3 Ways to Think Like a Recruiter | Career Rocketeer - Career Search and Personal Branding Blog

People often ask me why job seekers hire professional help with writing his or her resume. The great part about resume writing is that I often work with educated professionals who have years of great experience. Unfortunately, they just don’t know how to get their resumes in front of people with the power to give them a job. Generally, they’re too busy being a great nurse, project manager, executive, or whatever else to understand one important thing: how recruiters think. So here are three keys to understanding how recruiters think and some great strategies to get their attention.

Recruiters have very little time and lots to do.

While recruiters and hiring managers have many different philosophies and approaches, one thing is certain: they all review scores of resumes. Rejection letters can often inform candidates that hundreds of people have applied for the same position. Faced with competition of that magnitude, it’s easy to see why your resume has to be outstanding in order for you to get any attention from an employer. Most people reviewing your resume simply don’t have more than a minute or two to look it over.

Know your target audiences – yes there is more than one.

Given the volume of resumes employers receive for each position, lower-level hiring staff are frequently used to “shortlist” candidates for each opening. This means that a less experienced HR professional is reviewing dozens of resumes in order to weed out 6-10 strong candidates. With this in mind, it’s important to write your resume in simple terms that someone who doesn’t have your background can grasp. As you develop the highlights from each of your previous positions, ask yourself if a stranger at a cocktail party would understand what you’ve just written. Make sure you include appropriate keywords so lower level staff can easily identify your skills but use accomplishment-based statements and numbers to catch the higher level decisions makers.

Relevant experience is what brings home the bacon.

Let’s imagine for a moment that you’re looking for a pet sitter while your family is away for a week’s vacation. In looking for a pet sitter, you would generally want to know about the person’s experience with pets, whether her availability met your needs, and whether your pet liked her during an in-person introduction. The pet sitter candidate would be wasting your time if she told you all about her experience roofing houses or preparing people’s income taxes. It’s fabulous that she has those abilities, but all you need to know is whether she can walk and feed your dog.

The same principle is true for resumes. Because the average worker holds more than 10 jobs during his or her career, chances are good that some of your accomplishments may not be relevant to the job you’re currently trying to get. Use your resume space for the experiences that matter, and don’t overwhelm reviewers with information that they don’t need.

For a free resume analysis submit your resume via e-mail to info@greatresumesfast.com. Or view professionally-written resume samples at http://www.greatresumesfast.com.

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Author:

Jessica Holbrook Hernandez is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, speaker and President/CEO of Great Resumes Fast. She creates high-impact, best-in-class, resumes and cover letters that win interviews. For a free resume analysis visit http://www.greatresumesfast.com/ or for a free phone consultation call 1.800.991.5187.

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How to Handle Sticky Interview Situations - Careers Articles

Anthony Balderrama, CareerBuilder.com writer

Think back to the 2007 Miss Teen USA pageant when Caitlin Upton, representing South Carolina, was asked why so many Americans were unable to locate the United States on a map. Her response was muddled, to put it kindly. Her incoherent response not only left the judges scratching their heads but also proved that answering a question on the spot can cause anyone to stumble.

Although that video clip went viral and millions of viewers have fun laughing at Upton's botched answer, you can probably assume everyone identified with her to a degree. Who hasn't been called on in class or been asked a question in a meeting and just blathered on like a toddler?

Imagine feeling this helpless during a job interview. You're already tense enough during a job interview without worrying that you won't even be able to piece together a proper sentence. Yet, many job seekers have found themselves caught in a situation where the right answer just isn't coming to them. Even if they're not tongue tied, they don't know how to answer an interviewers peculiar or possibly illegal question.

Caught off guard anyone can freeze during a job interview. How should you avoid being the next Miss South Carolina in your job hunt?

1. Be creative and still professional

Sometimes hiring managers ask questions they know will catch you off guard. The purpose of the question isn't so much about what you answer as it is how you handle the pressure. For example, if you're asked how many gallons of paint are necessary for you to paint the moon, don't worry about getting the math right. The hiring manager probably doesn't know the answer either. Fun or quirky questions are supposed to knock you out of your comfort zone so that the employer can observe you.

Career expert and author J.P. Hansen stresses individuality balanced with professionalism.

"When asked a fun question, such as 'What color would you be?' your answer should be fun, creative, entertaining and showcase your personality," Hansen says. "With that in mind, never forget to remain professional and polished. Just because you are in a fun moment in an interview, does not mean this is your time to become best friends with the interviewer or slack in professionalism. Remember, you are still in an interview."

2. Don't panic

When you're in an interview, dozens of thoughts run through your mind. You say to yourself: "Maintain good posture and make eye contact;" "Don't say 'uhm' too much;" "Don't yawn;" "Speak slowly;" "How did the handshake go -- too forceful or too weak?" You're so busy analyzing the situation and trying to appear calm that you don't pay enough attention to the question at hand. Suddenly the hiring manager is waiting for you to talk and you're not sure what to say to a question you know you could answer any other day of the week.

"It's common to blank out during an interview but fatal to answer, 'I don't know,'" Hansen explains. "If you draw a blank or don't understand the question, simply ask a qualifier. For example, 'I'm not sure I understand the question.' It buys you time and puts the ball back in the interviewer's court."

Even if the interviewer doesn't clarify the question as much as you'd like, you still get a few extra moments to piece together a coherent response. And remember, coherence means a lot in an interview.

"[The] interviewer's pet peeve?" Hansen asks. "A rambling response that doesn't answer the question."

3. Decide how personal you're willing to go

Sometimes hiring managers cross a line with their questions and you're not sure how to respond. Although on occasion you'll run into an unpleasant employer for whom you'd never want to work, most interviewers are good people trying to find good workers. And like any human they make mistakes, such as asking questions that are illegal or at the very least make you uncomfortable. Granted, if this person is being paid to interview people, he or she should know better, but everyone make mistakes. Also, their mistake doesn't mean you should feel forced to answer any question they ask if you're not comfortable. Hansen recommends jobs seekers find their own limits if, for example, the interviewer asks about your health.<

"If you want the job, answer in an upbeat, confident manner. Try, 'I exercise, eat right, and according to the results of my last check-up, my health is excellent,'" he suggests. "You always have a choice not to answer a question, but know that you'll likely disqualify your candidacy. The best advice: Answer all questions, get the offer and then decide."

When confronted with one of these questions, step back and think about what it means to you. Is the interviewer prying into your life or trying to get at a deeper issue, or did the question come out wrong even though no ill intent is obviously meant? Trust your instincts and keep the answers in your comfort zone. As with any sticky interview situation, you want to remain calm and in control at all times.

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Starting Salaries Start to Slip - Careers Articles

By Geoff Roth

If you're a recent college graduate and have been fortunate enough to land a job, that is good news. But, there is a bit of a black cloud around that silver lining.

According to a new survey, the average starting salary for new college grads slipped this year, down 1.3 percent from last year.

The survey, done by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, shows that the average starting salary across all disciplines was at $48,661, down from an average of $49,307 last year.

But, as is the case with hiring trends, all degrees and disciplines are not equal. Students with degrees in information sciences saw a hefty increase from last year, up 5.7 percent, at an average starting salary of $55,084. And, it may not come as a surprise that those with liberal arts degrees saw the biggest slide from last year, down 3.9 percent to $34,747.

According to the survey, the highest starting salaries are still going to students with computer engineering degrees, at an average of $59,917. But, that average was down 2.9 percent from last year.

Another organization that monitors starting salaries, Payscale, doesn't look at the ups and downs of salary levels, but does keep track of averages. According to their latest report, students with chemical engineering degrees are bringing in the highest average starting salary, at $65,700.

While average salaries are down in the United States recent grads in China are starting to feel the effects of a growing economy. According to a recent survey by one of China's largest human resource companies, the average salary for college graduates in China rose 10 percent this year. But, to put things in perspective, that average salary is the equivalent of around $4,800 a year.

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Real-World Job Search Tips - Careers Articles

By Jeff Lipschultz

There's no end the amount of advice available to job seekers. Some of it may seem too generic or theoretical. Forbes.com recently published a job-seeking article based on interviews of several people who shared how they found jobs in the last few months. I believe all the advice is valid -- but thought I'd expand on their thoughts and give you more ideas to consider.

1. Reach out to companies you admire.

2. Focus on quality, not quantity -- targeted letters/resumes, not e-mail blasts.

• By targeting your search, you can increase your odds of being considered for an interview. Many folks send out hundreds of resumes hoping to win a "numbers game." For very generic positions, this may work. But for jobs requiring specific expertise, you need to target your resume to the job. Highlight the experiences that you need the resume reviewer to read; don't bury them in a lot of generic information typically used for resume blasts to a large audience.
• By finding specific companies, you can mention in your introductory or cover letter why you are applying to their specific company. Managers like applicants who have a strong desire to work for them, not just land any job. Do your homework to learn about possible companies that match your interests. Resources like Hoovers or your local library's company databases can prove invaluable.

3. Use a blog to show off your expertise.

4. Tap online job sites

• Look beyond the mega-sites

5. Clean up your online profile

• Make sure you are self-Googling periodically
• Social media and job boards have grown multi-fold in the last few years. Although company and mega-job boards, like CareerBuilder, are great resources, also realize that jobs are posted in other unique ways. Twitter boasts TweetmyJobs. LinkedIn has groups for many areas of expertise, which often include a job posting section. People are even starting to leverage Foursquare to post jobs. Even Facebook has online communities that can share job leads. Some companies even off an option to be texted on your phone when a job is posted matching your interests. There are also job boards for many of the specific occupations -- use Google to find them.
• Good recruiters are posting jobs all across the Web. They are also conducting online searches that may find you if you are posting to a blog (yours or guest posting to others). With this in mind, you do need to make sure they don't find negative information about you. It may never come up in conversation (so you'll not know they found it), but it could knock you out of consideration. This includes negative comments on other people's blogs.

6. Use a headhunter.

7. Use your network to make you look good

• Mutual friends can sing your praises.
• This is common advice all tied to leveraging a network. Consider how important it is to leverage your closest contacts. Many job seekers are afraid to talk about their unemployment; but remember, friends and colleagues who CAN help you, WILL help you. They may assume you've got your situation well under control, and won't reach out on your behalf unless you ask.
• Recruiters are paid by clients, not job seekers. Find recruiters who have similar job postings to the type of job you seek. The best way to get their attention is to e-mail them with the job title/number in the subject heading of your email. If there isn't a job posted you qualify for, you can state that you understand they haven't posted a job that you're a match for, but wanted to touch base for future opportunities. Of course, the best way to contact a recruiter is through your network, leveraging a common friend. Recruiters are more likely to help friends of friends.

8. Pound the pavement

• Drop off your resume at offices and assess companies.

9. Be persistent

• Call/email employers at least twice a week.

10. Stay organized.

• Keep track of everyone you talk to and follow up.
• You won't land a job by just e-mailing dozens resumes. You need to have a multi-faceted approach. I have told teachers, like the one mentioned in the article, to stop by schools and drop off your resume. If you leave a friendly impression, they may call you back. In some cases, they may interview you on the spot. Not often, but it does happen -- be ready for this.

It's important to know who you've talked to you and when. Especially when working with recruiters and HR folks. When they call you back, you want to have your list handy so you know exactly what they are calling in reference to. Remember, you need to make the impression that you are very interested in their specific opportunity (even if you're interested in 20 specific opportunities).

In addition to being persistent, you need to be patient. I know financially speaking, this can be very trying. But you need to plan for your job hunt to be long term (plan your spending accordingly); keep plugging away and the right job will come along. It did for all the folks mentioned in the article, and it will for you.

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Career Advice by Career Experts J.T. O’Donnell & Dale Dauten : CAREEREALISM

‘JT & Dale Talk Jobs’ is the largest nationally syndicated career advice column in the country and can be found at JTandDale.com.

Dear J.T. & Dale: Six months ago I was hired as the receptionist for a small manufacturing company run by the owner and his two sons. Even though each of the sons has his own assistant, over time I have accrued many additional duties outside being receptionist. As a result, I must leave my desk periodically. The owner has started calling me out for not answering the phone. I rarely take lunch, work late every night, and I’m so stressed out that I cry every day. Please tell me what to do. — Danya

J.T.: Telling your boss about the problem is not enough — SHOW him. Starting Monday, track how you spend each day, and after a week or two, you’ll have quantifiable evidence to support how much work you are doing above and beyond the job you were hired for. Next, schedule a meeting to show him the information, and nicely say: “Since I’m new here, I feel like I may not be prioritizing my time the way you want me to. Could we look at this together?”

Dale: It’s worth a shot, I suppose, Danya. However, if your boss were a helpful, understanding sort, he already would have spotted the problem and addressed it. So, before your meeting, I’d suggest an additional step: Seek out your predecessor and ask her how she handled the job. Further, go to the two assistants for advice — you need allies. Do those things before meeting with the boss, and you’ll know where you stand … and I’m guessing you’ll soon be standing in line at Kinko’s to print out resumes, getting ready to move on. Most bosses don’t adapt to their employees.

J.T.: I’m not so pessimistic. Added responsibilities are a sign that you are respected. I’m guessing the boss will help you reorganize your job, and if he seems receptive, that might even give you an opening to discuss pay, saying something like, “Can you tell me the next steps so that I can eventually earn a promotion and pay increase for all this additional work?” His response will give you a glimpse of the future and your prospects. Remember, you control how people treat you, and you can teach them to create a better job situation.

Dale: I hope it works, but my prediction is that you’ll end up with this important career revelation: It’s better to change bosses than to try to change the boss.

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Jeanine “J.T.” Tanner O’Donnell is a professional development specialist and the founder of the consulting firm, jtodonnell.com, and of the blog, CAREEREALISM.com. Dale Dauten resolves employment and other business disputes as a mediator with AgreementHouse.com.

Please visit them at jtanddale.com, where you can send questions via e-mail, or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10019.

© 2010 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

The photo for this article is provided by Shutterstock.

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Job Search Encounters of the Fourth Kind | CareerAlley

“Mission control, we have a UFO pacing our position, request instructions.” – Astronaut Cady Coleman
NASA Transmission – Shuttle Mission STS-73

So, if you are into the UFO thing, you will know right away what an “encounter of the fourth kind” is. Relating this to job search is probably a stretch, except it has happened to me. You know how it goes, you get a call from a recruiter, they are trying to fill a specific job and, while it is something you could probably do, this is just not a job that you will ever take (assuming they actually make you an offer). But then, for some reason, you go on the interview anyway. And then, things just get out of control and you are “sucked into the moment” as if you’ve been abducted by some alien life form. You go through countless interviews not really knowing why you are there or what you are doing, wasting hours of your time. And then finally, as if you’ve just come out of a drunken haze, reality sets in, you see an opening and you bolt for the door before they can pull you back in. But wait, you think that this is the end of it (but it isn’t). Now the recruiter is calling you, emailing you, texting you and otherwise trying to track you down so that they can complete the brainwash and return your mindless body to “the interview process”. Okay, maybe a little melodramatic, but it can and does happen. So what’s the point? You know what you’re best at and if you get that “gut feeling” that something is not right, listen to yourself and wait for the right opportunity.

• The Right Job – What better place to start than therightjob.com? This site has a ton of resources for helping find, well, the right job. Top of the page starts with a quick search (just enter your key word). Directly below this is another choice, just select a category. But wait, that is not all, directly below the search section is a list of great resources. From Resume Tips  to Cover Letters and Interviews (not the fourth kind), this site delivers a wealth of information.

• Are you in the wrong job after all? – This article, posted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, provides some pointers to help you figure it out. From “you are not doing the job right” to “the position is different from what you expected”, this article is definitely worth a read. Some interesting points, like maybe you are in the right job but in the wrong place.

• Quiz: How to Find Your Perfect Job – Another great resource from Alison Doyle, why not take a quiz to which job suits you? Select one of six categories and you are ready to take your quiz. What, you don’t know what to do? No worries, select “I don’t have a clue” and there are four quizs for you to take so that you can figure it out. Need more?  There are a bunch of additional resource links directly below the article. Related articles and job search help is a few clicks away.

• The 20 Best Job Search Web Sites – Where to start? Why not the top job search sites? Posted on PCMag.com, this article helps filter the top sites (based on their criteria). You know how it is, so many job search sites, so little time. Each site is listed with a brief overview followed by a link to the site. Definitely a place to start if you’ve not built your job search site list.

• The 100 Most Influential Headhunters – Got your list of job search sites from the last link, now to get your list of recruiters. Now 100 is probably too many to use, but this is a great list to start from. Posted by Businessweek.com, the article is like a slide show. Select the > symbol from the top right hand side to get to the next page where you will find (one at a time) profiles on the top recruiters along with their contact information. Remember, be selective and pick only those recruiters that fit your profile.

Good luck in your search

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3 Easy Ways to Strengthen Your Online Brand Identity » Blog | Great Resumes Fast

Your personal brand is nothing more (or less) than the image you project to others. It’s the whole (although abbreviated) picture of who you are and what you do–professionally. Online, it’s the sum of the parts. A large (maybe the whole) purpose of creating and maintaining an online brand is so that people who don’t know you (employers or potential clients/business partners) can find you, evaluate whether they want to meet you/work with you/recommend you. And that’s why it’s a big deal.

Be the candidate who stands out from the crowd.

Your online brand is your first impression for people, job leads, or opportunities that you might miss if it’s not everything it could be. And, it’s definitely a piece of the puzzle for those who have met you in person and are looking to find out more. If you don’t think a hiring manager is going to look around online for more information about you before they make the offer, you are seriously misguided.

So, what can you do to make sure your online brand identity is a strong recommendation for why someone should hire you?

1. Use every opportunity to establish a presence. Although LinkedIn is my favorite online networking site, you should also incorporate Twitter, Facebook, Visual CV, and others. (One article says that you should “cybersquat as much social real estate as possible” to both strengthen your online brand and to combat social identity theft.) Make absolutely certain that every site provides a professional profile with dynamic words that describe who you are and what you do.

2. Make sure your photos are professional and consistent. Attach a head-and-shoulders professional photo to each of your online pages. Having the same photo on all sites will help those who don’t know you recognize you. And please remove the too-personal photos of you with your friends at the party, or you at your political function, or anything else that could cause controversy. If you’re trying to land a job in medical or health care sales, you want potential employers to concentrate on your job skills without anything else getting in the way.

3. Participate. Join groups and discussions, and try to share something of value to help others. Always keep your brand in mind as you contribute your thoughts and ideas. (It’s not hiding the “real you,” it’s simply keeping a public face that’s separate from your private one. Or, to put it another way…there’s a lot you wouldn’t say in front of your grandmother that you wouldn’t hesitate to say in front of your friends. Think of cyberspace as your grandmother. ) You decide how you want people to see you, and develop a consistent theme. It presents a unified, clear, positive image to the rest of the world that will pay off for you in your career.

Article courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates searching for entry level jobs and other career opportunities.

Author Byline: Peggy McKee
Author Website: http://www.career-confidential.com

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