“Job Search Tool Kit”
So you’re in the market for a new job, or perhaps a complete career change. While there are many resources and options available to you, it can be a daunting task in today’s market. This portion of our web site is designed to help today’s candidates focus their career search and develop a specific strategy for your next job or career stop.
What’s your game plan?
It may sound like a silly question, but “what do you want to do when you grow up?” One of the first steps in a job search is to understand and articulate what you want to do. And we mean be specific. There is nothing more likely to doom your search from the beginning than to say “I just want to make a change.” Prospective employers want to hire candidates who not only fit a need within their organization but also know exactly what they want to do next in their careers. So do some serious soul searching and determine what industry you are most interested in as well as the type of job function you are seeking. Not only will this help you develop your unique skills and qualifications, it will also help you determine what resources you can identify that will assist you in your search.
You may ask “how do I know what I want to do” when I’m in the midst of a job or career change? The simple answer is to do your homework before you begin your search. There is a tremendous amount of information available today to assist you in refining your goals and search objectives. If you say “I want to get into healthcare sales” you need to know that is not specific enough for today’s companies and hiring managers. You need to know what type of healthcare products, what size company, what types of customers you want to call on, what type of salary versus commission structure you can live with, etc. Once you clarify your goals and objectives you are ready to refine your search criteria. You will also be prepared to meet with hiring managers and tell your unique story, one that will help you stand apart from other candidates in a very competitve market.
Resumes – Getting in the Door
Now that you know what your search objectives are, you need to write an impactful resume that will help you “get in the door” for an interview. There are many resources available for resume writing as well. The internet provides a great deal of information on the subject and there are countless sites with articles and suggestions on how to create a strong resume. You can also employ a Certified Professional Resume Writer to create a resume that truly represents you and your unique experience, skills and qualifications.
Keep in mind a resume is your “ticket to the dance.” You need to spend the time and effort to create one that gets the attention of recruiters (external and internal) and hiring managers. A great resume will not win you a job, but without one you may not even get to the interview process.
Below are two sample resumes to examine that may be helpful to you in the creation of your own, unique version. Keep in mind that no matter what version resume you use there are certain rules and guidelines that apply in general:
- Honesty is the best policy! Never exaggerate, falsify or omit critical information in your resume. Not only is it unethical to falsify information, but companies routinely do background checks and check references. Nothing will remove you faster from the interview process than misrepresenting yourself in a resume.
- Keep it brief. Try to keep your resume at one or two pages if at all possible. If you are having a hard time keeping it to less than two pages consider reducing information on jobs that are well in your past or have no relevance to the types of job you are currently seeking.
- No first person narration. Do not use first person pronouns such as “I” or “me.” You want your resume to look like it was written by a third-party. This is a common recommendation in writing resumes that look impactful and insightful.
- Executive Summary versus Career Objective. Most resume writing professionals believe that Career Objectives are unnecessary and prefer an Executive/Professional Summary at the beginning. The Executive/Professional Summary should be focused on key action words that best describe your unique qualifications. They are not only helpful in positioning you with the right company and position, they also can be extremely helpful when utilized in internet searching and resume posting.
- Accomplishments versus functions. Keep your resume focused on accomplishments and achievements versus too much emphasis on company or job descriptions. Hiring managers are looking for new hires that have a track record of success, so keep your resume focused on what unique qualifications you bring to the table versus a detailed account of the company’s business or your prior job descriptions.
- Proofread! One thing that can literally derail your opportunity before you get started is having grammatical errors or misspellings in your resume. There really is no excuse for that. If you’re not good at grammar or spelling, have someone else proofread it for you.
- Personal Information. Most people will tell you it’s not necessary to include ANY personal information unless it’s relevant to the job you are seeking. In other words, hiring managers don’t want to know how many kids you have, how long you’ve been married or how tall you are and how much you weigh.
- References. References are very important to many companies during the interview process. But we do not recommend that you list them on your resume and also do not recommend adding “References Available Upon Request.” If you list references on your resume people may call them without telling you, which means you won’t be able to alert the reference to the situation, opportunity or incoming phone call. One of the keys to effectively using references is to prepare them in advance for that specific call, with information on the company and position. If the company wants references you can provide them as they are requested and make sure they are appropriate for the situation.
Keep it brief. Try to keep your resume at one or two pages if at all possible. If you are having a hard time keeping it to less than two pages consider reducing information on jobs that are well in your past or have no relevance to the types of job you are currently seeking.
Sample Resumes
Below are links to two sample resumes that demonstrate good formatting and content. These Word documents can be downloaded and used as a template to begin creating your own version.
Sample Sales Resume - Short
Sample Sales Resume - Long
Interview Strategies and Tips
So you did your homework, identified the opportunity you want to pursue, created an impactful resume and now you have gotten to the interview stage of the hiring process. Here are some suggestions on how to prepare and develop a strategy customized to the industry, company and position.
- Phone Interviews. You can not win a job over the phone, but you can sure LOSE a job over the phone! The first rule of thumb with phone interviews is to prepare just as thoroughly and diligently as you would for a face-to-face interview. DO YOUR HOMEWORK and have an interview game plan. As part of your overall strategy you should build two “lists” in preparing for a phone interview.
- The first list should be one with questions you expect the manager or internal recruiter to ask you. In an initial phone interview their questions will likely be directed towards your resume and experience and how it fits with their open position and needs. It will also typically include questions like “why are you considering a job/career change” and “why do you want to go to work for our company/this job?” By building this list of questions ahead of time you are preparing for almost anything and actually doing some self “role playing” in the process.
- The second list should contain questions you want to ask the manager or internal recruiter. If you don’t ask good questions you may not advance in the process. Your questions should vary depending on the level and/or position of the person you are speaking with. Keep your questions higher level and open ended. Now is not the time to ask about salary, vacation time, benefits or any other lower level details. Your questions should be focused on the industry, company culture and strategies, market opportunities or trends and other higher level topics that will give you a feel for what they are looking for in candidates. Good discovery questions will not only impress the interviewer, it will give you a good indication as to the company and opportunity and if it is the right fit for you. Remember, you are interviewing them just as they are interviewing you.
- Face-to-Face Interviews. You have worked hard to get to this stage, and this is where you can stand out from the crowd, if you are prepared. All of that research and preparation you did early in the process will really pay off when you get to the interview stage. Treat face-to-face interviews like a sales call. The only difference is the product is YOU!
- You need to prepare insightful and impactful interview questions. That’s simply part of your discovery process in determining if this is the right job and/or company for you. And good questions should be designed such that the interviewer will tell you what they are looking for in a candidate. Without great interview questions on your part your chances will diminish greatly.
- Role playing prior to the interview may sound old-fashioned and corny, but it beats not getting the job you want! You can do this by generating a list of questions you think you will be asked (just like you did for the phone interview) or you can ask a friend or spouse to help you by actually role playing numerous interview questions. When responding to interview questions it’s important to follow some basic rules:
- Answer questions honestly and directly – nothing will hurt you more than being inconsistent because you weren’t answering honestly or not answering a question directly.
- Keep your answers succinct. Long, rambling responses to questions is not something most managers are looking for in a candidate.
- You shouldn’t be doing all the talking. A standard rule of thumb is if you are doing more than half the talking you are talking too much!
- If you’re not sure if you answered the question correctly or directly, ask the interviewer to make sure. There is nothing wrong with saying “Did I answer your question?” Or “Was I clear in my answer to your question?”
- This is where your homework will help you stand apart from all other candidates. It is imperative to know as much as you can about the industry, the company, its competitors, the nature of the specific job and how you can help the organization meet its goals. It is not important to know every detail but you need to demonstrate that you understand their overall business and how you can have an impact if given the opportunity. At this stage in the interview process you need to make sure you are dressed appropriately and know who you are meeting with and what their role is in the hiring process. Successful candidates often bring a “brag book” if needed with documentation of their overall success in related positions. You may also want to consider bringing in a simple “action plan” of what you would be focused on doing the first 30-60-90 days in the job. This kind of preparation and extra attention to detail will differentiate you from other candidates if it is well conceived and professionally presented to the interviewer.
- CLOSE! If you want the job make sure you close the interviewer on the next step in the process. If you don’t ask they may assume you don’t want the job. You can do this in whatever style you are comfortable with, soft or hard. But make sure you CLOSE!
- Finally, FOLLOW UP! Even if you had a great interview you can jeopardize your chances by not following up with the interviewer(s). If you are meeting with more than one person make sure you get everyone’s business card or contact information. The follow up not only sets you apart as a true professional, it also gives you the opportunity to do some more selling. You can use creative follow up ideas to your advantage; just make sure it’s appropriate and concise. Your follow up should not be limited to a brief email or thank you note after the interview. You can continue to follow up appropriately until the process is complete. Some managers even expect candidates to remain in contact. Just make sure it is not overboard. Think of it as a sales process with you being the “product.”
