How to Make More Time for Your Job Search.

Do This when your Credibility is Challenged.

Your Competition is NOT the Enemy!

Just because you're in competition with someone for a job doesn't make them your ENEMY.

In fact, they're a potentially HUGE asset in the long-term.

This one's a must watch for the ambitious go-getters out there!

How Bright Is Your Beacon?

Imagine that you’re in the middle of the ocean at night. Surrounding you, just out of sight, are hundreds of ships loaded with treasure. Everything you want is aboard these ships: power, prestige, success beyond your wildest dreams.

How do you go about getting it?

Most people spend their time sailing to as many ships as possible. They busy themselves with logistics- having enough fuel for the journey, saying the right things to come aboard- and always wrestle with the doubts in their mind that whisper: what about the ships I haven’t sailed to yet? It’s an exhausting way to hunt for treasure, and requires an immense amount of effort to see any results.

Then there are those who don’t sail.

These people don’t spend their time fixing their boat and laboriously sailing out into the darkness.

Instead, they string up lights. And they connect it to a source of power, and they send out a beacon which draws ships in.

You need to think about your career in this way.

Recruiters are swamped with hundreds of emails per day, all of which represent people aboard their boats trying to gain access. The moment an employer posts a job on their website or LinkedIn, they can be assured of a veritable flood of applicants that run the gamut from “qualified” to “are you kidding me?”

Prospecting will always result in poor outcomes, and when you’re answering job postings and reaching out “cold” to people, that’s what you’re doing.

Positioning is all about being found. And when recruiters and hiring agents come to you, you don’t have to establish credibility and stand out. You’re already doing those things!

Here are some tips to light your beacon:

1) Create a Competitive LinkedIn Profile

The quickest way to gain traction on LinkedIn and start popping up on recruiter and hiring agent searches is to benchmark your competition, and adopt some of their strategies.

Let’s say you’re a General Merchandise Manager (GMM) at a luxury brand. Run a search on LinkedIn for GMMs at comparable companies, and closely study the profiles which turn up within the first 5-10 results. How do they describe themselves in the “Summary” section? Which keywords are in the “Skills” section? What LinkedIn Groups do they belong to? How do they engage with the community? Make a list of improvements, and then utilize these strategies for your own profile.

2) Turn Your Resume into a Networking Tool

Who says resumes need to be dull summarizations of your work history? Create a 1-Page “Networking” version designed to open conversations with people, and to further establish credibility when someone reaches out to you. Here are some details I use when developing these types of resumes for clients:

-Adding testimonials from peers, bosses, and colleagues. A great testimonial says more about you than pages of boasting. If you’re on LinkedIn, you may already have a few of these. If not, it’s well worth a polite ask to your network.

-Bulleted value-based highlights. Every detail within a Networking Resume should answer the same question: how did I add value to a particular situation? A good tip here is to describe the end result first (ex. Transformed IT from cost enter into a profit growth driver…) and then describe how you accomplished it.

3) Thought Leadership Through Writing

People get discouraged by the prospect of writing posts because they’re not starting out with a huge audience. Let’s face it, the first few (or few dozen) articles you publish online may not exactly be high traffic generators. But it’s important to remember that there’s a huge long-term upside to writing about your industry. These types of pieces establish your standing in the field, and help people to get a sense of your unique “voice”. Over time, it can lead to opportunities to publish in industry and mainstream publications. I’m still seeing clients come in from articles I’ve published back in 2009- there is no other form of marketing that has this kind of long-term traction!

-Start small but consistent. Schedule some time on a set day every week to write and publish at least 1 piece about your industry. You can expand your commitment as you start to see results.

This post originally appeared on WorkitDaily.com

5 Ways to Kill Your Chances with a Hiring Manager

I’m a big fan of the X-Men comic books, and have always loved the powers of Dr. Charles Xavier, who is telepathic. Who wouldn’t want the ability to instantly read a person’s mind and affect their behavior? This skill would come in extremely handy during interviews with hiring managers, many of whom seem to belong squarely to the school of “Say little and express even less.”

Here are 5 of the biggest hiring manager turn-offs to be on the lookout for:

1) Lack of Specificity in the Resume

A big mistake jobseekers make is submitting overly-general resumes. This makes sense in theory: after all, the more applications you can shoot off, the more interviews, right? But this can really turn off a hiring manager, who wants to know EXACTLY how your background will enable you to tackle the problems they need solved. Clichés just won’t cut it at this stage.

-Create a shortlist of 5-10 positions you’re an ideal fit for.

-Study the job postings for positions like this, as well as LinkedIn Profiles for people who currently have these jobs.

-Tailor your resume to quickly communicate fit for these roles.

-Here’s what separates the best from the rest: once you have a solid framework in place, include METRICS-BASED ACCOMPLISHMENTS for every major position you’ve held that PROVES your ability to execute. Here’s an example:

• Saved global Telecom company $500M over 2 years through development and deployment of end-to-end Complexity Reduction methodology resulting in purchasing and inventory efficiencies.

2) Too Aggressive about Career Advancement

Look, it’s great to be ambitious. And of course the job you’re after today is probably not the one you want to retire on. But you need to place your focus squarely on becoming the ideal candidate for THIS job before even talking about the next step. Neglect to do this, and a hiring manager will naturally start thinking that you might jump ship within a year, and they’ll be back to square one.

-Create a short “Value Presentation” for the interview which talks about how your 3-4 strongest skills can be applied immediately towards helping the company. Get creative here! For example, if you’re going after a product development position, why not run some quick usability tests on a company’s products, document it, and develop some design suggestions?

3) Too Open About Weaknesses

A hiring manager is not a career counselor. With the latter, it’s perfectly fine to be honest about vulnerabilities in your personality or “pet peeves” that drive you crazy in the work environment. But if you take the same approach with a hiring manager and confide things like you have trouble balancing family responsibilities with workplace demands, you’ll most likely get passed over. They’re not only looking to find the best candidate, but MANAGE RISK.

-Learn how to “spin” negatives into something that ultimately leads to success. For example, if you’re asked what your greatest weakness is, you can tell a story about how you once had chronic shyness and needed 30 minutes to “amp yourself” up for a simple phone call, and now, through courage and repeated exposure, can handle dozens of calls with high-level clients per day. Negative to a positive.

4) Not Following-Up

Following up matters! It shows that you’re truly invested in landing the position, and aren’t just treating it as one of many potential opportunities. I recommend sending a simple, printed note within 48 hours of an interview thanking them for the opportunity, followed by an email sent a few days later that essentially continues the conversation- adding greater detail to questions raised, sharing an industry article of interest, etc. You’re making it clear that the interview was the beginning of an ongoing relationship.

5) Lack of Enthusiasm

If a hiring manager has to choose between the most qualified candidate on paper, and a less qualified candidate who brings genuine passion to the table, they’ll go for the latter every time. You can teach someone almost anything EXCEPT enthusiasm. So if you have a personal connection with the company you’re interviewing for, and believe that this is a meaningful step in your life’s ambitions, or simply love the unique culture they’ve developed, take time in the interview to let them know! It also doesn’t hurt to explicitly state, “I’m very interested in this position, and would love to see a positive outcome” or similar. Excitement fuels job offers!

What's Your Why?

WHAT'S YOUR "WHY?" KEY CAREER QUESTIONS TO ASK:

CORE STRENGTH QUESTION:

Ask yourself: "AM I PRIMARILY..."

a) THE TALENT

b) MANAGER/LEADER

c) ENTREPRENEUR

Your answer is your CORE STRENGTH.

Now, what would be a path that would allow you to start dipping into one or both of the other areas? This should inform your career direction.

ROOT MOTIVATION QUESTIONS

1. Think of a time when you were performing at your best. What were you doing? What were you saying, thinking and feeling? What was going on around you?
2. List the top ten things in life that give you joy. What common themes do you notice?
3. What are three accomplishments you are most proud of? What are your natural strengths that you love to use?
4. Think about times that you have gotten angry/upset/irritated. What core personal value(s) were not being met?
5. Who is the one person you admire the most? What would that person advise you to do?
6. What do you dislike the most about your current or past work?
7. What would happen in your career if we doubled your self-belief? What if we quadrupled it?

DAILY LIFE CHECK-IN QUESTIONS:

1. What am I consuming? Reading, listening, watching. How much of it is actively helping me GROW?
2. Who do I spend time with? Assess the 5 people you interact with most frequently professionally. Are they people to aspire to, or people who are holding you back?
3. Who are my role models? Am I directly interacting with them, following them on social media, taking their courses? How am I "drifting" behind those who have already succeeded at what I wish to do?

CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN QUESTIONS:

1. What do you want to achieve with your career?
2. How much time are you prepared to spend on your career?
3.  What skills do you need to develop?
4. What resources will you need?
5. Where can you get support or advice?
6. What type of person do you need to be?
7. What is your motivation?

3 Things You Need to Know About the Job Search

#1

The BEST way to answer the question, "Why are you job hunting?" is with a variation of the following strategy:

Great Experience at my Current Employer

BUT

I've Hit a Wall in Terms of Growth and Development

AND NOW

I want to take my Development and Career to the Next Level (and you guys are the best way to achieve this)

#2

A great way to set up interviews when you're in a FT job is to simply be OPEN AND UPFRONT with recruiters and hiring managers instead of pretending you're completely available and then scrambling frantically when one is set up for you!

Tell them that you'll need a little flexibility to work around your current work schedule, and (if they're reputable) they'll be happy to adjust. People often interview after 5 pm.

#3

Many companies push new hires to sign a Non-Compete Agreement (NCA). It's a major hassle in terms of your not being able to work in your field and earn income within your targeted industry in the event that things don't work out.

So if signing a NCA costs you money and provides a major benefit to the company, it's only fair that it cost the company something too, right? Negotiate for a GUARANTEED SEVERANCE PACKAGE for the term of the NCA to tide you over during a transition. Make them seriously consider the merits of having you sign one.

3 Secrets Hiring Managers DON'T Want You To Know

Anish shares 3 secrets hiring managers would prefer you didn't know as a jobseeker.

Help, The Job Search Has Me Feeling Stressed!

Job search got you down? Use these tips to beat the blues and get back on track!

10 Toxic Interview Questions to Avoid at All Costs!

We all have pet peeves, little things that get under our skin and make it harder to move forward. For hiring managers, these 10 questions are considered major turn-offs. With a little prep on your part beforehand, you can avoid these "interview killers" and stay on-track to landing that new job:

1) Don't ask for information you could have easily found with a quick online (Google, Linkedin, Company Website) search. The stronger your knowledge, the clearer the signal it sends that you want a position with THIS company.

2) Don't ask if you can change the job details, the schedule, or the salary. You need to prove 100% fit with the role first, negotiate salary only once an offer's on the table, and work out scheduling specifics once you actually have the job! Don't get the order confused.

3) Don't ask too many questions about the interviewer’s background. Some initial questions about the work they do and their experience at the company is fine, then move on.

4) Don't ask about pay, time off, benefits, etc. during the initial interview. This can make you come across as a "WIIFM" ("What's in it for me?") candidate.

5) Don't ask “What does your company do?” YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW THIS!

6) Don't ask “If I’m hired, when can I start applying for other positions in the company?”

7) Don't ask how quickly you can be promoted. Again, this is putting the cart before the horse. Succeed at the job first before entertaining thoughts of promotion.

8) Don't ask “Do you do background checks?” Assume they will.

9) Don't ask about gossip you’ve heard or come across online.

10) Don't ask if the company monitors e-mail or Internet usage.

1 Easy LinkedIn Profile Tweak for WAY More Recruiter Results!

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If you're in ACTIVE JOB SEARCH MODE, then you MUST activate LinkedIn's "Share Career Interests with Recruiters" feature.

Simply put, it will IMMEDIATELY put you on the radar of major industry recruiters, offer a glimpse of what types of roles you're pursuing (and what skills you're bringing to the table), and do it all without blasting out notifications to your existing network. Oh, and did I mention it's FREE?

Here's how:

Step 1: Sign into LinkedIn and click on the “Jobs” tab

step-1-screenshot

Step 2: Now Click on the “Preferences” tab

step-2-screenshot

Step 3: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you’ll see a “Share career interests with recruiters?” option

step-3-screenshot

Step 4: Fill out the questions, then click on the “Share your job preferences” option at the bottom.

step-4-screenshot

Boom! You’ve just sent out a powerful “blast” to recruiters about your job interests, and increased your visibility with them for the next 90 days.

Pros and Cons of Working with an EXTERNAL RECRUITER

In last week's post, I gave you a rundown of the pros and cons of working with an internal recruiter. This week we'll be talking about EXTERNAL RECRUITERS, and what they can offer you.

First, here's how an external recruiter operates:

- External recruiters are usually paid a percentage of the employees’ annual salary as a “finder’s fee” for bringing a hired candidate to an employer. Employers will often engage more than 1 recruiting firm to source qualified candidates from, so competition can be fierce.

-External recruiters will almost always handle the initial phone or face-to-face interview, and then it's usually turned over to internal staff at the company. On rare occasions, they'll manage the entire hiring process from start-to-finish.

Now let's go over Pros and Cons:

PROS

-They have an outsider’s perspective, and can usually provide a "clear-eyed" view of what's really going on at the company.

-They can offer crucial guidance on navigating personalities and company hiring issues to give you an edge over the competition.

-Your success means more money for them- that's a POWERFUL motivator! Internal recruiters just don't have the same level of incentive to get you hired.

CONS

-The same outsider mentality which can be a plus with a great external recruiter can also be a NEGATIVE with someone who's not on top of the ball. Lack of knowledge about the company and key decision-makers can make it very difficult for you to get traction during the hiring process. This is why it's crucial to listen and observe carefully during initial contact with an external recruiter- are they interested in YOU specifically, or is this one of dozens of calls they have on the books?

-To maximize their odds of placing a candidate, external recruiters will usually put forth multiple people for a job. As such, they may not promote you as aggressively.

-Some external recruiters may submit your resume for other open positions without your knowledge (or permission). This can cause unexpected problems. For example, if you've previously applied for a position independently, and then an external recruiter ALSO submits your candidacy for the same position, an employer may choose to skip you over entirely rather than deal with the headache of figuring out whether a commission is due to the recruiter on hiring. This is why SETTING CLEAR EXPECTATIONS are a must when working with an external recruiter.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

-Ultimately, an external recruiter has the exact same goal as you: getting you placed quickly, and for MAXIMUM compensation.

-Be honest with them about potential vulnerabilities- they can play a big role in mitigating the fallout and strengthening the overall impact of your presentation.

ONE MORE THING:

A relationship with an external recruiter can pay off for years to come. If they succeed in landing you a job, be sure to send a handwritten thank you note. Connect with them on LinkedIn. Periodically touch base during holidays and during milestone moments in your career. And the best value-add of all? Refer colleagues to them!

"What's Your Greatest Strength?"

Here's a great way to answer a tricky interview question!

Pros and Cons of Working with an INTERNAL RECRUITER

In my work with jobseekers, I often encounter a lack of basic understanding about recruiters. This can really hurt you when pursuing new career opportunities.

Here's some information to quickly get you up-to-speed:

* Internal recruiters, also known as “corporate” recruiters, work within an organization. They usually get paid by the employer who has the available job.

* External recruiters, also known as “independent” recruiters, do not receive a paycheck from the employer who has the open job. They work for someone else, either a recruiting firm or agency, or simply for themselves.

Let's go over the advantages (and possible disadvantages) of working with an INTERNAL RECRUITER:

PROS

-Insider perspective. They know how a company REALLY works and usually have deep relationships within the organization (including hiring managers).

-Getting introduced to the hiring manager by an internal recruiter is usually a signal that they're SERIOUSLY INTERESTED In you for the job.

-They can get you on the "inside track" if convinced you're the best person for the position.

-Sometimes they will even coach you in navigating the various personality types and hiring procedures within the company.

CONS

-Their allegiance is ultimately to the employer, and that can cause problems if you get caught in a clash between 2 key decision-makers, etc.

-You always need to watch yourself with an internal recruiter (because they're always watching you). You can't confide vulnerabilities and offer "straight talk" on concerns as you might do with an external recruiter.

-They will not hesitate to block you as a candidate if you try to go around them to the hiring manager.

KEY TAKEAWAY: You must ALWAYS present your strongest, most polished self when dealing with internal recruiters. They're not "on your side" during the hiring process. Don't ask for special favors, and don't assume they have control over interview scheduling, salaries, etc.

I'll give you the low-down on EXTERNAL RECRUITERS next week!

Ready to take your career to the next level?

How to Create a Job Search CHEAT SHEET!

Anish shares a step-by-step strategy for creating a Job Search CHEAT SHEET that will generate more interviews and shave months off of your search!

Ask Yourself These 3 Questions Before Accepting an Offer

What's the difference between a candidate who has a clear and powerful career "journey," one marked by upward steps at each turn, and one whose background looks like it's all over the map?

One difference is that candidate #1 is probably earning WAY more than candidate #2!

Another difference is that candidate #1, when presented with an offer, acts in accordance with LONG-TERM, not short-term goals.

Here are 3 important questions to ask yourself before accepting a new role:

1. How will my job title look to an outsider?

Can you easily explain that there are no Director titles even though you had Director-level responsibilities?

2. How will my department name look to an outsider?

If you want to get into Public Relations, but this job places you in the Internal Communications department, you might be creating a future issue.

3. What's the job I want in 5 years?

In a small business, you get to wear many hats. But if your dream is to make a big impact at a large firm, how will you position yourself for more specialized roles? Or vice versa; you start in a large company, but are passionate about faster career growth in a start-up. How would you build skills and transferability for the future position?

3 Summer Job Search Tips

#1

HR and Hiring Managers are usually WAY more open to cold reach-outs and informational interviews during this period.

Create a list of 10-15 dream companies, start putting in calls, and get your face out there!

#2

2 quick ideas for summer networking (because those who build their network during the Summer months reap rewards come fall):

-Large cities host informal, outdoor "happy hours." Attend one to quickly meet new people across many different industries.

-What's your university alumni group up to? Meet up to trade notes and scope out potential opportunities.

#3

Longer wait times to hear back during Summer isn't a sign that you're doing anything wrong.

Think in terms of "hurry up and wait": periods of rapid activity followed by gaps as staff go on/come back from vacation, etc.

How Can I Communicate More Effectively During Interviews?

In this episode, Anish shares some quick tips on improving communication effectiveness during interviews. Small changes can make a BIG difference!