Brag on Your Resume (it is ok)

Unless you have someone referring you to a potential employer, you will need to toot your own horn. Here are some way to make it easier to read.

1. Numbers are useful, so include some. In fact the lack of any numbers is a major red flag.  35% of the people who read this will add a number to their resume.

2. Use a template for your resume. No need to flounder around by yourself, when you can google a template. Include some details that are flattering to you

3. Use key words (hopefully the same key words as in the job you are applying. Resumes are reviewed and scanned by computer programs, prior to getting to a hiring manager.

4. Include shortened executive type summary of skills and benefits of hiring you. This will be read by the hiring manager. Remember you only have 30-45 seconds to make an impact.

Surviving Group Interviews

Group Interviews are challenging ... ok they suck.

The reason is that you are being scrutinized by multiple people at the same time.

Tips,

1. Be Yourself
2. Always answer honestly, which really means admit when you don't know something.
3. Engage everyone
4. Smile and relax

Either you get an offer, or you get experience. 

What to say when you don't have an answer

1. Acknowledge you can’t answer their specific question. 

2. Lay out a related skill or experience. 

3. Ask if they’d like to hear about the skill or experience you do have to share.

Show You Appreciation for an Interview

https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-gracefully-turn-down-a-job-offer

Step 1: Show Your Appreciation

A heartfelt—and specific—thank-you for that time and effort will go a long way.

Step 2: Give a Good, Brief Reason

The best approach is to be brief but honest about your specific reason for not accepting the position, saying something like: Thank you at this time I do not think this position is a good fit for me and my family.

Step 3: Stay in Touch

Send a thank you note to everyone

5 Ways Employers Prefer to Hire

5 Ways Employers Prefer to Hire:

(image Redmond Magazine)

1. From Within the Company

The scenario described above is the most preferred way to fill a position. Ideally, companies like to have someone on hand who can fill a role quickly and with little fuss. Is it fair to the unemployed and other job seekers outside the company? No. But companies only have one thing in mind when making hires: finding a safe bet. Who could be safer than someone the company already has on the payroll? Not only are hiring managers already familiar with the abilities – and inabilities – of existing employees, but promoting from within also builds goodwill in the company. An employer that promotes from within is a good employer. This makes hiring from within a win-win scenario.

2. Employee Referrals

Employers like hiring through referrals because employees tend to only refer people in whom they are confident. Employees don’t want egg on their face if their referral doesn’t work out. Even if a family member catches wind of the role, the employee won’t refer them unless they believe that family member can really do the job. Yes, people will forsake their own flesh and blood to save their professional reputation. According to Jobvite, 40 percent of all hires come from employee referrals. This is even more stunning when you consider that referrals only account for 7 percent of all applications. One wonders why employers are even wasting their time on, say, job boards.

3. Through the Hiring Manager’s Immediate Network

If a hiring manager can’t find an internal or referred candidate, their next move is typically to reach out to people they trust outside the company, including former colleagues, partners, vendors, and even people who’ve left the company for greener pastures (boomerang employees). 

4. Through a Recruiter

If internal candidates, employee referrals, and external networks all fail, many hiring managers will then hire external recruiters. Recruiters can be pricey, so they aren’t a first choice for most employers, but they’re still palatable because of their industry knowledge and connections. Either way, the employer is paying for a few candidates to be delivered. It’s a risky proposition.

5. Advertising

When employers get truly desperate, they advertise their positions. There are two major problems with advertising a position publicly: cost and quality of candidates. In terms of cost, it’s not actually the cost of the advertising itself that concerns employers. For most companies, the time spent reading resumes and interviewing unqualified job seekers is what really bothers them. Even with advanced ATSs on their side, employers still run into many unqualified candidates who wrongly make it to the interview stage.

5 Steps You Should Take Immediately If You Have Been Laid Off

5 Steps You Should Take Immediately If You Have Been Laid Off:

1. Take Time to Regroup

Change is never easy, especially when it is forced upon you. When you find yourself in the midst of a life-changing occurrence, you are bound to feel a wide range of emotions. It is important that you never make a major decision while in an emotional state. Instead, take time to assess what has happened, regroup, and decide where you want to go from here.

2. Update Your Resume
Once you have calmed down and found time to breathe, assess where you want to go. Believe it or not, getting laid off can provide a good opportunity for a career change.

First, decide whether you want to pursue the same type of career or change directions. Then, update your resume and make sure you can easily tailor it to the positions you’ve decided to apply for.

3. Assess Your Financial Situation
This is one step that should absolutely not go overlooked. It will be easier to alleviate your stress once you know where your finances stand. Your financial state will drive your job search and determine whether you should begin working part-time while you continue to search for your next career move or you have time to spend on going after a dream job that might take longer to land.

4. Leverage Your Network
It is important to note that getting laid off is not the time to begin networking; your network is vital to your career growth and should be nurtured even when you are employed. With that being said, now is the time to leverage that network you’ve spent time curating. Over time, you have created contacts within your industry. If you have put in the time to grow those relationships, you can now reap the benefits.

5. Set a Date

As you begin your job search, you should set a timeframe. Pick a date, and if your search hasn’t yielded results by that date, you’ll know it’s time to change tactics.

3 Tips for a Successful Interview

3 Tips for a Successful Interview:

Interviewing is hard work. The job search is itself a job, and it sometimes feels like it will never end. It can be tough to keep your head above water, especially when you’re juggling the search for a new job with an existing role.

To ensure you’re making the most out of every interview, do these three things:

1. Research

The best part about job searching in the age of the internet is transparency. This is something that has never existed in the same way in the past, so be sure to take advantage of it. Use websites like Glassdoor, Salary.com, and Indeed to find out how much companies are paying. Look up reviews to find out what employees think of their workplaces. Read through the common interview questions for the company you’re interested in. Search on Google and the company website to learn about recent company news. Use LinkedIn to learn more about the hiring manager. The internet is an invaluable tool for job seekers.

2. Customize Your Application Materials

If you’ve been cranking out a high volume of applications every day, you may not have considered this. The more you target your application materials to the company and the particular job) the more you increase the likelihood a company will be interested in you.

It’s not hard to customize your job search documents. Start with your resume. Read the job description closely and ensure your resume highlights the same skills the employer is looking for. Customize your objective statement to include both the job title and the company name. Use a similar approach with your cover letter. Specifically mention the job title and company name and explain why you’re a perfect fit for this particular role.

3. Don’t Take It Personally

You’re not going to get every job you interview for. The higher you climb the ladder and the more specialized your skills are, the truer this becomes.

Just because you weren’t hired doesn’t mean the hiring manager doesn’t like you. There are a number of reasons why you might not have been chosen. An internal candidate may have been pre-selected. The job may have been put on hold. The hiring manager may have left the company. None of these reasons are about you.

When you’re rejected, you can choose to walk away unhappy or you can choose to build a relationship with the company. Very often, when you first interview with a company, they’re just getting to know you. If you stay in touch, you will increase your odds of being hired the next time they’re looking for someone with your skill set.

A version of this article originally appeared in the Memphis Daily News. 

Angela Copeland is a career coach and CEO at her firm, Copeland Coaching.