Creating a Strategic Job Search: Rise to the top like C.R.E.A.M.

Are you ready to start job seeking? Before you start aimlessly applying for jobs, understand that in today’s competitive market developing a strategy for your job search is essential. Here’s a road map on how to create a strategy to get the job you want and becoming like the C.R.E.A.M. (Career Ready Exceptional Applicants of the Millennium) who rise to the top.

Know What You Have to Offer. In order to successfully sell a product, it’s important to know the features and benefits as it relates to the buyer. As a candidate for a position, begin with an entrepreneurial mindset. View yourself from the eyes of an employer and think about the skills, knowledge and experience that you possess that employers would find valuable. Develop an elevator pitch; that’s who you are and what you do in 3 sentences or less.

Optimize Your Resume and Social Media Presence. Your resume is like an ad for your services. Will it immediately attract the attention of a potential employer? Does is clearly state your qualifications, how you will meet employers’ needs and free from errors? It’s important to have a focused resume, otherwise employers will not be able to figure out how you may be a benefit to their company and pass. Make it easy for them.

And let’s not forget your social resume. LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are tools that companies use to market their presence online to help potential customers find them. You need to do the same to help employers find you. Don’t be incognito about it either (i.e. setting your profile to private or not including a legitimate professional profile picture); these are your media outlets. Sounds overwhelming? There are tools such as CareerCloud to help you manage it all. Be seen, be heard, and be discoverable!

Target Companies. Now that you know your product and created some great “ads” it’s time to search for your target market. Search for companies that are seeking your services and create a plan to connect with them directly (direct marketing). This may include searching through your connections on social media (prospecting) to find out who knows someone in your companies of interest (Jackalope Jobs makes that easy). Ask for an introduction or attend an event where employees of those companies will be present (this is when you use that elevator pitch). Follow your companies of interest on all their social media platforms. This may give you insight into their corporate culture or first dibs on an employment opportunity.

Be Interview Ready. After you've gotten the attention of potential employers be ready to close the sale. There’s nothing like getting a product that doesn't deliver on its promises.  It’s important to research the company in preparing for the interview, but if you have been connecting and following them on social media most of this work has been done. This will make it easier for you to readily match what you have to offer with their needs and share ideas on solutions you can provide.

Not having a proper plan and strategy in place is where many fail in the job search process. It’s like throwing darts without a target and hoping something will stick. Applying a strategy will take you from being a career ready applicant to a Career Ready Exceptional ACHIEVER of the Millennium. Know your value, know what you want and be intentional in getting it.

Moving You Forward,

Cathy Francois
Career Coach
Founder of Rezume Forward

P.S. The job search process can be complicated. Thankfully, you do not have to create a plan alone. Let’s team up to create a personalized plan to help you achieve career success today. Email me at cfrancois@rezumeforward.com

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Résumé Bloopers: Blunders to Avoid

In this digital age it easier to access information about job opportunities. However, easier access comes with fierce competition and employers inundated with more résumés than they have time to possibly read. This makes having a résumé free from “résumé red flags” imperative to job search success. Below are some common résumé blunders to avoid. 

“Funky” Email Address. If you have an email address like sugardaddyforyou@domain.com you’re asking to be judged unfairly without mercy. This may work well on your dating profile but you want to be taken seriously. Even an arbitrary set of numbers or letters don’t work well (it looks “spamish”), because you want recruiters to quickly identify your email address with your name. I recommend creating an email address that’s a variation of your name such as jane.doe@domain.com. If you have a common name it’s harder to create one if different variations have been taken.  I've found that sometimes people tack on their birth year to their email name. I recommend refraining from dating yourself by giving early clues to your age.

Repeating the same set of words. “Attention to Detail, Superb Writing Skills, Excellent Communication Skills, Attention to Detail” Really now? At least that’s what an employer may say and straight to the shredder the résumé goes.

Fluff with no Buff.  This is the equivalent of giving a meat eater a cucumber sandwich. They’ll scream, “Where is the meat!” Instead of simply stating you’re a “hard worker" let your accomplishments speak to that. Provide an example that exemplifies that you are just that. If you state “Exceeded goals by 125%” recruiters may say to themselves, “Now that’s a winner.”

Irrelevant Personal Interests. Employers know you have a life outside of work, but do they really want to know you "play part-time in a garage band" as a candidate for an accountant position. Please don’t do this.

Right Spelling, Wrong Word. “Objective:  Seeking a party-time position related to my bachelorette degree.” This is like an unedited video filled with bloopers and a prime example of how simply using spell check is not proofreading your résumé. Have another pair of eyes review your résumé before uploading to any job site or submitting to an employer.

I hope I've humored you, but the job search process is no joke, so avoid becoming the brunt of one. 

Moving You Forward,

Cathy Francois
Career Coach
Founder of Rezume Forward

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Workplace Romance: Business with Pleasure

In the spirit of the Valentine’s season, it’s fitting to bring up the topic of workplace romance. Given the amount of hours we spend with coworkers on a weekly basis, forming relationships that extend beyond the workplace is sometimes inevitable. Early in my career I've sworn that I would never date anyone in the workplace. But an interesting coincidence put me in a dilemma.

Some years ago I met a gentleman that I oddly had a lot in common with. We even had the same major in college and our initial conversation seemed like the makings of a great dating relationship. But apparently we were little too much alike, because I also found out that he would be starting a new job that very next day. And out of all places, it was the company that I was currently working for in the same department. So do I bring everything to a halt or proceed with caution? How is workplace romance viewed in today’s workforce anyway?

According to a WorkplaceOptions survey, how it may be viewed depends on your age. 84 percent of Millennial workers (ages 20-31) say they would have a romantic relationship with a co-worker, compared to just 36 percent of Generation X workers (ages 32-48) and 29 percent of Baby Boomers (age 49-68). Management columnist and author of In Office Hours, Lucy Kellaway says, “It’s one of the worst decisions you can possibly make. Office romances are… complicated and unprofessional.” Whether your point of view is new school or old school here are some things to consider:

What is your company policy? Some companies have rigid policies against workplace fraternization either with those you work with internally or externally. It’s important to know what those are ahead of time.

What is the corporate culture? Look around-- your workplace may not be the best place to hook up. Are there couples married as a result of meeting in the workplace or is there an unspoken rule that makes it taboo?

What are the long term affects? In the beginning the thought may seem rosy. But could a relationship bring on real or perceived favoritism which could create scorned co-workers or worst yet a lawsuit?

The dynamics of a romantic relationship in the workplace can prove to be complex and there are definitely many more questions to consider. Just remember in the workplace with the matters of the heart, be smart.

Moving You Forward,

Cathy Francois

Career Coach

Founder of Rezume Forward

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Getting Your Connections Up: Networking Simplified

The New York Times recently published an article¹ on how larger companies are increasingly using their own employees to find new hires through referrals. This trend makes good business sense as it saves time and money. And it left me to think that the life of a hermit crab is going to get really tough in today’s job market. According to the Department of Labor, the average unemployed worker today is jobless for 38 weeks. Besides being a call to get your emergency savings up, this is a call to get your connections up; meaningful ones.

However, the thought of building connections through “networking” may make some people cringe. Some people may view this as hobnobbing, schmoozing, or down and dirty brown-nosing. This is deeper than the superficial “friends” you have through social media. However, I’m not discrediting social media, just stating it is merely a link to a possible meaningful connection.  Here are some tips on building your connections up.

Start in your natural environment. Do your neighbors know who are and what you do? Have you taken time to get to know coworkers outside your department? Do you know other parents at your child’s school? If you answered no to all 3 questions you have some work to do. Start with a smile, a wave hello, say good morning, and take little opportunities to strike up a conversation without expecting anything in return. Connections are much easier to build when you’re not looking to receive, so build them before you need them.

Warm your cold connections. The next time someone accepts or sends you a connection request on social media send them a thank you message. Send birthday and congratulatory messages whenever possible. This gives an opportunity for people to remember who you are. You can also add an open-ended question to encourage a two-way conversation, such as “How do you like your new job?” These simple gestures take a little time, but may lead to a rewarding meaningful connection.

Be Likable. (Not a people pleaser or pushover) Making connections is pointless if you turn around and burn them. That’s called building walls. There must be a good reason why Dale Carnegie’s book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is still a popular book since published in 1936. This is long before Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. It’s about getting back to the basics and applying it in the new millennium.

Give. What do you have to offer? At career fairs people are always drawn to the booth that’s giving away the cool knick-knacks.  Give to open yourself to the opportunities to receive.

In this fast paced world, it may be challenging to find time to build relationships. For some it comes natural and it shows by their success and for others not so much. Thankfully this is a skill you can learn. Research and finds ways to build relationships and make connections in a way that comes natural to you. Remember, in today’s job market, keeping your connections up means keeping your money up.

Moving you Forward,

Cathy Francois

Career Coach
Founder of Rezume Forward

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¹http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/business/employers-increasingly-rely-on-internal-referrals-in-hiring.html?hp&_r=0

Are you LinkedIn yet? What you’ve been missing

If you’re like me, you’re never the first to jump on social media sites because you don’t want to be part of a fad and have another long lost profile. A year ago, I finally created my LinkedIn profile because I was relocating and looking for new opportunities.  And my only regret is that I did not create one sooner. So if you are thinking, “I’m not getting on the social media bandwagon” or “I’m not looking for a job, why do I need a profile?” I suggest you reconsider quickly. With over 200 million users strong LinkedIn is more like a freight train than a bandwagon and you better get on board. Whether you’re new or fell off the wagon now is a better time than any with LinkedIn’s new profile design.

One-Click Endorsements. You can now endorse people in your network and others can do the same for you in just one click. This can be done by adding your skill sets to your profile such as project management, sales, customer service and more.  The easiest way to get an endorsement is by endorsing others in your network, which in turn they will receive a notification of your endorsement and LinkedIn will suggest that they endorse you.

Establish and Maintain Your Professional Identity. Does your network really know what you do? Do you have valuable information to share? Have you recently completed any special projects or certifications? Keep your profile fresh by updating information as they occur, which will make updating your resume a breeze when the time comes. However, be careful not to overdo it or turn off your activity broadcast through your privacy settings if necessary. That way if you need to do an overhaul on updates, people don’t get a notification for every change you make to your profile.

Follow Global Luminaries. Now you can do more than follow industry information, groups and companies. In addition, you can gain professional wisdom by following any one of 150 influential global leaders, such as Tony Robbins, Richard Branson and a bunch of other people you may have never heard of, but may want to know based on your interests.

The new and improved LinkedIn profile is streamlined, visually appealing, and helps you connect or reconnect with others better than ever. But don’t take my word for it. Find out for yourself and discover opportunities that may await you this year.

Cathy Francois

Career Coach
Founder of Rezume Forward

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