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Job Searching in the 21st Century
Searching for a job isn’t as difficult as it used to be. With the Internet at your disposable 24X7, the searching process has become much easier. Now you can locate jobs that interested you and send your resume via Internet from the comforts of your living room.
Does Your Resume Tell Your Story?
I have reviewed more than 100,000 resumes during my 30 plus years in sales recruiting. There have been many books and online articles produced over the past 10 years about how to write the perfect resume and it still amazes me how many poor and ineffective resumes are being produced.
Apply only to the jobs you are qualified for
This seems like another no-brainer. However, since there are fewer jobs available, a sense of desperation may creep in and you might find yourself applying for jobs that are a real stretch. As a rule of thumb, if you cannot check off 75% of the requirements listed for the job (including all mandatory requirements), then you should probably pass on applying for that particular position- no matter how smart, enthusiastic or willing to learn you may be.
Keep your current job as long as you can
As outrageous as it may seem, I have spoken to people who have left their jobs to undertake a full-time job search. In this economy, this is a bad choice, even if you think your present company is contemplating layoffs, working you into the ground, or you are otherwise dissatisfied. To Type A hiring managers (who seem to multi-task even in their sleep), it is incomprehensible that someone would be unable to do their job and conduct a job search at the same time. Moreover, in this economic climate, it is seen as evidence of poor decision-making.

Career Advice

Wednesday, 25 November 2009 16:39

I have reviewed more than 100,000 resumes during my 30 plus years in sales recruiting. There have been many books and online articles produced over the past 10 years about how to write the perfect resume and it still amazes me how many poor and ineffective resumes are being produced.

Individuals in the Sales Profession need to present three very important elements to get noticed by employers: (1) who do you work for; (2) what do you sell;(3) how good are you? Many people just put name of company and expect someone to know who it is (that’s Ok if you work for Xerox or Proctor & Gamble) so placing a short thumbnail summary is very beneficial. (2) Tell them what you sell and who are your customers and contacts. (3) List your accomplishments over the past 2-3 years only. (nobody cares what you did 10 years ago)

We all know that your resume only gets a quick 7-8 second visual scan. So, if it isn’t easy to read and have the key ingredients above, more often than not, it’s going in the circular file.

To be successful and get selected for more phone followups and potential face to face interviews, remember to make sure your resume has the “who, what and how” factors.

Last Updated on Saturday, 05 December 2009 16:14