn and our LinkedIn group NextJobs~JVS Detroit. Oh, yeah, and don't forget to follow JVS Detroit on Twitter.

"The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes." Frank Lloyd Wright

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Goal Setting - GIVE what you WANT

On your journey to achieving your goals, this one shift in your mindset can radically change how the world around you responds to and receives you.

The process of goal setting can make you very myopic, very nearsighted, and "ME-focused."

If we really want to get what we want, we have to remember one of the oldest success principles. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Or as Zig Ziglar puts it, "You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."

What if that is true?

What if you knew for sure that everything you gave you would receive back tenfold?

How much would you give? What would you give? How fast would you give it?

What do you wnat? What attributes do you need to accomplish your goals?

Do you need more courage? Who can you encourage?

Do you need more strength? Who can you help strengthen?

Do you need more belief? Who can you believe in?

Do you need more confidence? Who can you instill confidence in?

Do you need more love? Who can you love?

This is how.

Give what you need and give what you want. What you give to others, you give to yourself. And the added bonus is somehow it multiplies itself back to you.

You need to decide what key attributes you need to accomplish your big, hairy and audacious goals, then figure out how you can go about giving that very thing away to others.

When you look at the world with an eye toward how you can give, instead of simply focusing on what you can get, the thing you desire will beat a path to your door.

Join others helping others finding jobs and new opportunities in the NextJobs~JVS Detroit group on LinkedIn.com.

And check out many more helpful resources at http://www.jvsdet.org/.

Email me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

Walt

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Are you job seeker paparazzi?

You keep applying for jobs. You keep chasing the employer, the job, the photo opportunity. You are ruthless in your pursuit.

You apply online. You apply through Indeed.com and Monster and CareerBuilder and Dice.com and the Michigan Talent Bank and company websites and your school/community college/college/university/alumni association and other associations and LinkedIn and Facebook and many, many more cyberspaces.

You show up everywhere...at job fairs, open houses, career fairs, pink slip parties, networking events and association meetings.

Resumes and application stuff jammed in your pockets, you seek out and pursue wherever and whenever employers appear in public. You push past the other job seeker paparazzi and the bodyguards to get to the employer celebrity.

You have sent out dozens, hundreds, even thousands of resumes and applied everywhere.

But then you wait. You wait for them to review your application, your resume, your cover letter, your portfolio, your references, your LinkedIn profile and all of your documentation, your stuff. And you wait for them to deem you worthy. You wait for them to decide if you are good enough.

Why would someone call you in for an interview? What makes you special or at least different from all the others clammering for the job?

Your resume, your application is identical to, or very much like, every other resume and application. Maybe the words are a little bit different, but all that documentation looks pretty much the same.

How can you separate yourself from the crowd? How can you stand out from everyone else? How can you get their attention, interest, appreciation and respect?

The answer is in what you do next, what you do AFTER you apply.

What are you doing AFTER you apply? Are you acting like the ideal candidate who is active, patiently persistent, taking initiative, creative, interested and enthusiastic?

Or are you passive, annoying, impatient, a problem not a solution, tedious and boring, angry and hostile, demanding and a time waster?

What are you doing AFTER you apply?

For help in learning and putting into practice ways to speed up your job search success, visit JVS at www.jvsdet.org, join our LinkedIn group NextJobs~JVS Detroit, follow JVS Detroit on Twitter and/or email me at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Ten Job Hunting Myths

THE MYTHS:

  1. Without an excellent resume and cover letter, you'll never beat the competition and get the interview.
  2. The best way to find a job is by using the Internet.
  3. Resumes are screened to find the best qualified candidates.
  4. If you are qualified and you apply, you deserve an interview. If you don't get the interview or even any response, you are not qualified for that job opening.
  5. If you ask everyone you know to help you find a job, someone will find one for you.
  6. It's not what you know, it's who you know.
  7. If you follow up with an employer more than three times, you are being a pest. And pests don't get jobs.
  8. If someone says "No" to you about a job, they mean "No."
  9. To win the interview, you have to sell yourself by telling them how wonderful you are.
  10. I can't find a job because of the economy. It stinks and the best jobs are going overseas.
LET'S GET REAL!
  1. Most interviews come from initial contacts without a resume or cover letter.
  2. The best way to find current leads is by using the Internet. The best way to find a job is by developing other leads.
  3. Resumes are screened to find keywords and potential problems.
  4. Being qualified is not enough. First you need to get noticed.
  5. If you ask and expect everyone you know to help you find a job, you'll lose a lot of friends.
  6. It's not who you know, but who knows and appreciates YOU.
  7. Following up the right way is persistence. Following up the wrong way is pestering. And most leads become interviews after a minimum of 7-10 follow ups.
  8. If someone says "No" to you after an interview, they very likely mean "Not now."
  9. To win the interview, you have to ask questions, listen to the answers and tell them what they want to hear. Most people can't sell. They talk too much about themselves and don't listen to their customers.
  10. There are always jobs for people who develop the right contacts, get involved in the business, and show employers how they can improve the bottom line.
Learn the right way and find the resources you need for your job search success at www.jvsdet.org and www.ParnossahWorksDetroit.org. Join us at NextJobs~JVS Detroit on www.LinkedIn.com.

You can reach me, Walt Tarrow, at wtarrow@jvsdet.org.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Posting Your Resume Online

Happy New Year!

I just learned of a website for posting your resume online.

And it turns out that Emurse.com has been on the Net for over three years! And that was even before Globalpitch.com came on the scene.

If you know of other websites where you can post your resume online, please share.

But with so many websites and so much information, how do you choose what's best for you?

You could spend every hour of every day searching for good info, good advice, and find endless amounts of helpful, useful stuff.

What should you consider when using a website, a service, a tool for posting your resume online?

The top consideration has to be if your resume is going to be found and read by the right people.

So, who are the right people? At the very least, the right people should be those who can influence, directly or indirectly, hiring decision makers. Or put you in touch with, connect you with, those with influence.

Or the right people could be the decision makers themselves.

Are they going to visit the depository where your resume is being stored?

I've been told by a number of those decision makers that they don't have the time or the inclination to search for resumes because they already have too many resumes coming after them. Resumes sent to them have overloaded their personal resume banks and folders.

So why bother posting your resume online?

Well, if it doesn't cost you anything, why not?

But, if it does cost you, then you might want to rethink that value proposition.

Posting your resume online on websites like Emurse.com or Globalpitch.com for free might be worth the investment of the time and effort it takes to construct your resume, but don't count on much of any response from the employers out there.

That's up to chance.

Good Luck!