The Job Hunt

I was brainstorming for an upcoming interview and thought of a great question to ask. As a salesperson, I thought the question showcases my consultative approach. Unfortunately, you can’t ask the question. Every job seeker wants to know the answer to the question:

Who is my competition? 

Obviously, you’re not looking for a name, but wouldn’t you like to know the skill-set and experience of the competition? You’d know how to position yourself for getting the job.

Due to privacy issues and other reasons, you aren’t able to know your competition. Without this information, how do you win the battle for the job?

1. DO YOUR BEST - The key is to put forth your very best effort. Invest time preparing for each opportunity. From writing your tailored cover letter and resume, to sending a thank you note to every interviewer, do the very best job you can. 
2. KNOW YOUR COMPETITORS ARE TOUGH TO BEAT. Imagine the competition as the defending champion. The other candidates are experienced and skilled just like you. Try to think they’re fierce competitors as well. Tough to beat.
3. You have a short time to convince the interviewer that you’re the right candidate for the job. STUDY THE JOB DESCRIPTION to help you make sure you can backup every listed responsibility. Prepare and practice. 
4.  If you can, try ways to uncover hidden needs that weren’t included in the job description. ASK GOOD QUESTIONS. It’s possible to find more reasons that you’re the best candidate. 

Since your competition is a secret, to beat them you must be the best candidate. The entire job search is a fierce competition, but you don’t know who your up against. The only choice you have is to work hard at putting forth your very best effort.

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Good luck to us all!​

Whenever I scan my LinkedIn list of “People You Might Know,” I notice some profile photos that need updating. Updating your photo isn’t a difficult task, but when you’re looking for a job it’s easy to get caught up in your search and leave an old photo, not realizing your mistake. 

A decent profile picture gives you a better chance of getting an interview. Don’t overlook this important detail. It’s part of the job search that doesn’t take much time, but can be highly effective.

The best advice for a perfect LinkedIn profile picture is simple: Ask for opinions. Before posting your photo, pick out two or three pictures and ask for feedback from friends and family. This is simple to do via email and you can ask as many people as you think necessary to make your choice.

Whatever you do, don’t skip adding your picture in your LinkedIn profile. I’m sure there are good reasons people have for not posting, but if you’re a job seeker, I think it’s a requirement. There are many applicants for each job posting. Why not promote yourself?

Of course, before you can ask for opinions, you need to take the picture.

Here are some helpful tips to taking your profile picture:

1.  Look at other profile pictures and pick out a few that you like and try to recreate the look. Maybe it’s the pose or background that you like.
2. Ask a friend for a quick ten minute photo shoot specifically for your LinkedIn profile. I suggest taking at least a dozen shots.
3. Think of this as a yearbook picture for your career, so dress as if you were going on an interview. You want a current, professional-looking portrait. 
4. The picture should be of JUST YOU. I’m sure your children and pets are adorable, but use photos with loved ones for Facebook, not LinkedIn. Don’t use a logo, either. 
5. Smile. 

This entire process took me less than a half hour. If your photo is more than six months old, take the time and make the update.

If you have any profile picture suggestions or tips, please share.

Good luck to us all!

Job searching isn’t easy. The entire process takes time, effort and devotion. It’s all worth the work and is incredibly rewarding when you land your ideal job. The satisfaction of knowing you have a new, specific purpose each day.

To help your search effort, I made a list of my “Top Ten Job Search Tips.” Out of the many expert advice I’ve tried, these were the most important and effective (so far and not in any specific order):

1. Ask for help. People want to help you. Don’t forget to help others along the way.
2. Contact and stay in touch with your network of friends, family and former colleagues throughout your search.
3. Practice and prepare for each interview.
4. Rejection part of process, but learn from every experience by analyzing your performance and improving. 
5. Volunteering is an excellent way to connect with someone new and feels great.
6. Utilize social media by creating professional profiles, interacting in groups and uncovering information for your search.
7. Take care of you. This is a stressful time. Make sure you are getting proper sleep, eating well and exercising.
8. Keywords in your resume and on your LinkedIn profile are important.
9. Send thank you notes to anyone who took time to help you.
10. Carry your business cards with you at all times.

Although writing a blog isn’t in my top ten list, I enjoy sharing what I’m learning. I hope to help at least one person endure the process. If you have any tips that have worked for you, please share.

Good luck to us all!

If you are job hunting effectively, you should have more than one potential job in your pipeline. Each interested company has put me through several interviews, so don’t be surprised if there are times when you have multiple interviews scheduled on the same day. I’ve had three in one day and these tips helped me manage:

1. Most importantly, instead of feeling anxious or overwhelmed, feel honored and thankful. Think of those days that lacked activity despite your efforts.
2. Schedule smart. Don’t take any chances with time. You must arrive at least ten minutes prior to your interview. Consider traffic and weather for your commute calculations. Allow an extra half hour for each interview. Even though an interview is scheduled for an hour, I’ve had them last longer. 
3. Make sure you allow time to prepare - all my interviewers gave me ample time. You won’t get the job if you aren’t ready.
4. Utilize any “in-between” time. I stopped at a local library, turned on my laptop and applied for a job because I found I had arrived much too early. 

Good luck to us all!

You may not know it, but if you read your resume, cover letters and LinkedIn profile, you’ll find your value proposition to potential employers. Whether or not it’s obvious depends on how well your pieces are written. Instead of a sales pitch, create a clear and powerful value proposition.

The most effective way to grab the hiring manager’s attention is to tailor your cover letter and resume unique for each position. I know it’s time consuming, but it’s worth the effort and isn’t as daunting as it sounds.

Basically, if you’re a good match for the job, you’ll read the job description and tick off each responsibility, skill and requirement with your own. Once you do that, formulating a value proposition for you to the company isn’t difficult.

What is a value proposition? From Wikipedia: “A value proposition is a promise of value to be delivered and a belief from the customer that value will be experienced.”

Here’s a infographic from pageline.com:

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VALUE PROPOSITION HELP:

Now, apply this to YOU and what you offer to the company. A clear understanding of what you offer the company will help convey to the company why you are the one for the job.

Good luck to us all! 

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